Everything But Hockey

Opposites Attract: Steve Young vs. Kurt Warner

2010-01-29T22:29:00.005-06:00

Kurt Warner may go down in history as the most improbable superstar quarterback ever to play in the NFL and his retirement has pundits across the country weighing in on his place in the history of the game. Most, if not all, agree that Warner crafted a Hall of Fame worthy career and I certainly agree with that sentiment.

But while I watched the 38-year-old Warner step down with the same kind of cool, composed demeanor in which he stepped into the spotlight, I couldn't help but think of another quarterback who retired at the age of 38, Steve Young.

Now you must be thinking, Steve Young and Kurt Warner? They're nothing alike. And you'd be right.

The left-handed Young was a scrambler, a daredevil and one of the most athletic players to ever play the position. Warner meanwhile was a stationary target, a right-handed pocket passer of the highest order who succeeded by getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers.

But the differences don't end with their playing styles.

Young was a star at BYU and was tabbed for success from the very start, signing a multi-million dollar deal with the USFL that still pays him to this day. Warner on the other hand was an afterthought at Northern Iowa and went undrafted before signing on to play in the Arena League.

Off the field, it's been well documented that Warner bagged groceries to make ends meet in his pre-NFL days. Young meanwhile had a potential career as a lawyer in his back pocket should football have not worked out.

Young sat behind arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, Joe Montana, before taking over as the starter for one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, the San Francisco 49ers.

Warner was pressed into duty for the Rams, who up until that point had never won a Super Bowl, when the unheralded Trent Green was lost to a season-ending injury.

So as you can see, on the surface Young and Warner have very little in common besides the age at which they walked away from the game. But dig a little deeper and you find that these two great quarterbacks were quite similar.

Lets start with the numbers, shall we?

Young finished his career with an all-time best QB rating of 96.8. Warner is not far behind with a 93.7 career QB rating. Young racked up 4,149 passing attempts and a career completion percentage of 64.3%. Warner meanwhile threw the ball 4,070 times and with his retirement became the all-time career completion percentage leader at 65.5%. Number two among retired QBs? You guessed it, Young.

Both Young and Warner passed for over 32,000 yards and 200 touchdowns, with Young just slightly ahead in each category thanks to several more years spent as his team's #1 quarterback. Young and Warner also share the record for most consecutive 300+ yard passing games (6).

Each won a total of eight playoff games as a starter and a single Super Bowl, despite Warner getting two more opportunities than Young to win the big one. Warner holds the record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl (414), while Young holds the record for most touchdowns thrown in a Super Bowl (6).

Both Young and Warner are two-time NFL MVPs, Young in 1992 and 1994, and Warner in 1999 and 2001. Also each are one-time Super Bowl MVPs, Young in 1994 and Warner in 1999.

As noted, each played in leagues other than the NFL. They played a full season only three times each, missing parts of every other season of their careers with injuries, most notably multiple concussions which ultimately led to their respective retirements.

The year Warner took over as the starting quarterback for the Rams, 1999, Young's career came to an end when he was knocked out of a week 3 game with a concussion. His opponent that day? None other than Warner's last team, the Arizona Cardinals.

So as you can see, it's easy to think about Young and Warner as completely different quarterbacks, and in many respects you'd be hard pressed to find two more disparate styles. But greatness is greatness no matter how you slice it, and if there's one thing Young and Warner shared more than anything else it was their ability to perform in the biggest moments.

Young was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2005, and while it remains to be seen what will happen with Warner in terms of the Hall of Fame, one would have to imagine that five years from now he will add to the list of first-ballot inductees.

Live By The Sword, Die By The Sword

2010-01-13T19:52:00.002-06:00

I've got some news for all the Tennessee fans and students who have acted out in anger over the news that head football coach Lane Kiffin is trading in Rocky Top for SoCal.

You asked for this and now you have to live with the consequences.

By "this" of course, I'm talking about the winning-above-all-else attitude that is so prevalent in the world of major collegiate athletics, to which Tennessee has been a willing follower. So it should really come as no surprise to anyone with half a brain that the ego-maniacal Kiffin would skip town after less than a year and a half on the job.

As universities and their athletic directors look to satisfy rabid fan bases and deep-pocketed boosters, it is inevitable that this kind of thing is going to happen. The pressure to win is getting coaches fired before they can even see their first recruiting class graduate, can you really blame coaches for always having an eye on the next best gig?

When Tennessee fired long-time head coach Phil Fullmer it traded in any chance of the Paterno-like loyalty their fans would all like to think their head coach would and should bring with him. Fullmer, as much as I didn't care for him as a coach on the field, was (and is) a loyal and steady presence. But in the end, with rival schools like Florida and Alabama asserting themselves thanks in large part to new head coaches, that stability just wasn't good enough any more.

Some Vols fans are mad at athletic director Mike Hamilton who bowed to the pressure and fired Fullmer, making way for Kiffin and his traveling circus? But even Hamilton was just doing what he thought was in the best interest of the program. Surely even he couldn't have predicted the wonderful mess his school now finds themselves in.

Like so many schools before them (ahem, Notre Dame), unrealistic expectations from nearly everyone involved led them to this point. Head coach gone, recruits jumping ship and a fan base on the verge of revolt. But in the end Tennessee, their fans and their boosters, have no one to blame but themselves.

Guilty Pleasure

2010-01-13T19:31:00.000-06:00

We all know that earlier this week that Pete Carroll bolted from USC to become Head Coach and President of the Seattle Seahawks. My question is why?

USC, college football's team of the decade, is arguably the top job in the world of college football. Year after year the Trojans land top recruits from all across the nation, and are amongst the favorites to win the national title.

What's wrong Pete? Was the 97-19 record you compiled at USC not good enough? Was your 2003 AP National Championship, and your 2004 National Championship not good enough? How about your 7 consecutive Pac-10 titles and BCS appearances? How about your back-to-back Heisman trophy winners (Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush) is that not good enough? Ah, I got it. It must have been the $4.4 million you made last year.

Enjoy your stay in Seattle. Enjoy your team that has won a combined 9 games the past two seasons. Enjoy your aging quarterback, wide receiver, and left tackle. The move from So-Cal to Seattle will most certainly be rainy. This team has very little to get excited about, and turning it around will truly be magical.

Yes, you got a raise but my sense doesn't think you made the move for the money. So again, why? Wait a minute. I figured you out. There's a meeting between NCAA officials being held next month to discuss possible sanctions against your former university regarding illegal benefits distributed to some of your premier players. That wouldn't have anything to do with your departure now would it Pete?

When USC gets penalized for illegal connections with former stud running back Reggie Bush, and recent NFL declaree Joe McKnight, you better be penalized as well. Shame on you for bailing out on kids to head north just so your image would not be tarnished. Shame on you for entering the homes of these kids and promising national championship opportunitites, only to leave right after you had a sub par season for the Trojan's football program (9-4).

Nice call Pete, or should we call you Calipari?

After These Messages...

2009-12-16T09:40:00.000-06:00

Hello all. To the people who do frequent this blog, I would first like to say thanks for checking it out. Hopefully you enjoy what we have to say and we appreciate you stopping by from time to time.

As you may have noticed, things have gone a bit quiet here over the last couple of weeks. It's obviously a busy time of year and we've slacked off, no question about it.

That said, come 2010 we are really looking to double our efforts here at EBH and get things rolling again. So thanks again to all those who follow the blog and we'll be back at it soon.

Eldrick Woods: Human Being

2009-12-02T16:22:00.002-06:00

Let's go ahead and get a few things out of the way right now.

Yes, Tiger Woods is my favorite golfer and favorite athlete period.

No, I don't think what he has all but admitted to doing is ok or should be looked at as anything other than wrong.

Now that we have those two points out of the way, I do have a few thoughts on this issue.

First, I don't believe we should all be that shocked that something like this happened. I know he's Tiger Woods and to this point the worst thing anyone could say about him is that he swears a lot on the golf course and occasionally throws a club in anger. However, given the extra-marital exploits of power players like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Bill Clinton, et al., can it really be a surprise any more when this sort of thing happens? I think not.

Second, think about what you actually know about your favorite athlete, actor, musician, etc., it's not really that much is it? Sure you know they're talented and you may know that they have a family and that their dog is named Buddy. But what happens with people behind closed doors is not and should not be for public consumption unless a crime is committed. And despite the fact that I don't agree with cheating on your wife, it's not against the law.

Now think about your next door neighbor and how much you know about them. Pretty much the same but with less famous-making talent right? You might really like your neighbor who always seems in a good mood and perhaps comes over to watch football with you on Sundays. The fact of the matter is that he could also be snogging some waitress behind his wife's back and you'd never know because he's not an integral part of the 24-hour news cycle.

Consider this. What happens if Tiger misses that fire hydrant and subsequently misses that tree and just drives off into the night to get away from an angry wife for a little while? Well for starters, TMZ and the rest of the seedy tabloid media aren't let loose on Isleworth and things continue on as they would have behind closed doors.

Perhaps cooler heads prevail behind said doors and quietly Woods and his wife work things out and convince the other woman involved to keep it to herself. No one is the wiser as cell phone messages are deleted in exchange for some hush money and everyone goes about their business thinking Woods is a swell guy.

Does that change the fact that he cheated on his wife? No, of course it doesn't, but the point is that things have a way of working themselves out one way or another and while some people get exposed, many others never do.

I've always been uneasy with how much coverage the personal lives of famous people get. I love sports, but I don't personally hold any of my favorite athletes up as role models or heroes. Perhaps I'm lucky/smart that way, but this sort of thing points out why Charles Barkley had it right all those years ago.

Is it in some ways disappointing to hear that Woods, father of two adorable young children, has been cheating on his outrageously gorgeous wife? To a certain extent it is if only because deep inside we all would like to think that our favorite famous people live story book lives, but that's just not the reality of the situation.

Woods, like the rest of us, is only human. That's not an excuse, it's just a fact.

So what does this change? In my mind very little, but certainly Woods stands to lose some fans who like to run to the moral high ground as if they've never exhibited poor judgment in their lives. Also, Woods will now have to deal with even more reporters asking even more nosy and somewhat inappropriate questions, something he bristled at the thought of even before all of this.

He most likely won't lose sponsors because he is the premier athlete-endorser of products in the world today and the cash cow for many of the companies who sponsor him.

He does however stand to lose a wife and perhaps custody of his children should Elin Woods decide to go that route, and you couldn't blame her if she did. After all, the only people anyone should feel sorry for in all this are Elin and the Woods children.

Ultimately though, like many before him, if he returns to competition and goes about dominating as he has for so many years, all will be mostly forgotten. He's still Tiger Woods after all.

5 Things... I Would Change About The NFL

2009-11-25T14:32:00.000-06:00

Just in time for Thanksgiving I'm unveiling a new feature here at EBH called simply, "5 Things...". Simple really, every week I will pick a topic and ramble on about 5 things I love, hate, can't stand, would change, etc. about said topic.

This week we take a closer look at the NFL and how I would change things if I had my way.

5. Sex Sells But Apparently Doesn't Pay

The NFL is built on the two things that most wildly popular entertainment-based entities in this country are built on, sex and violence. There are no two ways about it, people love big hits and big... well you know. And every Sunday, Monday and sometimes Thursday from September through January the NFL delivers both.

Yet while the players on the field are earning millions, albeit for putting their health and safety on the line every week, the pretty girls on the sidelines in their barely-there outfits are lucky if they see hundreds, plural.

As spelled out in great detail by ESPN's Gregg Easterbrook, NFL cheerleaders are overworked and underpaid to the point of exploitation. I'm not saying that the act of being a cheerleader, which entails bikini and lingerie photo shoots in addition to normal cheerleading, is exploitative. But for a league which brings in billions (with a 'B') of dollars each year to pay their performers as little as $100 a week is flat ridiculous.

On top of that, NFL cheerleaders are required to sign away subsidiary rights which gives the league license to use their image in advertising without having to pay them a cent.

Between time spent practicing, appearances off the field, photo shoots and gameday, cheerleaders should at minimum be making a few thousand dollars a week for their efforts. When you factor in how much money the NFL makes selling cheerleader-centric merchandise and television advertising featuring them, they should be making quite a bit more.

4. Make The No Fun League Fun Again

To their credit, the NFL seems to be allowing a little more celebration this year than I can remember in previous years. Still, the NFL's rules against what they deem to be over-the-top celebrations are far too stingy in my not-so-humble opinion.

Now to be clear, I am not advocating mocking the opposing team or directly showing them up during celebrations. Terrell Owens running out to the star in the middle of Dallas Stadium was over the top, despite how much I loved it as a Niners fan.

No, what I want to see are more Ocho Cinco-esque celebrations that incorporate some real creativity and involve more teammates. Football is the ultimate team sport, why not let everyone join in on the fun?

I would impose a strict one-minute time limit on touchdown celebrations to keep things from turning into full on shows, but otherwise I say have at it. It's an unwritten policy in the NFL that players (Peyton Manning-level stars excluded) should be kept under their helmets and act like good little soldiers. But I say let them have their fun, because in the end what harm does a little show and dance really do?

3. Kill Sudden Death

There are some good arguments in favor of the NFL's current overtime format in which the first team to score wins. It's quick, it's clean and can make for some dramatic moments.

But clearly the system used in the college game these days is equally as dramatic and ultimately more fair. When two teams fight so hard just to get to overtime, giving each team an opportunity to match or beat the other is simply the only way to go.

In college each team starts their offensive possession at the 25-yard-line, but I would propose that in the NFL each team would start from the 50-yard-line, eliminating the almost automatic field goal if a team doesn't gain a single yard.

Other than that the rules would be the same. Each team gets a possession to try and score and if after two overtimes the game remains tied teams would be required to go for a two-point conversion should they find the endzone after that.

I guarantee this overtime system would lead to some great finishes just as it has in college football and the fact that it gives both teams and an equal chance makes it that much better than sudden death.

2. I'd Guarantee It

No other athletes in major American professional sports put themselves at more risk on a weekly basis than NFL football players. With an average career length of barely three years (it takes four for them to earn their pension, shocking), playing football at the highest level is risky business.

Meanwhile there are no guaranteed contracts in the NFL which to me is just wrong. I can understand from the management side of things not wanting to sink lots of money into players who could ultimately get hurt tomorrow, but there has to be a better answer to this issue.

What happens instead is players hold out for bigger signing bonuses (which are guaranteed) and rookies do the same without ever having played a down in the league, trying to maximize their value ASAP.

I would propose two things. First, a certain percentage (say 50%) of a player's annual salary is guaranteed over the span of his contract regardless of injury or poor production. This would actually lower signing bonuses, which have gotten a bit out of hand and force teams to be smarter about who they sign and for how much, holding player personnel people to a higher standard (cough...Matt Millen...cough), which is a good thing anyway.

Second, a hard rookie salary scale should be implemented so that players who have never stepped onto an NFL field won't be making millions and millions more than 10-year veterans who have managed to survive and remain effective players.

Most notably these changes would guarantee players who put themselves on the line each week a chance to keep paying the bills should they get hurt. And much like the issue with the cheerleaders, is that really too much to ask for a company like the NFL which rakes in billions (again, with a 'B') in revenue? I think not.

Danger Is My Middle Name

Last but certainly not least is the issue of roughing penalties, which in my opinion have simply gotten out of control over the last couple of years. Defensive players can't so much as breathe on a quarterback wrong without seeing a flag fly and officials have taken it upon themselves to insert themselves into the action far too often.

This is still football people. It's a dangerous sport where sometimes people are going to get hurt and I understand trying to protect players to a certain extent, (i.e. chop blocks, leg whips, etc.) but in the end you have to let the players play.

We teach kids who play football growing up the importance of aggression and hustle and playing through the whistle, then we expect them to suddenly hold up when it's the QB. Something about that seems counter-intuitive doesn't it?

I've never understood how anyone can expect a 300-pound battering ram to come to a complete stop on his way to the QB half a second after the ball leaves his hand. It's almost physically impossible and tends to pose an injury risk to the defenders themselves as they try and contort their bodies in an effort to avoid contact.

I'm all for policing late hits and blatant cheap shots to the head and knees of QBs, but they knew the job was dangerous when they took it.

Sheer Randomness: Week 2

2009-11-19T13:42:00.002-06:00

Several things to get to, so lets get started...

Timmy!!!

Giants ace and consensus best pitcher on the planet, Tim Lincecum, picked up his second straight NL Cy Young Award today after leading the league in strikeouts with 261 and finishing second in ERA at 2.48.

The win marks the first time since 1981 that a National League starting pitcher has won the Cy Young with fewer than 16 wins, and only the third time overall that feat has been accomplished. It's also a sign that baseball writers are finally starting to see the fallacy in using wins as the main statistic used to judge starters.

As a Giants fan this is also a very sweet victory after Pablo Sandoval was passed over for the Silver Slugger Award at third base.

The Hand of Henry

Irish eyes are crying today, the day after their World Cup chances were stolen by the cunning left hand of French striker Thierry Henry.

Henry committed a clear handball just to the left of goal during extra time in a playoff game against Ireland, and when the whistle didn't blow he threaded a left-footed pass onto the head of William Gallas who scored the game-winner, sending France to next year's World Cup.

In the aftermath of the blatant officiating error, some have called for extra officials behind the goals and instant replay. Others have said FIFA and UEFA officials stacked the deck by pitting the teams they most wanted in the World Cup against clear underdogs instead of conducting a fair draw to determine the matchups.

To his credit, Henry was quick to admit to the foul.

"The ball hit my hand, I will be honest. It was a handball, you can clearly see it," said Henry. "It was a handball, but I'm not the ref. I told (the referee) but he said to me the same: 'You are not the ref.'"

Given that admission, one thing is for certain and that is that the officials who worked the match between Ireland and France should be immediately banned from working the World Cup or any major international event for at least a year.

In fact, I believe there should be a one game, winner-take-all match between Ireland and France sometime in the very near future. Such a match may be difficult to schedule given the various players and their club commitments. But with so much on the line and zero doubt over the non-call, an extra game should be played.

For those of you confused, thus ends the soccer (aka the most popular sport in the world) portion of the program.

November No More

It sounds like Major League Baseball is finally going to do something to shorten the playoffs by eliminating the gaps in the schedule that have caused the World Series to be played as late as November.

Not much to say here other than it's about damn time. I'm on record as stating that baseball should go back to the 154-game schedule in an effort to further shorten the season.

I believe MLB should eliminate all but the "rivalry" interleague games, but of course that will never happen as interleague baseball has proven popular with the fans and surely teams like the Mets would complain about having to play the Yankees while other teams in their division would get decidedly easier matchups.

In the meantime, this is a step in the right direction and maybe we can finally put Derek Jeter's "Mr. November" moniker to rest once and for all.

FireCharlieWeis.com

I can't help but point and laugh at Notre Dame and their boosters for prematurely firing Tyrone Willingham and hiring Charlie Weis, without giving Willingham the opportunity to see a full recruiting class through their senior season.

It serves them right for being so impatient and so naive about their place in the world of college football that Weis has exactly the same winning percentage as Willingham had when he was fired. On top of that, I am among those that believe many Irish boosters were not happy having the school's first ever black head coach, in any sport, on campus. Subsequently all they needed was small opening to push for Willingham's firing, and they got their way.

How's that working out?

As a side note, I do feel for Weis as any coach who takes the head job at Notre Dame is under an unfair amount of pressure from day one. His recruiting efforts have been commendable, but clearly he is not the offensive genius many made him out to be and his almost total disregard for the defensive side of the ball has led to many of the team's struggles.

Still, it has to be said that Weis' only real success came on the backs of junior and senior recruits brought in by Willingham. Since then it's been nothing but a string of disappointments and it appears Weis' days are numbered.

If I were Florida head coach Urban Meyer I would monitor my caller ID and just let that baby ring if I see anything from the 574 area code pop up.

Percy Love

ESPN.com's Elizabeth Merrill posted a good article on Vikings rookie wideout Percy Harvin today, which you can read here.

Check out what I wrote about Harvin (and 49ers rookie Michael Crabtree) just after the NFL Draft here.

Who Wants a Hall of Famer?

What a strange 18 months or so it's been for Allen Iverson.

First he gets traded from the Nuggets to the Pistons in a move that made very little sense at the time. Then he finds himself coming off the bench in Detroit for the first time since he was maybe 5-years-old. Clearly unhappy with that decision, Iverson is left looking for a place to play in 2009-2010 and ends up in Memphis of all places.

Relegated to a bench role yet again, Iverson leaves the Grizzlies after playing in just three games and has been linked with the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat in recent days.

It seems almost ridiculous given Iverson's stature in the game that he would be unemployed, but clearly he still believes he can and should be the focal point of an offense. However, despite ranking sixth all-time in points per game average (27.02), Iverson needs to realize that he is no longer the scoring dynamo he was a few years ago.

So if it really is to come down to the Knicks or the Heat, the decision should be simple. If he wants points and a chance to be the man, he should go to the Knicks. If he wants to win and have a chance at a ring, he should go to the Heat. In any event, it's too bad to see the career of a sure-fire Hall of Famer and one of my all-time favorites wind down this way.

Sheer Randomness

2009-11-13T17:43:00.002-06:00

With Mike on a short hiatus this week and no NFL picks article, I thought I'd take a few minutes to chime in on a few of the things going on in the world of sports in a new feature I like to call "Sheer Randomness".

Cutler Can't Cut It

Watching Jay Cutler hand the game to the 49ers Thusday night was brutal. I agree that at least two of those five interceptions were not his fault and that passing for 300 yards in an NFL game is nothing to sneeze at, but surely 2006 draft-mates Matt Leinart and Vince Young couldn't be any worse than Cutler has been this season.

Already one interception away from a career-high, Cutler is perilously close to going from strong-armed future star to overrated bone-head. I used to think Cutler had what it took to be the man, even with a sub-par supporting cast like he has in Chicago. But his petulant child act is starting to wear even thinner than his penchant for red zone turnovers, neither of which can be all that endearing to his new teammates.

It's true that quarterbacks get equal parts too much credit and too much blame for the successes and failures of their team, but the best quarterbacks learn to eliminate their mistakes and point the finger at themselves when they make them. Two things Cutler has yet to figure out.

LeBron Minus-17

So LeBron James is switching from his #23 to #6 after this season as a nod to the great Michael Jordan. A nice gesture to be sure, but James isn't stopping there. Not only is he going to give up the famous digits, he wants everyone else in the league to do the same.

"He can't get the logo [Hall of Famer Jerry West's silhouette adorns the NBA's logo], and if he can't, something has to be done," James told reporters. "I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I'm starting a petition, and I've got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it."

As nice as it is of James to honor his hoops hero, it's flat ridiculous to think of putting MJ in the same category with the only other player in professional sports whose number is retired league-wide, Jackie Robinson. Robinson's impact, not only on the sport he played but on American society in general, is actually worthy of that kind of honor.

In fact if James was actually thinking, he could have called for the NBA to retire the numbers of the ten players who in 1942 became the first black players in the National Basketball League, which eventually became the NBA.

Jordan without question has had an enormous impact on the way the game is played, watched and marketed around the world. But his accomplishments on the court pale in comparison to those of true pioneers like Robinson and the men who broke the color barrier in the NBL.

No Love For Panda

What's a Panda gotta do to get some respect around here?

Already snubbed for the NL All-Star team in July, the Giants' Pablo Sandoval was passed over for the Silver Slugger Award on Thursday, losing out to Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Sandoval lost the award despite a slugging percentage that was 30 points higher and an OPS that was 55 points higher than Zimmerman's.

Sandoval had a higher on-base percentage, more extra base hits, fewer strikeouts, a better strikeout-to-walk ratio and grounded into fewer double plays than Zimmerman. Not to mention the fact that unlike Zimmerman, Sandoval didn't have the fearsome Adam Dunn for protection and he still managed to power the Giants into meaningful September baseball while the Nats were out of the running in May.

Sure Zimmerman hit 8 more homeruns and drove in 16 more runs than Sandoval, but if we're going by those numbers, shouldn't Mark Reynolds have won the award? Here's hoping the voters don't hold Tim Lincecum's win total against him in the Cy Young voting.

Bravo Madieu

EBH contributor Allen Wardell sent me this story about Minnesota Vikings safety Madieu Williams and his more than generous gift to his alma mater, the University of Maryland, as well as his other efforts to make a difference away from the football field.

For me, Williams' story is a shining example of what a large portion of people, sports fans or not, don't get to see or hear about professional athletes. For the most part the only time an athlete makes news off the field is because they broke the law in some shape or form, or did something to completely embarrass themselves.

What you learn once you've been around professional athletes for any length of time however, is that generally speaking they're just normal, everyday people who happen to be athletic enough to play a sport for a living. It's refreshing to hear about a young man who isn't into charity for charity's sake, but instead feels compelled to do the right thing because it's the right thing to do.

Sure there are plenty of idiots running around the various professional leagues, but those idiots exist in all walks of life, not just in sports. So before you write off all professional athletes as spoiled, self-centered ass-holes, think about what it is you really know about them and not just what you see on Sportscenter.

Giants On The Hot Stove

2009-11-11T12:50:00.004-06:00

Those who know me know that I am a die hard San Francisco Giants fan, and I've written on this blog just how excited I am for the 2010 season.

Much of that optimism and excitement obviously stems from the sudden uptick in the team's farm system as well as the major league success of home grown talent like Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Brian Wilson and Pablo "Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval.

On top of that is the stated intention of new managing general partner Bill Neukom to build a winning team on what he calls the "Giants Way". A greater emphasis on player development and sustaining success from within is the main focus of the "Giants Way", which in the opinion of this Giants fan is the way to go.

For too long standard operating procedure was to use the minor leagues as a breeding ground for trade bait as the big league club supplemented their ranks with veteran free agents. A practice that not only proved (for the most part) futile, but ridiculously expensive as well.

As one of the few teams left in baseball that don't rely heavily on statistical analysis when it comes to player personnel decisions, the Giants own the dubious distinction of owning three of the four worst contracts in the league (Vernon Wells notwithstanding), and perhaps in all of professional sports.

Combined, Barry Zito (7 years, $126 million), Aaron Rowand (5 years, $60 million) and Edgar Renteria (2 years, $18.5 million) will cost the Giants $39.5 million in 2010. By comparison, the Florida Marlins had a total payroll of just under $37 million in 2009 and are expected to cut that back to somewhere in the $35 million range next season.

Despite those awful moves, I've been a staunch supporter of GM Brian Sabean and was happy to see that his efforts in 2009 were rewarded with a 2-year contract extension. I appreciate some of Sabean's old school tactics in terms of loyalty to players and coaches, as well as his willingness to pull the trigger on a trade.

That said, the next couple of years will show whether or not it was him or, as I believe, the previous ownership group that was mostly to blame for the bad contracts and the neutering of the farm system.

This winter the Giants are reportedly in the market for the two premier free agent outfielders, Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. And as much as I would welcome the addition of either one, it might be wise for the team to pass on both in favor of cheaper alternatives.

Marlon Byrd ($3.06 million in 2009) is one name that stands out in terms of possible outfield answers. Byrd hit a career-high 20 homeruns in 2009, albeit in a great hitters park in Texas. He's also posted an OPS of .800-plus each of the last three seasons and his 27.7 VORP ranked 10th among all center fielders in baseball

Scott Podsednik ($800,000 in 2009) is another name that the Giants should consider despite his role as a slap-and-dash type who offers little in the way of power. Playing a full season for the first time since 2006, Podsednik hit .304 and stole 30 bases for the White Sox, and his .353 on-base percentage would have ranked second on the Giants in 2009. Pairing him at the top of the lineup with second baseman Freddy Sanchez could give the Giants the kind of top-of-the-order stability it needs.

Last on the list of potential low-cost, low-risk signees is first baseman Nick Johnson ($5.5 million in 2009). Like Podsednik, Johnson wouldn't give the Giants the kind of power production most feel they need, but his career .402 on-base percentage would be a welcome addition to a lineup filled with free swingers. Johnson is also a decent defender who owns a .992 career fielding percentage.

While those three names may not be exciting for Giants fans to hear, they do represent a smarter way of going about things in the long run. Also, when you consider the free agent class of 2011 which could include players like J.J. Hardy, Jimmy Rollins, Jorge Cantu, Carl Crawford and Adam Dunn, it further strengthens the case against making a big free agent splash this off-season.

Big Ten Basketball Preview

2009-11-11T09:09:00.001-06:00

With the college hoops season just around the corner, here's how I think the Big Ten conference will play out for the 2009-2010 season.

1. Michigan State Spartans

It seems like every year that Michigan State is always near the top of the Big Ten rankings, and this year will be no different. Even though the Spartans lost their best post player from a season ago in Goran Suton, they are still lead by head coach Tom Izzo and star point guard Kalin Lucas. MSU also happens to be one of the deeper teams in the conference, including a healthy Raymar Morgan, an up and coming post player in Delvon Roe, and the very streaky Durrell Summers.

Tom Izzo always seems to get the most out of his players. If he can keep his core group of players healthy, there's no reason why they won't win the Big Ten title, and quite possibly lock up one of the #1 seeds in the tournament.

2. Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers come into this year ranked in the Top 10, and for good reason. They have arguably the best trio in the Big Ten with Robbie Hummel, JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore. Purdue is also welcoming back their top 6 scorers from last season, and are easily the best defensive team in the conference.

The Boilermakers had a serious case of the injury bug last year, but if they can stay on the floor and find a way to get some consistent offense, they have the best chance of challenging Michigan State for the Big Ten crown and making a deep run in March.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State is coming into the season led by Evan Turner, who may very well be the best player in the Big Ten by season's end (and a lottery pick in the NBA Draft for that matter). However, the Buckeye's biggest concern will be Turner's supporting cast, as he doesn't appear to have much help.

If Ohio State can find a consistent point guard, and continue to develop young big man Dallas Lauderdale, they should assert themselves as one of the top teams in the conference.

4. Michigan Wolverines

Michigan surprised everyone last year by winning 21 games and returning to the big dance for the first time in 11 years. This year, things are certainly looking even better for the Wolverines, as they return their top five scorers from last year, led by junior guard Manny Harris and senior forward DeShawn Sims.

The Wolverines won't have the luxury of sneaking up on many teams this year, but if they can continue to spread out around the perimeter and keep opposing defenses honest with their three point range, they will once again be a force in the Big Ten.

5. Illinois Fighting Illini

The Illini lost their best player from a year ago in Chester Frazier, and his shoes will definitely be tought to fill. But head coach Bruce Weber has brought in one of his best recruiting classes this year, highlighted by freshman D.J. Richardson.

The Fighting Illini are going to be one of the younger teams in the Big Ten this year. If they can continue to get more production from youngsters such as Mike Davis, Demetri McCamey and Mike Tisdale, the sky is the limit for an always scrappy Illinois team.

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers

In my opinion, the Gophers are probably the biggest question mark heading into the new year. Head coach Tubby Smith has brought in his best recruiting class since coming to Minnesota, highlighted by forwards Royce White, Rodney Williams and junior college transfer Trevor Mbakwe. However, with White and Mbakwe facing legal troubles, that may hinder the Gopher's chances at making a serious run at the Big Ten title this year.

Minnesota has one of the deepest benches in the conference, and is returning it's top nine scorers from a season ago, led by seniors Lawrence Westbrook and Damian Johnson. Tubby Smith certainly will have his hands full with Royce White and Trevor Mbakwe, but the Gophers should still find their way back to the NCAA Tournament once again this year.

7. Penn State Nittany Lions

After getting snubbed from the big dance a year ago, look for Taylor Battle and the rest of the Nittany Lions to come back this year with a chip on their shoulders.

8. Northwestern Wildcats

Led by senior forward Kevin Coble, the Northwestern Wildcats are still looking for their first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. Could this finally be their year?

9. Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers lost two of their best post players from last season, and although they have a nice recruiting class coming in, I just don't see them being a factor in the Big Ten this year.

10. Indiana Hoosiers

The Hoosiers are returning their two best players from a year ago in Verdell Jones III and Devan Dumes. However, Tom Crean and the rest of his staff are continuing to rebuild this once dominant program and are still a year or two away from contending.

11. Iowa Hawkeyes

The Hawkeyes have a couple of nice players in sophmores Anthony Tucker and Andrew Brommer, but let's be honest here. Iowa might win a few games in conference play, but they will not be a factor in the Big Ten race this year, or even next year.

NCAA Tournament Teams:

Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Penn State.

NIT bound:

Northwestern, Wisconsin

New Mexico 1 - Florida 0

2009-11-06T16:40:00.001-06:00

Finally, a Mountain West school can claim a victory over the mighty SEC.

Yesterday it was reported that University of Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes had to impose a full game suspension on himself for attempting to gouge the eyes out of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey as seen here:

This ridiculous act originally earned Spikes a half-game suspension from Florida head coach Urban Meyer, which was met with approval from the SEC. So good on Spikes for extending his own suspension, but I believe the expression is something along the lines of, too little too late.

Meanwhile, across the country in that other kind of football, New Mexico State soccer player Elizabeth Lambert dished out her own brand of vigilante sports justice on the pitch versus BYU.

That behavior has earned Lambert an indefinite suspension by the school, prohibiting her from practicing or playing for the Lobos. The Mountain West has endorsed the punishment, and rightfully so.

Which brings me to my point. If you're the SEC or the University of Florida right now, you should be ashamed of yourselves for allowing Spikes to take the field after just one game. A game consequently, being played against a very weak Vanderbilt squad.

I realize that football is the cash cow of collegiate athletics and that at many universities the women's soccer team may not exist if not for the money the football team brings in and then shares with the rest of the athletic department. But give me a break here. Spikes attempted, in no uncertain terms, to blind another human being. If that's not grounds for indefinite suspension I don't know what is. Although I suppose it's a good thing he didn't have dinner with Deion Sanders after the game

Lambert meanwhile did some punching, kicking and hair pulling, all of which are obviously not right on the field of play or anywhere else for that matter. But at least her school had the backbone to stand up and punish those actions accordingly. Unlike at Florida, where apparently you actually have to attempt murder in order to get suspended for more than a game or two.

Sorry Florida, but in this matchup between a BCS and a non-BCS school, you just got your ass kicked.

NFL Picks Week 9

2009-11-06T14:57:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my NFL picks segment week 9 edition. Coming off an impressive showing last week in which I went 11-2, I look to keep up the trend and help you pick the winners and possibly win some cash. This week is full of intriguing match-ups so let’s get started and find out who will prevail.

Redskins (2-5) at Falcons (4-3)

Washington remains dreadful and I say this while they come off a bye. Excuse my criticism, but Dan Snyder has yet to get all the right pieces in place. Coach Jim Zorn looks like he has been all but removed from duty and the Redskins offense has yet to find any kind of rhythm. That may be the understatement of the year. Washington enters the week ranked 24th in total offense.

Atlanta enters the week losing 3 of 5 and have yet to play up to their full potential offensively. Atlanta gave it a valiant effort on Monday against the Saints, but the comeback attempt fell short. The key for the Falcons is to stay committed to the running game. Running back Michael Turner piled up 151 rushing yards but most of it came in the first half. The defense is vastly improved and this team is primed for a breakout game.

My Take:

Expect the Redskins to come out running the ball attempting to establish the pace of the game. Doing so will keep Atlanta's offense off the field. The Washington defense has played very well and currently rank 4th in the NFL in total defense; a number that should not be over looked. However, I expect the Falcons to come out swinging. They are undefeated at home thus far and hosting an opponent who has yet to win on the road. Expect the Atlanta defense to force a couple turnovers to get Matt Ryan and company back on the field. Falcons win comfortably 27-17.

Cardinals (4-3) at Bears (4-3)

This could be the scariest game to pick the entire weekend. The Cardinals enter Soldier Field with more question marks than my golf game. Two weeks ago Arizona went on the road and handed it to the Giants. Last week, they hosted a Carolina club that arguably has been the most disappointing team of the season, and got worked over. Quarterback Kurt Warner committed six turnovers and the Cardinals were routed at home. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin re-injured his ankle and the Cardinals' usually stout run defense was exposed.

The Bears are a similar story. Two weeks ago they were blown out at Cincinnati, and last week won by 24 points. However, there are two important things to note about last week’s victory. First, they played the Browns. Second, it wasn’t as dominant as a 30-6 final would typically indicate. Chicago is still looking for an identity on offense. The running game has been a factor in two games this year, against Detroit and against Cleveland. That hardly counts. The good news for the Bears is that the defense showed up against an anemic Cleveland offense and held them to only six points.

My Take:

This is a huge game for both teams. The Cardinals potent offense has regressed considerably as they rank 18th overall. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been good but not nearly as dominant as last season. The Bears defense has played solid despite the one game at Cincinnati, are ranked 11th overall and have played well despite numerous injuries. I like the Bears in this one, which could be a must win for Chicago as division leader Minnesota is on a bye. A win gets the Bears two games back in the NFC North with two games to play against the Vikings. Bears win a close one 27-24.

Texans (5-3) at Colts (7-0)

The Texans travel to Indy off a bitter sweet victory. Houston lost stud tight end Owen Daniels to a season ending knee injury, but did receive 3 touchdowns from third string running back Ryan Moats. Starting running back Steve Slaton was benched after committing his 7th fumble of the season. The Texans offense remains explosive behind quarterback Matt Schaub and all-pro receiver Andre Johnson. They will continue to score points, and head coach Gary Kubiak has the guys playing very well.

The Colts are coming off their first true test of the 2009 campaign, an 18-14 win over San Francisco. Coming off a game in which Peyton Manning threw zero touchdowns. It took a half back pass by Joseph Addai to Reggie Wayne to finally find the end zone last week, but this week the Colts could be in store for an offensive explosion. The Texans currently rank middle of the pack in defense, but they have yet to face an offense anywhere near the level of the Colts.

My Take:

There will be points-a-plenty in this one. Expect both quarterbacks to shine and throw the ball over the field. It will be interesting to see how coach Kubiak handles his running game as well as replace tight end Owen Daniels. There are too many question marks for me to pick the Texans. I put my money in the hands of the professor, Manning, and expect the Colts to roll 35-26.

Ravens (4-3) at Bengals (5-2)

Baltimore is coming off a big win over the previously undefeated Broncos. I say previously because Baltimore handled Denver 30-7 last week. The defense returned to form last week allowing only 7 points and keeping the Broncos offense limited all afternoon. Quarterback Joe Flacco played mistake free and running back Ray Rice continues to carry the load for the Ravens' offense.

Cincinnati has got to be feeling confident with their current position. The Bengals are coming off a bye as well as a massacre over the Chicago Bears in which, quarterback Carson Palmer threw 5 touchdowns. Running back Cedric Benson could be comeback player of the year. He and the other members of the Bengals offense are showing that this Cincinnati team is no joke. It was only four weeks ago when Cincinnati came from behind to beat the Ravens on their home field field with seconds left to play. Coach Marvin Lewis has his squad playing well on both sides of the ball and if they continue to improve they could be in store for a division title.

My Take:

Both teams are very familiar with one another so I don't think that home field advantage is a determining factor in the matchup. Earlier in the year I picked the Ravens to represent the AFC in this year’s Super Bowl. While they may not be the team to beat in the AFC right now they are still a factor. The Bengals continue to improve and should not be over looked. However, I give a slight edge to the Ravens. The Ravens three losses this season have come to teams with a combined record of 17-5. I like Baltimore 20-16.

Chiefs (1-6) at Jaguars (3-4)

Kansas City will be without their starting running back this week after Larry Johnson decided to ridicule head coach Todd Haley and use homosexual slurs when talking with the media. Bummer. I am sure his 2.7 yards a carry and 0 touchdowns will be missed. The Chiefs currently rank 27th in total offense and 30th in total defense, not typically the recipe for success.

Jacksonville is looking to rebound after allowing the Titans to pick up their first win of the season. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew continues to shine but he looks to be the only one. David Garrard and the Jaguars passing attack has yet to display the consistency to keep opposing defenses from focusing on Mojo. The Jags defense also ranks towards the bottom, checking in at 24th overall.

My Take:

The Jags needed every second to beat the then winless St. Louis Rams at home, and this contest may not be any different. Both teams have dreadful defenses and are likely looking forward to 2010. I am going Jacksonville here but likely will not be pretty. Jags win 30-20.

Packers (4-3) at Buccaneers (0-7)

Packers head to Tampa after a long week in which they spent an extreme amount of time facing the media, hearing about former quarterback Brett Favre. Unfortunately for them they lost to Minnesota last week 38-26. Fortunately for Green Bay they get to square off against the league’s only remaining winless team, Tampa Bay. The Packers need to gain some consistency in their running game, otherwise quarterback Aaron Rodgers is going to continue to get knocked around. The Pack has shown a commitment to running the ball when they face bad teams, and Sunday against Tampa should be no different.

On the positive side the Bucs didn't lose last week. Unfortunately they didn't win either. Under first year coach Raheem Morris Tampa has struggled mightily. They currently rank 28th in both offense and defense, and now they turn to their third different quarterback in seven games. The strength of this team might be in the running game where their most experience players are present. Cadillac Williams has been okay, but a mix of him and Derrick Ward might do this team some good.

My Take:

I have no idea how the Bucs could pull an upset here. The Packers defense has improved and Tampa’s offense remains short, slow and ineffective. Packers will roll 31-10.

Dolphins (3-4) at Patriots (5-2)

Remember last year when the Dolphins walked into Foxboro, pulled out the wildcat and ran all over the New England defense? Well it did happen and in the end it turned out to be why Miami made the playoffs and the Patriots did not. The Fins strolled into the Meadowlands last weekend and handled the Jets a different way, with defense/special teams. Miami scored on two kickoff returns by Ted Ginn, as well as a fumble return by Jason Taylor. This is a very scrappy team that many over look but they play hard and don't waver from the game plan.

All the nice things that I previously said about the Dolphins may be irrelevant however because the Pats did not have their leader, Tom Brady, in 2008. Brady was out with a season ending knee injury, and after an un-Brady like start he seems to be regaining form. New England is fresh off a bye, as well as a 59-0 beat down in the snow over the Titans. Wide receiver Wes Welker seems healthy again and has given Brady the security to toss the rock all over the field. The defense is coached very well and won't allow games to get out of hand.

My Take:

I picked the Fins last week and loved it. I won't be doing so here. New England comes off a bye and history tells us that Coach Bill Belichick will be ready for Miami and the wildcat offense. Expect the Pats to line up with four and five receiver sets and throw the ball all over the field to Welker and Moss. I don't think Miami stops Brady and the Pats and New England rolls 34-17.

Panthers (3-4) at Saints (7-0)

Carolina enters the Superdome coming off a very impressive win at Arizona. Carolina stuck to its strength and ran the ball right at the Cardinal defense and prevailed. In a season full of disappointment the Panthers still have the talent to be a factor. If quarterback Jake Delhomme can protect the football this team should continue to improve and possibly be a player down the stretch. However there are a lot of "ifs."

What can you say about the Saints other than that they are potentially the best team in the NFL. Led by an outstanding quarterback and turnover-happy defense, the Saints are undefeated and look as every bit of good as advertised. The running game might be the biggest factor to the Saints flawless start, as they currently rank 4th in rushing offense. Give Drew Brees a potent running game and the offensive opportunities are endless.

My Take:

It would not be completely crazy to think the Panthers could pull this off. Both these teams are very familiar with one another and usually play each other very tough. The difference this season is no-one knows which Panthers team will show up. I am not willing to bet that the good Carolina team is the one out there on Sunday. What I am willing to bet on is that Drew Brees and the Saints offense continues control the clock and efficiently maneuver down the field. If the Saints can hold the Panthers rushing game in check this will be a laugher. If the Panthers rush well, the Saints will still win by a score. Either way the Saints win, 31-20.

Lions (1-6) at Seahawks (2-5)

The Lions enter the week 9 matchup after a brutal loss at home to the St. Louis Rams. The Motor City Kitties have given solid effort in their contests but simply do not employ the talent to compete at a consistent level. It also doesn't help that their best player, Calvin Johnson, continues to be hindered by a knee injury. The Detroit defense also continues to rank at the bottom of the league.

Seattle failed to come through on my prediction last week. If you remember correctly I picked the Seahawks to fall short to the Cowboys, but I did predict a competitive effort from the club. That wasn't the case in a 38-17 win for the Cowboys. The Seahawks return home where they're always tough, and quarterback Matt Hasselback should be one week healthier.

My Take:

I don't see the Lions defense being able to stop the Seattle offense. The Hawks should be able to pass all day with little resistance. If Calvin can play the Lions could keep this close for a while but it sounds like he is still very "iffy." I like Seattle in a route, 30-9.

Titans (1-6) at 49ers (3-4)

The Titans got their first win of the season last week after beating the Jaguars 30-13. Coach Jeff Fisher turned to Vince Young to give the team a jump start and it paid off. Chris Johnson remains the Titans lone threat, as he leads the league in rushing with 824 yards. This is the best 1-6 team in NFL history.

The Niners have got to be wondering what they must do to get a win. In week 3, Vikings quarterback Brett Favre daggered San Francisco with a 32 yard touchdown pass with only seconds remaining, and last week against the undefeated Colts the 49ers led for much of the first three quarters. But a touchdown pass from running back Joseph Addai to Reggie Wayne sealed the deal for the Colts. San Francisco is improving under Coach Mike Singletary and is no slouch for any opponent.

My Take:

I can go either way in this one because I do think the Titans are much better than the record indicates. However, Chris Johnson may have a tough day when facing the league's 2nd ranked run defense in San Francisco. I expect the Niners to make Tennessee one dimensional and make Vince Young beat them. I don't think Young comes through and I like the Niners in a battle 20-17.

Chargers (4-3) at Giants (5-3)

San Diego continues to be one of the league’s most overrated teams. Yes they are above .500 but their four wins have come against Oakland (twice), the Chiefs, and the Dolphins. The defense has a hard time stopping the run and the interior lines continue to struggle. The good news is LaDanian Tomlinson looks healthy and the passing game remains potent.

The Giants are falling, fast. They have lost three in a row and have been blown out in two of those contests. The defense has been exposed and the Giants offense seems to be sputtering. Running back Brandon Jacobs has not been nearly as good as last year, and Eli Manning seems to be affected by the foot injury he sustained early in the year. Once regarded as a top team in the league the G-men now look like a very mediocre club.

My Take:

I fully expect the Chargers offense to move the ball on New York. I also fully expect the Giants to move the ball on San Diego. This game will come down to line play, and the Giants offensive and defensive lines are far superior to the Chargers. I like Jacobs to reach pay dirt and the Chargers lack of consistency is worrisome. I take the G-men 27-24.

Cowboys (5-2) at Eagles (5-2)

Dallas comes into the prime time showdown riding a hot streak. Romo has regained his composure and is playing as good as any. Possibly the saving grace for the Cowboys might be Miles Austin. In the past three games Austin has piled up 482 yards and 5 touchdowns. The defense has come around and is getting after the quarterback and forcing turnovers. The Boys look tough and might be the NFC East favorite.

I picked the Eagles to fall short last week against the Giants. Instead they trounced New York 40-17. Donovan McNabb is back healthy and wide receiver DeSean Jackson can strike from anywhere on the field. The defense remains tough and is blitzing more than ever before. The concern for Philly is the concussion suffered by running back Brian Westbrook. It sounds like Westbrook will play but how much is yet to be determined.

My Take:

This will be another typical NFC East battle. These teams do not like each other one bit. Dallas comes in hot and Philly looks like they are long removed from the embarrassing loss in Oakland. Both teams have an abundance of talent so neither will back down. I give the edge to the home team Eagles. This offense is clicking and the defense isn't allowing teams any time to make adjustments. Coach Andy Reid will dial up the winning scheme and Philly will beat Dallas, 23-20.

Steelers (5-2) at Broncos (6-1)

Pittsburgh is coming off a bye and safety Troy Polamalu should be well rested. The Pittsburgh offense has been tremendous thus far as Big Ben has thrown the ball all over opposing defenses. The defense remains solid but perhaps not as dominant as a year ago. Running back Rashard Mendenhall gives the Steelers explosiveness and is a dual threat.

Denver enters Monday night after taking one on the chin last week against Baltimore. They were rolled 30-7 and the defense wasn't as good as it had been in the previous six games. The offense is balanced but I wonder if they have enough explosiveness to keep opposing defenses honest. Josh McDaniels is a good coach and will have his men ready to play the defending Super Bowl champs on Monday night.

My Take:

Pittsburgh is very similar to the Ravens team that beat Denver last week. Coach Mike Tomlin doesn't care who he plays or what day they play on. Regardless, the Steelers will show up and hit teams in the mouth. Denver will rely on balanced offense and stout defense, but overall the Steelers are a better team and will prove it Monday as they beat Denver 26-17.

Damage Control

2009-11-06T12:21:00.002-06:00

In the winter of 2008 the Minnesota Twins traded (at the time) the best pitcher on the planet, Johan Santana, for a package of prospects from the New York Mets. A trade that left most scratching their heads and almost everyone in agreement that the Twins screwed up royally in not pulling the trigger on a more lucrative deal at the 2007 trade deadline.

Today the Twins and GM Bill Smith did what they could to salvage that rare misstep when they traded the centerpiece of that Santana trade, center fielder Carlos Gomez, to the Brewers for shortstop J.J. Hardy.

Now clearly, what now amounts to a Santana-for-Hardy deal is hardly a win for the Twins, but you have to be impressed with their ability to acquire a young shortstop with a quality track record, 2009 notwithstanding.

Gomez was, for all intents and purposes, a complete waste of time for the Twins. He had his moments, but they were few and far between, generally sandwiched between aggravating mental mistakes which killed his chances of ever becoming a full time player.

Hardy meanwhile is coming off a horrendous 2009 campaign that saw him benched in favor of 22-year-old rookie Alcides Escobar, and ultimately sent back to the minors. This after back-to-back seasons in which he averaged 25 homeruns and an .803 OPS.

At 27, Hardy is still fully capable of returning to the form that saw him make the All-Star team in 2007 and is under the Twins control contractually until 2011. Should Hardy indeed rebound from a difficult 2009, this could easily be the steal of the winter in terms of trades.

Gomez should fit the National League game a bit better offensively, and he'll be very useful in the larger parks that populate the senior circuit. However I have a hard time believing he'll ever be anything more than what he is now, an athletic spark plug who will never hit above .260 and will frustrate more than he'll succeed.

The move also clears up the outfield situation for the Twins, assuming they pick up the $10.5 million option on right fielder Michael Cuddyer.

All-in-all I can't help but love this trade for the Twins. I firmly believe last year was a fluke for Hardy and ultimately even an average season for him will be a major upgrade over Orlando Cabrera or any of the other players they may have tried at shortstop. The fact that he's affordable and young is simply icing on the cake.

The Twins will never be able to live down giving away Santana, but a deal like this can only help ease the pain.

2009 NFL Mid-Season Awards

2009-11-05T18:13:00.001-06:00

I have returned from my week long hiatus to present to you the NFL awards to this point. There have been terrific achievements across the league already, but this list presents the elite. You will see familiar faces as well as fresh ones. Enjoy.

Rookie of the Year
Percy Harvin, (Vikings)

Harvin was an extraordinary talent coming out of the University of Florida. During his three year career with the Gators he showed the ability to score a variety of ways from any spot on the field. Fortunately for the Vikings that explosiveness has transported to the professional gridiron. The Vikings drafted Harvin with the 22nd pick in hopes for him to make an immediate impact on the return game, as well as offer versatility in the passing game, and special wildcat packages.

Percy is off to a phenomenal start. In 8 games he has recorded 28 receptions for 369 yards and 3 touchdowns. Harvin has become quarterback Brett Favre's main target on third down, racking up 15 catches on third down, 13 of which have resulted in a first down. He's made an even bigger impact on special teams where he currently ranks 2nd in the NFL in kick return average (30.7) and is tied for 1st in return yards (860). He has also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and done it all at the age of 21.

Coach of the Year
Josh McDaniels, (Broncos)

McDaniels is in his first season as head coach of the Broncos and is off to a magnificent start. After going through a tumultuous offseason, McDaniels has his guys believing in the system. Denver is off to a 6-1 start and are led by an efficient and balanced offense, as well as stout defensive play. The addition of Brian Dawkins has certainly helped, but the mentality brought by McDaniels from New England certainly has the Broncos among the league's best.

Defensive Player of the Year
Darren Sharper, (Saints)

After having a quiet 2008 with the Vikings, Sharper brought his talents to The Big Easy and has helped New Orleans to a 7-0 start. Led by an explosive offense, the Saints defense is whats creating headlines. The defense is much improved and Sharper is one of the reasons why. The Saints lead the league in interceptions with 16, and 21 turnovers total. Sharper has 7 of those interceptions, taking 3 of them back for touchdowns. D-Sharp is averaging an interception a game, and a touchdown in every other. Pencil him in for Defensive Player of the year right now.

Offensive Player of the Year
Drew Brees, (Saints)

The reason Brees is here is because he falls just short of being my MVP. He very well could be and one could argue he should be. Brees is one of those guys you can count on every Sunday to produce. He makes every throw in the book and does so with tremendous precision. He spreads the ball to all his receivers and backs, and gets everyone involved.

Once again you can find him atop the passing leaders. He leads the league in touchdown passes with 16, and is third in the NFL in overall quarterback rating. He has thrown for over 2,000 yards in 7 games and is completing passes at a rate of 68%. Mix Brees' numbers with the Saints 4th rated rushing attack, and rest assured that the former Boilermaker is primed for another prolific season.

Most Valuable Player
Peyton Manning, (Colts)

Wow what a shocker here. I tried to find another resolution for MVP but the fact is Manning is just too good. By the time he hangs it up he might have a dozen MVP awards, or so it seems. The fact is year in and year out there is no team that relies on any one player more than the Colts do with Peyton. In a year without long time coach Tony Dungy, and wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Peyton has actually gotten better.

Yeah, I said it. Better. Manning is averaging 318 yards passing per game. That's 23 yards more per game than the next best quarterback, and he is second in the NFL with a QB rating of 109.3. Thus far Manning is averaging 38 pass attempts per game and is completing over 71% of those passes. The numbers are there but they don't tell the whole story. Peyton is the Colts offense. He's relied upon to make every offensive call. He is undoubtedly the best in the game, and very possibly the best of all time, but we will save that for a different day.

MVP?

2009-11-05T00:30:00.002-06:00

Congrats to the Yankees for winning the World Series and congrats to Hideki Matsui for winning the World Series MVP and in the process becoming the first Japanese-born player in history to do so.

Problem is, unlike the Yankees as a team, Matsui did not deserve that award.

Yes, I get that he hit .625 with 3 homeruns and 8 RBIs in the series and drove in the winning run in Game 2 and Game 6. But I can't bring myself to say that a non-pitcher who only played in three of the six games deserves to be the most valuable player. And on top of that, he doesn't even play defense (or run the bases well for that matter).

No, all Matsui can do these days is drag himself off the bench several times a game and swing the bat. Sure he does it quite well, but how could he possibly be more valuable than say, Derek Jeter? All the Yankee captain did was hit .407 with a .429 on-base percentage and play top quality defense while being the catalyst for nearly every scoring opportunity the Yankees had.

How about Johnny Damon, who before tonight was also in the middle of all the action for the Yankees, scoring six runs and driving in four. Not to mention his heads-up base running play in Game 4 that many believe was the turning point of the entire series.

And last but not least, I have to mention Chase Utley who hit five homeruns and carried the Phillies on his back for most of the series.

All three of the players I mentioned affected all six of the games played, on both sides of the ball, and the MVP goes to a guy who didn't play a single game in the field all year and couldn't muster enough strength to stay in the lineup in the National League park. To me, that's just not right.

Early Returns: NBA Edition

2009-11-04T08:58:00.005-06:00

With the NBA season just a week old, I thought I'd go back and review some of the story lines heading into the new season, as well as my takes on several teams and the moves they made in the off-season to try to reach the NBA Finals.

So without further ado (and in no particular order)...

LEAST IMPROVED TEAM: Cleveland Cavaliers

In my opinion, the biggest story of the off-season was when the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Shaquille O'Neal from the Phoenix Suns. Now, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the Big Cactus didn't exactly fit in with Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and the rest of the fast-paced Suns. But I'm not so sure that Shaq teaming up with LeBron James is the best fit either.

LeBron does most of his damage in the paint with posterizing dunks and incredible athleticism that is almost not human. To me, I only see Shaq getting in King James' way, and that is why I think the Cavaliers failed to improve. Outside of LeBron and an aging Shaquille O'Neal, the Cleveland Cavaliers are very mediocre at best, though probably still a #3 or #4 seed in the East.

MOST IMPROVED TEAM: Washington Wizards

The Wizards started their off-season by hiring former Pistons and Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders. Flip is a great player's coach, who's done a good job getting the most out of his guard play for each team he has coached for, and that's exactly what the Wizards have... a lot of talented guards.

The Wizards were also able to add some depth to their backcourt by acquiring guards Randy Foye and Mike Miller from Minnesota, for essentially cap space and the #5 overall pick in the draft. Foye received a lot of unfair criticism in the Twin Cities, since the Timberwolves traded Brandon Roy to the Portland Trailblazers on a draft night deal for Foye and $1 million cash. However, I think a change of scenery and the guidance of Flip Saunders can still save Foye's young career.

DUMBEST MOVE OF THE OFF-SEASON: Memphis signing Allen Iverson and Zach Randolph

There's no question that the Memphis Grizzlies are in serious rebuilding mode, and the rebuilding process can take multiple seasons in the NBA. However, one has to wonder what Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace (who, now that Kevin McHale is no longer around, is the worst GM in the league) was thinking when he signed veteran guard Allen Iverson, as well as veteran power forward Zach Randolph?

First of all, for the record, I've always been a huge fan of Allen Iverson's game. Pound for pound, he's probably the toughest guy in the league, and you cannot deny his passion for the game. However, I don't see how he's a good fit on this young team, which already has a future backcourt of Mike Conley Jr. and O.J. Mayo. I have no doubts that AI can be a good teammate, but he complained about coming off the bench last year on a pretty good Pistons squad. But how can one justify starting Iverson over Conley, or taking the risk of having him come off the bench and being a distraction?

Even worse, is when you already have players such as Mayo, Iverson and Rudy Gay, who either like to or need to have the ball in their hands A LOT, how do you go out and get a guy like Zach Randolph, who is as close to a black hole on offense as one can get?? I know this has been said before, and I'll repeat it... the Memphis Grizzlies will eventually set an NBA record for fewest assists in a regulation game. Seriously, with Iverson, Mayo, Gay and Randolph, I don't see anyone passing the ball anytime soon.

As if Chris Wallace needed any more proof that he's the worst GM in the NBA after he practically gave Pau Gasol to the Lakers.

TEAM TO KEEP ON YOUR RADAR: Oklahoma City Thunder

Any basketball fan can appreciate what Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti has done with this roster over the past 3 years. He's acquired and stockpiled numerous draft choices and made smart, cost saving trades, which are all starting to come together for this franchise.

The Thunder are stacked with a lot of young talent, beginning with superstar Kevin Durant. Durant is one of the bigger shooting guards in the league today, checking in at about 6'9", and he can just about do it all. He can get his shot whenever he wants, from just about anywhere on the floor. He's also a terrific rebounder and ball handler, and his defense is coming along just fine (yes, defense is important in the NBA come playoff time).

Another player on this team that I absolutely love is sophmore PG Russell Westbrook, who I thought was taken way too high in the draft at the time (#4 overall). But Westbrook and the Thunder quickly showed me and everyone else why he was drafted so high; he's one hell of a basketball player! And while he still needs work on his jumper, he is probably one of the better on-ball defenders in the league, and he also has great rebounding skills for a young point guard.

Now throw in Jeff Green, and rookies James Harden and B.J. Mullens, and you have yourself a nice young nucleus that can grow and develop together. The scary part is, they are already a much improved team, and might be better sooner than most teams and experts expected.

PREDICTIONS:

NBA Finals Matchup: Boston Celtics over Denver Nuggets

- I think this is the last chance for the Big 3 in Boston to get another ring before KG's knees give out. Also, I think Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony lead the Nuggets to the Finals over Lakers, in a must-see Western Conference Finals showdown.

MVP: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

- I know I said the Cavaliers were nothing more than a mediocre team outside of LeBron and Shaq, but LeBron IS the best player in the game today, and he will do everything in his power to carry the Cavs (in what might be his last season in Cleveland before he hits free agency) into the playoffs.

ROY: Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks

- I think the consensus favorite for Rookie of the Year is Clippers young stud Blake Griffin. But since he has some injury issues right now that will likely keep him out for 6-8 weeks, I like Jennings' chances. He's going to start at PG in Milwaukee, and there's no one behind on the depth chart to keep him from getting playing time.

Most Improved Player: Corey Brewer, Minnesota Timberwolves

- Many Timberwolves fans were ready to label Brewer, a former top 10 pick 2 years ago, as a bust. But after being out for most of last season after having surgery on his ACL, I think Brewer is going to come back fresh and establish himself as one of the up and coming premier perimeter defenders in the league.

Coach of the Year: George Karl, Denver Nuggets

- Karl has always been one of my favorite coaches in the league, ever since his days with Seattle back in the 90's with guys like Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. He's been a winner everywhere he's gone, and if he can get the Nuggets to the NBA Finals, there should be no reason not to give him this award.

Save More, Win More

2009-11-03T00:34:00.006-06:00

With two high-payroll teams in the World Series and the highest payroll team in the game on the verge of yet another championship, there has been a lot of noise about the seemingly unfair financial situation in baseball.

On one side you have fans of the Yankees and Phillies, among others, who are perfectly content to watch their teams spend freely and win. While on the other, and more vocal side, you have the fans of lower-payroll teams who think baseball needs a salary cap a la the NFL.

I believe baseball is fine just the way it is and would argue that no amount of money is enough to overcome poor talent evaluation and player development.

Here are the facts:

- 6 of the 10 World Series winning teams this decade (this year included) has had a payroll under $100 million.

- Since 2000, 80 teams have made the playoffs. 54 of them had payrolls of less than $100 million.

- Of the small market teams, the A's (5), Twins (5), Indians (2), Rays (1), Rockies (2), Padres (2), Marlins (1) and Brewers (1) have all made the playoffs since 2000.

- The Rays, Rockies and Marlins all played in the World Series, with the Marlins winning it all in 2003 with a payroll more than $107 million less than the runner-up Yankees.

- Since 2000, six different teams have won the Super Bowl. No matter who wins the World Series this year, seven different teams have won the World Series in that same time.

With all of that in mind, I thought it would be a fun exercise to look at the rosters of all the teams that made the playoffs this year and come up with a roster of non-stars with non-star contracts that I think could be competitive.

The roster will consist of the standard 25 players and will be constructed as a National League team, so no DH ( I do so loathe the DH) and a 12-man pitching staff.

Also, keep in mind that I am aware that many of the players on the list will certainly be more expensive in the future, but the point is that if you scout, draft, trade and develop players well, you can still get several good years out of younger guys.

So lets get started.

Starting 9

C - Carlos Ruiz - Phillies ($475,000): Ruiz has proven this post season that he is a clutch hitter and a more than capable defender. Ruiz has a career .994 fielding percentage and posted a .780 OPS in 2009.

1B - Kendry Morales - Angels ($600,000): Morales broke out in a big way in 2009 with 34 HRs and 108 RBIs. Though primed for a raise, he only costs the Angels $700,000 in 2010.

2B - Skip Schumaker - Cardinals ($430,000): The steady but unspectacular Schumaker is a solid defender and is a career .301 hitter. Add to that the versatility to play all three outfield spots and he's just the kind of glue guy every team needs.

3B - Ian Stewart - Rockies ($404,000): Stewart still strikes out far too often and is just a so-so defender, but the power in his bat is undeniable. 25 HRs in just 425 at-bats in 2009 is flat impressive.

SS - Erick Aybar - Angels ($460,000): Aybar took over the everyday gig at shortstop for the Angels in 2009 and hit .312 with a .423 slugging percentage. Aybar's offensive game is ahead of his defense at this point, but he's getting better, shaving 7 errors off his total from 2008 despite playing in 40 more games.

LF - Carlos Gonzalez - Rockies ($403,000): It's hard to believe that Gonzalez has been traded three times after ranking as high as the third-best prospect in the Diamondbacks organization by Baseball America. 10 hits and 2 stolen bases in four NLDS games this year announced Gonzalez as a player to watch in 2010.

CF - Colby Rasmus - Cardinals ($400,000): Tabbed as one of the Cards' brightest prospects, Rasmus arrived in 2009 and proved that he belongs. He still has things to work on, namely getting on base, but the skills are there.

RF - Denard Span - Twins ($435,000): A steady, top of the order hitter who plays top notch defense at every outfield position, Span has proven to be a very good leadoff man for the always cost-conscious Twins.

Batting Order: Span, Aybar, Gonzalez, Morales, Stewart, Rasmus, Ruiz, Schumaker, Pitcher

Bench

C - Jeff Mathis - Angels ($450,000): Arguably the Angels' best hitter in the 2009 post season and a quality defender.

OF - Ben Francisco - Phillies ($421,000): Can play all three OF postions and has good pop in his bat.

OF - Ryan Spilborghs - Rockies ($415,000): Hits .311 as a pinch hitter in his career. Solid at all three OF spots.

IF - Brendan Ryan - Cardinals ($405,000): Has played SS, 2B, 3B, LF and RF and hit .292 in 2009.

IF - Brendan Harris - Twins ($466,000): Another versatile defender, can play all four infield positions.

Starting Pitchers

Clayton Kershaw - Dodgers ($404,000): Certainly a star in the making, Kershaw was the Dodgers' most dependable pitcher all year despite an 8-8 record. 285 strikeouts in 278 2/3 innings pitched shows how dominant he can be.

Jered Weaver - Angels ($465,000): Weaver has compiled a 51-27 record over his first four seasons with a 3.73 ERA. He crossed the 200 inning mark for the first time in 2009 and had his best year so far.

Nick Blackburn - Twins ($440,000): A ground ball machine, Blackburn has performed very well in some of Minnesota's biggest games the past two years. Not flashy, but the perfect #3 starter who keeps his team in every game.

J.A. Happ - Phillies ($405,000): Happ was 10-4 with a 2.99 ERA as a starter in 2009 but was sent to the bullpen when Cliff Lee arrived in Philly. Gives up a few too many HRs but held lefties to a .216 average this season.

Clay Buchholz - Red Sox ($414,000): Already has a no-hitter under his belt despite making only 34 career starts. Buchholz has been up and down so far, but it says something that despite several opportunities, the Red Sox have refused to trade him away.

Bullpen

Closer - Ramon Troncoso - Dodgers ($401,000): Despite the presence of one of baseball's premier closers (Jonathan Broxton), Troncoso managed to pick up six saves in 2009 with a 2.72 ERA. Quickly became one of Joe Torre's most trusted relievers.

LH Set Up - Franklin Morales - Rockies ($402,000): When closer Huston Street was injured this season it was Morales who got the call to close out games. Morales is murder for left handed hitters, holding them to a .175 average with 20 strikeouts in 80 at-bats in his career.

RH Set Up - Daniel Bard - Red Sox ($400,000): Boston's closer-in-waiting has electric stuff and led the Sox in holds with 13 despite only appearing in 49 games. He can get wild, but 63 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings pitched to begin his career is just silly.

MR - Ramon Ramirez - Red Sox ($441,000): Ramirez has 33 holds over his last two seasons with a 2.74 ERA and has given up less than a homerun per nine innings pitched.

MR - Jason Bulger - Angels ($403,000): The 30-year-old Bulger was a revelation in the Angels bullpen in his first extended look in the big leagues. Striking out more than a batter per inning, Bulger acquitted himself nicely in his first taste of playoff baseball as well, giving up one run in 3 1/3 IP.

MR - Jose Mijares - Twins ($400,000): A quality situational lefty, Mijares struggled down the stretch but overall had a very nice season. Lefties have hit just .155 off Mijares in his career.

MR - David Robertson - Yankees ($406,825): I've been so impressed with Robertson this post season as time and again he's been asked to stabilize tough situations, and each time he's delivered. The ability to go multiple innings makes him just that much more valuable.

So there it is, a full 25-man roster of players and not an All-Star among them. All from winning teams and only one of them made more than $500,000 in 2009. Combined, this team would carry a 2009 payroll of $10,745,825. Even the Marlins could afford that, with $26 million to spare.

Personally I'd be very happy to run this team out there every day, would you?

Aaron Rising

2009-10-30T00:09:00.001-05:00

Imagine what it must be like to be Aaron Rodgers.

You're a young, star quarterback in a town that loves its football. You attended the top public university in the country (but you haven't graduated, yet) and mothers send you their daughter's picture in the mail in the off chance that you might fall madly in love with them.

You currently rank second in the NFL in passer rating behind some guy named Manning and your team is a game out of first place in the NFC North despite an offensive line that resembles a group of blind matadors. You've got a huge game coming up on Sunday against your most bitter rival. And all anyone can talk about is some 40-year-old dude who's thrown more interceptions than anyone in NFL history.

Something tells me for the understated Rodgers, life is good.

Living in the shadow of the aforementioned dude is nothing new for the 25-year-old Rodgers, who spent the first three years of his career watching and learning from the great Brett Favre, albeit with little actual help from the Packers' star.

It's been written that Rodgers, in almost every way, is the anti-Favre. Favre is a southern man who is just as comfortable in a pair of faded jeans as he is in pads and a helmet. Rodgers is very much the cool West Coast type, often donning three piece suits during post game interviews.

On the field, Favre is known for his swash buckling ways and a reckless abandon that has made him equal parts hero and goat during his 18+ year career. Rodgers is known for precision and a calm demeanor that helped him set the career mark for interception percentage at Cal (1.95%).

But perhaps where the two differ the most is in status within the game of football, where Favre holds a place among the all-time greats, as much for his accomplishments as for his grit. That is a place where Rodgers ultimately wants to be, and while he may go about it in a much different way, it's ironic that he would pursue that goal for none other than Favre's Packers.

The man who made the legend that is Brett Favre expendable in Green Bay couldn't possibly be more different, and in my opinion, perhaps one day even better.

Oh no he didn't? Oh yes I did.

Lets get this out of the way right now. I do not think Aaron Rodgers is a greater quarterback than Brett Favre. To think such a thing is beyond idiotic. But right now, and at the same point in their development, Rodgers is the better quarterback.

In what is only Rodgers' second season as the full-time starter, he has a better than 2-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio for his career (40 TDs, 16 INTs). Favre over his first two seasons, not so much (37 TDs, 37 INTs).

You might be thinking about how bad the Packers were in those days, and you'd be right. Favre was sacked a total of 64 times in his first two seasons as the starter. Rodgers however is well on his way to eclipsing that mark as he's been victimized 59 times in only a season and a half. Hell, he could reach Favre's mark this Sunday if Jared Allen has anything to do with it. So both played behind equally shaky offensive lines, we can agree on that.

One more set of numbers to consider are their QB ratings in their first two seasons. Favre posted marks of 85.3 and 72.2 in 1992 and 1993 respectively. Rodgers, in what was effectively his rookie season, had a sparkling 93.8 rating in 2008 and is currently sitting at 110.8.

Now obviously, numbers don't tell the whole story. Fans will point to the intangibles that a young Favre brought to a struggling Packers team in the early 90's, and they would be right on. Favre, along with head coach Mike Holmgren, lifted that organization on his shoulders and made it great again.

Rodgers has yet to have that type of impact, compiling a 10-12 record as a starter. But to be fair, Mike McCarthy is no Mike Holmgren and the team that surrounds Rodgers at this point is still very young and on the rise.

But from a production standpoint as well as a skills standpoint, Rodgers is well ahead of where Favre was at this point in his career. Sure Favre had (and still has) the big arm, but Rodgers is no slouch in the arm strength department. Rodgers also has far superior footwork, which helps explain his better completion percentage as well as ball security in terms of interceptions.

Rodgers also seems to have a far better grasp of the offensive system he plays in, whereas Favre often got by on (insert 'guts' cliche here). This also helps Rodgers eliminate mistakes and more consistently make plays with both his arm and his legs, as he is a better runner than Favre ever was.

So while no one can dispute the greatness of Brett Favre, it has to be said that Rodgers has the ability and opportunity to one day take his place alongside the former Packer as one of the NFL's best. So what if oil and water seemingly have more in common?

Start Em or Sit Em?

2009-10-30T00:01:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Start Em or Sit Em week 8. This column is going to look outside of the obvious players and focus on players who can possibly offer value if you are suffering from injuries or dealing with players on bye. The one guarantee I will make is this, you should sit Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Clinton Portis, Cedric Benson, Randy Moss and Chad Ochocinco.

Start Em

Kyle Orton, QB (Broncos) - Orton faces off against a Ravens defense which ranks 23rd in the league against the pass and is allowing 242 yards per game through the air. Coach Josh McDaniels is an offensive guru who sticks to the game plan and doesn't put too much on Orton's shoulders. Combine that with Orton's 100.1 quarterback rating and 64% completion percentage, and you might be in for a solid Sunday.

David Garrard, QB (Jaguars) - Garrard and the Jags are coming off a bye week and are the beneficiaries of a matchup with the 32nd ranked pass defense of Tennessee. The Jags have grown fond of the passing game as of late, attempting 30 or more passes in 5 of the 6 games they have played this season. On October 4th, Garrard threw for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns against this Tennessee club.

Kevin Smith, RB (Lions) - Smith is a very versatile back who has much to offer in both the running and passing game. His problem this season has been injuries. Good news for Smith is that he is coming off a bye with 13 days to rest and Sunday he faces the Rams. Potentially even better news for Smith, is Calvin Johnson is still suffering from a knee injury, possibly resulting in more touches for the Lions running back. The Rams rank 27th in the NFL against the run, start Kevin.

Marshawn Lynch, RB (Bills) - Lynch was suspended for the first 3 games this season. But in the last 3 games the Bills running back is averaging 21 touches a game and has emerged as Buffalo's featured back. Sunday the Bills host the Texans who are 27th against the run and have allowed 10 rushing touchdowns this year.

Sidney Rice, WR (Vikings) - Rice has become the go to guy for quarterback Brett Favre. Rice is currently tied for 13th in receptions and ranks 7th in the NFL in receiving yards. The Vikings square off against the Packers at Lambeau and you better believe that Vikings coach Brad Childress is going to allow Favre to make some plays against his former team. Rice scored against the Packers in week 4, and in his past 2 games has recorded 16 catches for 312 yards.

Sit Em

Matt Ryan, QB (Falcons) - Matty Ice travels to New Orleans for a Monday night showdown against the Saints. The Saints currently rank 14th in the NFL against the pass but are tied for first in interceptions with 13. Ryan is coming off back to back games in which he threw for less than 200 yards as well as 2 interceptions. The upside here seems limited.

Brandon Jacobs, RB (Giants) - Jacobs is not off to the start he imagined. Coming off a career year in which he rushed for 1,089 yards and 15 touchdowns, Brando has yet to eclipse the 100 yard make in a single game. Add that to his two touchdowns and 3.9 yards per carry average and it’s safe to say he will not carve up Philadelphia and its 11th ranked run defense.

Marion Barber, RB (Cowboys) - The Wayzata alum has yet to regain his stride since suffering a quadriceps injury. In his last 3 games he has rushed 40 times for 141 yards and only 1 touchdown. Mix that with the success of Felix Jones and Tashard Choice and it’s easy to see why Barber may not be a homerun play against Seattle's 14th ranked run defense.

Anquan Boldin, WR (Cardinals) - Boldin has always been injury prone and this year has not been any different. Anquan will step onto the gridiron against the NFL's #1 ranked pass defense in the Carolina Panthers. Boldin continues to get his targets but so far in 6 games he has yet to get 90 yards and only has 1 touchdown. Larry Fitzgerald continues to be the go to guy, so use Boldin with caution.

Mario Manningham, WR (Giants) - Super Mario was off to a fantastic start after he recorded 10 catches for 150 yards and a TD in week 2. In his past 4 games Manningham has a combined 11 catches for 176 yards. The Giants travel to Philly, who are allowing only 190 yards passing per game and a quarterback rating of 70.9.

World Series Musings: Game 1

2009-10-28T22:37:00.015-05:00

Some random thoughts on Game 1 of what looks like it could be a very entertaining World Series:

One has to wonder what former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge must have been thinking if he was watching this game. With Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia being trotted out as their team's aces, it can't possibly seem any more unfair that Wedge was fired by the former employer of both Lee and Sabathia, the Indians.
The nasty weather in New York, and much of the post-season for that matter, should be enough for Major League Baseball to consider shortening the season, perhaps back to the old 154 game schedule. But we all know that won't happen, what would the Royals do without all that late season revenue?
The Fox announce team of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver seemed like they were having a nice time star-gazing with all the celebs on hand at Yankee Stadium. The one person they didn't mention? Former Yankee center fielder, and personal favorite of mine, Bernie Williams.
Speaking of celebrities, who else thinks Jay-Z and Alicia Keys should have sucked it up and let the show go on? Seems to me that's what real New Yorkers would have done.
Back to baseball, the aforementioned Lee was as dominant as I've seen him all year, and he was quite good in the regular season, posting a 3.39 ERA with three complete games after coming over to the Phillies.

I loved the way he shrugged off the tough conditions, going with the short sleeves and his trademark break-neck pace to overwhelm one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball.
World Series first-timer Mark Teixeira looked every bit the first-timer and Lee took advantage of his anxiousness, striking him out with change-ups on multiple occasions.
As good as Lee was on the hill, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was equally as good at the plate. Utley engineered the two best at-bats of the night on either side, falling behind in two at-bats against Sabathia in the 3rd and 6th, only to answer with solo home runs in each instance.

Utley had great balance at the plate and unlike Teixeira, you could feel the calm in Utley's body language. He knew Sabathia wanted to challenge him with fastballs, and when Sabathia made a mistake he was there to capitalize.
Very happy to see that Jack is back in January in an all new season of "24". Perhaps the best news of the night in the Doctolero house.
I have to admit for at least one night that I was wrong about the inclusion of more veteran umpires after the struggles of the umpiring crews in the previous rounds. It was my opinion that it's usually the older, more seasoned umpires, who seem to think people come out the ballpark to watch them call the game.

When they were tested in the 5th inning on a disputed double play call, they calmly got together and got the call right. So good on them, but I'm still not convinced it was the best idea.
I am convinced that unlike his bullpen mate Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes should be made back into a starter in 2010. He's looked less and less comfortable every time out during the playoffs and it didn't get any better in Game 1 as he walked the only two men he faced.
I was somewhat surprised to see how many people left in the 9th inning once the Phillies opened up their lead. I know it was a crappy night out, but I didn't think Yankees fans would go all Dodgers fans on us, especially in the World Series.
Couldn't be more excited to see what happens in Game 2 with none other than Pedro Martinez on the hill for the Phillies. Should be great theater if nothing else.

Football Picks Week 8

2009-10-28T20:07:00.029-05:00

Greetings to all. I would like to personally thank Adam for allowing me to join the site and share my thoughts. Let it be known that I bleed Viking purple however I will not allow that to interfere with any topic I do decide to cover, will take a professional approach to the site and offer as much of my knowledge as possible. I hope you enjoy!

I would like to debut by analyzing week 8's NFL matchups. This week offers some intriguing matchups as well as some possible snoozers. Let's take a look.

Teams on bye: Bengals, Buccaneers, Patriots, Redskins, and Steelers.

Seahawks (2-4) at Cowboys (4-2)

I entered this season with a couple of thoughts about each team. First, I thought the Seahawks were set to regain NFC west prosperity and get back to the post-season, however a lingering rib injury to quarterback Matt Hasselback slowed down that possibility. Second, I was a believer that the Dallas Cowboys were slightly overrated. The departure of Terrell Owens may have brought some unity to the club, but there is no denying that the man produced on Sundays and made this team a viable contender. There are a few important factors to consider for Sunday's game.

Seattle is coming off of a bye and are still trying to find some consistency. In Seattle three weeks ago, Hasselback returned from injury to throw 4 touchdown passes as Seattle routed the Jaguars 41-0. The following week Seattle hosted the Cardinals and had serious trouble moving the ball as they lost 27-3 to the reigning NFC champs. I am a believer that the Seahawks do possess an effective passing game, but the running game is holding them back.

Dallas on the other hand is on a two game winning streak and is coming off a very impressive victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Dallas is relatively healthy as they had their bye wedged in between their victories over the Chiefs and the Falcons. Romo is spreading the ball around nicely and wide receiver Miles Austin is emerging as a legitimate big play threat. Felix Jones returned last week to give Dallas a three headed attack in the running game and hybrid linebacker Demarcus Ware is getting to the quarterback after being held in check early in the season.

My Take:
I like Dallas at home in this one. Although Seattle has played solid defense this season despite numerous injuries the balanced attack of Dallas may be too much to overcome. The Cowboys defense should be able to hold Hasselback in check. I think Romo gets it done in this one, but it may be closer than one might think.

Broncos (6-0) at Ravens (3-3)
This would contend for my second favorite game of the weekend. The undefeated Broncos are coming off a bye week unblemished. Lead by stingy defense and a quarterback who refuses to turn the ball over; my favorite thing about this team is their coach. Josh McDaniels refuses to lose and has a nack for getting his team in position to win.

Baltimore is also coming off their bye but more notably coming off two crushing losses. Three weeks ago Baltimore held a lead over division rival Cincinnati only to relinquish it with seconds to go as Carson Palmer hit Andre Caldwell for the game winning touchdown. In week 6 the Ravens overcame a 17 point fourth quarter deficit to lead the Vikings late, but one deep throw from Favre to Sidney Rice and one missed field goal by kicker Steven Hauschka sent the Ravens home wondering what they must do to get a W.

My take:
I refuse to believe that coach Josh McDaniels won't have his Broncos ready to play and improve on their 6-0 record. Their balanced attack on offense keeps defenses honest and wide receiver Brandon Marshall is a beast outside. However, the emergence of Joe Flacco and Ray Rice could be the difference in this one. In only his second year Flacco is looking like a pro bowl quarterback. Running back Ray Rice offers game changing ability in both the running and passing game; if you don't believe me ask coach Brad Childress and the Minnesota Vikings. The Ravens defense may not be what it once was but they should have enough to slow the Broncos and pull out a victory. The final in this one may be ugly but I like the Ravens to get it done, but I say that with little confidence.

Texans (4-3) at Bills (3-4)
There are few teams in the NFL that possess the potency on offense as the Houston Texans. Quarterback Matt Schaub is playing as well as any, and Andre Johnson, Steve Slaton and Owen Daniels make this offense virtually impossible to stop.

Buffalo is a team that seems to give sports fans fits. The Bills very easily could be 5-2 right now if it weren't for a week 1 collapse against Tom Brady and the Patriots, as well as an embarrassing week 5 defeat to Cleveland in which Derek Anderson completed 2 passes. Buffalo is banged up. Quarterback Trent Edwards has already been ruled out for a second straight week, Leodis Mckelvin is on IR, and safety Donte Whitner has missed two of the last three games including the most recent.

My take:
Buffalo has been pesky. Most would not have picked the Bills to beat the Jets and Panthers on the road the last two weeks. I will continue to doubt the Bills this week as I do not believe they employ the talent to match up with the Texans. With Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm, as well as the inability to get Terrell Owens the ball, the Texans 21st ranked defense should be satisfactory. Houston's offense should have few problems moving the ball. Expect Slaton to have a nice afternoon and for the Texans to light up the score board with numerous big plays.

Browns (1-6) at Bears (3-3)
The Browns are putting up a fight as to who is truly the worst team in the NFL. Although they have registered a W, no team in the league has consistently showed the inability to move the ball on offense, nor stop the ball on defense. The Browns currently rank 31st in total offense as well as 32nd in total defense.

The Bears have faltered in their past two games, losing to both Atlanta and Cincinnati on the road. Here’s the problem. In Atlanta, one may argue they should have won the game if it was not for two red zone turnovers. Against the Bengals, the Bears were embarrassed. They continued to have zero running game and allowed 5 touchdown passed to Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer. Chicago has talent and quarterback Jay Cutler has not disappointed in his ability to throw the football, but he must start to take care of the football better. He has 10 interceptions in 6 games. The most troubling aspect of the Bears has been the inability to run the football. Matt Forte as a rookie rushed for 1,238 yards, but so far this season he has rushed for only 318.

My Take:
The Bears should have little trouble this weekend regardless of their ability to run the ball. Cleveland's biggest threat is return man Joshua Cribbs. Other than Cribbs, the Browns do not pose a threat to put up points necessary to win football games. Cutler's arm should be plenty in this game and expect the Bears to win big.

Dolphins (2-4) at Jets (4-3)
Miami is better than their record but they have been dealt a very difficult schedule thus far. Ronnie Brown is one of the most underrated players in the NFL and the Dolphins run the "Wildcat" like none other. The season ending injury to Chad Pennington will be a factor but not the determining one. The age and inexperience on the defensive side is the issue to this team.

The Jets came out hot this year behind rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. Rex Ryan came over and implemented his dominating Ravens style defense that forces quarterbacks to move and throw before they're ready. However, things were shaken up a bit as the Jets lost three in a row to New Orleans, Miami, and Buffalo. Sanchez has looked like a rookie since his sizzling start. In the Jets four wins Sanchez has turned the ball over only three times. In the Jets three losses he has turned the ball over nine times. The Jets had the luxury of bouncing back last week as they beat the Raiders 38-0. I do not expect the same success against a division rival this weekend.

My Take:
The first meeting between the two teams was a thriller. Both teams used big plays to put up points as well as timely defense to halt the opponent. Miami is led by running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. The Jets are led by running back Thomas Jones. New York is at home and has the edge defensively, but we can't over look the fight Bill Parcells has instilled in this Dolphins team. Both teams will put the ball in the hands of their playmakers rather than their young quarterbacks. Miami showed me something jumping out to that three score lead last week against New Orleans. Mark Sanchez is not Drew Brees. I like Miami in a mini upset this week at the Meadowlands.

49ers (3-3) at Colts (6-0)
I would like to start by apologizing to fellow EBH writer Adam Doctolero. Nothing against the 49ers but the Colts and Peyton Manning are looking as good as ever. San Francisco has made strides this year under first year coach Mike Singletary and should not be over looked. Frank Gore is back from injury and the defense is led by the best linebacker in the game, Patrick Willis. It will be interesting to see if the turn to quarterback Alex Smith offers the 49ers long term to success.

Peyton, Peyton, Peyton. That might be all that’s necessary when analyzing the Colts. Peyton is completing over 72% of his passes and has a quarterback rating of 114.5. Needless to say both statistics lead the league. The concern here is that top receiver Reggie Wayne may have to sit this one out due to a groin injury. Second receiver Anthony Gonzalez may or may not be ready to return therefore the options for Manning may be a little thin. The way Peyton is playing right now however, he could probably throw touchdowns to Doctolero and myself.

My Take:
The Niners are on the rise and are defensively sound. Unfortunately for them they must travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to face the NFL's most prolific passer. The Colts welcomed back Bob Sanders last week and the defensive unit is playing well when playing ahead. I like both teams but expect the Colts to roll.

Giants (5-2) at Eagles (4-2)
This will be you traditional slugfest within the NFC East. These games never seem to disappoint. Speaking of disappointing, the Giants have lost two straight. An embarrassing loss at New Orleans and another at home to Arizona has created some skepticism. Eli needs to be precise week in and week out because the Giants do not have a consistent big play threat.

The Eagles in the past two weeks have lost to the lowly Raiders and then beat up the perhaps lowlier Redskins. They have the talent but do they have the focus? They must now adjust to Westbrook being hurt. They carry a stingy defense as usual and they still do have number 5.

My Take:
Eagles are at home and the Giants seem to be reeling. The Eagles also seem to have figured out a successful formula to beat the Giants as well. All that being said I like the Giants. They are much more balanced and usually are well disciplined in every facet of the game. Philly may be short handed with the injury to Westbrook and the home field advantage won't be as significant due to the familiarity between the two teams. This should be your typical battle and a close game is expected, but I give the Giants the edge.

Rams (0-7) at Lions (1-5)
Remember when I said snoozer? Here you go. A game between a team who didn't win a game in 2008, versus a team who hasn't won a game in more than a season. The Rams are dreadful. Marc Bulger hasn't been good in years and the guys he has to throw to you probably have not heard of. The lone bright spots are running back Steven Jackson and safety O.J. Atogwe. They have been playing hard but simply do not have the players to consistently compete, much less win.

Detroit is dreadful, but not as much. Number 1 pick Matthew Stafford, running back Kevin Smith, and wide receiver Calvin Johnson give Detroit fans hope but there's a problem. Stafford has missed the past two games, and Megatron missed the most recent and hasn't practiced so far this week. Injuries to them make it hard for Kevin Smith to do much of anything.

My Take:
I have a feeling this game could be more of a defensive battle than expected. Due to the injuries facing the Detroit offense I cannot see them posing much of an offensive threat. I cannot believe I am saying this, but I like the Rams. If Calvin is indeed out for Sunday the Rams have the best player (Jackson) and they have a better defense than Detroit. Take the Rams and do it well cautiously. Yuck.

Raiders (2-5) at Chargers (3-3)
The Raiders seem to compete when they feel like it. Two weeks ago they upset the Eagles and one week later was blown out by the Jets 38-0. Both games were at home might I add. Jamarcus Russell is not progressing as an NFL quarterback and the defense has not been as good as last year. The fans remain passionate and every other week the players seem interested. Problem? It's only every other week.

San Diego is everyone's favorite pick to sneak into the Super Bowl. They have talented skill players and sexy uniforms. The issue for them is the o-line and d-line are terrible. Tomlinson is aging and it’s noticeable. Shawne Merriman does not seem to be the game changing defensive pass rusher that he was early in his career. The combination of Phillip Rivers, Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson are the only thing keeping the team afloat.

My Take:
Chargers will win. They better win or they can start scheduling scouts to college games. They are already three games behind the Broncos and the remaining matchup between the two is in Denver. Oakland may play the Chargers tough as they did week one but I would not bet on it.

Jaguars (3-3) at Titans (0-6)
Ah the matchup between two teams who never would have predicted their starts. The Jags' have been another fan favorite over the recent years. Jones-Drew is one of the league’s top backs and their coaching and defense has always been solid. Jacksonville's pass defense is amongst the worst in the league. The good news is they get Tennessee who isn't an effective passing team, especially if they start Vince Young.

Jeff Fisher has gone from the #1 seed in the AFC to man wearing Peyton Manning jerseys on his days off. The Titans brought back 20 of 22 starters from a team who went 13-3. They currently are 0-6. Explain it, because I can't and I won't try. I still think they have talent and can win games, but I might be the only one.

My Take:
Mojo is going to get his. He is too good to not. Unfortunately for Jacksonville I feel the same for Chris Johnson. The defenses in this game might as well be a wash. I am going Titans because they are at home and Jeff Fisher is too good of a coach.

Panthers (2-4) at Cardinals (4-2)
The Panthers possess one of the most ridiculous statistics I have ever heard. In their existence they have never made the playoffs two years in a row. Not sure what you attribute that to, but I am going to say quarterback play and an average defense. Advice for Coach Fox, give the ball to DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and every so often play action pass to Steve Smith. It can't be that hard.

Arizona is a very interesting team to monitor. Their defense is getting better every game underhead coach Ken Whisenhunt. They still have to work on the running game but the addition of Chris "Beanie" Wells should be beneficial down the stretch. The passing game will continue to shine but teams should not overlook the backs and the defense.

My Take:
You cannot trust anything the Panthers do this season therefore you should not pick them to win. They still have good players but apparently not good enough. Go Cardinals here and do so with confidence.

Vikings (6-1) at Packers (4-2)
The best in the biz travels to Lambeau to take on the pack, and I am not talking Brett Favre. Instead the one I am referring to is All Day, Adrian Peterson. Favre will get the hype and the hoopla and deservedly so, but All Day is what makes this team go. Put eight in the box and Favre will torch defenses, put seven in the box and Adrian may run All Day.

The Packers are coming off two consecutive victories in which they outscored their opponents 57-3. That's pretty good. Aaron Rodgers has become an elite NFL quarterback and the rest of the Packer offense can score points in a hurry. The defense is improving in the 3-4 scheme and should not be overlooked.

My Take:
The biggest question entering the year was how will Favre play and how will Childress use all Vikings' weapons. So far so good. The Vikings offense is potent and Sidney Rice has emerged as the main threat in the passing game. Add AP to the mix and it can be scary. The Packers always play the Vikings hard and will do so again. Expect them to put up points and for this game to go to the wire. Vikings have too many playmakers on both sides of the ball and the Packers O-line is still shaky. Vikings win a nail biter.

Falcons (4-2) at Saints (6-0)
Atlanta has weapons at their disposal. Matt Ryan is the real deal and running back Michael Turner offers stability in the running game. Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez make it difficult on defenses as you can't focus on one option. The defense is improved from a year ago and the team has one more year under their belt. I like this team, a lot.

My second favorite player in the NFL is as definite as the sun setting and the moon rising. Drew Brees is a machine. He makes every throw possible and he does it standing under six feet tall. Very impressive. The Saints are loaded with weapons. Brees will and does throw to anyone on the field. They are scoring just under 40 points a game and the defense is what has this team undefeated. Darren Sharper looks better than ever. They are a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

My Take:
It will take more than the Falcons defense to slow down the Saints. This should be one of the more entertaining Monday nighters of the year. I expect the Saints to win, but not before many big plays by many good players. Pick the Saints and enjoy watching this game.

Big Changes

2009-10-28T10:16:00.003-05:00

Hello all.

Today is an exciting day for this blog. As you may or may not have have noticed, I have welcomed a new writer and partner into the fold, and his name is Mike Spillman.

Along with the addition of Mike, there are going to be some major changes here at Quick Hits..., most notably a new name.

We will no longer be known as Quick Hits From The Sidelines and instead will be known as Everything But Hockey. The URL you use to get here will be changing as well, to everythingbuthockey.blogspot.com.

As I said, this is a very exciting time as Mike and I work on getting this thing really up and running, so stay tuned for more updates.

5 Reasons To Be Excited About The 2010 San Francisco Giants (That No One Is Really Talking About)

2009-10-02T10:06:00.011-05:00

What a year 2009 has been for Giants fans.

A team that was written off before the season even started gave the faithful a season full of exciting moments, virtuoso performances and reasons to be optimistic about the future.

Everyone's favorite freak Tim Lincecum delivered a second straight Cy Young worthy campaign and established himself as the best pitcher in all of baseball.

Pablo Sandoval stepped forward as the Giants next big star and provided the best nickname in baseball, Kung Fu Panda.

Not to be outdone by his Cy Young winning partner, Matt Cain became an All-Star for the first time and showed why the Giants were willing to start him in the big leagues at the tender age of 20.

Jonathan Sanchez tossed the team's first no-hitter since 1976 and gave the fans and the organization a glimpse of his immense potential.

All of this and more were accomplished in the midst of the Giants first real run at the playoffs since 2004, and while that bid came up just short in the season's final month, the promise of things to come has never been more exciting.

Everyone knows about Lincecum and Cain, Sandoval and stud prospects Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey. But here are five things I'm excited to see in 2010.

5. Andres Torres - Call me crazy, but I love this guy. At 31 he's no spring chicken, but with less than 400 career at-bats in the big leagues he's hardly been run into the ground. Think Shane Victorino but with more pop in his bat.

In just 140 ABs this season Torres managed 20 extra base hits and led the team in triples with 8. He drove in 21 runs, scored 30 and managed to swipe 5 bags while only being caught once. His .270 batting average is nothing special, but his OPS of .876 was second only to Sandoval.

Spread that kind of production over a full season (500+ ABs) and you're looking at something on the order of a .270 batting average with 20 HRs, 80 RBIs, 110 runs and 20 SBs.

Compare that to $60 million dollar man Aaron Rowand, who in 490 at bats only managed to score 61 runs while hitting .261 with an OPS nearly 150 points lower than Torres.

Now obviously the Giants aren't going to push Rowand to the bench given how much money they have invested in him, but maybe they should. At the very least Torres should be the teams opening day left fielder. Of course, should the Giants retain second baseman Freddy Sanchez, the team will be hard pressed to not have emerging leadoff man Eugenio Velez in the starting lineup, most likely in LF.

All that aside, with Randy Winn's contract up and the disappointing Fred Lewis clearly not a viable option, I would be just fine with an outfield of Torres, Rowand and Nate Shierholtz come April 5, 2010.

Which brings me to number four...

4. Nate Shierholtz - 2009 was supposed to be the year that Shierholtz finally got a chance to play as the full time right fielder, but thanks to manager Bruce Bochy's loyalty to the veteran Winn, that extended playing time never really came to pass.

To be fair, Shierholtz didn't really do himself any favors with his overall performance throughout the year, and his .371 average as a pinch hitter didn't help his cause either as clearly Bochy liked having him as a late inning replacement.

However, during one stretch in late June, Shierholtz started and played all nine innings in 8 straight games, his longest such stretch of the season. In that 8 game run Shierholtz went 14-for-32 with 2 HRs and 7 runs scored, lifting his batting average from .258 to .311 in that span.

Obviously that's a very short stint as an everyday player, but you can see the potential for bigger and better things every time he takes the field.

A left-handed hitter, Shierholtz killed left-handed pitching to the tune of a .385 average with 3 HRs and 12 RBIs in only 52 ABs. That bodes well for him moving forward as his production against right handers is bound to improve.

Blessed with one of the strongest throwing arms in the National League, he's a very capable defender in what is perhaps the most difficult right field in all of baseball at AT&T Park.

Like Torres, with Winn and Lewis most likely out of the picture, Shierholtz should actually get a chance to play 150+ games in 2010 and I for one am excited to see what he will do with the opportunity.

3. Bullpen Strength - The Giants bullpen in 2009 was nothing short of spectacular, thanks in large part to two men, lefty set-up man (and best free agent signing since Benji Molina) Jeremy Affeldt and closer Brian Wilson.

Those of you out there that are Giants fans may be cringing that I named Wilson here, but be honest, heart attacks and random blowup innings aside, the Giants haven't had a closer as reliable as the flame-throwing Wilson since Robb Nen.

Wilson backed up his All-Star campaign of a season ago, in which he saved 41 games, with 38 saves in 2009 while shaving more than a point-and-a-half off his ERA. His walks were down despite pitching nine more innings than in 2008 and he struck out more than 10 batters per 9 innings pitched.

Of course many Giants fans will point to the seven blown saves in 2009, most notable of which was a ninth inning, two out, two strike, two run HR served up to Cubs 3B Jeff Baker which essentially eliminated the Giants from Wild Card contention. For my money though, Wilson is as reliable an option as the Giants have had in a long time and the improvement in his overall numbers is a positive sign that he should only get better.

As for Affeldt, what can you say? Operating as the Giants lone lefty out of the pen for most of the year, he has appeared in a team high 74 games and posted a sterling 1.73 ERA in the process. Quite simply, the Giants would not have won nearly as many games had it not been for the efforts of Affeldt, and at $4 million a year he is an absolute steal.

What I'm excited to see in 2010 is the further development of Sergio Romo as a battle tested late inning guy, as well as the addition of emerging 24-year-old rookie Dan Runzler as Affeldt's left handed wing man.

Toss in capable middle relief guys like Brandon Medders, Bob Howry and Justin Miller with possible contributions from hard throwing youngsters like Waldis Joaquin and Osiris Matos, and a bullpen that allowed a league low 3.8 runs per game may be even better.

2. Minor Achievements - If there's one thing that I am truly happy to see from the Giants these days, it's the commitment they've shown to developing players from within the organization. A major shift from just a few years ago when they were more than happy to forfeit draft picks in order to sign aging veteran free agents.

Everyone knows about the organizations top two prospects, Bumgarner and Posey, but several other Giants farmhands took major steps forward in 2009 and watching them progress towards the big leagues should continue to be fun to watch.

Topping that list is OF/1B Thomas Neal who was a serious contender for Minor League Player of the Year. Neal, a 36th round draft pick in 2005, took a major step forward this season playing all year at High-A San Jose as a 21-year-old, hitting .337 with 41 doubles, 22 HRs and 90 RBIs.

Neal's outfield mate in San Jose, Roger Kieschnick, also turned in a stellar season as the 2008 3rd round pick hit .296 with 23 HRs and 110 RBIs. Together, Neal and Kieschnick are the organizations two brightest power prospects and could see time in San Francisco as early as next September.

Another player to watch is shortstop Brandon Crawford who spent time with both San Jose as well as Double-A affiliate Connecticut as a 22-year-old. A 4th round pick in 2008, Crawford has shot through the system, reaching Double-A in his first full season as a pro.

Between his two stops, Crawford hit .282 with 10 HRs, 48 RBIs and 13 SBs, but struggled a bit with the more advanced pitching in Double-A. Still, his ascension marks the first time in quite a while that the Giants have such an exciting prospect at the SS position. Another season or two of growth and you could see Crawford in the big leagues as early as 2011.

One of the more pleasant surprises in the system in 2009 was first baseman Brett Pill who was named the Eastern League's top first baseman. Pill, a 2006 7th round pick, hit .298 with 19 HRs and 109 RBIs and was a defensive standout as well with a .997 fielding percentage. Given the Giants inability to find a quality, full-time first baseman, you can be sure Pill will get a look sooner rather than later.

Known mostly for their ability to churn out quality arms, the Giants actually traded away two of their more promising pitchers in 2009 when they dealt righty Tim Alderson and lefty Scott Barnes in separate deals for 2B Freddy Sanchez and 1B Ryan Garko respectively.

Even with the loss of Alderson and Barnes, the Giants are still stocked with quality pitching throughout the system. The headliner is of course Bumgarner, but behind him are solid prospects such as Henry Sosa, Craig Clark, Clayton Tanner and Eric Surkamp. Not to mention 2009 1st round draft pick, Georgia high school righty Zach Wheeler.

Sosa unfortunately was lost for the season in June when he tore a shoulder muscle, but prior to that he had gone 6-0 for Double-A Connecticut, posting a 2.36 ERA in the process. If he can get healthy, he's certainly someone to watch.

Clark, a 14th round pick in 2007, has been somewhat of a surprise for the Giants. The lefty pitched all season at High-A San Jose going 16-2 with a 2.86 ERA and 135 Ks to only 36 BBs.

Tanner meanwhile started to show he was worth his selection in the 3rd round of the 2006 draft as he pitched a second full season in San Jose at 21-years-old, going 12-6 with a 3.17 ERA. Tanner has the added advantage of still being very young and if he can cut down on the home runs allowed (he gave up 18 in 2009), he could provide solid starting pitching depth down the line.

Last on the list is Surkamp, yet another lefty, who the Giants drafted in the 6th round of the 2008 draft. In his first full season as a pro, the 22-year-old Surkamp was outstanding at Class-A Augusta, going 11-5 with a 3.30 ERA and 169 Ks in 131 innings pitched.

All in all, things look bright in terms of quality young players progressing through the system. The Giants have a strong history of drafting well and it's great to see them finally commit to keeping and grooming their own prospects.

1. Hope - Say what you want, but if you're a real fan of whatever team, all you can really ask for is that your team provides you with real hope for things to come.

Sure, if you're a Yankees fan, maybe hope isn't good enough. But for the rest of us the excitement is in what could be, and right now I personally can't wait for the Giants to take the field in 2010.

Purple Is The New Green

2009-08-19T12:49:00.014-05:00

So it's been a while since I last posted, but given the events of yesterday here in the great state of Minnesota, I thought I should drop in and share a little something.

Below is an entry I sent to the Star Tribune for their "Be A Blogger" competition that they were running. It was written July 23rd:

"As a head coach in the world of professional sports there is one thing you must have, and that is the respect and trust of a locker room full of grown men who in many cases are making millions of dollars more than you. Phil Jackson has it. Joe Torre has it. Mike Tomlin has it. Brad Childress does not.

So for all the talent the Vikings have and all the kick-ass plays he’s drawn up, Childress’ inability to motivate and inspire has been his undoing. That’s not to say the Vikings haven’t played hard, they are after all professionals, but being driven to take that effort to the next level is what separates the good teams from the great ones.

Brought in to steady a franchise that had begun to spiral out of control, Childress has managed to instill accountability and slightly better behavior in his players. But the mishandling of a young quarterback and an inability to adjust on gameday have punched holes in his image as an offensive guru and led to more than a few deflating defeats.

I had a front row seat for year one of the Childress era and in many respects not much has changed. What has changed is the level of talent on a roster that now affords him no second chances. And should a certain veteran quarterback from the south decide to don the purple and gold, nothing short of a Super Bowl appearance will be enough to save his job. "

So I'll admit it's a bit lazy to cut and paste something for my first post in quite some time, but I felt it fit the moment. Either way, I'd love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a comment.

Cheers

Here's To You Phil and Amy

2009-06-10T14:21:00.009-05:00

From the time Phil Mickelson first teed it up in a PGA Tour event he has had the weight of expectation planted firmly on his shoulders by those mesmerized by his uncanny shot making ability.

Since the dawn of the Tiger Woods era it seemed that if there was anyone on the golfing landscape that could challenge the world's best player, a task that's knocked him down more often than it's lifted him up, it would be Lefty.

But now a challenge far greater and more meaningful than any major championship faces the Mickelson family, and more importantly his wife Amy who several weeks ago was diagnosed with breast cancer.

This week Phil makes his return to the tour in preparation for next week's U.S. Open at New York's Bethpage, where Phil was famously embraced by the tough-to-crack New York fans in 2002. And after watching his emotional press conference earlier today it's clear to me why Phil has always been a fan favorite.

For all his talent and triumphs it has been his failures that we seem remember most. Not so much for the pain of it as people tend to remember the failures of say, Greg Norman, but instead for the palpable vulnerability of a man with so much ability.

No one looks at Tiger Woods and thinks, "that could be me", because he seems not of this planet more often than not. But with Phil it's more like watching a family member who we love in spite of their sometimes painfully obvious faults.

I wrote on my old blog after the 2006 Masters that Phil had won me over when he graciously and sincerely took the time out during his winner's speech to acknowledge an ailing Earl Woods, who himself was fighting cancer. He didn't have to do that, not at that point, but that's who Phil is and that's why we love him.

From the outside looking in it has always seemed that the Southern California native was living a charmed life alongside Amy and their insanely adorable children who have always been there to greet Phil, win or lose, with the kind of unconditional love we all seek in our lives.

Now, with the toughest fight of her life at hand, Amy will need every bit of that unconditional love from her family and it's hard to imagine that she could be in better hands.

To Draft A Falling Star

2009-04-28T12:09:00.012-05:00

When the Minnesota Vikings take the field at the Metrodome for the first time in 2009, they will be facing none other than my beloved San Francisco 49ers in what will be the first meeting between first round draft picks and fellow wide receivers, Michael Crabtree and Percy Harvin.

Crabtree and Harvin share the distinction as two of the top four or five pure playmakers available in the 2009 NFL Draft. Both led their respective universities to some of their best seasons ever in 2008 and were first round locks heading into the draft.

Of course they also share the reputation as ego-driven, me-first types who for various reasons saw their projected draft positions slip considerably on draft day.

Just Bring It

On the field, no one can deny the explosiveness each bring to the table. Crabtree instantly becomes the 49ers go-to guy and the best receiver to hit the Candlestick Park turf since Terrell Owens.

Combining an uncanny knack for finding and creating space with superb hands and terrific ball skills, Crabtree is everything you look for in a game-changing wide receiver in the mold of Arizona Cardinals disgruntled star, Anquan Boldin. Like Owens, his work ethic has never been in question and like Boldin he has the physical strength to make any catch in any part of the field.

Harvin meanwhile is a bit of a different animal. Used mostly in the University of Florida's spread attack as a running back with wide receiver responsibilities, Harvin's game is built on speed and quickness.

It remains to be seen how Harvin will fare as a full time receiver, but as he learns the nuances of playing the position in the NFL he should blossom into the type of game-breaker he was for the Gators.

In an effort to take advantage of that ability, it's been reported that the Vikings will employ some version of the "Wildcat" formation utilizing Harvin in the same way the Miami Dolphins used running back Ronnie Brown and plan to use second round pick, quarterback Pat White.

Despite their differences in style, both could be hurt by instability and inconsistency when it comes to their respective quarterbacks, as Shaun Hill (49ers) and Sage Rosenfels (Vikings) don't exactly strike fear in the hearts of defenses.

Save The Drama

Lost in all of the on field stuff is just how unlikely it was four days ago that either of these players would end up where they have.

Crabtree was the best player available on the draft boards of more than one team, that much is known. What isn't known is what in the world is floating around in the brain of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis.

It was Davis who single-handedly destroyed mock drafts around the country when he chose Maryland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey as the 7th overall pick and first receiver off the board. That pick, coupled with the move by the New York Jets to move into the top five facilitated Crabtree's fall into the 49ers' lap.

Prior to the draft there were concerns over a foot injury sustained by Crabtree, as well as whispers about his nonchalant, overly confident attitude during interviews with individual teams. Those factors may have played a part in Crabtree's fall to #10, but what happened on draft day was probably more to blame.

Harvin's draft day slide meanwhile was simply a product of his own poor choices. With reports of his semi-out-of-control ego already swirling, it was reported and then later verified that he had failed a drug test prior to the NFL Scouting Combine.

The complete lack of judgement it takes to fail a drug test when you know the exact day you are going to be tested is mind-numbingly stupid and several teams removed Harvin from their boards completely as a result.

Surprisingly it was the straight and narrow, "Major Dad" look alike, Brad Childress who decided Harvin's talent was too good to pass up at #22, despite the team's other needs.

Final Take

In my view, both teams had little choice but to pick two players with such enormous talent. At #10 and #22, there was no way either organization could justify passing on them.

In terms of production in year one, I'd have to give the nod to Harvin because of a stronger offensive line, his own versatility and the presence of Adrian Peterson and Bernard Berrian, two high level playmakers who will take pressure off the youngster.

I've heard the comparisons to Carolina Panthers WR Steve Smith, but I see Harvin as more of a Reggie Bush type with less emphasis on running the football. Like Bush, Harvin's value won't be tied to position-specific statistical measuring sticks, but rather by the frequency with which he makes the big play either rushing, receiving or in the kick return game.

Crabtree meanwhile will be counted on to produce like an NFL starter from the first snap and will draw opposing defense's best cornerbacks as well as zone defenses designed to stop him.

As the more polished of the two, I see Crabtree as a top-flight receiver on par with guys like Boldin, Houston's Andre Johnson and Cincinnati's Chad Ocho Cinco (I love saying that). The type of receiver who can elevate a passing game and bail out a below average quarterback more often than not.

If both players can keep their heads on straight and hopefully unite with better quarterbacks in the future, I see no reason why both Crabtree and Harvin can't become stars in the NFL.

Exposed

2009-01-04T18:31:00.008-06:00

The story of the 2008 Minnesota Vikings was, by and large, a positive one. But as so often happens in the playoffs, if you have weaknesses they will be exposed and if you can't make plays when it counts, you will lose.

So was the case this Sunday as the Vikings were sent to another off-season earlier than they had hoped, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 26-14.

Unlike the two previous seasons under the guidance of head coach Brad Childress, this Vikings team did what it needed to do in the regular season to earn a playoff berth. And for the most part an offense that was nothing short of inept finally found its stride as the season wore on.

Under the white hot glare of the post season however it was the same old story for a team trying to win without a high-quality head coach and without stability or consistency at the most important position in all of team sports, quarterback.

For Childress, the missteps in judgment were glaring, with the focus mostly on sporadic and often puzzling play calling decisions. Twice in the Vikes loss to the Eagles, the defense which was solid as always, forced potentially game-changing turnovers only to see those opportunities wasted because of an overly conservative approach by Childress.

One would have thought, given his strong performance late in the season, that Childress would have finally been comfortable enough with third year quarterback Tarvaris Jackson to take the training wheels off. On this Sunday however it was as if he was more concerned with trying not to lose as opposed to trying to win. That approach has clearly rubbed off on the young signal caller, never more so than against Philly.

Ever since Jackson joined the team in 2006 and was subsequently tossed into the fire late in the season you could see the hesitation in his play. At first many thought it was simply rookie nerves, and they may have been right.

But as time wore on and Jackson continued to live in his playbook, it became clear to those of us who know what to look for that the leash on the obviously talented Jackson might be just a bit too tight. With each errant pass and questionable decision you could feel that leash growing shorter and shorter, choking the life out of the young quarterback.

Then came his eventual benching in favor of veteran quarterback Gus Frerotte and it seemed it might be all over for the player once viewed as the future of the team under center. Freed of the expectation and clearly more comfortable in his role as second option, Jackson played with renewed confidence and authority when Frerotte was injured late in the year.

But just as things seemed to be clicking for Jackson, Childress found a way to stifle that progress by failing to trust in his quarterback's ability. Indeed you could almost hear Childress in Jackson's in-helmet speaker saying, "Take care of the ball. Don't make any mistakes. Just be careful."

See the thing with young players, in particular young quarterbacks, is that they need to know they can make a mistake from time to time and that trusting their instincts is a good thing, not something to be questioned at every turn. This is especially true of Jackson who has worked diligently to learn the playbook, solidify his footwork and get comfortable making multiple reads.

Now Jackson is by no means a great quarterback. He still needs work on all of the points mentioned above, but anyone with two eyes can see the arm strength and the athleticism he possesses and anyone who watched him skillfully guide his team down the stretch of the regular season can see that he is capable of making plays.

Of course it isn't all Childress' fault. He isn't making the reads or throwing the passes, that responsibility ultimately falls on Jackson. But after three seasons of eerily similar offensive results in the biggest games, it's clear to me that while Childress is a good man and a quality offensive mind, he doesn't quite have what it takes to be a head coach. He struggles to make the correct adjustments and backs that up with questionable motivational skills, not a good combination.

The saddest part of the way the Vikings' season ended is that ultimately their run to the playoffs may have saved Childress' job for at least one more season. Meanwhile it's much less certain that Jackson may ever get another shot to be the starting quarterback for the Vikings or anyone else.

Vikings' fans can be happy with the improvement in 2008. Free agent signings Jared Allen and Bernard Berrian were tremendous successes and the defense continued to dominate. Adrian Peterson cemented his status as the best running back in the league and winning the NFC North is nothing to sneeze at.

However, until they find a more capable in-game manager to wear the headset and finally settle on a quarterback who they will commit to, simply reaching the playoffs may be the best they can hope for.

Big Man, Big City

2008-12-12T00:04:00.006-06:00

Before I start, I want to thank everyone who e-mailed me or sent me a message of some sort when I decided to take a break from the blog. It was nice to hear at least a few of you enjoy this little corner of the blogoverse.

As always your comments, positive or negative, are always welcome. So thanks for the support. Now, on with the show...

Big Man, Big City

I can't say that I'm surprised or even disappointed that C.C. Sabathia decided to sign with the New York Yankees. To be honest, it seemed like a foregone conclusion despite the talk that the hefty lefty might take his considerable talent back home to the Bay Area and the San Francisco Giants.

But for a brief moment, despite what Giants' GM Brian Sabean might say, a rotation led by Sabathia and reigning NL Cy Young Tim Lincecum not only seemed possible, it seemed destined to be.

All along we knew the Yankees were not going to be outbid, but all along we were told that Sabathia was just as interested in pitching in the NL and staying close to his native Vallejo, CA. It seemed then that the perfect fit was in San Francisco where new ownership had given Sabean the financial flexibility to make an offer.

That offer never came and just days before he was set to meet with the Giants, Yankees' GM Brian Cashman swooped in and tossed an extra year and $21 million more into the pot. Not to mention an opt-out clause after three years.

So fine, Sabathia is a Yankee and apparently at least one more big name starter like A.J. Burnett, Jake Peavy or Derek Lowe will join him. Red Sox fans are praying for Mark Teixeira and the Giants have seemingly turned their attention to 500-year-old Randy Johnson, another Bay Area native.

But what bugs me about this whole thing is the lingering feeling I have that, while a ridiculously sound financial decision, the decision to sign with the Yankees was not totally up to the player himself.

Now I'm not talking about his wife, who was apparently a driving force the whole time, or even his agent who probably had the easiest sell-job on the planet when it came to getting his client signed.

No, I'm talking about the Major League Baseball Player's Association and the report that the MLBPA may have been actively encouraging Sabathia to sign with the Yankees and set a new bar when it comes to salaries for pitchers. That way more starters could conceivably demand more money and effectively raise the minimum wage for free agents across the board.

The thought that perhaps Sabathia was shoved in the direction of the Bronx by the Player's Association is not only unethical in my opinion, it seems wrong and more than a little sleazy. We live in a world right now that is seeing major financial collapse the likes of which we haven't seen in generations and the union is trying to drive the prices up? What the hell is that?

Now far be it for me to blame a player like Sabathia for taking that kind of money if someone is going to offer it. In fact you could argue he'd be foolish not to. And if the Yankees want to spend in what can only be described as an irresponsible manner then that's on them.

But for a guy like Sabathia, who has openly maintained that he'd like to play closer to home, to eschew a meeting with a team as close to his home as possible was more than a bit suspect. Perhaps the extra money and years was the tipping point, but I obviously have my doubts about that.

Baseball-wise he's gotten everything he probably hoped for. A giant contract to play for the biggest team on the biggest stage with a chance to win right now. But you have to wonder at what cost to his overall happiness will those opportunities come and was the decision ultimately made for him?

Taking A Break

2008-09-30T11:44:00.002-05:00

For the few of you that come to Quick Hits... often, first off, thank you. I truly appreciate anyone who takes a few minutes to check out what I have to say about things.

Unfortunately right now I'm not getting the kind of repsonse that I was hoping for when I started this blog. Because of that I'm going to put my blogging on hold for a few weeks while I come up with a better schedule and a better approach to the whole thing.

This blog is far from dead and I hope that once I toss my hat back in the ring that you guys (and gals) will come back and enjoy it even more.

Thanks again for your support and I'll be back soon, promise.

Under The Weather

2008-09-22T14:21:00.003-05:00

Not sure if it's the changing of the seasons or what here in the Upper Midwest, but I am feeling quite terrible today.

Because of my current state I'm going to cancel Monday Musings this week and instead try and write several smaller pieces running down the top stroies of the last week or so.

In the meantime, be sure to vote in the poll and sign up to follow Quick Hits.... Thanks and come back soon.

Monday Musings (The Tuesday Edition)

2008-09-16T14:07:00.002-05:00

As promised, here is the Tuesday Edition of Monday Musings...

As predicted, USC thoroughly dominated an over-matched Ohio State squad who was without the services of Chris "Beanie" Wells. Of course, given the severity of the beating, it wouldn't have mattered if he had played. I suppose they might have found the end zone, once, but that's it.

With the Pac-10 laying the biggest conference egg is years, the path seems completely clear for the trojans to run the table and play for the National Championship. Barring season-ending injuries to half the team, I don't believe there is a team in the country that could beat them.
The Red Sox finally caught the Tampa Bay Rays for the lead in the AL East on Monday and it's looking more and more like the young Rays will have to win the Wild Card race if they want to remain in the playoff picture.

With the Twins and others fading however it seems like they will make the playoffs as long as they don't completely collapse down the stretch. A Wild Card berth would mean a meeting with the Angels in the Division Series, a team they hold a 6-3 record against in the regular season.

Keep in mind that a Wild Card team has reached the World Series every year since 2002when (DAMMIT!!!) the Angels beat the Giants in seven games.
Also on Monday the Brewers, tied for the Wild Card lead in the NL, fired manager Ned Yost. Apparently this is something many Brewers fans saw coming and welcomed, to which I say, WTF!

Is this what we've come to in the age of "what have you done for me lately" sports? Now I understand that the Brewers are in a bit of a slide and they may ultimately miss the playoffs entirely, but this is ridiculous. Here is a guy who helped turn around one of the worst franchises in sports in less than three years and for his efforts he gets fired with the finish line in sight.

After the season I could see it as Yost has had a tough time getting his young team to turn the corner on their recent success. But the timing of this baffles me and I can think of more than a few teams who should be stumbling over themselves to get Yost into their dugouts.
The Ryder Cup starts on Friday without the world's best player, Tiger Woods. Some have intimated that this might be a good thing for the United States and that not being able to lean on Tiger will raise the level of play across the board.

To that I say, whatever.
Watching the Minnesota Vikings this weekend was downright painful and I couldn't help but hearing "Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before" by the Smiths playing in my head. I won't spend much time on this as I plan on devoting an entire piece to what is wrong with the Vikes, but damn I'm glad I'm not a fan of this team.

Frustrating doesn't even start to describe what took place in the Metrodome on Sunday as the Purple fell to 0-2, which amazingly is the worst two-game start for the Vikings since head coach Brad Childress took over.
Cal's head coach Jeff Tedford should be fully ashamed of his team's performance on Saturday after they lost to the University of Maryland. It was clear from the opening kickoff that the Golden Bears were just not prepared to play and that falls squarely on the shoulders of Tedford and his staff.

Yes, they did travel across the country and played at 9 in the morning on the West Coast, but that doesn't excuse a loss to a team that just a week prior lost to Middle Tennessee State. The Bears are talented, but their youth and inexperience, combined with clearly shotty preparation, cost them big time.
Somehow the San Francisco 49ers pulled off a victory on the road in Seattle with J.T. O'Sullivan passing for 321 yards and no interceptions. I'm not willing to call O'Sullivan decent just yet, but he has been much better than I thought he'd ever be.

Like Jon Kitna in Mike Martz's offense before him, O'Sullivan will probably put up quality numbers through sheer quantity of throws. However of all the QBs that Martz has had (Kitna, Marc Bulger, Kurt Warner) O'Sullivan is by far the least talented and the Niners should be shopping for a young QB come next off-season.
Keeping it in the Bay Area, the San Francisco Giants have managed to win 9 of their last 12 thanks in large part to the influx of young players who have infused the team with energy and timely hitting. Both of which have been lacking for the Giants for the better part of three seasons.

The most impressive of the bunch has been C/1B/3B Pablo Sandoval who has done nothing but hit since he was called up in mid-August. Playing three positions and currently residing in the heart of the order, the 22-year-old Sandoval is hitting .336 with 3 HRs and 15 RBIs in 29 games.

Chances are that the Giants will struggle again next season, but with so much quality pitching in the big leagues now and in the minor leagues, the future would appear bright for Giants fans everywhere.
Last week I mentioned the breakout debut of Philadelphia Eagles' rookie wide receiver and former Cal standout DeSean Jackson. I also let it be known that I think the Niners made a big mistake by not picking him and instead passing over him twice in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Last night on Monday Night Football Jackson was staring his first professional touchdown square in the face when he proved why his nickname, "MeSean", is totally warranted when he dropped the ball at the one yard line in a rush to start his ridiculous touchdown dance.

This wouldn't be so bad if this were the first time Jackson had placed himself above the interests of the team, but how can we forget this moment from Jackson's senior year of high school in the U.S. Army All-American game:
Aaron Rodgers is a stud, that's all there is to it. Packers fans rejoice.

We'll Be Right Back...

2008-09-15T22:56:00.002-05:00

Monday Musings will not be seen in its regularly scheduled time, but be sure to check back tomorrow (Tues. 9/16) for a full recap of all the sports from the past week. And if you don't I'll be forced to sick Rey "Cinco Ocho" Maualuga on you. You don't want that.

Thank you and goodnight.

P.S. Be sure to sign up as a friend of Quick Hits From The Sidelines by clicking on the "follow this blog" link on the right. Thanks for reading.

Monday Musings

2008-09-08T15:15:00.009-05:00

I'm back and right on schedule this time with another installment of Monday Musings. Lots to get to, so on with the show...

So you want to be an professional football player huh? After the carnage that took place on Sunday I think baseball might see a resurgence in popularity across the country.

Some of the NFL's best players, including Patriots' QB Tom Brady and Titans' QB Vince Young, suffered injuries in week one. Some, like Young, were able to escape with injuries that will only sideline them for a few weeks. Others, like Brady, are now done for the season.

It's the unfortunate reality of a sport where the athletes are so big, so strong, so fast that major injuries are going to occur. This weekend should serve as a reminder to all those who think football players are just being greedy when they hold out for more guaranteed money, that in fact they are only doing what is truly in their best interests.

Few other professions involve the type of sudden, career-ending dangers that football does. It's true that they are getting paid to play a game and in the grand scheme of things they shouldn't be making more than doctors and teachers. However the players should not be held responsible for the market that has been set for them by the owners and by this country's seemingly unquenchable thirst for the game itself.

If it weren't for how popular the NFL and the other major sports in this country are there wouldn't be billion dollar stadiums and television contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In my opinion the players have as much right to a piece of that pie as anyone, and while it seems silly that athletes (or any entertainers for that matter) can make as much money as they do, for football players in particular the ultra-high risk level involved justifies their quest for that one big contract.
Serena Williams climbed back to the top of the tennis world on Sunday night with a straight set victory over Jelena Jankovic in the final of the U.S. Open. She did so without dropping a set and the win punctuated why she might be the best female tennis player ever.

The victory was her ninth Grand Slam title and third U.S. Open and vaulted her into the No. 1 spot in the world rankings. But it was the physical dominance that she showed over her opponents (including sister Venus along the way) that has fans recalling Serena's cat-suit days when no one was even close to being in her class on the court.

Focus and determination is the name of her game now, and coupled with her devastating power and shot making ability I simply cannot see another player out there right now who can beat her when she plays her best.

At 23 and in great shape, Serena still has several more years to cement her place in history alongside the greatest the game has ever seen. She served notice last night that she is truly back and there is little that can stand in her way.
How about the East Carolina Purple Pirates? All they've done so far in two weeks of play is knock off, not one, but two top-25 opponents in Virginia Tech and West Virginia. The wins earned them a spot in the latest polls, all the way up at No. 14 in the AP poll. The first time they've been ranked in nine years.

I was so impressed by the way they handled themselves against the Mountaineers Saturday, on both sides of the ball, bottling up Heisman candidate Pat White and controlling the ball with a bruising running game and timely passing attack.

Head coach Skip Holtz (son of Lou) has done a masterful job preparing his kids to play with a chip on their shoulder and not take things for granted which is more than half the battle when you're dealing with college kids.

Having passed their two toughest tests it will be up to Holtz to keep them focused and prepared for what should be a fairly easy schedule from here on out. They still have to travel to Virginia and to UCF, but other than those two very winnable games the Pirates could sail (aarrgghhh, a pun matey) right into a berth in a BCS bowl game for the first time in school history.
As ECU was taking care of business, another team in purple on the other side of the country was busy getting screwed by the always-sketchy Pac-10 officials.

If you missed it, the Washington Huskies and quarterback Jake Locker engineered a late-game comeback against No. 15 BYU as Locker scored on a 3-yard run with two seconds left on the clock that would have tied the game with the extra point.

Locker however was flagged for excessive celebration after he tossed the ball over his head in joy before getting mobbed by his equally joyous teammates. He didn't taunt anyone, he didn't dance a jig, all he did was act like any excited kid would have and celebrated the big play with his team.

The extra point try was pushed back and the subsequent attempt was blocked, preserving the 28-27 win for the Cougars. There's no way to say that Washington would have won the game or even made the extra point from the regular spot, but to have the officials take away their chance at a major upset was downright criminal.

The official has tried to defend himself saying it was not a judgment call and by the iron-clad letter of the law they were required to throw the flag. But if that's not the biggest load of crap you've ever heard (outside of everything our current President says) something is wrong with you.

Even the national coordinator for college football officiating, David Parry, said that all calls are judgment calls and even conceded that, "I think it's safe to say on emotional moments officials might become a little more lenient."

Every week officials across the country swallow their whistles and let minor celebrations like the one from this game go. So why all of a sudden would an official at the end of a tension-filled, near-classic of a football game decide to penalize an excited kid for this?

The worst part about it is that the loss may have helped to end the tenure of Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham who could have potentially saved his job with a win against a top-15 opponent. As bad as I feel for the Husky players, I feel equally bad for Willingham, who as always handled the disappointment with grace and class. Too bad the officials couldn't do the same.
Colombian superstar Camilo Villegas won his first tournament as a member of the PGA Tour this past weekend when he held off Jim Furyk and fellow rising star Anthony Kim in the BMW Championship. The win vaulted Villegas into second place in the season-ending FedEx Cup Playoff standings.

As well as Villegas played and as talented as he is, I wouldn't get too excited about this victory in terms of his long-term ability to challenge the Tiger Woods' and Phil Mickelson's of the world.

Yes he hits it a mile and yes he's very marketable, but I see too many inconsistencies in his game for me to call him the "next big thing". His putter is still too moody and as NBC analyst Johnny Miller pointed out, he still tends to get into a negative frame of mind too quickly.

There's little doubt he'll win again because he has the talent to do so, but I don't see him winning majors in the foreseeable future. He could however be a formidable opponent for the United States in next year's President's Cup should he make the team.

His all-or-nothing approach is perfect for the team format and he'd certainly bring an energy and excitement to the International team similar to what Sergio Garcia brings to the European team in the Ryder Cup.
Scottish star Andy Murray pulled off the biggest win of his career when he beat the top-ranked player in the world Rafael Nadal in four sets en route to his first ever Grand Slam final. Next up for Murray is a date with former No. 1 Roger Federer who Murray actually holds a 2-1 record against.

You could tell Nadal was not quite himself after an exhausting season in which he won both the French Open and Wimbledon as he passed Federer as the best player in the world. Murray meanwhile stuck to his guns and used some unreal shot-making to wear down the Spanish superstar and is poised to win the first major for his country since 1936.

He'll have to play even better to beat a re-focused Federer, but it's nice to see someone else toss their hat in the ring on the men's side of the sport which has sorely lacked in depth for several years.

Soon after this was written, Federer quickly dispatched Murray in straight sets to claim his fifth straight U.S. Open title. Still, it was nice to see a player with as much promise as Murray has shown finally break through and reach a Grand Slam final.
I hope I didn't jinx them, but the Tampa Bay Rays are slowly but surely losing their grip on the AL East lead and have put themselves in a position to miss the playoffs altogether. Injuries and a shaky back end of the bullpen have been the culprits as the Rays have lost three straight heading into Tuesday and their lead in the division is down to a game and a half over the surging Red Sox.

They should be getting rookie of the year candidate Evan Longoria back into their everyday lineup soon, which will help. But unless they can get back to doing what got them into this position, namely playing solid defense and shutting the door once they get a lead, they could very easily go from the feel-good story of the summer to also-rans in a hurry.
Speaking of teams on the decline, the Minnesota Twins are going to look back on this as a season of missed opportunities if they fail to make it to the post-season. They choked away yet another lead on Sunday, losing for the seventh time in their last ten games.

The late game collapses from the Twins have been even more troubling as the AL Central leading White Sox have lost six of their last ten games.

Unfortunately there is really nothing manager Ron Gardenhire can do in this situation has he has plenty of relievers to choose from with the expanded September rosters, they just haven't executed in the big moments.

You could argue that early season overuse of guys like Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain has put a strain on the bullpen as a whole, but when All-Star closer Joe Nathan is blowing saves left and right it just comes down to execution more than anything.

The normally sure-handed Twins defense has been lacking lately as well, contributing in no small way to several of the most recent losses. The Twins are currently tied for 21st in fielding percentage in the major leagues a year after finishing tied for 12th and costly errors have been a common thread for them all season.

They finish the season with only nine more games at home where they are 47-25 and have to go back out on the road for ten straight games in-between where they are 31-40. Things are not looking good for everyone's favorite small-market club.
Kobe Bryant is going to have surgery on a broken pinkie finger that will keep him sidelined for approximately six weeks. The Lakers open their regular season on October 28th, which conveniently enough is right around the time Bryant will be back at full strength.

You have to hand it to the guy for squeezing as much rest and relaxation time out of his Olympics-shortened off-season as possible. But something tells me he won't receive nearly as much scrutiny for this as he deserves.

It's obvious he doesn't want to go through training camp or the pre-season, and for a player of Bryant's stature I can't say I blame him. But ask yourself, if this was say, Allen Iverson, wouldn't the media be all over him like a cheap suit for this?

We're talking about practice here man, practice. What are we talking about? We're talking about practice, man, practice.

A day after I wrote this Bryant decided to forego the surgery on his finger because he claims the recovery process is too long and would affect his ability to lead the Lakers to a championship.

This of course sets him up to look like a tough, do-anything-for-the-team kind of guy and will surely help his image, which to this point has been that of a selfish gunner. Nice work Kobe!
Former University of California wide receiver DeSean Jackson caught six balls for 106 yards and added a 60-yard punt return in his first game as a pro for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Good thing the 49ers passed on that guy, twice. No way they could use a productive, talented wideout like that who just happens to be from California and played his college ball 25 minutes (without traffic) from Candlestick Park. What on Earth could offensive guru Mike Martz possibly do with a guy like that?

Oh by the way, the Niners leading receiver on Sunday in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals was running back Frank Gore who caught four passes for 55 yards, followed closely by tight end Vernon Davis.
On a happier note, I got a brand new 40" LCD TV this weekend and it's gorgeous.

It's About Time

2008-09-03T13:01:00.005-05:00

Just a quick update on an item mentioned in yesterday's Monday Musings post.

Cal head football coach Jeff Tedofrd has announced that sophomore quarterback Kevin Riley is still the starter and that there will be no more rotation involving senior Nate Longshore.

This couldn't have happened soon enough as Longshore has consistently been unable to step up in the crucial moments for the Golden Bears while making critical mistakes every step of the way. His two interception performance on Saturday vs. Michigan State was clearly all Tedford could stand and now the job is Riley's alone.

In five games dating back to last season (2 starts) Riley is a combined 53-for-80 (66%) for 765 yards with seven touchdowns and only one interception. He's also rushed for two touchdowns.

Monday Musings (The Tuesday Edition)

2008-09-02T23:00:00.007-05:00

Welcome to a special Tuesday Edition of Monday Musings thanks to the Labor Day holiday. I won't bore you with my golfing exploits over the weekend, so on with the show...

The college football season started with a bang and picked up right where last season left off with upsets a plenty.

Three top-25 teams lost to unranked opponents (Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh), another was beaten badly by a lower ranked team (Clemson) and Michigan found a way to lose their second-straight home opener.

This is why I love college football, because for those five teams it will be virtually impossible for them to win a national championship. Every game counts equally and there is no room for slow starts.

Oh, and they're OK too.
Tennessee head coach Phil Fullmer may never set foot in the state of California again. At least he won’t if he’s smart.
Cliff Lee became the major league’s first 20-game winner after he tossed a complete game shutout against the AL Central leading White Sox.

Lee now has credit for 20 of Cleveland’s 66 wins, which is remarkable. What’s even more impressive is that in seven of his wins the Indians have scored four runs or fewer and he picked up no-decisions in four games in which he gave up two runs or less.

He hasn’t lost since July 6th and has won six straight decisions giving up eight earned runs and seven walks in 47.2 inning pitched. Dominant doesn’t quite describe what Lee has done this season and he should be a lock to win the AL Cy Young Award.
There are reports that the Bengals’ wide receiver formally known as Chad Johnson has legally changed his name to Chad Ocho Cinco. This might be at the same time the dumbest and greatest attempt to market ones self in the history of sports.

One thing is for certain, if the NFL allows him to put Ocho Cinco on the back of his jersey (and I can’t see how they can stop him now), his will be the most purchased jersey in the league and it won’t be close.
Ricky Williams got a one-year contract extension with the Miami Dolphins. I have him on 1,400 yards and 8 touchdowns, no joke.
The San Francisco Giants have lost six of their last seven games and Barry Zito got lit up by the Reds on Friday. Order has officially been restored to major league baseball.
The Knicks traded for Patrick Ewing Jr. apparently hoping to distract fans from the awfulness that is the New York Knicks. Honestly, it will be pretty cool to see Ewing emblazoned on the back of a Knicks jersey once again, but they still suck. A lot.
Tiger Woods and his wife Elin are reportedly expecting their second child sometime this winter. This of course brings into question the story about him injuring his knee while running. You the man Tiger!
Brazilian superstar Robinho signed with Manchester City, favorite club of Oasis front man Noel Gallagher (new album in stores Oct. 6, yay!). This after powerhouse Chelsea thought it had the inside track on the 24-year-old.

I’m sure no one reading this will care, but anytime a talent like Robinho switches clubs it’s worth mentioning in my book. Thus ends the soccer portion of the program.
Vijay Singh won his second straight tournament by demolishing the field at the Deutsche Bank Championship, firing a final round 63 on his way to all but securing the $10 million bonus that goes to the winner of the FedEx Cup.

At 45, Singh looks as fit as ever and even his often-balky putter seems to be behaving for him.

I am supremely impressed by Singh who looks like he could play until he’s 55 without losing a step. He still hits it a mile and has the experience and moxy to do some serious damage in the majors next year.
Olympic gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh lost for the first time in 112 matches when they were beaten by the American team of Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh.

The loss came just over a year after their last defeat, which was also at the hands of Youngs and Branagh.

Say what you want about beach volleyball being a fringe sport, but you have to be impressed by the total dominance May and Walsh have shown over the last year.
Cal beat Michigan State 38-31 on Saturday in spite of senior quarterback Nate Longshore’s two crucial interceptions in limited duty.

I have no idea why Cal head coach Jeff Tedford continues to run him out there, but here’s hoping Longshore’s terrible effort on Saturday will further tighten sophomore Kevin Riley’s grip on the starting job and decrease the amount of playing time Tedford gives his senior QB.
Lastly, the LPGA is trying to pass a rule that requires its members to speak English or face suspension from the tour.

While it’s true that a growing number of the best players in the world hail from non-English speaking countries, making it mandatory for them to learn the language or lose playing privileges is out of line.

For a game that markets itself as a global competition the LPGA has clearly over-played its hand in this instance. They could never get this kind of rule passed on the men’s tour, and they are foolish to think they can do it for the women.

The LPGA needs to be happy about the rise in their popularity as a tour and keep its greatest assets, its players, as happy as possible and this is no way to do it.

A Time To Step Up And Sit Down

2008-08-27T22:40:00.003-05:00

Shawne Merriman is a tough guy.

He's so tough that he apparently is willing to risk his career as one of the best defensive players in the NFL, as well as his long-term health, to stand side-by-side with his teammates and try to capture that elusive Super Bowl ring.

Now that sounds noble and certainly proves Merriman's devotion to his teammates. However it also sounds like one of the worst ideas I've ever heard.

Not one, not two, not three, but four different doctors have told Merriman that he's risking career-ending injury by continuing to play on a knee that has tears in both the posterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments. That means he's putting himself at risk no matter what direction he tries to cut and run.

Last time I checked, running and cutting was a fairly important part of his job in chasing down quarterbacks and ball-carriers. Even if he is somehow able to move freely and endure the pain that those movements certainly bring him, lets not forget the linemen, tight ends and running backs who I doubt will stop and think about his knee before they try and cut him down on his way to the quarterback.

You can't begin to tell me that with his knee in the condition that it's in he can be anywhere near the caliber of player he expects himself to be. To me, his decision to continue playing is a selfish one in that in trying to prove how tough he is, he's actually hurting the defense as a unit.

There is an unwritten rule among football players that if you're hurt, you play. But if you're injured it's up to you to do what's best for your team. That is clearly something that Merriman will not do.

All that to say, the onus now is on the Chargers to cut Merriman off at the pass here. Beyond what a less-than-100% Merriman means to a defense built on speed and creating turnovers, the Chargers have a responsibility to protect the player from himself.

As far as I know no one is going to stop paying Merriman if he sits out this year. Sure he might lose out on a few bonuses for not making the Pro Bowl as well as other performance benchmarks, but they're not going to cut him.

So for the Chargers this comes down to protecting the health of one of their employees, something every organization in sports as well as business is supposed to do. If the Chargers allow Merriman to take the field this season and he does permanent damage to himself, they will share the blame evenly with Merriman himself for this unbelieveably poor decision.

Bad Break

2008-08-26T00:34:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note I wanted to pass along. Former Vikings' WR and friend of Quick Hits..., Jason Carter, was placed in injured reserve today by the Carolina Panthers after he tore his ACL in Saturday night's pre-season game vs. the Redskins.

This is really too bad because JC was pretty much assured of making the Panthers' 53-man roster and was finally going to get his shot in regular game action.

He's a tough guy so I'm sure he'll do everything he can to fight back from this and I suspect we'll see him on an NFL football field again.

Monday Musings

2008-08-25T14:54:00.013-05:00

The Olympics are now a distant memory, baseball is headed for the stretch run, college football starts this week and the NFL gets underway next week. It's a great time to be a sports fan.

The so-called "Redeem Team" won its gold medal after sweating through a spirited effort from Spain who gave the U.S. all it could handle. It wasn't the prettiest performance of the games for the NBA's brighest, but in the end they got the job done.

I stayed up late to watch the game live and I couldn't help but think about why the NBA game in my opinion is suffering a bit right now. Despite showcasing some of the biggest stars in the history of the game in Kobe and LeBron, it was disturbing just how fundamentally deficient most of the American players are.

Outside of point guards Chris Paul and Deron Williams who I thought managed the game well and played under control, the rest of the team did what NBA players do and relied too heavily on their stunning athleticism.

Too often they got out of position on defense because of poor footwork and it cost them as the Spanish team was able to penetrate at will while the Americans gambled for steals. On the offensive end it was an endless stream of out-of-control dashes to the basket or ill-advised three pointers that nearly got them beat in the one game that mattered most.

Like I said, a win is a win and bringing home the gold medal is the most important thing. However something needs to change about the way young American basketball players learn the game if we expect to get back to the type of utter dominance we all expect from the best players from the world's premier league.

Big props to the little league team from Hawaii who dominated the team from Mexico to take home the state's second Little League World Series title in four years.

I was really impressed by the team's style and especially pitcher Caleb Duhay's strike zone pounding approach. Too often the 11 and 12 year old players rely on big breaking balls and have a hard time locating any of their pitches because of poor mechanics. But I have to give it up to Duhay and his coaches for stressing the importance of throwing strikes.

I could have done without the big league home run trots from some of the kids, but hey, they were having fun with it so I can't really hate on that.

As it turns out the San Francisco 49ers may have been doomed no matter what when it came time to pick a quarterback in 2005.

The prevailing thought that year was that if Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart had left USC early that he would have been the Niners' #1 pick. As it turned out he stayed in school and they picked Utah's Alex Smith instead.

Fast forward to today and both Smith and Leinart have been passed over for starting gigs on their respective teams. Hey, maybe they could swap the signal callers for one another and see what happens.

Two of the NFL's fiercest defensive players have been hit with major injuries in the last week as Chargers' defensive end Shawne Merriman found out he has two ligament tears in his left knee, and Giants' end Osi Umenyiora is out for the season with an ACL tear.

Merriman has yet to make a decision whether or not he'll try to play through the injury, but if I were him I'd take the season off and try to get healthy. It does make you wonder however if his past steroid use has anything to do with the sudden breakdown of a once unbreakable physique.

For Umenyiora the injury is unfortunate, but reports are that it may have saved us from having to watch Michael Strahan yuck it up on Fox this season as he is considering a comeback.

Fellow NFC East defensive end Jason Taylor escaped a potentially devastating end to his first season in Washington as he only sprained his right knee against the Panthers Saturday night. He'll be out 10-14 days and may miss the season opener.

These types of injuries can of course occur at any time in a game as violent as football, but once again it has to call into the question the need for four pre-season games. When you add mini and training camps to the mix it seems to me that most teams would be able to make personnel decisions with just two of the meaningless contests. Of course then the poor NFL might lose out on millions in revenue, so we know that won't happen anytime soon.

If you like baseball even a little bit you have to be impressed with what's going on in Tampa Bay this season. Even without their two best players (Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria) the Rays have managed to hang onto a 4.5 game lead in the AL East with no signs of slowing down.

Last week I wrote that they should be taking a closer look at Barry Bonds as a possible fill-in in the middle of their batting order, but the way they are playing right now makes have to re-think that. Hell, if it weren't for the non-hustle of center fielder B.J. Upton they might have an even bigger lead right now.

Cal head football coach Jeff Tedford finally came to his senses (sort of) and named sophomore Kevin Riley the team's starting quarterback after a heated competition this spring between Riley and and senior incumbent Nate Longshore.

Of course Tedford wouldn't commit all the way to Riley, saying that Longshore would indeed play in the season opener against Michigan State. That of course is exactly what you want to do with a young quarterback, have him looking over his shoulder constantly. Just ask Matt Leinart how that is working out in Arizona.

Thanks to NBC's coverage of the Olympics, most of the world missed out on one of the best performances by one of the brightest young golfers on the planet, New Zealand's Danny Lee.

Lee, who was born in South Korea, became the youngest ever to win the U.S. Amateur, wiping out one of Tiger Woods' myriad of amateur records. At just 18 years (and 1 month) old, Lee is the top-ranked amateur player in the world and he justified that ranking by steamrolling Florida State's Drew Kittleson, 5 and 4.

Lee was an impressive 11-under par through the 32 holes played on Sunday on the famed and monstrously difficult Pinehurst No. 2. The Golf Channel broadcast every round of the event, but for a tournament that has seen its share of non-descript champions over the last several years, it was really too bad that Lee didn't get the network TV treatment the biggest tournament in amateur golf usually gets.

Look out for Lee in next year's first two majors, The Masters and the U.S. Open, where he would be teeing it up with the big boys as long as keeps his amateur status. Lee was great to watch with his go-for-it style and Tiger-like ability to extract himself from trouble all over the course.

When told of his possible pairing with Woods in the 2009 U.S. Open Lee was, lets say, a little excited.

"Oh, my God. ... Yeah. That's a, oh, that's a special thing for me. ... Wow. I'm going to beat him."

Good luck with that Danny.
The other U.S. Open starts today, begging the question, if a tennis tournament happens and no one hears it, does it make a sound?
The San Francisco Giants have won a season-high 5 straight games and Barry Zito has won back-to-back starts. Someone check on Hell to make sure no one down there needs a coat.
7 Miami football players have been suspended for the season opener against Charlston Southern and the sun will rise tomorrow morning. So not much has changed really.
Had my first fantasy football draft last night and landed the #1 overall pick. I had to take LaDainian Tomlinson even though he's not who I really wanted. Not sure why exactly, I guess I'm just dreading a decline in his production at some point.

The rest of my roster includes QBs Drew Brees and Davis Garrard, RBs Darren McFadden, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Ray Rice, WRs Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Ted Ginn Jr., Nate Burleson and Ronald Curry, TE Vernon Davis and Ks Mason Crosby and Jeff Reed.

Not bad, but I look at this team and I think I'm either going to win the whole thing or finish dead last. There will be no in between.
One last late note from today. Oregon QB Nate Costa will be sidelined for a minimum of 8-10 weeks after he re-injured his surgically repaired left knee. As you'll remember it was another knee injury that torpedoed the Ducks chances at a shot at the title last year when former QB Dennis Dixon was injured.

The Power Of Three: Athletes Turned Sportscasters

2008-08-22T19:51:00.006-05:00

Watch any telecast of any sporting event anywhere and 99% of the time right there alongside the host or play-by-play man will be an ex-athlete who has traded his career as an on-field participant for a seat in the broadcast booth.

Generally speaking these ex-athletes provide a nice balance with their usually overly dramatic and sometimes clueless partners, providing insight that only someone with experience in that particular sport can give.

In the best cases the ex-athlete will add that little extra something to a broadcast that can help the average fan at home better understand what it is they're seeing and why the subtle nuances of sport are so important.

Many times however the untrained, vocabulary-less jock-in-a-tie will drag their professionally trained cohort down leaving them to sort out the jumbled mess of a production that, while at times amusing, is usually enough for people to turn off the sound or change the channel altogether.

Here now a quick look at three former players who I think have made an effortless transition from the field to the booth and three that need to go enjoy their millions and leave the rest of us in peace.

Top Three:

Troy Aikman - Far and away the best football player turned broadcaster, it took Aikman just a single season before he had ascended to the top spot as part of the lead broadcast team at Fox alongside Emmy Award winner Joe Buck.

One of the rare ex-athletes who can at times actually carry a broadcast when the better-suited-for-baseball Buck finds himself without anything interesting to say. Aikman is the one guy I look forward to hearing from every Sunday as he is the perfect blend of quality delivery and deep knowledge base.
Orel Hershiser - Once one of the toughest pitchers in baseball, Hershiser has carried his studied and professional approach on the mound over into the broadcast booth where he currently works as an analyst for ESPN.

Known during his playing days for always being prepared, Hershiser clearly the brings the same attitude to his work as an announcer as he always seems to have that little nugget of information that the casual fan will undoubtedly learn something from. He's steady, reliable and professional and a treat to listen to whether he's covering the stars in the big leagues or the kids at the Little League World Series.
Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow - I'll admit it, this is a homer pick from me, but I don't really care. Known to San Francisco Giants fans simply as "Kruk and Kuip" these two ex-ballplayers form what for my money is the best broadcast team in all of baseball. And it's not even close, meat.

From Kruk's "Eliminator" to Kuip's now (in)famous home run call, this duo is the total package when it comes to doing baseball. They're funny, insightful, passionate and professional. No over-the-top homerism's or annoying schtick here, just two good baseball men who deliver quality broadcast after quality broadcast. It's a shame more people don't get the chance to listen to them, but to be honest as a Giants fan it's kind of nice to have something this good all to myself.

Honorable Mention - Tom Jackson (ESPN), Patrick McEnroe (CBS, ESPN), Mark Jackson (ESPN), Daryl Johnston (Fox), Nick Faldo (CBS, Golf Channel, ESPN), Jay Bilas (ESPN), Gary McCord (CBS), David Feherty (CBS)

Bottom Three:

Emmitt Smith - One of the all-time greatest football players and one hell of a dancer, Smith has surprisingly fallen flat on his face as a studio analyst for ESPN's Monday Night Countdown.

There's no questioning his credentials, but more often than not his analysis is a difficult to understand mish-mash of words that unfortunately at times paint him as unintelligent. While that is certainly not the case, his obvious lack of broadcasting savvy makes him downright difficult to watch.
Eric Young - The Mayor of Souvenir City, Young made his mark in the big leagues as a guy who was dependable and flexible, playing both the infield and outfield at the highest level. These days fans of ESPN's Baseball Tonight are forced to watch him commit error after error on the set of the popular show.

While I could have picked from several of Baseball Tonight's analysts (Orestes Desdrade, Eduardo Perez, Fernando Vina) it's Young who takes the cake with an uncanny ability to muck up highlight after highlight with his non-existent sense of timing and smoothness.
Bill Walton - Passionate, check. Intelligent, check. Knowledgeable, double-check. Annoying as all get out, oh hell yes. Walton is the rare athlete turned broadcaster who somehow manages to deliver interesting information that would in most cases enhance a broadcast, but instead manages to make me want to pull my nose hairs out one by one.

No one rambles quite like Walton who routinely forces those brave enough to interview him to cut him off mid-sentence in order to move the show forward. He knows his stuff and his love for the game is astounding, but when I'd rather smash my finger in a car door than listen to someone carry on as Walton does, something is terribly wrong.

(Dis)Honorable Mention - Keyshawn Johnson (ESPN), Rick Sutcliffe (ESPN), Brian Baldinger (Fox), Mark May (ESPN, ABC), Lanny Wadkins (CBS), Ron Santo (Cubs Radio), Mark Grace (FSN Arizona)

Matchup: Alex Smith vs. J.T. O'Sullivan

2008-08-20T19:49:00.011-05:00

Welcome to another of the weekly features I'm rolling out here at Quick Hits... simply called "Matchup". Each week I'll take two opposing figures, teams, issues, etc. and pit them against one another.

This week we start with the hot topic surrounding the San Francisco 49ers these days, the quarterback battle. Former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith has seemingly lost his job to journeyman J.T. O'Sullivan and on the eve of their third pre-season game we take a closer look at who should be calling the shots in the city by the bay.

Alex Smith - To this point in his career you could call Alex Smith a bona fide bust and another in a long line of quarterbacks taken early who fell flat on his face.

His career quarterback rating of 63.5 is lower than that of fellow first-round flops Cade McNown and Todd Marinovich thanks in large part to a 19-to-31 touchdown-to-interception ratio over his three year career.

Thought to be a cerebral signal caller with the ability to move and make plays on the run, Smith instead has been the picture of confusion on the field. Routinely holding the ball too long and making questionable decisions with the football, Smith has done little to prove his backers right.

To point out just how ineffective he's been in his efforts to put points of the board, in 32 career games he's completed only 11 passes on 40 yards or more and has averaged only 5.8 yards per completion.

However for all his faults, it's impossible to place the blame solely at his feet. Not once in his going on four year career has Smith had the same offensive coordinator from one season to the next. That's like showing up to your 9-to-5 every January 1st only to find out everything you were doing the year before is obsolete and you've been returned to "new guy" status. Not fun.

Add to that a less-than-stellar supporting cast and an untimely injury here and there, and the weight of No. 1 overall expectations become near impossible to carry. To most who know what they're talking about, the verdict on Smith is still out. But has his window of opportunity closed or will he get one last shot to prove himself worthy of his lofty draft status?

J.T. O'Sullivan - When you talk about O'Sullivan you can basically forget tossing out any sort of career numbers. In fact he barely has any to speak of having only appeared in five games and attempting only 26 passes, all of them last year in mop-up duty with the Detroit Lions.

Originally a 6th-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2002, O'Sullivan was inactive for his entire first two seasons in the NFL before being waived and then traded to the Green Bay Packers.

O'Sullivan's most notable accomplishments came as a top quarterback in NFL Europa where he led the Frankfurt Galaxy to the World Bowl in 2004 and was named Offensive co-MVP in 2007. Coming off of that MVP performance overseas, O'Sullivan caught the eye of new 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz while he was with the Detroit Lions.

That turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to O'Sullivan who, until meeting Martz, had underwhelmed each and every NFL offensive coordinator he had come in contact with. The guy was even cut by the offensively challenged '06 Vikings.

Through two pre-season games with the 49ers, O'Sullivan is 13-for-25 with a touchdown and an interception, which along with his performance on the practice field (and in Martz's heart) has apparently been enough to convince the 49ers coaching staff that O'Sullivan is their guy.

The Verdict - The reports out of San Francisco have head coach Mike Nolan deferring to his offensive coordinator in this case in an effort to save his job. Which to me means Nolan must really want out of San Francisco, bad.

Just the thought of J.T. O'Sullivan as the 49ers opening day quarterback makes me throw up in my mouth just a little. Honestly, can somebody please explain to me what he's done to earn the starting gig here? I bet you can't. Hell, I bet he can't.

I'm not going to sit here and try to convince you that Alex Smith is all of a sudden going to turn into Tom Brady, but he deserves the opportunity to start for a team that is finally starting to come together in all the other facets of the game.

Not only is Smith the more experienced player, but for my money he's the superior talent. He's quicker on his feet, he's got a cleaner delivery of the football (O'Sullivan kind of pushes the ball out) and having seen O'Sullivan up close I can tell you that Smith couldn't possibly be as bad a decision maker as the man poised to take his job.

O'Sullivan will get the start on Thursday night and likely will do the same in the regular season opener against the Arizona Cardinals. For 49ers fans that fact may very well signal an early look ahead to 2009.

Anyone have Brady Quinn's phone number?

Monday Musings

2008-08-18T21:51:00.006-05:00

Welcome to an all-new feature here at Quick Hits... that I like to call "Monday Musings". Every Monday I'll take a quick look at the stories that caught my eye from the week prior and share my thoughts on each.

What better place to start of course than with Michael Phelps, the man who may have cemented his place as the greatest Olympic athlete of all time with a week-long performance for the ages in which he tallied eight (that's 8!!!) gold medals and surpassed the once thought untouchable record held by the great Mark Spitz

I've been alive for eight (spooky) Olympic Games and never before have felt the type of palpable heart-thumping nervousness during an Olympic event that I felt each and every time Phelps took to the pool.

His truly astounding feat of athleticism is something that I feel privileged to have seen and something that I will no doubt be telling my kids about years from now.
Another Olympic athlete who grabbed the spotlight and refused to let it go was gymnast Nastia Liukin. Now anyone who knows me knows that I don't particularly care for the non-sport that is gymnastics (we'll save that discussion for later), but I was captivated by the perpetually leggy Liukin and her stunning gold medal performance in the individual all-around competition.

Perhaps it was the influence of her Olympic champion father, 1988 gold-medalist Valeri Liukin, but the unbelievable focus that Nastia exhibited in the face of a highly-biased crowd as well as some questionable judging was nothing short of extraordinary.

Phelps had me glued to the television for obvious reasons, but it was Liukin who surprisingly grabbed my attention and became arguably my favorite Olympian in 2008.
Staying with the Olympic theme for just a bit longer, I'd be remissed if I didn't mention the disappointments that unfortunately stood out among all the American triumphs in Beijing.

First would have to be gymnast and team captain Alicia Sacramone, whose two major mistakes during the the team finals will forever be seen as the difference between silver and gold for the American women.

What was saddest about the situation was that it was clear that Sacramone was the inspirational leader on a team poised to make history. In the face of key injuries, Sacramone could be seen pumping up her less experienced teammates and you could feel the disappointment when she failed to hold up her end of the bargain.

Impressively, Sacramone refused to pout or make excuses, choosing instead to do what all good leaders do and take responsibility for her missteps.

The other massive disappointment in my eyes was the non-performance of swimmer Katie Hoff who came into the games as a strong favorite in several events and yet consistently came up short in the biggest moments.

First she failed to qualify for the event most had her pegged to win pre-race, the 800-meter freestyle, and followed that lackluster performance up with several more down-the-stretch fade jobs.

While her Olympics weren't a total failure as she managed two bronze medals and one silver, the lasting image of Hoff for me will be the bewildered look she seemed to flash at the end of every race, as if to imply that even she could not believe how poorly she performed overall.
Jamaica's Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world and already I can't wait until someone slaps that stupid grin off his face.
Mixed feelings about the San Francisco Giants $6.2 million bonus for their top draft choice, catcher Buster Posey out of Florida State.

Part of me is excited to get the young man into the fold and happy to see the organization's commitment to scouting and signing big time talent. But I also find myself having to question the notion of any team giving a guy with exactly zero major league at-bats that kind of money guaranteed.

I can't fault Posey or his agent Scott Boras for seeking the large payday as they clearly were just exploiting the system as it stands. I just hope for the Giants sake that Posey reaches the big leagues quickly and has the kind of impact that many in the know think he can.

By comparison the number one overall pick, high school shortstop Tim Beckham, received a $6.15 million bonus from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Vikings' QB Tarvaris Jackson suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee during the team's second pre-season game on Saturday. An injury that at first was believed to be only a bruise.

Reports are that Jackson should not miss the Vikings' season opener on Monday Night Football in Green Bay, and may in fact play as early as this Saturday vs. the Steelers. As many people have mentioned, Jackson holds the key to the Vikings' fortunes in 2008. However I hardly see the difference in the offense when Jackson is at the helm and when veteran backup Gus Frerotte is leading the charge.

Sure Jackson brings the added element of athleticism and escape-ability, but with a nicked up leg you have to wonder just how effective the still unfinished Jackson can be should he be forced to miss the final two pre-season games.
That other quarterback who nearly landed in Minneapolis did pretty well in his first action with his new team. Yay. But his name will still never grace this blog.
If we have indeed seen the last of Tom Glavine, the sure-fire Hall of Fame pitcher will be remembered as one of the best ever and a true inspiration to me in my younger days as a pitcher.
What in the Eastern Hemisphere is going on with all of these B and C-list NBA players defecting overseas? The latest player on the move is former New Orleans Hornet Jannero Pargo who agreed on a one-year deal with Dynamo Moscow worth a reported $3.5 million after taxes.

Now I've never been one to say a guy shouldn't do something that is clearly in their best interests financially, but this is an alarming and disturbing trend if you're a fan of NBA basketball.

Along with Pargo, former Magic guard Carlos Arroyo took a three-year deal from Israel's Maccabi Tel-Aviv, former Bobcats guard (and my wife's favorite player) Earl Boykins signed a one-year deal with Italy's Virtus Bologna and former Hawks forward Josh Childress signed a three-year deal with Greek club Olympiacos.

Now I don't believe for a second that the Kobe Bryant's and LeBron James' of the world would make that kind of jump, but it makes you wonder just what's going on in the NBA when legitimate NBA-caliber talent is choosing to play somewhere other than the best basketball league on Earth.
In the same week the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays lost arguably their two best offensive players to injury, left-fielder Carl Crawford and the game's best rookie, third baseman Evan Longoria.

Longoria may be back sooner than later, but Crawford will miss the remainder of the regular season and it would be quite impressive if he were ready for the playoffs should the Rays make it that far.

Of course there is one man out there who by all accounts is in great shape, rearing to go and willing to play for the minimum. He hit 28 home runs in 2007 with an OPS of 1.051 and did it all while playing in only 126 games, the bulk of which he played in one of the best pitcher's ballparks in all of baseball.

His name of course is Barry Bonds and even the Rays, who have gone from annual cellar-dweller to first place darlings in the course of the last calendar year, will not touch him with a 34-inch/32-oz. maple bat. Did I mention he's willing to play for the league minimum?

Unfortunately for Bonds and the few of us in the world who long to see him play one more time, there is virtually no chance he will find himself on a big league roster ever again. It's near impossible to prove collusion of course, but I for one firmly believe there is no solid baseball reason why a team in contention and in need of a bat couldn't take on Bonds and his unquestionable talent.
Meanwhile the Arizona Diamondbacks gave up two prospects and a legit big league starter in the form of Micah Owings to acquire Reds' slugger Adam Dunn for the next two months.

Dunn will hit the open market at season's end and is likely to receive a hefty payday from someone. I watched him all last year and you can't tell me Barry Bonds is any worse in the outfield than Dunn and I'd be willing to bet Bonds wouldn't hit .236.

OK, I'll stop.
The Georgia Bulldogs are the consensus No. 1 team in the country according to the major pre-season college football polls. It's the first time since 1982 that the Dawgs have been ranked that high.

Good luck fellas. One look at that brutal schedule which includes road games at #15 Arizona State, #7 LSU and #10 Auburn, not to mention games against #24 Alabama, #18 Tennessee and #5 Florida and it's hard to imagine Mark Richt and company maintaining their lofty perch.
Tiger Woods should be player of the year on the PGA Tour, period. Four wins including a one-legged U.S. Open win, a 2nd place finish at the Masters and a 5th at the WGC-CA Championship is all the proof you need.

Apologies to back-to-back major winner Padraig Harrington, but Woods still tops the tour money list by over $1 million with $5.75 million in earnings, and despite not playing since June would enter this week's FedEx Cup Playoff opener as the top seed.

Aside from a 5th place finish at the Masters, Harrington's best showing in a tournament with Woods in the field was a 17th place finish in the WGC Accenture Match Play tournament.

I rest his case.
As for my beloved San Francisco 49ers, it's looking like journeyman quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan will be the opening day starter for new offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

This decision baffles me as I had a chance to see first hand just how dreadfully awful O'Sullivan (they're calling him JTO, of course) really is at Vikings training camp in 2006. That team broke camp with Brad Johnson as the starter, Mike McMahon as the backup and a rookie Tarvaris Jackson as the third-stringer. In other words, they just said no to JTO.

Suddenly the man deemed not worthy enough to hold a clipboard in front of Mike McMahon has seemingly supplanted former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith. Smith has never really had a chance in my opinion, as Martz is now his fourth different offensive coordinator in his four years as a pro.

Niner fans have no fear however, we'll soon get to hear these words again:

With the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select...

So that should be fun.
Lastly, I feel compelled to mention that former Vikings' practice squad wide receiver Jason Carter is just about assured of making the opening day roster for the Carolina Panthers and thanks to a few key injuries he should see significant playing time right out of the box.

He was already turning heads at Panthers camp and now it looks like his opportunity has finally arrived. I've long been a fan of the versatile Carter who I'm convinced could have helped the Vikings in the passing game from day one but never got a real shot.

Stay tuned for an update on his progress and a possible Q&A session with the man himself.

The Reboot

2008-08-08T17:28:00.003-05:00

Hello all. As you've probably noticed, the frequency with which I am posting here at Quick Hits... has slowed considerably in the past month or so.

That is going to end soon because I will be rolling out a whole new batch of content on a much more normal basis very soon. Keep an eye out for several new features that, if they seem to be popular, may become weekly ones.

As always, I really enjoy hearing what people have to say about what I write. So I'd ask that as the new stuff starts to come out that you take a quick second to leave me a comment no matter how long or short it may be.

Lastly, you can now subscribe to Quick Hits... by using the handy little widget on the side of the page.

Thanks and come back soon.

Doc

Favre. What More Can You Say?

2008-07-27T20:13:00.006-05:00

Don't get me wrong here, I think Brett Favre is one of the best quarterbacks in the history of football and I think even at his age he could help several teams.

But dammit, I am sick and tired of all things #4.

Come back, don't come back, I don't care. Just please, for the love of all things, do something. Word out of Green Bay today is that Favre will apply for reinstatement but not show up at Packers camp where he would be rivaled only by the Ringling Bros. for the kind of circus he would bring to town.

So we know he'll be back, yay. But who knows how long it will be before we know where that will be and even then we'll no doubt be inundated with even more Favre coverage as his new team's current quarterback(s) will surely be miffed. And rightfully so.

Whichever team sees Favre fall into their laps will undoubtedly say all the right things about how thrilled they are to have a soon-to-be Hall of Famer in their midst. But make no mistake, that team better win and win big or else.

I can see it now, Favre-led Team X gets off to a slow start as his teammates fail to hold up their end of the bargain in the Bonds-ian spotlight that will surely shine across their locker room.

Favre openly calls out his new mates and questions publicly whether or not he made the right choice coming back. Team X begins to rot from the inside out and ultimately they limp home and miss the playoffs completely.

Meanwhile Favre, still in playing shape, retires again only to fuel speculation come June 2009 that the fire may still be there and the circus begins again.

Lets be honest here for a second. It won't matter what team he ends up with, that team will not win a Super Bowl. And you know that in his heart of hearts Favre wants nothing more than to pull an Elway and ride off into the sunset the conquering hero, an ending that will not come to pass and we will be forced to live through at least one more year of this.

So if you're like me and you've had you fill of Favre, be sure to come back to Quick Hits... often as you can rest assured that this will be the last time he's mentioned in this space. Promise.

Talking Vikings With Football Guys.Com

2008-07-10T21:09:00.003-05:00

Spent some time today talking Minnesota Vikings football with Cecil Lammey from FootballGuys.com.

Check out my interview here: Adam Talks Vikings on The Audible

The Goose Is Loose

2008-06-20T11:19:00.003-05:00

Retief Goosen is a two-time U.S. Open champion and one of the best golfers in the world. But apprently he's not the brightest golfer in the world.

Goosen claimed he was be "light-hearted" when he accused Tiger Woods of exaggerating his knee injury on his way to the U.S. Open title last week, but I'm not buying it.

When asked if Tiger could have been faking it, Goosen responded, "I think so. It just seemed that when he hit a bad shot his knee was in pain and on his good shots he wasn’t in pain.

“You see when he made the putts and he went down on his knees and was shouting ‘Yeah’ his knee wasn’t sore. Nobody really knows if he was just showing off or if he was really injured. I believe if he was really injured he would not have played.”

OK, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here in that if you only saw the highlights of Woods' win you might get the impression that only his bad shots were followed by painful grimaces.

Goosen clearly however failed to see Tiger nearly falling over in pain on several drives that split the middle of the fairway or watched him limp around the greens using his putter as a cane.

The fact of the matter is that Woods had multiple stress fractures in his left leg as well as a ruptured ACL. The injuries will cost him the rest of the season, so clearly they are serious.

“No one but Tiger knows how badly hurt he was," said Goosen. "But if he was really badly hurt, he would have withdrawn, wouldn’t he?”

The answer is no Retief. Maybe you would have pulled out, and most likely just about anyone else would have too, but that's why he's Tiger Woods and you're not.

More Human Than Human

2008-06-18T13:55:00.003-05:00

So I've spent the better part of the last few days trying to first digest what was truly one of the best U.S. Open's ever played and second how in the world a man with one leg could have won the damn thing.

The revelation that Tiger Woods prevailed after five days of grueling, pressure-packed golf while at the same time suffering from a ruptured ACL AND two stress fractures in his left leg has left myself and the sporting world as a whole in awe of his major triumph.

What can you really say, other than Woods is the greatest competitor in sports today and probably one of the five greatest athletes to ever live?

Woods' U.S. Open performance makes the comeback stories of Willis Reed and Kirk Gibson look downright weak, and I mean that with all due respect. Those two limped onto the field of play for a matter of mere minutes, while Woods endured five days of the highest level of competition the game of golf has to offer.

Even Woods' close friend Michael Jordan, who famously took the court with the flu in the NBA Finals and led his team to a crucial win, never went through the type of physical and mental anguish that Woods did.

Knowing what we know now of the severity of Woods' injuries, that performance was quite simply one of the three or four best of all time, in any sport.

The fact that he won ten times, came in second twice and fifth once in 13 events since rupturing his ACL running at home in Orlando makes him one of the toughest SOB's anyone has ever seen.

Don't believe me? Go tear your ACL, then walk 15-20 miles over the span of four days for 13 weeks, all the while every 300 or so yards planting your bad leg in the ground and twisting it with as much force as you can. Go ahead and try it, it'll be fun, trust me.

The larger question of course is whether or not it was worth it. Was it worth missing the remainder of the 2008 season and possibly compromising the rest of a career to limp onto Torrey Pines and gut out a 91-hole win?

Only Woods truly can answer that question, and from all that we've heard it obviously was worth the risk. That of course should surprise no one given Woods' track record of success on the biggest stage.

Woods also has a track record of being able to bounce back from surgery and rehab to play at his abnormally high level. I would not be surprised at all to see him right back at Torrey Pines in late January of 2009, hoisting the trophy for the Buick Invitational, a tournament he's won six times before.

So if your name is Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Luke Donald or any other non-major winning star, the time is now. The time is now for you to step up and win that elusive big prize because if you don't you're going to have to deal with a healthy Tiger Woods and who knows what could happen if he is able to play on two good legs.

I've joked in the past that Woods is not human. Well the truth is that he's very human, he just might be a little more human than the rest of us. Get well soon Tiger, we can't wait to see what you do next.

Great Scott

2008-06-06T14:26:00.005-05:00

Adam Scott is one of the best golfers on the planet. He's young, good-looking and along with Sergio Garcia is probably the best player who has yet to win a major championship.

He's long off the tee (8th in driving distance), can be a clutch putter down the stretch (see: 2008 Byron Nelson, 2006 TOUR Championship, 2004 Players Championship) and it would seem only a matter of time before he wins the big one.

He's the third ranked player in the world, and when he tees it up in the first two rounds of next week's U.S. Open at Torrey Pines he could very well be the most insignificant player in the field.

How is that possible, you ask?

Simple. His playing partners on Thursday and Friday will be none other than Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. If you're keeping score at home that's Tiger 13, Phil 3 and Adam zero when it comes to majors won. Yikes.

You have to wonder who with the USGA did Scott piss off to find himself in what can only be regarded as the group of death? Did he play "hide the pitching wedge" with a tournament officials daughter? In a fit of rage did he bury a 9-iron in the door of someones Mercedes?

Whatever he did, it clearly wasn't good as the powers that be have decided that this year's U.S. Open sacrificial lamb will be sporting a Burberry polo.

Scott, who is known for his very attractive galleries, will have to hope that the stone-cold SoCal hotties who come out to see him strut around Torrey's fairways have their stilts handy because they'll be lucky to catch a glimpse of his Titleist hat let alone a full on view of the Australian star.

Now there are two ways to look at this if you're Scott.

The first way is to simply pack it in and try to stay out of the way as the games two biggest stars trade shots. Enjoy the gorgeous San Diego weather, focus on making the cut and cash a nice little check.

The second way however is to take the USGA's decision to insert you in this pairing as a vote of confidence in your game, then go out there and show the world that you're a force to reckoned with.

True golf fans everwhere will of course hope that Scott will choose the latter and make it a true battle of the games elite players and not just a week long two-man show which the media seems to want to make every major.

For Scott this is (pardon the pun) a major opportunity to take the next step in what has already been a very good career. This is his opportunity to make his good career great.

Armed with one of the most technically sound swings you'll ever see and all the bubbling star power we want in our big time athletes, if ever there was a time for the 27-year-old Scott to turn the corner, I think it's safe to say that the time is now.

The Power Of Expectation

2008-06-04T14:21:00.004-05:00

The year is 2003 and expectations are high.

The San Francisco Giants, fresh off a heart-breaking loss in the World Series the year before, finish the regular season by winning the NL West by 15.5 games and with 100 wins overall.

They boast the best hitter on the planet in Barry Bonds who wins his sixth MVP at season's end and Cy Young runner-up Jason Schmidt who rips off 17 wins and an ERA under 2.40.

Without question this is a team with their sites set on a return trip to the World Series and a chance at redemption.

Things seem to be going to plan after game one of the Divisional Series with the Wild Card-winning Florida Marlins after Schmidt tosses a three-hit shutout to give the Giants a lead in the five game series.

Then, seemingly without warning, the Giants begin to fall apart. Game two sees the Giants cough up two separate leads and commit two costly errors, a theme that would ultimately be their undoing.

Game three is more of the same as Giants right fielder Jose Cruz Jr., winner of a Gold Glove in 2003, commits a terrible error in the bottom of the 11th inning with the Giants leading 3-2. His muffed fly ball leads to a Marlins rally on Giants closer Tim Worrell and makes the series 2-1 in favor of the Marlins.

As if written in some sort of sick script it's 2002 World Series goat Felix Rodriguez on the hill for the Giants when the Marlins score twice in the bottom of the 8th inning of game four which ultimately propels them to a win in the game and the series.

The Marlins will go on to win the World Series over the Yankees, making it two years in a row that the Giants will lose to the champions of baseball. A small consolation to Giants fans.

The series loss precipitates one of the worst trades in baseball history as the Giants trade relief pitcher Joe Nathan and starting pitching prospects Boof Bonser and Francisco Liriano to the Twins in exchange for catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

Nathan, who was coming off two appearances in the series with the Marlins in which he gave up four hits and three earned runs in a third of an inning, goes on to become one of the most dominant closers in baseball for the Twins.

Bonser earns a starting job for one of the better teams in baseball, while Liriano becomes one of the most electric starters in all of baseball before succumbing to an injury the next year.

Pierzynski meanwhile plays one very average season for the Giants, becomes a locker room cancer and bails the very next year.

The Giants haven't sniffed the playoffs since and have suffered through several seasons of management trying to recreate the 2002-2003 magic with aging veterans and larger-than-necessary contracts.

The reason for the fall is simple of course, and the answer is expectation. So painfully close were the Giants to a World Series ring that GM Brian Sabean and the rest of the team's brain trust were basically suckered into trying to win now at any cost.

Along with the Pierzynski trade, another byproduct of the expectations was the signing of past-his-prime closer Armando Benitez and the subsequent loss of their first round draft pick in 2005.

That pick could have been used on any number of big time talents from that draft including Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, Matt Garza and Colby Rasmus, all of whom were drafted after the Giants would have picked at #22 overall.

How did the Giants do in the 2005 draft? Only one of their picks, left-hander Alex Hinshaw who made his debut this year, has even made it to the major leagues. Ellsbury meanwhile is the starting center fielder in Boston, Buchholz has a big league no-hitter to his credit, Garza is proving to be a big time pickup for the first place Rays and Rasmus ranks as one of Baseball America's top 10 prospects in all of baseball.

Fast forward to today, June 4, 2008, my 28th birthday.

The Giants find themselves nine games under .500 and in third place in NL West, and all things considered I couldn't be happier. The difference? You guessed it, expectations.

The 2008 season for the Giants brought with it some of the lowest expectations in quite some time thanks to the departure of Bonds and the acknowledged rebuilding efforts of the front office.

Some were calling the Giants the worst team on paper that they had ever seen (ahem, Buster Olney), and here they sit in third place and with the fifth pick in the upcoming draft. Things are looking up if you ask me.

They have a true ace and one of the most exciting young pitchers in the game in Tim Lincecum. Solid starters behind him in Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez. Hell, even that terrible contract they gave Barry Zito doesn't bother me so much right now.

It's been a lot of fun to watch the Giants finally give some young players a shot to prove they can play in the big leagues. Players like Fred Lewis, Emmanuel Burriss, John Bowker and Brian Wilson have all been pleasant surprises and more than a breath of fresh air.

Ultimately this team may end up as the worst in baseball record-wise, but honestly I couldn't care less. Watching these kids grow together as a team and seeing them play hard and surprise a lot of people (D-Backs, hello) has made this expectation-less season already one to remember for myself and Giants fans everywhere.

Powerless

2008-05-20T13:46:00.005-05:00

On name recognition alone, the Minnesota Twins have one of the more impressive and young middle-of-the-order trios in all of baseball.

Between them, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Delmon Young are the kind of high-profile talents that most teams would love to build their lineups around for the foreseeable future.

However there is one glaring issue that hangs over their heads like a long Minnesota winter. And that is a near total lack of power.

We'll excuse Morneau from this discussion as he's proven he can provide the pop necessary to drive in runs and drive the ball over the fence. But for Mauer and Young the outlook is not quite as bright.

Both were number one overall picks in their respective draft classes (2001 and 2003) and both have "projectable" power in their bats. At least that's what scouts will tell you and what Twins fans hope is true.

However a look at their track records point to something entirely different and startlingly familiar if you've followed the Twins so far in 2008.

We'll start with Mauer, or Baby Jesus as we like to call him. Ever since eschewing a chance to play football at Florida State, Mauer has been the darling of his home state organization. A big time athlete at the game's premium position, Mauer was said to have all the tools to do for catchers what Cal Ripken Jr. did for shortstops.

Always able to put the bat on the ball and possessing a sweet lefty stroke, most observers of a young Mauer believed that like most young top-prospect position players, the power would come soon enough.

Three seasons in the minor leagues and a career minor league batting average of over .330 later, it was time to unleash Mauer on the American League. And while he has certainly established himself as one of the very best backstops in baseball, the one thing that has yet to surface is the power.

But should that be such a huge surprise?

In 1,055 minor league at-bats Mauer managed a measly nine home runs, that's one every 117 at-bats. So far in his big league career he's got 35 homers in 1,664 at-bats, or one every 47.5 at-bats.

While it's true that his big league numbers are certainly an improvement, by comparison the AL's other top catcher, Victor Martinez of Cleveland, has hit a home run once ever 29 at-bats in his big league career (curiously he has also yet to homer in 2008).

This is not to say Mauer will never find his power stroke, but it looks more and more likely every day that the guy once thought of as a rare four-tool catcher may really be more of a three-tool guy with light hitting, middle-infielder power at best.

As for Young, his lack of power is a bit more of a surprise and disappointment given his early minor league success in the home run department.

In 1,413 minor league at-bats Young swatted 59 homers, or one every 24 at-bats. It was that type of raw ability that had always attracted scouts to Young and what ultimately made him a top draft choice.

Like Mauer, Young was also a very good contact hitter in the minors, finishing his career in baseball's lower levels as a .318 hitter. Sure he struck out nearly three times as much as he drew a walk, but with his power potential it was something teams could live with.

Ever since breaking into the major leagues however Young has seen his power almost completely disappear while his strikeout to walk ratio has spiked to nearly 5-to-1.

In his defense, 940 career big league at-bats does not a career make, but even the most optimistic Twins fan has to be concerned that Young is hitting one home run every 59 at-bats in his big league career so far, 20 at-bats more than it takes noted power hitting shortstop Alex Gonzalez of the Reds to hit one.

One of two things is going to happen with Young in my opinion. Either he's going to recognize that maybe the power really isn't there and settle into a Mauer-like groove of .300-plus batting average campaigns because he has the ability to do that if he learns a bit more patience.

Or he is going to have to sell out a la Adam Dunn in an effort to hit the ball over the fence which could only exasperate his already terrible strikeout to walk ratio.

The caveat to this entire discussion however is the age of both Mauer and Young. Mauer just recently turned 25 and Young is only 22, which means a boost in power could still be in the offing for both. However a lot is going to have to change for each if they expect to fulfill their power potential.

Thanks Peter

2008-05-16T15:07:00.005-05:00

It was announced today that San Francisco Giants managing partner Peter Magowan would be stepping down effective at the end of the 2008 season, just a year after the single most important player acquisition in the team's history (Barry Bonds) became baseball's all-time home run king.

Some believe that Magowan's inclusion in the now infamous Mitchell Report precipitated this move and that he was more or less forced out by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig in order to avoid sanctions against the Giants.

Whatever the reason for his departure, as a fan of the Giants I simply would like to thank Mr. Magowan for all that he did in returning my favorite team to prominence and respectability.

People forget that before the 1993 season the Giants were dangerously close to being moved to Florida by then owner Bob Lurie. Magowan however stepped in and purchased the team along with an investment group and the course of team history was changed.

Bonds was signed shortly thereafter and a team that was by all rights dead in the water surged to 103 wins and to the brink of a playoff berth.

The next 10 seasons would see the Giants win more regular season games than any team other than the Braves and Yankees, as well as a World Series appearance in 2002.

Perhaps Magowan's biggest contribution to the Giants and the city of San Francisco however was the move to have what is now AT&T Park built and ensure that the team would remain in the city by the bay for a very long time.

Many people outside of San Francisco don't know this, but that gorgeous ballpark was built entirely with private funding. So while cities across the country pined for new ballparks and looked to public funding to make their dreams a reality, Magowan was able to make the seemingly impossible happen.

It was Magowan's willingness to do what it took financially as well as stay out of baseball operations for the most part that made him a success with the Giants.

Not everything has gone right for Magowan since he took over the team in 1993, but for my money there are very few owners out there who could have done a better job.

Viva Sergio!

2008-05-12T08:59:00.003-05:00

You name it, he's tried it.

Long putters, short putters, mallet putters, blade putters. Sergio Garcia has been the Dr. Seuss of putters and putting styles over the last several years as it became painfully clear that if he ever wanted to win a big tournament he had to figure out a way to put the ball in the hole.

So as the final round of The Player's Championship unfolded, it seemed only a matter of time before the flat stick let him down again in a crucial moment.

However it was that seemingly inescapable reality that made Garcia's playoff-forcing putt on the 18th green just that much sweeter for those of us who have long hoped for him to realize his immense potential.

Once that putt dropped and tournament leader Paul Goydos bogeyed 18, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that this would finally be Sergio's time. And indeed it was as Garcia stuffed his tee shot on the first playoff hole and walked away with his biggest win to date.

Since he burst onto the scene at the 1999 PGA Championship, the golfing world has waited for the Spanish sensation to finally break through and take his place among the best golfers in the world. But until now it seemed like all that potential would be wasted thanks to his inability to make a putt under pressure.

Time and time again Garcia has come up short in the biggest tournaments despite his glorious ball-striking skills that most in the know will tell you are second to none on the PGA Tour.

Interestingly, Garcia's greatest triumphs prior to Sunday came at possibly the most pressure packed of tournaments, the Ryder Cup. It was in those moments where the exuberance of his game has been able to shine through as he has performed with the feel and energy that made him a star.

That's what we love about Sergio, the energy. OK, so his Adam Scott-type eye candy galleries are nice too, but when it comes to what happens inside the ropes you can't help but be drawn to his game.

So when it was reported the Garcia had gone back to the putter he used as a teenager it seemed only fitting that he would be able to lift his game to the heights that so many had seen on his horizon.

Perhaps no one in the world hits it better tee-to-green than Garcia (apologies to Tiger), and those skills were on full display at this past weekend as he led the field in fairways and greens hit, including a stunning third round performance in which he hit every single fairway on the TPC of Sawgrass' treacherous layout.

Detractors will point to the absence of Woods as a major factor in Garcia's ability to win The Player's Championship, and Garcia himself thanked the world's best player for not being there. But what I saw on Sunday was the young Sergio, the confident Sergio who can play with anyone in the world, including Woods.

With most of golf's biggest stars going dim in the presence of Woods time and time again, one can only hope that quite possibly the most talented of the bunch may have finally found himself just in time to make a run at number one.

Watch out Tiger, Sergio is back.

Because Everyone Else Does It...

2008-04-25T17:04:00.011-05:00

Count me among the thousands of football wonks out there who think they can predict the first round of the NFL Draft. It's an exercise in futility to be sure, but what the hell, I'll take a shot.

I'll spare you my analysis because that would make for a seriously long-winded piece. But keep in mind that the picks I've made do not reflect trades that I think will happen.

So without further ado, here goes nothing.

1. Miami Dolphins - Jake Long - OT - Michigan

2. St. Louis Rams - Chris Long - DE - Virginia

3. Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan - QB - Boston College

4. Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden - RB - Arkansas

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Glenn Dorsey - DT - LSU

6. New York Jets - Vernon Gholston - DE - Ohio State

7. New England Patriots - Brandon Albert - OG - Virginia

8. Baltimore Ravens - Leodis McKelvin - CB - Troy

9. Cincinnati Bengals - Keith Rivers - LB - USC

10. New Orleans Saints - Sedrick Ellis - DE - USC

11. Buffalo Bills - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie - CB - Tennessee State

12. Denver Broncos - Derrick Harvey - DE - Florida

13. Carolina Panthers - Reshard Mendenhall - RB - Illinois

14. Chicago Bears - Ryan Clady - OT - Boise State

15. Detroit Lions - Jeff Otah - OT - Pittsburgh

16. Arizona Cardinals - Aqib Talib - CB - Kansas

17. Kansas City Chiefs - Chris Williams - OT - Vanderbilt

18. Houston Texans - Kentwan Balmer - DT - North Carolina

19. Philadelphia Eagles - Devin Thomas - WR - Michigan State

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jerod Mayo - LB - Tennessee

21. Washington Redskins - Kenny Phillips - S - Miami

22. Dallas Cowboys - Limas Sweed - WR - Texas

23. Pittsburgh Steelers - Phillip Merling - DE - Clemson

24. Tennessee Titans - Malcolm Kelly - WR - Oklahoma

25. Seattle Seahawks - Gosder Cherilus - OT - Boston College

26. Jacksonville Jaguars - Lawrence Jackson - DE - USC

27. San Diego Chargers - Jonathan Stewart - RB - Oregon

28. Dallas Cowboys - Felix Jones - RB - Arkansas

29. San Francisco 49ers - DeSean Jackson - WR - California

30. Green Bay Packers - Brandon Flowers - CB - Virginia Tech

31. New York Giants - Dan Connor - LB - Penn State

That's it, that's the list. I'll be back on Monday to make fun of myself for being so wrong about these picks. Hey at least I'll get number one right.

Frustrating Sunday, Painful Tuesday

2008-04-14T08:43:00.012-05:00

Update 4/16/08: It was reported last night that Tiger Woods underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage damage in his left knee. That's the same knee he's had surgery on twice before.

This setback means Woods will miss the Wachovia Championship as well as the Players Championship before hopefully returning in June for the U.S. Open.

As it is with any athlete, the great equalizer is injury, and in Woods' case would appear to be the only thing that could stand between him and every meaningful record in the game of golf.

No one knows for sure how long Woods has been dealing with the injury, some say it's been since the middle of last year. But the fact that he has won already three times on tour in 2008 is just another of his amazing athletic feats.

There is probably not another athlete that is tougher than Woods mentally, and I have little doubt that he'll be able to recover physically and return to form quickly. However it is a concern that this knee problem continues to flare up.

Anyone who has ever had knee problems knows that it never really gets better and eventually it just becomes a matter of mitigating the pain on a daily basis. Given Woods' freakish workout and practice habits you have to wonder how continued knee issues might impact his unequalled preparation.

That said, the last time Woods had surgery on the knee he returned to win three of the first four events he entered.

The one thing that I think the knee problems rule out in the future is the Champions Tour for Woods once he turns 50. My guess is that he'll be too busy with outside ventures and family to be able to commit himself the way he would want to to that tour, and the knee will probably make it an even easier decision.

Luckily for us it'll be a long time before that happens.

-Doc

Like he had so many times before, Tiger Woods stood over a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th green at The Masters. And like so many times before the putt dropped.

Only this time it was quite different.

As Woods put the finishing touch on what was by most accounts the most frustrating four days he's ever experienced around the hallowed grounds of Augusta National, Woods gave the birdie a sarcastic wave as if to say, "oh sure, now you go in".

It was just one of those weeks for the world's best player. A week in which his brief moments of brilliance, like the long birdie on the 11th Sunday afternoon that looked like it might signal a Tiger-charge, were eclipsed by untimely mistakes.

In the end Woods recorded his fifth runner-up finish in a major, which is certainly nothing to scoff at. However, when your expectations are as high as his, anything less than a fifth green jacket was going to be a disappointment.

Give all the credit in the world to South Africa's Trevor Immelman for putting together a very Woods-like performance, leading the tournament wire-to-wire and minimizing his mistakes on Sunday to make sure he locked up his first major championship.

Unlike Woods, Immelman followed his brief lapses in solid play with timely moments of brilliance. Interestingly enough it was the 11th hole for Immelman that proved to be his turning point shortly after most thought it would be Woods'.

After playing safe and missing his approach to the treacherous hole to the right, Immelman came up well short on the fringe with his pitch shot. Staring bogey or worse dead in the eye, Immelman canned the long par putt and ultimately stemmed the growing Woods-tide.

Even a terrible tee shot on the par-3 16th hole from Immelman that inexplicably found the water was not enough for Woods to take advantage of down the stretch.

A short miss for birdie on the par-5 13th seemed to signal the end for Woods, and an even worse bogey on the 14th ended any hope of a Sunday comeback as well as Woods' march towards the calendar year Grand Slam.

While it's little consolation for Woods, the end result of The Masters points out just how amazing his accomplishments to this point have been and just how slim the margin between winning and losing on the PGA Tour really is.

Woods' four-day performance at Augusta was one of the flattest, most uninspiring of his career at a major championship. Rivaled only by his lone missed cut at a major in his professional career, two years ago at the U.S. Open, shortly after the death of his father.

And yet as poorly as he performed in the big, tournament-changing moments this week he still managed to find a way to finish second alone and shoot one of the better rounds of the day on Sunday.

It'll be several weeks before we get to see Woods back out on the course, and that's probably a good thing for those of us who are admitted Tiger wonks, because if history has shown us anything about him it's that he'll figure out what went wrong and bust his Tiger-ass to fix the problem and move forward with a vengeance.

Woods' next major challenge comes in June at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, a course Woods has owned over the years. This week showed that nothing is for certain in golf, but if I were the field I would prepare my runner-up speeches ASAP.

A Sad Turn Of Events

2008-04-08T15:15:00.007-05:00

At every turn they were asked about it. And at every turn they shrugged it off as nothing more than a meaningless statistic that in the end would not cost them a National Championship.

But alas, in the end, it was Memphis' inability to knock down free throws that ultimately led to their demise in the biggest game of the season.

For all the world it didn't look like it would end up this way as the Tigers had managed to can nearly 70% of their free throws throughout the tournament. All the while laughing off criticisms from the media that it was their Achilles heel.

They dominated three of the best teams in college basketball along the way in Michigan State, Texas and UCLA and did it all with the style and swagger of a team that knew it was the best in all the land.

Sure that mentality probably rubbed some people the wrong way and caused those people to rejoice when it all came crashing down around the deflated Tigers in overtime, but make no mistake that this was a truly great Memphis team.

It's a shame really that their head coach, John Calipari, basically disappeared on them for the last ten minutes of the game. Choosing to allow his players to run clock and improvise as opposed to structuring the game's final moments in an effort to keep their heads in the game.

It's also a shame that the best player in the tournament, Memphis point guard Derrick Rose, probably played his last game at the collegiate level. I'm not saying he should stay in school, I just think it would be fun to see this Memphis team give it another run next year.

If this team reminded me of any other from college basketball's past, it would have to be the 1991 UNLV squad led by Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anderson and Anderson Hunt.

That team had throttled any and all challengers on its way to the Final Four, but were beaten by Duke in the national semifinal after a string of late game mistakes and misses at the free throw line cost them as well.

Like many, I would argue that UNLV had the better team that year, but on that night for whatever reason it just wasn't there for them. I would also argue that while Kansas is certainly deserving of the big prize and they have a great team, I would take Memphis' kids in the same situation 9 out of 10 times.

In the end of course, that's what it all comes down to, the fact that they are indeed just kids.

Kids that can be taken out of their games and kids that on any given night can and will exhibit all the signs of nervousness no matter how many big games they had won before.

You've heard of saving your best for last. In Memphis' case they sadly saved their worst for last and rather than remembering how good they were, all anyone will remember is how they gave away the National Championship.

The Unholy Trio

2008-04-02T16:34:00.013-05:00

If you're a true sports fan you have teams and schools that you truly can't stand.

If you're a member of the Red Sox Nation you hate the Yankees. You went to THE Ohio State University? You probably can't stand the sight of maize and blue.

For me there are three which hold a special spot on my sporting dart board and nothing brings me more pleasure than to see them fail at every turn.

They are the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Duke Blue Devils basketball team and the entire Stanford University athletic department. Those three teams/programs irk me in ways that non-sports fans can't understand.

Seeing them succeed no matter how heart-warming the story at the time, absolutely makes my skin crawl. And if that sounds a little over the top, it is. But I have perfectly good reasons for all three.

First and foremost are the Dodgers, who I have been groomed to hate over my 27 years on this earth like no other team in sports. I am a Giants fan through and through, and that's really all you need to know about that.

Second would be Stanford, which when compared to my father's alma mater Cal, stands as the bastion of spoiled-brat schools where as long as you can afford it, you can go there. Oh, and I want to burn that stupid tree to the ground, or beat the tar out of it like Cal's mascot Oskie did.

Last, but certainly not least, would be the Duke Blue Devils and their men's basketball program. When I first got into college basketball I was a fan of Michigan's Fab Five who, with their baggy shorts and black socks, stood in stark contrast to the lily white, buttoned-down Dukies.

There's just something so off-putting about those guys, and before you go calling me a racist, I've never like their black players either.

The strangest thing however is that while in general I've got running vendettas against all three, there still manages to be something about them that I admire, and even(gulp) like.

You know what I'm talking about. Vikings fans hate the Packers, but most of them have a healthy respect for Brett Favre. And as much as Red Sox fans want to see the Yankees go down in flames, most of them recognize the effort and classiness of Derek Jeter.

So here now, the "unholy trio" of things that I actually like about the Dodgers, Stanford and Duke. I feel dirty just saying that.

Vin Scully - Play-by-Play Announcer:

A huge part of truly enjoying a baseball game on television or on the radio is the ability of the play-by-play man working the booth.

In some places, like San Diego, people are forced to choke down the over-the-top and hardly-accurate musings of guys like Matt Vasgersian. However in Los Angeles fans are treated to the silky smooth tones of one of the greatest sportscasters of all time, Vin Scully.

Sure Scully is getting up there in age and he will sometimes butcher a player's name, but no one tells the story of a baseball game like Scully.

The man has forgotten more about baseball than most of us will ever know. He's steeped in anecdotes about players both past and present, and listening to him wax poetic about a funny moment or a dramatic play is truly a treat for those of us who love the game.

On top of that he's still a sharp baseball mind, who pays attention to what's going on in the game and does so much homework that often he'll be able to give you a full bio on players who don't even play for the Dodgers.

In an era of broadcasting that is fully in love with the three man booth and semi-illiterate former players as color commentators, Scully commands his one man show like no other.

As much as I hate the Dodgers and all that they stand for on the field of play, it is an honor to sit down to a Giants/Dodgers tilt with Scully behind the mic.

Mike Krzyzewski - Head Coach:

As fully annoying as I happen to find the Duke players, their head coach is another matter completely.

Krzyzewski is the model of what a collegiate coach should be. Dignified, classy, intense and a wonderful teacher of the game. Coach K is as interested in growing quality young men as he is in developing big time basketball players.

On the court, his pressure defense and precision offense are what make the collegiate game stand out from it's professional brethren, and no one does it better.

There are a few coaches in big time collegiate athletics who I would gladly send my child to play for, safe in the knowledge that they will truly get an education in both sports and life. Tennessee's Pat Summitt, Washington's Tyrone Willingham and Zrzyzewski would top that list.

Too many coaches are in it to win at any cost and in the process neglect to give all of their kids, from the stars to the walk-ons, the best of themselves as people. This is not the case with Coach K, which you can tell by the relationships he keeps with his former players.

Few things in sports bug me like watching Duke trampling ACC opponents, but I can certainly appreciate the efforts of Coach K both on and off the court.

Tiger Woods - #1 Golfer in the World:

This one proves that even the best have at least one fatal flaw, and for the greatest golfer of all time (that's right, I said it), it happens to be his choice of school.

If you've read my blog at all you know how much I love to watch Woods play and he is easily one of my top 5 athletes of all time. Still, it irks me that of all the places in the world (or the West Coast for that matter), Woods chose to go to Stanford.

I suppose I understand the decision given the school's prowess on the national collegiate golfing scene, but that doesn't excuse the lapse in judgment.

You don't need me to tell you about all the amazing things Woods has accomplished on the golf course, and for all the scrutiny he gets for not taking many political stances off of it, his Tiger Woods Foundation has done more to help kids around the country than most star athletes.

Even though watching him freak out during the Stanford/Arizona basketball game in 2004 was truly annoying, Woods is the man without question.

A Damn Shame

2008-03-27T11:08:00.005-05:00

Word out of San Francisco today is that AT&T Park, the "house that Barry built" as I like to call it, will no longer feature the likeness or record numbers that the greatest player in franchise history achieved while he was a member of the organization.

While I can understand the removal of Bonds' image on the left field wall that signified his pursuit of the all-time home run record, I am quite upset that the team will not be displaying the number 762 inside the ballpark.

762 of course being the number of home runs that Bonds has hit to this point in his career; a career that appears to be over as no team has expressed real interest in the 43-year-old slugger.

Think what you want about Barry, but the fact remains that he is the all-time home run leader and for the one place in the country where he is beloved to basically disavow any connection to him is unfortunate.

In fact, not only do I think they should feature his record number prominently inside the park, but should he sign with another team at some point they should be updating it as he adds to the record total.

It's the least they could do after their shotty handling of his departure from the team, which included a preemptive announcement from owner Peter Magowan that Bonds would not be asked back in 2008.

"We're very respectful, at least I am, appreciative of all the contributions he made to the Giants over all that long period of time, but the time came when we needed to go in a new direction," Magowan told reporters.

A new direction I understand, because on the field the team has more than its fair share of holes to fill. But it's a disgrace in my opinion to not pay tribute to the man that single-handedly changed the fortunes of a franchise that was not all that far away from relocating to Florida prior to his arrival.

How quickly people forget that it was Bonds who energized a half-dead fan base and led the Giants to 103 wins in 1993.

It was Bonds who carried the team to the World Series in 2002.

And it was Bonds whose performance from the time he signed spurred the Giants to the third-most wins in all of baseball from 1993 through 2004.

How quickly they forget.

There is a way however that Magowan and the Giants can rectify this situation and make it clear that they're not simply bowing to Major League Baseball or letting legal concerns take away from just how much Bonds meant to the team and the city of San Francisco.

And that way is to erect a statue of Bonds alongside the one of his godfather Willie Mays, so that every time a person walks into that glorious ballpark they know exactly who it was that put it there.

Wow!

2008-03-16T23:31:00.005-05:00

Just when you think you've seen it all from Tiger Woods, he does something that defies whatever explanation of his exploits that you may have had before.

Such was the case Sunday afternoon when the world's number one player captured his fifth straight PGA Tour win, and seventh in a row overall, by sinking a 25-foot, downhill left-to-right slider on the 18th hole of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

As the tournament host watched from greenside, Woods erupted into a never-before-seen from him celebration, complete with a slam of his hat, a la Fred Funk (shouldn't he owe the Funk-ster a royalty check for that?), and bicep-flexing crowd-pump (I just made that up).

Meanwhile his closest competitor, 45-year-old Bart Bryant, could only chuckle in awe as he watched his hopes of qualifying for the Masters swallowed up by the all-encompassing force that is Tiger Woods.

You have to feel for Bryant who became the first player not named Phil Mickelson in quite some time stand up to Woods shot-for-shot on a Sunday.

Throughout Sunday's final round as players like Vijay Singh and Sean O'Hair made crucial mistakes, it was Bryant who played nearly mistake-free golf in very Tiger-like manner, forcing Woods to make birdie on a hole that had surrendered only four up to that point in the round.

Early on in the tournament Tiger by his own admission was struggling to find his swing and it seemed he would finally be a bit of a non-factor in a tournament. Don't forget that it was at this same tournament last year that he limped down the stretch with a backside 43 on Sunday while Singh took home the trophy.

But instead of putting him in a hole on Saturday, the rest of the field allowed Woods to ride an up-and-down round of 66 into a tie for the lead heading into Sunday. That mistake would of course prove fatal to the field's chances.

Honestly though, should we be surprised? Should it come as some sort of shock that Woods once again proved why he is the most dominant athlete of our time (sorry MJ)?

Well no, of course not. But that doesn't mean that we can't gasp in awe of his overwhelming virtuosity and revel in the knowledge that as amazing as this latest moment was he will undoubtedly give us many more in the future.

I for one can't wait to see what's next.

A Plea From A True Fan

2008-03-12T14:24:00.006-05:00

As you have probably noticed, I am a die hard San Francisco Giants fan. They are the one franchise in all of sports (sorry Niners) that I feel truly connected to on an emotional level.

Anyone who knows me knows that the one and only time I cried over a sporting event was game six of the 2002 World Series. Five run lead with eight outs to go. Russ Ortiz on cruise control. Thanks Dusty.

Honestly just thinking about it makes me well up from time to time.

Anyway, I'm getting off track.

Fast forward to 2008 and my how far my Giants have fallen. Gone are the days when opposing teams would have to account for the force of nature that was Barry Bonds. He always made them a legit threat, no matter how bad they seemed to be.

Unfortunately the comfort zone that having Barry around created, led to a philosophy of building with older players to win now, instead of keeping an eye on the future and acquiring young talent to step in when the time came.

Sure they've developed an impressive array of pitching prospects lately, but as Matt Cain's 7-16 record with a 3.65 ERA in 2007 showed, you have to be able to score runs.

To hammer home just how bad they are this year, in a recent ESPN.com fantasy baseball article they posed the question, "Does the 'offense' make every Giant unownable?"

While I still think Cain and uber-sensation Tim Lincecum have value, the question is a legitimate one.

Luckily for the Giants they have the perfect opportunity in front of them to get their young guys regular playing time. "Prospects" like Kevin Frandsen, Dan Ortmeier, Fred Lewis and Nate Shierholtz have been held back long enough by the win-now attitude.

Except for the most dilusional of fans, no one expects them to be any good, what better time could their be to find out what they have in terms of young position players?

But instead of that they insist on hanging onto aging vets like Ray Durham, Rich Aurilia and Dave Roberts, all three of whom I like and respect as ball players, but this is not their time and should not be their team.

Consider that as prospects go, none of the guys the Giants have are all that young. Frandsen, who projects as a part-time third and second baseman by manager Bruce Bochy, is 25 years old.

Lewis, who has flashed his impressive set of tools on a number of occasions only to get sent back to the minors, is 27 and out of options. He'll be backing up Roberts in left and Randy Winn in right.

Shierholtz is 24 and because he still has options figures to be the odd man out and be sent back to Triple-A despite being arguably the most talented of the bunch.

Add in speedsters Eugenio Velez (25) and Rajai Davis (27) and you have a group of guys with skills but no place to play with the team set up as it is right now.

Non-roster invitee Brian Bocock (23) looks like he might get some early season playing time, but will be replaced by 40-something Omar Vizquel as soon as the veteran shortstop gets healthy.

Only Ortmeier (26) is assured of regular playing time as the team's starting first baseman heading into the season.

Look around the big leagues right now and you see an overflow of young talent getting the opportunity to play, and that's no fluke.

More and more organizations are realizing that the young guys can contribute to a winner and if nothing else can be served better in many cases by getting their feet wet at the highest level.

What could it possibly hurt for the Giants to go young all over the field and find out once and for all if this group of guys can play in the big leagues and be solid regulars?

If I were running things my opening day lineup would look like this:

C - Bengie Molina
1B - Dan Ortmeier
2B - Kevin Frandsen
SS - Omar Vizquel (if healthy)
3B - Eugenio Velez
LF - Fred Lewis
CF - Aaron Rowand
RF - Randy Winn

Sure, that lineup squeezes out guys like Durham, Aurilia and Roberts, but in order to move forward and build for a future without Barry, I feel it's necessary to start now.

That lineup would at least showcase some speed and playmaking ability with Velez and Lewis both above-average runners and base stealers. Something Bochy and the Giants front office have been promising since it was decided Barry would not be back.

Everyone in baseball knows the Giants are going to be one of the least exciting teams in baseball in 2008. The least they could do is give their fans a reason to be hopeful and play the young guys.

A Return To Glory?

2008-03-03T10:17:00.008-06:00

My childhood, like many who grew up around the country, was tied to a ballpark whose identity had as much to do with its name as it did with the team(s) who played there.

Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium, Fenway, The Metrodome and the list goes on and on. But for me that park was know simply as Candlestick.

It's where the 49ers of the 1980's and early 90's dominated on their way to five Super Bowl wins in five tries and where my love for the San Francisco Giants was born. And while the Giants have since moved out and the Niners continue to try and do the same, the place has seen more than it's share of wonderful moments.

From Joe Montana and Dwight Clark starring in 'The Catch' to the first of Barry Bonds' five MVP seasons as a Giant in 1993, Candlestick was home to some of the greatest athletes and teams of all-time.

While it will never be the most visually stunning park, it's semi-impossible to get to bay-side location and subsequent havoc-inducing swirling winds adds to its charm and uniqueness. Hell, the thing survived the last big earthquake to hit the Bay Area in 1989. That has to count for something right?

Over the last several years naming rights for "The Stick" have been sold to various companies, most notably Monster.com which has held the rights for the last four years.

With Monster.com's contact running out the powers that be have finally decided to do what has always been best for the venerable old yard and will go back to calling it Candlestick once again. Not only that, but they've stated publicly that they will not pursue naming rights in the foreseeable future.

This news obviously came as music to my ears and I must admit tugged on the old heart strings more than a little bit.

Any sports fan over the age of 25 will tell you that all of the corporate-named stadiums, while ubiquitous, simply don't have the same kind of character and sentimental value as those listed above.

How much cooler does it sound to say, "lets go catch a ball game at Fenway," as opposed to, "lets go see a game at The Comcast Center"?

I'd say Fenway wins in Mike Tyson-esque, first-round knockout fashion.

So thank you to whoever made the decision to return to the rightful name of the ballpark of my youth. Now lets hope the 49ers themselves can turn back the clock and become a winner once again.

Unbeatable?

2008-02-27T12:16:00.003-06:00

The Patriots couldn't pull it off. The Memphis Tigers couldn't get the job done. Hell, not a single team in Division I-A football could do it and the National Championship was won by a two-loss LSU team.

Leave it to the greatest athlete in the world today to toss his swoosh-emblazoned hat in the ring and embark on a quest to complete the rare undefeated season.

Blasphemy you say? No golfer could make it through the PGA Tour season without losing a single tournament. The fields are too deep and too many things could go wrong along the way for that to every happen.

Or could it?

While I agree that the likelihood of Tiger Woods ripping off 13 or so more wins, including all four of golf's major championships is quite low. Something tells me that the man himself believes in his heart that he could accomplish the seemingly impossible, and that means a lot.

He's already admitted that he thinks completing the regular season Grand Slam is within his reach and when asked if he could eclipse Byron Nelson's record of 11 straight wins he simply grinned and replied, "Mmm Hmm" as if to say, "you ain't seen nothing yet".

Consider that Woods already owns PGA Tour win streaks of six and seven in a row and his current streak of four is actually six if you count his wins at the Target World Challenge and earlier this year in Dubai, both of which boasted high-quality fields.

In fact that "strength of schedule" may be the one thing that keeps Woods from running the table in 2008 as it has been his custom to only play the highest profile events with the deepest fields in golf.

That coupled with the uncertain nature of the game would seem to put the undefeated season outside of his considerable reach.

Personally I don't think it's all that outandish to believe that Woods could win every time out in 2008. In his three starts so far he's won in a myriad of ways from run-away victories at the Buick Invitational and the Championship Match at the World Match Play, to stirring comebacks in Dubai and the first round of the World Match Play.

His stats are nearly as impressive as his ability to gut out wins so far in 2008.

Woods ranks first on the PGA Tour in greens in regulation, putting average, scoring average and average birdies per round. All while ranking 176th in total driving. Which means when he gets his driver warmed up he really could be unbeatable.

People will of course point to the erratic nature of his driver as ultimately the reason why he couldn't possibly remain undefeated in 2008, but I would argue that he can only get better (he finished 45th in 2007 in total driving) and when that inevitablity finally comes to pass he will be so far out ahead of everyone else that it won't matter if he misses some fairways.

I'm not going to walk out on the plank here and say that it's a foregone conclusion that Woods will run the table, but should this streak continue through April and the Masters and then into June and U.S. Open one would have to concede that an undefeated season is a real possibilty for a man that up to this point has done nothing but exceed expectations at every turn.

Enough Already

2008-02-19T17:14:00.002-06:00

There's been a Mitchell Report, multiple hearings on Capitol Hill and several press conference apologies from numerous players involved in the steroid era in baseball. And to be honest I've had enough.

I've had enough of the fans, congressmen, media members and countless others standing on their soap boxes, bemoaning the former national pastime and acting as if this is the first (or last) time something has gone awry in baseball.

At this point I think we all need to reconcile ourselves with the fact that a very large percentage of players since the 90's have used some sort of performance enhancing substance in an attempt to keep up with the competition or get ahead of it.

Some of the names involved of course are bigger than others, but as a select few seem to garner all the headlines in the ongoing "war on roids" we need to keep in mind that the problem and the solution to the problem lay directly at the feet of the game itself.

It shouldn't be the job of congress to get involved, especially in a world with so many issues that need to be addressed. Just think of what our government could do if they got as riled up about the unnecessary war we're currently fighting instead of wasting their time brow-beating Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee.

Watching those senators go after Clemens and McNamee with fire in their eyes and all the seriousness of a murder trial should have been a wake up call to those watching of just how backward and screwy our priorities are in the United States.

Honestly, I can't be the only one who thinks it's time to move on here. The court of public opinion has been adjourned and we know that we can't really trust anybody any more no matter how much we want to. That's a sad statement to be sure, but in the end I'm not losing sleep over it and in fact I find myself anxiously awaiting the start of a new season.

So while the uppity will inevitably remain that way when it comes to performance enhancing drugs, I will be too consumed with the rebuilding project that is the San Francisco Giants as well as all the other on-field happenings to have time for what has become the most tiresome issue in sports.

A Real Deal

2008-02-08T21:49:00.000-06:00

I hate to keep piling on the Twins here, so I'll make this short.

The Baltimore Orioles completed a trade today that sent their ace lefty, Erik Bedard, to the Seattle Mariners for five players including former top prospect, outfielder Adam Jones. And I bring this up to point out just how painfully short the Twins came up in their trading of Johan Santana.

Don't get me wrong here, I love Bedard as a pitcher and in 2007 he had a career year striking out 221 batters in only 182 innings. But as great as he was for a bad Orioles team in 2007, his body of work pales in comparison to Santana's.

Last year marked the first time Bedard struck out 200+ batters in a season. Santana has accomplished that feat four years in a row since becoming a full time starter in 2004.

Bedard posted a career-best 3.16 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 2007. Santana's career-bests in those categories are 2.61(2004) and 0.92(2004) respectively. Not to mention the fact that Santana is a two-time Cy Young Award winner while Bedard's best finish in the race for the coveted award was 5th which came last year.

Both are 28 years old and Bedard is actually eight days older than Santana, but still with all that the Orioles were able to extract a ready-right-now talent like Jones as well as a top flight lefty reliever in George Sherrill who will most likely compete for the closer job in Baltimore.

On top of that the Orioles landed a trio of minor league pitchers, all of whom ranked in the Mariners top 18 prospects according to Baseball America's 2008 Prospect Handbook.

Granted the three pitchers the Twins landed in the Santana trade ranked among the Mets top seven prospects, but Baltimore's ability to bring in a guy like Jones, who will most likely be the team's starting center fielder, is where they beat the Twins in moving their ace.

No one except those intimately involved in the negotiations knows what circumstances led to the Twins basically being left with no other choice but to take the deal with the Mets, but one thing is for certain and that is that the Orioles managed to do what the Twins could not and get fair market value for one of the best pitchers in the game.

Dealing in Uncertainty

2008-02-01T18:43:00.000-06:00

Of all the things former Twins GM Terry Ryan taught his successor Bill Smith one of them was clearly not the ability to be a shrewd negotiator.

After dangling the game's most dominant pitcher in front of both the Yankees and Red Sox for several months and successfully pitting them against one another in a bidding war of sorts, Smith didn't just drop the ball, he threw it over the fence with the scary dog on the other side.

Instead of capitalizing on the opportunity to add ready-right-now young stars like Phil Hughes or Jacoby Ellsbury, Smith decided to hold out for a better offer and in the meantime allowed both the Yankees and Red Sox to reconsider letting their most prized prospects go.

What Smith was left with was the other New York team, the Mets, and an offer that somehow did not include their top prospect Fernando Martinez. Staring straight in the face of losing Johan Santana for nothing more than two first round draft picks, Smith pulled the trigger on a deal that according to the experts was no better than the fourth best deal he could have gotten for his 28-year-old ace.

That of course is the bad news.

The good news is that in return for Santana the Twins were able to add four youngsters, each with the potential to be pretty good players. 22-year-old center fielder Carlos Gomez would have to be considered the "centerpiece" of the deal and gives the Twins a potential legit replacement for the departed Torii Hunter.

The three pitchers in the deal vary in potential stardom, but all ranked among the Mets' top 10 prospects and two of them project as #2 or #3 starters.

Like any deal of this nature, where one team gives up a bona fide superstar in return for prospects who have little to no big league experience, no one can say for sure that the Twins in this case got the short end of the deal.

But lets face facts here, on the surface the Twins not only got the short end of the deal, they should be ashamed of themselves for either not doing more to keep the best pitcher in baseball or getting at least one reasonably sure thing back in return.

Forget what the Minnesota spin doctors are going to tell you over the next weeks and months, this was not a good deal for the Twins. At best, by 2010 each of the four players the Twins got for Santana will be in the big leagues and two of them will be very good. Not great like the player they gave up, but very good.

They're going to try and sell you on the signings of Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer as well as the acquisition of star-to-be Delmon Young. All nice moves to be sure, but the reality of the situation is that even with the money being spent on those guys the Twins payroll will actually go down in 2008.

To me that reality, especially with a brand new ballpark opening up, is just not good enough for a fan base that is as loyal and deserving of a winning baseball team as the one here in the Twin Cities.

What the Twins basically did was tell their fans that they have no intention of competing until 2010 at the absolute earliest and most likely it'll be longer than that in a division as stacked as the AL Central.

By most accounts the best deal the Twins had the opportunity to jump on was a deal with the Yankees that would have included the 21-year-old Hughes and 23-year-old Melky Cabrera and a lineup that could have looked like this:

SS Adam Everett, CF Melky Cabrera, C Joe Mauer, 1B Justin Morneau, RF Michael Cuddyer, LF Delmon Young, DH Jason Kubel/Craig Monroe, 3B Mike Lamb and 2B Brendan Harris

And a starting pitching rotation like this:

Francisco Liriano, Phil Hughes, Scott Baker, Boof Bonser and Kevin Slowey

Combine that with a very solid bullpen anchored by closer Joe Nathan (who could also be gone sooner rather than later) and you have a team that in my opinion could at least compete in the AL Central and is still young enough to be good when the new park opens in 2010.

Instead the Twins will have to try several options in center field including Gomez, Denard Span and Jason Pridie, none of which are proven big league players like Cabrera.

The rotation also takes a hit without a top flight, big league ready talent like Hughes and most likely will have to depend on one of several Triple-A graduates or a low-level free agent like Josh Fogg.

Don't get me wrong here, the Twins are my favorite American League team to be sure, but I can't get behind this trade and am truly disappointed the Twins didn't do better for themselves and their fans.

Quick Hits...

2008-01-27T12:03:00.000-06:00

Been a few days since my last post, so here are a few Quick Hits covering the week in sports...

The Stunner Down Under:

No, the stunner I'm talking about is not Novak Djokovic's upset of world number one Roger Federer, but rather the leggy Russian blonde named Maria who captured her third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open without losing a set.

Most people don't know this about me, but I am a big tennis fan. Growing up with a tennis-playing father and older brother it was kind of hard not to be. So I have to say it was refreshing to see the now 20-year-old Maria Sharapova beat the best players in the world on her way to the championship.

After winning her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon at age 17 I was sure that Sharapova would take her place among the game's elite shortly thereafter. But personal troubles and an inability to harness her game caused her to come up short more often than not over the last few years.

This Sharapova however was clearly a different person and a different player as she showed the ability to dominate as she did against world number one Justine Henin, as well as win without her "A" game as she did against Serbian star Jelena Jankovic.

The men's game has long been dogged by the lack of true superstar player/personalities, save of course for Federer and his French Open-foil Rafael Nadal. And as Serena and Venus Williams have battled injury and inconsistency, the once star-studded women's game has started to become just as bland.

That looks like it's about to change however as a focused and renewed Sharapova seems ready to take her game to the next level. Fair or unfair, it's always a good thing for women's sports (and tennis in particular) to have at least one attractive superstar to draw in the casual viewership, and Sharapova's statuesque physique is quite easy on the eyes if I do say so myself.

Personally I'm very excited to see what she can accomplish from here on out as beyond her good looks Sharapova's game has evolved into one of both power and control. It would not shock me if she won at least one more Grand Slam this year and overtook Henin as the best player in the game.

Welcome Back:

This just in, Tiger Woods is pretty good.

As I write this the best player the game has ever seen is taking an eight shot lead onto the first tee of the Buick Invitational to start what should be a victory lap around Torrey Pines. The win will be Woods' fourth straight at the event, a feat he's also accomplished at Bay Hill, the site of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The win will be his 62nd on the PGA Tour and will put him in a tie with Palmer for the fourth most wins all-time.

The fact that he's on his way to another win really isn't the story however. No, the real story is in the idea that some how he's managed to become even more dominant than he was last year, and perhaps more dominant than he's ever been before (the year 2000 included).

I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, but anyone who has watched him over the first few days of the Buick and knows anything about golf can see just how far out ahead of the field he is.

It had been reported during golf's off-season that Tiger had become comfortable with his latest round of swing tweaks and had started to devote more of his time to his putting stroke which apparently was not up to par with his own super-human expectations.

The work has clearly paid off this week as it seems every time he touches his Scotty Cameron to his Nike One Platinum the ball has a real chance of going in the hole. Through three rounds he's only hit 47% of the fairways and still he has an eight shot lead.

Think about what he's going to do once he shakes the rust off his game (hahaha, rust) and starts hitting a more customary 60% or so. Over the last month Tiger has stated that he thinks winning the calendar year Grand Slam is possible, as well as topping Byron Nelson's streak of 12 straight PGA Tour wins.

In the past Tiger would have deflected talk of such feats, saying that it would be special if he could do that, but never coming right and saying it could be done. If I were Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, or any of the other best players in the world I would be scared out of my Foot Joys hearing stuff like that from a guy like Tiger.

They say when he's on everyone else is just playing for second place. We should get used to hearing that quite a bit in 2008.

Pitching? Who Needs Pitching?:

During his time as GM for the Minnesota Twins, Terry Ryan was considered one of the best in the game. Ryan built that reputation by building teams that won with a solid mix of pitching and defense, even at times at the expense of offense.

Which is why the first few months of new GM Bill Smith's tenure has been a bit odd to say the least. Regardless of what the homer-ish local media would have you believe, the Twins are quickly going down a path that is leading them further and further away from the success they had in the first half of this decade.

Don't get me wrong, signing former AL MVP Justin Morneau to a contract extension was a solid move and locking up strong-armed right fielder Michael Cuddyer was nice to see as well. But it's been the team's willingness to part with some of the best arms in the game that is troubling to me.

It started with the trade of Matt Garza to the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Delmon Young. On the surface it seems like a good trade and it certainly was an even one if you believe Garza is ready to take off as I do.

But with teams like the Tigers, Indians and White Sox all sporting big time offensive lineups it seems to me if you're the Twins you'd want to combat that with top of the line pitching and avoid a slug-fest.

Not having Garza around is one thing, but now the impending trade of Johan Santana and the seeming unwillingness of the organization to lock up closer Joe Nathan, a team once known for it's big time pitching is looking square in the face of a starting rotation of Francisco Liriano (big time injury concern), Boof Bonser, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker and a Triple-A grad of your choice.

It's not going to matter how good people think the bullpen is going to be with that kind of staff in front of them. Perhaps Liriano can make a full recovery and regain his dominant form, but even then they have nothing but a staff full of #3 starters and worse behind him.

If Smith has any sense at all he'll beg and plead for the Yankees to re-enter the fray as it pertains to Santana in the hopes that he can pry Phil Hughes away from the Bronx Bombers. However recent reports have the Mets as the leading candidate to land the best left-handed starter in the game and their best offer centers around outfield prospects.

Unless Twins ownership decides suddenly in the next year or two to up the payroll and attempt to land a few more top notch offensive talents I fear they will get caught in between so to speak, with neither the offensive firepower nor the pitching prowess to match up with the best teams in the American League or their own division for that matter.

Give Me a Break:

Tom Brady spotted with a boot. Tom Brady spotted with flowers. Tom Brady not at practice. Tom Brady uses a port-o-potty. OK, I made that last one up.

But this is what I hate about the two week layoff between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. All the non-stop non-news generated by the media is so overwhelmingly annoying that I can't believe I'm dedicating space on my blog to even mention it.

You want more compelling Super Sunday action? Think the game has become more about the ads and the halftime show and less about the final score? I know I do and the remedy is clear to me.

Play the game the Sunday following the AFC and NFC Championship games and you accomplish two things. First you avoid the off-field crap news that always dominates the off week, and second you allow the natural momentum of each team to carry over into what should be the biggest game of the year.

Sure there have been some close games following the two week layoff recently, but for my money the last two great Super Bowls were in 1999 and 2001 (Rams vs. Titans and Rams vs. Patriots respectively), and each came the Sunday after the conference championship games.

The year in between those two classic games? The 34-7 drubbing by the Ravens over the Giants that will be remembered more for the Ray Lewis stabbing incident during the week off than the game itself.

As much as I love the college game, even I will admit that the level of play suffers because of the long layoff between the end of the regular season and the bowl games, and the same is true in the NFL. Yeah, the week off helps some players get healthy, but overall the impact can be seen more in the sharpness (or lack thereof) of play from the two teams involved.

I know how much advertising people and network executives love to get the hype machine going, but for those of us who would rather see quality football it's clear that the week off is not a good thing.