Late May means conference finals time in the NBA playoffs and the narrowing of the field is down to the final four clubs. Surely, the NBA's Final Four isn't nearly as big a deal as the NCAA's elite quartet, perhaps because in college hoops the Final Four decides a champion with just three more games, while in the NBA it takes three best of sevens to close the deal, but regardless, the best of the bunch have clearly emerged.
In the East, as expected, it's going to be the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat, a rematch of last year's conference finale. The Heat dispatched of New Jersey's feisty Nets in a five game series that saw Miami win the last four in a row. Dwyane Wade is unquestionably the best player in the league at driving the basket, drawing contact and finishing, while Shaq and Zo are a two-headed beast in the middle, even in their advancing years. It was too much for New Jersey to handle down low, but it probably won't be the same against the Pistons.
Detroit comes in after engaging in a surprisingly ferocious seven game battle with Lebron James and the young Cavaliers. Still Detroit brings its experienced legions to the table after a tremendous regular and post-season run, all in all. I think the rematch of last year's East Finals will be another seven game war. In the end, I'll take Pistons to bring the home the bacon, just as I did at the start of the year.
Over in the West, it's the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns getting together. The Mavs surprised many NBA watchers, including myself, by playing a defensive-minded game against San Antonio. (And talk about a gutsy performance in overtime on the road in the Game Seven win over San Antonio.) Indeed Avery Johnson deserved his Coach of the Year award this season as his Dallas club showed more speed and effort on the 'D' side of the floor than I've ever seen them show before. It clearly took the Spurs by surprise as well. Dirk's getting all the calls in and around the basket, which is a very scary prospect for the Suns.
Surely, with Amare Stoudemire injured for the year, Phoenix has met and exceeded any expectations from when the season started. Raja Bell and Boris Diaw are greatly improved, Shawn Marion and Steven Nash are just plain great, but Dallas is playing with tremendous confidence and poise. Look for the Mavericks to reach the NBA Finals, beating the Suns in six games.
Finals Prediction: Detroit over Dallas in six
Finals MVP: Chauncey Billups
-JAB
Monday, May 15, 2006
Monday, May 08, 2006
The Flyers Fall Early: Philly's Title Drought Continues
Another spring arrives and another NHL season ends with the Philadelphia Flyers falling short in their run at a Stanley Cup. It's been 31 years now since the team from the Cheesteak Capital of the World last hoisted Stanley's Silver goblet atop their collective shoulders. Worse yet is the fact that the city of Philadelphia---as diehard a USA sports town as there is---has not won a championship in any of the major professional North American sports leagues since the 76ers in 1983.
The Eagles have been close of late, what with four straight NFC Championship game appearances culminating in a Super Bowl loss to the Patriots in '05; the 76ers have been less close, though they did make it to the NBA finals in '01 thanks to Allen Iverson's superhuman playoff run; the Phillies, well, they're the Phillies . . . They haven't made it to the postseason since a trip to the World Series in 1993.
But the Flyers! They have remained the most consistent contender of all the major Philadelphia sports clubs over the past few decades. Year in, year out, they begin their campaigns with as much hope and expectation as any club in the NHL, and for myriad reasons, each year they fall short. Which is not to say they haven't been close: in 1987, the Flyers took the Gretzky/Messier-led Edmonton Oilers to seven games in the Finals before falling; in 1997, the Lindros-led Flyers rolled to the Final round before getting routed by the Detroit Red Wings; and in 2004, the Flyers took the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning to seven games before succumbing in the Eastern Conference Finals.
This year was supposed to be different. After a year-long hiatus from any NHL action due to the lockout, the Flyers signed center Peter Forsberg, a star with plenty of championship experience from his time in Colorado. Also signed for his grit and experience was veteran defenseman Derian Hatcher. Mix in young up and comers like Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and R.J. Umberger, and it looked like Philly finally had just the right mix of youth and experience. With Robert Esche and Antero Nittymaki providing solid play in net, everything was in place for a legitimate championship run. Could this finally be the year the Flyers ended the drought for themselves and their city? It seemed so, for a while, at least: halfway through the year the Flyers had 60 points and the best record in hockey.
Then, the harshness of reality set in all over again . . . Philly was devastated by injuries, with star players Peter Forsberg, Simon Gagne, Joni Pitkanen and Robert Esche all missing significant chunks of time with various injuries. Coach Ken Hitchcock did his best to keep the team afloat with constant line shuffles and changes: the Flyers would rally late in the season and come just one point short of winning the Atlantic Division in spite of it all, but instead Philly got a five seed and a tough first round draw in the Buffalo Sabres.
This is the new NHL we are watching now (or not, depending upon your television package). It's a more wide open league where there is more speed, more scoring and more penalties called, even in the playoffs . . . For the Flyers, though, it seemed like the old problems had sprung up all over again: not enough defensive mobility, not enough playmakers, and too many stupid penalties, sending devoted owner Ed Snider (the founder of the franchise) and long-time General Manager Bob Clarke back to the retooling room once again.
And so, the tinkering of the roster is set to to begin anew. The Flyers will do their best to come back deeper, stronger, faster and better able to deal with the new NHL next year, hoping to bring that elusive Cup back to the town that hasn't had it since back-to-back titles in the 1970s. For now though, with the 76ers not even making the playoffs, the city of Philadelphia continues another long summer's wait for a crown.
It's of minor consolation to Philly sports fans, but as the old saying goes, "There's always next year!" I know, I know: straight yuck.
The Eagles have been close of late, what with four straight NFC Championship game appearances culminating in a Super Bowl loss to the Patriots in '05; the 76ers have been less close, though they did make it to the NBA finals in '01 thanks to Allen Iverson's superhuman playoff run; the Phillies, well, they're the Phillies . . . They haven't made it to the postseason since a trip to the World Series in 1993.
But the Flyers! They have remained the most consistent contender of all the major Philadelphia sports clubs over the past few decades. Year in, year out, they begin their campaigns with as much hope and expectation as any club in the NHL, and for myriad reasons, each year they fall short. Which is not to say they haven't been close: in 1987, the Flyers took the Gretzky/Messier-led Edmonton Oilers to seven games in the Finals before falling; in 1997, the Lindros-led Flyers rolled to the Final round before getting routed by the Detroit Red Wings; and in 2004, the Flyers took the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning to seven games before succumbing in the Eastern Conference Finals.
This year was supposed to be different. After a year-long hiatus from any NHL action due to the lockout, the Flyers signed center Peter Forsberg, a star with plenty of championship experience from his time in Colorado. Also signed for his grit and experience was veteran defenseman Derian Hatcher. Mix in young up and comers like Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and R.J. Umberger, and it looked like Philly finally had just the right mix of youth and experience. With Robert Esche and Antero Nittymaki providing solid play in net, everything was in place for a legitimate championship run. Could this finally be the year the Flyers ended the drought for themselves and their city? It seemed so, for a while, at least: halfway through the year the Flyers had 60 points and the best record in hockey.
Then, the harshness of reality set in all over again . . . Philly was devastated by injuries, with star players Peter Forsberg, Simon Gagne, Joni Pitkanen and Robert Esche all missing significant chunks of time with various injuries. Coach Ken Hitchcock did his best to keep the team afloat with constant line shuffles and changes: the Flyers would rally late in the season and come just one point short of winning the Atlantic Division in spite of it all, but instead Philly got a five seed and a tough first round draw in the Buffalo Sabres.
This is the new NHL we are watching now (or not, depending upon your television package). It's a more wide open league where there is more speed, more scoring and more penalties called, even in the playoffs . . . For the Flyers, though, it seemed like the old problems had sprung up all over again: not enough defensive mobility, not enough playmakers, and too many stupid penalties, sending devoted owner Ed Snider (the founder of the franchise) and long-time General Manager Bob Clarke back to the retooling room once again.
And so, the tinkering of the roster is set to to begin anew. The Flyers will do their best to come back deeper, stronger, faster and better able to deal with the new NHL next year, hoping to bring that elusive Cup back to the town that hasn't had it since back-to-back titles in the 1970s. For now though, with the 76ers not even making the playoffs, the city of Philadelphia continues another long summer's wait for a crown.
It's of minor consolation to Philly sports fans, but as the old saying goes, "There's always next year!" I know, I know: straight yuck.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Grading the NFL Teams' Draft Performances
The draft’s in the bag and all certainly did not go as expected at the top. Friday night's stunning news that Houston was passing on tailback Reggie Bush (maybe the greatest college footballer ever) at #1 for the relatively-unproven DE Mario Williams obliterated most mock draft boards the eve of the Draft; it also led to plenty of questions about the sanity of Houston GM Charlie Casserly. I can't help thinking that the Texans missed the boat on this one, but Houston was far from the only club that made some strange draft-day decisions. On an 'A' through 'F' scale, below is my rating of the draft day performances of all 32 NFL teams (in order of first round picks):
1- Houston selects DE Mario Williams from NC State. You know, I understand the Texans want to strengthen their defense, and Williams may prove to be an NFL star---he certainly has all the size at 6’7, 300 pounds plus---but you don’t pass on Michael Jordan (unless you're the Portland Trailblazers). This is just an historic mistake by the Texans, in my opinion. I can’t believe Charlie Casserly and company convinced themselves not to take Reggie, with all of the potential lucrative jersey and merchandising money staring them right in the face. Alabama linebacker Demeco Ryans is a solid choice in the second, but Houston gets a straight 'D' grade in my opinion.
2- New Orleans gets some tremendous luck, for a change, and watches as USC tailback Reggie Bush falls in its proverbial lap. The Saints don’t have to throw him to the wolves right away either, as Deuce McAllister can still carry the rock 20 times a game. Even as an alternate feature back, add up the 10-15 carries, 5-10 receptions and 5 or so kick returns and you get the 25-30 touches per game range: Bush is going to get the ball enough to make the Saints completely relevant for perhaps the first time in franchise history. Barring injuries, he will be an unquestioned star at the next level for a decade. I like ‘Bama safety Roman Harper a lot in the second round as well. Give the Saints an 'A'.
3- Tennessee makes a gut choice in the three slot, taking Texas QB Vince Young over Matt Leinart. And honestly, who can fault the Titans for that? I thought the connection to former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow would make them lean toward Leinart, but Young clearly struck the Titans like he does me: a truly rare and scintillating physical prospect who thrives under pressure and won’t struggle too much to make the leap to the NFL. Lendale White in the second round could be a tremendous steal for the offense too. I mean, the guy had more touchdowns than Reggie Bush last year and they were on the same team! Some defensive tinkering in the later rounds makes it an unquestioned 'A' draft for the Titans in my book.
4 & 29- The New York Jets' new regime showed a lot of poise in the fourth slot by staying put, not moving up for Bush and selecting offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson out of Virginia. That’s right, D’Brickashaw---it’s a tremendous name. At 6’6, 315 pounds, with a 7’3 inch wingspan, Ferguson should be a dominant anchor on the left side of the Jets line for a long time. New head coach Eric Mangini continued the offensive line rebuilding in the 29th slot, taking Ohio State Center Nick Mangold. The Jets were still able to grab Oregon QB Kellen Clemens in the second round, their possible QB of the future. And Missouri QB turned WR Brad Smith could be a Randle El type, if all goes well . . . You have to give Gang Green a sturdy 'A' for the line work.
5- Green Bay continues to overhaul its defense with OSU LB A.J. Hawk in the fifth slot. A deceptively-fast, instinctive kinda player, Hawk will give the Green Bay defense a horse to rally around. The Packers stayed active in this draft in the trade department as well, dealing disgruntled WR Javon Walker to Denver for a 2nd round pick, then taking tackle Daryn Colledge outta Boise in the second round. But who's gonna replace Mr. Walker for Mr. Favre? Make it a 'B-' for the Pack.
6 & 22- San Francisco finally had itself an effective draft with its two first round selections both creating big splashes. In the sixth slot, Maryland TE Vernon Davis was a perfect fit, a 6’5, 270 pound pass-catching force who should develop a nice chemistry with last year’s #1 overrall choice Alex Smith. At twenty-two, the 49ers grabbed N.C. State defensive end/linebacker Manny Lawson, a speedy outside rusher who should also be a star at the next level. Help on the offensive line would've been nice too, but you can't get everything all at once. Both of the first rounders should make impacts for San Fran in a hurry, giving the Niners a strong 'A-' grade in this draft.
7- Oakland bolsters its secondary with Texas safety Michael Huff. Al Davis always thinks he knows something everyone else doesn’t. Whether or not that's true and/or a good thing are the real questions. Now let me see, Ken Stabler was a pretty good left-handed QB for the Raiders, wasn’t he? Apparently, Matt Leinart didn’t strike Oaktown’s crew as the same kinda guy. Not that Michael Huff won’t be a great player; he was unquestionably the best secondary athlete in college football last year. But is Aaron Brooks really the answer for the Raiders? Or Andrew Walters, for that matter? Weber State G Paul McQuistan is a huge reach in the second. At least they didn’t take Marcus Vick with the last pick in the draft---Maine wideout Kevin McMahan is Mr. Irrelevant. Oakland gets a 'C-'.
8 & 25- Buffalo gets defensive with its first round choices. The truth is, Marv Levy knows exponentially more about football than I do. But the fact remains that Levy’s Bills took OSU safety Donte Whitner way too high. In the eight slot? With Leinart and Cutler on the board? Don’t tell me you believe in J.P. Losman now. Trading up with Chicago to get John McCargo, DT outta N.C. State at 25 was a reach as well. (The Bears would then use their second round pick on CB Danieal Manning from Division II Abilene Christian.) On that note, Buffalo may have had the worst draft of anyone this side of Washington or Chicago, teams that barely showed at the draft. Even with the second round addition of LB Rocky McIntosh from Miami, I'll give Washington an 'F', Chicago a straight 'D' and, oh yeah, the bumbling Bills a confusing 'D+'.
9- Detroit drafts all those wideouts in the first round over the past few years and still doesn’t have a good young QB to get them the ball. (The Joey Harrington era now mericfully being over in Motown...) So why Matt Millen passed on Leinart at nine I have no idea, but then, I have no idea how he’s still in charge of the team either. First round pick FSU LB Ernie Sims could be a monster on the edge (and at least he's not another WR!) while Wisconsin RB Brian Calhoun will be a nice change of pace guy, but with Harrington already having flopped, don’t you have to find a young franchise QB at some point? Josh McCown and Jon Kitna do not qualify. The Lions get another 'C-'.
10- Arizona is a team on the rise, no doubt about it. Getting USC QB Matt Leinart at ten was probably the steal of the first round: he’s a tremendous pro-scheme passer who’s basically NFL ready right now. With Edge in the backfield and wideouts Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin on the perimeter, the Cardinals offense could be ready to explode with just a little more help on the line. Guard Tatusi Lutui was a nice second round addition as well. Dennis Green’s crew gets a strong 'A' for the draft. Watch out for the Cardinals, folks.
11- Denver gets itself a poor man's Elway clone. Mike Shanahan’s Broncos were very aggressive in this draft, moving up to snare Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler with the eleventh pick from the Rams. With a big, powerful arm, Cutler should be able to combat thost Mile High winds and will be a nice option for the franchise whenever Jake the Snake finally wears out his welcome. (I'm guessing that happens sooner rather than later.) Grabbing Javon Walker from Green Bay for a second round pick, while not a draft selection, was still a strong offensive move. Walker will be a great complement to Rod Smith and/or Ashley Lelie. Denver glides its way to an 'A'.
12- Baltimore wanted Oregon DT Haloti Ngata bad enough to trade up just one slot to get him. For the Ravens, EN-gotta have him . . . sorry, but I had to use that at least once. Joking aside, Ngata is a behemoth who should swallow up some blockers to free Ray Lewis for more plays. Oklahoma Center Chris Chester was a nice second round addition as well. Give the Ravens a 'B'.
13- Cleveland continues a great offseason for head coach Romeo Crennel. After adding center LeCharles Bentley and tackle Kevin Shaffer in free agency, Browns GM Phil Savage turns to defense in the draft, getting DE Kamerrion Wimbley, a strong, swift pass rusher from FSU in the first round and then Maryland LB D’Qwell Jackson in the second, last year’s defensive player of the year in the ACC. Getting Fullback Lawrence Vickers late doesn’t hurt either. The Brownies have hit their targets all offseason long and get an 'A' for the draft. No pluses in my book.
14- Philadelphia stayed put in the first and got itself maybe the best defense tackle in the draft in Florida State’s Broderick Bunkley at fourteen. The Eagles got a deal on USC tackle Winston Justice in the second as well, character issues and missed assignments driving his stock down the board (let's remember in the title game the Trojan coaches specificially told him who to block on a key fourth and two, and Justice still got mixed up). WR/Skiing sensation Jeremy Bloom out of Colorado in the fifth was a nice touch; he should return kicks immediately. The Eagles get another ‘A’ in what’s becoming a pretty well-handled draft for a number of clubs so far.
15- St. Louis trades down with Denver and winds up with CB Tye Hill from Clemson. He’s small but quickand talented. DT Claude Wroten from LSU and USC TE Dominique Byrd are similar picks in terms of talent and character questions. First year coach Scott Linehan has some additional challenges to deal with right away and that's always lotsa fun for new coaches, isn't it?. The Rams pass with a 'C-'.
16- Miami coach Nick Saban says he loves Jason Allen, and rightfully so: the safety from Tennessee has all the athleticism necessary to bolster an NFL secondary right away. The second round pick had already been dealt for QB Dante Culpepper but the Dolphins also got Arizona State receiver Derek Hagan later on. Hagan isn’t a completely bad choice as a backup for Chris Chambers, but he dropped more than a few passes in college. The Dolphins get a ‘C-‘.
17- Minnesota didn’t wow me in this draft, but it wasn’t as bad for the Vikes as some national analysts would have you believe. They got a solid tackler at LB---a position of great need---in round one with the addition of Iowa’s Chad Greenway, a Mt. Vernon, South Dakota native. The first of three second round picks---Texas CB Cedric Griffin should be solid, but fellow second rounders Ryan Cook and Tavaris Jackson were both probably taken too high. Cook could be a backup center right away while Division II standout Jackson will need some time to polish his throwing and scheme reading if he hopes to be a successful NFL QB. Still, if Minnesota really wanted Oregon QB Kellen Clemens, he should have been grabbed in front of the Jets at 49. Give the Vikings a 'C+'.
18- Dallas gets Bill Parcells another defensive piece with OSU LB Bobby Carpenter. TE Anthony Fasano from Notre Dame ain't much to write home about in the second round though. And the Cowboys already have Jason Witten at the position, which makes you wonder what exactly the Tuna was thinking . . . But aren't we always sort of wondering that? The Cowboys snare a 'C'.
19- San Diego takes a wounded knee in CB Antonio Cromartie out of FSU, making it four Seminole defensive players selected in this year's first round. Cromartie missed much of last year with a torn right knee, but he appears to be healthy and showed good speed according to scouts at the combine. Clemson QB Charlie Whitehurst was a nice pick in the third as Philip Rivers projected backup. The Chargers get a 'B-'.
20- Kansas City begins the Herm Edwards' era by going after character guys, which won't be a great thing if they fail to pan out as players. Penn State DE Tamba Hali is a great story, but can he stop the run? Meanwhile, Alabama QB Brodie Croyle has a big arm and would definitely have been worthy of a first round pick if had healthy knees, but he doesn't. Some insiders claim he won't even be ready to play at any point this year. The Chiefs reached a bit with both selections and didn't make a huge impact. That's worthy of a 'D+'.
21- New England anticipates a need at RB by grabbing Minnesota's Laurence Maroney. He has phenomenal speed, but is not much of a blocker, or a pass catcher for that matter. I'm tempted to say that Bill Belichik reached with his first rounder, but then, he's Bill Belichik . . . Taking Chad Jackson early in the 2nd round to replace David Givens was keen for sure. The Patriots get offensive and earn themselves a 'B+'.
23- Tampa Bay played it safe in this draft, getting John Gruden a couple more linemen to tinker with. Oklahoma G Davin Joseph can play right now, while Boston College T Jeremy Trueblood needs a lot of work to play at the next level. It was an adequate, if unspectacular draft in Grudenland. The Buccaneers get a 'C-'.
24- Cincinnati didn't have a lot of holes to fill in this draft, but still made a couple of nice additions. CB Jonathan Joseph from South Carolina is speedy and athletic but raw: he only started one year for Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks. Meanwhile, LSU tackle Andrew Whitworth has a lot of size and could be a starting lineman soon. Marvin Lewis gets a 'B-' on the draft, but you feel like his thoughts are probably still with QB Carson Palmer's recuperating knee.
25- Pittsburgh desperately needed to replace Antwan Randle-El in the receiving corps after he departed for Chicago. The defending Super Bowl champion Steelers were able to do just that by trading up with the Giants to get OSU WR Santonio Holmes. He's a a great route runner and well-polished, but the heart of Pittsburgh's offense has always been pounding the pigskin. With the Bus retired, it surprised me that the Steelers didn't move up for LenDale White with him still on the board in the second round. Pittsburgh earns a 'C'.
27- Carolina gets a tremendous value with Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams at twenty-seven. Williams is a little undersized but he has tremendous speed and actually led all of the NCAA in rushing the last two years. He'll be a great replacement for Stephen Davis in the backfield and should share the load with DeShaun Foster. Fresno State CB Richard Marshall will help Carolina replenish its secondary as well. The Panthers get an 'A' grade.
28- Jacksonville continues to build its offense with the addition of UCLA TE Mercedes Lewis. He should be a great over the middle target for QB Byron Leftwich. Coach Jack Del Rio starred at USC, but he goes for a couple of Bruins in this draft, grabbing speedy RB Maurice Drew as well. The Jaguars could have used some more offensive line help to make sure that Leftwich stays healthy this year, but the offensive tinkering cannot be discounted. The Jags grab a 'B' from me.
30- Indianapolis wanted Maroney badly but had to settle for LSU RB Joseph Addai at the tail end of round one after a run on the ball carriers. Addai is versatile and has very good hands, but can he be a 20-30 carries kind of guy? Probably not. Looks like Rhodes and Addai will try to fill Edge James' big shoes by committee. Getting Georgia CB Tim Jennings from Georgie was a nice second round pick though. The Colts stagnate a bit with a 'C-'.
31- Seattle makes a nice late round first round pick with Miami CB Kelly Jennings, although he is a little small. Virginia Tech DE Darryl Tapp could be a steal for the defense as well, in a similar vein to Latusi Tatapu last year. Still, who is going to replace All-World Guard Steve Hutchinson on the offense line? The Seahawks get a 'B-'.
32- The New York Giants close out the first round by getting younger on the defensive line. Boston College DE Mathia Kiwanuka is far from a finished project, but he is 6'7 and the Giants are going to need a replacement for the aging Michael Strahan eventually. Sinorice Moss in the second round was a great decision; Santana's younger brother will be a strong slot option for Eli Manning. The Giants did well for themselves overall and deserve a solid 'B'.
-JAB
1- Houston selects DE Mario Williams from NC State. You know, I understand the Texans want to strengthen their defense, and Williams may prove to be an NFL star---he certainly has all the size at 6’7, 300 pounds plus---but you don’t pass on Michael Jordan (unless you're the Portland Trailblazers). This is just an historic mistake by the Texans, in my opinion. I can’t believe Charlie Casserly and company convinced themselves not to take Reggie, with all of the potential lucrative jersey and merchandising money staring them right in the face. Alabama linebacker Demeco Ryans is a solid choice in the second, but Houston gets a straight 'D' grade in my opinion.
2- New Orleans gets some tremendous luck, for a change, and watches as USC tailback Reggie Bush falls in its proverbial lap. The Saints don’t have to throw him to the wolves right away either, as Deuce McAllister can still carry the rock 20 times a game. Even as an alternate feature back, add up the 10-15 carries, 5-10 receptions and 5 or so kick returns and you get the 25-30 touches per game range: Bush is going to get the ball enough to make the Saints completely relevant for perhaps the first time in franchise history. Barring injuries, he will be an unquestioned star at the next level for a decade. I like ‘Bama safety Roman Harper a lot in the second round as well. Give the Saints an 'A'.
3- Tennessee makes a gut choice in the three slot, taking Texas QB Vince Young over Matt Leinart. And honestly, who can fault the Titans for that? I thought the connection to former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow would make them lean toward Leinart, but Young clearly struck the Titans like he does me: a truly rare and scintillating physical prospect who thrives under pressure and won’t struggle too much to make the leap to the NFL. Lendale White in the second round could be a tremendous steal for the offense too. I mean, the guy had more touchdowns than Reggie Bush last year and they were on the same team! Some defensive tinkering in the later rounds makes it an unquestioned 'A' draft for the Titans in my book.
4 & 29- The New York Jets' new regime showed a lot of poise in the fourth slot by staying put, not moving up for Bush and selecting offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson out of Virginia. That’s right, D’Brickashaw---it’s a tremendous name. At 6’6, 315 pounds, with a 7’3 inch wingspan, Ferguson should be a dominant anchor on the left side of the Jets line for a long time. New head coach Eric Mangini continued the offensive line rebuilding in the 29th slot, taking Ohio State Center Nick Mangold. The Jets were still able to grab Oregon QB Kellen Clemens in the second round, their possible QB of the future. And Missouri QB turned WR Brad Smith could be a Randle El type, if all goes well . . . You have to give Gang Green a sturdy 'A' for the line work.
5- Green Bay continues to overhaul its defense with OSU LB A.J. Hawk in the fifth slot. A deceptively-fast, instinctive kinda player, Hawk will give the Green Bay defense a horse to rally around. The Packers stayed active in this draft in the trade department as well, dealing disgruntled WR Javon Walker to Denver for a 2nd round pick, then taking tackle Daryn Colledge outta Boise in the second round. But who's gonna replace Mr. Walker for Mr. Favre? Make it a 'B-' for the Pack.
6 & 22- San Francisco finally had itself an effective draft with its two first round selections both creating big splashes. In the sixth slot, Maryland TE Vernon Davis was a perfect fit, a 6’5, 270 pound pass-catching force who should develop a nice chemistry with last year’s #1 overrall choice Alex Smith. At twenty-two, the 49ers grabbed N.C. State defensive end/linebacker Manny Lawson, a speedy outside rusher who should also be a star at the next level. Help on the offensive line would've been nice too, but you can't get everything all at once. Both of the first rounders should make impacts for San Fran in a hurry, giving the Niners a strong 'A-' grade in this draft.
7- Oakland bolsters its secondary with Texas safety Michael Huff. Al Davis always thinks he knows something everyone else doesn’t. Whether or not that's true and/or a good thing are the real questions. Now let me see, Ken Stabler was a pretty good left-handed QB for the Raiders, wasn’t he? Apparently, Matt Leinart didn’t strike Oaktown’s crew as the same kinda guy. Not that Michael Huff won’t be a great player; he was unquestionably the best secondary athlete in college football last year. But is Aaron Brooks really the answer for the Raiders? Or Andrew Walters, for that matter? Weber State G Paul McQuistan is a huge reach in the second. At least they didn’t take Marcus Vick with the last pick in the draft---Maine wideout Kevin McMahan is Mr. Irrelevant. Oakland gets a 'C-'.
8 & 25- Buffalo gets defensive with its first round choices. The truth is, Marv Levy knows exponentially more about football than I do. But the fact remains that Levy’s Bills took OSU safety Donte Whitner way too high. In the eight slot? With Leinart and Cutler on the board? Don’t tell me you believe in J.P. Losman now. Trading up with Chicago to get John McCargo, DT outta N.C. State at 25 was a reach as well. (The Bears would then use their second round pick on CB Danieal Manning from Division II Abilene Christian.) On that note, Buffalo may have had the worst draft of anyone this side of Washington or Chicago, teams that barely showed at the draft. Even with the second round addition of LB Rocky McIntosh from Miami, I'll give Washington an 'F', Chicago a straight 'D' and, oh yeah, the bumbling Bills a confusing 'D+'.
9- Detroit drafts all those wideouts in the first round over the past few years and still doesn’t have a good young QB to get them the ball. (The Joey Harrington era now mericfully being over in Motown...) So why Matt Millen passed on Leinart at nine I have no idea, but then, I have no idea how he’s still in charge of the team either. First round pick FSU LB Ernie Sims could be a monster on the edge (and at least he's not another WR!) while Wisconsin RB Brian Calhoun will be a nice change of pace guy, but with Harrington already having flopped, don’t you have to find a young franchise QB at some point? Josh McCown and Jon Kitna do not qualify. The Lions get another 'C-'.
10- Arizona is a team on the rise, no doubt about it. Getting USC QB Matt Leinart at ten was probably the steal of the first round: he’s a tremendous pro-scheme passer who’s basically NFL ready right now. With Edge in the backfield and wideouts Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin on the perimeter, the Cardinals offense could be ready to explode with just a little more help on the line. Guard Tatusi Lutui was a nice second round addition as well. Dennis Green’s crew gets a strong 'A' for the draft. Watch out for the Cardinals, folks.
11- Denver gets itself a poor man's Elway clone. Mike Shanahan’s Broncos were very aggressive in this draft, moving up to snare Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler with the eleventh pick from the Rams. With a big, powerful arm, Cutler should be able to combat thost Mile High winds and will be a nice option for the franchise whenever Jake the Snake finally wears out his welcome. (I'm guessing that happens sooner rather than later.) Grabbing Javon Walker from Green Bay for a second round pick, while not a draft selection, was still a strong offensive move. Walker will be a great complement to Rod Smith and/or Ashley Lelie. Denver glides its way to an 'A'.
12- Baltimore wanted Oregon DT Haloti Ngata bad enough to trade up just one slot to get him. For the Ravens, EN-gotta have him . . . sorry, but I had to use that at least once. Joking aside, Ngata is a behemoth who should swallow up some blockers to free Ray Lewis for more plays. Oklahoma Center Chris Chester was a nice second round addition as well. Give the Ravens a 'B'.
13- Cleveland continues a great offseason for head coach Romeo Crennel. After adding center LeCharles Bentley and tackle Kevin Shaffer in free agency, Browns GM Phil Savage turns to defense in the draft, getting DE Kamerrion Wimbley, a strong, swift pass rusher from FSU in the first round and then Maryland LB D’Qwell Jackson in the second, last year’s defensive player of the year in the ACC. Getting Fullback Lawrence Vickers late doesn’t hurt either. The Brownies have hit their targets all offseason long and get an 'A' for the draft. No pluses in my book.
14- Philadelphia stayed put in the first and got itself maybe the best defense tackle in the draft in Florida State’s Broderick Bunkley at fourteen. The Eagles got a deal on USC tackle Winston Justice in the second as well, character issues and missed assignments driving his stock down the board (let's remember in the title game the Trojan coaches specificially told him who to block on a key fourth and two, and Justice still got mixed up). WR/Skiing sensation Jeremy Bloom out of Colorado in the fifth was a nice touch; he should return kicks immediately. The Eagles get another ‘A’ in what’s becoming a pretty well-handled draft for a number of clubs so far.
15- St. Louis trades down with Denver and winds up with CB Tye Hill from Clemson. He’s small but quickand talented. DT Claude Wroten from LSU and USC TE Dominique Byrd are similar picks in terms of talent and character questions. First year coach Scott Linehan has some additional challenges to deal with right away and that's always lotsa fun for new coaches, isn't it?. The Rams pass with a 'C-'.
16- Miami coach Nick Saban says he loves Jason Allen, and rightfully so: the safety from Tennessee has all the athleticism necessary to bolster an NFL secondary right away. The second round pick had already been dealt for QB Dante Culpepper but the Dolphins also got Arizona State receiver Derek Hagan later on. Hagan isn’t a completely bad choice as a backup for Chris Chambers, but he dropped more than a few passes in college. The Dolphins get a ‘C-‘.
17- Minnesota didn’t wow me in this draft, but it wasn’t as bad for the Vikes as some national analysts would have you believe. They got a solid tackler at LB---a position of great need---in round one with the addition of Iowa’s Chad Greenway, a Mt. Vernon, South Dakota native. The first of three second round picks---Texas CB Cedric Griffin should be solid, but fellow second rounders Ryan Cook and Tavaris Jackson were both probably taken too high. Cook could be a backup center right away while Division II standout Jackson will need some time to polish his throwing and scheme reading if he hopes to be a successful NFL QB. Still, if Minnesota really wanted Oregon QB Kellen Clemens, he should have been grabbed in front of the Jets at 49. Give the Vikings a 'C+'.
18- Dallas gets Bill Parcells another defensive piece with OSU LB Bobby Carpenter. TE Anthony Fasano from Notre Dame ain't much to write home about in the second round though. And the Cowboys already have Jason Witten at the position, which makes you wonder what exactly the Tuna was thinking . . . But aren't we always sort of wondering that? The Cowboys snare a 'C'.
19- San Diego takes a wounded knee in CB Antonio Cromartie out of FSU, making it four Seminole defensive players selected in this year's first round. Cromartie missed much of last year with a torn right knee, but he appears to be healthy and showed good speed according to scouts at the combine. Clemson QB Charlie Whitehurst was a nice pick in the third as Philip Rivers projected backup. The Chargers get a 'B-'.
20- Kansas City begins the Herm Edwards' era by going after character guys, which won't be a great thing if they fail to pan out as players. Penn State DE Tamba Hali is a great story, but can he stop the run? Meanwhile, Alabama QB Brodie Croyle has a big arm and would definitely have been worthy of a first round pick if had healthy knees, but he doesn't. Some insiders claim he won't even be ready to play at any point this year. The Chiefs reached a bit with both selections and didn't make a huge impact. That's worthy of a 'D+'.
21- New England anticipates a need at RB by grabbing Minnesota's Laurence Maroney. He has phenomenal speed, but is not much of a blocker, or a pass catcher for that matter. I'm tempted to say that Bill Belichik reached with his first rounder, but then, he's Bill Belichik . . . Taking Chad Jackson early in the 2nd round to replace David Givens was keen for sure. The Patriots get offensive and earn themselves a 'B+'.
23- Tampa Bay played it safe in this draft, getting John Gruden a couple more linemen to tinker with. Oklahoma G Davin Joseph can play right now, while Boston College T Jeremy Trueblood needs a lot of work to play at the next level. It was an adequate, if unspectacular draft in Grudenland. The Buccaneers get a 'C-'.
24- Cincinnati didn't have a lot of holes to fill in this draft, but still made a couple of nice additions. CB Jonathan Joseph from South Carolina is speedy and athletic but raw: he only started one year for Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks. Meanwhile, LSU tackle Andrew Whitworth has a lot of size and could be a starting lineman soon. Marvin Lewis gets a 'B-' on the draft, but you feel like his thoughts are probably still with QB Carson Palmer's recuperating knee.
25- Pittsburgh desperately needed to replace Antwan Randle-El in the receiving corps after he departed for Chicago. The defending Super Bowl champion Steelers were able to do just that by trading up with the Giants to get OSU WR Santonio Holmes. He's a a great route runner and well-polished, but the heart of Pittsburgh's offense has always been pounding the pigskin. With the Bus retired, it surprised me that the Steelers didn't move up for LenDale White with him still on the board in the second round. Pittsburgh earns a 'C'.
27- Carolina gets a tremendous value with Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams at twenty-seven. Williams is a little undersized but he has tremendous speed and actually led all of the NCAA in rushing the last two years. He'll be a great replacement for Stephen Davis in the backfield and should share the load with DeShaun Foster. Fresno State CB Richard Marshall will help Carolina replenish its secondary as well. The Panthers get an 'A' grade.
28- Jacksonville continues to build its offense with the addition of UCLA TE Mercedes Lewis. He should be a great over the middle target for QB Byron Leftwich. Coach Jack Del Rio starred at USC, but he goes for a couple of Bruins in this draft, grabbing speedy RB Maurice Drew as well. The Jaguars could have used some more offensive line help to make sure that Leftwich stays healthy this year, but the offensive tinkering cannot be discounted. The Jags grab a 'B' from me.
30- Indianapolis wanted Maroney badly but had to settle for LSU RB Joseph Addai at the tail end of round one after a run on the ball carriers. Addai is versatile and has very good hands, but can he be a 20-30 carries kind of guy? Probably not. Looks like Rhodes and Addai will try to fill Edge James' big shoes by committee. Getting Georgia CB Tim Jennings from Georgie was a nice second round pick though. The Colts stagnate a bit with a 'C-'.
31- Seattle makes a nice late round first round pick with Miami CB Kelly Jennings, although he is a little small. Virginia Tech DE Darryl Tapp could be a steal for the defense as well, in a similar vein to Latusi Tatapu last year. Still, who is going to replace All-World Guard Steve Hutchinson on the offense line? The Seahawks get a 'B-'.
32- The New York Giants close out the first round by getting younger on the defensive line. Boston College DE Mathia Kiwanuka is far from a finished project, but he is 6'7 and the Giants are going to need a replacement for the aging Michael Strahan eventually. Sinorice Moss in the second round was a great decision; Santana's younger brother will be a strong slot option for Eli Manning. The Giants did well for themselves overall and deserve a solid 'B'.
-JAB
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
At Long Last, NFL Draft Time is Here
Late April on the calendar signifies a lot of things to sports fans: the first round of the NBA playoffs are here, the NHL playoffs are back (after a year-long hiatus) and Major League Baseball's getting in the swing of things with the first month of play wrapping up . . . But none is higher on the intrigue list for me this week than the two day frenzy in New York known as the NFL Draft.
It's the single biggest event in any NFL fan's off-season. Sure there's free agency and cuts day and the first day of training camp, but the Draft is make it or break it time for most clubs. (Especially if you're a beleaguered Jets fan coming off of a terribly-disappointing 4-12 year like myself.) The impact of a successful draft on a team's future success cannot be overstated. Maybe that is why most teams are now more reluctant than ever before to part with so much as a second or third round pick, even in exchange for "big-name" players like Dante Culpepper or Terrell Owens. The impact of players taken in later rounds can be tremendous (i.e. Tom Brady by New England in the 6th), while wasted selections can trigger the downfall of almost any front office.
Pressure anyone? And I'm not even talking about the players involved in this thing yet! Imagine the myriad thoughts running through the minds of Reggie Bush, Mario Williams and Vince Young just as I write this . . . Will it be the first pick where I get selected or the second? The fourth or the tenth? Will I get twenty million dollars guaranteed or five? And where will I be putting down roots for the next six to ten years of my life? Houston, Texas? The Big Apple? Green Bay?
And that's just for the big names in the draft. The megastars can at least feel confident about being drafted, which is to say, they at least know their names are going to be called at some point, whenever it might be. But how about the lesser known players, the guys just praying for someone to tab them---anywhere, it doesn't matter---fifth round, sixth round, seventh . . . To those borderline draft hopefuls, never has the idea of being Mr. Irrelevant sounded so good.
Yes, indeed. The NFL draft is as thrilling a non-game sporting event as there is, particularly in the world of football. (On that note, it's way more thrilling than the actual Pro Bowl game as well. But then, what isn't?) The draft is the pulling up of the curtain, the revelation of long-rumored decisions, the main course of the mythic meal. And most of all, it's fun. Although the fifteen minutes between picks thing has definitely got to go. How about ten minutes between picks in the first two rounds and five minutes between the rest of the way? Wouldn't that make the whole thing just a tad more digestable?
Bring on D'Brickashaw, baby.
-JAB
It's the single biggest event in any NFL fan's off-season. Sure there's free agency and cuts day and the first day of training camp, but the Draft is make it or break it time for most clubs. (Especially if you're a beleaguered Jets fan coming off of a terribly-disappointing 4-12 year like myself.) The impact of a successful draft on a team's future success cannot be overstated. Maybe that is why most teams are now more reluctant than ever before to part with so much as a second or third round pick, even in exchange for "big-name" players like Dante Culpepper or Terrell Owens. The impact of players taken in later rounds can be tremendous (i.e. Tom Brady by New England in the 6th), while wasted selections can trigger the downfall of almost any front office.
Pressure anyone? And I'm not even talking about the players involved in this thing yet! Imagine the myriad thoughts running through the minds of Reggie Bush, Mario Williams and Vince Young just as I write this . . . Will it be the first pick where I get selected or the second? The fourth or the tenth? Will I get twenty million dollars guaranteed or five? And where will I be putting down roots for the next six to ten years of my life? Houston, Texas? The Big Apple? Green Bay?
And that's just for the big names in the draft. The megastars can at least feel confident about being drafted, which is to say, they at least know their names are going to be called at some point, whenever it might be. But how about the lesser known players, the guys just praying for someone to tab them---anywhere, it doesn't matter---fifth round, sixth round, seventh . . . To those borderline draft hopefuls, never has the idea of being Mr. Irrelevant sounded so good.
Yes, indeed. The NFL draft is as thrilling a non-game sporting event as there is, particularly in the world of football. (On that note, it's way more thrilling than the actual Pro Bowl game as well. But then, what isn't?) The draft is the pulling up of the curtain, the revelation of long-rumored decisions, the main course of the mythic meal. And most of all, it's fun. Although the fifteen minutes between picks thing has definitely got to go. How about ten minutes between picks in the first two rounds and five minutes between the rest of the way? Wouldn't that make the whole thing just a tad more digestable?
Bring on D'Brickashaw, baby.
-JAB
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Baseball's Steroids Era is Mostly Selig's Fault
The credibility of America's national pasttime is in serious trouble. The many eras of baseball history have always been difficult to compare, whether you were talking about the pre-Ruth or post-Ruth time frames, the World War II stretch or the Deadball run in the 1960s . . . Still the fact remained that you could always compare the players within a particular era to one another, and as far as the Hall of Fame was concerned, that was enough to judge the best of every era's bunch.
This trend of self-sustaining eras has come to a crashing halt with Bud Selig's tenure as commissioner, however. Selig has presided over what will now forever be known as the Steroids era, a time in baseball when the lack of rules governing players' use of performance enhancing drugs severely damaged the credibility of a game held sacred for so long by so many.
Science and technology reached a point in the last couple of decades where the realm of sports was no longer safe . . . Human beings---and in this particular case---athletes had reached the point of alteration, which is to say, they could be manipulated into bigger, stronger, faster, more machine-like creatures. And competition in the sports world logically suffered because of it: no longer was the idea of man versus man applicable. It was now man versus man and whatever chemicals he or she was using.
Most sports associations seemed to be aware of this scary trend, if a little behind the curve. The Olympics, the NFL and the NBA all created tougher, more stringent drug-testing programs, and while these policies were far from perfect, they at least sent the message that cheating was not okay, it would not be allowed, and if an athlete was caught, there would be consequences. But baseball's higher-ups either never got the message or just plain didn't care. After all, baseball suffered through a nightmare of a player's strike in 1994 and was doing all it could to win back the bulk of its fan base. The way then-interim Commissioner Selig and his cronies had it figured: what better way to win back baseball's fans than by letting the players have free reign over their physiques? Forget testing these guys, forget checking them at the proverbial door, why not allow them, or more so, encourage them to take down some of the sacred marks of the game for the sake of popularity?
You see, for all his faults as a commissioner, Bud Selig is not a bad businessman. He and his cronies were right about the assaults on the record books: McGwire and Sosa's '98 chase at Maris brought baseball right back to the center of the national sports map. And Bond's '01 run at 73 didn't hurt things much in that regard either.
(On a quick side note, as far as I'm concerned, North Dakota's Roger Maris is still the single season home run champ. His 61 dingers in '61 were the product of talent, hard work and unbelievable focus under heavy media scrutiny and pressure. They had nothing to do with human growth hormone, andro, the "clear" or any of the other performance enhancers science has lofted into our athletic world in recent years.)
But even all-night parties don't last forever: baseball's steroids' bubble has been in a constant state of burst over the past few years as players have gotten blatantly bigger and bulkier to the point where ignorance---from the fans, from the media, from our nation's Congress---was no longer an option. Certainly last March's Congressional testimony fiasco (triggered by Jose Canseco's apparently dead-on claims of widespread steroid use) was a final damning blow. The lid was off the whole shebang: baseball was filled with cheaters, from the top right on down.
So feel free to be angry with Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds. Feel free to call Rafael Palmeiro a liar. Feel free to make the leap of non-doubt on your own. Sure we don't have 100% proof that these guys (amongst many, many others) were using performance enhancers; we will likely never find the evidence to be be so assured. But let's use some common sense here: these guys doubled and tripled in body mass as they got into their late thirties, and that's not even remotely realistic.
When you're focusing your fury and disgust or shedding a tear over what these players have done to our nation's pasttime, do me a favor and make Bud Selig the focus of at least some of that emotion as well. It doesn't matter that he never used a performance enhancer himself; his inept command of the sport in an era that needed toughness and guidance and firm leadership is mainly to blame for the current predicament of the game. Isn't it time for Bud to go now? Wasn't it time for him to go yesterday? Selig's party is long over, folks.
-JAB
This trend of self-sustaining eras has come to a crashing halt with Bud Selig's tenure as commissioner, however. Selig has presided over what will now forever be known as the Steroids era, a time in baseball when the lack of rules governing players' use of performance enhancing drugs severely damaged the credibility of a game held sacred for so long by so many.
Science and technology reached a point in the last couple of decades where the realm of sports was no longer safe . . . Human beings---and in this particular case---athletes had reached the point of alteration, which is to say, they could be manipulated into bigger, stronger, faster, more machine-like creatures. And competition in the sports world logically suffered because of it: no longer was the idea of man versus man applicable. It was now man versus man and whatever chemicals he or she was using.
Most sports associations seemed to be aware of this scary trend, if a little behind the curve. The Olympics, the NFL and the NBA all created tougher, more stringent drug-testing programs, and while these policies were far from perfect, they at least sent the message that cheating was not okay, it would not be allowed, and if an athlete was caught, there would be consequences. But baseball's higher-ups either never got the message or just plain didn't care. After all, baseball suffered through a nightmare of a player's strike in 1994 and was doing all it could to win back the bulk of its fan base. The way then-interim Commissioner Selig and his cronies had it figured: what better way to win back baseball's fans than by letting the players have free reign over their physiques? Forget testing these guys, forget checking them at the proverbial door, why not allow them, or more so, encourage them to take down some of the sacred marks of the game for the sake of popularity?
You see, for all his faults as a commissioner, Bud Selig is not a bad businessman. He and his cronies were right about the assaults on the record books: McGwire and Sosa's '98 chase at Maris brought baseball right back to the center of the national sports map. And Bond's '01 run at 73 didn't hurt things much in that regard either.
(On a quick side note, as far as I'm concerned, North Dakota's Roger Maris is still the single season home run champ. His 61 dingers in '61 were the product of talent, hard work and unbelievable focus under heavy media scrutiny and pressure. They had nothing to do with human growth hormone, andro, the "clear" or any of the other performance enhancers science has lofted into our athletic world in recent years.)
But even all-night parties don't last forever: baseball's steroids' bubble has been in a constant state of burst over the past few years as players have gotten blatantly bigger and bulkier to the point where ignorance---from the fans, from the media, from our nation's Congress---was no longer an option. Certainly last March's Congressional testimony fiasco (triggered by Jose Canseco's apparently dead-on claims of widespread steroid use) was a final damning blow. The lid was off the whole shebang: baseball was filled with cheaters, from the top right on down.
So feel free to be angry with Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds. Feel free to call Rafael Palmeiro a liar. Feel free to make the leap of non-doubt on your own. Sure we don't have 100% proof that these guys (amongst many, many others) were using performance enhancers; we will likely never find the evidence to be be so assured. But let's use some common sense here: these guys doubled and tripled in body mass as they got into their late thirties, and that's not even remotely realistic.
When you're focusing your fury and disgust or shedding a tear over what these players have done to our nation's pasttime, do me a favor and make Bud Selig the focus of at least some of that emotion as well. It doesn't matter that he never used a performance enhancer himself; his inept command of the sport in an era that needed toughness and guidance and firm leadership is mainly to blame for the current predicament of the game. Isn't it time for Bud to go now? Wasn't it time for him to go yesterday? Selig's party is long over, folks.
-JAB
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
$218 Trillion Phone Bill for Malaysian Man
You can't make this stuff up . . . I got the details from the Associated Press wire.
Yahaya Wahab was a very surprised man last week when he received a phone bill for $218 trillion from Telekom Malaysia.
Wahab says he disconnected his late father's phone line in January after he died and settled the then $23 bill in full. Now the phone company has give him ten days to pay in full or face legal proceedings.
Um, I'd take the legal proceeds on this one, Yahaya.
$218 trillion? For what, an intergalactic conference call? I mean, how does the bill ever get that high? If you were to make a phone call to Malaysia and leave the phone line on for a month, could it possibly even cost a billion dollars? Not likely, no matter what kind of ridiculous billing you were getting on your account. Could you get to a billion dollars in three months time? Probably not that way either.
Which begs two questions: first, how in the world does the Malaysian phone company in question come up with a figure almost 100 times greater than the United States' government's annual operating budget? And secondly, why wouldn't the company have demanded payment from Wahab long before the bill ever got that high?
On a side note, I suddenly feel pretty happy with my Verizon phone service. No shameless plug intended.
-JAB
Yahaya Wahab was a very surprised man last week when he received a phone bill for $218 trillion from Telekom Malaysia.
Wahab says he disconnected his late father's phone line in January after he died and settled the then $23 bill in full. Now the phone company has give him ten days to pay in full or face legal proceedings.
Um, I'd take the legal proceeds on this one, Yahaya.
$218 trillion? For what, an intergalactic conference call? I mean, how does the bill ever get that high? If you were to make a phone call to Malaysia and leave the phone line on for a month, could it possibly even cost a billion dollars? Not likely, no matter what kind of ridiculous billing you were getting on your account. Could you get to a billion dollars in three months time? Probably not that way either.
Which begs two questions: first, how in the world does the Malaysian phone company in question come up with a figure almost 100 times greater than the United States' government's annual operating budget? And secondly, why wouldn't the company have demanded payment from Wahab long before the bill ever got that high?
On a side note, I suddenly feel pretty happy with my Verizon phone service. No shameless plug intended.
-JAB
Thursday, April 06, 2006
April Showers Duke University In Shame
Say what you want about the rape allegations being levied at Duke's lacrosse team right now. Maybe you don't believe the girl making the accusations, maybe you think she should've seen it coming, or maybe you feel it's just another case of boys will be boys . . .
I'll hear none of it.
We've reached a point in our society where every time a celebrity or professional athlete does something wrong, he or she gets a load of bad press for it. It's one of the ways in which our up-to-the-second 21st century media operates, but it's also a reflection of the high standard to which we hold our stars.
One would think that the same standard would exist for our collegiate athletes, yet, for the most part, they tend to avoid the major public entanglements that seem to plague our elder sportsters. Clearly, this doesn't make sense. You're supposed to mature as you age and you're supposed to learn from your mistakes . . . If anything, the bad decisions should come when you're younger, if on a much smaller scale. So why does the Duke lacrosse story strike me as so rare and surprising an occurrence?
Probably because this kinda thing usually gets hushed up and covered over a hundred times before it ever makes it to the media's doorstep. You see, the major player Division I athletic institutions in this country (of which Duke University is unquestionably a group member) operate much like Tony Sopranos' crew on HBO: if you speak up or in any way threaten to harm the multi-multi-million dollar bottom line, you're not in enviable situation, to put it plainly. These major player businesses, posing as caring, nurturing sholastic institutions, do a lot more dirty laundry than they are ever credited for, things that are essentially (unspoken) public knowledge, from payments to players to academic fudging to making sure that authorities are "understanding" about certain malcontents' actions . . . This stuff is nothing new to most people, but it doesn't make it much more digestable either.
Ultimately, that background is what makes the Duke lacrosse rape case such an important, albeit horrifying, example of the boundaryless environment in which many of today's major college athletes feel they live.
To quickly recap, an African-American exotic dancer claims she was raped by three players on the Duke lacrosse team at an off-campus party on March 13. No charges have been filed as of this posting date, but sophomore Ryan McFadyen has already been suspended for an email message he wrote shortly after the incident, describing future violent acts he wanted to commit against women. Additionally, authorities say they are pretty confident that a rape occurred and expect to file charges soon.
The school has cancelled the remainder of the lacrosse season and team coach Mike Pressler has resigned, ending a 16-year tenure marked by three Atlantic Coast Conference championships and a trip to last year's national final.
Duke University President Richard Brodhead has been quoted by the Associated Press as calling Pressler's resignation "highly appropriate" but declined to say whether it had been requested by the school itself. Brodhead also promised a "very, very serious self-study" of campus culture and said he will look at the lacrosse team's culture and the school's response to the scandal to uncover any "special history of bad behavior with this team."
Now do you really believe that's going to happen? And even if it does, do you really think the alleged victim is going to benefit from that "self-study"?
Certainly the facts still need to be established in this case, but if they fall in line with what it sounds like happened, a very ugly, very public black cloud has undoubtedly surfaced right over the heart of one of America's most presitigious universities and athletic programs.
My avowed skepticism aside, one can only hope that the aftermath of this incident finally leads to some legitimate changes and improvements in the way these star athletes are taught to view themselves, their schools and other human beings.
-JAB
I'll hear none of it.
We've reached a point in our society where every time a celebrity or professional athlete does something wrong, he or she gets a load of bad press for it. It's one of the ways in which our up-to-the-second 21st century media operates, but it's also a reflection of the high standard to which we hold our stars.
One would think that the same standard would exist for our collegiate athletes, yet, for the most part, they tend to avoid the major public entanglements that seem to plague our elder sportsters. Clearly, this doesn't make sense. You're supposed to mature as you age and you're supposed to learn from your mistakes . . . If anything, the bad decisions should come when you're younger, if on a much smaller scale. So why does the Duke lacrosse story strike me as so rare and surprising an occurrence?
Probably because this kinda thing usually gets hushed up and covered over a hundred times before it ever makes it to the media's doorstep. You see, the major player Division I athletic institutions in this country (of which Duke University is unquestionably a group member) operate much like Tony Sopranos' crew on HBO: if you speak up or in any way threaten to harm the multi-multi-million dollar bottom line, you're not in enviable situation, to put it plainly. These major player businesses, posing as caring, nurturing sholastic institutions, do a lot more dirty laundry than they are ever credited for, things that are essentially (unspoken) public knowledge, from payments to players to academic fudging to making sure that authorities are "understanding" about certain malcontents' actions . . . This stuff is nothing new to most people, but it doesn't make it much more digestable either.
Ultimately, that background is what makes the Duke lacrosse rape case such an important, albeit horrifying, example of the boundaryless environment in which many of today's major college athletes feel they live.
To quickly recap, an African-American exotic dancer claims she was raped by three players on the Duke lacrosse team at an off-campus party on March 13. No charges have been filed as of this posting date, but sophomore Ryan McFadyen has already been suspended for an email message he wrote shortly after the incident, describing future violent acts he wanted to commit against women. Additionally, authorities say they are pretty confident that a rape occurred and expect to file charges soon.
The school has cancelled the remainder of the lacrosse season and team coach Mike Pressler has resigned, ending a 16-year tenure marked by three Atlantic Coast Conference championships and a trip to last year's national final.
Duke University President Richard Brodhead has been quoted by the Associated Press as calling Pressler's resignation "highly appropriate" but declined to say whether it had been requested by the school itself. Brodhead also promised a "very, very serious self-study" of campus culture and said he will look at the lacrosse team's culture and the school's response to the scandal to uncover any "special history of bad behavior with this team."
Now do you really believe that's going to happen? And even if it does, do you really think the alleged victim is going to benefit from that "self-study"?
Certainly the facts still need to be established in this case, but if they fall in line with what it sounds like happened, a very ugly, very public black cloud has undoubtedly surfaced right over the heart of one of America's most presitigious universities and athletic programs.
My avowed skepticism aside, one can only hope that the aftermath of this incident finally leads to some legitimate changes and improvements in the way these star athletes are taught to view themselves, their schools and other human beings.
-JAB
Friday, March 31, 2006
2006 National League Baseball Preview
NL East
1- Atlanta Braves (y)
2- New York Mets (x)
3- Philadelphia Phillies
4- Washington Nationals
5- Florida Marlins
NL Central
1- St. Louis Cardinals (y)
2- Milwaukee Brewers
3- Houston Astros
4- Chicago Cubs
5- Cincinnati Reds
6- Pittsburgh Pirates
NL West
1- San Diego Padres (y)
2- Los Angeles Dodgers
3- San Francisco Giants
4- Arizona Diamondbacks
5- Colorado Rockies
(y)= clinched division title
(x)= clinched playoff berth
NLCS: St. Louis Cardinals over New York Mets
World Series: Chicago White Sox over St. Louis Cardinals
MVP: Albert Pujos, St. Louis
Cy Young: Dontrelle Willis, Florida
Manager of Year: Ned Yost, Milwaukee
Rookie of Year: Brian McCann, Atlanta
-----------------------------------------------
Considering the Braves have won an amazing 14 consecutive division crowns, it's all but impossible to pick anyone else to win the NL East. With youngsters Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann in the mix for a full season, I like Atlanta to do it again. (Bobby Cox is a first ballot Hall of Famer, by the way). But the Mets won't make it easy this year . . . With Carlos Delgado and Paul LoDuca added to an already potent lineup and Billy Wagner in to stabilize the ninth, New York should win 90 plus ballgames and make the playoffs. The Phillies will fight their way to another .500 season and a third place finish (all hitting, little pitching) while the Nationals will ride Alfonso Soriano all the way to fourth. The Florida Marlins? Playing out the string in April, folks.
In the Central, you have to like Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals. If Scott Rolen is healthy again, the redbirds should be on their way to another 100 win season for Mr. LaRussa. I'll take the Milwaukee Brewers (everone's trendy pick this year) to play feisty, youthful ball all year long and snare second place, while the Astros and Cubs fight for the middle. These clubs need help from their own: Houston needs Roger Clemens back (maybe in June?) and Chicago needs Mark Prior healthy in the worst of ways. At the bottom, Cincinnati will finish ahead of a hapless Pittsburgh team, but it's hard to imagine either club being all that competitive with their roster makeups.
I'll play it safe in the West and take the Padres to repeat. Too much starting pitching, the great Trevor Hoffman still anchoring the ninth, and a solid lineup to boot . . . But the Dodgers will be more competitive with Rafael Furcal and Nomar Garciaparra in the fold (now if only Eric Gagne could get healthy again) and could contend, as could the San Francisco Giants if Mr. Balco---er, Bonds---can refind his stroke and stay on the field. Amazing how much one player can affect one team's expectations, isn't it? Arizona will be a feisty fourth place club if the pitching (El Duque was the "big" pick-up) comes together, while the Rockies are a longshot to do much of anything; I'll take them in fifth.
-JAB
1- Atlanta Braves (y)
2- New York Mets (x)
3- Philadelphia Phillies
4- Washington Nationals
5- Florida Marlins
NL Central
1- St. Louis Cardinals (y)
2- Milwaukee Brewers
3- Houston Astros
4- Chicago Cubs
5- Cincinnati Reds
6- Pittsburgh Pirates
NL West
1- San Diego Padres (y)
2- Los Angeles Dodgers
3- San Francisco Giants
4- Arizona Diamondbacks
5- Colorado Rockies
(y)= clinched division title
(x)= clinched playoff berth
NLCS: St. Louis Cardinals over New York Mets
World Series: Chicago White Sox over St. Louis Cardinals
MVP: Albert Pujos, St. Louis
Cy Young: Dontrelle Willis, Florida
Manager of Year: Ned Yost, Milwaukee
Rookie of Year: Brian McCann, Atlanta
-----------------------------------------------
Considering the Braves have won an amazing 14 consecutive division crowns, it's all but impossible to pick anyone else to win the NL East. With youngsters Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann in the mix for a full season, I like Atlanta to do it again. (Bobby Cox is a first ballot Hall of Famer, by the way). But the Mets won't make it easy this year . . . With Carlos Delgado and Paul LoDuca added to an already potent lineup and Billy Wagner in to stabilize the ninth, New York should win 90 plus ballgames and make the playoffs. The Phillies will fight their way to another .500 season and a third place finish (all hitting, little pitching) while the Nationals will ride Alfonso Soriano all the way to fourth. The Florida Marlins? Playing out the string in April, folks.
In the Central, you have to like Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals. If Scott Rolen is healthy again, the redbirds should be on their way to another 100 win season for Mr. LaRussa. I'll take the Milwaukee Brewers (everone's trendy pick this year) to play feisty, youthful ball all year long and snare second place, while the Astros and Cubs fight for the middle. These clubs need help from their own: Houston needs Roger Clemens back (maybe in June?) and Chicago needs Mark Prior healthy in the worst of ways. At the bottom, Cincinnati will finish ahead of a hapless Pittsburgh team, but it's hard to imagine either club being all that competitive with their roster makeups.
I'll play it safe in the West and take the Padres to repeat. Too much starting pitching, the great Trevor Hoffman still anchoring the ninth, and a solid lineup to boot . . . But the Dodgers will be more competitive with Rafael Furcal and Nomar Garciaparra in the fold (now if only Eric Gagne could get healthy again) and could contend, as could the San Francisco Giants if Mr. Balco---er, Bonds---can refind his stroke and stay on the field. Amazing how much one player can affect one team's expectations, isn't it? Arizona will be a feisty fourth place club if the pitching (El Duque was the "big" pick-up) comes together, while the Rockies are a longshot to do much of anything; I'll take them in fifth.
-JAB
Thursday, March 30, 2006
2006 American League Baseball Preview
AL East
1- New York Yankees (y)
2- Boston Red Sox
3- Toronto Blue Jays
4- Baltimore Orioles
5- Tampa Bay Devil Rays
AL Central
1- Chicago White Sox (y)
2- Cleveland Indians (x)
3- Minnesota Twins
4- Detroit Tigers
5- Kansas City Royals
AL West
1- Oakland Athletics (y)
2- Los Angeles Angels
3- Texas Rangers
4- Seattle Mariners
(y)= division winner
(x)= wild card
ALCS: Chicago White Sox over New York Yankees
MVP: Travis Hafner, Cleveland
Cy Young: Johan Santana, Minnesota
Rookie of Year: Brian Anderson, Chicago
Manager of Year: Ken Macha, Oakland
--------------------------------------------------
In the AL East, the never-ending rivalry between the Yanks and Bosox continues . . . The Bombers hope the pick-up of Johnny Damon will push their lineup to new heights, but the starting pitching remains a major concern. The Red Sox added Josh Beckett to their rotational mix, but it's going to take a healthy Curt Schilling for them to make another post-season run. Meanwhile, Toronto is hoping its big bucks spree on A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan will lift the Jays up a notch in the divisional race. Baltimore and Tampa Bay will keep the faithful believing until mid-May, at the latest.
The Central will be dominated by last year's powerhouses again. The Chisox reloaded with the additions of Javier Vazquez and Jim Thome and it's hard to imagine them falling off all that much with such a loaded pitching staff. In fact, I think the White Sox are so good, I'll take them to beat the odds and repeat as World Champs. Elsewhere, Cleveland will make the playoffs this year (mark my words) if the pitching rises up to meet the performance level of Travis Hafner, Jhonny Peralta and the rest of their big bats. The Twins will try to play small ball again, but you have to wonder how much longer Ron Gardenhire can pull rabbits out of hats. Detroit hopes Jim Leyland can steady its ship, but the Tigers have too many holes (particularly defensively) to be post-season bound. And the Royals? Fuhgeddaboutit, Kansas City! You have nothing.
In the West, it's Oakland's time to rise to the top. With a young pitching staff that gained a lot of experience last year and a defensive club that looks leak proof, skipper Ken Macha should be able to take his club back to October. The Angels of Southern California (isn't that the easy way to say it?) will be formidable once again, but Vladimir Guerrero cannot do it all by himself. I see them falling back a bit this year with Texas and Seattle both competitive early, but slipping out of the mix by mid-season.
-JAB
1- New York Yankees (y)
2- Boston Red Sox
3- Toronto Blue Jays
4- Baltimore Orioles
5- Tampa Bay Devil Rays
AL Central
1- Chicago White Sox (y)
2- Cleveland Indians (x)
3- Minnesota Twins
4- Detroit Tigers
5- Kansas City Royals
AL West
1- Oakland Athletics (y)
2- Los Angeles Angels
3- Texas Rangers
4- Seattle Mariners
(y)= division winner
(x)= wild card
ALCS: Chicago White Sox over New York Yankees
MVP: Travis Hafner, Cleveland
Cy Young: Johan Santana, Minnesota
Rookie of Year: Brian Anderson, Chicago
Manager of Year: Ken Macha, Oakland
--------------------------------------------------
In the AL East, the never-ending rivalry between the Yanks and Bosox continues . . . The Bombers hope the pick-up of Johnny Damon will push their lineup to new heights, but the starting pitching remains a major concern. The Red Sox added Josh Beckett to their rotational mix, but it's going to take a healthy Curt Schilling for them to make another post-season run. Meanwhile, Toronto is hoping its big bucks spree on A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan will lift the Jays up a notch in the divisional race. Baltimore and Tampa Bay will keep the faithful believing until mid-May, at the latest.
The Central will be dominated by last year's powerhouses again. The Chisox reloaded with the additions of Javier Vazquez and Jim Thome and it's hard to imagine them falling off all that much with such a loaded pitching staff. In fact, I think the White Sox are so good, I'll take them to beat the odds and repeat as World Champs. Elsewhere, Cleveland will make the playoffs this year (mark my words) if the pitching rises up to meet the performance level of Travis Hafner, Jhonny Peralta and the rest of their big bats. The Twins will try to play small ball again, but you have to wonder how much longer Ron Gardenhire can pull rabbits out of hats. Detroit hopes Jim Leyland can steady its ship, but the Tigers have too many holes (particularly defensively) to be post-season bound. And the Royals? Fuhgeddaboutit, Kansas City! You have nothing.
In the West, it's Oakland's time to rise to the top. With a young pitching staff that gained a lot of experience last year and a defensive club that looks leak proof, skipper Ken Macha should be able to take his club back to October. The Angels of Southern California (isn't that the easy way to say it?) will be formidable once again, but Vladimir Guerrero cannot do it all by himself. I see them falling back a bit this year with Texas and Seattle both competitive early, but slipping out of the mix by mid-season.
-JAB
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Bracketbustin' George Mason
Wow, do I look like a fool . . . The only good part is that I'm far from alone: according to ESPN's Tournament Bracket Challenge rankings, only four people out of a possible three million something correctly picked this year's NCAA Final Four of LSU, UCLA, Florida and George Mason. And remember, that includes the entire student body of George Mason University, which begs the question: where's the faith, oh ye Patriots' supporters?
But honestly now, how you could possibly discount any of the sheer excitement or high-level athletic drama that is being created on NCAA college basketball's biggest stage year after year? It feels like each Dance tops the previous year's enjoyment factor, and this tourney has obviously been no different. George Mason's run to the last weekend as a #11 at-large seed out of the Colonial Athletic has been a thing of beauty. Unexpected wins over Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans (a Final Four club from a year ago), Roy Williams' North Carolina Tar Heels and the Shockers of Wichita State (another underrated mid-major) were mind-boggling enough, but none could have prepared us for the magnitude of the Patriots' 86-84 overtime victory over #1 ranked Connecticut. That single game was probably the biggest upset in NCAA tournament history, when you take into account the pre-tournament expectation for both clubs: the Huskies were the odds-on favorites to win it all, while the Patriots were deliriously happy to avoid the NIT. And yet, by the time Denham Brown's three-point try from the wing at the buzzer proved strong, a #11 seed had advanced to the Final Four for only the second time in tournament history (the last time it happened was LSU in 1985, but the Tigers hail from the SEC, an unquestioned power conference then and now) and no #1 teams were in the last weekend of the Dance for the first time since 1980.
To put it in an easy metaphor, what George Mason's win did from here on in was it tossed NCAA bracket "logic" and "theory" permanently out the window. No longer can you count on anything when filling out your field of 64 (or 65, or whatever it'll become in the future). And why is that? Because of a single, solitary word that starts with a 'p': parity. That's right, say what you want about the level playing field in the NFL, you football fanatics . . . But the NCAA Division I men's college basketball tournament has now officially become the most wide open sporting event in the United States. And I'll confidently make the argument that it has also become the most popular event in our country as well. Of course, popular is a a pretty arbitrary word, but it means exactly what I want it to mean here: more people in this country watch and follow the NCAA tournament than anything else in our sports world, thereby making it the most popular. And obviously the Super Bowl is just a one day event, compared to the two and a half week run that is the NCAA tournament, but that just furthers my belief that more people have a chance to follow it.
Will George Mason win the whole thing? Probably not. But at this point, I'm not sure if anything would shock me.
Two SEC schools, one Pac-10 and one Colonial Athletic comprising this year's Final Four? No Big East? No Big Ten? No Big Twelve? No ACC? Get outta here. I'd never have believed it heading in.
But then again, I'm a fool like everybody else except the divinely-inspired four.
At this point, I'm gonna go All-SEC on the final: Florida over LSU in a good physical matchup.
-JAB
But honestly now, how you could possibly discount any of the sheer excitement or high-level athletic drama that is being created on NCAA college basketball's biggest stage year after year? It feels like each Dance tops the previous year's enjoyment factor, and this tourney has obviously been no different. George Mason's run to the last weekend as a #11 at-large seed out of the Colonial Athletic has been a thing of beauty. Unexpected wins over Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans (a Final Four club from a year ago), Roy Williams' North Carolina Tar Heels and the Shockers of Wichita State (another underrated mid-major) were mind-boggling enough, but none could have prepared us for the magnitude of the Patriots' 86-84 overtime victory over #1 ranked Connecticut. That single game was probably the biggest upset in NCAA tournament history, when you take into account the pre-tournament expectation for both clubs: the Huskies were the odds-on favorites to win it all, while the Patriots were deliriously happy to avoid the NIT. And yet, by the time Denham Brown's three-point try from the wing at the buzzer proved strong, a #11 seed had advanced to the Final Four for only the second time in tournament history (the last time it happened was LSU in 1985, but the Tigers hail from the SEC, an unquestioned power conference then and now) and no #1 teams were in the last weekend of the Dance for the first time since 1980.
To put it in an easy metaphor, what George Mason's win did from here on in was it tossed NCAA bracket "logic" and "theory" permanently out the window. No longer can you count on anything when filling out your field of 64 (or 65, or whatever it'll become in the future). And why is that? Because of a single, solitary word that starts with a 'p': parity. That's right, say what you want about the level playing field in the NFL, you football fanatics . . . But the NCAA Division I men's college basketball tournament has now officially become the most wide open sporting event in the United States. And I'll confidently make the argument that it has also become the most popular event in our country as well. Of course, popular is a a pretty arbitrary word, but it means exactly what I want it to mean here: more people in this country watch and follow the NCAA tournament than anything else in our sports world, thereby making it the most popular. And obviously the Super Bowl is just a one day event, compared to the two and a half week run that is the NCAA tournament, but that just furthers my belief that more people have a chance to follow it.
Will George Mason win the whole thing? Probably not. But at this point, I'm not sure if anything would shock me.
Two SEC schools, one Pac-10 and one Colonial Athletic comprising this year's Final Four? No Big East? No Big Ten? No Big Twelve? No ACC? Get outta here. I'd never have believed it heading in.
But then again, I'm a fool like everybody else except the divinely-inspired four.
At this point, I'm gonna go All-SEC on the final: Florida over LSU in a good physical matchup.
-JAB
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Let the Madness Begin!
The greatest tournament in the world begins today, and I'd be remiss if I didn't lay my picks on the line for ya. Don't worry: I'm not taking Syracuse . . . An unprecedented four-wins-in-four-nights run through the Big East tournament was thrilling for my Orange, but I don't think the 'Cuse are gonna have enough gas left in the tank to win the Big Dance. It would be nice, but Gerry McNamara's legacy as Mr. Clutch is already cemented, regardless of how the NCAA tourney unfolds.
Here are some quick predictions:
Final Four: Connecticut, Villanova, Texas and Pittsburgh
National Championship: Villanova over Texas
It's been twenty years since the Big East got three teams in the Final Four, but I'm banking on it happening again this year. Connecticut is the most talented team in the country, with no less than four future lottery picks on its roster. Marcus Williams is the best playmaking point guard in the country, Rudy Gay can be the most dominant swingman, and when Rashad Anderson has the touch from three-point land, you better watch out. Boone and Armstrong are sturdy defensive and rebounding presences in the post as well. Sure, the Huskies sleepwalked through a loss to Syracuse in the Big East quarterfinals, but when focused, Jim Calhoun's crew is the best in the country. They should be good to go from the outset in the Washington, D.C., bracket of this year's tourney.
Villanova is a unique team with its smallball recipe for success. Jay Wright has done a phenomenal job coaching this team all year long, especially when you consider the fact that he lost his best player (and one of his club's only low-post presences) when Curtis Sumpter injured his knee in an October practice. But Allan Ray, Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry have all stepped up with senior leadership on and off the court, and with Ray's eye apparently okay, the Wildcats look poised to make a special run through Minneapolis to Indy.
Texas has gotten itself a number two seed and I like the Longhorns to get through the Atlanta bracket. With LaMarcus Aldridge down low, Daniel Gibson on the perimeter, and P.J. Tucker doing his thing inside and out, the Horns can handle whatever opponents throw at them. And a very cool Duke/Texas matchup looms in the Elite Eight of Atlanta if the seeds hold according to form.
Everybody's got to pick a surprise club to make it to the final weekend, and I'll take the Pittsburgh Panthers this year. As a five seed, the Panthers are a rugged defensive club. Carl Krauser sets the tone as a hard-nosed, physical leader in the backcourt. Seven-footer Aaron Gray does his thing down low in the post, and Pitt is seasoned and ready after a strong showing in the Big East's regular and post seasons. Look for Pitt to battle with Kansas in the second round, and then stun Memphis in the sweet sixteen.
Villanova's got the experience and the confidence (with a split on the year) against UConn to take the Huskies out in this year's Final Four. And Texas will prove too much for Pitt to handle in the other national semifinal. I see the Wildcats dancing in Indianapolis after a thrilling final with the Longhorns.
Bring on the Madness.
-JAB
Here are some quick predictions:
Final Four: Connecticut, Villanova, Texas and Pittsburgh
National Championship: Villanova over Texas
It's been twenty years since the Big East got three teams in the Final Four, but I'm banking on it happening again this year. Connecticut is the most talented team in the country, with no less than four future lottery picks on its roster. Marcus Williams is the best playmaking point guard in the country, Rudy Gay can be the most dominant swingman, and when Rashad Anderson has the touch from three-point land, you better watch out. Boone and Armstrong are sturdy defensive and rebounding presences in the post as well. Sure, the Huskies sleepwalked through a loss to Syracuse in the Big East quarterfinals, but when focused, Jim Calhoun's crew is the best in the country. They should be good to go from the outset in the Washington, D.C., bracket of this year's tourney.
Villanova is a unique team with its smallball recipe for success. Jay Wright has done a phenomenal job coaching this team all year long, especially when you consider the fact that he lost his best player (and one of his club's only low-post presences) when Curtis Sumpter injured his knee in an October practice. But Allan Ray, Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry have all stepped up with senior leadership on and off the court, and with Ray's eye apparently okay, the Wildcats look poised to make a special run through Minneapolis to Indy.
Texas has gotten itself a number two seed and I like the Longhorns to get through the Atlanta bracket. With LaMarcus Aldridge down low, Daniel Gibson on the perimeter, and P.J. Tucker doing his thing inside and out, the Horns can handle whatever opponents throw at them. And a very cool Duke/Texas matchup looms in the Elite Eight of Atlanta if the seeds hold according to form.
Everybody's got to pick a surprise club to make it to the final weekend, and I'll take the Pittsburgh Panthers this year. As a five seed, the Panthers are a rugged defensive club. Carl Krauser sets the tone as a hard-nosed, physical leader in the backcourt. Seven-footer Aaron Gray does his thing down low in the post, and Pitt is seasoned and ready after a strong showing in the Big East's regular and post seasons. Look for Pitt to battle with Kansas in the second round, and then stun Memphis in the sweet sixteen.
Villanova's got the experience and the confidence (with a split on the year) against UConn to take the Huskies out in this year's Final Four. And Texas will prove too much for Pitt to handle in the other national semifinal. I see the Wildcats dancing in Indianapolis after a thrilling final with the Longhorns.
Bring on the Madness.
-JAB
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Goodbye, Kirby Puckett: The Greatest Twin Ever
It came as a shock, to me even, when I heard the news on Sunday afternoon . . . Kirby Puckett had a stroke? Well, he'll be okay, right? I mean, how old is he? 45? And then there was the stunning announcement, late Monday, that Kirby had passed away. Much like the end of Puck's career, it seemed to happen way too fast.
I wasn't a Twins fan growing up. I'm not even an American League guy. Growing up in Jersey, I was a diehard Mets fan before anything else. But I couldn't hate Minnesota, not when I was well aware of Kirby Puckett and what he represented. He was one of those athletes you had to respect: an undersized, pudgy type. At 5'8, he was a guy who got way more out of his physical frame than most. He hustled, he was a great fielder, hit for a very high average (.318 in his career) and had a knack for making the key clutch play when it mattered most (just check the tape on Game 6 of the '91 World Series).
Kirby Puckett is the all-time greatest Twin, bar none. You can throw names like Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew and Tony Oliva into the conversation, but you'll still end up with Kirby's name rolling off your lips on the way out. Killebrew was the greatest power hitter in Twins lore, Carew was the greatest singles hitter and Oliva may have the been the flashiest of the bunch, but Kirby was the complete package. And he was the only one of the group to get a World Series ring. Two of 'em, in fact: Puckett was the absolute leader on both the '87 and the '91 championship Twins' ballclubs.
The championships are big reasons why so many fans remember Kirby so fondly. But clearly they're not the only ones. Kirby was the rare professional athlete who won everybody over---with the smile, with the warmth, with the air of realism. And here in the Upper Midwest, in the indisputable bread basket of Twinsland, the love for Minnesota baseball goes far beyond the singluar state's boundaries. The Twins are beloved in big parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, North and South Dakota. And so is Kirby. His performances on and off the field made him public hero number one around here, and so he will likely stay.
Kirby could have left Minnesota during his career. He could have gotten bigger gobs of money elsewhere. But he never went for it. He was one of a dying breed of professional athletes who believed in loyalty to the organization that gave him his chance. And so he spent his entire 12 year career in a Twins uniform. For his fans, the impact of that fact cannot be understated.
The post-career stories don't faze me about Puckett. Forget the rumors, forget the Sports Illustrated article, forget the supposed "dark side" of the legend, forget the alleged sexual indiscretions . . . Everyone has secrets, and just because Kirby's private life was a little juicier than most doesn't dissuade whatsoever from the legend he created on the field.
And what a legend it was:
-Four straight 200-hit seasons. One of only three players to do that since the 1930s (Wade Boggs and Ichiro Suzuki being the other ones).
-2,040 hits in his first 10 years in the big leagues. No one else has bettered that since 1900.
-.318 career batting average. The highest total by a right-handed hitter since Joe DiMaggio.
-1,028 hits in his first five seasons. The only two players in history with more in such a span were Ichiro (1,130) and Paul Waner (1,057).
-3rd youngest player ever inducted to the Hall of Fame, at 40 years of age. Only Sandy Koufax and Lou Gehrig were honored younger.
You can see why Kirby struggled so much in his post-baseball life adjustment. This was a guy who was an all-time great at what he did, a guy who had it all yanked away from him in heartbreakingly quick fashion . . . There was the Dennis Martinez inside pitch late in September of 1995, a pitch that crushed Kirby's jaw and ruptured an artery in his face. People will dispute the degree to which that terrible injury contributed to the glaucoma that would envelop his right eye's vision the following March, but in my mind, there's no doubt it was a factor. And all of a sudden, Puckett went from the main guy in the spotlight, to all but completely out of it. That's a pretty huge change to deal with, and one that Kirby was probably never able to fully adapt to.
But as I like to do with great athletes when they leave their respective playing surfaces for the final time, I will always picture Kirby as he was at his best, in action, making big plays for his team in huge postseason spots. Kirby leaping against the plexiglass in center field at the Metrodome, robbing Ron Gant of an extra base hit in Game 6 with his own version of The Catch, just a phenomenal athletic display . . . Then winning the game with a home run off of Charlie Leibrandt in the bottom of the eleventh inning . . . and running around the bases with the huge ecstatic smile on his face.
King of the World.
-JAB
I wasn't a Twins fan growing up. I'm not even an American League guy. Growing up in Jersey, I was a diehard Mets fan before anything else. But I couldn't hate Minnesota, not when I was well aware of Kirby Puckett and what he represented. He was one of those athletes you had to respect: an undersized, pudgy type. At 5'8, he was a guy who got way more out of his physical frame than most. He hustled, he was a great fielder, hit for a very high average (.318 in his career) and had a knack for making the key clutch play when it mattered most (just check the tape on Game 6 of the '91 World Series).
Kirby Puckett is the all-time greatest Twin, bar none. You can throw names like Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew and Tony Oliva into the conversation, but you'll still end up with Kirby's name rolling off your lips on the way out. Killebrew was the greatest power hitter in Twins lore, Carew was the greatest singles hitter and Oliva may have the been the flashiest of the bunch, but Kirby was the complete package. And he was the only one of the group to get a World Series ring. Two of 'em, in fact: Puckett was the absolute leader on both the '87 and the '91 championship Twins' ballclubs.
The championships are big reasons why so many fans remember Kirby so fondly. But clearly they're not the only ones. Kirby was the rare professional athlete who won everybody over---with the smile, with the warmth, with the air of realism. And here in the Upper Midwest, in the indisputable bread basket of Twinsland, the love for Minnesota baseball goes far beyond the singluar state's boundaries. The Twins are beloved in big parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, North and South Dakota. And so is Kirby. His performances on and off the field made him public hero number one around here, and so he will likely stay.
Kirby could have left Minnesota during his career. He could have gotten bigger gobs of money elsewhere. But he never went for it. He was one of a dying breed of professional athletes who believed in loyalty to the organization that gave him his chance. And so he spent his entire 12 year career in a Twins uniform. For his fans, the impact of that fact cannot be understated.
The post-career stories don't faze me about Puckett. Forget the rumors, forget the Sports Illustrated article, forget the supposed "dark side" of the legend, forget the alleged sexual indiscretions . . . Everyone has secrets, and just because Kirby's private life was a little juicier than most doesn't dissuade whatsoever from the legend he created on the field.
And what a legend it was:
-Four straight 200-hit seasons. One of only three players to do that since the 1930s (Wade Boggs and Ichiro Suzuki being the other ones).
-2,040 hits in his first 10 years in the big leagues. No one else has bettered that since 1900.
-.318 career batting average. The highest total by a right-handed hitter since Joe DiMaggio.
-1,028 hits in his first five seasons. The only two players in history with more in such a span were Ichiro (1,130) and Paul Waner (1,057).
-3rd youngest player ever inducted to the Hall of Fame, at 40 years of age. Only Sandy Koufax and Lou Gehrig were honored younger.
You can see why Kirby struggled so much in his post-baseball life adjustment. This was a guy who was an all-time great at what he did, a guy who had it all yanked away from him in heartbreakingly quick fashion . . . There was the Dennis Martinez inside pitch late in September of 1995, a pitch that crushed Kirby's jaw and ruptured an artery in his face. People will dispute the degree to which that terrible injury contributed to the glaucoma that would envelop his right eye's vision the following March, but in my mind, there's no doubt it was a factor. And all of a sudden, Puckett went from the main guy in the spotlight, to all but completely out of it. That's a pretty huge change to deal with, and one that Kirby was probably never able to fully adapt to.
But as I like to do with great athletes when they leave their respective playing surfaces for the final time, I will always picture Kirby as he was at his best, in action, making big plays for his team in huge postseason spots. Kirby leaping against the plexiglass in center field at the Metrodome, robbing Ron Gant of an extra base hit in Game 6 with his own version of The Catch, just a phenomenal athletic display . . . Then winning the game with a home run off of Charlie Leibrandt in the bottom of the eleventh inning . . . and running around the bases with the huge ecstatic smile on his face.
King of the World.
-JAB
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Winter Olympics, to the Extreme
It took a while, and maybe it's been all the commercials, but the Games have gotten to my head. I can't hold it in anymore . . . Give me snow, give me ice, give me Torino! I guess the Olympic spirit is in me, after all. It took a while, but I'm feeling it now. And so are the German athletes and the Norwegians and the Russians too. They all have the spirit. They're all winning medals.
Unfortunately the Olympic spirit doesn't seem to be in many of our American athletes. Sure, Shaun White came through and won a gold in the aerial snowboard competition. (In fact, our snowboarders have probably had the most success of any of our athletes in these Olympics.) And speedskater Shani Davis made Winter Olympic history by becoming the first ever African-American to win a gold medal in the Games. But, on the whole, we haven't been all that impressive. We're LOSING, for crying out loud. That's right, I said it. Losing. I know the Olympics are supposed to be all about team, country, camaraderie and the like, and we're not supposed to get caught up in the medal standings, the battle for first place and the International trashtalking glory that comes with it, but come on now, we're the United States of America. Our country is huge and there's a lot of cold weather that reigns over our land. We've got Alaska, North Dakota, and Colorado within our borders. We should dominate the Winter Games. But for whatever reason, it's just not happening.
Bode "Bonehead" Miller coughed up any chance of our placing in the medals of skiing. And our men's hockey team fell flat on its figurative face, with a quarterfinal loss to Finland. The women's hockey club, at least, was able to take a bronze. Even Sasha Cohen couldn't seal the deal in women's figure skating---after a strong short program, she fell twice in her long performance and had to settle for a silver. And silver isn't even the same tint as gold.
But maybe I've gotten a little out of line here. Perhaps my perspective on the whole Olympic shebang is a little jaded. After years of rooting for inept New York Knicks, Jets and Mets teams, I appear to have finally reached a point where I'll take the glory of victory wherever I can get it, even if it's in the Olympics.
Maybe I'm just an Ugly American after all.
-JAB
Unfortunately the Olympic spirit doesn't seem to be in many of our American athletes. Sure, Shaun White came through and won a gold in the aerial snowboard competition. (In fact, our snowboarders have probably had the most success of any of our athletes in these Olympics.) And speedskater Shani Davis made Winter Olympic history by becoming the first ever African-American to win a gold medal in the Games. But, on the whole, we haven't been all that impressive. We're LOSING, for crying out loud. That's right, I said it. Losing. I know the Olympics are supposed to be all about team, country, camaraderie and the like, and we're not supposed to get caught up in the medal standings, the battle for first place and the International trashtalking glory that comes with it, but come on now, we're the United States of America. Our country is huge and there's a lot of cold weather that reigns over our land. We've got Alaska, North Dakota, and Colorado within our borders. We should dominate the Winter Games. But for whatever reason, it's just not happening.
Bode "Bonehead" Miller coughed up any chance of our placing in the medals of skiing. And our men's hockey team fell flat on its figurative face, with a quarterfinal loss to Finland. The women's hockey club, at least, was able to take a bronze. Even Sasha Cohen couldn't seal the deal in women's figure skating---after a strong short program, she fell twice in her long performance and had to settle for a silver. And silver isn't even the same tint as gold.
But maybe I've gotten a little out of line here. Perhaps my perspective on the whole Olympic shebang is a little jaded. After years of rooting for inept New York Knicks, Jets and Mets teams, I appear to have finally reached a point where I'll take the glory of victory wherever I can get it, even if it's in the Olympics.
Maybe I'm just an Ugly American after all.
-JAB
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Those Mid-February Sports Doldrums
Spring is still five weeks away, I have no idea what that darned Groundhoug said in Punxatawney, PA, this year anyway, and outside of a passing glance here and there at Torino's Olympics, there's not a lot going on that excites me much right now on the athletic scene. Where's March Madness when you need it? Give me a big-time buzzerbeater that gets me out of my chair already!
Of late a number of big names are going through their personal February struggles. Oklahoma State basketball coach Eddie Sutton---a lock for the Hall of Fame even without a national title---had his season (and possibly his career) ended abruptly after getting arrested for a DUI. Sutton's saga may not be over yet, but it's hard to sell the old fella on too many more postseason runs when he's already been on the verge of retirement for a couple years anyway. Oh poor Eddie. Get somebody else to drive for ya!
You want bottom of the glass sorrow? Take a look at my beloved New York Knicks. At 14-37, they've lost 16 of their last 17 games and have essentially given up on the season in front of (finally) unpacked houses at Madison Square Garden. Larry Brown offered it up himself earlier this season when he publicly issued: "This job is way more difficult than I possibly could have imagined." That pretty much says it all right there. And it's not like Larry is getting a lot of help decisionwise in the front office right now either. Isiah Thomas has taken an atrocity the size of Little Bighorn and turned it into Pickett's Last Charge. Blindly maneuvering his way through a series of ill-fated trades, Thomas has mortgaged the Knicks future without improving the present. He gave up two unprotected first round picks (including this year's) for Eddy Curry. Unprotected means even if the draft pick ends up in the top of the draft lottery selection order, the Knicks will still not get to keep it. And the worst part of this whole situation is that nobody else was offering anything near what Isiah Thomas did for Curry. The guy had major health questions after suffering from heart troubles the previous season. Now the Knicks have a bunch of out of position combos in Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Question Richardson, Nate Robinson and the recently-acquired Jalen Rose. It's all over in the Big Apple, folks. The only question now is who will leave first: Larry or Isiah?
Then there's Wayne Gretky. The Great One has maybe had the worst month of anybody, what with his wife and close friend both being targeted in a criminal gambling investigation at the same time. Wife Janet and close friend Rick Tocchet are both in a lot of hot water right now, and the big questions are how much did #99 know and when did he know it? Obviously the guy was aware of what was going on, but was he profiting from it any kind of way? Probably not, but then, you never know about these things. Odds are, teflon Wayne will salvage his job after his first and only real public persona hit. If anything, it probably gives the Great One a little more gangsta flava, which never hurts the mystique....
Still, I can't close out the mid-February Doldrum Round-Up without harping at Boh-dee Miller. Mr. Miller couldn't even complete his big slalom event, but the bigger point is that nobody was really rooting for the guy anyway. Sure he's an American, and that's always the big rallying factor for the TV audiences at the Olympic Games, but the guy isn't somebody most folks would be proud to root for, what with the recent public statements and all. In case you forgot, Miller disclosed that he was a pretty regular drinker, to the extent that he claims he has competed "half-drunk" several times in the past. As if that's something to be proud of.
Not surprising then, out of all these troubled characters, the one who's pain I feel the least is the Bodester.
March can't come soon enough.
-JAB
Of late a number of big names are going through their personal February struggles. Oklahoma State basketball coach Eddie Sutton---a lock for the Hall of Fame even without a national title---had his season (and possibly his career) ended abruptly after getting arrested for a DUI. Sutton's saga may not be over yet, but it's hard to sell the old fella on too many more postseason runs when he's already been on the verge of retirement for a couple years anyway. Oh poor Eddie. Get somebody else to drive for ya!
You want bottom of the glass sorrow? Take a look at my beloved New York Knicks. At 14-37, they've lost 16 of their last 17 games and have essentially given up on the season in front of (finally) unpacked houses at Madison Square Garden. Larry Brown offered it up himself earlier this season when he publicly issued: "This job is way more difficult than I possibly could have imagined." That pretty much says it all right there. And it's not like Larry is getting a lot of help decisionwise in the front office right now either. Isiah Thomas has taken an atrocity the size of Little Bighorn and turned it into Pickett's Last Charge. Blindly maneuvering his way through a series of ill-fated trades, Thomas has mortgaged the Knicks future without improving the present. He gave up two unprotected first round picks (including this year's) for Eddy Curry. Unprotected means even if the draft pick ends up in the top of the draft lottery selection order, the Knicks will still not get to keep it. And the worst part of this whole situation is that nobody else was offering anything near what Isiah Thomas did for Curry. The guy had major health questions after suffering from heart troubles the previous season. Now the Knicks have a bunch of out of position combos in Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Question Richardson, Nate Robinson and the recently-acquired Jalen Rose. It's all over in the Big Apple, folks. The only question now is who will leave first: Larry or Isiah?
Then there's Wayne Gretky. The Great One has maybe had the worst month of anybody, what with his wife and close friend both being targeted in a criminal gambling investigation at the same time. Wife Janet and close friend Rick Tocchet are both in a lot of hot water right now, and the big questions are how much did #99 know and when did he know it? Obviously the guy was aware of what was going on, but was he profiting from it any kind of way? Probably not, but then, you never know about these things. Odds are, teflon Wayne will salvage his job after his first and only real public persona hit. If anything, it probably gives the Great One a little more gangsta flava, which never hurts the mystique....
Still, I can't close out the mid-February Doldrum Round-Up without harping at Boh-dee Miller. Mr. Miller couldn't even complete his big slalom event, but the bigger point is that nobody was really rooting for the guy anyway. Sure he's an American, and that's always the big rallying factor for the TV audiences at the Olympic Games, but the guy isn't somebody most folks would be proud to root for, what with the recent public statements and all. In case you forgot, Miller disclosed that he was a pretty regular drinker, to the extent that he claims he has competed "half-drunk" several times in the past. As if that's something to be proud of.
Not surprising then, out of all these troubled characters, the one who's pain I feel the least is the Bodester.
March can't come soon enough.
-JAB
Monday, February 06, 2006
Pittsburgh Steels the Deal
Pittsburgh 21 - Seattle 10.
All right, so Big Ben didn't get the MVP award . . . But Super Bowl XL still went down pretty much as predicted here on the website and on the Sports Rush radio program. Too much defense, too many big plays on offense late in the year for a Steelers team that came on like gangbusters down the stretch.
Don't forget, these guys had to win their last four of the regular season just to get in the post-season dance. They won their last eight in a row overall, and essentially dominated every team they played to get the Lombardi Trophy.
Which is not to say that the game last night proved to be an extremely exciting Super Bowl. On the contrary, it was a sloppily played contest in which both clubs showed signs of being more than a little bit antsy headed in. The game itself never had a real good flow to it, but at least, at three hours and twenty minutes, it was shorter than your average Super Bowl of the last decade which has tended to run in the four plus hour range.
And yet the bulk of pregame and halftime festivities did have their moments on the telecast yesterday. A celebration featuring most of the previous 39 Super Bowl MVPs caught my attention before the game. (Noticeably absent: Super Bowl MVPs Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, who insisted on more than the offered appearance money.)
I also enjoyed the Stevie Wonder led musical tribute before kickoff. John Legend, Joss Stone and a host of dancers and backup singers cooing the soul tunes of yesterday alongside the Hall of Fame musical legend. Wonder sounded strong and played well in an enjoyable reverie of old school tunes.
The halftime show was a decent one as well. The Rolling Stones came on to a host of cheers from the packed crowd (many of whom had not even been born when they first started doing their thing in the mid-60s) and moved through "Start Me Up", "Rough Justice" and "Satisfaction" before wrapping it up---the whole halftime break taking an extra long 31 minutes.
But I digress. Let's return to the Big Game itself, the XL matchup . . . and a huge win for the team from southwestern Pennsylvania.
An 11 point triumph for a team that hadn't won it all in almost three decades. Finally a connection to the championship clubs of Knoll and Bradshaw and Harris and Swann and the great big Iron Curtain of the 1970s behemoths.
Finally a championship for Jerome Bettis, the fifth leading rusher in NFL history. Just 14 carries for 43 yards in the ballgame, but no matter.
The Bus, having officially announced his retirement, will be able to roll into Canton in 2010 wearing a ring on his finger.
A lot of thanks on his front to Hines Ward, who won the game's MVP award with 5 catches for 123 yards, directly contributing to two Steelers' touchdowns, catching one of them.
And how about Bill Cowher.
The guy is an old school diehard. He's persevered for 14 years in a field where you can't even count on having the next day's meal money. And now, with the ring, and two Super Bowl trips overall, he's entered the elite upper echelon of all-time NFL coaches, end of story.
Another trip to the Elite, as we'll just call it from here on in, was completed by Big Ben Roethlisberger. The Miami of Ohio quarterback has come on the pro scene in his first two years to show you the best winning percentage (at almost 90% of all regular and post-season starts) of any quarterback in such a career-starting span since Dan Marino. (And Dolphin Dan, while a phenomenal QB, never got the Big One.)
Ben was good enough again last night despite some shaky moments throughout XL. He missed or underthrow open receivers in every quarter, and lofted two terrible, wobbly passes for interceptions that cost his team points both times. But his throw shortly before the end of the first half on a third and 28 was a thing of beauty---a nifty dance along the ever so close line of scrimmage at the forty yard line, then a textbook planting of the feet to get set, and a line drive rocket that game MVP Hines Ward snared away from a couple of Seahawks' cover men at the two yard line. It would lead to a Pittsburgh touchdown from the one yard line on a third-down bootleg dive by Ben late in the first half. A touchdown that was reviewed and not overturned after a lenghty delay.
It probably was a touchdown. Mike Holmgren went crazy about it at the half, but in all honesty, it was close enough even on the up-close replay that half the people in the room I was in swore it was a TD, while the other half swore it wasn't (I was, however, among the latter half).
Still, the overall weight of four or five huge calls seemed to go overwhelmingly in Pittsburgh's favor. That includes a huge call in the fourth with Seattle driving for the go ahead score. Another apparent holding penalty called on the Seahawks up front, wiping out a pass completion at the two that would have set up a first and goal. And while you can't say that necessarily decided the outcome of the game, it certainly didn't help matters much for Seattle, which never could get the key defensive stand, especially late in the game when it absolutely had to get one.
The reverse touchdown pass from Randle El to Ward was a thing of beauty, the kind of play the Steelers have executed almost routinely throughout their run down the stetch. And the Willie Parker Super Bowl record-setting 75 yard scamper off the right side was a perfect display of pull-blocking against an off-balance (why?) Seattle defense early in the third quarter.
Usually, you get higher point totals then the 31 we saw the Steelers and Seahawks combine for the other night. Usually you get more than the three or four really good commercials I saw (favorite one being the Magic Revolving Refrigerator), but usually you don't get a number six seed going out and winning three straight road games to make the Big Game, let alone win it.
In the end, a year that started with simultaneous tragedies finishes with a classic franchise winning its first title in 28 years and its fifth in all. The pre-season death of 49ers lineman Thomas Herrion (he collapsed from exhaustion and a blocked heart in an August workout) and the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina (and its direct effect on the vagabond New Orleans Saints) both started the year on down notes.
But as always does happen in the world of athletics, the year ends with the up note of the crowning of a champion.
And this year it's the deserving Pittsburgh gang.
Enjoy it, oh ye black and gold faithful.
-JAB
All right, so Big Ben didn't get the MVP award . . . But Super Bowl XL still went down pretty much as predicted here on the website and on the Sports Rush radio program. Too much defense, too many big plays on offense late in the year for a Steelers team that came on like gangbusters down the stretch.
Don't forget, these guys had to win their last four of the regular season just to get in the post-season dance. They won their last eight in a row overall, and essentially dominated every team they played to get the Lombardi Trophy.
Which is not to say that the game last night proved to be an extremely exciting Super Bowl. On the contrary, it was a sloppily played contest in which both clubs showed signs of being more than a little bit antsy headed in. The game itself never had a real good flow to it, but at least, at three hours and twenty minutes, it was shorter than your average Super Bowl of the last decade which has tended to run in the four plus hour range.
And yet the bulk of pregame and halftime festivities did have their moments on the telecast yesterday. A celebration featuring most of the previous 39 Super Bowl MVPs caught my attention before the game. (Noticeably absent: Super Bowl MVPs Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, who insisted on more than the offered appearance money.)
I also enjoyed the Stevie Wonder led musical tribute before kickoff. John Legend, Joss Stone and a host of dancers and backup singers cooing the soul tunes of yesterday alongside the Hall of Fame musical legend. Wonder sounded strong and played well in an enjoyable reverie of old school tunes.
The halftime show was a decent one as well. The Rolling Stones came on to a host of cheers from the packed crowd (many of whom had not even been born when they first started doing their thing in the mid-60s) and moved through "Start Me Up", "Rough Justice" and "Satisfaction" before wrapping it up---the whole halftime break taking an extra long 31 minutes.
But I digress. Let's return to the Big Game itself, the XL matchup . . . and a huge win for the team from southwestern Pennsylvania.
An 11 point triumph for a team that hadn't won it all in almost three decades. Finally a connection to the championship clubs of Knoll and Bradshaw and Harris and Swann and the great big Iron Curtain of the 1970s behemoths.
Finally a championship for Jerome Bettis, the fifth leading rusher in NFL history. Just 14 carries for 43 yards in the ballgame, but no matter.
The Bus, having officially announced his retirement, will be able to roll into Canton in 2010 wearing a ring on his finger.
A lot of thanks on his front to Hines Ward, who won the game's MVP award with 5 catches for 123 yards, directly contributing to two Steelers' touchdowns, catching one of them.
And how about Bill Cowher.
The guy is an old school diehard. He's persevered for 14 years in a field where you can't even count on having the next day's meal money. And now, with the ring, and two Super Bowl trips overall, he's entered the elite upper echelon of all-time NFL coaches, end of story.
Another trip to the Elite, as we'll just call it from here on in, was completed by Big Ben Roethlisberger. The Miami of Ohio quarterback has come on the pro scene in his first two years to show you the best winning percentage (at almost 90% of all regular and post-season starts) of any quarterback in such a career-starting span since Dan Marino. (And Dolphin Dan, while a phenomenal QB, never got the Big One.)
Ben was good enough again last night despite some shaky moments throughout XL. He missed or underthrow open receivers in every quarter, and lofted two terrible, wobbly passes for interceptions that cost his team points both times. But his throw shortly before the end of the first half on a third and 28 was a thing of beauty---a nifty dance along the ever so close line of scrimmage at the forty yard line, then a textbook planting of the feet to get set, and a line drive rocket that game MVP Hines Ward snared away from a couple of Seahawks' cover men at the two yard line. It would lead to a Pittsburgh touchdown from the one yard line on a third-down bootleg dive by Ben late in the first half. A touchdown that was reviewed and not overturned after a lenghty delay.
It probably was a touchdown. Mike Holmgren went crazy about it at the half, but in all honesty, it was close enough even on the up-close replay that half the people in the room I was in swore it was a TD, while the other half swore it wasn't (I was, however, among the latter half).
Still, the overall weight of four or five huge calls seemed to go overwhelmingly in Pittsburgh's favor. That includes a huge call in the fourth with Seattle driving for the go ahead score. Another apparent holding penalty called on the Seahawks up front, wiping out a pass completion at the two that would have set up a first and goal. And while you can't say that necessarily decided the outcome of the game, it certainly didn't help matters much for Seattle, which never could get the key defensive stand, especially late in the game when it absolutely had to get one.
The reverse touchdown pass from Randle El to Ward was a thing of beauty, the kind of play the Steelers have executed almost routinely throughout their run down the stetch. And the Willie Parker Super Bowl record-setting 75 yard scamper off the right side was a perfect display of pull-blocking against an off-balance (why?) Seattle defense early in the third quarter.
Usually, you get higher point totals then the 31 we saw the Steelers and Seahawks combine for the other night. Usually you get more than the three or four really good commercials I saw (favorite one being the Magic Revolving Refrigerator), but usually you don't get a number six seed going out and winning three straight road games to make the Big Game, let alone win it.
In the end, a year that started with simultaneous tragedies finishes with a classic franchise winning its first title in 28 years and its fifth in all. The pre-season death of 49ers lineman Thomas Herrion (he collapsed from exhaustion and a blocked heart in an August workout) and the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina (and its direct effect on the vagabond New Orleans Saints) both started the year on down notes.
But as always does happen in the world of athletics, the year ends with the up note of the crowning of a champion.
And this year it's the deserving Pittsburgh gang.
Enjoy it, oh ye black and gold faithful.
-JAB
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Super Bowl
I've got my pick on the Steelers today. They've been too hot lately, and I don't think Seattle's defense can withstand the power of Pittsburgh's ground-based offense.
We'll go Pittsburgh 27 - Seattle 21.
I'm guessing the MVP award tonight will go to Ben Roethlisberger who is now safely entrenched as an elite, Top 5 NFL quarterback. And Bill Cowher becomes a Hall of Fame candidate with a win tonight as well.
-JAB
We'll go Pittsburgh 27 - Seattle 21.
I'm guessing the MVP award tonight will go to Ben Roethlisberger who is now safely entrenched as an elite, Top 5 NFL quarterback. And Bill Cowher becomes a Hall of Fame candidate with a win tonight as well.
-JAB
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