Pardon The Opinion

Saying Farewell

2010-11-29T19:13:00.003-05:00

I have sad news to report. I am officially shutting down Pardon The Opinion. For the 30 of you that actual read this blog, thank you for your support. I am now writing for Bottom of the Barrel because I simply do not have enough time to maintain my own blog. Thanks again for reading and commenting and I hope you follow me over to Bottom of the Barrel.

-Dylan

NFL Picks Week 12

2010-11-27T16:42:00.001-05:00

I'm already off to a good start, so hopefully the momentum continues.

Here are the picks.

NFL Picks Week 11

2010-11-22T11:01:00.001-05:00

So they might be a day late. Deal with it.

NFL Picks Week 10

2010-11-14T13:50:00.000-05:00

The Week 10 picks are here.

NFL Picks Week 9

2010-11-08T13:09:00.002-05:00

I know they're coming after the fact, but I figured I'd put them up anyway. As you can see, I obviously have not altered them considering my 5-6-1 week thus far. Anyway, here they are.

Last Week: 8-4-1

Overall: 54-57-6

Two random observations before I unveil my picks.

1. Last year Brett Favre had a career-best season. His 33 TDs and 7 INTs contrasted his normal TD/INT ratio and led us to unequivocally praise him and strengthen his status as one of the greatest QBs ever.

Thus far this season, Peyton Manning has 15 TDs and 2 INTs with a 65.9 completion percentage. Keep in mind his lack of running game, injured receivers, TEs, and offensive lineman. So how do we separate Manning and Favre to determine who is better? When you looked at Brett Favre’s ’09 stat line, were you surprised? Probably. Now think about your reaction to Peyton Manning’s 15 TDs and 2 INTs through 9 weeks of the NFL season. Are you surprised? Probably not.

This, to me, is the only way to separate QBs. Despite the injuries that would affect most other QBs, we simply expect Peyton to perform, regardless of the circumstances. Brett, on the other hand, has turned into a surprise. In Favre’s 14^th season (this is Manning’s 14^th), he had already backed himself into his interception-filled corner. It was an expectation that he would give away the ball at least 15 times during a single season. For Manning, success is not a surprise. Any semblance of failure, on the other hand, is. Is this not the definition of greatness? This is why Favre should never even sniff Manning’s category of quarterbacking excellence.

2. Since you probably did not notice, I will let you in on a tiny little secret that the media has hidden from view:

The San Francisco Giants won the World Series.

But what was the biggest story of the week? Randy Moss’ disapproval of barbecue food. (One thing no one has mentioned about the Randy Moss issue: he never even ate the food. He looked at it and determined it to be unworthy of his holy lips. How bad does food have to be for someone to refuse it on sight? Was it green? Did it have a repugnant odor? This is an issue that needs to be explored.)

So what does this say about today’s sports fan that we are more intrigued by Randy Moss’ adolescent behavior than the World Series? Nothing, frankly. The problem has nothing to do with the fans, nor does it the pace of the game or the teams that play on the biggest stage. The problem is the discrepancy between the length of the regular season and length of the playoffs.

In such a short series, anyone can win. This, in my opinion, is fantastic. But the regular season needs to match this mentality. Everyone is so worn out by the end of the regular season that the culmination becomes more of a relief than a moment of joy.

Anyway, back to the NFL.

(Home team in caps, picks in bold)

BUFFALO BILLS (+3) over Chicago Bears

Buffalo is not as bad as their record indicates. Only if that could console Bills’ fans.

San Diego Chargers (-3) over HOUSTON TEXANS

The turning around of San Diego’s season has officially begun.

New Orleans Saints (-6.5) over CAROLINA PANTHERS

People are betting heavily on the Saints to cover, so I will apologize in advance when I get this pick wrong.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-8) over Arizona Cardinals

Addition by subtraction.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+9) over ATLANTA FALCONS

Tom Brady is the 5.0 version of Josh Freeman (both thrive in the 4^th quarter).

New York Jets (-5) over DETROIT LIONS

The Lions have two outstanding rookies named Jahvid and Ndamukong. They should probably draft more oddly named guys.

Miami Dolphins (+5) over BALTIMORE RAVENS

Miami’s road strategy is to keep the game close by running the ball, then win it in the 4^th quarter. They are 4-0 on the road.

New England Patriots (-4) over CLEVELAND BROWNS

New England is only giving 4 points? I am definitely missing something here.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (+7) over New York Giants

Seattle obviously uses voodoo curses at home. It’s the only explanation for their home success.

Kansas City Chiefs (+1) over OAKLAND RAIDERS

Oakland’s two consecutive blowout wins came against Seattle (they were on the road, and therefore equivalent to a Division III college team) and Denver (they are miserably awful). True colors will be shown.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (-3) over Indianapolis Colts

The difference between pre and post-jail Mike Vick is that he’s become a QB that runs as opposed as an RB that plays QB. No one has figured out how to stop the first one.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (-7) over Dallas Cowboys

Am I the only one totally surprised by Jerry Jones’ patience? This has to be a façade.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+3.5) over CINCINNATI BENGALS

Carson Palmer is quietly one of the worst QBs in the NFL. Take away his garbage time statistics and get back to me.

NFL Picks Week 8

2010-10-30T15:39:00.000-04:00

The week of redemption begins. Here are the picks.

NFL Picks Week 7

2010-10-24T12:13:00.003-04:00

I cannot seem to break away from .500, but I'm feeling a stroke of luck coming my way.

Here are the picks.

NFL Picks Week 6

2010-10-17T17:08:00.001-04:00

And here they are. Thanks again to JOCKpost.

NFL Picks Week 5

2010-10-10T13:18:00.002-04:00

Here they are. Slowly but surely I'll gain your respect and you may eventually trust my picks.

NFL Picks Week 4

2010-10-03T13:32:00.002-04:00

So I've been a bit lazy about blogging recently, but that will soon change. Here are my Week 4 NFL picks. I know this post is coming after the games started, but check the date on JOCKpost. Picks were made yesterday afternoon.

NFL Picks Week 3

2010-09-25T15:23:00.000-04:00

Here are my week 3 picks. Criticize all you like.

NFL Picks Week 2

2010-09-18T18:25:00.002-04:00

JOCKpost has officially dubbed me their NFL picks guy, so my NFL picks articles will now be posted there. Here's the link.

Brady or Manning? Kobe or LeBron?

2010-09-14T15:32:00.006-04:00

The first week of the NFL season usually recreates the same stories.

1) Random player x has a huge Week 1, prompting premature talk of a breakout player - Arian Foster

2) Random player x suffers a season ending injury, severely hurting his team's chances of making a Super Bowl run - Kris Jenkins

3) Random team x defeats favored team y, validating the idiot who picked them. And his only reason was to seem smart when the unlikely scenario occurred - Washington Redskins over Dallas Cowboys, Gregg Easterbrook.

4) Bob Sanders gets hurt.

It's funny how the injuries of one man maim the perception of another. As is human nature, we always attempt to rank the best QBs. Yet in a team sport, this desire will always be in vain. Bill Belichick has stamped his defensive genius on Tom Brady and his career. We can praise Brady as much as we want for his quarterbacking ability, but its almost impossible to separate Bill from Tom. Meanwhile, Peyton sits on his lonely perch guiding the Colts offense to greatness while his defense sucks the life out of the "greatest QB of all time" argument.

When I started writing this article, I was planning to make some mildly entertaining observations about Week 1. But upon realizing that the entire world has already written/texted/tweeted/facebooked/emailed/said everything I had to offer, I stumbled upon an old episode of Around The Horn which lead me to the following question:

Why does the Brady/Manning argument exist?

It's the same as the Kobe/LeBron plight that everyone attempts to definitively resolve, even down to the nitty gritty details. We love Kobe's championship pedigree and winning mentality on the basis that he's won 5 rings. Ignoring the possibility that Phil Jackson, Shaq and Pau Gasol all equally contributed to the championships, we praise Kobe. If Kobe's Bill Belichick is Phil Jackson, then his Teddy Bruschi and Deon Branch are his Shaq and Pau.

Unfortunately for LeBron and Peyton, they've never had that worthy sidekick. For Peyton, defense has continually derailed him. For LeBron, it's that secondary offensive player. Only Peyton sniffed what could have been when his defense miraculously came together during his one Super Bowl season. But ultimately Manning and the Colts will never win more than 1 or 2 more rings because they will always lack every quarterback's trusty sidekick: defense. Yes, Peyton has offensive talent surrounding him and LeBron had a defense in Cleveland. But both lacked the final piece to complete their respective championship puzzles: a defense and an offensive sidekick.

To settle the most interesting and unsolvable question in basketball, Dwyane Wade will have to suffer a career ending injury. The new LeBron/Bosh Miami Heat will finally resemble a team that Kobe has been lucky to enjoy for the majority of his career. Give that new duo a 5 year reign together and the argument can have a resolution. But until then, the argument remains incomplete because the scenarios do no match. We can only judge what we see, and Kobe will always look more impressive, thanks to the Laker's superior front office.

The same goes for Peyton: Until his defense is up to snuff for multiple seasons, we cannot judge him against Tom Brady. Ironically, Brady can now fully understand his fellow QB's plight these last 13 years. Although New England's offense is loaded, their defense is not. While it may seem that a potentially valid comparison could emerge, we need a larger sample size for this new look Patriot team before any Brady/Manning comparison becomes legitimate.

So until these unlikely scenario's happen, let's lay off the Manning/Brady and LeBron/Kobe debates. It's unfair to both players to compare what cannot be compared.

NFL Picks Week 1

2010-09-09T16:00:00.001-04:00

Preseason has fallen from view, and the 18 game schedule discussion has officially lost its absurdly large head of steam. So let's move on to what matters.

Game picks (picks in bold).

Minnesota Vikings (+5) at New Orleans Saints

We've already seen this game. Same players, same location (well, take away Sidney Rice and Scott Fujita). Even though New Orleans won it on the scoreboard, Minnesota won it everywhere else. I'll go out on a limb and predict that Peterson and Favre will be able to control their inner turnover beasts for 60 minutes. If Peterson can control the clock on the ground (which shouldn't be a problem considering New Orleans' run defense reminds me of We Are Marshall at the beginning of the movie), Minnesota will win. One more important note about this game: Drew Brees is on the cover of Madden. Beware.

Carolina Panthers (+7) at New York Giants

We will discount last year's matchup considering the Giants were in a Ryan Leaf-like tailspin. As much as I like the Giants to win this game, I refuse to fall into the Vegas trap. On paper, this is a one-sided game. But 7 points puts a little more than a healthy dose of faith in the Giants, and not enough in John Fox. Especially when the "coach with his job on the line" factor looms over this game. It's important to note that this differs from the "I know I'm going to be fired regardless" factor which applies to Lovie Smith. The first is highly motivating, while the second is completely destructive. Lucky for Carolina, Fox has yet to move into Lovie Smith territory.

Miami Dolphins (-3) at Buffalo Bills

A 3 point spread for such an obviously lopsided matchup worries me. But not enough to side with Trent Edwards. Buffalo has quietly managed to avoid improving their team for at least 5 seasons in a row. Miami has followed the opposite trend, adding Brandon Marshall in the offseason. Meanwhile, Lee Evans wastes his career and fantasy potential in the freezing cold with no QB. What a shame. Even more of a shame since he's on one of my fantasy teams.

Atlanta Falcons (-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers

Unfortunately for Dennis Dixon, this team can no longer employ the "rally around the new QB" tactic because Big Ben's absence is nothing new. A healthy Michael Turner and a functioning Atlanta offense will spell trouble for the quietly aging Pittsburgh defense. And I did pick the Steelers to go 6-10. To avoid hypocrisy, I cannot change course and have faith in any team lead by Dennis Dixon.

Detroit Lions (+6.5) at Chicago Bears

If there were ever a sign that a rookie was destined for greatness, it was Ndamukong Suh's malicious and blatantly intentional hurling of Jake Delhomme. If there's anything that characterizes great defensive players, it's a nasty edge that instills fear in opponents. As much as coaches want to teach technique and footwork on the defensive line, a nasty attitude is 90% of the battle. And Suh has more of it than he knows what to do with. Anyway, about the game. A Mike Martz/Jay Cutler offense is asking for disaster. A timing based offense lead by a quarterback who has a penchant for interceptions is almost as bad as locking Big Ben in a bathroom with another 20 year-old-girl. At the end of the season, I'll be the one waiving goodbye to Lovie Smith saying, "I told you so."

New England Patriots (-4.5) vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Patriots are stronger than they appear. Brandon Spikes and Jerod Mayo headline a young linebacking crew and defense. But if there's anything we've learned in the Bill Belichick era, it's that we should ignore any perceived personnel issues on defense. And now that Wes Welker is seemingly playing at full strength (which, by the way, is absolutely absurd. Another note: I hate the people who call Welker a Comeback Player of the Year candidate. He missed 1 1/2 games total last season), this offense could easily regain its record setting form. Match that with the hype machine that defines the Cincinnati Bengals and we have a recipe for a blowout.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2) vs. Cleveland Browns

I can't decide if Jake Delhomme over Derek Anderson is an improvement. Regardless, the Browns still lack, well, everything. At least Tampa Bay has some semblance of a running game and QB who has shown some promise. Can't say that much for the Browns.

Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5) vs. Denver Broncos

Similar to the Browns/Bucs, this is a matchup of who do I hate less. David Garrard isn't a total disaster and MJD's career appears alarmingly similar to that of Barry Sanders. Plus it's hard to pick against a guy whose motivation comes not only from winning, but also from padding his own fantasy stats. On the other side of the field there's one simple equation that adequately sums up the future of that team:

Beginning of the Tim Tebow Era + Elvis Dumervil Injury = End of the Josh McDaniels Era

Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) at Houston Texans

Every part of me wants to pick the Texans. Almost as much as any movie fan wants Hickory to win the state championship in Hoosiers. Even though the Texans have Hickory-like support, they can't and won't put it together on the field. Chemistry overcomes talent in movies, but not in the NFL. And the Texans have once again done nothing to improve their team. Flashy offense, poor defense, 8-8 record, and 0-1 to start.

Tennessee Titans (-6) vs. Oakland Raiders

I'm in love with Tennessee this year. To the point that I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the NFC championship game. Add in the possibility of Albert Haynesworth rejoining the team and rejuvenating his career and we're looking at an extremely strong team. I'm aware Vince Young throws the ball like John McCain if he played QB. But the threat of Chris Johnson is almost as deadly as CJ himself. And Kenny Britt isn't too bad either.

Green Bay Packers (-3) at Philadelphia Eagles

It's hard to hate on Aaron Rodgers, and even harder to like the Eagles. Rookie QB plus relatively inexperienced running back equals disaster. On the flip side, look for Brent Celek's statistics to improve from his already big year in '09. Kevin Kolb will look to him with no other possession receiver/big target to throw the ball towards when he's in trouble. But back to the Packers. Even though I do like their chances in the NFC, they've swiftly moved into the well documented overrated-underrated category. Hype always scares me, and they seem to have a little too much of it.

San Francisco 49ers (-3) at Seattle Seahawks

In a matchup featuring the most boring division in football, I actually support the direction both teams are headed. Seattle continues to disassemble its aging core and SF finally has a potent offense with some trace of continuity. John Clayton asserted that Alex Smith had no potential to improve because of his perceived lack of accuracy. Unfortunately for Mr. Clayton, he's looking at way too small a sample size. Smith has played a full season once in his career (and there was no one to throw to at the time).

Saint Louis Rams (+4) vs. Arizona Cardinals

Ken Wisenhunt made the wrong choice. Any time the better QB loses the starting job for unforeseen reasons, it's the coach's ego that is at fault. I'm not saying that Matt Leinart is great by any means, but he's better than Derek Anderson. Wisenhunt has coasted these last few seasons, with his coaching deficiencies hiding behind Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Time for some real exposure.

Dallas Cowboys (-3.5) at Washington Redskins

The Redskins have gone through an interesting evolution over the last few months. Donovan McNabb comes on board and the Redskins stock rises. The Albert Haynesworth fiasco erupts and the stock falls. People start to believe in the new era Redskins rallying together to have a comeback year. Too many people pick the Redskins as sleepers, and we're back to hating them. And now on the eve of the season, Redskins' fervor is heating up, again. I'm not ready to jump on board.

New York Jets (-2.5) at Baltimore Ravens

The injury bug has ripped apart the Ravens secondary worse than T.O.'s dismantling of the Eagles in his short time there. Yes, Indianapolis and New Orleans proved that offense wins championships too, but their defenses stepped it up in the playoffs. During the first Indy Super Bowl run, the run defense managed to resurrect itself faster than Wes Welker's ACL. Meanwhile New Orleans' ability to create turnovers hid the rest of its defensive deficiencies. Baltimore has no secondary and an aging Ray Lewis. Be cautious.

San Diego Chargers (-4.5) at Kansas City Chiefs

You know San Diego is preparing for one "eff you Vincent Jackson, we don't need you" game where the offenses blows up and scores 35 points. Ryan Matthews seems as if he can't not succeed (Yes, the double negative was necessary). Kansas City will be better with Eric Berry roaming around the secondary and Charlie Weis on the sidelines. Things are looking better, without a doubt. But Phillip Rivers is too good a regular season QB, and 4.5 points is a week 1 line. Give it a few weeks and Kansas City will become much bigger underdogs.

16 Sounds Better Than 18

2010-09-07T22:05:00.000-04:00

I know I'm a little late on the 18 game schedule train, but I seem to be in the minority and must defend my position.

The 18 game schedule is a terrible idea. For argument's sake, let's ignore the financial ramifications that will clearly play a large role in whichever way this unfolds. From a pure what-is-better-for-an-NFL-fan standpoint, this should be a clear cut issue.

16 games is better.

I know 16 games subject us to more preseason misery. So before you write scathing comments which attack my views (which I encourage, by the way. There's nothing like some healthy banter), hear me out for a second.

1. Week 18/19/20 - Most fans want to eliminate the preseason because the games are meaningless. Well, let's flash back to Week 17, '09-'10 season. Here is the slate of games from that week:

Indianapolis (14-1) at Buffalo (5-10)

New Orleans (13-2) at Carolina (7-8)

Atlanta (8-7) at Tampa Bay (3-12)

San Francisco (7-8) at Saint Louis (1-14)

New York Giants (8-7) at Minnesota (11-4)*

Pittsburgh (8-7) at Miami (7-8)*

New England (10-5) at Houston (8-7)*

Chicago (6-9) at Detroit (2-13)

Jacksonville (7-8) at Cleveland (4-11)

Philadelphia (11-4) at Dallas (10-5)*

Kansas City (3-12) at Denver (8-7)*

Washington (4-11) at San Diego (12-3)

Tennessee (7-8) at Seattle (5-10)

Green Bay (10-5) at Arizona (9-6)*

Cincinnati (10-5) at New York Jets (8-7)*

Baltimore (8-7) at Oakland (5-10)*

Games with a "*" impacted playoff contenders and seeding.

In total, 8 games were meaningful. Of those 8 games, 9 of 16 teams cared about the result. So while these 9 teams fought for playoff position or a playoff birth, the gods had already determined the exact fate of the other 23 NFL teams. 72% of the NFL was already waiting for next season by Week 17.

Assuming another bye week is added to an 18 game season, weeks 18, 19 and 20 become an extension of week 17. On the one hand, some division and wild card races will continue because of an extended schedule. Teams 2 or 3 games behind will cease to be mathematically eliminated prior to week 17. On the other hand, races that are already over will linger for 4, maybe 5 weeks. Do we really want to watch Curtis Painter start for 4 weeks?

Of those 8 meaningful games, 4 solely impacted playoff position. While it's moderately satisfying to watch teams battle for seeding, coaches will ultimately opt in favor of health over seeding. Jim Caldwell has proven that health prevails over everything, even an undefeated season. The Arizona Cardinals and Ken Wisenhunt have tanked at the end of the last two seasons to ensure an injury-free roster. So while 8 games might be meaningful on the surface, only half of those games have true importance.

Now we're down to 4 of 16 games, and 5 of 32 NFL teams that care about games after week 16. Maybe I'm alone, but this leaves me less than thrilled.

2. Shorter Careers - We won't feel this effect immediately. But for future NFL players, an 18 game pounding will lead to more hits, and eventually, more injuries. Most running backs barely make it past 30. Add two more games and that age drops to 28/29. In only 8 NFL seasons, a player will have an extra 16 games under his belt. If the NFL is so apt to cut down on concussions and ensure the long term health of NFL players, a longer schedule is not the answer.

3. Less Is More - The clamor for an 18 game schedule has erupted with the shadow of the NFL season looming. Any real football fan struggles through the summer in anticipation of football. And now we want to add games not because we want more football, but simply because we cannot stand that preseason delays our satisfaction for a mere two weeks. This 16 game formula has worked well for 30 years. We have to rid ourselves of preseason, not add more games.

With that in mind, there's an easy solution to this entire issue: Add two more bye weeks to the regular season. Owners increase profit since TV contracts will extend for two more weeks. Players will have more time to recuperate and injuries will play a reduced role in the final standings. While it's mildly frustrating for fans since their football teams will have more byes, there will be 19 weeks of football. Meaningful football.

Podcast Episode #11 - NFC Preview (Part 2)

2010-08-30T12:07:00.003-04:00

The 4th and final part of the Bottom of the Barrel/Pardon The Opinion preview podcast. Hopefully our NFC South and West discussions have some merit. As always, predictions are below and explanations are in the podcast. Enjoy.

Dylan Murphy

NFC South

New Orleans Saints (11-5)

Atlanta Falcons (10-6)

Carolina Panthers (8-8)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-10)

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers (10-6)

Seattle Seahawks (8-8)

Arizona Cardinals (7-9)

St. Louis Rams (5-11)

Bengoodfella

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons (12-4)

New Orleans Saints (10-6)

Carolina Panthers (8-8)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-10)

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers (9-7)

Arizona Cardinals (8-8)

Seattle Seahawks (7-9)

St. Louis Rams (5-11)

Podcast Episode #10 - NFC Preview (Part 1)

2010-08-25T11:26:00.005-04:00

Bengoodfella is back to discuss the NFC East and NFC North. If you want to jump aboard the McNabb pity train, then you should definitely take a listen.

Dylan Murphy

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys (12-4)

New York Giants (10-6)

Philadelphia Eagles (8-8)

Washington Redskins (7-9)

NFC North

Green Bay Packers (11-5)

Minnesota Vikings (9-7)

Chicago Bears (7-9)

Detroit Lions (4-12)

Bengoodfella

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys (11-5)

New York Giants (10-6)

Washington Redskins (7-9)

Philadelphia Eagles (6-10)

NFC North

Green Bay Packers (11-5)

Minnesota Vikings (10-6)

Chicago Bears (8-8)

Detroit Lions (7-9)

5 Underrated NFL Stories

2010-08-23T12:52:00.008-04:00

I am not John Clayton. I will not regurgitate everything reported over the past month concerning the NFL. There are some stories (more like non-stories) that have continued to fly under the radar. More importantly, there are some things which need to be stories. Well, fear not. I am here to shine light upon those deserving of criticism or advice.

1) Josh McDaniels - We all witnessed how he gutted the Denver roster to stroke his massive ego. I've written about this before. In a righteous world, McDaniels would have been fired for his blasphemy. Matt Cassel over Jay Cutler? Unnecessary and cruel. So here's the question which has yet to be addressed:

Why is he not on the hot seat?

Obviously the Broncos' 6-0 start bought him a grace period. But with the Tebow project at the single A level and no Elvis Dumervil or Brandon Marshall, I don't see how the Broncos win more than 5 games this season. Which begs the question, will McDaniels be jobless at the end of the season?

2) Tavaris Jackson on the trade block - In his last full season 2 years ago, he lead the Vikings to a 10-6 record and a playoff birth. Considering his horrendous quarterbacking skills, it was not too bad a job. If the Brett Favre saga has taught us anything, it's that the Vikings have zero confidence in Tavaris as their quarterback of the future. So why not deal him for a #3 WR, especially with Harvin suffering from migraines? When Brett does eventually retire, the Vikings will look for a new QB. If they were smart, they'd deal Tavaris while he still has some value and the team remains a serious Super Bowl contender.

3) The Matt Millen era continues - There's no need to harp on Matt Millen's obsession with WRs and skill positions players in general. But now that new management is in place, very little has changed. Most GMs realize the importance of the offensive line. Yet somehow this message continues to elude Lions management. They have made no attempt to acquire offensive lineman through free agency, and have continued to upgrade the skill positions (Nate Burelson, Jahvid Best). Defensively, Van Den Bosch and Suh will obviously help. As much as I want to, I cannot criticize Martin Mayhew on that front. But the downfall of every young QB is, without fail, the offensive line. Talent is meaningless when time to throw is at a premium (see David Carr). So everyone please jump off the Mayhew bandwagon for a second. He's better than Millen, but not by much.

4) Mike Martz is still an offensive coordinator - For someone who's a supposed offensive genious, Martz has bounced around quite a bit over the last few years. Since his firing from Saint Louis, he's made 3 stops in 5 NFL seasons, including Detroit, San Francisco, and now Chicago. Neither Detroit nor S.F. improved with Martz on board. Something tells me we'll see the same thing in Chicago.

One more thing that seems to go unnoticed:

Martz's offensive system is based on timing. The quarterback releases the ball and the receiver is expected to be there. If he's not, interceptions become an issue, no matter the quarterback. Maybe the Chicago front office hasn't noticed, but Jay Cutler is, to put it lightly, turnover prone. Does this not seem like a match made in turnover hell?

5) Jack Del Rio on the hot seat - I mentioned this in the AFC South/West podcast, but how is Del Rio still employed? Jacksonville has accopmlished all of nothing the past 5 years. Yes, they have been a wildcard team a few times, but Maurice Jones Drew now suffers from Barry Sanders syndrome: he's wasting the best years of his career on a miserable team. Then again, this is Jacksonville. The same team that has blackouts more often than a Rex Ryan expletive. Just move to L.A. already.

Podcast #9 - AFC Preview (Part 2)

2010-08-19T12:50:00.004-04:00

Bengoodfella is back from The Bottom of the Barrel to finish our AFC preview, this time discussing the AFC South and West. As I mention at the beginning of the podcast, let us know what you think about our picks, predictions and takes concerning the AFC teams.

Here's the full list of our picks.

Dylan Murphy

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts (13-3)

Tennessee Titans (10-6)

Houston Texans (8-8)

Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10)

AFC West

San Diego Chargers (11-5)

Kansas City Chiefs (7-9)

Oakland Raiders (6-10)

Denver Broncos (4-12)

Super Bowl Pick: Indianapolis Colts

Bengoodfella

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts (13-3)

Tennessee Titans (10-6)

Houston Texans (8-8)

Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)

AFC West

San Diego Chargers (13-3)

Oakland Raiders (8-8)

Kansas City Chiefs (7-9)

Denver Broncos (6-10)

Super Bowl Pick: San Diego Chargers

Podcast Episode #8 - AFC Preview (Part 1)

2010-08-18T13:09:00.004-04:00

Bengoodfella, writer of The Bottom of the Barrel, joins me to discuss the upcoming NFL season. Today's podcast, recorded Monday, features an AFC East and North preview in addition to other high quality NFL insight from Ben.

Check out our AFC East and North predictions (with explanations in the podcast) below:

Dylan Murphy

AFC East

1) New York Jets (10-6)

2) Miami Dolphins (10-6)

3 New England Patriots (9-7)

4) Buffalo Bills (4-12)

AFC North AFC North

1) Baltimore Ravens (11-5)

2) Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)

3) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-10)

4) Cleveland Browns (4-12)

Bengoodfella

AFC East

1) Miami Dolphins (11-5)
2) New England Patriots (10-6)

3) New York Jets (9-7)

4) Buffalo Bills (4-12)

AFC North

1) Baltimore Ravens (12-4)

2) Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)

3) Pittsburgh Steelers (7-9)

4) Cleveland Browns (6-10)

Solving Baseball's Crisis

2010-08-16T11:42:00.005-04:00

Outside The Lines reports that umpires miss 1/5 close calls on average. A scary thought. We all know that replay is needed in baseball, we just cannot agree to what extent. Some say just playoffs. Some say on every close call.

On the flip side, baseball games are way too long. Especially for those Yankee fans who must endure Girardi's constant micro-managing. Too often games are held up by unnecessary meetings on the mound, pitching changes to ensure favorable matchups, and Chuck Knoblauch-like routines between every pitch. Well, fear no more. Here are two solutions to baseball replay which will keep everyone happy and the game moving along. Excluding, of course, those baseball "purists" who want no replay at all.

Before I go into the solutions, first I must address those who say, "it's the way we've always done it." Maybe so, but this technology did not exist in 1950. Just because old people are afraid of computers does not mean they must fear technology in other applications as well.

Anyway here are the solutions.

1) The NFL Challenge System

Managers can challenge two calls (excluding balls and strikes) per game. If they correctly challenge both calls, they receive a 3rd. To keep things uniform throughout all sports, the MLB can even fashion its own red challenge flags for all managers to throw out of the dugout. While this serves the higher purpose of allowing replay, it will also eliminate the manager/umpire argument in which only two possible things happen:

1) No change in call, time is simply wasted.

2) No change in call, the manger is thrown out of the game.

In football, however, an incorrect challenge is punished through loss of a timeout. Although NFL style timeouts do not exist in baseball, they do appear in a different sense: the visit to the mound. If a manager loses a challenge under this new system, all visits to the mound, outside of pitching changes, are banned for the rest of the inning. Therefore, we eliminate random visits from the SS, pitching coach, or whoever else believes they can cure the hurler's pitching maladies.

2) Booth Review

In the last two minutes of each NFL half, plays are subject to booth review by the referee's decision. With that power, refs tend to pocket their whistles and review the play after the fact, as opposed to blowing the whistle too early and eliminating any replay possibility. Instead of handing replay power to managers, the MLB can allow only umpires to call upon replay review (once again, excluding balls and strikes).

The catch, however, is that the umpire who makes the reviewable call has no say as to whether the call is reviewed. Therefore, the biased umpire who believes he has made the correct call is eliminated from the discussion, and the remaining 3 umpires decide via majority vote. In the playoffs, this solution does not lose its functionality. Since exactly two more umpires are used, the number of judging umps remains odd (5, excluding umpire who makes the call).

The counter argument, of course, is why would the right field umpire have any say on a call made at 3rd base (or any other case in which the ump is far from the call)? Well, despite what fans think, umpires are rational. If an umpire is not sure, the MLB would suggest to all umps that they side in favor of replay in those situations. If the point is to ensure correct calls, then umps in favor of replay do not hurt anyone.

Young And In Love

2010-08-12T17:29:00.005-04:00

Jim Dolan reminds me of a high school nerd who finally has the attention of the most popular, beautiful girl in his grade. Even though he knows that the girl's sudden flirtatious behavior is only an attempt to ride his coattails to an A in math, he doesn't care. She has no real substance or worth. Even though she's attractive on the outside, her inferior intelligence is embarrassing. But he just wants the attention. So much so that he begins to ignore his real friends, the people who have his best interest at heart.

Isiah Thomas is the pretty girl.

And unfortunately for Knicks' fans, Dolan still refuses to fully welcome his friends (Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh) back into his inner circle. He is enamored by Isiah in every way. I'll even praise Isiah for a second. His voice is captivating, calm and collected. If I ignored his dismantling of the Knicks for a second, I would undoubtedly believe every word he uttered. He has a trusting voice. If he were a doctor, he'd have hands down the best bedside manner around.

But Isiah's motives are not pure. He wants the A in math. People might wonder why he wants to return to a franchise whose fan base hates him, but it's a simple answer. He still wants to prove his general managing worth. But while his determination might be higher than ever, he's playing a dangerous game. Outside of the Amar'e signing, Donnie has avoided flashy moves. If in some bizarro-world Isiah were to resume his post as Knicks' GM, he would want to appease Knicks fans quickly, thus leading to exactly what the Knicks are now trying to avoid: a quick fix. And if we've learned anything over the last 10 years, it's that there is no quick solution to basketball success. Boston and Miami stumbled upon quite the stroke of luck when their pieces fell so perfectly into place. The rest of the league, however, must do it the old-fashioned way. Slowly.

Thankfully the nerd's father (David Stern) stepped in and ended this superficial relationship. But keep in mind that this relationship ended not because Dolan wanted it to. So while way may have escaped catastrophe for now, it's still floating on the horizon.

It's hard to admit, but a part of me actually feels for Isiah in all this. With an owner not named Dolan, Isiah would have been out the door two years earlier (if not before that). Not everyone is cut out to run a basketball team. But if I were in Isiah's place, I wouldn't have resigned at the first sign of trouble. I would hang onto the GM job as long as possible, frantically trying everything to pull the Knicks out of the gutter. That's exactly what Isiah did. He tried. He failed, but he tried. Dolan ruined his reputation by allowing him to dig his own grave. Dolan should have taken away the shovel, but he didn't. So while we may blame Isiah for being a terrible GM, it's Dolan who never realized that inner beauty always trumps outer beauty.

Well, sometimes.

The Solution To Fantasy Football Scoring

2010-08-09T12:06:00.010-04:00

If you missed PTO's brief fantasy football preview, check out the fantasy football podcast with David Gern here.

Much of our fantasy discussion hinges on drafting strategy. However, as most fantasy players know, the specific league scoring system always alters strategy. As Bill Simmons recently pointed out, there needs to be a universal fantasy football scoring system. Here is the oft-adopted ESPN scoring system:

Offense:
Quarterbacks (QB), Running Backs (RB), Wide Receivers (WR), Tight Ends (TE)
6 pts per rushing or receiving TD
6 pts for player returning kick/punt for TD
6 pts for player returning or recovering a fumble for TD
4 pts per passing TD
2 pts per rushing or receiving 2 pt conversion (note: teams do not receive points
for yardage gained during the conversion)
2 pts per passing 2 pt conversion
1 pt per 10 yards rushing or receiving
1 pt per 25 yards passing

Bonus Points
2 pts per rushing or receiving TD of 40 yards or more
2 pts per passing TD of 40 yards or more
(note: the player must score a touchdown to score the points)
Penalty Points
-2 pts per intercepted pass
-2 pts per fumble lost

Kickers (K)
5 pts per 50+ yard FG made
4 pts per 40-49 yard FG made
3 pts per FG made, 39 yards or less
2 pts per rushing, passing, or receiving 2 pt conversion
1 pt per Extra Point made

The logic behind this agrees with normal fantasy strategy. Running backs have the highest value, followed by QBs and WRs. An excellent fantasy season for a QB, no matter the league, falls somewhere near 30 TDs, 10 INTs and 4000 yards. According to the ESPN fantasy system, this stellar season would accumulate 260 fantasy points (ignoring bonuses). If we assume an excellent fantasy running back to racks up 1500 yards and 15 TDs, he gets 240 fantasy points. And finally, a quality a receiver with 1200 yds and 10 TDs receives 180 points.

The 4 points per passing TD attempts to temper the QB's would be domination of fantasy. If we change passing TDs to 6 points, that excellent QB season mentioned above balloons into a 320 point season. In a one QB league, this makes a huge difference. If you miss out on an elite QB, it's typically a large drop-off. And in the end, no matter the fantasy skill of every player in the league, someone gets screwed.

ESPN attempts to equalize the QBs by reducing TD value. But in reality, this defeats the purpose of fantasy to begin with. If QBs make the most impact in real life, they should do the same in fantasy. Yet as pointed out above, this presents an inherent problem.

So how do we combine realism and pragmatism? Two QBs and 6 points per passing TD. In a one QB league, you cannot finish low in your division with a top QB. Unlike RBs, random QB's do not emerge each year. In general, we know going in who will be good, and who will be terrible. But if fantasy leagues employ two QBs and 6 points per passing TD, it achieves the same value difference as seen with RBs while maintaining the QB's higher scoring proficiency.

With this system, the difference between QB 1 and 20 last season, according to ESPN, was 201 points. Team A that drafts these two QBs would have scored 573 points. Team B that drafts QBs 10 and 11 would have scored 541 fantasy points. Essentially, 6 points per passing TD and 2 QBs evens out the QB dilemma faced by one QB leagues, but does temper QB scoring.

So why is this so important? Because real fantasy football players want skill to determine championships, not luck. By evening the scoring playing field, value becomes the key, and not luck. If you happen to miss out on the top QBs, you are not totally screwed. In the mainstream one QB, 4 points per TD system, value ultimately wins out, which is ideal for fantasy. Maybe I'm alone, but I like realism as well. In real life, a passing TD has the same value as a rushing or receiving TD. Shouldn't it be the same in fantasy?

Ignorance Is Bliss

2010-08-07T02:19:00.007-04:00

Referees represent the quintessential example of integrity for our beloved sports: they uphold the laws that govern sporting society. Take away the refs' integrity, and the Bruce Bowens of the world would reign supreme. No longer would bush league tactics hide in the shadows, but they would become an unnerving reality. Though we might detest referees for influencing (and sometimes eradicating) any championship aspirations, ultimately, they are our purest form of enablers. And now, in the last year or two, by unburdening their tortured souls in sympathetic confessions, referees have burdened us with a tidal wave of uncertainty.

Baseball needs more plays reviewed by cameras. Conspiracy theorists come to life with every terrible call in basketball thanks to Tim Donaghy. And now, another ref cleansed himself by admitting he made game-altering, incorrect calls in the 4th quarter of the 2006 Super Bowl. Is it noble of him to confess his transgressions? Sure. But frankly, we were all better off before he opened his trap.

Now that the guilt-ridden Bill Leavy has opened up pandora's box in yet another major American sport, we might as well take a look at the consequences of his actions.

1) Jerome Bettis never gets a Super Bowl title - A Bill Leavy questionable holding call brought back a Seattle pass play that advanced the ball to the Pittsburgh 1 yard line, and what ultimately would have been the go-ahead score. On the following play, Matt Hasselbeck threw a pick. So let's pretend Seattle does score a TD and wins the Super Bowl. Does Jerome Bettis retire? Does he ever in fact win a Super Bowl? How does this change our opinion of him among the greatest running backs ever? This one call seriously impacted the career of a future Hall of Famer.

2) Big Ben - This play changed him in more ways than I can count. First off, no Big Ben Super Bowl means the entire city of Pittsburgh blames him for ruining the city's return to glory. Just as the Kobe 6-24 became excusable because the rest of the Lakers picked up the slack, so did Big Ben's dismal 9-21, 123 yards and 2 INTs. For those counting at home, that's a passer rating of 22.6. This new found lack of confidence would have greatly impacted Ben's career. Maybe he doesn't feel invincible, and never crashes a motorcycle. Maybe his insecurity (due to the brutal media onslaught) affects his on-field performance; does Pittsburgh even reach the Super Bowl in '08-'09 season? Most importantly, maybe Roethlisberger realizes he cannot attack girls willy-nilly in the bathroom of a shady Georgia bar. Maybe Pittsburgh actually has a title shot this season. In the end, the rest of the NFL can blame Pittsburgh's success and Roethlisberger's poor off-field decision-making on Bill Leavy.

3) Cardinals win the '08-'09 Super Bowl - For argument's sake, let's assume the Cardinals win that year's Super Bowl because they would have faced a far inferior team than the Steelers. Kurt Warner, resting atop the NFL's highest perch, retires. That leaves Matt Leinart leading the charge for a defending champion, not exactly a comforting feeling for Arizona fans. So to whom does Arizona turn to lead the offense instead? The same man who abandoned his hometown to play for the Jets. That's right, Brett Favre.

This option would have been the most appealing to Brett by far. Considering the Cardinals won the previous year's Super Bowl, they're certain Super Bowl contenders once again. They have the league's most dynamic offense and unbelievable receivers with whom Brett can pad his stats. Most importantly, absolutely no one would sniff his quarterback throne during his tenure in Arizona, since Leinart had already proven his bust status. We have to assume Arizona would have become the favorite in the Favre sweepstakes.

Regardless of what might have happened, there's no way to know how far Leavy's blown calls might have reverberated. And thus begins the media's favorite game: speculation. I played that "what if...?" game just a minute ago with far-reaching hypotheses, but honestly, I would prefer to just ignore these pointless guesses. In fact, I wish Leavy hadn't opened his mouth at all. If he really felt guilty, he could have pulled a Jim Joyce and assuaged his guilt immediately after the game, or at least in the few days after the festivities had died down. While we might point to human error as even more reason to involve cameras and instant replays, we need to have some semblance of consistence. Either employ replay everywhere, or don't at all. I'm tired of thinking about the "what ifs...?". We don't need referees and umpires providing ammunition to those who still wallow in the misery of a loss 5 years ago. The chapter on the '06 Super Bowl had closed. But unfortunately for all football fans, Leavy reopened it.

So if you can't apologize for blowing the game right after, keep your mouths shut, refs.

Remembering the Old Brett

2010-08-04T12:14:00.005-04:00

It's that time of year again. You know, when mediocre baseball highlights dominate 2/3 of SportsCenter and 3/4 of the Top 10, and Brett Favre not making a decision becomes the biggest headline. Speaking of the ambivalent QB, did anyone notice the ESPN personalities who claimed Favre's supposed retirement announcement was for the benefit of the team? Because now they can't trade for Donovan McNabb or Jason Campbell. The team should thank him for handing the keys to Tavaris Jackson.

But for the last 3 years, I have been trapped amidst a battle between love and hate. From September to January, Favre's child-like enthusiasm is well documented. And I am head over heels in love with it. So much so that I almost pulled for the Saints during last season's NFC Championship game. But off-season Brett changes more dramatically than LeBron post-Cleveland. We all know the tactic: Remain decisionless until the regular season to avoid training camp. Even Ochocinco tweeted his frustration:

"How come Favre isn't a attention whore but we (he and T.O.) get hell for having fun but he makes a spectacle about coming back its cool? WTF."

Agreed, Chad. WTF. Surpassing Ochocinco's media whoring represents quite the feat.

Imagine a world where Favre rehabs with professional football players instead of high schoolers. Imagine a world where the Vikings experience training camp with a QB rated over 75 in Madden. Imagine a world where the stain on Favre's reputation quickly melts away?

If we delude ourselves by believing this reality, maybe then we can truly appreciate the Brett Favre of old.

So let's take a look back at him in the beginning.

(Video via longtime friend of PTO and quality podcast contributor reader Kushal Patel)

Touchdown Celebration Ideas: T.O. + Ochocinco Style

2010-08-02T18:21:00.004-04:00

Check out some of my ideas concerning the beauty that could take place in many end zones this upcoming season over at JOCKpost. Hopefully Terrell Owens and Ochocinco are paying attention to this.

Podcast Episode #7

2010-07-30T11:43:00.003-04:00

Our resident south-of-the-Mason-Dixon-line expert David Gern graces us with his presence and wonderful words for episode 7. One important note: This was recorded last night, which means news of Albert Haynesworth failing a second conditioning test had not yet reached our ears. Otherwise more Albert bashing would have taken place.

Topics:
1) Albert Haynesworth
2) Everything Fantasy Football

Top 10 Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco Touchdown Celebrations

2010-07-28T10:56:00.013-04:00

With Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco combining forces, they have accidentally created the greatest touchdown celebration combination in history. Flying solo, T.O. and Ochocinco's celebration possibilities were grand, but limited. Now that they have formed a superteam, not only do the possibilities balloon, but so do the ideas. But before we delve into the future, we must appreciate the past. Here are the top 10 touchdown celebrations, brought to you by none other than Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco.

10.

Although I never support plagiarism, T.O. manages to mock Ray Lewis' steroid-induce entrance while playing against him. Kudos, my friend.

Subtle, yet well-crafted. Sometimes celebrations don't have to be overly showy. Less is more.

How long did he practice this before the game? Over/under is at 10 minutes.

Sombrero and poncho. Quality.

Unfortunately I couldn't find any video, but Terrell Owens taking the pom poms of the San Francisco cheerleaders is a quality celebration. Anything involving a cheerleader is a quality celebration, actually.

Its always nice to involve the fans. Although apparently we should be avoiding stadium food, so maybe not the smartest decision to go the popcorn route.

Again, no video, so my apologies. Getting autographs is hard enough, but in game autographs? Impossible. Although I love the foresight of having a sharpie in his sock (because, of course he was going to score a touchdown), I'm more impressed with his generosity. Or maybe I'm confusing generous with obnoxious. Regardless, I love it.

No video, but a quick recap: Chad Ochocinco scores, followed by him sinking the putt with his pylon putter, as seen above. What makes this celebration better, however, is the Tiger fist pump that follows. Incorporating two sports gives this celebration a boost in the rankings.

I couldn't figure out how to embed the video so you could just click play, but here's a link to Chad Ochocinco proposing to a cheerleader after scoring a long touchdown (Don't worry, all you have to do is click the link and it auto-starts). The best part? T.J. Houshmandzadeh acting as the best man. And she said yes. Congratulations, kids.

The first time round, Owens celebration would only have cracked the top 10, not the top 5. But the audacity to not only mock Dallas twice, but Emmitt Smith as well, warrants some true praise. The best part, however, is T.O.'s perseverance. You can tackle him and shove him, but you cannot knock him off of his celebration.

C'mon. We're New York. We're the Greatest.

2010-07-26T10:21:00.005-04:00

As much as it contradicts my every instinct to admit, New York Knicks fans are obnoxious. First, we blindly assume LeBron wants to resurrect the Knicks from basketball's basement. Then, when the Chris Paul rumors surface, we are once again shocked when Chris Broussard rips away our potential star by callously claiming Paul would rather play for the perennial championship contender Orlando Magic than our beloved Knicks.

Instead of shooting for greatness and being ultimately disappointed, let's for once stay grounded and enjoy what we have. If we take a quick look at our recent history, there's no reason why anyone would want to play in New York. Due to the Knicks' recent fall from grace, any chance of New York immortality is a dream at best. We haven't won a championship since '73. Our esteemed owner James Dolan managed to hire the worst GM in NBA history. And now, he's being reconsidered for the GM position along with Alan Houston. Probably a red flag.

And now, Donnie Walsh. I'm all for more cap space. In fact, he did a remarkable job cleaning up Isiah's mess. I don't know if Donnie's noticed, but every great team is built through the draft. Too many teams are caught up in recreating the Celtics and Heat. Is it a quick fix? Sure.

But for the foreseeable future, there will not be a free agent class like this year's. Now we're stuck with tons of cap space, and little way to spend it. In the end, the draft is the only foolproof team-building method.

I've already stated my dislike of Amar'e, but I cannot deny that he's still an excellent player. This signing, though, costs the Knicks exactly what we cannot afford: draft picks. Once we put aside our Carmelo and Chris Paul delusions, the Knicks are far from a championship contender. By the time this team does become truly competitive, Amar'e will be at the backend of this deal and past his prime. So I ask, what's the point? On a team with other pieces, he's a great signing. But Donnie's recent splash will wallow in mediocrity, making his grand entrance to New York an ultimately moot point. The draft, on the other hand, allows your team to grow together, with everyone hitting their prime around the same time. Look at Oklahoma City or Portland. Their consistent drafting and prudent free agent spending has cemented their spots among Western Conference contenders.

In the meantime, while Knicks fans like myself await future glory days, let's be happy with what we have. Has Donnie done an excellent job? No. Has he drafted poorly? Yes. But are we a better team? Without a doubt. We have a chance at the playoffs. We have a reason to go the Garden. Maybe we don't have championship aspirations, but we have aspirations. So I'll stop complaining about what we don't have. I don't think I'm alone when I say that I'll take this over the Isiah era.

Food For Thought

2010-07-21T11:19:00.006-04:00

After a week of containing my inner blogger, I have to unburden myself by sharing a few thoughts for discussion.

1) Jimmy Johnson joining Survivor: Nicaragua - I think it's time for the famous-people-joining-reality-tv fad to end. I did not even realize Survivor continued to chug along. I only watched one season, which was mildly entertaining at best. Although I can't deny that there aren't some interesting possibilities here. Does Jimmy become the leader, considering his coaching experience? Or does he simply tread water, callously commenting on other behind their backs as he does as an NFL analyst on FOX. More importantly, does anyone on the island even recognize him?

2) SI releases Top 50 richest athletes - Somehow Floyd Mayweather Jr. finds his way into the top 5 for refusing to fight. This is why people are so turned off boxing: good fighters don't want to fight for fear of losing. That and there are a grand total of 2 good fighters left.

Lefty at #2? He's not even the best at his sport. Although that cannot compete with Tiger, who managed to maintain his top spot by a significant margin through cheating on his wife and losing quite a few sponsors. For a sports who's strongest demographic is the 50+ range, I still do not understand how they have enough money to continue. I'll say it now. In 20 years, golf will turn into boxing.

Other quality people on the list: Matt Stafford (11), Darius Heyward-Bey (28). If there were ever an explanation for the flaws of NFL Rookie contracts, this has to be the best one.

3) Ilya Kovalchuk signs a 17 year deal - I know this is old news. But props to the NHL for rejecting the deal. I can't decide if this deal says more about the NHL or the Devils. Either NHL must be praised for flexing its muscles and deciding to halt this absurd deal, or we must disparage the Devils for having a deal rejected. Someone please tell me the last time this happened.

The LeBacle Ain't LeOver

2010-07-14T13:14:00.003-04:00

Boom. Check it out. JockPOST style. Some more hating on LeBron. I've saved a bit of hate for Wade, too.

Also, watch T.O. get dunked on (30 seconds in). Not helping his showcase for NFL teams.

Podcast Episode #6

2010-07-12T13:22:00.004-04:00

Daniel Perlman and Kushal Patel make a return appearance to Pardon the Opinion's podcast. If you're looking for a little NBA mixed in with some running bases, Hey Arnold and Gloria James "petting," take a listen.

Topics:

1) NBA Free Agency

2) The Decision

3) Stuart Scott

4) MLB Allstar Game

5) Pro Bowl

6) Vick, Burress, Stallworth

7) Hey Arnold

Let's Go in a Different Direction

2010-07-04T23:55:00.005-04:00

It is against my self-imposed rules to speculate about this July 1st-spawned phenomenon. I will not read between the lines. I refuse to surrender myself. I do not wish to morph into the much maligned, over indulgent, reporter/twitter junkie. On that note, let's talk some NBA.

No, I am not about to become a Peter King-like hypocrite.

I was thinking more along the lines of things greater than basketball, money or championships. Basketball to animal comparisons.

Joe Johnson - Pig

Joe Johnson flew the coop to chase the money in Atlanta. In 2010, the same greed kept him down south and destroyed all championship prospects for the Hawks. When your overweight uncle reaches for 3rd helpings at Thanksgiving, his wife immediately strikes with a powerful "don't be a pig." Joe's 3rd helping not only landed on his plate, but also found its way into his mouth. I am inclined, therefore, to employ this somewhat obvious and simple comparison. Yet more lies beneath the surface. We are blinded by the beautiful taste of bacon just as we are enamored with Joe's scoring ability. It excites the palate during all meals. Whether welcoming you to the day with a bacon, egg and cheese, supplying extra energy for the rest of the day through the famous BLT, or acting as the perfect compliment on the bacon cheeseburger, it's a wonderful addition to the culinary arts. It sweeps us off of our feet without us even noticing.

During the regular season, our opinion of Joe slowly improves as his team looks good from a distance. Just as the bacon blinds us, so does Joe. Yet when our sight returns, we can only shake our heads at our folly. The $2 for bacon is rarely worth it because as with Joe, the pig's packaging never fully delivers. The $119 million will not be worth it simply because he disappears when it counts. He is the bacon, not the burger. He is simply a piece of the success sandwich, not the piece.

Chris Bosh - Kangaroo

Just as Chris Bosh resides in America's annoying little brother, Canada, the kangaroo finds itself trapped on an island that Asia has hated for thousands of years. Let's be honest. "Mate" and "eh" add nothing other than an extra breath. But back to the comparison. Both, not surprisingly, are attempting to leave in the most attention-seeking manner possible. Hoards of video cameras tail Bosh and document his every move (we're probably looking at a future 30 for 30). The kangaroo is too attention-seeking to simply walk, and therefore must hop. It is an animal of change, seeking new and exciting places to venture towards. Some say the kangaroo prefers salt water for the taste. Real experts can peel away the kangaroo's layers of deception and extract the truth; they're looking for a way off the island. Of all the free agents, Bosh is the only one whom we are certain will leave. He, like the kangaroo, cannot fully hide his desire to be devoid of anonymity and is controlled by the allure of the big time.

Dwyane Wade - Cheetah

Look past the obvious comparisons between the speed of "Flash" and the cheetah, and dig a bit deeper. Both wear their emotions on their sleeves. Well, face. While it took a shoulder injury to evoke tears and somewhat taint Dwyane's face, the cheetah's tear lines are a constant reminder of that sad Miami Heat moment. But when the tears are not flowing and saturday night rolls by, don't be surprised to see either Dwyane or the cheetah involved in the social scene. They may both be fast, but both creatures are no strangers to slowing down to the speed of a star-studded social life. Whether it's seducing the females at the hottest Miami night club or engaging sexual counterparts in a shady knoll, both are silky smooth. Yet in the end, while both may enjoy socializing and partaking in the courting process, they ultimately return home to the familiar where they can comfortably sit atop the social hierarchy.

LeBron James - Gorilla

Let me start this off by saying that I am not a racist. Glad we got that out of the way.

If LeBron happened to foray into the jungle, he would stumble upon his primate equal. Their flat noses, hairy faces and generally imposing and feared physical statures would draw these naturally compatible species together. Some scientists even argue that the LeBron prototype evolved from the gorilla, citing the LeBron headband and the gorilla's superciliary arch above the eyebrow. If their familiarity increased and friendship ensued, they would notice their similar beliefs in loyalty to and protection of the family and close friends. Rarely will either travel alone. When attacking enemies, their physicality and overwhelming strength would dominate the competition. Even in celebration, chest pounding and incomprehensible groans connect these seemingly different beasts. Yet sprinkled onto these forceful attacks is a touch of skill, either involving opposable thumbs to dissect the prey or devestating crossovers to deflate the defender. Whether in the animal kingdom or on the basketball court, they dominate.

If the mood strikes me, part 2 of these comparisons will be coming on Wednesday.

Save Some Face

2010-07-02T12:04:00.005-04:00

Maybe I'm alone in this, but free agency thoroughly exhausts me to the point of frustration. As it stands, the only free agents of significance likely to leave are Amar'e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, David Lee, Chris Bosh and possibly LeBron James. A strong class, without a doubt. But if LeBron does in fact remain in Cleveland, I will be disappointed. Not only because he's not a Knick, but also because the climax of the hype was non-existent.

Dwyane Wade is not innocent either. Despite repeatedly announcing that he wants to stay in Miami, he continues to take meetings with other teams. According to Ric Bucher of ESPN, he's attempting to play interference by distracting teams from other targets. Bush league, I say. His refusal to commit to the Heat has created an annoying domino effect. Without Wade, neither Bosh nor Boozer will commit to the Heat. If Wade does in fact choose a new basketball home, others will have to await his decision before reaching their own.

Same for LeBron. If he stays, the equation completely changes. If he goes, the equation changes again. In short, the James and Wade hold both their own destiny and that of their fellow free agents in their attention-seeking hands. LeBron can claim that he wants to hear the pitches of individual teams before deciding, but what can the teams say that will be shockingly new or innovative? LeBron and his camp already know what each team has to offer.

His taking of the meetings would not be so frustrating had he already announced his departure from Cleveland. Then, obviously, details might make the difference. But if he stays in Cleveland, he already knew he was going to. Nothing these teams say in meetings will single-handedly propel LeBron to their respective cities. There is only one reason to stay in Cleveland: loyalty. The team has very little room to maneuver under the cap and is unlikely to make improvements in the near future. Long lasting basketball success is more readily available somewhere other than Cleveland.

So leave Cleveland and Miami, LeBron and Dwyane. Not simply because I want the door to New York to remain open, but to save some face. Prove to us that the hype monster you two created was worth it.

Give the Idiots Some Credit

2010-06-30T12:06:00.004-04:00

If you're tired of the media, check out my newest piece on JOCKpost. If you're too lazy to click and just want to read what's in front of you, Adam Berger is back to provide you with some 3-4 minute entertainment below.

Give the Idiots Some Credit

The bases are loaded and Jorge Posada is at the plate. The man one row back makes an innocent comment, almost.

“Man, I really hope he hits a 4-run homer.”

And there it is. That’s all it takes.

For the rest of the game this guy, with all the good intentions in the world, will scream at the sight of a lazy fly ball hit to right-centerfield. He’ll think that it’s going to leave the park. He’ll make plenty more of these comments throughout the game before leaving in the seventh inning, asking out loud how the other team’s runner was able to score from third, even though the left fielder easily caught that ball.

For the well-informed, diehard sports fan these spectators plague the ballpark. It will take every ounce of willpower for the diehard to refrain from turning around and lecturing the man, informing him that the correct phrasing for a bases loaded home run is a grand slam. That, before celebrating, he should really watch the outfielder’s reaction to the ball before prematurely shrieking at the fly ball that really never had a chance of clearing the fence. That, in baseball, a runner can score from third on a sacrifice fly.

Ballparks, stadiums and arenas are filled with these comments and most could care less when they hear them.

Some people are different, however. Some people view sports as religion and sitting in the stands as a way of observing that religion.

This is admittedly a bit of an extreme comparison but it’s not a wrong one. People take their sports seriously and want those around them to also. There’s nothing worse then someone saying “it’s only a game,” because as we all know that’s hardly ever true, even in a game of Madden.

The person sitting in these same stands who wonders loudly as to whether or not a shot taken and hit from beyond half court will count as four points is simply an outsider.

These outsiders represent the wave-starters, the bandwagon fan, and worst of all the person who pays to put his or her name on a custom made jersey.

The reality is that these casual sports fans are good for sports whether diehard fans like it or not. Sure, They may say some curious things, but they keep the stands full and the games loud. They add to the atmosphere and, when it comes down to it, they're harmless.

Maybe they can’t be converted into diehard fans. That takes a lot. But give them credit for trying. They just try a little too loudly.

Podcast Episode #5

2010-06-28T11:00:00.003-04:00

It's been a while, but the podcast is back. Hopefully this actually becomes a regular occurrence. I'm confident our new intro and passionate sports discussion will tickle your fancy. If not, well, humor me and take a quick listen.

Guest: Max Winograd

Topics:

1) Free Agency Sweepstakes

2) Hard Knocks - New York Jets

3) Cliff Lee

4) New York Mets

Morning After Revelations

2010-06-25T10:13:00.005-04:00

What ever happened to the days when teams said "I'll give you this guy if you give me that guy?" Obviously they have disappeared faster than a Jerome James hamburger. Now it seems that we are in a changing NBA. Although this trend began over 10 years ago, it never reared its ugly head so blatantly as it did yesterday. The trade?

The Bulls trade Kirk Hinrich and the 17th overall pick (Kevin Seraphin) to Washington for a second round pick.

Had you told Red Auerbach to trade 2 apples for 1/2 an apple, he would have scorned you endlessly. That is essentially what we are witnessing here.

A growing chasm has developed in the NBA. The contenders and the non-contenders. You're either dumping salary to rebuild or absorbing salary to field a championship team. While I understand that the Bulls wanted to clear more cap space to sign two max contract players, this is bordering on ridiculous.

In fantasy sports, commissioner or league review must approve every deal to maintain the integrity of the league. Before you say it, I realize that fantasy sports team management is very different from real life sports management. Yet I would like to see commissioner league review of every trade (beyond what it is now). League reivew is obviously unfeasible simply because of the bias that would stand in the way. No contending team would have allowe Pau Gasol to be traded to the Lakers for draft picks and a gun. But for the Hinrich trade, shouldn't the commissioner have to review the trade for more than its compliance with the salary cap? Other teams in the free agent race have found creative ways to open up cap space. The Bulls should have to as well. Obviously this is walking a very dangerous line, but a potentially necessary step if trades such as the Hinrich one continue.

One other draft thought: for anyone who may have attended live, an interesting situation arose (I was not there but someone I know who was described it to me). Before the Wizards selected John Wall first overall, media swarmed the room. Whether it was interviews, networking, or simple standing around, finding room to maneuver was, simply put, difficult. Then John Wall walked on stage, shook David Stern's hand, and the room emptied out almost immediately. This only leads me to one conclusion.

Our society is absurdly star-struck.

For quite some time, we have known that the Wizards and John Wall represented an arranged marriage. Still, hundreds of reporters could not and did not display any patience to witness the rest of, and more exciting part of the draft: the unknown. I don't have any astonishing or breakthrough proclamation about this absurdity, but it's just a little disappointing.

10 Worst NBA Draft Day Trades

2010-06-21T12:13:00.005-04:00

The NBA Draft is upon us. Sports blogging laws dictate that I provide an insightful mock draft, but I decided to go a different route. Here are the 10 most lopsided draft day trades ever.

10. 2001 - The New Jersey Nets trade Eddie Griffen to the Houston Rockets for Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong.

The Nets acquired two future NBA Finals starters, and the Rockets acquired an alcoholic. Well done.

9. 2002 - The Knicks trade Nene, Mark Jackson, and Marcus Camby to Denver for Antonio McDyess, coming off major knee surgery, and the No. 25 pick (Frank Williams).

Instead of rebuilding a team way past its prime (the Ewing, Houston, Sprewell era), the Knicks trade for an injured superstar. Only if we had realized that this was the precursor to a decade of New York basketball misery.

8. 2001 - The Atlanta Hawks trade Pau Gasol (No. 3 overall) Brevin Knight and Lorenzen Wright to the Vancouver Grizzlies for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and a pick.

Only one explanation here: Atlanta did not want to maim their fans with constant pictures of Gasol as the centerpiece of their rebuilding effort.

7. 2007 - The Seattle Supersonics trade Ray Allen and the No. 35 pick to the Boston Celtics for Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and the No. 5 pick (Jeff Green).

That No. 35 pick is our favorite, drooling, overweight NBA Shrek: Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Jeff Green is a solid player, but c'mon Seattle. I understand you were dumping salary to rebuild, but you at least could have made a better pick.

6. 2006 - Portland Trail Blazers trades Randy Foye to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Brandon Roy.

Who was the GM for Minnesota? You guessed it. Kevin McHale.

5. 2006 - The Phoenix Suns trade the No. 21 pick, Brian Grant and cash to the Boston Celtics for a future first round pick.

That 21st pick morphed into Rajon Rondo. Why is it that the Suns continue cutting salary? If the owner doesn't want to spend money, he should just give up the team. Throw a part or two more Phoenix's way and we're looking at a championship team. Too bad they'll be back at square one when Amare leaves and Nash retires.

4. 2001 - Chicago Bulls trade Elton Brand to the Los Angeles Clippers for Tyson Chandler and Brian Skinner.

I know, surprising that the Clippers found themselves on the winning side of a trade. Too bad they wasted Brand's prime by enabling Mike Dunleavy to single-handedly set back the franchise 10 years.

3. 1998 - The Milwaukee Bucks trades Robert "Tractor" Traylor to the Dallas Mavericks for Dirk Nowitzki and Pat Garrity.

Even Pat Garrity was better than the Tractor. At the time, this trade didn't seem so terrible, considering the NBA was still in the "international players can never succeed simply because we are ignorant" phase. We all know how this one turned out.

2. 1987 - The Seattle Supersonics trade Scottie Pippen to the Chicago Bulls for Olden Polynice.

Who? Exactly. I didn't even know about this one until I did a bit of research. Now we know why Seattle had to eventually move.

1. 1996 - The Charlotte Hornets trade Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac.

Think about the implications here for a moment. If Kobe stays in Charlotte, maybe the team generates enough buzz to remain in Charlotte. Consequently, Michael Jordan never owns the Charlotte Bobcats and quietly ruins their team with terrible drafting (Adam Morrison, anyone). Meanwhile, the Laker dynasty never happens because the Kings win game 7 against the Lake Show (Although Tim Donaghy is still the ref, so who knows). In short, this trade changed the course of the NBA for quite a few years.

Throw Him to the Dogs

2010-06-18T12:04:00.004-04:00

I am not alone in witnessing the travesty that overwhelmed and became the centerpiece of the U.S.A. vs. Slovenia match. We can all claim that had the U.S. played better in the first half, the referee's impact would have been diminished. But they didn't. And the ref did make the difference. A win is a win. And the U.S. won.

Yet the standings will not reflect this 3-2 victory, but a mere 2-2 draw. In post match press conferences and interviews, many players and coaches will and have already been questioned about the referee's blunders. During these same periods of questioning, they will have to answer for their own play and decision making. But what about the ref? Should he not have to answer for himself as well?

I say, throw him to the dogs. And by the dogs, I mean the media. Post match press conference. Answer for your horrible call which you refused to explain on the field. If it was an honest mistake, so be it. It's unfortunate, but not despicable. But if he maintains that Edu committed a foul, he should have to answer the tough questions. A referee does his job by remaining invisible. If you can't remember the name of the game's refs, they have done their job, no matter the sport. Today, however, he came to the forefront and allowed his preemptive whistle-blowing to solidify its mark on the game.

Although obviously on a completely different scale, this situation reminds me of the Jim Joyce fiasco. He blew the call, but didn't know it. After seeing the replay and realizing the error of his ways, he not only admitted his folly, but apologized. A class act. It's too early to get this ref's reaction, but hopefully he reaches down and taps into his inner Jim Joyce. Although we as fans expect better from world class refs, it is a regrettable, but a forgivable mistake. If he wants to redeem himself, discover some class and honesty and admit your mistake. Instead of hiding behind the over-arching shadow of FIFA, step foward and be noticable (like you were during the game). If you remain in the shadows, you will be infamously known for your blown call and regarded with malice and hatred. If you step forward and do the right thing, you may be able to partially remedy this potentially devastating situation for U.S. soccer.

Stop Being a World Cup Hater

2010-06-16T11:01:00.010-04:00

We have a new writer, boys and girls: Adam Berger. He has a little something to say about the World Cup and all you haters out there. So be nice and enjoy.

Stop Being a World Cup Hater

by Adam Berger

Sports fans in the United States are spoiled, plain and simple. The U.S. is home to the top professional leagues for football, baseball, basketball and hockey.

Consequently, we here in the United States are not accustomed to watching an inferior product on the playing field, and there are very few instances in our sports-conscious life when a fan will ever have to do so, even if you're a member of Raider Nation.

Nevertheless, once every four years sports fans in the U.S. receive a collective slap in the face and are reminded that American sports are not the center of the universe. The FIFA World Cup is that reminder, and that reminder is happening right now.

Soccer just isn’t popular at the professional level in the United States. Every year it seems like there is a new report saying that soccer is on the brink of taking the country by storm.

In reality, the MLS is to the Premier League (England) what Double-A Baseball is to the MLB here. This quality of soccer might be entertaining and have a niche of fans, but as was previously alluded to before, sports fans in the United States are not used to or open to watching anything less than a top notch product.

One of the biggest problems that stems from this line of thinking is the subsequent attitude that springs up from sports elitists here in the United States when the World Cup starts. We’ve all heard it before. Soccer is stupid, they say. It’s boring and it’s a dull sport. This coming from people that can sit through a four-hour game of baseball, at the edge of their seats the entire time, never once taking a moment to glance at a watch.

It’s not that soccer is a dull game, and its not that it is somehow “below” the four major sports covered in the United States. It’s that sports fans here are not used to soccer, and it is therefore somehow acceptable to look down upon the game. This is by no means everyone’s view, but there certainly are a large portion of American sports fans who share this elitist sentiment towards soccer.

This is a call for sports fans in the U.S. to keep an open mind to the World Cup and embrace it for what it is. No one is asking you to buy MLS season tickets, or to wake up at seven in the morning to watch Germany play Serbia. The World Cup is a tremendous opportunity to watch soccer, one of the world’s most popular games, at an elite level that we here in the United States have come to expect from the sports that we watch.

The MLS may never get to this level, but for the next month and every four years that follow we get a chance to see what all the fuss is about, and have a vested rooting interest at the same time, Not a bad deal. So watch the cup.

Its good for you.

Donnie's Hidden Powers

2010-06-13T16:38:00.007-04:00

Chris Broussard began the charge to dismiss New York from the LeBron sweepstakes and cloud our minds with Chicago-centric thoughts. Then the Russian rockstar Mikhail Prokhorov swept us off of our collective feet with his promise of championships and penchant for trafficing women accross borders. Add Jay-Z and Brooklyn to the equation, and basketball fans found themselves mystified by the possibilities of money, fame and culture all in one. Meanwhile, Cleveland lingered as the true favorite. But since its early departure from the NBA's biggest stage, they have only managed to decrease stability and demonstrate extreme desperation to keep the city's biggest star in his home state.

And finally, hiding quietly below the supposed favorites to land LeBron was New York, whose greatest claim to basketball fame came in the form of Anucha Browne Sanders, Stephon Marbury and most notably, Isiah Thomas. The outlook, simply put, was bleak. So much so that Donnie Walsh sacrificed two seasons for the mere chance at signing LeBron. But now that July 1 looms, the media has portrayed all of Donnie's wheeling and dealing as nothing other than in vain. I am here to tell you that it was not.

I am not so bold as to say the Knicks have the best chance at signing the King; simply that it's better than most assume. We have one, lazy, injured, slow, out of shape, defensively challenged, 7 foot, 295 lb. reason to thank for our improved chances. That's right: Eddy Curry.

Free Agent-A-Palooza has inexorably chained our minds to the present. And at this present time, Chicago is the best destination for LeBron. A nucleus of Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Derrick Rose is stronger than one of Danilo Gallinari, Toney Douglas and Wilson Chandler. However, unlike any other team participating in the sweepstakes, the Knicks have a large, expiring contract to play with. Once Curry cashes in on his 1 year, $11.3 million player option, he will officially fall into the Theo Ratliff category: a player whose expiring contract is more valuable than his talent.

Imagine Donnie Walsh pitching the following scenario to LeBron:

LeBron and Bosh sign with New York to create the following starting lineup: Bosh, James, Gallinari, Chandler, Douglas. This team probably does not win an NBA championship, but at the least puts the team in the playoff picture. Then, at the trade deadline, when a terrible Atlanta (because Joe Johnson signed somewhere else) begins to dump payroll, Donnie uses the Curry contract to swing a trade for Josh Smith. Or, when Detroit is in a similar situation, Donnie trades for Rodney Stuckey. The possibilities are numerous. So even though initially the Knicks cannot supply the greatest opportunity for championships, the Eddy Curry contract provides flexibility.

If you find this scenario unlikely at best, let's digest another. The Knicks simply hold onto Curry, and release him after the 2010-2011 season. After clearing another 5 or so million from the cap through more wheeling and dealing, the Knicks would have space for another max contract. And who are free agents after the 2010-2011 season? Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony. While Anthony may represent an unideal fit with ball dominating LeBron in the picture, who better to sign than a top 3 point guard? Chris Paul most likely does not want to finish his career surrounded by Peja Stojakovic and James Posey. New York, on the other hand, can provide the talent and money New Orleans lacks. And don't discount the team U.S.A. chemistry.

As I mentioned before, I am not completely blinded by my bias. I understand that the scenarios I have presented are, at best, only somewhat likely. I am, however, frustrated by the media's insistance on New York's inability to accomodate LeBron's desire of winning. The expiration of Eddy Curry's contract adds a dimension that no other team possesses; the ability to acquire a third star. And, as all NBA pundits should know, you can never underestimate Donnie.

World Cup Bracket

2010-06-11T14:55:00.005-04:00

The Gods did not limit brackets to March Madness. That said, here's my World Cup bracket.

Two other notes:

Did anyone notice that the key to the offense with 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter was a Nate Robinson/Rasheed Wallace pick and roll? I think that thoroughly explains why L.A. could not pull out a victory.

Also, if you subscribe to Pardon the Opinioin via email, please subscribe again. I had to reinstall the email application, so you will not receive an email update until you resubscribe. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Best Moments of the NBA Finals Thus Far

2010-06-09T12:08:00.007-04:00

If you have been previously unable to determine Tony Allen's exact role on the Celtics, let me clear up that issue for you.

Also, has Chris Rock lost his touch or does Kobe simply have a high comedy standard? Your guess is as good as mine.

More importantly: if you're against pitch counts, you should check out my latest article on JOCKpost. If you're not, you should check it out anyway.

Man Up, LeBron

2010-06-07T13:12:00.005-04:00

I am, I have been, and I always will be a LeBron lover and a Kobe hater. Kobe may epitomize the ultimate 4th quarter closer, but the game is already in hand with LeBron on the floor for the first 36 minutes. Is Kobe more skilled? Absolutely. But you simply cannot teach your kid, no matter the combination of PEDs, to become a fast and agile 6'8, 250 lbs. giant.

LeBron's recent free agent hype has soured me for a few reasons:

1) If he returns to Cleveland, I simply ask, what was the point of all this? If he returns to Cleveland, it's simply out of loyalty. Cleveland management has proven that their greatest asset is acquiring aged and pricey former talent. Mo Williams, the supposed cure to Cleveland's backcourt illness, disappears faster from the playoffs than that dude from Jumper. So if he's going to stay, its mostly out loyalty to his home state.

2) Larry King Live? Really? The only person he's willing to converse with publicly is a man who has to look down at his notes to name the other free agents. Only two reasons exist for this interview. Either he's hoping to improve his likability among the 55-years-old+ demographic, or, the more likely scenario, he's promoting his brand globally. But to do it in such an obvious fashion is a slap in the face to the NBA, especially during the NBA Finals. LeBron claims he wants to help improve the NBA, but in fact all he's doing is taking attention away from the Finals, and instead, hurting it.

3) LeBron skipped a live appearance at Game 2 last night. I understand his desire to remain disconnected with the public. But if he's going to create so much hype through his free agency, the least he can do is make more than 2 public appearances per month.

That said, I still like the man. I still pray every night that he comes to the Knicks and grabs our franchise by the collar and pulls it out of the gutter. And New York sewers are pretty gross. He's still better than Kobe. I just wish he acted with a little more integrity. If you're not going to re-sign, come out and say it. Give Cleveland a chance to rebuild. If you want to leave Cleveland with the money, just go ahead and ask for the sign and trade. But just do something. You're killing us. And you're making us hate you.

Hatin' on the NBA Finals

2010-06-02T13:34:00.009-04:00

I needed an excuse to provide the link to you, my faithful readers, for my latest article on JOCKpost. So here's the link (again), and the excuse is below:

The best part? The slow motion close up of the crossover of death followed by unnecessary analysis. The only thing missing is a reference to Grant Hill's 945 ankle surgeries.

Kobe, Kendry and the Blue Jays

2010-06-01T01:13:00.005-04:00

There are a few things floating around my head that need conversion to the written word.

1) Is anyone else a little disappointed that Kobe Bryant doesn't have a signature celebration? The Alvin Gentry slap combined with a randomly childish airplane did not suffice. He does not have any particular beef with Gentry like the Reggie/Spike choke and ball-grab. He just clinched the series. You'd think he'd come up with something a little, well, more mature and relevant.

2) An interesting argument I had with a friend: Which injury is worse? Bill Gramatica's torn ACL celebrating a field goal or Kendry Morales' broken ankle while celebrating a walk-off? We've decided that it all depends on how Morales bounces back. Bill Gramatica's excitement ended his career. TBD with Morales. Although I think when all the cards are on the table, Bill shall prevail.

3) I really do feel bad for the Toronto Blue Jays. Take them out of the AL East, and they probably won't fade by early July. Meanwhile the AL West wallows in mediocrity. One more thing regarding that awful division. How is it that the AL and NL West have 4 teams while the NL Central has 6? Just saying.

A Sad Day for the NBA

2010-05-24T10:20:00.005-04:00

We all felt it deep within our bones when Joe Johnson signed with Atlanta. There was no doubt he was a great scorer, but did he deserve his $70 million? Questionable at best. This salary cap handcuffer slipped into the backs of our minds as we were amazed and blinded by Atlanta's young, exciting and high octane offense. While Joe may have lifted Atlanta out of the cellar, he confined them to above average mediocrity.

Now that the 2010 playoffs have proven Joe's worth, NBA GMs can rejoice. Even salivate. You could not have even asked Karl Malone to disappear more in the playoffs. A second tier superstar is finally valued at second tier money (at least I hope).

It is this overvaluing, the same one that cripples franchises (see Andre Iguodala and Gilbert Arenas, even if the gun charge never surfaced), that destroys our game. It is especially frightening that my beloved Knicks may fall into the trap that seems to have gravitational-like force.

That said, Amare Stoudemire's 42 points and 11 rebounds may have been the worst possible outcome for every NBA fan whose team has cap space. His seemingly never-ending onslaught of dunks and layups cemented his glorification, and, in only a month or two, max contract. Granted, a LeBron/Amare combination would be as lethal as any pick and roll in the NBA. Surround them with a bunch of shooters and you have LeBron's ideal team. But with a salary cap comes boundaries. LeBron and Amare sounds great on paper. But considering teams would only be able to afford the likes of Daniel Gibson and P.J. Brown to fill out the roster, we're looking at the Cleveland Cavaliers, just wearing a different uniform.

It is my hope, as far-fetched as it may be, that Amare's value will come to light. To put it simply, Amare has what few other NBA players possess: the wow effect. We love it. I love it. Monstrous dunks, ferocious rebounds, absurd athletic ability. But while this is useful 3 feet from the basket, it is worthless everywhere else. He is a blow average rebounder, defender and shooter. Yet we never bother ourselves with these details because his Steve Nash and the Phoenix offense erase them from our memories. In other words, his talent is not transparent; it hides behind the shadow of Steve Nash and the Phoenix offense. Take these two things away, and we're left with a glorified dunker. Hopefully GMs have night vision.

NBA Draft Lottery Reaction

2010-05-19T13:24:00.003-04:00

I'm at it again on JOCKpost. Check out my latest article here. David Stern is obviously excited about it, so you should be too.

A Praiseworthy Canadian

2010-05-17T00:35:00.007-04:00

My loyalties did not lie with the Dallas Maverick point guard Steve Nash. Two long haired white guys leading a once struggling franchise back to respectability recalled memories (well, ESPN Classic highlights) of the 1970's, an era to which I did not belong. In my mind, at least, something needed to be corrected. Then came the switch that has haunted one franchise and rejuvenated another. Whether or not Nash would have won consecutive MVPs without D'Antoni's offense is a debate which I will not engage. But after undeniable success that sparked the most exciting team in basketball, I could not and would not rethink my stance on a Canadian soccer player.

Since the '05 season, Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo have all challenged Nash for the ever vacillating title of best NBA point guard. In every year since their emergence, at least of one these players has, in the eyes of the media, surpassed Nash. Somehow, we have managed to subjugate a two time MVP into a lesser realm in which he is the only member. We all recognize his greatness, yet we can never award him proper praise. It seems that we are always searching, and finding, reasons to reduce his value.

I was part of the problem. I have nothing against the man personally. In fact, I appreciate his media candor and unwillingness to broadcast his wealth or fame. In his own humble and unadulterated way, he is simultaneously one of Nike's most and least recognizable endorsed athletes, a trait most can only hope to acquire. If he had his way, no one would know who he is. He plays the game purely for the pleasure it brings. But despite his commendable outward personality, I had the slightest perception that something was off about his game. It wasn't anything tangible. He can dribble. He has excellent court vision. He's in great shape. He's moderately athletic. He's a knock down shooter, both from the line and beyond the arc. Yet it lingered, directly in front of my face, and I could not see it.

And then it hit me. Well, not so much hit me as slowly nibbled away at me. It's the little things. It's the drives to the lane in which eventually guide him to every corner of the court. It's the precise, left-handed passes off the pick and roll. It's the layups that softly slide off the topmost part of the backboard and fall through the hoop.

To put it simply, he does not play the game like I want him too. Everything he does should fail. He has no pull up jumper, strong drive to the basket, or physicality. He prances on the court, finessing his way in out of men with 7 inches and 100 pounds on him. But that's what makes him so good and fun to watch. He does not possess a single physical advantage over any other NBA player. The one thing he does have, however, is an endless surplus of basketball IQ. And it is this IQ that has turned the relatively unskilled, yet supremely athletic likes of Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire into league superstars. Without Nash, Shawn Marion hopelessly wanders on the basketball court. Take away Steve Nash's pick and roll ability, and Amare Stoudemire gets 3-5 less dunks a game, a lower field goal percentage, and less league-wide credibility. The list of teammates Nash has carried includes Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa, Eddie House, Joe Johnson (before superstardom), Robin Lopez and Jared Dudley, just to name a few. Take away Nash, and this team is just as effective as a LeBron-less Cavs.

Careers change in an instant. One Robert Horry hip check, Tim Duncan three pointer and Kobe Bryant fadeaway elbow jumper have left Nash on the wrong side of victory and praise. He doesn't have the killer instinct of Jordan or Kobe. He needs a great supporting cast to be successful. He is just a product of the style of offense he plays in. Let's pretend luck turns his way at least twice more than it has. He's looking at two more opportunities at all title. I cannot promise that he would have seized these opportunities. I can, however, say that it would then be fair to make a true assessment of his career. Now that he has crossed a previously impregnable boundary by reaching the Western Conference Finals, maybe he can have his cake and eat it too.

LeBron's Future

2010-05-15T13:15:00.005-04:00

Let it be.

Performance Enhancing Fertility

2010-05-12T12:52:00.008-04:00

JOCKpost has been kind of enough to let me rant a few times on their website, so here I am returning the favor. Enjoy, my friends, courtesy of JOCKpost.

We all know women have it easier than men. Always was that way, always will be that way. You know it, Pete Campbell knows it, and even you ladies know it! While Daddy is out busting his hump to put food on the table, Mama is lying on the couch eating bon-bons while little Johnny slowly becomes a degenerate. Even when decent enough to join us in the workforce and earn their keep, whenever they want time off, they just go get knocked up. So maybe all these pro athletes aren’t really “cheating”. You know, to “get an edge”, as they like to say.

Manny Ramirez was the first to publicly break the so-called “glass ceiling.” Just over a year ago, the Dodger slugger was suspended 50 games for testing positive for a banned substance. The news baffled the balls off of many. Because not only was it the usually mystifying Manny, a sure-fire Hall of Famer, but also because of why he failed the drug test. Ramirez was found to have taken hCG, which is basically a fertility drug for broads. It is also supposedly used by steroid users once they stop their cycle to kick-start their normal testosterone production again.

Then comes along dopey ole’ Edinson Volquez of the Cincinnati Reds. 3 weeks ago, we all found out that this genius ALSO failed a drug test for taking hCG! He was also suspended for 50 games. Coincidence?? Well, they’re both National Leaguers, and maybe Eddie was jealous of Manny and wanted a baby too….. It is a coincidence, but of a different kind.

Behind door number three, we have ESU lineman Steve Lattimer Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing. Cushing was also punished, albeit not as much as the baseball players. He got 4 games. There were also allegations of a failed drug test in college as well, and anyone with eyes is sure to see the reason for suspicion.

So could it be that these guys secretly desire to be more feminine, drop a kid, and take the next 9 months off? Ha. Or is it more likely that these hyper-competitive, high-paid, superhumans are under intense pressure to perform and seek any advantage possible? They work in the ultimate meritocracy, where if you aren’t cutting it, you are cut. I say we give these saps the benefit of the doubt. We accept their use of banned substances for the reasons claimed, but on one condition. I will believe they were genuinely using the drugs to knock up girls, a la Volquez, and not to cheat. But they have to admit something. I will un-suspend you, in my eyes, if you admit you were taking hCG because your nuts have shrunk to the size of sand grains from all the steroids. Then, you can take PED’s until you go deaf and sprout tits. Enjoy the Activia!!

2010 MVP Voting and How it Can Be Fixed

2010-05-04T19:36:00.006-04:00

LeBron won the MVP. No one is surprised, nor will I argue the point. But only one reason exists why I will not and cannot argue.

LeBron James is the best player in the league on the best team.

Season averages: 29.7, PPG, 8.6 APG, 7.3 RPG, 1.0 BPG, 1.6 SPG.

He would have been the scoring champion, over second place MVP finisher Kevin Durant, had he not sat out the finals six games. Here's the complete list of voting.

Normally I am not an angry person, but I am astounded that LeBron was not the unanimous pick. 3 voters chose Dwight Howard and 4 chose Kevin Durant. Granted Howard lead the league in blocks and rebounds, but he lead a team with a superior supporting cast to a worse record.

Durant's season was also extremely impressive, considering the jump the Thunder made from last year. But imagine if LeBron and Durant switched places. Do the Cavs earn the #1 seed in the East? Probably not. Do the Thunder immediately become a top 3 team in the west? Absolutely.

A few other frustrating votes:

Stephen Jackson - 1 5th place vote.

Amare Stoudemire - 1 4th place vote, 2 5th place votes.

Deron Williams - ONLY three total votes.

Chauncey Billups - One 5th place vote.

Amare Stoudemire is not even the most valuable player on his team. After George Karl stepped away, Chauncey transformed into an innocent bystander as his team collapsed faster than Golden State's defense. Stephen Jackson, well, I don't really have to say anything there. And Deron Williams had his team in the top three of the West for the majority of the season. While he was definitely not the MVP, he deserves a little more credit.

So how do we fix this voting problem? Using some sort of BCS like formula will obviously not rectify the situation. But with real people, a few voters will always attempt to make a statement through their picks. So I say each voter must publicly announce his votes. Then, if enough media members decide, a voter must hold a press conference to defend his picks. I think the world is owed an explanation for Stephen Jackson even cracking the top 30.

If we can force them to defend themselves publicly, maybe we can deter them from making terrible choices. I should never have to witness Amare Stoudemire on the MVP ballot ever again in my lifetime.

Where Art Thou, Foul?

2010-04-30T13:36:00.003-04:00

Play the game, they say. Refs do not determine outcomes, players do. Maybe that's so. In the end, a bad call here or there will ultimately not really impact the game. With that in mind, I present this:

If I've ever seen superstar treatment, here it is. Well, not really, since I don't even have the words to describe this. But terrible calls aside, I do have a problem with the supposed superstar treatment that certain players receive. I'll say it now, and I'll say it again.

Superstar players do not receive superstar treatment.

The simple fact is that they get fouled more. In fact, officials are less inclined to call a foul on ticky-tacky stuff on a superstar simply because they can play through it. It doesn't seem like LeBron gets fouled when he rumbles down the lane simply because defenders bounce off him at their own risk. Yet how much shirt grabbing, tripping and shoving do you think he experiences? Something tells me that Anderson Varejao will not get harassed on offense as much as LeBron. So I say give the officials a break when it comes to superstar treatment. But when it comes to that Nash call, let 'em have it.

Podcast Episode #4

2010-04-27T12:22:00.007-04:00

Today's episode features the wrath of jews who join me to discuss all things NFL.

Guests: John Garfinkel, Jason Schwartzman

Topics:

1) Jon Gruden/Mel Kiper Jr.

2) Terrible NFL Coaches (Pete Carroll, Lovie Smith, Herman Edwards

3) Impact of College Basketball Coaches

4) Tim Tebow: Academic cheater?

5) Fantasy Football outlook 2010

6) Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers

7) Terrible GM Drafting/Nazism/Madden/Trung Canidate

8) New York Jets

Some NFL Draft Musings

2010-04-25T14:51:00.007-04:00

Once again, Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay proved themselves completely worthless, as they managed to incorrectly pick almost everything outside of the top ten. Every year the same thing happens. McShay makes five mock drafts, Kiper makes five, I make a mock draft based on some combination of their choices and none of us end up picking anything correctly. Now that this process has once again played itself out, I must air a few more grievances.

1. You have to love the clueless faces of every analyst by the time the draft reaches the 5th round. The pick is announced, followed by four guys shuffling through papers, looking for this 6'0 185 lbs. guy from Ohio State. Meanwhile Mel rattles off his combine stats, college career stats and his full bio dating back to when he was three years old. You know you're late in the draft when even Jon Gruden cannot sing the player's praises.

2. I've ranted about McDaniels and the Broncos before, but the transformation is now official. He swapped Jay Cuter, Brandon Marshall and Peyton Hillis for a long from NFL ready Tim Tebow, DeMaryius Thomas and Knowshon Moreno. Once again, way to go.

3. On the flip side, Pete Carroll managed to land the best tackle in the draft in Russell Okung, Texas safety Earl Thomas, McDonald's #1 customer LenDale White and Leon Washington. Given his track record, I have to say that I am truly surprised. I expected his drafting ability to mirror Al Davis' more than Bill Polian's.

4. I would still like to know what teams are waiting for when they use the entire clock in the first round. Mike Holmgren admitted that St. Louis rejected a trade offer for the 1st overall pick 2o minutes before the draft started because they were without a doubt going to draft Bradford. Yet they still waited until the last second to make the pick. A part of me wonders if Goodell works in collusion with all the GMs to make sure the draft will remain on ESPN for as many minutes as possible.

5. The months before the draft build up anticipation. Yet when the moment comes and the picks are being made, ESPN cuts to the player on the phone, obviously from the team that is about to select him. Is this not completely contradictory to the entire drawn out process that has come to define the NFL draft? If they're going to make me wait for almost three months after the season ends, the least they could do would be to allow Roger Goodell to announce the picks with some element of surprise.

6. When the Eagles traded up to select Brandon Graham, everyone at the ESPN table agreed the selection was going to be Earl Thomas. Their confidence even propelled them to discuss his future Philadelphia career. Yet when they were all proven wrong, they ignored the previous five minutes as much as San Diego fans ignore the career of Ryan Leaf. This is why the NFL needs an official draft heckling club (just like the Stephen A. Smith Heckling Society of Gentlemen). It's time for the passing of the torch and the birth of a new society. Or at least one to comment on the never-changing hairstyle of Mel Kiper Jr.

NBA Playoff Lottery

2010-04-22T11:35:00.004-04:00

So I've been a bit lazy. But as of now, I have officially awakened from my seven day slumber. My latest grumblings pertain to changes to the NBA Playoff system. You can check it out at jockpost.com, by clicking here. Enjoy, fellow sports fans. On a side note, I typed "NBA Playoffs 2010" into google images, and Stephen Jackson appeared. This is why I love google images.

Welcome to the Game

2010-04-15T15:00:00.009-04:00

I am not going to write a playoff preview in the traditional sense. I cannot regurgitate statistics (nor do I have the patience to look them up) like ESPN, nor do my picks represent anything ground breaking. I am picking a Mavericks vs. Cavs finals, with the Cavs winning it all. I could pick uniquely and go with a Bulls/Thunder matchup, but I have decided to surpress my inner-rebel. Realistically, anyone who strays from some combination of Los Angeles, Dallas, Orlando, Cleveland, Phoenix, Denver and Utah (even the last two are stretches) as his finals matchup has ulterior motives. On the off chance that these contrarians encounter a stroke of luck, they simply want to fill our minds with their claims of brilliance and foresight.

Anyway, after thinking about the 1st round matchups for all of 10 minutes, one clearly distinguishes itself (Hopefully the picture hasn't given it away). That is not to say that I will not watch every series. In fact, most first round matchups will be competitive. In that sense, I am excited. But I can watch high quality basketball all throughout the playoffs. One first round series, however, will supply star power, conflict, and massive upset potential, a powerful combination for ratings: Oklahoma City vs. Los Angeles. Here is what, more specifically, will attach me to the television in the coming week.

1) Kevin Durant's angry face - Thus far, he has not unleashed it. Although he's mild mannered, even Dwight Howard occasionally graces us with a 7'0, 265 lb. "I'm going to tear you to pieces" look. Especially now that Phil Jackson has supplied the already dangerous underdog with greater motivation, don't be surprised if Durant throws a quick glance towards the Laker bench every time he gets fouled.

2) Scott Brooks' late game demeanor - I can only dream of a split-screen shot of the Laker huddle and the Thunder huddle during a crucial time out late in the 4th. We already know that in the Laker huddle, Phil will either diagram a winning play or Kobe will blurt out some form of "I want the ball," The Replacements/Keanu Reeves style. The big question then becomes, will Scott Brooks sweat through his entire suit or keep his cool? Or when a call goes against the Thunder late in the game, will he turn into a whining Tim Duncan or a calm, collected Steve Nash?

3) The decline of Kobe Bryant - Kobe Bryant is the Tom Brady of Basketball. Whether or not he's the best is debatable (Although I don't think it is. It's Manning and LeBron without question). If you're a fan of the Lakers, you love him. If you're not, you respect the skills, but you hate him. But I'm not talking about a simple hatred of greatness. I'm talking Red Sox fans on Aaron Boone hatred. That said, just imagine the scrutiny if the Thunder win the series and Kobe implodes. Is Kobe finally on the decline? Is his career over? Is he no longer able to carry a team to a championship? My mouth is watering at the potential media blitz.

4) The truth about Phil - It's hard to question his coaching ability. Yes, he's had Shaq, Kobe, Jordan and Pippen, but the ability to corral these stars and convince them to play as a team serves as Phil's greatest strength. Plenty of teams have star power each year, but not every one succeeds. Still, I am frustrated by the reputation that Phil is a great playoff coach. With Kobe or Jordan to give the ball to late in games, his teams have not required much tactical genious in the 4th quarter. If the Thunder knock off the Lakers, especially since they have a smilar go-to end of game player, maybe the media can raise some questions. Essentially I just want another media blitz, this time on Jackson.

5) The Seattle SuperSonic question - This may be one of the most underrated yet difficult to answer questions out there: Who do SuperSonic fans cheer for? Bitterness obviously plays a huge role here. On the one hand, the rebuilding of Oklahoma City started in Seattle; Durant played one season there. So there is definitely at least some fragment of attachment to the team that still remains. On the other hand, anger can cloud anyone's judgment. Considering the owners stole their basketball franchise, it would be easy to become a hater. Frankly, the NBA should grant free tickets to any Seattle resident/SuperSonic fan wanting to go the game. Management forced fans to suffer for years on end, only to watch Oklahoma City hijack the team. It's the least the NBA could do.

A Change of Heart

2010-04-14T03:41:00.007-04:00

My latest article is currently on jockpost.com, so check it out when you get a chance. JOCKpost is a solid sports blogging site which you should definitely check out. The article is on the misery that is the Denver Broncos. In the meantime, check out this article written by Geoff Director in response to my conspiracy theory thoughts regarding the NBA. Enjoy.

A Change of Heart

By guest Blogger Geoff Director

For the longest time, I sat through NBA games seething in anger over the apparent biases in the NBA. Refs, seem

ingly as a matter of rite, went out of their way to make games close. Star players could elicit foul calls from refs the way children get their grandparents to splurge for ice cream: A disappointed frown from Lebron and outcome the whistles. It seemed as if David Stern was feeding commands to the refs via hidden ear-piece during live action.

Being a fan of the Knicks, a team with no star power, and a team forced to endure elite players’ “A-games” because they liked to show up the Madison Square Garden crowd, I was hyper-sensitive to the league office’s puppetry. Was it really necessary to give Kobe that dubious blocking call with the Knicks down 28 in the 4^th at home?

But then something happened, that in one instant, completely changed my outlook…in fact, it changed my whole way of thinking on the subject: They actually called a charge on Lebron in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals against the Magic.

It was clear throughout the series, that the Magic were simply the better the team. In fact they were the only team. The Cavs were a one-man circus. The Lebrons represented to me the ugly culmination of the NBA’s master plot to find the next MJ who could rescue the sport for the next 10 years: A stagnant one-on-one style team featuring a marketable, freakish individual athlete, who could single-handedly beat the opposition despite spurning any of the traditional concepts of team basketball. It was utterly clear to me, that Orlando would not be rewarded for building a true, coherent team, and instead Lebron would get foul call after foul call, despite running straight into people like Brandon Jacobs (circa 2008), and the Magic would ultimately foul out of the series.

Alas, that didn’t happen. They ultimately did call a charge on Lebron. The Magic did ultimately win (sparing Stan the Van from his future in porn production for at least a few more years). Justice is still alive in the NBA. In fact, when you think about it, the NBA’s favoritism, while real, is no more egregious than that of any other organization.

There’s a reason the well-behaved kids get away with more in grade school than the other kids. There’s a reason that promising, young artists in ad agencies are given chance after chance when others are put out to pasture. There’s a reason that young political stars, like Obama, achieve great status while others, with twice the track record, are left in purgatory. And that is because in this country we have bias for the prodigy. We have them in every organization from schools to politics, and they’re given an unfairly large chance for success. We give them every possible opportunity, and if they succeed, they are extolled for eternity.

But that’s as far as it goes in our culture, in our schools, and in the NBA. We don’t give free rides. The well-behaved kids eventually get caught if they abuse their good standing with teachers. Young whiz kids at agencies eventually are shipped off if they don’t produce winning campaigns. People were all too willing to jump down Obama’s throat after a few months and no change to be seen. And if Lebron keeps losing in the playoffs to teams that play real, team basketball, he too will ultimately be forgotten.

Rigged We Stand

2010-04-12T02:44:00.007-04:00

Conspiracy theorists, a new supply of ammunition has arrived at your front doors. Yesterday evening, David Stern handed you another reason to storm the commissioner's office in an attempt to purge the NBA of its traitors. The 1985 draft lottery (i.e. the Ewing sweepstakes), the game 6 MJ forearm shiver and every close game involving Tim Donaghy immediately come to mind. But as I attempted to enjoy some Sunday basketball on ABC, the NBA flexed its rigging muscles in a much subtler way.

Blazers 84, Lakers 77, after a not-so-smooth alley-oop from Rudy to LaMarcus. Kobe had been misfiring all game. The crowd was out of it (the game was at the Staples Center). Then over the final three minutes, the ghost of Tim Donaghy returned to bail out the Lakers with some dubious calls and voodoo magic.

After one of the worst non calls (It was a Derek Fisher moving screen. He ran into his and Kobe's defender as if they were the only thing standing between himself and Rogaine) since the NBA invented the "great players get every call, non-great players get none" rule, Kobe drills a three. Then Andre Miller inexplicably ran right through Sasha Vujacic for an offensive foul. To put it simply, had Miller been the goal line back, he would've scored a touchdown.

Kobe then drives left, lays it in with his left hand and the whistle blows. Charge or block? On the replay, two things are obvious. Firstly, the Portland defender's feet were clearly outside of the charge circle. There's no conceivable argument to oppose that. Secondly, he was set for at least a second before Kobe impaled him with his knee. As you may have guessed, I thought it was a charge. But no, it was a block.

Fast forward to Blazers up 1 with 12 seconds left. Here's where the voodoo magic makes its second appearance to screw with the head of another Trail Blazer. Portland has been in the penalty the entire quarter. So what does Martell Webster do? He intentionally fouls Kobe before he takes a shot, sending him to the line. But after a mere 2o seconds, Kobe has missed both free throws and Webster is no longer the goat. Except David Stern would never allow Portland to get the rebound. So Gasol gets it and tosses it out to Derek Fisher. With one simple pump fake, Andre Miller is flying through the air as if he were Jordan in Space Jam. Except he's not, so he crash lands into the aging, balding corpse of Fisher. Two more free throws, but Fisher goes 1/2 and only ties the game.

Okay, so the Blazers did end up winning because Fisher inexplicably fouled Webster on the ensuing possession. But that is not the point. With Kobe returning to the lineup, the NBA seemingly pulled every possible string to ensure a Laker victory. So there's plenty to analyze here.

Well, analyze isn't really the right word; because there is simply no way to explain Webster's foul and either of Miller's two fouls except for blaming it on conspiracy. We all know why Boston vs. L.A. is a great finals match-up and San Antonio vs. Detroit is not. People want to see the best teams. We get it. But I envision the day when the Martell Webster's of the world will receive, and not be guilty of, the phantom calls dominate crunch time basketball. The day when two obviously #1 overall picks do not end up in their home towns. Yes I'm talking to you, LeBron and Derrick Rose (We will ignore LeBron being from Akron specifically). The day when Dwyane Wade cannot win an NBA title by recklessly driving into the lane for 4 straight series. The day when Michael Jordan's last game ends with him complaining to the refs about an offensive foul. The day when equality and fairness reign in the NBA.

Nellie Myth

2010-04-08T13:47:00.006-04:00

Nellie Ball finally prevailed. Don Nelson has passed Lenny Wilkens as the all-time winningest coach in NBA history. Yet the story did not even crack the ESPN headlines. This seems just a bit strange to me. Maybe the headline already appeared and I just missed it. Or maybe (or so I hope) it's because Don Nelson is not worthy of this record.

His team currently stands at 24-54. While his star studded team that includes Anthony Tolliver, Reggie Williams and Chris Hunter may not represent the strongest accumulation of talent the NBA has ever seen, we'd expect a little more from such a highly touted and decorated coach.

I cannot take away his 3 Coach of the Year titles. I can, however, point out his last award came in 1992. In the mere 18 years that have floated by since, he's become the Tom Cruise of sports; coasting by solely on his reputation.

Let me throw out a few more stats that may sway your opinion on the supposedly immortal Nellie. He stands proud with a .565 winning percentage, which is equivalent to both a 46-36 average season record and, as of today, 9th in the Western Conference. Compare that to Phil Jackson (.705), Pat Riley (.636), and Jerry Sloan (.602). Actually, don't. We wouldn't want to make Nellie feel bad.

One more lovely nugget. He has 8 division titles in 31 years, 7 of which came in a row in the 80's. In other words, 1 division title in the last 22 years. How he still has a coaching job remains as one of the most baffling questions surrounding the NBA.

There's only one real reason to hate on Nellie: the famed "Nellie Ball." You can call it revolutionary, exciting or any sort of adjective to increase its prestige and grandeur, but it boils down to three things:

1. Small lineup.

2. Lots of shots

3. Play up and down the floor, always fast paced.

But after watching his Golden State Warriors receive a night in and night out pounding all season, you may have noticed some unintentional yet obvious consequences of this revolutionary basketball strategy.

1. They can't get a rebound.

2. Since every player has a green light, each individual's ego increases exponentially.

3. They have no bench and players get tired.

John Hollinger wrote an article on ESPN insider listing the biggest chuckers in the NBA. Guess who's number one? Monta Ellis. While he's the worst percentage shooter on his team, he also attempts the most shots. Meanwhile, as a shooting guard playing point guard, he does not get the team involved, nor can he guard any other two guard on defense. But while every other NBA team detests the undersized two guard/point guard who's really a two guard (see Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis), Nellie embraces them. So let's stop touting the man who's last success came 20 years ago and get with the times.

What If?

2010-04-06T12:28:00.005-04:00

Eagles management finally succumbed to the will of the people. Even though the process took 11 years, we can trace it back to that fateful day in April, 1999, when the Eagles selected Donovan McNabb with the 2nd overall pick. So let's play a game. What if the Eagles did not draft McNabb?

First, let's take a look back at the treatment he has received in Philadelphia. I think we can break down his Eagles career into five main events.

1) '99: Drafted by the Eagles and promptly booed to no end, even after both Tim Couch and Akili Smith stunk it up (they were the 1st and 3rd picks).

2) '07: After years of discontent, the Eagles draft Kevin Kolb, signaling the beginning of the end and the first time management gives in to fan pressure.

3) '08: McNabb is benched for the second half of a game against the Ravens in favor of Kevin Kolb.

4) '08: He drags the corpse of the Eagles roster to its 5th NFC title game, a feat most QBs don't accomplish. Yet he loses, and the berating he has heard his entire career continues.

5) '10: He finds a new house in Washington D.C.

It's really a sad story. The man never had a chance. Bet let's suppose he never gets to Philadelphia. What would have happened to his career?

1. Drafted by the Browns, 1st overall.

It's impossible to know if he would have succeeded as a Brown, especially since the city had just gotten its franchise back and was riding the likes of, well, no one. They were a brand new team. Bug going in, he would have at least been Blake Griffin among a roster full of Taylor Griffins. Or Michael Jackson among a bunch of La Toyas. You get the point. They were awful. Most likely McNabb would have floundered and suffered from David Carr Syndrome (being terrible because the team around you is terrible and never improves during your developmental years).

But let's play another what if and assume that he succeeds in Cleveland. Chris Palmer never gets fired after the 2000 season due to a combined five wins in two years. Consequently, Butch Davis never gets hired and most likely delays the onset of Pete Carrollitis (inflamation of the ego due to college coaching success, leading to the belief that college coaching success leads to NFL dominance as well. Sorry, Seattle.) In two seasons, McNabb is already vastly altering the lives of two men. He allows Chris Palmer's career to blossom while saving Butch Davis' reputation as a great coach (he resurrected Miami and made them a college football powerhouse once again.)

So where does this lead in the end for McNabb? Well, ironically, to the same place as in Philadelphia. With the Patriots dynasty just emerging, he probably would have lost a similar number of AFC title games as he did in the NFC. He is still scrutinized for not being clutch. On the bright side, he probably doesn't get booed on draft day, considering not many Cleveland fans show up to the draft in New York.

2. Drafted by the Bengals, 3rd overall.

(I'm making the assumption that he does not fall past #3 overall, considering all three teams desperately coveted and needed quarterbacks.)

Let's start with the positives. He's got a relatively young Corey Dillon. Assuming 90% of the team stays out of jail, he is more than likely to succeed (I know, Akili Smith was terrible. But if you watched him play, you knew that he, and he alone, was to blame for his failure as an NFL QB.) By 2001, he's got Chad Ochocinco. Once again, he turns around a floundering franchise. Maybe Bruce Coslet keeps his job, which means one important thing. Dick LeBeau and Marvin Lewis never get hired. Although they probably will become head coaches elsewhere eventually, it takes the NFL a few extra seasons to realize that they are the Tom Thibodeau's of the NFL, and nothing more (Cinci's success this season was in no way a function of Lewis' coaching. Take a look at their other seasons under him. The defense rests.)

So I ask again, where does this lead McNabb? And once again, to the exact same place: Championship game failure. Based on what the Bengals have done up to 2010, they have not assembled a championship caliber squad. While they may sneak through once or twice to the Super Bowl Butler style, success was unlikely. By the way, tell me you don't see the parallel between the two teams. Bruce Coslet serving as the "we only know you because your team is doing well" coach (Brad Stevens), Chad Ochocinco as the "you should have drafted me higher/recruited me more and I'm going to show you why being a little too selfish" (Shelvin Mack) and Justin Smith as the "under appreciated white guy" (Matt Howard).

In the end, McNabb's fate was already set, no matter who drafted him. While he may have always been good enough to win a Super Bowl, it was just never in the cards.

It's Baseball Time...and Prop Bet Time

2010-04-04T16:35:00.005-04:00

Opening Day is here. You know what that means.

Prop Bets.

Here are a few more. (None of the following bets actually exist, but it'd be fun if they did.)

Number of times the Red Sox/Yankees is mentioned as the greatest rivalry in sports:

Over/Under: 4.5

Number of relief pitchers used by the Yankees:

Over/Under: 2.5

Number of relief pitchers used by the Red Sox:

Over/Under: 2.5

Total number of highlights of previous Red Sox/Yankee games:

Over/Under: 7.5

Number of Injuries:

Over/Under: 0.5

Number of foul balls:

Over/Under: 59.5

Roto or Head to Head?

2010-04-01T13:14:00.006-04:00

One of my fantasy baseball leagues has 11 people. We were going to make the switch to head-to-head after 3 years from rotisserie, but sadly, now we cannot. Even though I have only ventured into the realm of head-to-head fantasy baseball once, I was excited to try it again. But that begs the question: Roto or head-to-head?

Rotisserie

I love fantasy drafts. To be perfectly honest, the draft represents 90% of the attraction. There is no better feeling than outsmarting your friends. Any idiot can scour the waiver wire, waiting for a random player to emerge as a star, and quickly pounce. But this is not where the skill lies.

Unfortunately, most fantasy baseball owners (myself included) do not supplement their desire for winning with the necessary research. I simply use an incalculable combination of my own knowledge, an hour of research, Matthew Berry's opinions, and gut feelings. Sabermetrics and other ridiculous statistical analyses merely cloud my judgment as opposed to clearing it up. So what does this have to do with Roto? Well, all is determined by the draft. If you draft a good team, you will win. For the baseball purists, this is fantasy baseball at its best. The owner with the best team will win. It is all based off of statistics. But while this may seem ideal, I would beg to differ.

If you have played rotisserie fantasy baseball and you have not encountered the following situation, you are simply lying. There is no other explanation.

1) March/April - Excitement for fantasy baseball builds. You have your draft. In the first month of the season, you're regularly following all of your players stats, updating lineups, and even making a few trades and waiver wire moves.

2) June - You're interest is dying a little. You've stopped on the trade front, but you still occasionally check the waiver wire. You set your lineup once a week or so.

3) July/August - You've completely lost interest. People are so far ahead/behind in the stat categories (in the standings) that you know you're essentially confined to your current spot in the standings.

4) August/September - You're excited for fantasy football. Baseball (on the fantasy front) has taken a back seat.

Here lies the problem. There's not enough chance for redemption in Roto. Standings essentially lock. No playoffs. If you're not in it, by the end of July, there's no point.

Head-to-Head

The problems are obvious. The best team will not always win. You can have a great regular season (which required a lot of effort), but still lose in the first round of the playoffs.

But the positives outweigh the potential pitfalls. Everyone is in it. If you draft a so-so team, you're not totally screwed. Don't get me wrong. I love fantasy baseball. I make every effort to afford it my complete attention. But it's hard. Nearly impossible, in fact. Match-ups present me with a reason to amble over to the computer a little more often. With a few strong weeks, anyone can jump to the top of the standings. Obviously, I am not the most intense fantasy gamer out there. But that is not to say that I don't care. Head-to-head erases the gap between my desire to win and, to put it simply, my desire to have a life. No offense Matthew Berry.

Podcast Episode #3

2010-03-30T12:10:00.004-04:00

Today's podcast features a full on assault from three New York fans tired of the misery that is the New York Knicks. Donnie, please rescue us.

Guests: Kushal Patel, Daniel Perlman

Topics:

1) New York Knick Legends (Eddy Curry, Jerome James, Jonathan Bender)

3) Walt Clyde Frazier

4) New York Yankees Announcing

5) The best and worst of ESPN/March Madness analysts

6) '00, '01 NBA drafts

7) Hating on the autistic kid who picked the first two rounds correctly

8) Spike Lee

Michigan State vs. Tennessee Diary

2010-03-28T14:20:00.005-04:00

I have no new ideas for a post, so I'm stealing a page out of the Bill Simmons book, and doing a running diary of the Michigan State vs. Tennessee game. Let's see how it goes.

19:23 - Bobby Maze hits at three. You have to love college basketball offense. Pass the ball around the perimeter. If there's no layup opportunity after a backdoor cut, someone has to pop a three with two hands in his face.

18:35 - Wayne Chism hits a three. Who knew he had picture perfect form?

17:32 - Another three for Chism. His draft stock could not be rising faster.

14:48 - 16-16. For all of you who bet the under at 135.5 (of course in a gentleman's bet), they're more than 1/5 the way there. We should have predicted this to happen since Michigan State and defense never go together.

13:42 - Summers with the jam. Also, three white people on the floor at once. Quite surprising.

11:13 - Bruce Pearl's son (whatever his name is) should not be on the floor. His defender is standing at least 15 feet away from him on every offensive possession. We all hated the coach's son in little league, but who knew dad would play favorites in college as well?

10:24 - The most underrated part of college basketball is the free throw huddle. What if the NBA did this? What would LeBron say? Probably something along the lines of, "why can't you guys suck less." Or maybe Dwight Howard would throw out a Stan Van Gundy imitation. Lot's of potential here.

9:17 - First replay of the J.P. Prince block on Evan Turner. The over/under for this replay is 2.5.

8:56 - Random stat of the day courtesy of CBS: Tom Izzo is 15-3 on the second set of games of the weekend. Also, no more white people left on the court.

7:21 - I was just randomly playing around with the Yahoo Scenario Generator, and discovered I can't win one of my brackets, even though West Virginia is my champion. Very depressing.

6:08 - J.P. Prince scores on an alley-oop. By far one of the coolest names in college basketball. On the replay, you can see his hands are above the box when he catches the ball. Crazy. Another guy whose draft stock should rise. Also, Brian Williams is wearing Under Armour. Hopefully he doesn't take his jersey off.

4:21 - Bruce Pearl's son is coming back in the game. Tennessee leads 34-33. By the time he goes out, they'll be losing by at least 4.

3:36 - TV timeout. Verne Lundquist's sign-off line: "Things are happening in St. Louis." By far the worst CBS announcing team.

1:30 - Michigan State's last possession: Point guard holds ball for 10 seconds, one pass, contested three. Do you think he made it? (Ignore the fact that they got the offensive rebound and scored.

1:16 - Bruce Pearl's son goes out, Tennessee up 2. Whoops.

1.3 - Bill Raftery claims Tennessee is great at inbound defense. Michigan State gets a layup on the ensuing inbound from under the basket. It's like he's intentionally trying to jinx the play. Also, reason #812 why they're a terrible broadcast team.

2nd Half

20:00 - Halftime score: 41-39, Tennessee. 56 Points until the over wins. Not a good sign.

18:35 - Just noticed that J.P. Prince wears the A.I. arm sleeve. Players should only wear the amount of gear as their talent dictates. But Prince's hops qualifies him. If Bruce Pearl's son wore a sweatband at his elbow, I'd be upset. Wayne Chism's headband, however is acceptable. Although I'm not a fan of the way its angled upward in an extremely awkward fashion.

17:10 - Brian Williams mauls Raymar Morgan on his way to the basket, then complains when he gets called for the foul. I don't understand these players. Complaining when you know you're wrong will only hurt you when you actually do have a case.

16:47 - Brian Williams gets fouled on a layup, but they say its clean. Karma. Don't complain.

15:11 - 50-50, with a free throw to come for Michigan State on an and-1 jump shot (by the way, anyone who fouls on a jumper is retarded). 100 total points now. C'mon, defense.

13:50 - Brian Williams air balls a free throw, then gets taken out of the game. These events probably aren't related, but still worth mentioning.

12:16 - Camera cuts to Magic Johnson in the stands clapping as Michigan State takes a 56-51 lead. None of the people surrounding him were even recognizing his existence. I will just assume then that they're body guards or just completely clueless about basketball.

12:09 - CBS stat. Michigan State goes on a 8-1 run with J.P. Prince out of the game. Now he's back in. But guess who took him out in the first place? That's right. Bruce Pearl's son. Now they're both in. Logic tells me that the lead for Michigan State (5 points) should stay the same until one comes out of the game again.

10:40 - Tennessee is playing with renewed energy after going down by 8. Down 6, one and one free throws to come for Bobby Maze. Hits the first, hits the second. Too bad Kentucky never learned this skill.

9:50 - Bruce Pearl's son completely butchers a 2 on 1 fast break, giving a bounce pass directly to the defender. If Tennessee loses this game, you can probably guess who I'm blaming it on.

9:02 - Timeout, Michigan State, who leads by 4. I wonder if Bruce Pearl will scream at his son? Instead CBS cuts to commercial. Timeout over, Pearl and Prince come out. I'd also like to point out that the score change by one point since my comment at 12:09. Kudos to me.

7:00 - Close-up of Wayne Chism's face. I usually have a problem with players with baby faces (Jermaine O'Neal, Glen Davis), but I'm a huge Chism fan. I have no idea why. Although I still wish he'd fix that headband.

6:12 - Michigan State 61, Tennessee, 60. Too much time left. looks like the over will definitely win.

4:40 - Draymond Green spins, hits the fade away off the bank, gets the and-1. Why is it that every time he makes a move towards the basket he ends up on the floor? He's by far the heaviest guy on the floor.

4:24 - Brian Williams throws up air ball #2 on a free throw. How do you play college basketball and not even hit the rim? And the worst part is that in 50 years, a new batch of air-ballers will will still be around. Also, I think we've found player #2 to blame for a possible Tennessee loss.

3:00 - White guy on the floor for Michigan State. Bad move.

1:56 - Michigan State 69, Tennessee 68. Timeout. Bruce Pearl in the huddle: "Guys, don't blow it. I don't need the media realizing that I do terribly in the NCAA tournament." Tom Izzo in the huddle: "Guys, I have no idea how we're not losing this game, but you're doing wonders for my reputation."

1:35 - Brian Williams gets a jump ball. I have to say having an actual jump ball as the NBA does is pretty stupid. I way prefer the possession arrow. Although the jump ball does provide more excitement.

1:08 - Bobby Maze throws a layup over the basket on an offensive rebound. Not only is this a totally anti-clutch play, but I didn't realize that something like that could even happen.

28.9 - Michigan State with a terrible possession, yet manages to get the offensive rebound on a three. Tennesse fouls. Free throw time. Korie Lucious: time to step up. But he misses. Tennesse down one. Bruce Pearl does not call timeout. Scotty Hobson is fouled on a jumper with 11.2 left.

11.2 - Two thoughts. First off, why are they fouling? I realize it wasn't intentional, but that's the last thing you do here. Secondly, Tennessee shot way too early. Michigan State has too much time to respond. A little repeat of the Sweet Sixteen? Hobson hits the first free throw. Tie score at 69-69. Timeout. On a side note, I'm getting really tired of the Southwest Airlines "bags fly free" commercials.

11.2 - Second free throw is no good. Jeez.

1.8 - Raymar Morgan is fouled and hits the first free throw for the lead, 70-69. Once again, the difference is free throws (cough Brian Williams cough).

1.6 - Raymar Morgan intentionally misses the free throw. I like where Izzo's head is at, but hopefully that does not come back to bite MSU. If he makes it, Tennessee calls timeout and gets it at half court. But with the miss they get it under their own basket. We have the situation set up perfectly. Christian Laetner round 2? Damn, Verne made that comment too.

0.0 - J.P. Prince with the saddest attempt at a half court shot I've ever seen. Michigan State back in the final four for the second straight year. Final score: Michigan State 70, Tennessee 69. The over wins, but only 3 points.

Some Other Hard Knocks Choices

2010-03-25T13:28:00.013-04:00

LaDanian Tomlinson embracing his backup role, Mark Sanchez's progression, Rex Ryan's deflation, a receiver who can't catch and getting an inside look at Darrelle Revis are all great reasons to watch the upcoming season of Hard Knocks. But what other teams would have been interesting to profile? Here are my top 3, not including the Jets.

3. Baltimore Ravens - There are two reasons for choosing the Ravens: Ray Lewis and Michael Oher. A close-up view of Lewis in practice does not get any better. The trash-talking would be priceless. Maybe it's not as high quality as Chad Ochocinco's "Kiss Da Baby," but there's no doubt its aggressive and over the top. Even better will be the one-on-one interviews with the camera. Every time he speaks during an interview now, the following things occur to me.

1. I am mortally afraid.

2. I remember that he got away with double murder. Why do I and the rest of football fans continually forget this until they're reminded by his frightening demeanor?

3. He's remarkably well-spoken. I wonder if he practices what he preaches. Something tells me that his pre-game pep talks are not as articulate.

The other intriguing aspect would have to be Michael Oher. The Blind Side was a touching story and a pretty solid movie. But I would like to see it continue in the NFL. What happens if Ray Lewis accidentally knocks over Joe Flacco in practice? Does Oher go Wingate on Lewis and block him all the way out of the end zone and over field-enclosing fence? Or does he go "protective instincts" and simply clothesline him? A lot of possibilities here.

2. Indianapolis Colts - Only one thing intrigues me here, but I believe Hard Knocks can provide the answer to a long-standing NFL question.

Who really coaches the Colts? Are you not curious to know what goes on during coaching meetings with Jim Caldwell? As everyone already knows, Jim Caldwell blinks approximately once every 2 minutes. He smiles exactly 6 times a month. He does nothing during games to help the Colts. Would you really be surprised if he was just the puppet for the offensive coordinator or some other coach? Also, what are the odds that Peyton Manning sits in on every meeting with the coaching staff? I'm going with 6-1. What about defensive meetings? 10-1. On a side note, their defense should really enlist Manning's help. Considering how well he's able to pick apart defenses, it seems logical that he would know how to run them as well. Unfortunately for us, the player-coach system died out 40 years ago. (And as far as I know, it was never applied to football.)

1. Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russel, Tom Cable punching assistants, Al Davis looking and acting like a 167-year-old shriveled corpse and the underachieving Bruce Campbell (once Davis inevitably drafts him as another top 10 blunder, giving Davis a league leading 138 first round draft busts. Second place is probably around 3).

First, let's imagine the tension among the coaching staff. One wrong word equals a Tom Cable fist to the face. I can already see each coach's eyes darting to Cable before advising the players in any way. Meanwhile, the supposedly improving JaMarcus Russell air mails at least 10 passes, giving him a training camp completion percentage of 48.7%. That would be an improvement, except for the fact that it happens while throwing the route tree against zero defense. Therefore, the Raiders are still lead by the imposing Bruce Gradkowski.

Then the camera profiles Bruce Campbell, who gets continually torched by Richard Seymour, or has temporary success due to Seymour's lack of effort in an attempt to get cut. The one positive of Bruce: at least we are not subjected to Andre Smith with his shirt off. On the negative side, he makes all males watching feel bad about themselves.

Last, but not least, would be any face time with Al Davis. While his overall appearance makes me uncomfortable, his words boost my overall morale. If he can run an NFL team, so can I.

The Rules of Fan Heckling: NBA Style

2010-03-23T15:47:00.007-04:00

First a quick shout out to the NFL owners for somewhat fixing NFL overtime rules. Why this change was not applied to the regular season is beyond me, but at least it's a start. Frankly, they should just adopt these rules.

Anyway...

The CEO of the New Jersey Nets, Brett Yormark, recently got in a shouting match with a Nets fan who was wearing a paper bag on his head. Obviously, Yormark was upset that Nets' fans are not supporting the team, but can we blame them? The team's record is a miserable 7-63. So where do we draw the line for fan heckling at an NBA game (of the home team and of the opponent)? Here are a few guidelines and changes to the heckling system:

Home Team

With ticket prices so high, there's very little incentive to even show up at an NBA arena. For the $8 dollars it costs to buy a beer at the game, anyone can buy a six pack and watch the game on his 50" HD television at home. So if fans are willing to fork over the money, they should be free to cheer and/or jeer as they please. Fans have every right to wear paper bags, boo and walk out early. Think of it this way: in the world outside of sports, customers can return most products if they're not satisfied with their purchase. Since professional sports don't abide by any such return policy, fans have every right to demand a product worth witnessing live. If players and management want a vibrant crowd during games, they first have to supply the talent.

However, one rule is necessary: No heckling specifically directed at a player or coach. Real fans know that booing will not improve their team's play. Though heckling might help to convince management to strengthen the team, it is only destructive when directed towards specific players and coaches. It's not as if the Nets enjoy going 7-63. Let them know of your displeasure, but do not personally attack them. Obviously, they should be able to handle it considering the amount of money they make. But the only positive effect heckling has is on management. So leave the players alone.

Away Team

Two rules:

1)Don't throw stuff on the court (see Ron Artest for details).

2) Otherwise, no holds barred.

In fact, heckling specific people is encouraged. Unfortunately, we do not see this anymore since courtside seats are filled by rich people who do not care enough about their team. Everyone knows that the most enjoyable experience at a game is sitting with the fans who shout, fight and drink too much. But not only are they fun to be around, they're the ones most likely to start chants, and more importantly, heckle. So instead of relegating these people to the worst seats in the house where they can't be heard, let's move them to the front (Work with me here. The change I'm about to propose is completely unrealistic, but imagining an ideal world is way more entertaining.) In order to adequately effect this change, teams must interview all season ticket buyers in the first three rows to make sure they are worthy of these premium heckling seats. Every year forward a follow-up interview takes place, along with specific team personnel who make sure these season ticket holders heckle enough during games. Don't you miss the days of Spike Lee standing up and screaming at Reggie Miller? I know I do. And if you're a real NBA fan, you do too.

The Scripted Last 5 Minutes

2010-03-19T15:18:00.005-04:00

This year's string of March Madness upsets has only reinforced the one constant throughout college basketball: the way in which the last 5 minutes of every game is played.

As soon as the game gets tight and the end of regulation approaches, players act as if they're playing Russian Roulette; too scared to pull the trigger, or overconfident and trigger happy. Seldom do we see a team play with the looseness of the first 35 minutes.

Obviously the last five minutes take on a different personality from the rest of the game. Especially during March Madness, the pressure is on. Yet every possession chooses one of two paths:

1) Everyone on Team A is too afraid to play their game and yields to the best ball handler/guard scorer. As a result, Team A uselessly passes the ball around, waiting until there is far too little time left on the shot clock to guarantee a quality a shot. Consequently, the best guard has the ball in his hands with under 10 seconds on the shot clock. He takes a contested long jump shot or makes an out of control drive that results in a miss or kick for a contested three. The resulting scramble for the offensive rebound either leads to a foul, put back, or kick out for a three (more than likely rushed). The number of points scored in this time is a quarter of the pace of scoring during the rest of the game. With 70% of shots coming from behind the arc, the game becomes a battle of who can miss the least.

2) The same shot clock mismanagement occurs, except either the best guard or someone who thinks he's the best guard takes the first available shot, which is both contested and way too early in the shot clock. The same offensive rebounding mayhem ensues.

But even though this type of basketball is a seemingly unfortunate staple of college, I love it. This is what makes March Madness true madness. It's not because the basketball is of high quality. It's because of its poor quality. For anyone who watched Cornell beat Temple, it was not because Cornell was particularly better. It was simply because they fired contested three after contested three, hitting an extremely large percentage. Take a look at Northern Iowa's last second victory over UNLV. Ali Farokhmanesh's three pointer was from at least 4 feet behind the line. Was this the best possible shot the team could generate? Of course not. Granted they were trying to burn clock so UNLV could not respond, but there was still time on the shot clock. A pump fake followed by a jump shot from 5-7 feet closer was well within the realm of possibility. But that shot would have been nowhere near as impressive.

It's also interesting how the game slows at the end, since better teams should not be playing as slowly. For the better team, more possessions will only allow them more opportunity to prevail. With less possessions, those mostly lucky yet killer threes by the underdog become even more important. But I'm glad the game is played as it is. It has produced some of the most exciting basketball ever over the past day and a half.

My Awesome Bracket

2010-03-18T00:42:00.004-04:00

Just a chance for everyone in the world to see how badly my bracket turns out. Do I have too many upsets? Probably. But it's not fun to do it any other way. Anyway, here it is.

Podcast Episode #2

2010-03-17T03:50:00.006-04:00

For whatever reason, Firefox has trouble loading the podcast, so use Safari instead. You can also download this podcast to itunes by clicking here, then "download file."

Guest: Sam Stein

Topics:

1) Criteria used to fill out brackets

2) Cornell

3) The social hierarchy of college basketball teams

4) Choosing a place to play college basketball

5) MLB playoff system changes

6) MLB division realignment

7) Why steroids were good for baseball

Music: It Was a Good Day - Ice Cube

I apologize for the quality of Sam's voice. He was talking over the phone, and unfortunately I am not in a professional studio. But the quality of his words are high nonetheless, so take a listen and let us know what you think.

Time to Celebrate

2010-03-14T17:11:00.006-04:00

March Madness displays the best example of pure, unadulterated joy in athletics: winning an NCAA championship. Whether it's the conference tournament or the big dance itself, the fans' and players' excitement is self-evident. Unfortunately, professional sporting events do not provide the same exciting buzz as that of collegiate games. So how can professional sports celebrations improve? Besides soccer, which is already impeccable celebration-wise, I have some suggestions:

Golf - The major problem here is the lack of people involved in the celebration. Outside of awkward high fives, fist pumps and raised hands between caddies and golfers, golf celebrations are mainly generated by the fans. Truth be told, it's difficult for 40-year-old men to celebrate like giddy 20-year-olds. I just can't see Phil Mickelson chest-bumping his caddie LeBron James/Anderson Varejao style. Despite age, the real revelry problem lies in the sport's signature celebration: the Tiger Woods fist pump. When that is the pinnacle of emotional expression, you know that the sport is "celebrationally" inept. So why not add some fans rushing the golf course? (obviously only after a tournament-winning putt). So what if a couple old guys break a hip in the process? They'd love it. Plus, it'd give younger people a reason to attend golf tournaments.

Tennis - Like golf, the one man solo celebration is pretty lame. I like the formulaic tennis celebration: dropping to the knees and hands covering the face (tears optional) before shaking hands, but some more celebratory variation is a must. Instead, what if tennis players did a victory lap or even ran into the corner, soccer style, and broke out into a pre-prepared dance? Not only would that further demoralize the opponent, but it would give birth to a great argument: What's the greatest tennis Major celebration ever?

Baseball - Whether it's a walk-off home run or a World Series ring, the circle of men jumping in unison is a long cherished baseball tradition (along with the dog pile). While it's better than tennis in that more people are involved (shared joy is always a plus), it is in no way spontaneous. I would not be surprised if there were a conductor in the middle of the pile secretly organizing the whole thing. Though fans can't rush the field since stadiums are too big/high, why can't players rush the stands? There are plenty of players to spread around the love. In all honesty, the baseball season is very long... players ought to pay back their devoted fans for their unwavering dedication.

Football - The new unsportsmanlike conduct penalties restricting football celebrations are terrible. I want to see the offensive line engage in a coordinated dance. I enjoy props. I miss that golden era of extraordinary jubilation that included T.O.'s signing of the football and Joe Horn's cell phone. So the solution here is simple. No holds barred. Team coordinated celebrations are encouraged. But, I have one key rule: a time limit. Nothing can kill the buzz of a TD like a celebration that goes on for too long or takes too long to set up. If the fans are bored, it's time to head to the sidelines.

Hockey - There aren't many gripes to be had here. Celebrations in hockey are definitely unique. In no other sport can running and jumping into boards occur in a celebratory manner. I also cannot complain about the glove bumps with every player on the bench--it's a nice touch. My one annoyance: why do players immediately swarm the goal scorer? Give the man some room. Let him freestyle for a bit before the pile-up.

Basketball - Basketball has everything: the victory lap (Allan Houston vs. Miami), unique celebrations after game winning shots, fans rushing the court, pure emotion (Kevin Garnett's incoherent yet somehow understandable interview after winning the finals) and the team mob. We even get an extended locker room cam with poppin' champagne after the championship game. I only have two tiny suggestions: take the bubbly to the court and add the Gatorade shower. I know that Canadian Women's Hockey got in trouble for drinking on the ice, but who wouldn't like to see LeBron James or Dwight Howard aiming champagne corks at the losing team as Brian Scalabrine dumps gatorade on Doc Rivers? I know I would.

The Lure of Athleticism and Potential

2010-03-11T15:17:00.011-05:00

The irrefutable dictionary.com defines athleticism as "active and strong; good at athletics or sports." However, general managers, regardless of the sport, have began to use an alternate definition: "having a sturdy build or well-proportioned body structure." Unfortunately for many franchises, this has lead to the ultra-dangerous, "he's raw, but he has potential." So where do we draw the line between potential, as a function of athleticism, and on-field evidence and production?

As many agree, the scouting combine is problem number one. Many depend too strongly on the measurables to determine a prospect's value. At this year's NFL Combine, Ndamukong Suh out-benched Gerald McCoy 32 to 23, despite similar 40 yard dash times. In the minds of many scouts, this cemented Suh's status as the best defensive tackle in the draft. While it may seem that bench press pretty accurately determines strength, it cannot account for will and toughness. There is no way to measure a player's ability to endure a constant beating on every snap. There's no test to quantify a player's instincts, footwork (for their position in their sport), or overall intelligence about the game. These non-measurable abilities only become transparent thorough game film. So why is Suh actually better than McCoy? In terms of pure athletic ability, they are equal. Their 40 times are the same. Suh had 82 tackles, 12 sacks and a pick in 2009. In 2008, Suh had 76 tackles, 7 sacks and 2 interceptions. McCoy, on the other hand, had a combined 58 tackles, 2 sacks, and one interception in the last two seasons at Texas. Suh's numbers, hands and footwork are better. We do not need a scouting combine to make this determination.

Darrius Heyward-Bey had the fastest 40 yard dash time of all receivers in last year's NFL draft. This prompted Oakland to draft him ahead of Michael Crabtree, the best receiver of his class. And what happened when the games were played? The better receiver on tape, Crabtree, had 48 catches for 625 yards and two touchdowns, while Heyward-Bey had 9 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in twice as many games. Two Scouting Combine's ago, Vernon Gholston exemplified the perfect physical specimen. His combination of strength, size and speed were matched by very few. But what has happened since he was drafted 6th overall by the Jets? Nothing. A bench player. But any scout that watched him on game film saw the he rarely implemented his physical tools on the field. In most games, he was a non-factor and simply disappeared.

Greg Oden was drafted ahead of Kevin Durant because he was an athletic big man with great defensive ability. But it was believed that his elite physical tools could be developed to produce a polished offensive game. In college, he only averaged 15.7 points per game against vastly inferior competition (height and strength is way more of an advantage in college). So did Oden develop? No. He's doing exactly what he did in college. Piling up boards, blocks, and injuries. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant, who dominated college basketball and was the NCAA Men's Basketball Player of the Year, could not even lift 185 pounds once on the bench press. Now he's an MVP candidate. Similar to Oden, Memphis picked Hasheem Thabeet 2nd overall last season. While he may be 7 feet 3 inches tall, he's about as physical as Kevin Durant. He was consistently bullied by other Big East big men, including the now emerging 6'6 DeJuan Blair. Plus his offensive game was 4 times less developed than Oden's. And what happened? He was briefly relegated to the NBA D-League. Meanwhile, Tyreke Evans, James Harden, Stephen Curry and DeJuan Blair, all standout college players, are having great rookie campaigns.

Obviously there are exceptions. Players can develop. In the end, athletic ability cannot be taught, while most skills can be. But the flaw in this thinking resides in its ignoring of hard evidence. Just because a player's game may not represent the skillful or physical expression of talent that we desire, their effectiveness is not negated. As the biggest cliche of all time, great players come in all shapes and sizes. There is no ideal height, weight, etc. No player has ever played like Kevin Durant; a tall, lanky, shooter who has the quickness of a guard. Maybe he's pretty weak, but running people over in the lane like LeBron James is not his game. Michael Crabtree does not have breakaway speed, but he has glue for hands. Is this not the #1 requirement for wide receivers?

Anyone who has every played pick-up basketball knows that teams are picked on ability, not on potential. Just because one guy looks like he could be good does not mean he gets picked. If the fat, out of shape, 40-year-old guy is actually extremely fast, physical and intelligent, he gets picked first. General managers, however, consistently fall into the trap of picking the guy who looks good. But the first definition of an athlete is "good at athletics or sports." What ever happened to drafting the guys who have already proven themselves in college?

Bracketology Gripes

2010-03-09T14:46:00.013-05:00

I want to start off by encouraging any and all readers to join the Yahoo Sports March Madness bracket, league ID "8624," and password "eckstein." Now to the post:

Recently on ESPN, Doug Gottlieb claimed that Connecticut had a chance to qualify for the NCAA tournament if they reached the finals of the Big East tournament. I'll just go ahead and say it: this is absurd. Assuming they do play in the Big East finals, their Big East Conference record will stand at 11-11. It's 7-11 right now. Their overall record is 17-14, and they're 12th in the Big East. The fact that they even have a chance at the tournament speaks to the problems with the selection committee.

Don't get me wrong. I love March Madness. By far the best event in sports, it's a gambler's dream. It's the one college sport where George Mason and Wichita State can become relatively well known among the sports community. But it needs some changes.

Why do we love March Madness anyway? Because it's one and done, nothing is guaranteed, and most importantly, there are upsets. However, under the current system, each conference is only guaranteed one NCAA Tournament bid, which goes to each winner of each conference tournament (besides the Ivy League, which doesn't have a conference tournament, so the bid goes to the regular season winner). Also, 34 teams have a chance for at-large bids. Outside of the power six conferences, (Big Ten, ACC, SEC, Big 12, Pac 10, Big East) most conferences receive one bid (minus exceptions like the A-10 and now the WCC). I propose a change.

Instead of only giving an automatic bid to the conference tournament winner, give one to the regular season winner as well 1) head-to-head matchup 2) Non-conference winning percentage 3) I don't know.

For teams that are not in a major conference, the regular season essentially means nothing. For teams like these, it is only possible to make the tournament if they have an unbelievable regular season or a miraculous run in the conference tournament. If everyone's goal is a National Championship, doesn't the current system deemphasize the importance of the regular season? As long as teams make their conference tournaments, they're in striking range.

So let's pretend that my system exists, and let's say that half of the regular season champs also win the conference tournaments (a pretty realistic outlook, I think). This would decrease the at-large bids by 15, thus cutting out under-achieving big six conference teams that only made the tournament because of a few quality wins, despite a disappointing season. Isn't it ridiculous when, in some years, 8 teams from one conference make it? I understand that the tournament should have the best teams, but with the current system, mid-majors just don't have a chance to prove themselves. If a team wants to play in a tough conference, it should not be rewarded for mediocrity. That is not to say that an 8-loss Big East team is worse than a 7-loss Southern Conference team. But doesn't a 7-loss team deserve a chance?

How to Recognize True Fanhood (Part 2)

2010-03-01T16:03:00.007-05:00

Did you notice how an inordinate number of supposed hockey fans appeared out of nowhere to support the USA men's hockey team yesterday? I may not be a hockey expert, but I know my fair share. But these pretenders ruin sports. Here are 20 more ways to identify the real fan. If you missed part one, here it is.

1. There's only one real "Sunshine."

2. You're still awaiting season 2 of The Bronx is Burning (along with Playmakers).

3. You cannot wait to become a member of the Stephen A. Smith Heckling Society of Gentlemen.

4. You know that anyone who does not know the channel for ESPN does not deserve to watch television.

5. Baseball season starts when pitchers and catchers report.

6. You spend a solid 30 minutes attempting to come up with a clever fantasy team name.

7. You're genuinely upset about Tony Kornheiser's comments only because of the effect they had on PTI.

8. You love Charles Barkley and will defend him to the death.

9. You get upset when Women's Basketball appears on ESPN.

10. You constantly check StubHub, hoping the seats behind the home team's bench will finally dip into the $20-$60 range.

11. You cannot discuss sports with anyone of lesser knowledge because of the extreme frustration that you know will ensue.

12. You wonder what Mel Kiper Jr. does from May to December.

13. You're amused by the random ESPN Deportes updates on Sportscenter.

14. When you heard that Zinedine Zidane said he'd "rather die than apologize" to Marco Materazzi for the World Cup final headbutt, you applauded the decision and wondered where anger has gone in American sports.

15. You're aware that:

a) The Wizards intend to keep Gilbert Arenas.

b) It's only because his contract is guaranteed.

c) The fact that a and b are true is one of the most frustrating parts of the NBA.

16. February (or thereabouts) marks the official end of reasons to get up on Sunday.

17. a) You're aware of the new time changes regarding the NFL Draft.

b) Regardless of where you live, you know it will not affect you.

18. You know your favorite basketball team's exact salary cap after this season ends (not taking into account the annual salary cap adjustment).

19. There is only one explanation for Skip Bayless still being employed by ESPN: to make the average fan feel smarter.

20. Your interest in golf dissolved along with Tiger's marriage.

If you have any more, add to the list in the comments.

Baseball, Basketball, Football...and Curling?

2010-02-26T14:46:00.006-05:00

Firstly, I would like to call everyone's attention to the immortal Brian Scalabrine, who managed to provide yet another reason why we're all happy that Doc Rivers has not cut him.

If you have any sort of explanation for that horrendous pass, please share it with me.

Anyway, to the post.

At this moment, the United States lead Finland 6-0 in the semi-finals of men's hockey at the Olympics. Before the Olympics, I never thought I'd even care. But now that they're coming to a close, I have a renewed sense of national pride and a greater appreciation of my exposure to sports about which I know very little.

Everything from Skeleton to Snowboarding shows up at the Winter Olympics. But the one sport which has caught my attention is curling. The combination of strategy and skill is extremely impressive and exciting. When the U.S. won in overtime against Switzerland (or Sweden, I can't remember), I found myself shouting strategic tips and giving Tigeresque fist pumps for every great shot (if that's even the term). For those of you who do not know curling, here are the rules.

More importantly, however, was the initial question that popped into my head after my first five minutes of curling exposure: How does one get into curling? As far as I know, American parents put either a baseball glove, soccer ball, basketball, football or tennis racket in the hands of their children. Does this mean that some parents give a rounded, smooth stone to their children? I'd assume not. I've only been able to come up with three rational explanations for how children become curlers.

1) Overcompetitive/former athlete parents have a child who is terrible at every real sport.

The parents gave their child every opportunity to succeed. Private instruction and constant practice became a staple of the child's after-school routine. But when it came time for middle school tryouts, he was cut. But he wasn't just cut in football. He was cut in every sport. He couldn't even make the cross country team, which doesn't even cut people. So the parents were left with one option. The one sport that requires minimal athletic ability, hand-eye coordination and intelligence, but simply lots of practice: curling.

2) The parents were curlers themselves.

All parents somewhat desire their children to follow in their footsteps. So for all those curler parents, nothing would be more logical than giving their child a stone and a pair of skates for Christmas. Would this ensure their child becomes a social outcast? Of course. How many of the most popular kids in high school were curlers? None? That sounds about right. But when their child wins a gold medal, it will all be worth it.

3) The child has an uncanny ability to sweep/clean.

If I were to curl, I would immediately attempt to become the guy who pushes the stone (whatever he's called). He seems to be the one requiring the most skill and receiving all the glory. So who becomes a sweeper? Logically it's those who are great at cleaning. Except instead of becoming maids, their parents take advantage and guide them towards curling.

I know this last one is a pretty weak explanation, but frankly I can't come up with anything better, so hopefully someone else has a better idea. But regardless of how these curlers get into their sport, I love their game, and I ask you to give curling a chance.

Change of URL/Title

2010-02-23T18:41:00.007-05:00

As many have mentioned to me quite often, my old blog title was:

a) Not exactly original

b) Totally overwhelmed by ESPN's Sports Nation on google and other search engines

Therefore my new title will be Pardon the Opinion, and the next post will appear on my new URL: www.pardontheopinion.com. If you go to the old address (dmsportsnation.blogspot.com), you will be redirected to Pardon the Opinion (it looks exactly the same). Any bugs that appear should be worked out within a day or two. I apologize for the annoyance, but I figured it was time for some legitimacy. I also want to say thanks to everyone who reads this blog and I appreciate all the comments. I'll keep posting on the new site as often as possible.

-Dylan

Podcast #1

2010-02-23T01:50:00.011-05:00

Sometimes writing isn't good enough. It doesn't always feel natural. So here's a podcast with guest hosts Theo Papageorge and Jew Bledsoe. I will apologize in advance for a few things, but I believe it brings a bit of reality into what real sports fans are thinking, as opposed to the scripted work of ESPN. Here are our unedited words (I'm not good at Garageband, so I won't bother editing out my lack of things to talk about halfway through, leading to Jew Bledsoe's save). And yes, I know Peter King works for Sports Illustrated. Momentary lapse. Deal with it.

But seriously, let me know what you think about the podcast. If the podcast is not working, you can download the file to itunes by clicking here, then "download file."

Morally ambiguous? Check.

Inappropriate language? Absolutely.

The phrases, "like," "you know," and "I mean" way too many times? Of course.

Typing sounds? Coughing? You bet.

Imprecise stat references? Yep.

Music: It Was a Good Day - Ice Cube

Tim Tebow: Love Him or Hate Him?

2010-02-22T15:53:00.008-05:00

When Tim Tebow cried after losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship game, you had to pick a side. Were you overjoyed that the perfect Tim Tebow was crying his puffy little eyes out? Or did you actually feel for the guy? I was stuck in the middle. In college, there was every reason to hate him (for those outside of the state of Florida). He constantly preached his Christian values into a game containing very few. His speech before the National Championship game rests on the wall of The Swamp as if he's Jesus. He's an unquestioned leader, the hardest worker, and quite the physical specimen. He may be the greatest college footbal player of all time. In short, he's perfect. But this perfection only fuels the fire of hatred.

So what's to like? Well, that same perfection separates him from the competition, upholding the image of a true role model which is non-existent among most professional athletes (minus the Christian values for all other religious affiliations). He creates excitement on the football field; running over defenders, jump passes, National Championships. Now that he's moving to the NFL, he's adapting his game by changing his throwing motion, only furthering his image as a hard-worker. But his willingness to adapt does more than just improve his game; it's helping likability.

Scouts, fans and media love to pick Tebow apart. We've all heard the criticisms: he holds the ball too low, he only played out of the shotgun at Florida, and he won't be able to run over defenders in the NFL like he did in college. But amidst this criticism, Tebow has been willing to challenge it head on. As a result, something else is happening. Don't be surprised if he eventually wins over the media like he has the state of Florida. Because of our need to tear down perfection, we have placed a chip on the shoulder of a man that needs no chip. In only a few weeks, he's gone from king to underdog. Very few people believe he can actually succeed in the NFL.

All this criticism has created a monster waiting to be unleashed on critics. Will Tebow succeed? You tell me. I'm no better than anyone else at predicting these things. But regardless of whether or not he does succeed, we have turned him into a sympathetic player. It's hard not to feel for a guy who goes from receiving god-like praise to very human-like disparagement. Also, imagine the potential impact and pressure of the next few years of his life. If he does not turn into a quality NFL player, he will have experienced one of the hardest falls in recent memory. If he does, it will be just another instance of a Tim Tebow "I told you so." Regardless of what happens, I'm at least beginning to pull for his success.

Silly Tiger

2010-02-20T14:00:00.011-05:00

I am not here to bash Tiger's speech. Anyone could cite his Buddhism reference, his inability to speak faster than a 5-year-old and his repeated apologies to his sponsors as reasons why Tiger's painfully poor attempt at contrition was a complete failure. I am here, however, to provide some solutions.

But first, I have to attack Rick Reilly for a second. During an interview on ESPN, Rick defended Tiger's speech, claiming it was sincere. Was Rick really watching the same speech that I was? Did Bill Simmons' second fiddle actually attempt to defend one of the worst apologies in the history of sports? He did indeed. (Plus, besides his idiotic decision to support Tiger, Reilly is just a terrible writer...) Anyway, Tiger had years of apologies to use as templates--most notably those from the steroids era. Yet, he still failed. So what should Tiger have done?

1) Not prepare a speech at all - America loves to forgive, so give them a chance. Instead of predetermining the placement of every swallow, breath and "emotion," why not simply go up to the podium and speak from the heart? Everyone forgave Andy Pettitte when he apologized because he came out and spoke the truth, as opposed to avoiding the topic for months, attempting to secretly go into sex rehab, intentionally leaking upbeat photos days before his speech and disabling the main camera at the 9 minute mark. But Tiger Inc. would never have allowed that, since Tiger is the most robotic celebrity we have ever seen.

2) Answer media questions - Tiger's speech gave us exactly zero information. Essentially, the following points were made.

a) I'm sorry for all the stuff I did

b) I don't know when I'm coming back to golf

Any fan with a heart knows he's sorry (or at least he would say so) and that he's probably not coming back to golf any time soon. This does not need to take 15 minutes. Let the media attack you. Answer the hard questions. You've already hit rock bottom, so you might as well be honest.

3) Get a divorce - Maybe this is a little hard on the kids, and who am I to decide that their marriage should end, but tell me that this wouldn't solve almost every problem. He wouldn't have to go into rehab, his wife would not have to deal with repairing a marriage which no sane woman would want to, and he could play golf. His cheating obviously proves he jumped into marriage before he was ready. It does not however, indicate a sex addiction (if he really does have a problem, I apologize in advance, but I highly doubt it.) It's nearly impossible to throw millions of dollars and every hot woman on earth at a man in his early 20's (when his career really took off) and expect him to resist temptation. You don't develop a high roller's lifestyle and then suddenly turn it off for marriage.

Since Tiger was born without the likability gene, golf is the only way he can regain our admiration. We only appreciate MJ because he was a great basketball player; same with Tiger. Their talent enables us to overlook the fact that MJ is one of the biggest assholes in professional sports, and Tiger has the personality of a wall. But we loved Tiger for those days of true joy, such as when he would hug his father after winning a major. That's what we want to see. That's what we miss.

Worst Deadline Deals

2010-02-16T17:48:00.011-05:00

The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching (Thursday at 3 p.m). Since I was not old enough to comprehend trades pre-2000, here are the 10 worst trade deadline deals (MLB and NBA since they're the only sports with big deadline deals) of the past decade in reverse order.

10. In 2005, The Seattle Mariners traded Brett Boone, only a few years removed from his PED enhanced seasons to the Minnesota Twins for cash and a player to be named later. Seattle realized Boone was on the decline and got some financial relief. Minnesota got a .170 batting average, 14 games played and 3rd place in the division after thinking Boone could be the spark plug to propel them into the post-season. And of course Minnesota is now one of the most financially efficient franchises in the MLB.

9. In 2008, the Phoenix Suns traded a disgruntled Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaquille O'Neal. Steve Kerr decided it would be brilliant to put the NBA's least likely player to run the floor in the offense most likely to run the floor. And it's not as if Phoenix even needed to change their overall team strategy; the only reason why Phoenix did not defeat the Spurs in the previous season's playoffs was because of the most intelligent non-intelligent shove of all time: Robert Horry on Steve Nash. In the process of injuring Nash, Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire jumped off the bench, causing them to be suspended and eventually lose the series. This is why Robert Horry has 7 rings.

8, In 2009, the Boston Red Sox received Jason Bay, the Los Angeles Dodgers Manny Ramirez, and the Pirates Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen. Doesn't it always seem like the Pirates are freeing up money, yet never using it to help their team? And why have 0.5% of Pirate prospects worked out? (I can't think of any, so I'm assuming there have been at least a few) I wouldn't be surprised if their payroll dips below $10 million.

7. In 2005, the Boston Celtics received Antoine Walker from the Atlanta Hawks for Gary Payton, Michael Stewart, Tom Gugliotta and a first round pick. Essentially, Atlanta acquired expiring contracts and a first round pick for a bench player on the "good players who you can never actually win with because they're selfish" team. Side note: what does it feel like to be Gary Payton, who was immediately dropped and then re-signed by Boston? Even though this was planned, it has to be kind of awkward. Just saying.

6. In 2005, the Golden State Warriors traded Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis' expiring contract to the Hornets for Baron Davis. I understand the need for an expiring contract to clear cap space, but you can get a little more for a potential (at the time, he was approaching Superstar status. Too bad he has no chance now that he's a Clipper) than one contract and a guy with a cool name.

5. In 2001, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Jason Schmidt and John Vander Wal to the San Francisco Giants for Armando Rios and Ryan Vogelsong. If you could pick any two injuries to avoid in baseball, what would they be? Tommy John Surgery and ACL tear? Well that's what happened to the Rios and Vogelsong respectively. Meanwhile, Jason Schmidt won the 2003 NL Cy Young Award. Also, see #8.

4. In 2003, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Aramis Ramirez and Kenny Lofton for to the Chicago Cubs for Jose Hernandez, Matt Bruback and Bobby Hill. See #5 and #8.

3. In 2008, Dallas Sent Devin Harris and all of Rhode Island for Jason Kidd. I'm not even going to find the full details of the trade because it's so ridiculous. Too bad Mark Cuban's "win now" mentality lead to him giving up a future All-Star point guard for an aging, defensively incapable shell of his former self Jason Kidd. Yes, he's still a high quality player, but not that much better than Harris. And to make matters worse, the win-now strategy doesn't work in the Western Conference, especially when the following trade #2 happened.

2. In 2008, the Lakers traded Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, Marc Gasol, and two first round picks to Memphis for Pau Gasol. Not only did the Lakers make the Dallas trade look worthless, but they managed to get rid of problem players (I know Crittenton wasn't a problem yet), worthless players and meaningless first round picks (let's be honest, late first round picks are not valuable at all) for a superstar/missing piece for a championship.

1. In 2002, the Montreal Expos received Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew from the Cleveland Indians for Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips and Cliff Lee. Not only did all three players become great if not superstar MLB players, but the way in which it happened was especially painful. 3 years after the trade, it seemed like a good deal. Even though these prospects were on the rise, it was unlikely all of them would reach their potential. Then Grady Sizemore emerged in '05. Then Brandon Phillips in '06. The only thing the Expos/Nationals had to hold onto was the fact that Cliff Lee still sucked. And then when everyone finally forgot about the trade, Cliff Lee goes from almost cut to arguably the best pitcher in baseball in '08. This is why the Expos/Nationals will never be good.

Walk Away, Shaq

2010-02-15T16:37:00.008-05:00

Everyone, including myself, loves Shaq. Possibly better known as The Big Twitterer, Manny Shaq-iaou, The Big Aristotle, The Big Baryshnikov, The Big Cactus, Shaqtus, Shaqovic, Diesel, Osama Bin Shaq, The Big Deporter, and his favorite scrabble word, Shaqtastic, Shaq is unquestionably one of the most dominant centers ever, a great media personality and a high quality reserve police officer and U.S. Deputy Marshall intent on tracking internet sex predators. Unfortunately, however, his act is getting old, and he is unwilling to let go.

Even though Dwight Howard has emerged as the new premiere center of the NBA, Shaq has been unwilling to fade into the background. After his recent battle with Howard over the nickname Superman (Dwight rightfully owns this nickname since he's more athletic and pulled an epic Clark Kent reenactment during the Slam Dunk contest. On another note, if David Stern ever had any incentive to offer huge monetary rewards for winning the dunk contest in order to draw in the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, now would be the time. Anyone who watched this year's contest came away almost as disappointed as when Detroit and San Antonio actually had to play an entire seven game series in the NBA finals), Shaq took a shot at Howard, saying he was "offended" to be compared to Howard, and "you tell me who the real Superman is." Frankly, Shaq should be honored to be compared to Dwight, considering Shaq's a shadow of his former self.

The real problem, though, lies in his inability to handle the superstar "grace period" well. It happens in every sport. A great player hits old age and can no longer play like he used to. Yet he still makes the big bucks and garners loads of respect for his past accomplishments. At this point, these players can go four ways:

1) Walk away when you know your game is going into the gutter, preserving your reputation to the utmost degree.

2) Play out your final years gracefully, becoming a complementary player and not overstepping your bounds just because you can.

3) Refuse to realize that you no longer help your team enough, potentially hurting your team in the process.

4) Brett Favre - i.e. destroy any goodwill you had and cement the worst part of your reputation.

Kevin Garnett yielded to Paul Pierce, accepting a veteran leadership role instead of team leading statistics. Jason Kidd no longer makes any attempt to score, simply facilitating even more and playing to his Dallas teammates' strengths as opposed to his own. Unfortunately, Shaq is teetering on Brett Favre status. It's obvious that at this point he's a zoner 3er. Shaq's contract/reputation obligates Mike Brown to demand that Shaq gets 10 or so isolation possessions a game, where no one moves and Cleveland fans pray he doesn't get fouled. Let's be honest. Cleveland is no better with Shaq at center than with Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Neither man can defend the pick and roll, and any defender with a pulse knows Big Z will pick and pop, and Shaq will give the effort of a 60 year-old man to roll to the basket, allowing for an immediate LeBron double team. Also, '08-'09 Cleveland and '09-'10 Cleveland both easily separated themselves as the #1 team in the conference, so there's no difference record-wise.

Looking back at his career, Shaq has played with Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash and LeBron James, putting him on the list of greatest luck with teammates ever. But would he even have had any titles without these guys? And how many great players have played with five teams and have been traded three times? Most players retire before they let this happen. But Shaq has put NBA GMs in an impossible situation. It would be disrespectful to just release him, plus a $20 million cap hit is not worth cutting him. Their only option is to find him a new team via trade.

Even worse, Shaq's inability to coexist with Amare Stoudemire will force Cleveland to move him if/when they acquire Amare. So not only do they have to piece together a deal right before the trade deadline to acquire a top end power forward, they have to find another deal to move Shaq, reducing the likelihood of the entire deal happening. But you know what would save Shaq's basketball reputation, media likability and Cleveland's title chances? The retirement of Shaquille O'Neal.

All Star Game Improvements

2010-02-11T16:20:00.008-05:00

The NBA has the the best All-Star Weekend of any sport. The 3 point contest, dunk contest, skills competition, H-O-R-S-E and game itself are all great to watch. It's only missing one thing: a 1 on 1 competition.

Here's the proposal: 16 players, each from a different team, compete to determine the best 1 on 1 player. Single elimination tournament, games to 11, and as street ball demands, half court and no three pointers; everything is worth 1 point. Also, true ballers play with street rules. So take back everything. Yes, even air balls. No cheap points. And the most important part: no refs. Call your own fouls.

But how do we make players try hard? David Stern (or someone in his office) seeds the players, 1-16. Starting with the 1st seed, each player chooses his opponent. This process would continue until the 7th seed has chosen, and all match-ups are determined. But instead of this happening in a quiet back room before the tournament begins, it happens live, at the tournament, on the court. Each player must take the microphone and call out his opponent.

So what's in it for the players? Well, like every other All-Star competition, money. What's in it for the fans? Well first, who doesn't want to watch world-class talent battle it out, not having to worry about silly team concepts such as passing and defense? Just show us your skills. Will the Kobe's and the LeBron's of the NBA participate? Of course not. But NBA players (guards, at least) have plenty of ball-handling skills and athleticism to make the competition fun nonetheless.

Even more for the fans, imagine the gambling possibilities. There could be pre-tournament Vegas odds-making, determining the odds each player has to win. Then individual match-ups. You could partake in moneyline betting, spread betting and even parlays. In essence, the works. Plus, you can go March Madness on the tourney, starting a mini pool among friends, picking each round. Each basket would have huge significance on your financial success. Tell me you wouldn't love it.

Is this all realistic? Probably not. Is it fun to imagine? Of course.

Overhauling Overtime

2010-02-09T14:42:00.008-05:00

Imagine the following scenario: Tracy Porter drops the ball. Peyton Manning drives in for the game-tying score, leading to two Super Bowl firsts:

1) Overtime

2) The first Super Bowl coin toss that carries more significance to the game than the financial success of millions of prop gamblers.

Now imagine the backlash if the team that wins this fabled coin toss scors immediately after getting the ball, never allowing another possession (a highly possible scenario with Indianapolis' and New Orleans' high powered offenses). But luckily, Tracy Porter stepped in front of one of Peyton Manning's favorite routes, becoming the second player (the first was the immortal Mike Jones of the Saint Louis Rams, with the greatest ankle tackle of all time on Kevin Dyson at the 1 yard line in Saint Louis' 23-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans) to prevent Roger Goodell's ultimate nightmare: Super Bowl overtime.

Overtime in the regular season is an acceptable consequence; no team's season is determined by one overtime game. Even in the playoffs, justice is usually served, and the deserving team wins the game anyway (I'm sorry Minnesota fans, but it's true. 5 turnovers does not cut it). But in the Super Bowl, there's no room for maneuvering. No make-up game. No chance at redemption. Only a Super Bowl champion, and a loser ready and willing to complain for the long and miserable off-season.

Unlike the NFL, other sports allow the teams to fight for an overtime advantage. The NBA has a jump ball. Both teams in the MLB get a chance to hit. Soccer has two halves, guaranteeing at least one possession for each team. The NHL has a face-off. The NFL has nothing but the flip of a coin. The head referee might as well hold a one and two behind his back and ask a captain to pick. There's no rhyme or reason, no logic. Only pure luck.

I realize that football is a two-way game. Teams should be able to play both defense and offense. But there is an inherit advantage in NFL overtime that does not exist in other sports. No team would choose defense after the coin toss, just as no team would intentionally lose a jump ball in the NBA. Maybe defense is their team's strength, but the game is built for points to be scored. Defense may win championships, but offense wins overtime.

While it's easy to criticize overtime, here are a few solutions to the gaping hole in NFL overtime.

1. College overtime - I know. Besides field goals, special teams is eliminated, and the field is shortened. I agree that it is not a perfect solution, but the key is that there is no advantage based on chance. Unlike the NFL, only special teams, as opposed to a chance on offense, disappears. And what happens after a college football game is decided in overtime? Where's the backlash, the anger because of the rules? That's right, there is none. While it may not be perfect, it's fair. It's unreasonable to say that one team did not receive a fair opportunity to win.

2. A regular NFL game, only each team gets a maximum of 4 possessions before the game ends in a tie. The catch: Possession #1 starts with a kickoff. Just as in college, the opposing team has a chance to respond on offense (instead of punting, teams just kickoff as if they scored). If the game is still tied, each team starts with possession on their own 40 yard line. If the game is still tied, the 3rd possession starts on the opponent's 40 yard line. If a 4th possession is necessary, teams start on the opponent's 20 yard line. A tie game after this point means the game ends in a tie. With this solution, every aspect of the game is incorporated. Teams with high quality defenses level the playing field by having a little breathing room, reducing offensive advantage. Conversely, teams with strong offenses will move the ball easier down the length of the field than those without. Also, special teams comes into play. Imagine if Sean Payton kicked an onside kick to start overtime in this format, getting the ball and winning the game right then. Jim Nantz and Phil Simms would have had simultaneous heart attacks.

3. The same rules as option #2, except instead of the ball moving forward 20 yards with each successive possession, the ball moves forward the number of yards gained (including special teams) on the previous possession. Let's say Indianapolis moves the ball to their own 35 before giving up the ball (instead of punting, you just give up the ball). Their next possession would start on their own 35. While this may eliminate an aspect of special teams (punting), it adds a new aspect of strategy. Let's say Indy moves the ball to the opponent's 37 with the very first possession (of either team) of overtime. Do they kick a field goal, risking a miss and a loss of field position (a missed field goal results in a kickoff on the next possession), or keep their field position, and restart with 1st and 10 at the opponent's 37 with the hope that they stop New Orleans? An intriguing choice. But Caldwell would probably play it safe and punt, even though thats not an option.

Stick With Your Guns

2010-02-06T19:28:00.003-05:00

A fellow named Theo Papageorge asked me which team I was picking for the Super Bowl. "The Colts, right?" His comment made me ponder: Why have I all of a sudden fallen for the trap of picking the New Orleans Saints?

I will not go through the conventional reasons for picking the Colts. We all know them. Here's why the Colts are the pick. Too many people are going with the underdog and the feel-good story that is the New Orleans Saints. It's interesting how this phenomenon happens every year.

1. The spread comes out, and everyone picks the favorite. It's their Super Bowl to lose.

2. The injury question becomes a concern, allowing doubt to creep in (Dwight Freeney).

3. People use the injury as an excuse to switch sides and pick the other team.

4. Vegas picks up on this mini-switch, adjusting the spread to allow more people to pick the underdog (The line has moved from 3.5 to 5.5).

5. People officially get behind the underdog, and find every reason to pick them.

So what we should be doing is sticking with our guns. If you liked the Colts, stick with them. Dwight Freeney's injury will not impact the game as much as we think. If you liked the Saints, the same goes. Do not let media/Vegas/popular opinion influence your pick.

15 Interesting Super Bowl Over/Unders

2010-02-03T15:08:00.007-05:00

1. How many times will CBS cut to the Manning family press box?

(Over/Under 3.5)

The Pick: Over

2. How many times will Hurricane Katrina be mentioned during the actual game?

(Over/Under 4.5)

The Pick: Over

3. How many current NFL players will get arrested during Super Bowl week (starting today)?

Over/Under 0.5

The Pick: Under

4. How long will it take Carrie Underwood to sing the National Anthem?

(Over/Under 1 minute, 42 seconds)

The Pick: Over

5. What will be the total number of field goal attempts?

(Over/Under 4.5)

The Pick: Under

6. How many times will Peyton Manning and Hall of Fame get mentioned in the same sentence?

(Over/Under 6.5)

The Pick: Under

7. How many times will Drew Brees and Hall of Fame get mentioned in the same sentence?

(Over Under/2.5)

The Pick: Under

8. How many times will Peyton Manning get sacked?

(Over/Under 2.5)

The Pick: Under

9. How many more times will Dwight Freeney utter some form of the phrase, "I'm going to do everything I can to play this week"?

(Over/Under 6.5)

The Pick: Over

10. How many times will Jabari Greer get mentioned as underrated during the game?

(Over/Under 2.5)

The Pick: Under

11. How many times will Tony Dungy get interviewed during the game?

(Over/Under 0.5)

The Pick: Over

12. How long will it be between the end of the first half and the start of the second half?

(Over/Under 36 minutes)

The Pick: Under

13. How many players will help to dump gatorade on the winning coach?

(Over/Under 2.5)

The Pick: Under

14. How many beer commercials will appear?

(Over/Under 6.5)

The Pick: Over

15. How many times will the camera cut to Jim Caldwell or Sean Payton during the game?

(Over/Under 11.5)

The Pick: Under

The Saddest Day of Football

2010-01-30T17:38:00.004-05:00

We all look forward to it. Super Bowl Sunday, Colts vs. Saints. Peyton Manning vs. Drew Brees. Sean Payton vs. Jim Caldwell. Without a doubt, Miami is about to host a great football game. But for most sports fans, next Sunday marks the beginning of the end. Whether or not your hometown team made the playoffs, only one fan base will have the means to survive the long off-season.

February - The Super Bowl Champion has been determined, and the long wait for redemption begins. We can no longer there is no team to adopt for the playoffs, now that they have finished. The NBA All-Star weekend is officially soured for all cities outside of Indianapolis (yes, I'm picking the Colts). Even the Pro Bowl is ruined. Not that it was exciting anyway. How frustrating is it to see your team's star players enjoying themselves in light-colored Hawaiian shirts and laughing it up on the sidelines while their fans wallow in the misery of another lost season?

March - Not only is the misery piling on, but players begin to leave via free agency and retirement. Cardinals fans finally realize their entire franchise just retired, bringing them back to where they were pre-Warner. The Brett Favre retirement saga begins as he continues to destroy his once god-like reputation. But most importantly, the realization that Sunday's finally have no meaning for another six months actually becomes real. Now there's officially no reason to get up before 3 p.m.

April - Mel Kiper and Todd McShay systematically make more and more appearances on Sportscenter, creating/altering mock drafts until they're ultimately proven wrong on the day of the NFL draft. Hopeful Raiders' fans watch the deranged Al Davis destroy a once perennial force in the NFL. Baseball season begins, and with it, a new hope. John Kruk and crew question whether it matters if the poor start of either the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Dodgers, etc. really matters when we all know it doesn't. The basketball playoffs begin. Maybe an upset or two happens, but ultimately no seed below #4 advances to the conference championship.

May - More NBA playoffs. We like it more since it's higher quality basketball, and for those fan bases involved, it can become very exciting. NFL free agents begin to sign with new teams, and some real hope emerges. Finally a little excitement for the 31 losing fan bases. Maybe Minnesota can find that missing piece. Maybe New Orleans can find a defensive lineman. Maybe Cleveland, Saint Louis, and the rest of the bottom feeders can lure a quality free agent. Most importantly, maybe fans can start to really believe again.

June/July - By far the two worst months of sports. With only the monotonous rhythm and slow pace of baseball to look forward to, television becomes severely less appealing. Being able to choose between multiple sports/teams is one of the under-appreciated advantages of winter television. So without this choice, we dream of football. Of returning to our team's glory days. Of some groundbreaking trade to change the fortunes of our team. We even travel to watch training camp just to catch a glimpse of what we know is coming in only a few months.

August - Pre-season. Real football is so close. The time we most like to speculate, even if we all acknowledge that what we see means nothing. For anyone who watched Hard Knocks, the Bengals did not look like a division winner. The Patriots always go 0-4, but end up in the playoffs. One or two injuries derail a once promising season. Random late round draft picks develop into stars and fantasy owners scramble to draft them/pick them up off the waiver wire.

September - Football is finally here. The slate is clean and the world is right again. Only 5 months from a possible Super Bowl championship.

You Can Do Better, Clayton

2010-01-26T16:40:00.008-05:00

No, I am not talking about Brett Favre (although he should retire also). I am talking about ESPN's John Clayton. Normally I am not one for bashing writers, but his most recent article on espn.com compels me to comment. Of his ten proposed questions relating to the Super Bowl, only one provides any insight into the game otherwise (the injury status of each team).

Question #1: Is there a significance of having the Saints and Colts in the Super Bowl?

Quality question. It's not as if Katrina, the Superdome as a shelter for New Orleans' residents and the history of losing for the Saints have not already been mentioned 400 times by everyone who follows football. Or the impact on Peyton Manning's legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

Question #2: What's the biggest strategic decision the Colts have to make?

Did we not wonder all of last week how the Jets would handle the Colts' three wide receiver sets (the staple of their offense)? Pay attention, John. Even worse, he does not even speculate. He simply restates everything we witnessed during the AFC championship game.

Question #3: What's the history between these two teams?

They did not play this season, so really it's irrelevant. Maybe it's nice to look at, but completely irrelevant to the game at hand.

Question #4: Will running be a big part of this Super Bowl?

Each week either of these teams plays, the question is always, will they run the ball consistently? If the answer has been no for 20 straight weeks, why would it change in week 21? Yes, the Saints had 6th best rushing attack, but that was only a result of averaging 403.8 yards per game. And blowing out plenty of teams, allowing them to pad their rushing stats.

Question #5: Which quarterback has an edge?

I am actually astounded he would even ask this. Anyone with a pulse already knows the answer. Drew Brees is great, but Peyton Manning is Peyton Manning.

Question #7: What team will benefit more from the extra week of preparation between the championship games and the Super Bowl?

Once again, John, turn on your brain for a second. NFL fans are not dumb. We know Peyton is the master of preparation. We know he'll take advantage of every weakness of the Saints' defense he can. Maybe it would be more appropriate to look at how the Colts defensive speed matches up well with the Saints.

Question #8: Are there themes that might emerge during the hype of Super Bowl week?

Firstly, I have to attack the grammar. The way the question is phrased is like asking if the sun will rise tomorrow. But even if Clayton phrases this idea with an open-ended question, come up with something better than Reggie Wayne wearing a hard hat to symbolize the team's hard work.

Question #9: Aside from the end, which point of the game should viewers watch closely?

Frankly they should be watching the whole thing closely considering this is the Super Bowl. Clayton argues that it should be the last two minutes of the first half because each team has a propensity for scoring at this time. But just because Manning and Brees put up points in the final two minutes of the half does not make it the most compelling time to watch. How about the entire 4th quarter? Or every time one team gets in the red zone, since cashing in for six instead of three will be crucial? These moments could actually decide the game. Seven or three points at the end of the half amidst a shootout will probably be less noteworthy.

Question #10: What is each team's biggest weakness on defense?

Anyone who has watched the Colts in the playoffs, say, for the last 10 years, knows its run defense. Cadillac Williams and the dreaded Tampa Bay offense ran all over the Saints. I realize he's trying to address the casual fan, but please give us some sort of insight beyond a quick google search.

Conference Championship Picks

2010-01-23T17:38:00.009-05:00

At this point in the season, it is the football Gods, not logic or reason, that determine the Super Bowl participants. While it's easy to pick the Colts and Saints, the last nine seasons have not
featured the top seeds from the NFC and the AFC. It's boring and usually less effective to pick the higher seeds during March Madness; the same goes for the NFL. So how do we decide who will upset the seeded hierarchy? By choosing the teams with whom the Gods are aligned. Here are ten non-football reasons (talent level of the teams, matchups, etc.) reasons to pick the Jets (+8, yes I'm picking them not only to cover, but also to win) and the Saints (-3.5) to make the Super Bowl.

NEW YORK JETS

1. Swagger - Rex Ryan has had it since the beginning of the season. The Jets have picked it up.

2. The "eff you" factor - The Colts rolled over in week 16, allowing the Jets playoff birth. Now the Jets have the chance to throw it back in the Colts', and especially in Jim Caldwell's face.

3. Irony - Going along with reason #2, it's almost too perfect that the Jets would demolish Cincinnati and Indianapolis after being handed a playoff birth on a silver platter by those very teams.

4. Player/coach - No player/coach (Peyton Manning) has ever led a team to a Super Bowl.

5. Drought - The Jets are tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the most years in a row without an AFC championship (39). They're due, I would say.

6. Home Field Advantage - Home field teams in the AFC Championship games are 6-6 in the last 12 years. No home field advantage.

7. Mark Sanchez - A Rookie QB potentially making the Super Bowl.

8. Joe Namath - He claimed this Jets team has many similarities to his Super Bowl III Jets squad. Another de facto Super Bowl win guarantee?

9. Superstition - Rex Ryan uses a pizza-stained New York Titans sweatshirt as a good luck charm.

10. Mark Sanchez #2 - According to Scouts Inc. of espn.com, Mark Sanchez has a grade of 20. To put that in perspective, Tom Brady is a 94. Brady is over 4 and 1/2 times better.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

1. Pre-game - At a generous 6'0 and probably the weakest player on the team, Drew Brees serves as their pre-game motivator. Who Dat?

2. Class - The Saints re-signed Deuce McAllister last week as an honorary captain for the coin toss.

3. Brett Favre - The only quarterback to throw two interceptions in overtime to cost his team a playoff game.

4. Brett Favre #2 - Without his Super Bowl season, his playoff record is 10-10. Not so clutch.

5. Superdome - From the house of hundreds of thousands of uprooted New Orleans residents to conference championship host. The ultimate feel-good story.

6. Tortured Franchise - 7 playoff appearances in 42 seasons, 3 playoff wins. 28 losing seasons. Ouch. The NFL at least owes them a Super Bowl appearance.

7. The "eff you" factor (for Drew Brees towards the media) - Somehow he's still not considered to be one of the best NFL QB's along with Brady and Manning. He's small, he's white, he's dangerous.

8. Mardi Gras - Who wouldn't want the craziest Mardi Gras ever after a New Orleans Saints Super Bowl victory?

9. Brad Childress - No pedophile coach has ever reached the Super Bowl.

10. Sean Payton - The Bill Parcells coaching tree already has two Super Bowl winners (Coughlin, Belichick). Here comes #3.