1-on-1 with Razorback Guard Patrick Beverley

In a one-on-one interview, Arkansas shooting guard Patrick Beverley talks about some of the struggles he and his team have gone through this season. The Chicago native won the SEC's Freshman of the Year award in 2007, but has seen his scoring output dip in his sophomore campaign. Beverley's Razorbacks hit the final four game stretch of the regular season at 18-8 overall, with a 7-5 mark in the SEC---a legitimate question mark for an NCAA bid.
________________________________________________

Josh Bertaccini: Another tough loss for you guys against Kentucky on Saturday. What has been the problem for your team late in some of these tight games?

Patrick Beverley: It sounds like the same thing I've been saying, but we've just got to make more plays, more shots, and pick each other up more as a team. If we can find a way to raise our energy level, especially on defense, then I think we'll be fine.

JB: Closing out tight games---particularly on the road---has been a problem for this team all year long. What makes you think it's suddenly going to turn around with four games left in the season?

P-Bev: I wouldn't say we've had trouble winning games, it's just a different story playing away from home. And we've got to be tougher and better in those key moments, bottom line. The way I see it, we've used up all of our get outta jail free cards, so now we just have to win every time out.

JB: Is there a sense right now that the season is slipping away?

P-Bev: No, not really. When you look at the SEC Tournament and the NCAAs, there's still a lot of basketball left to be played. I honestly don't think we've shown how good we can be as a group yet. I mean, we have, but just for a stretch here and a half there, or one game we've got it rolling, and the next we don't. But it's almost March, and every one of us on this basketball team has to step up.

JB: Sonny Weems has emerged as the go-to offensive player for your team this year. He's averaging over 15 points per game and almost twenty per game in conference play. And yet, a lot of the time, there's been a feeling like he's a one-man band on offense. Which is to say, when he's not scoring, nobody is. As the leading scorer on last year's team, how do you react to that?

P-Bev: Sonny's a great player, we all know that, and now he's showing people why. When he's rolling, we've got to ride his hot hand, no question. But you're right, the rest of us need to make sure we're chipping in with our share as well. I don't care how good one guy is, nobody can win games by himself.

JB: Against Kentucky, you struggled from the floor (1 for 8) and finished with just four points. Sonny scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half, but nobody else finished in double figures. At a certain point, as one of the main offensive weapons on this team, don't you feel a need to step up your production and help handle the load?

P-Bev: Of course, most definitely. But if I'm not open---if the defense is overplaying and not giving me a good look---I'm not going to shoot it. Point blank. There's no sense in me throwing up bad shots just to do it. If it's not in the flow of the offense, if it's not a good look, I'm not going to take it.

JB: Has it been hard adjusting to John Pelphrey's offense this year?

P-Bev: There's an adjustment period with anything new, but I think we're way past that now. Last year, I had a lot more freedom to create my own shot, but that didn't mean our system was good for everybody. I feel like Coach Pelphrey has done a good job of getting us all to understand what he wants us to do and why it's better for everyone in the long run. We play more as a team on offense now and I think that's a good thing.

JB: Your rebounding numbers (seven per game) are way up this year, but your scoring (twelve per game) is down from a year ago. How do you explain that?

P-Bev: Pretty strange, ain't it? I mean, I've never looked at myself as just a one-dimensional player. Basketball isn't just about scoring and how high your number is. It's not like, "Oh, well I got my twenty points, so I can just forget about everything else." That's some selfish trip, and that's not how I play. I've always taken pride in my defense first, no question. But as far as the change in my numbers or whatever, there's a lot of stuff that goes into it, I guess. Last year---I don't want to say I snuck up on people, but---I really don't feel like most of the teams we played knew what I could do offensively yet. They didn't know the best way to go about slowing me down. So I was able to score more and get easier looks. This year is totally different. Teams are coming at me with their best defensive player every game out. Double-teams, traps, I mean whatever they want to throw at me, they're doing it now. All I can do is trust that my teammates are going to take advantage of the attention that sometimes gets put on me.

JB: Talk a bit more about your work on the glass, Patrick. How does a 6'1 guard lead his team in rebounding in the SEC?

P-Bev: I don't know, I guess it's just desire. I mean, at this level, everyone's athletic, and most everyone is big, so if you try to be just more physical than people, it's not going to work. Really, a big part of it is just determination, I really believe that. Once you've laid the groundwork for yourself physically, it's just a mental game. I mean, you've got to have an idea of where you think the rebound is going to go, but then you have to get to the spot as quick as you can and be ready for contact. A big help for me has been our entire frontcourt . . . Steven Hill, Darian Townes, Charles Thomas---those guys are all seven feet or close to, and they do a great job of boxing out. That makes it way easier for a little guy like me to get in there and grab some of those loose balls.

JB: You certainly don't play like a little guy, that's for sure. Keeping it moving . . . The NBA is in the minds of most Division I basketball players. Is that the big goal for you? Let me rephrase that. Where do you see yourself in five years?

P-Bev: Wow. Five years? I guess---well, first and foremost, I plan on having my degree, so that's a goal of mine. As for the NBA, I'd be lying if I told you I didn't think about it, I mean, every basketball player has that dream at some point. But I guess it's like, "Let me enjoy college first and worry about the other things later." If I do what I have to do while I'm here, keep getting better as an individual, and we keep on improving as a team, all that professional stuff should take care of itself.

JB: There has been a lot of emotional baggage surrounding the Razorbacks' basketball program during the past year, from the run your team made to last season's SEC Tournament Final to the firing of Stan Heath, the whole Dana Altman debacle, the hiring of John Pelphrey, and all the off-the-court stuff. I don't want to get into specifics about your personal life, Patrick, but give me a thought or two on what it's been like dealing with all that.

P-Bev: With me, when something is over and done with, that's where it stays. I liked Coach Heath a lot, I mean he was like a father figure for me, not to mention he recruited me to come play here, so it was difficult seeing him go at first. But that stuff is in the past now. Coach Pelphrey is a great guy and I really do love playing for him. Since day one we've just had a sort of chemistry together, as much as a coach and player can have. Last year, after the season, it was strange watching everything that happened, no doubt, but it's in the past now and that's all I can say about it. I really believe in whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. All the stuff people say or write about me or whatever, it doesn't bother me. It really doesn't. And I feel like I'm a stronger person for having gone through all that.

JB: Your perspective on life is a lot different now than it was at the same time last year.

P-Bev: Most definitely. I'm more mature now [laughs], at least I feel like I am. But like I said, a lot of things have changed, for me and for this team. I mean, I'm a father now, and that's something I didn't have to deal with last year. But personal stuff is personal, and I'd like to keep it that way. So you just, you know, carry yourself the best you can and hope that everything works out the way it's supposed to.

JB: Despite the ups and down for this team, the crowds at Bud Walton Arena have been large and enthusiastic all season long. More so than last year. How much do you enjoy playing in front of 20,000 Razorback fans?

P-Bev: Oh, man, it's a dream come true. Who wouldn't want that many people cheering for you? Bud Walton is an awesome place to play basketball. The fans are great, they're just so into it at every game. I'm just glad I get to play here for two more years. I can't imagine playing college basketball anywhere else.

JB: All right, Patrick. Thanks again for your time. Any final thoughts as March Madness approaches?

P-Bev: I'll just keep saying what I've said all year long: the sky's the limit for this basketball team. When we play together, when we're on the same page, we can beat anybody in the country. Period. No doubt in my mind. Now it's just up to us to take what we've learned, what we've been doing every day in practice, and win these games we have left. That's the only way I can think of to prove everyone doubting us wrong.

---------------------------------

-JAB

Kidd Blockbuster Finalized, Western Conference Power Struggle Continues

Dallas did well for itself by getting Jason Kidd. At 35 years of age, he's not nearly the player he used to be, but 11 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds per game is still pretty close to freak nasty. Getting him from the Nets for (essentially) Devin Harris--a promising, still undeveloped point guard---along with two first round picks and $3 million is a pretty fair shake both ways. The Nets get a guy who should help them for the long term, while Dallas picks up the player who they feel can put them over the top right now. (Ironically, Kidd started his career in Dallas in the mid '90s as a #2 overall pick . . . Remember how the three J's---Kidd, Jamaal Mashburn and Jimmy Jackson---were supposed to turn the then-sorry Mavericks around? R&B singer Toni Braxton dated all three of them, in turn ensuring a Dallas turnaround would not happen.)

Unfortunately for aggressive Mavs' owner Mark Cuban, I don't think this deal wins Dallas a championship. Does it make them better? Absolutely. Despite shooting a career-low 36% from the floor, Kidd will create more good opportunities for studs Nowitzki, Howard and Terry. But Dallas is still extremely soft down low. And we've seen time and again how that just doesn't work in the playoffs. You throw in the fact that the NBA's Western Conference is just ridiculously loaded this year and it's hard for me to see how the Mavs even come out of their side of the playoff bracket.

With Shaquille O'Neal and Pau Gasol also relocating in mega-trades over the last few weeks, let's take a look at the core seven players for all the Western Conference contenders. (I'm in a good old-fashioned NBA mood today, what can I say?)

Here's Dallas.

PF-Dirk Nowitzki
SF-Josh Howard
C-Erick Dampier/Juwan Howard
PG-Jason Kidd
SG-Jason Terry/Jerry Stackhouse

Not bad at all. But this is the Lake Show.

PF-Pau Gasol
SF-Lamar Odom
C-Andrew Bynum/Vladimir Radmanovic
PG-Derek Fisher /Jordan Farmar
SG-Kobe Bryant

Even better in my book. Now for Phoenix.

PF-Amare Stoudemire
SF-Grant Hill
C-Shaquille O'Neal/Boris Diaw
PG-Steve Nash
SG-Raja Bell/Leandro Barbosa

Awfully scary. Next up, San Antonio.

PF-Tim Duncan
SF-Bruce Bowen/Michael Finley
C-Kurt Thomas
PG-Tony Parker/Damon Stoudamire
SG-Manu Ginobli

The Spurs are a dynasty for a reason. And don't forget Utah.

PF-Carlos Boozer
SF-Andrei Kirilenko
C-Mehmet Okur/Paul Milsap
PG-Deron Williams
SG-Ronnie Brewer/Kyle Korver

Straight phenomenal.

Make what you want out of it, but I put Dallas at fifth out of five in that group. And that's not taking into account Denver (with 'Melo and Iverson) or New Orleans (best record in the conference with should-be MVP Chris Paul) or Golden State (the speedy team that dismantled Big 'D' in last year's first round).

After the Kidd trade, all I know for sure is that Dallas is better than Houston (T-Mac aside, way too slow) and Portland (a bit young and Oden-less). But couldn't you make that argument before the deal? Probably. In fact, throw in the four legitimate contenders in the East---Boston, Detroit, Orlando and Cleveland---and I still only put Dallas ahead of two of them.

Who knows, maybe J-Kidd finds the fountain of youth in the heart of Texas and Devin Harris never becomes anything in the swamps of Jersey. Then I'll have to eat my words. Doubt it though.

Josh's Updated NBA Power Ranking Leaders (as of 2/20/08)

1- San Antonio Spurs: The champs till proven otherwise
2- Phoenix Suns: The Diesel Experiment begins
3- Utah Jazz: Officially loaded at every position
4- L.A. Lakers: Literally stole Pau Gasol from Grizzlies
5- Boston: K-Jigga should be healthy again soon
6- Detroit: Old tried and true group hanging tough
7- Dallas: J-Kidd must limit three point attempts
8- New Orleans: Can't get any respect, Chris Paul for MVP
9- Denver: Need J.R. Smith to stay strong from downtown
10- Orlando: Dwight Howard is unknown monster no more

-JAB

Presidency '08: Obama, McCain Pull Away From Rest of Pack

Regardless of your political beliefs, you've got to admit the Democratic nomination race has been fun to watch. Hilary Clinton---the odds-on favorite going in---had all the reason to believe a tight race would tilt her way late. But here we are, on March's doorstep, and Barack Obama heads into the primaries' home stretch with what amounts to a ten-length lead. Sure, the delegates count is still tight, but there's no doubt in my mind that Obama's going to win this thing going away, and honestly, there's nothing Hilary's camp can do about it. Obama's victories in Wisconsin and Hawaii last night give the man a ten state win streak, and next week he will lock up the nomination with (hard-to-doubt-it) wins in Ohio and Texas.

It's easy to acknowledge how the former First Lady has fought this thing like a true political warrior though, taking harsh blows from the likes of Senators Edwards and Kerry with a lot of grace. But the fact of the matter is this: while Hilary possesses enough intelligence and savvy to win a Senator's seat in a state like New York, she doesn't have near the charisma it takes to pull key swing votes in a national election. Say what you want about President Dubbya, if there's one thing the man had going for him in both of his campaigns, it was personality out the wazoo. So much of it, in fact, that it overcame other significant shortcomings twice over.

And like that the title tilt for America's Presidency '08 is all but set: Barack Obama for the Dems and John McCain for the Repubs. As the first ever legitimate African-American presidential candidate, Obama goes in as the underdog, no question. Yet for all the energy, passion and intellect he displays in speech after speech, I think most of us are still curious to know what Obama really stands for. We want to know what his motivations and intentions are. I've heard plenty of talk about "change" and "hope" and a "new America", but what does that mean exactly? With so much inexperience (comparably) on his side, Barack has lots of questions left to answer.

Of course, McCain does as well. Flip-flopping isn't quite strong enough a phrase to describe the swings he's taken---from one pole to the opposite---in many of his views. But he's got the Vietnam veteran thing going for him. And he definitely comes across as a cool grandfather type, even if his speeches devolve into rambling monologues a little too often.

All you can say now is that it'll be tight. Way too tight to call as of late February. There are a high number of turns and twists and end-arounds still left to sort themselves out over the next eight months. But it sure will be fascinating watching it all unfold.

-JAB

Moment of Truth: Taylor/Pavlik II

The pugilistic pride of Little Rock puts his career on the line against Kelly Pavlik in Las Vegas tomorrow night. For Jermain Taylor, it will be more than a rematch against the man who took his middleweight belts back in September in Atlantic City. Entirely at stake for JT this time: reputation, respect and a boatload of potential future earnings.

Hustle back in your mind to late September on the Boardwalk of the Jersey shore . . . Jermain Taylor comes out aggressive after the opening bell, punch-jab-punch sequences rattling Pavlik's cage . . . Then in the second round, Taylor sends Pavlik crashing to the canvas, only to have him stagger back up to his feet, barely surviving a ten count. For whatever reason, JT just didn't have enough left in the energy tank to seal the deal right then and there. And it most definitely came to back to bite him when Pavlik rocked Taylor's jaw with a series of punches in the seventh round that left "Bad Intentions" bloodied, battered and down for the count for the first time in his career.

That fight was at 160 pounds. The rematch will be fought at 166, with no middleweight title belts at stake. The lack of "championship" billing shouldn't matter. Boxing nowadays is about the marquee names and the big paydays in a given bout, and that's it, plain and simple. Unlike the first fight, Taylor/Pavlik II will not be shown on HBO; it costs $50 on pay-per-view. And if Taylor wins the fight, there's no doubt a third contest between the two would be worth even more.

Should Jermain have fought another opponent before going right back at the man who left him dazed and confused last time out? Maybe. But the bottom line is that Taylor could have fought ten other fights before stepping back into the ring with Pavlik and there would still be no possible way to fully block out the beating he took from him last time. JT has to be smarter: he knows now that Pavlik can level him with just a couple of punches at any given moment, so he has to keep his hands up and use his jab regularly to keep his opponent at bay. Letting Pavlik fire away freely would be another recipe for disaster.

And so, the night of reckoning has come for the man from Little Rock. Jermain Taylor has both everything to gain and everything to lose in Vegas tomorrow night. Was Pavlik's upset just a flash in the pan? Was it a fluke? Or is Taylor finally on the other side of that oh-so-fine hill that separates contenders and pretenders in the world of boxing? We're about to find out.


Prediction: Pavlik wins by TKO in Round 10

-JAB

Razorback Recruiting Class Reaction

Boil off the hype, forget the speculation: when you really get down to it, the players that Razorback football coach Bobby Petrino ended up with on National Signing Day are what counts. And wow, what a job by the new Boss Hawg on the talent trail.

Way behind the proverbial eight ball after being hired in mid-December, Petrino clearly did all he could to convince the best high school football talents within the state of Arkansas to stay in the state of Arkansas. Easier said than done, especially considering that most of these guys were Houston Nutt's recruits. But Petrino fared well, very much so if you look at Arkansas's recruiting class ranking according to ESPN (#18 in the nation) or Scouts.com (23rd best in the country).

Big name blue chippers like WR Joe Adams (Central Arkansas Christian) and RB DeAnthony Curtis (Camden Fairview) should be foundation pieces for Petrino during the next four years. Transfer QB Ryan Mallett only elevates the passing game's potential even higher.

Surely, the Hogs came out a little light on the offensive line and at linebacker, but you've got to have the playmakers to build around first, and Petrino got his share of those.

Some more thoughts:

-16 of UA's 26 recruits are from the state of Arkansas
-8 of those signees are from Warren and Camden Fairview high schools, at 4 per school respectively
-12 of 13 offensive recruits for Hogs are from Arkansas
-Only 4 of 13 defensive recruits are from the Natural State
-Of the 10 recruits not from Arkansas, 3 are from Georgia, 2 apiece from Texas and Louisiana, 1 from Florida, 1 from Tennessee and 1 from Indiana
-With Matt Hall at 6'10 and Anthony Oden (Greg's not-so-little brother) at 6'8, the Hogs' frontcourt-like offensive line should be massive for years to come

And there ya go. Defensive Coordinator Willy Robinson being introduced at the end of the signing day press conference was literally an afterthought. He hasn't even coached a single down for the Razorbacks yet, but Bobby Petrino is clearly off and flying with his team already.

-JAB

National Signing Day Getting Huge

National Signing Day just may be the single most overrated day in American sports. And that includes the Super Bowl.

What you basically have is a bunch of coaches doing all they can to convince cream of the crop recruits that their school is the place to be. If you're a bigger name program like Florida, Texas or USC, then most of the leg work is done by your school's name. For just about everyone else, it's all about the legal hustle.

Not that signing day isn't imporant; on the complete contrary, of course it is. These are the incoming players who will win and lose games on the field for their respective schools over the next four years. But how much of that has to do with coaching and how much of it directly correlates to player talent is an intriguing debate.

I'm of the belief that coaching and the molding of personnel to a given system is the big determiner of success at the collegiate level. Whether or not a given player is a three, four or five star recruit usually doesn't guarantee anything. Darren McFadden, for example, was a four star recruit, now he's an odds-on fave to be the top selection in April's NFL Draft.

So grab your favorite school cap and watch that television monitor for round-the-clock updates on who's committing, de-committing and pledging allegiances where.

The hype machine is in overdrive: It's signing day, baby!

-JAB

Eli Does It! Manning Brothers Go Back-to-Back

Tom Petty opened with "American Girl" and didn't play a song less than fifteen years old. Other than that, nothing went as expected on Super Bowl Sunday. Kudos to the Giants for an all-time upset, 17-14 over the previously unbeaten Patriots. Eli Manning---the game's MVP---with a huge 4th quarter, including one of the great Super Bowl plays of all-time, shaking two defenders and then drilling a 45-yard strike to wideout David Tyree at New England's 23 yard-line. (Tyree's off-the-helmet catch maybe even more impressive than Eli's play.) One year after big brother Peyton wins a ring, younger bro Eli gets his.

But the Giants won this game up front, pounding Tom Brady into submission like we haven't seen before. Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck all with strong attack-mode games. And so, New England's run at perfection is over. Done. Finito. How will history remember them? Surely as one of the greatest Super Bowl losers of all-time. But was this the greatest upset in Super Bowl history? Absolutely not. Probably number two though. The Jets as 17 point underdogs upsetting Baltimore in Super Bowl III was more historically important because it pitted teams literally from two different leagues, with New York's win signifying that the AFL was here to stay.

Few tears will be shed over the Pats' demise, especially considering that New England should be back to the Title Tilt at least a couple more times, as long as the team re-signs Randy Moss, which you'd have to expect they would. But a perfect season still belongs to just one team.

Somewhere Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and the rest of the '72 Dolphins are smiling....

-JAB

Super Bowl XLII: Gotta Like the Pats

It should be an entertaining Super Bowl on Sunday, and not just for the commercials or halftime show (Tom Petty) this time around either. It's the undefeated New England Patriots trying to seal the historical deal at 19-0 against a New York Giants team that'll be doing all it can to pull off the greatest Super Bowl upset since Joe Willie and the Jets upended Don Shula's Colts in Super Bowl III.

Without any question, the Giants have earned their way into this game. Playoff road triumphs over Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay showed a lot of grit and determination. QB Eli Manning is taking great care of the football and making the key throws when he has to. Tailbacks Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have provided a great power/speed combo out of the backfield while WR Plaxico Burress dominated All-Pro CB Al Harris in the NFC Title Game.

I'll admit it: when TE Jeremy Shockey went down with a broken leg, I didn't think there was any chance New York would win a playoff game, let alone get this far. But head coach Tom Coughlin has done a phenomenal job of keeping his team together, and they've definitely responded. DEs Osi Umeniorya and Michael Strahan are as good a pass-rushing combo as there is in the NFL right now. Justin Tuck brings a lot of speed from his hybrid LB slot as well.

On the flip, New England was planning on being here all along. The addition of WR Randy Moss lifted QB Tom Brady's game to an even higher level this year, and they both shattered single season TD marks in catches and throws. RB Laurence Maroney has come on late in the year and the defense is still rugged and veteran with the likes of Mike Vrabel, Ted Bruschi, Richard Seymour and Asante Samuel making most of the big plays when it counts.

Prediction: Eli Manning has been a great story in the playoffs, but the carnival ride ends in Arizona. Bill Belichick is just too good a coach to have his team anything other than motivated and ready to roll by the time they kick this one off.

Game: New England 34 - New York 24

MVP: Tom Brady, Patriots

This win puts both Bill Belichick and Tom Brady on the short lists of discussion for greatest coach and quarterback of all time.

-JAB

Razorbacks Roll Past Bulldogs

Talk about answering the bell. The Razorbacks just completely dismantled Mississippi State at Bud Walton Arena last night, 78-58. 22 points and five three-pointers from Sonny Weems led the way, with Patrick Beverley chipping in 19 points and 10 boards, another double-double. The win pulled Arkansas within one game of Mississippi State in the SEC West race.

This was the third straight win for the Hogs against the Bulldogs dating back to last year. On Saturday Arkansas plays host to Florida while MSU is home for Tennessee, so there's definitely a chance we could be all knotted up by the end of business on Saturday.

The absence of Charles Thomas didn't prove nearly as important as some thought it would going in, thanks largely to Mike Washington and Vincent Hunter filling the void. And UA's defense was tremendous, forcing 22 turnovers by the Bulldogs against just 5 assists.

Arkansas fans can only hope for more of the same intensity and effort in 48 hours.

-JAB

On Hype, Heart and Heath

Hype

Of all the New England Patriots' tremendous accomplishments this year, the biggest of 'em all might just be the way in which they've handled the heavy weight of their own success all season long. Being undefeated, the art of staying perfect through a full nineteen games in today's NFL, is no easy thing to achieve, let alone discuss. But the host of Patriots have nonetheless stepped to the microphone and delivered the appropriate, though abbreviated, remarks at every step of the turn.

And now we come to the final hurdle, the Super Bowl. It's the one solitary game that stands between New England's quest for football perfection and the biggest last act letdown since the Seinfeld finale.

Surely, most didn't expect Eli to be the only Manning left standing at this point. But here he is, nonetheless smack in front of everyone on the biggest stage of them all. Eli's New York Giants listed as twelve point underdogs, which sounds just about right.

So the waiting commences. A needless bye week for the hype machine to rev up all over again before Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Randy Moss lead their final charge in Arizona, the site of Super Bowl XLII.

For New England and its battle with history, just getting here in one piece, physically and mentally, is already impressive enough. But it won't mean anything if they can't seal the deal.

All anyone will remember is that they lost the last game.


Heart

Arkansas's men's basketball team just doesn't seem to have the heart this year it, does it? For all the experience, all the size, all the depth that this team has, a 2-2 mark in the SEC just ain't gonna cut it. Losses to South Carolina and Georgia (two not very good teams) in back-to-back games signified a troubling trend, with bad old habits---turnovers, soft defense, poor shot selection---springing up all over again.

Is it too late to turn this car around? Of course not. In each of the last two years, the Razorbacks have sputtered in the parking lot for the first two months, only to turn it around enough on the highways of late-February and early March to make the NCAA Tournament both times.

So the question of whether it can be done is already answered. But will it be? If I had that piece of information, I'd be worth a lot more money than I am. Certainly seniors Charles Thomas, Steven Hill and Gary Ervin need to lift their games higher. But Sonny Weems and Patrick Beverley need to bring more consistent efforts as well.

A win tomorrow night in Baton Rouge against LSU would be a start. But a homestand following against Mississipi State, Florida and Ole Miss will be far more telling.

Topsy-turvy, a roller-coaster all the way through.

Such is the state of recent winter hoops for Razorback fans.

Heath

10 Things I Hate About You is a really underrated movie. Brokeback Mountain is definitely overrated, but was still important for its social overtones.

The saddest thing of all is that you feel like Heath Ledger's best work was still in front of him.

Several days removed, and the Oscar-nominated actor's death continues to bother me. Maybe it's because of our proximity in age, I don't know. But whether or not the 28-year-old Aussie's drug overdose was intentional, the clear fact is that it revealed a prescription abuse problem that many struggle with in life, and miraculously, lots overcome.

I think what upsets me the most is that Ledger doesn't appear to have confided in anyone about his struggles. Police reports say six different prescription medications were found in the actor's New York city residence, for the treatment of everything from anxiety and stress to sleeplessness and pain. Supposedly, they were given to Ledger by different doctors in Europe, which makes it awful hard figuring he'd been honest with any of them about what he was actually taking.

Maybe someone could have intervened and helped the man figure some stuff out. A girlfriend, a family member, an agent?

Just a friendly voice who could have told Heath that all the money and fame he'd already earned could at least buy him some obviously-needed time off---at a rehab center, on a vacation trip, whatever. Perhaps he'd have been able to get his daily regimen in order. Perhaps not. But at least someone could feel that they tried.

Maybe somebody did. We'll probably never know.

As is when anyone so young passes, famous or not, it just feels like an absolute shame...

-JAB

Conference Championship Sunday

If things went according to form in Saturday's divisional round, Sunday was everything but the norm. Down went home fielders Indianapolis and Dallas, at the hands of the Bolts and Jints respectively.

So the Final Four are set: San Diego at New England for the AFC Championship and New York at Green Bay for the NFC Title. Of the four teams, Green Bay has to be the biggest surprise of them all, at least based on how the Pack were viewed nationally heading into the year. But the Giants are an unquestioned stunner as well, especially given myriad injuries to a team that could ill afford them.

But here we are, and away we go with our conference championship predictions.

AFC, up first:

San Diego at New England. I like the Patriots to win, 34-24. But the Bolts look like a solid pick against the line given the spread of 13.5.

NFC, number two:

New York at Green Bay. I like the Packers in a rout, 38-21. Too much Favre and Grant in the icy cold conditions of Lambeau Field, the spread of 7.5 points seems too small to me as well.

-JAB

NFL Down to Elite Eight: Josh's Weekend Breakdown

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF PREVIEW


Saturday Game #1: Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers

A rematch of a tight playoff game from 2005. Who can forget the now famous overtime coin toss where Matt Hasselbeck exclaimed, "We're taking the football and we're going to score!" Of course, that blew up in his face just minutes later when Al Harris intercepted an out route and took it to the house for the win. What's in store this time around? Two very good defenses, both underrated. Mike Holmgren's Seahawks are anchored by linebackers Julian Peterson and Losi Tatapu. DE Patrick Kerney and CB Marcus Trufant have had really good years as well. For Green Bay, it's LBs Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk in the middle of the field, with a strong pass rush up front and a solid secondary to boot.

So who do I like? Well, it's going to be barely over 20 degrees at Lambeau Field for kickoff, so clearly the weather will be a factor. Brett Favre has been down this road countless times before, so you've got to like him over Matt Hasselbeck at the quarterback position. If Ryan Grant can chew up some ground yardage for highly talented coach Mike McCarthy, Green Bay should have enough in the tank to get the win, especially coming off a first-round bye.

-Green Bay over Seattle, 31-21



Saturday Game #2: Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots

This seems like the upset special of the week for most NFL pundits. I'm not buying it at all. Everyone said the same thing two years ago when the Jaguars went to New England. If you recollect, the Patriots dominated that game. What's so different for this one? Well, Jacksonville has a new quarterback in David Garrard. He struggled in the first round against the Steelers with two INTs and 9 for 21 passing, but made the key scramble late to set his team up for the winning field goal. Jags' coach Jack Del Rio made Garrard his man early this year and never wavered.

For this game, Jacksonville will rely mostly on the tailback combo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, but it won't be enough. New England is the team of destiny right now. At 16-0, it's unprecedented regular season territory that the Patriots are coming out of. And Coach Bill Belichick is the closest to a sure thing as there is in the league these days. His playmakers--- QB Tom Brady (50 TD passes) and WR Randy Moss (23 TD catches)---can forget about their records now and focus on what they do best: winning playoff games. I hate to rain on the upset special parade, but what can you do? Just too much Patriots' firepower for a banged-up Jacksonville 'D'.

-New England over Jacksonville, 38-20

Sunday Game #1: San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts

This should prove the most competitive of all four games. San Diego won at Indianapolis earlier this year, forcing Peyton Manning into many bad decisions (he threw a career-high six INTs in the game). This time around, in Marvin Harrison, Peyton will have his old faithful target back on the field. That should be a big help. So should dynamic tailback Joseph Addai, as close to 100% health now as a featured running back could be at this time of year.

And yet, I think the game comes down to Indy's defense against San Diego's offense. Without Dwight Freeney, the Colts' pass rush has slowed down considerably, but Tony Dungy has retooled on the fly and employed more of a zone dynamic. Little man safety Bob Sanders (NFL defensive player of the year) will have to set the tone early with some run-stuffing tackles on LaDainian Tomlinson, but he should be up to the task. The Chargers are red-hot, winners of 11 out of 13, but Philip Rivers is an implosion waiting to happen. The likely absence of TE Antonio Gates (sprained ankle) doesn't help Norv Turner's crew at all. I know, I know: I picked San Diego to win it all before the year started . . . Well, I was wrong. Indy wins this one late.

-Indianapolis over San Diego, 24-21



Sunday Game #2: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

Dallas fans are praying Jessica Simpson doesn't show up to cheer on boyfriend Tony Romo in person. Tony Romo is praying that Terrell Owens (sprained ankle) can play. Considering he did so on a broken leg in the Super Bowl three years ago, I'd say it's a pretty safe bet Owens gives it a go. And the Cowboys most definitely need him. For all the offensive life that Romo, Jason Witten and Marion Barber bring to the table, without Owens, Dallas has no home run hitter.

The Giants, meanwhile, are hoping Eli Manning can put together back-to-back really good games for the first time in a long time. Without TE Jeremy Shockey (broken leg) in the middle of the field, New York's QB must be very careful with his decision-making. But the Giants' defense is scary good up front, with Umenyiora, Kiwanuka, Strahan and Tuck all able to create heavy pressure. Can Dallas beat a good Giants' team three times in one year? Can Wade Phillips and Tony Romo get the postseason monkeys off their backs? Will Tom Coughlin's head explode if Eli starts fumbling all over again? Most likely on all accounts.

-Dallas over New York, 27-24

-JAB

Hardwood Hogs Ready for Conference Play

Razorback Basketball Notes and Nuggets

-Arkansas' 85-78 win against Baylor in Dallas on Saturday night was just what the doctor ordered. Given the Hogs only other legitimate non-conference win is over a fair-to-middling Missouri team, a loss against the Bears would have put Arkansas way behind the eight ball as far as a bid to the NCAA tournament is concerned. But now, at 11-3, Arkansas should be able to go 10-6 in SEC play, win a single conference tournament game, and qualify for the Dance with 22 wins.

-It was great to see Sonny Weems step up and make all the big shots in the second half against Baylor. In total, 18 of Weems' 21 points came after intermission: he made pretty much every shot he took. You couple that performance with Charles Thomas' 17 points and 10 rebounds, and all of a sudden Arkansas' front court is showing some signs of life. It also helps when your guards are making threes. Patrick Beverley and Stefan Welsh shook off season long slumps against Baylor in making six trifectas combined.

-Arkansas should dispose of Auburn on the road on Thursday night. Jeff Lebo's Tigers are a competitive team, for sure, but they've also been besieged by injuries. In yesterday's conference call, Lebo spoke of his plight: "We have only six scholarship players available right now, so clearly we've had to change our style of play and what we're trying to do." With leading scorer (and best player) Korvotney Barber sidelined until February with a broken hand, the Tigers have to hodge podge it all together right now. Look for Quantez Robertson and Rasheem Barrett---Auburn's two most athletic players---to try to slow things down a bit for the rest of their team. Without any depth, Auburn can't afford to play the frenetic place Arkansas will try to set.

-For all the talk that John Pelphrey is off to a slow start as Razorback coach, I'm not buying much of it. Surely the offense could use more shape and definition, but what we have here is a team loaded with upperclassmen learning an entirely new motion system. In fact, if you compare UA's mark of 11-3 thru 14 games to where it was a year ago at this time under Stan Heath, you'll find that the record is identical. Taking into account the vastly superior defense the Hogs have been playing this year, it's hard to say Pelphrey has been doing anything less than a good job. Of course, the jury will continue its deliberations on Coach P until he's got a couple of recruiting classes of his own players on the floor.

-The SEC just isn't as good as it usually is in men's basketball this year. Both Vanderbilt and Ole Miss are undefeated---extremely surprising---but Tennessee and Arkansas (and maybe Florida, though time will tell) are the only other SEC schools who have the ability to hang with the best that some other conferences will be able to offer. Why is the league so down? Well, one argument is that a numer of talented players have made the leap to the pros over the past two seasons. Another is that the talented freshmen who've taken the league mantle have yet to fully develop.

-And one Ladyback note: Arkansas's women are 15-0 and undefeated in non-conference play for the first time in program history. They're ranked in the polls now as well and face a huge test against LSU at home on Thursday night. Kudos to first-year coach Tom Collen for bringing some life and energy to a program that's been dormant of most of it for the past five years.

-JAB

The Top Ten Sports Stories of 2007

JOSH'S TOP TEN SPORTS STORIES OF 2007

1- April-December. Michael Vick busted for dogfighting.

The fall of an American superstar. From the initial denials to the subsequent confessions, all the way through to his guilty plea and 23 month jail sentence, Michael Vick was unquestionably the biggest sports story of the calendar year 2007. A star quarterback sent to prison at (or near) the height of his career for cruelty towards animals, Michael Vick's saga connected with people from all walks of life, sports fans or not. The Atlanta Falcons' quarterback was a man of two different faces: one public, one private, and the private face clearly wasn't anything pretty. Eligible for parole in May of 2009, it's hard to see Michael Vick playing football again before fall of that year at the earliest. If you've got a heart, and there's room for forgiveness somewhere inside of it, you're hoping that this story ends with some sort of redemption at the end. Hoping, at least.

2- April-August. Barry Bonds takes down Hank Aaron's HR mark.

This was the biggest story from the start of the 2007 baseball season through to mid-August. Barry Balco now has 762 home runs, seven more than Hank Aaron's career mark of 755. The fact of the matter is, Barry Bonds was a Hall of Famer before the HGH, so he has to be a Hall of Famer after it, right? It's not like he did anything that violated MLB's rules at the time. Bud Selig is the real man to blame here. Easily the worst commissioner in baseball history. Not only did he allow the steroids' environment to exist, he more than facilitated it. The home run record is probably the most hallowed mark in all of American sports. Barry Bonds now owns it. Huge story, whether you believe it was earned fairly or not.

3- September-December. New England's perfect season.

Tom Brady throws 50 touchdown passes, Randy Moss makes 23 touchdown catches and the Patriots cruise to the first 16-0 mark in NFL history. A tremendous feat in any NFL campaign, let alone nowadays in the current landscape of parity. Clearly New England needs to win the Super Bowl in 2008 to ensure that the season goes down as the all-time greatest, but it's already been a magical ride for Bill Belichik's crew. Spygate was all the motivation he needed. You think he was coaching angry this year? You think?

4- December. George Mitchell steroids report released.

It took way too long for this thing to come out. And when it finally did, you had to have major questions about the actual "evidence" listed within. But clearly, a lot of it was true, because you haven't heard many denials from the guys who were named. Roger Clemens has maintained his innocence the most vehemently, but then, he has the most to lose. Clemens is to pitchers now what Bonds is to hitters. A guy who took performance enhancers (when it wasn't against the rules) to take his physique into the next stratosphere. How Cooperstown handles all of this will be fascinating to see.

5- January. Peyton Manning finally wins the big one.

He was supposed to be the guy who couldn't win the big game. Well, not anymore. Mr. Commercial himself stepped up and carried the Colts on his back to a Super Bowl Championship in February of 2007. Taking out Brady and the Patriots in the AFC Championship was a thing of beauty for football fans who wanted Manning to just get to the final game. Dominating a very strong Chicago Bears' defense in the title tilt sealed the deal. Choker no more.

6- April. Florida Gators win men's hoops championship for 2nd straight year.

It's simple: no team had ever done this before. The same starting five goes back-to-back for the national championship, and really does cruise through the NCAA Tournament in March. Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey played with complete selflessness that head coach Billy Donovan has to take credit for. Given the current landscape of college basketball, we'll probably never see anything like this again.

7- September-December. College football season is year of the upset.

USC, Ohio State, West Virginia, Oklahoma, LSU, Texas, Missouri, Florida. Just a sampling of the top contenders in the country who lost games while at or near the top of the polls. This was without question the craziest season in college football history and proof positive that an eight-team playoff is the only way to rightfully decide the national champion.

8- September/December. Boxing delivers two great fights.

Jermain Taylor and Kelly Pavlik fought a highly enjoyable seven-round middleweight championship on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ, in late September. Taylor knocked Pavlik down (and almost out) in round two, then Youngstown's Finest somehow climbed to his feet, and finished off Taylor in round seven. The rematch is set for February in Las Vegas and should be fantastic. Meanwhile, Floyd Mayweather and Ricky Hatton turned in a tremendous USA vs. UK 138 pound bout in early December. Mayweather is the best pound for pound fighter in the world today. Boxing will never be the most popular sport in America again, but it's definitely not dead.

9- October. Boston Red Sox win 2nd World Title in 4 years.

The Curse of the Bambino? Never heard of it. After going 86 years without a World Championship, the BoSox have now won two in four seasons. Anchored by the dominant pitching of Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jonathan Papelbon, Boston steamrolled through the postseason, sweeping Colorado four games to none in the Fall Classic. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are one of the greatest 3-4 punches in baseball history. Manager Terry Francona is the new Rodney Dangerfield: he gets no respect.

10- October. Marion Jones busted for steroids, loses track titles.

The tip of the iceberg, really. Marion Jones, the star of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney had long denied, adamantly, that she ever used performance enhancing drugs. Then the feds found the evidence they needed to make a strong case against her, and Jones folded like a house of cards. Pleading guility to perjury and obstruction, Jones apologized for lying to everyone and setting a bad example for the youth of America. What she was really apologizing for was getting caught.
______________________________

Honorable Mention:

-Sean Taylor killed (Darrent Williams earlier in year)
-Virginia Tech bounces back from massacre
-Roger Federer and Tiger Woods continue domination of tennis and golf
-San Antonio Spurs win fourth NBA title
-Anaheim Ducks win first Stanley Cup
-Brett Favre finds the fountain of youth
-Adrian Peterson's monster rookie year
-New England's spygate scandal
-Colorado Rockies win 21 of 22, surge to first World Series
-New York Mets' historic collapse in NL East
-ARod's opts out of record contract for new record contract
-LeBron James' coming out party in NBA East Finals against Detroit
-Jimmie Johnson wins NASCAR crown for 2nd straight year
-Arkansas Razorback athletics: DMac, coaching drama, hoops and football

-JAB

Josh's Top 10 Movies of 2007

Here we go:

1- 300

It says a lot that a digitally-enhanced film gets my vote as the top movie of 2007. But this wasn't a great year for cinema, particularly in the first six months of the calendar, so I'm giving my top nod to the story of the Spartans in Ancient Greece. A group of noble, high energy warriors fight to the death to keep their city alive against barbarous intruders. The visuals in this one are stunning, the plot is easy to follow and I have no qualms about calling it the most well-done film of the year.

2- American Gangster

Ridley Scott gets the director's dream cast and keeps it punchy. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe square off on opposite sides of the law: Denzel plays longtime drug dealer Frank Lucas while Crowe is the ethical cop on the heat of his trail. The two actors share only a brief scene near the end of the movie, but watching them take their turns in method is good enough for me. Strong soundtrack, historical basis, and a job well done by a big money team in making this one.

3- Darjeeling Limited

Ultra-talented director Wes Anderson returns with this tale of three brothers on a spirtual odyssey in India. Owen Wilson (in easily the best performance of his career), Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman play the siblings who ride the train Darjeeling through the hills and valleys of India. It's the death of their father that brings them together initially, while the tragedy that unites them on a treacherous riverbend solidifies the bond. The film has hilarious dialogue that keeps it together despite some slight structural flaws. Brody's resigned "I'm just gonna hold this one in for a while" is the best line in American cinema this year.

4- Knocked Up

The only film I saw this year that had me laughing all the way through. A slacker (played by Seth Rogen) impregnates a high-achieving entertainment reporter. Most of the jokes come from the circle of friends the slacker hangs around with, but Catherine Heigl is both funny and believeable as the leading lady. As with all of director Judd Apatow's flicks, this movie does a deft job of balancing great humor and the heartfelt nature of decent drama. Probably the most fun of any movie this year.

5- Superbad

A knockoff of Knocked Up, this comedy still stands on its own. Written by Seth Rogen, a couple of "loser" high schoolers do their best to get booze, get laid, and keep their friendship while running from the clueless cops. Chistopher Mintz's Mclovin is already one of the great film geeks of all time, and his performance in this one steals the show. Judd Apatow's crew is offically dominating Hollywood.

6- No Country for Old Men

Cormac McCarthy's novel is brought to the big screen by the Coen brothers. The book is fantastic (most of McCarthy's stuff is), while the Coens get themselves out of the hibernation forced by duds like Intolerable Cruelty. Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones give strong performances as the man who stumbles on $2 million and the sherriff who's trying to help him, while Javier Bardem should win an Oscar for his demonic interpretation of badass killer Anton Chigurh. The shootout in the middle of the book is wasted on film, but the story is so good that the move can't help but hold your attention all the way through.

7- Reign Over Me

Am I the only one who really liked this movie? Don Cheadle---a tremendous talent---is the dentist friend of Adam Sandler, a man who's entire family perished in the tragedy of 9/11. Sandler can only relate to the world through his IPod and video game system, while Cheadle tries to break down his walls. An emotional film that hits hard. The use of "Drive All Night" by Bruce Springsteen might be the best placement of a song in a movie this year.

8- The Lives of Others

A foreign language film (German with subtitles) that shows life in East Germany under the watchful eye of the secret police. A famed writer tries to sort out the details of his existence while everything he says or does is known in advance. A warning against Big Brother is a warning for citizens everywhere, regardless of country of origin.

9- Rescue Dawn

Most folks probably didn't take the time to see this Werner Herzog effort, and while it's not on par with a Herzog film like Wrath of God, it's still definitely a quality production. Christian Bale is a Vietnamese POW who leads a group of hostages on their way out of a camp in the middle of a jungle. Bale has emerged as a superstar.

10- Borat

Sacha Baron Cohen takes his Ali G character to the big screen, with largely funny results. I'm still not sure what exactly Cohen is trying to achieve---with all of his anti-semitic and straight racist language. He's Jewish himself, but that doesn't justify keeping your own people down. Or is he just poking fun at the ignorance of others? This movie made a big splash. You decide.

-JAB

Josh's Top 10 Albums of 2007

A couple of late in the year holiday releases---Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood and Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters---have forced me to stave off on the Top 10 Movies of the year, but I'll get my list of best flicks out to you fine folks soon enough. Also, look for the Top 10 Sports Stories of 2007 before the New Year's ball drops. I realize it's probably a bit strange that I like Top Ten lists so much. Maybe it's just all the Letterman I watched growing up.

Anyway, and more importantly, happy holidays to everyone! If you need some music to bob your head to right about now, the following list of albums would be worth a little of your money and a lot of your time. Here are my picks for the Top 10 Albums of 2007:

______________________________________

1- Arcade Fire, Neon Bible

"Every night my dream's the same/The same old city with a different name."

Far from a perfect album, Neon Bible is, in many ways, a tremendous achievement because of its flaws. Striving for greatness, Win Butler, wife Regine Chassagne and the rest of their Canadian crew recorded most of this disc over twelve months inside of a giant old church. The creaks and groans of the building did nothing to hurt this album's spectacular acoustics, ranging from the guitar-driven urgency in Springsteenfest "Keep the Car Running" to the soft prayer of organ-laden "Intervention" to the quiet anger simmering on ivory throughout "Ocean of Noise." Released in March, not every song on Neon Bible stands on its own, but that's part of what makes the whole so strong. Apocalypse, war, poverty, self-loathing and love are just several of the many themes the group tackles here. Arcade Fire's debut album, Funeral, probably had a bit more of a "wow" factor to it. But this is still a great effort by a young band just learning how to use everything at its disposal while at the peak of its powers. My album of the year.

2- Kanye West, Graduation

"Can I talk my shit again?"

Please do, Mr. West. Career album number three continues the rocket ride Kanye's been on over the last four years. Face it: most of the tracks on this one just make you want to get up and shake your booty. "Champion", "Good Life", "The Glory" and "Homecoming" are all grooving floor rompers. "Stronger"---with its bizarre Daft Punk sample---not only works, but would absolutely be on most music fans' mix CD for the soundtrack to 2007. It might even be the lead single. Clearly, Kanye West is as good a producer as there is in the music game today. Is he an elite MC? Absolutely not. But with age may come a little more ego checking at the door, and a la "Big Brother" Jigga, he may just get there yet.

3- Wilco, Sky Blue Sky

"Nothing more important than to know someone's listening."

You could argue that this was the best "album" of the year. Which is to say, almost none of the tracks on this disc jump out at you on their own. But taken as a whole, from the twangy rumbles of "Impossile Germany" to the dream world of "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)", there may not have been a better vision of cohesiveness on a record this year, and there most certainly hasn't been in Wilco's career. Lead man Jeff Tweedy is older and wiser now, but still as mournful as ever for the lost youth of his past. Truly one of those albums you just throw on the CD player and let play from beginning to end. And again. And again...

4- Jay-Z, American Gangster

"Pray for me."

Inspired by Ridley Scott's movie of the same title, Jay-Z bounces back from the lameness of Kindgom Come to release his most relevant music in four years. It's a pseudo autobiography for Mr. Hove. Musically, at least. "Pray" and "Fallin" are dynamite as the opener and closer (how funky is that hook on "Fallin"!?!), but "Roc Boys" is the best song on the album, and may be the coolest hip hop song this year. Why'd Jigga retire in the first place again? Uh, you got me on that one.

5- Radiohead, In Rainbows

"How come I end up where I started? How come I end up where I went wrong?"

The greatest living band in the world today is in prime form on its seventh album. All the fanfare and headlines surrounding the self-release of this one via the Internet overshadowed how good the music actually sounds. Ten tracks that flow seamlessly into one another, starting with the rock drop of "15 Step" and "Bodysnatchers", floating through slow burners like "Arpeggi" and "All I Need" before closing with the dramatics of "Videotape." Even with the pay-what-you-want distribution system, Thom Yorke and company prove that, in pop music, the album still matters more than anything else.

6- Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

"Blow out your cherry bomb for me."

Austin's finest are it again, with maybe their most polished effort to date. This one has Beatles overtones written all over, especially in ditties like "You've Got Your Cherry Bomb" and "Underdog." Gotta love the horns sprinkled around, even if some of the lyrics sound like they fell out of a major acid trip. Strong opener "Don't Make Me a Target" is both political and direct. This album proves that a terrible title doesn't necessarily mean anything about what it holds inside.

7- Bruce Springsteen, Magic

"Is there anybody alive out there?"

A deep album really, about America and the perilous times in which we live. But it's got the beautiful facade of E Street's jangly sound too. This is as old school as Bruce gets with his homeboys anymore. "Radio Nowhere", "Livin' in the Future" and "Long Walk Home" are all instant classics. "Terry's Song" is the best song about friendship the Boss has written since "Backstreets." Besides how good it all sounds, any excuse to get the E Street Band back on tour is good enough for me.

8- Seal, System

"Rolling out of my bed/I still can't find the truth I've been searching for."

Some people are probably laughing at this selection. But Seal is an artist who's been underrated for a long time. Such is the plight of anyone with a smooth voice and smash singles coming out the wazoo for most of the '90s. Yesterday's news, right? I guess not. Every track on this one is grooving, most with techno beats but some with simple acoustic guitar a la Seal's greatest album, Human Being. The duet with wife/supermodel Heidi Klum is too much, but songs like "Amazing" and "Rolling" get stuck in your brain and won't come out any time soon.

9- Common, Finding Forever

"The karma of the streets is needs and takes."

Chicago's finest MC keeps the momentum of Be rolling throughout this disc. Kanye is back to lend a hand on the beats and production side of things, but it's the engaging lyrics that keep me coming back for more. "Drivin' Me Wild" and "The Game" are both gems, while "So Far to Go" makes me want a D'Angelo comeback album really, really badly. Common's first ever #1 release, and justified.

10- The White Stripes, Icky Thump

"Well, America, you can't be a pimp and a prostitute too!"

Jack and Meg White drop another straight-forward stompfest. The title track single had, in my opinion, the best guitar riff of the year. The cover of "Conquest" is cool and "You Don't Know What Love Is" comes across as downright funny---in a good way. Jack's side work with The Raconteurs isn't half bad, but it's not the same kind of magic rock he creates with Meg.

-JAB

Baseball's All Chemical Team: The Mitchell Report Released

7 MVPs. 31 All-Stars. 86 names in total. And nothing all that surprising in George Mitchell's finally released steroids report yesterday. Big names reside on the list, for sure, but it wasn't all that hard to figure most of them out. Surely, Roger Clemens has seen his Hall of Fame career take a major hit, but it's only poetic justice, don't you think? I mean, if you thought Clemens was mowing hitters down into his mid-40s without the aid of something extra, you were living in a baseball fantasy world. Now the Rocket and Barry Balco can stand next to one another as the greatest pitcher and hitter of the "Roids Era."

You've still got to question a lot of the information in the 400 plus page report though, but at least it's out there. ($20 million in baseball funds alloted to the investigation . . . for a short novel's worth of circumstantial pages? Hmmm.)

Honestly, most of the evidence in the report was hearsay and conjecture. So-and-so asked so-and-so if he knew how to find some human growth hormone, and so-and-so called so-and-so about getting a shipment sent to him. This is the smoking gun? I think not.

Now Commissioner Bud Selig (still somehow employed) says he will dole out punishment on a case-by-case basis. Punishment for what, Bud? There weren't even rules against this stuff five years ago!

But most of the names on the list are plausible. Below are my picks for the cream of this crop.

JOSH'S 40 MAN ROSTER FOR BASEBALL'S ALL-CHEMICALLY ENHANCED TEAM

LF-Barry Bonds/Gary Sheffield/Jack Cust
CF-Lenny Dykstra/Gary Mathews, Jr./Jose Guillen
RF-Sammy Sosa/David Justice/Jose Canseco
1B-Mark McGwire/Rafael Palmeiro/Wally Joyner
2B-Chuck Knoblauch/Brian Roberts/Fernando Vina
SS-Miguel Tejada/Randy Velarde/Mike Lansing
3B-Ken Caminiti/Matt Williams/Troy Glaus
C-Todd Hundley/Paul LoDuca/Benito Santiago
DH-Jason Giambi/Mo Vaughn/Hal Morris

SP-Roger Clemens/Andy Pettite/Kevin Brown/Denny Neagle/
Paul Byrd/Kent Mercker
RP-Brendan Donnelly/Matt Herges/Darren Holmes/
Jason Grimsley
CL-Eric Gagne/Derrick Turnbow/Mike Stanton

-----------------------------------

Wow. I could've managed this team and we still would have won multiple world championships. But the Roid Rage fights in the clubhouse might have been a little too violent too ignore.

Thanks for facilitating the culture that killed the game of baseball, Mr. Selig.

-JAB

Straight Shocker: Bobby Petrino Gets Arkansas Job

In a strange way, it was probably the only option all along that could have pulled it off. The splashy hiring of Bobby Petrino has achieved what once seemed impossible for brand new Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long. It has mended and unified the once-fractured Land of Pig Sooie football.

And so maybe now the ache and pain of the Houston Nutt era can finally be buried. It's time for the glitzy new offense. At long last, it's time for the spread attack Razorback fans have long wanted.

But didn't something about this whole deal seem just a little bit off last night. I mean, so much for the phrase "a man of his word" then, huh? In this day and age of big business sports, it appears the saying has rung as hollow as the men who like to use it so much. Bobby Petrino---the new Man of the Moment here in the Natural State---was on public record yesterday morning as "having no interest in leaving the position (he was) committed to with the Atlanta Falcons." Of course, this statement came just hours before Petrino reversed course in a hurry, telling his agent to contact Arkansas about its coaching vacancy. By 10:30 PM last night, Petrino was Calling the Hogs at an introductory press conference on the Hill.

All that aside, from the moment Petrino expressed serious interest yesterday afternoon, it was a no brainer for the Hogs. Already spurned by the likes of Tommy Tuberville, Tommy Bowden and Jim Grobe in the past ten days, athletic director Jeff Long was peering at a list of names that had dwindled significantly. Rumors swirled around Arkansas's interest in Auburn's Will Muschamp and Oklahoma's Brent Venables, but even Reggie Herring (UA's interim coach) was starting to look like a realistic fit. Gus Malzahn got an interview, for goodness sake. And yet, while every one of those names would have had its band of supporters, none would have made everyone as happy to jump on board the bandwagon as Bobby Petrino. Once he reconsidered coming to Arkansas, Jeff Long must have been licking his chops. In Petrino he had several key criteria he'd been looking for all along: a proven winner (41-9 at Louisville, 3-10 this year with Vick-less Atlanta notwithstanding), a guy with serious head coaching experience, somebody who had been to (and won) a BCS game and who was widely known as a tremendous recruiter. Given all that, can you really blame Long for rushing to the podium with his new coaching bride last night? I mean, sure, it all felt a bit rushed, but after the Bowden and Grobe fiascos, there was no way Arkansas could let Petrino get a night of sleep in to think about this one.

Now I'll admit the idea of leaving a $5 million-per-year job for one that pays less than $3 million a season doesn't sound all that appetizing, though I think it would be a nice problem to have. But Petrino's heart clearly wasn't all that invested in his NFL gig anymore. Realistically, head coach of the Falcons probably stopped being the "dream job" Petrino once called it as soon as Michael Vick fessed up to his involvement in a dogfighting ring. Losing your superstar quarterback for something completely unrelated to injury---as well as for something you had nothing to do with---well, let's just say it sucked the air out of the balloon for both Petrino and his organization. The road back was going to be difficult and long for the Falcons' franchise (two years? three?) and a look in the mirror after Atlanta's 34-14 Monday Night Football thrashing at the hands of New Orleans was apparently all that it took for Petrino to assess his options and then renege on a $24 million contract agreement with team owner Arthur Blank. No check of conscience at the door. Just see you later, to the A-T-L.

But back to the matter at hand for Razorback fans. The hiring of Bobby Petrino is a slam dunk for them. Talk to pretty much anyone in Arkansas today and I'll bet they tell you how excited they are by this hiring. A quick survey of listeners on my talk show today revealed the general reaction to Petrino as a 9 out of a possible 10 in terms of support for the new Head Hog. That's about right, because Petrino will bring a fresh offensive look to Arkansas football---finally---and he's just the kind of elite recruiter who should be able to bring a viable playmaking quarterback to Fayetteville at long last as well. To put it plainly, for the next few years, he's the perfect fit for the Razorback fan base. He's got pizzazz and flavor, something that potential coordinator candidates Will Muschamp of Auburn and Brent Venables of Oklahoma did not. He knows how to balance a spread passing attack with a grinding run game. And collegiately speaking, he just wins. A 41-9 mark in four years is impressive at any school this side of USC, but achieving that at Louisville? My goodness, just go ask Petrino's Cardinal successor Steve Kragthorpe how difficult that is to do. Petrino literally put Louisville football on the map, a place that basketball school had never been before. To think he won't be able to take Arkansas to another level competitively is nothing short of foolish.

Amongst other things said last night, Petrino claimed that "the opportunity to coach in the SEC was something (he) just couldn't pass up." It's obvious that the Southeastern Conference is the preeminent college football league in America---I view it as the baseball equivalent of Triple 'A'---but you've got to wonder whether or not Petrino will come to regret those words at any point. In a division loaded with power teams (LSU, Auburn, Alabama) and big name coaches (Les Miles, Tommy Tuberville, Nick Saban, Houston Nutt), Razorback fans will still expect plenty of wins out of their major coaching investment. And Petrino should deliver---in a year or two. But the cupboard will be all but bare in 2008, with All-World tailback Darren McFadden in the NFL, along with the departures of Peyton Hillis, Marcus Monk, Robert Felton, Felix Jones and Jonathan Luigs (in all likelihood).

With Petrino in place, the glow for the Razorback nation is a beautiful maroon right now. But will it last through five wins and seven losses next year? And ultimately, will it stay fixed in the memory banks of a passionate fan base if Petrino does as his history says he will, and leaves after three or four years for greener pastures elsewhere? Those are strong practical questions for another day down the road. For today, the point of it all is that the Razorback football ship has its main sail righted again.



-JAB

Spurned Again! The Razorback's Search for a Football Coach Continues

Completely unbelievable. That's the only way in which you can begin to describe the University of Arkansas's search for a new head football coach. Tommy Tuberville, Tommy Bowden and now Jim Grobe have all in the span of a week publicly turned down the opportunity to coach the Natural State's Finest. All three will go back to their universities (Auburn, Clemson and Wake Forest, respectively) with a lot of additional cash money to show for it. With multiple media outlets declaring in previous days that Tuberville and Bowden were each already signed, sealed and delivered, only to have the whole thing dissipate within hours both times, it's been easy to stay skeptical of any rumored hiring announcements. But clearly, Grobe's about face this morning proved to be the most stunning of all. What exactly transpired in the hours between 11 PM last night (when the local newspapers went to press with "Grobe is hired" as their front page headlines!) and 8 AM this morning (when Grobe told UA Athletic Director Jeff Long that he was having doubts) may never be revealed. But it's certainly a juicy thought for speculation . . . Was it a guilty conscience that jumped up when he had to address his team? Did his family say it would miss the smell of the spruce pines of North Carolina too much? Or maybe, and most likely, the whole thing was just another man's ploy for a pay raise? To me, there are several huge ironies in this whole thing. The first is the obvious one: the similarity to the Dana Altman situation back in April is downright scary. At that time it was Creighton's Altman, like a delirious deer, stumbling into the flashlights of a packed Bud Walton Arena to be introduced as the new men's basketball coach. Altman got himself near run over when they asked him to Call the Hogs too. Remember how strange he looked? Like a bride making up her mind to run away. Well at least with Grobe you can say he had the foresight not to come to Fayetteville for an introductory press conference. Still, what's with the Razorbacks and wanting to hire people who aren't sure if they want to be here? Surely, you would think you'd be able to read some of the signs of uncertainty in a person while you were interviewing him for the job right? The second irony has got fall on the label of "integrity." As in the saying, he's a man with great integrity. That's all we heard about Grobe (Altman too, for that matter). How he had such belief in what he was doing with his football program. Which begs the question, if this man was so filled with integrity, how come he seemed so close to casting aside his life's work at Wake Forest? An ACC Championship and BCS appearance last year was undoubtedly a strong feat with the Demon Deacons, but Grobe himself must've known how tough it was going to be to do it again there. Wow, that integrity and belief sure did seem to waver in the face of a 1.1 million dollar raise, huh? And yet the biggest irony of them all may be the poetic justice of the whole thing. I won't kill Jeff Long yet because he hasn't publicly said anything his search process. But you have to have questions about how this whole thing is being conducted. There have been far too many leaks from far too many moles on the Board of Trustees and in the Razorback athletic hierarchy who have publicized Long's moves darn nearly every step of the way. How can you expect a guy to do a legitimate, full-fledged search for the right person when he's surrounded by people who feel the need to approve his every move. I don't want to name names here. This isn't about that. But Long is unconsciously setting himself up for a really hard first year on the job. Replacing Frank Broyles was hard enough. Now he likely has to reprove himself all over again in front of a fan base that has demonstrated it will fly planes over stadiums with protest banners flying behind them if it doesn't like you. Real easy environment to work in right? No wonder they pay him the big bucks. -JAB

Who's the Best? Some NFL Top Ten Lists

I've been getting a lot of emails lately from my Morning Rush and Extra Point listeners about end of the year lists. What's the best sports story of 2007? Who's the best NFL coach this year? How many of those early season predictions of mine actually came true? I'll do the yearly tradition thing and give you my top ten sports stories of the year in just a couple weeks, and there's plenty of time yet to see if any of those predictions will actually come true! (I wouldn't hold my breath about the Saints though. Yuck.) Here are a few of my year-end Top 10 lists for you NFL diehards: Top 10 NFL Quarterbacks of 2007 1- Tom Brady, New England. 41 TDs and a 70% completion percentage. Ridiculous. 2- Tony Romo, Dallas. Mobile, with a great deep ball. A tremendous breakthrough season. 3- Brett Favre, Green Bay. Interceptions way down. Where'd he find the fountain of youth? 4- Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh. Let's just pretend that motorcycle thing never happened. 5- Peyton Manning, Indianapolis. A great year considering Harrison's missed most of it. 6- Derek Anderson, Cleveland. He's played so well, Brady Quinn may be traded. 7- Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle. Quiet and steady, bound for the playoffs again. 8- David Garrard, Jacksonville. Another huge success story. Byron who? 9- Philip Rivers, San Diego. Up and down at times, but still hugely talented. 10- Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay. Another ageless wonder. Top 5 NFL Wide Receivers of 2007 1- Randy Moss, New England. The freak is nasty again, just more athletic than everyone else. 2- Terrell Owens, Dallas. Phillips has calmed him down. Near impossible to cover 1-on-1. 3- Steve Smith, Carolina. Best pound for pound wideout in the league. If only he had a QB. 4- Braylon Edwards, Cleveland. Huge bounceback from injury, monster year. 5- Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis. Showing he can be the #1 we all thought he was. 6- Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona. Another physical freak, has done it with rotating QBs. 7- Antonio Gates, San Diego. Listed at TE, really just a spectacular over-the-middle WR. 8- Plaxico Burress, NY Giants. Slowing down, great numbers without practicing all year. 9- Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh. This is what Steelers thought they were getting last year. 10- Wes Welker, New England. Best possesion receiver in the game right now. Top 10 NFL Running Backs of 2007 1- Adrian Peterson, Minnesota. Despite knee injury, career is off to a rocket start. 2- Joseph Addai, Indianapolis. Phenomenal progress from year one to year two. 3- Bryan Westbrook, Philadelphia. Has carried a huge load with McNabb's troubles. 4- LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego. Statistical fall-off from last year no surprise. 5- Willie Parker, Pittsburgh. Great speed around the edges, still maturing. 6- Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo. Any other season, he's the rookie of the year. 7- Reggie Bush, New Orleans. Now featured back is a tremendous pass catcher. 8- Clinton Portis, Washington. Smaller chunks of yardage than in the past, still strong. 9- Jamaal Lewis, Cleveland. When he runs well, the Browns' offense is unstoppable. 10- Edgerrin James, Arizona. Another veteran who's bounced back with solid numbers.

-JAB