College Gameday

Whether they're trap games or marquee matchups, today is a great day in college football. At 11 o'clock, Northwestern visits Kinnick Stadium as the Hawkeyes try to keep the dream season alive. This will be a tough game for the Hawks, don't know if they come out undefeated.

At 2, Oregon visits Stanford. Again, just one of those games that could surprise the better team. Georgia Tech looks to continue their hold of the ACC crown against an above average Wake Forest team. But the highlight game are Ohio State- Penn State in Happy Valley and LSU-Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Penn State's defense will be dominant, and Dwight Clark will make more plays than Terrelle Pryor. It's so hard to call the LSU-Bama game, if LSU can stop the run, I think they win though.

In the evening, Oregon State and Cal will at least entertain the audience. Nebraska can gain a solid hold in the Big 12 North if they beat Oklahoma, not that a hold of the Big 12 North is saying much about your team.

Well, there it is. Hope you guys have a great Saturday watching the games, but get your homework done too!

Championships Bought and Sold

I have never gotten to riled up about the whole "Yankees buy championships" talk. To me, as much money as the Yankees have, the team chemistry really does matter. I think that Nick Swisher's outgoing, vibrant personality changed the Yankees this season, and even though he makes $5.5 million a year, I think Andy Pettite's contribution this season is critical to the Yankees championship. That said, some recent trends do bother me. Specifically, contending teams using smaller market teams as pseudo-farm systems.

I guess I should clarify the origination of this post. Last night, I saw that the Red Sox signed Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins in exchange for 2 minor league pitchers. I think it's a great signing, but I can't help but feel that my Red Sox are turning into the Yankees by buying emerging free agents to contend rather than growing most of their talent. When I first became a Red Sox fan, Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez were the stars of Fenway. In fact, I have a T-shirt with both of them on it, one of my favorites. But the difference back then was Nomar was the home grown star and Pedro was the marquee free agent. I am by no means arguing that teams should not seek a marquee free agent in the offseason to put them over the proverbial edge. But there is a difference between going after that one guy that puts you over the edge and signing Mark Teixeira, arguably last year's best bat in free agency, and CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, probably the 2 best arms in free agency.

It's quite alarming to see how many of the Yankees and Red Sox players have come from smaller market teams (I'm calling Japanese teams these too)out of free agency or minor league trades. So here we go:
Yankees
Sabathia, Burnett, Bruney and Marte in the pitching staff.
Matsui, Damon, A-Rod, Teixeira, Swisher in the field/at bat.
Red Sox
Bay, Drew, Ortiz, Martinez, Baldelli in the field/at bat.
Beckett, Schilling (during their championship run), Matsuzaka, Okajima (maybe) in the pitching staff.

To have eight key players from free agency seems ridiculous to me, specifically how they are simply bought out by the Yankees or Red Sox from other teams. It's scary to think what baseball would be like with a salary cap, but clearly the makeup of teams like the Yankees and the Red Sox is concerning to baseball enthusiasts.

Statistical Imbalance

I was just perusing NFL stat leaders for the 1st half of the season searching for ideas for a new post, and came across the QB rating leaders. Like I'm sure most of you have done forever, I have only looked at QB rating with a general knowledge that 100 is pretty good, the 60s are kind of the Mendoza line of ball-hurlers, and 120 or higher is a great game. So, I decided to look into it some more. First, I found out that Aaron Rodgers is the leader in passer rating, which seemed odd to me considering how many times he has been sacked.

Then I found out that QB rating doesn't even take sacks into account! This really disturbs me. I recognize that a quarterback can't help a terrible offensive line, so I don't think that it should be a huge factor in the calculations, but the simple fact is that some quarterbacks, like Rodgers, hold the ball for way too long! If QB rating is meant to be referenced as a complete statistic, it has to involve sacks to me. It's absurd to me that Aaron Rodgers is considered the best quarterback in the NFL above Manning, Brees, and Favre this year. While I recognize that the difference between the four is only four points, that is exactly why a sack/attempt ratio of some sort should be employed in calculating the rating. Quarterbacks holding the ball can cost their teams valuable points and even games, and so if we are rating their performance, doesn't it make sense to include some reference about how frequently the quarterback is sacked? I do not pretend to be mathematically inclined enough to offer a statistical improvement on this, but I don't think that completions, yards, touchdowns, and interceptions per attempt are the only factors of a quarterback's success.

So, for what it's worth I think that Manning, Brees, and Favre have clearly had better years than Rodgers as NFL quarterbacks and the rating considered to be the ultimate barometer of quarterback success should reflect that.

HCS Week 3

Real quick post for Week 3.
1. Florida: Win vs Georgia is no longer impressive, but it's a win in the SEC
2. Texas: Win against Oklahoma State is impressive in my book.
3. Alabama: Will leapfrog with a win against LSU
4. Iowa: Classic comeback will make a great highlight reel for our argument for a title shot
5. Cincinnati: Big East is just a bad conference
6. Boise State: WAC is worse
7. Oregon: Only reason they aren't higher is because their one loss is to Boise State
8. TCU: Oregon has more an impressive resume so TCU gets bumped for now.
9. LSU: Big game next week in Tuscaloosa
10. Georgia Tech: Has one better win than Penn State, but will get jumped if the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes in Columbus.
11. Penn State: Opportunity to break the Top 10 next week if they take care of Ohio State and LSU loses.
12. USC: Quality wins give them the nod over Pitt, but they will get jumped if Pitt keeps in the win column. The Trojans weren't even competitive in Eugene this week.
13. Pitt: Stuck here because of the Big East lack of competition
14. Utah: One loss was to a great team, can't argue with that.
15. Houston: Barely edges out 2 loss Arizona for this spot.

Random side-note: The Hawkeyes actually have a chance at leaping the Longhorns for the title berth if and only if Arizona wins out and Penn State beats Ohio State, while the Hawkeyes end the season undefeated. Not saying this will happen, but that's the only way they could get the shot.

NFL Knockouts

This week is clearly highlighted by Favre's return to Lambeau, but the early games should be entertaining as well. Houston will dominate the Bills, I wish the Cowboys would lose to the Seahawks, but Seattle is not good. 49ers-Colts will be the most compelling game if the 49ers defense can give Peyton fits; plus Alex Smith in his first start in a coon's age is worth taking a peek. If Peyton is Peyton though, we can at least count on division rivals Philly and New York to play a close game. I seem to be a minority on this call: but I think Denver stays undefeated against Baltimore. Later Carolina-Arizona will be forgotten almost entirely (justifiably so, that game sucks) because of the Packers-Vikings game. Then on Monday, New Orleans stays undefeated against the Atlanta Falcons. Halloween lesson of the day: Don't drink and dial.

College Clashes for Halloween

Today is honestly a rough day for watching football. I'm picking favorites for all of the early games, and I don't see a single game on the schedule that will be competitive. The first quality game of the day is in Jacksonville as Florida meets Georgia on the traditional neutral field. I'm picking Florida, but the offense has to get going. Brandon Spikes is proving how valuable he is to the Gators now that he is gone. Miami shouldn't struggle against Wake Forest, but it's the ACC, and the Tar Heels proved on Thursday night, anything can happen. The underrated game of the day will be South Carolina meeting Tennessee. The battle of defenses will be decided by which quarterback doesn't make the mistake that both are prone to make.

Then there's the nightcap. Two great games highlight this selection. All Hawkeyes fans are converting to Cowboy fans tonight as Texas travels to Oklahoma State for their last legitimate test toward an undefeated season and a berth in the BCS title game. Then the game that my reputation is riding on. USC heads to Eugene to take on Oregon. I'm standing by my pick of the Ducks at home. Masoli will have a huge game rushing which will be the difference. Stay tuned tonight or tomorrow for NFL picks.

True Grit

Lots of athletes write books after their careers are over. Most of them contain some lame controversy that everyone probably knew about already. For example, it shouldn't be a surprise for those that read Joe Torre's book about the Yankees that the clubhouse was mad at A-Rod, especially in previous postseasons. And then there's Canseco. No shit you did steroids buddy! All this to sell a few more books. Torre didn't need the money, Canseco might have. Then Andre Agassi wrote his book "Open" in which he admits to using crystal meth among other things.

This is incredible to me. Agassi is a beloved figure, he is retired and highly regarded. In other words, he's no Canseco. He's presumably not trying to illuminate some problem in the Tennis Association while having no authority to do so like Canseco; and honestly tennis doesn't create controversy like baseball players who make hundreds of millions of dollars and then stink in crunch time. This is Agassi telling the world he is human, that the spotlight can be overwhelming. "Open" is indeed the perfect title. And this honesty is both remarkable and refreshing in today's world of gotcha books and stories of fallen stars trying to grasp at the last straw of fame to make a few bucks.

Sure, the cynic may say that this is just another ploy to sell books. Maybe it is, but it's a good one, and it has me sold. It's refreshing to know that some are still willing to confess humanity and try to reconcile with their fans in the right way.

Hot Dog-Gate

I'm sure many of you have heard about Mark Sanchez's hot dog incident upon his return to Southern California. For those of you who haven't, Sanchez was seen scarfing down a hot dog near the end of the Jets 38-0 rout of the Oakland Raiders this weekend. Sanchez was given grief about it, even though he attempted to conceal the snack from view, and apologized on camera saying that he was sick earlier in the week and was having trouble holding down food, so he needed the hot dog. He has since said that he should have eaten an energy bar instead.

I say...BALONEY! Are we really that obsessed about not hurting each other's feelings anymore by being politically correct every second of our lives? Need I remind everyone that football is a game where the defense's entire point is to crush the opponent's offense into submission? Or why Adrian Peterson's hit on William Gay was the greatest individual highlight of the NFL season so far? I mean seriously, we love watching hits. All of this points out a key attribute for all football players-competitiveness to the point of hating the other person. Nowhere in that job description is caring not to offend the opponent!

So, back to the hot dog. Sanchez was eating a hot dog when his team was up huge on an incredibly bad team. Two points: 1. The guy had a legitimate excuse for eating the snack, and the fact that he tried to keep it discreet should point out that he wasn't trying to "show up" the Raiders. 2. Even if he was gloating, it's the Raiders job to make the game competitive. If we are beating you that bad, you deserve it. You are so bad that people can enjoy a delicious tailgating delicacy, then run out 5 minutes later and throw another touchdown on you. Not even sure that Sanchez was still in the game at that point, but who really cares!

I guess this makes my stance on running up the score clear! Have some pride, and don't let them into your endzone anymore!

HCS Week 2

Here we go for week 2. Note for this week: To me winning ugly is still winning.

1.Florida: Even though redzone offense was ugly yesterday, Alabama got tested by Tennessee and Florida took care of Tennessee more successfully.
2.Alabama: Blocking a last second field goal to Tennessee will lose you a spot every week. They are still really close in the rankings though.
3.Texas: Texas took care of a struggling Mizzou team. Win strong over Oklahoma State next week and I'll give them the number 1 spot.
4.Iowa: Like I said, winning ugly against a better than average Michigan State team on the road. Plus, they are the first team since the early 90s to go on the road at Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State and walk out undefeated. Next big test: at the Horseshoe in Columbus
5.Cincinnati: Just correcting last week's mistake.
6.Boise State: Oregon keeping the winning streak up is absolutely critical for Boise State's chance to improve in the standings.
7.USC: Reminder: Lost to Washington! Furthermore, they will drop from title talk next week with a loss at Oregon.
8.TCU: Will jump next week, but still has to beat Utah for a Buster run.
9.LSU: Gets the nod for a better conference
10.Oregon: Will jump next week
11.Georgia Tech: Needs to keep up reign in the horrible ACC
12.Penn State: The fighting Paternos have only lost to #5 Iowa, and Dwight Clark could make a darkhorse Heisman run. He'll at least be in New York I think.
13.Oklahoma State: Could upset Texas next week
14.Houston: Good wins against Big 12 competition
15.Pittsburgh: Will have a big showdown with Cincinnati for a potential Fiesta Bowl bid.

Defending the Indefensible

I'm sure that many of you have seen some of the botched calls by umpires in this year's postseason. It's safe to say that we have all heard enough calls for further instant replay in the postseason. That said, I think the League, and specifically the commissioner's office, has done a superb job of recognizing the error and fixing it, but not giving in to outside pressure for a potentially ineffective system.

For a brief intro, I completely agree that further instant replay would limit the umpires, take out the wonderful human element of the game, and completely destroy the tempo of the game. But this post isn't meant as an argument for or against further instant replay. Instead I just wanted to congratulate the commissioner for being very effective in dealing with an important issue.

For those of you who don't know, the commissioner has decided that a veteran crew of umpires will call the World Series this year instead of a new crew getting the opportunity. This was the perfect political move for the commissioner's office to make: the public knows that the commissioner realizes that the blown calls are a problem, and interfere with the game, but also recognizes that getting into a debate about the value of instant replay during the postseason will take away from the great baseball that is being played.

Because of the commissioner's move, we can now talk about how well A-Rod and Ryan Howard have been hitting, or how dominant Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia have been. This is what October baseball is about: excellence is no accident (thank you Truman State for a horribly cheesy slogan). Now that the commissioner has dealt with the issue, let's all sit back and enjoy the wonder of postseason baseball!

HCS

So, since the first BCS poll is going to come out later today, I decided to take a stab at my own poll, thus the Hambone Championship Series: I will feature my weekly rankings sometime between the close of Saturday games and the beginning of the Sunday games from here on out.
This system is a combination of the traditional BCS categories, but I also want to make it clear that I will judge the production over the season over whether a team will beat another. For example, in today's poll Virginia Tech is below Miami (FL)even though the Hokies won head-to-head. To me, there is no reason a team with 2 losses should be above a 1 loss team from the same conference.
Feel free to comment; after all, what are rankings if they don't create controversy. Short explanations usually provided.

1.Alabama (7-0): They get the nod over Florida simply because they have defeated two strong teams to the Gators one. If the Gators beat another strong opponent, or started routing opponents, they'll get the spot back.
2.Florida (6-0): Hard to give the undefeated national champions the number 2 spot, but it isn't last season, and LSU is the only tough opponent so far.
3.Texas (6-0): Won ugly against the Sooners, but the Sooners are the best 3-3 team I've ever seen
4.Cincinnati (6-0): I know this is the one that I will take a lot of flak for because of the conference, but Rutgers and South Florida are above average teams and make strong wins. Plus, Cincinnati has a legit shot at running the table.
5.Iowa (7-0): Call me a homer if you like but the Hawkeyes have a dominating defense and have shown consistency over 7 games with road wins at Penn State and Wisconsin (who was a Big 10 title contender before the loss to Iowa) and a win over a pretty good Arizona team. With 1 signature win apiece and no negatives for the Hawkeyes, they get the edge over the Trojans.
6.Boise State (6-0): Signature win against Oregon has them ahead of Cincinnati in most polls, but the Western Athletic Conference is not even close to the Big East, period.
7.USC (5-1): Yes, they have beaten an above average Notre Dame team. But Ohio State, who just lost to Purdue took them to the edge and they lost to Washington. Yes, that's the Washington that won a whopping 1 game last year! Beat Oregon in 2 weeks, and I will give them the edge over a few of the unbeatens. Losing to Washington is just terrible, and like I said, this isn't a matchup poll.
8.Miami (FL)(5-1): Yes, the loss to the Hokies was embarassing, but Oklahoma is a legitimately good team and Georgia Tech is tough to stop too.
9.LSU (5-1):Yes, they were once ranked 4th, but let's be honest, a win against Georgia isn't all that impressive anymore, and don't give me a ten point loss at home against the Gators doesn't really impress me -it's a loss!
10.Oregon (5-1): Wins against Utah and Cal have avenged the road loss to Boise State. Those wins give them the edge over the Nittany Lions.
11.Penn State (5-1): Their only really strong opponent, the Hawkeyes, beat them. No signature win yet puts them behind Oregon, but Michigan and Ohio State looming will give them a chance to leap-frog the Ducks.
12.TCU (6-0): Yes, the consistency is there, but the Horned Frogs are consistently good against crappy opponents. Beat BYU next week and I'll reward the Frogs with a little hop in the line.
13.Virginia Tech (5-2): Gets the nod over Oklahoma State because they have lost to two ranked opponents and beat Nebraska and Miami two weeks in a row. The signature win once again gives the nod.
14.Oklahoma State (5-1): Georgia and Missouri are not signature wins yet, especially with Mizzou losing to Nebraska. Plus, just like USC, a loss to Houston is not impressive.
15.BYU (6-1): Barely gets the last spot in my rankings because the Oklahoma win nullifies the clunker that was the Florida State game. Will have a chance to impress some more next week against TCU.
Alright, that's my poll. Let me know if you don't like it!

Gridiron Greatness

Congrats to the Hawkeyes on another great win, after dominating the 2nd half for a second straight week. With the losses from Virginia Tech and Ohio State, I wouldn't be surprised to see the undefeated Hawkeyes move up to number 7 in the polls. More importantly though, Ricky Stanzi has gotten more and more comfortable with managing the game and not throwing interceptions. With only 5 incompletions and a somewhat costly fumble, Stanzi proved that he is fairly reliable.
Anyway, I'm happy about that...Now to the Sunday games! In the early round, Houston travels to Cincinnati in a game that is surprisingly important. Baltimore needs to get back on track with a win against an unbeaten Minnesota team, but their run defense has been surprisingly porous the last few weeks. My bold prediction for the noon games is that my Chiefs will get the 3rd straight win by a winless team against the Washington Redskins, and Jim Zorn will lose his job during the bye week in 2 weeks. The Giants and Saints will simply be an awesome game, if I had to pick I suppose I'll go with the Saints at home, but it's really just too close to tell.
In the afternoon, Philadelphia will prove that there is more than one contender in the NFC East; the Patriots will continue the woes of the winless Titans, and the Jets get back on track with a win against the Bills (a little bit of credit goes to T.O. for not losing his cool yet, because this is a seriously bad team -a LITTLE credit).
Atlanta edges Chicago on the road due to Matty Ice being his normal cool self (and carrying my fantasy team along for the ride, thank you), and as unpopular as this pick seems to be: the Broncos go into San Diego and prove that Josh McDaniels is the front runner for Coach of the Year. By the way, Kyle Orton has only one interception all season, and that was a gimme to Randy Moss to close the half -yes, I said Randy Moss has an interception. So much for Kyle Orton can't be a starter in the NFL. Kyle Orton for the ProBowl on this blog.

Saturday Games

Real quick post because I have to pick up mom at the train station for a day of relaxation. So without further ado...
If Texas brings back a special teams touchdown, they will win. Otherwise, we'll see. Iowa will be tested at Wisconsin, but Wisconsin quaterback Scott Tolzien has 3 interceptions in the last 2 weeks and Iowa ranks second in the nation with 12 interceptions, including the national individual leader in Tyler Sash (with 5).
Alabama roles over South Carolina, especially since they're at home.
Notre Dame's lack of defense will show against the USC rushing attack, and Matt Barkley will open up the passing game a little more this week as USC will pull away in the 4th quarter in South Bend. I will readily admit that I didn't see Tyrod Taylor emerging as the pass threat he has evolved into. I pick them to win today, and if they run the table I would expect them to get the berth for the Championship game over USC (who lost to Washington) and the loser of the SEC Championship game (voters have already proven they don't want rematches-see 2006: Ohio State, Michigan). KU will rope the buffaloes as Todd Reesing will continue an awesome season throwing to Dezmond Briscoe. No comment on the Mizzou-Oklahoma State game-if there were ever a game that I wish both teams could lose it would be that game.
Finally, a note on Thursday's game: Even with the loss of Tony Pike (a darkhorse Heisman contender) to injury, the Cincinnati Bearcats are for real. Coach Brian Kelly will end up in South Bend next year if Charlie Weis doesn't at least keep ND competitive against USC today. For what it's worth, he's my coach of the year behind Coach Ferentz (sorry I'm a homer on this one).

Trustworthy

It's been awhile since I've done a scouting related post, so that's what you get folks. Even though I think they may be a little overrated at #11 in the polls, my Hawkeyes have impressed the world with their clutch defense. This also impressed me, and got me thinking about how important it is to have players that can come through under pressure.
The part of the scout law -the first point actually- that came to mind was trustwortiness. Why is clutch performance trustworthy you ask? The fact is that coaches, fans, and teammates expect much of you as an athlete. How many times have you seen a football movie and witnessed the coach exhorting his defense; it happens all the time. I think of Remember the Titans, when Coach Yoast (the white coach and father of Hayden Panitierre's character) urges the defense to not allow another yard. Awesome movie by the way, go watch it this weekend. But back to the point, people expect the defense to stop the game winning drive, and the Hawkeyes have shown a remarkable ability at fulfilling these expectations, from field goal blocks to clutch interceptions.
In a huge stadium with 80,000 people, I will readily admit that I would hate the pressure of having to stop a game winning drive. But the Hawkeyes have shown that they are up to the challenge, and that they are worthy of our trust at fans. Well, I'm still impressed and next time you watch a Hawkeyes game, don't fear that last drive and remember that the Hawkeyes are playing trustworthy defense!

Crabtree Update

The saga is over! Someone finally woke up and decided he wanted to play football! Yes, Michael Crabtree signed with the 49ers.
This is primarily just a short update post, but I was glad to see that he finally is with a team. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that playing for an above average team in a horrible division should make one fall into line and settle the contract.
As if the man needed more praise heaped on him, Singletary has handled the situation brilliantly by focusing on the team improving without Crabtree. Now that Crabtree has signed, he will no doubt use veteran wide receivers like Isaac Bruce to tutor Crabtree to success.
I have no doubt that Crabtree will provide some much needed help to a somewhat depleted receiving corps, but he will do it on Singeltary's terms: the way it ought to be.

Worthy of Praise

The Twins are just that pesky team that occasionally makes the playoffs, right? They're that team that people point to as evidence that revenue sharing is working to some extent. They're the proof that "Moneyball" is effective for general managers. But what is the glue that has held this team together for the last 8 years, and exactly how good have they been for the last few years?
Well, that loveable guy that turns beet red when he is mad; the one who seems like he would make a great Santa Claus -yeah, I mean Ron Gardenhire- is that glue. Yes, the Twins have done a great job recruiting the right veterans, grooming the right youngsters, making the value trades, etc., but without Gardenhire these elements don't seem like they would have come together. Gardenhire gives this team its feistiness, its tenacity, and most of all its intelligence. The Twins play National League smallball; they bunt, walk, steal, and sacrifice. Most importantly, Gardenhire coaches these traits perfectly. He teaches smart players.
Speaking of those smart players, anyone heard of Joe Mauer or Justin Morneau recently? Or maybe Johan Santana? Yeah, the Twins have some great players. And as a team, they do alright as well. Did you know that in Gardenhire's 8 years as manager, the Twins have ended as division champs 5 years. That's almost as good as Torre's Yankee postseason streak! I mean think about it... if Torre had to coach with Gardenhire's payroll, it would be a miracle for him to come up with the 12 straight postseason berths. Yeah, they're that good! That's pretty incredible if you ask me, and I just want to go on record saying that Gardenhire deserves way more credit than he gets, and he's made me proud to someday want to call the Twins my hometown team.

The Gridiron Games

Sorry this is up kinda late guys, but here's your NFL news for today. But first, a note to self... Never pick the Cal Golden Bears in any game with a point spread under 20 points in their favor! Geez! Could I have looked any dumber than picking them the last 2 weeks? Maybe I should send a letter asking for monetary compensation for the pain and suffering like that Oregon fan who got a refund.
For the early games: the Chiefs will score 3 points in the entire game, the Redskins luck into playing one of the two or three teams less talented than they are (but I still give Tampa a smidgen of a chance to surprise them). Heck, as Shannon Sharpe always says, "Never under-estimate a team's power to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" especially when it's the Redskins. Houston will begin a recovery towards a solid season, Indianapolis rolls, and Chicago discovers the potency of their offense against the Lions. There's a toss up for game of the hour between the Jags-Titans game and the Ravens-Patriots, the difference is one is being played for supremacy and the other is being played to maintain mediocrity. I think that the Titans will finally find the win column (hopefully behind a good game from my new fantasy quarterback Kerry Collins). I just heard Ditka pick the Ravens for the Super Bowl representatives of the AFC; can't say that I blame him, and I'm picking them to stop an emerging New England rushing attack. (That may be another bad idea: picking against the Patriots 2 weeks in a row)
In the late hour, the 49ers recover from a heartbreaking loss last week, and then everyone will be tuning into 2 more great games. The Saints offense will be tested against the fighting Rex Ryans from the Jets, but I think the Saints edge out the game (I was very surprised to see the experts at ESPN unanimously pick the Saints, don't be surprised if the Jets pull it off). And my sort-of-upset pick of the week: The Broncos will continue their run with a home win against the Cowboys. Key statistic of the game: Denver has yet to allow a passing touchdown this season. This will fall this weekend, but the Brian Dawkins will pick off a retarded Tony Romo throw at some point today. The Cowboys will definitely miss Marion Barber this week.
The Sunday night game will showcase that Philip Rivers is finally living up to his insanely loud mouth as the Chargers offense will go into Steel-town and shock the Steelers, who will be a surprising 1-3 at the end of the week.
I'm beginning to think that my support for Brett Favre returning to the Vikings is directly due to the fact that the only reason I liked the Packers growing up was him, and with my ties to Minnesota, it is officially time to make my NFC allegiance clear. Not only will the Vikings win, they are also my NFC Super Bowl pick, and Adrian Peterson will reopen his MVP candidacy against a sometimes porous Green Bay rush defense.
Alright guys, enjoy the games, and most importantly: Do your homework!

This Weekend's Campus Crawl

Friday and Saturday morning feature thoroughly uninteresting games, even with the trans-Michigan match-up between the Wolverines and Spartans in East Lansing. On that note, I think that will be a very unimpressive game, and look for Michigan to put it away mid 4th quarter. I am not sold on Michigan State being in the top tier of the Big 10 this year, and see them more as a spoiler team for good, but not great teams like Minnesota, and yes, my Hawkeyes.
As a side note, I think my Hawkeyes are a little overrated at 13 in the polls, but fortunately they face Arkansas State on Saturday morning, which should keep us even in the polls for at least a week (Anymore, it seems like keeping the same ranking for two weeks is harder than the Chiefs making a Super Bowl run this season).
In the mid-afternoon games, things begin to get more exciting, highlighted by the LSU-Georgia game which should be the showcase game for 2nd place in the SEC East. On a surprising note, Indiana may be more competitive with Ohio State than many people might think,I still give them no shot at winning the game though.
In the evening Ole Miss will kick things off against Vandy as they look to put that embarassing loss at South Carolina behind them. Even though the Bears got pounded last week in Oregon, I will stand by them as my Pac-10 pick, as they will win a nail-biter to USC with a strong rushing attack from Best, who wants to get back into Heisman talk. A key thing to watch in that game is the rush defense of USC as the departure of the entire starting linebacking corps (3 of whom were 1st round picks by the way) will prove to be the team's achilles heel.
Finally, Oklahoma-Miami will be the best game of the week. With Sam Bradford officially not starting, the Hurricanes might look to jump on the Sooners early. That could lead to some mistakes though. The loss to Virginia Tech will serve as fuel for the fire rather than a demoralizing force for an improving Miami team. I put that squarely on the shoulders of Randy Shannon, who is my early Coach of the Year. His ability to turn the Miami program around from field goal melees could be the greatest coaching story in the last 3 years aside from Urban Meyer's 2 championships at Florida.
Hope you enjoy the games guys, and be on the lookout for guys that display great sportsmanship. It's always good to see what people do right.

A Surprising Approval

I have found myself in surprising agreement with the President on the issue of the Olympics coming to Chicago. I also think it fantastic that he personally went to lobby for the games. Politically, I think it is a great tool to demonstrate unity by lobbying for what should be and (aside from the games in Beijing) normally is a unifying global experience.
I think Chicago is a great sports town that deserves a shot at hosting the most prolific international competition of the world. The rich sports history of Soldier Stadium and Wrigley Field will be the perfect fit for the Olympic games.
I also think that it will provide an economic stimulus to the city, and to the Midwest. I think the Midwest deserves a shot at hosting an international competition, and Chicago would not have to do a lot to make room for the Olympic games.
Anyway, that's all I got. I guess this is part pat-on-the-back for the President, half a show of support for the cause, but either way it is deserved. Stay posted for a bold prediction and this week's college football highlights.

NFL Late Picks

Sorry I didn't get early game picks up. Unfortunately I left it at a friends house as it was the source for a solid power hour last night. I am currently watching the destruction of the Chiefs at the hands of the Eagles.
Anyway, the Lions will win! In the late games, Chicago runs over Seattle, Drew Brees will continue his hot streak, and Denver will keep their surprise season going against the Raiders. Miami is definitely coming back down to earth this year. I think that their defense isn't surprising anyone anymore.
In the nightcap, Indianapolis will help keep the Cardinals in the middle of the NFC, and on Monday night, Carolina will struggle more, but Jerry Jones will get his stadium-christening win. (A perfect example of why I hate Jerry Jones as an owner: it is repulsive that I feel obliged to mention how much Jones wants a win in the new stadium. Most of the pundits have spent the week talking about it too. No owner should be mentioned that much.
Enjoy the games guys

Hambone

Classic football

For his preview article of tomorrow's Iowa-Penn State matchup, ESPN columnist begins with a few important life questions(sort of). My reaction: If you like your steak grilled (duh), your potato baked (with bacon, broccoli and cheese thank you) and your whiskey straight (now you're really speaking my language), tune into Iowa's visit to Penn State on Saturday night. (Wouldn't miss it for the world). This really is my kind of football. I would love a 13-7 game with one offensive touchdown the entire game.
Interestingly, the Hawkeyes under Kirk Ferentz are 6-2 against the Nittany Lions. And what kind of fan would I be if I didn't think they will make it 7-2? Exactly; my call is 14-13 Iowa, no last second field goals in this one.

For the other big games tomorrow my picks are:
North Carolina edges out Georgia Tech, and Cincinnati and KU continue their winning ways during the noon hour. At 3:30, Cal will control time of possession and Jahvid Best will emerge as an early Heisman front-runner as the Bears win solidly over the Oregon Ducks, and Miami continues its run to an ACC championship with a win at Virgina Tech solely due to the ineptitude of the Tech offense. And just for my cousin at Colorado State, hate to admit it, but BYU will roll over your Rams. After the Iowa game, the West Coast games conclude the night with Texas Tech falling just short against new trendy BCS buster pick Houston, and USC recovers from the Washington loss by winning at the only team more inept in the PAC-10 last season (Though I will call it right now that USC will lose 2-3 games and Cal will finally unseat them atop the PAC-10).

Enjoy the games, and check back tomorrow night for NFL picks.

Ole Miss

The first three weeks of the college football season have seen many trendy contenders fall. Houston took down popular Oklahoma State, and Boise State lost following their dismantling of contender Oregon, who looked like they didn't belong on the same field as any BCS team. This week, Ole Miss will win, but the world will see that they are nowhere near deserving of the #4 ranking they have been gifted. South Carolina is nowhere near the skill of Alabama and LSU in the SEC West, but they aren't Memphis or Southeastern Louisiana either (the two teams Ole Miss justifiably annihilated in weeks 1 & 2). Picks for Saturday's games will be up after classes tomorrow.

P.S. An AL Central update from my post this summer: The Tigers are indeed still winning, but the Twins are characteristically putting up a helluva fight. Feeling pretty awesome about that post. We'll see what their final 4 games against each other hold.
For more information on the Michael Crabtree post, check out Elizabeth Merrill's fantastic new post at espn.com, it's on the front, so I won't even bother giving you the link.

That's it sports fans, get back to you tomorrow.

New Format

I know many of you have been waiting for a post for weeks now. And believe it or not, I have worked on several posts, just never finished them. I have realized that with the old format that this problem probably won't stop in the near future with school being so busy (it actually is now that I'm trying and working on the side).
So, I'm switching things up a little. I'm going to do several shorter posts instead of long essay-like ones. I'm still going to focus on the same things and get a long post in occasionally, but I think this new format should help a lot. Hope you guys enjoy it still.

Hambone

Leadership

Everyone knows the Baltimore Ravens by their defense and by default by that guy screaming across the field known as Ray Lewis. I'm not going to lie, Lewis is probably the most intense player in the NFL, and he is an incredible leader. And the great thing about Lewis is that even though his individual ability has suffered a bit, the team has still remained dominant under his leadership.

Last night I watched tidbits of the Jets-Ravens preseason game, and just happened to catch most of Bart Scott's interview with Suzy Kolber. Immediately I was struck by Scott's ability to be the face of the new Jets defense. In the few minutes of the game I had watched earlier I remembered that Scott was all over the place for several plays, behind the offensive line and at Joe Flacco's throat every down. This included a perfect form wallop that just missed getting credit for a sack on a deep throw. I'm pretty sure I cringed at that hit, it was that good.

The funny thing is when we see a player who is that intense, we almost expect that all those hits have taken their toll on the brain cells scrambled around in that player's head. And yet both Ray Lewis and Bart Scott are great in interviews. Probably the most underrated part about being the leader of a team is being respectful and informative to the media. Scott handled the interview perfectly: it was the best sideline interview I can ever recall seeing. And as much as people say that any press is good press, a great interview goes a long way toward winning the support of fans.

I suppose there may be better leaders in the league than Lewis and Scott, but I will say that I left extremely impressed by the professionalism of Scott. And amazing as it sounds, I am confident that Scott's leadership will lead to at least 1 or 2 extra wins this season. In a tough division with a rookie quarterback lined up to start, Scott being the face of the Jets will be imperative, but so far he has proven to be very game to that challenge.

Nice Guy Finishes First

All the time we see athletes promoting national brands like Nike, Adidas, Foot Locker, etc. It seems that inevitably these individuals either follow these huge endorsement deals with a DUI charge, sex scandal, or bar brawl. So it was refreshing when I turned on the tube the other day (for the first time in almost a week!)and saw a commercial featuring Houston Texans' wideout Andre Johnson.
I know some of you may be thinking, he's good, but who cares? That's exactly the point! A lot of people don't know of Andre Johnson's talent because he plays on a mediocre team in a tough division, and because he hasn't shot himself, driven drunk, or gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd.

Here's the skinny on Johnson: At the University of Miami, he was a two sport standout in football and track and field. He was an all-American wide receiver and MVP of the 2002 Rose Bowl where he caught 2 touchdowns and racked up 199 yards receiving. Then he went to the draft. After being picked 3rd by the Texans, he fired his agents and brought his uncle in to deal with his contract negotiations. Uh-oh! Here comes that rookie contract thing again! But wait, Johnson had his deal worked out in time for mini camp. You mean some stars actually want to play football? What a shock!

In his 6 year NFL career, Johnson has made 3 pro bowls and been chosen as all-Pro twice, including last season. Although he has battled injuries in 2005 and 2007, he has consistently been productive, last year leading the league in receptions and yards. His touchdown numbers are somewhat lacking, most likely due to playing with the Texans (although the team is quickly improving). But have you ever heard Johnson's name on Sportscenter screaming at his coaches on the sideline or in the media about how he never gets the ball? That's what I thought.

So yeah, it may just be a regular commercial for receiving gloves sold at Dick's. But it is good to see that Johnson's hard work has paid off. Here's an athlete that should get a brighter piece of the spotlight.

Do What You Love, Love What You Do

Most people are called to their profession. Many of your mentors, parents, older siblings have probably told you to find your passion and to make your profession a vocation. The simplest and most natural reason to make your profession is the mantra "Do what you love and love what you do". It doesn't take a psychologist to figure out that one is more fulfilled in a profession that they love. Many of us have guides along the way that are able to help you discover your passions. It is great to have an "adviser" to helps us develop within our profession. But for some reason it seems that the sports world has a knack for attracting bad career advisers.

This was brought to my attention by an ESPN article that quoted wide receiver Michael Crabtree's cousin and adviser David Wells saying that Crabtree was prepared to sit out the season if he was not payed more. What happened to the guys that just wanted to get out on the field? Later in the article Crabtree's agent asserted that no threats had been made from his side toward the 49ers (the team that drafted Crabtree last April). Who is this guy, Jerry Maguire? Since when has an agent seemed like the voice of reason? I'm sure I just have a bias towards agents because all I hear is Scott Boras and Drew Rosenhaus defending ridiculous contacts and sleez balls. I'm sure most agents are perfectly reasonable people, I even had a friend in high school whose dad is a big-time agent, but I just have never seen the profession as the beacon of truth in a dark world.

Anyway, what is this cousin thinking? If he wanted the best for Michael, wouldn't he want him playing? Does he not realize the history of athletes taking a year off? Maurice Clarett anyone? For those of you that haven't heard, Clarett is currently serving a prison sentence for armed robbery. Taking a year off seems to be just the right thing! Here's an idea Michael: play the game you love to play! Every time I have seen Crabtree interviewed he has seemed a decent fellow, so I hope that this is just a guy out blowing hot air. But I am more concerned about the trend that seems to be growing in sports of bad advisers.

In Kansas City, Chiefs fans had to deal with Larry Johnson getting caught up with the wrong crowd. Michael Vick can point to his old "friends" for getting him involved with the dog-fighting schemes. I am not trying in any way to take the heat off either of those two for their decisions, they have both done incredibly stupid things, but it's a lot easier not to have to say no. How many times have you heard of schools caught up in recruiting scandals because these "advisers" pop up and buy all sorts of new stuff for these athletes? The NCAA should do as much as it possibly can to avoid these moronic people from meddling in the affairs of these athletes. And it starts in high school now too! I can't imagine going under the microscope that NCAA athletes have to go through to maintain eligibility. It is time that the NCAA helped to shield athletes from people who can ruin their lives.

In closing, I will admit that I don't have the slightest idea what the NCAA should do about this, but I also think that in order for athletes to get back to playing the game that they love, it would sure help if the NCAA could help eliminate some of the outside pressure exerted upon them.

Dream Big

It is a valuable lesson to learn to dream big. I think part of growing up is getting back to childhood. It seems like the 1st stage of most lives is a childhood of dreams and play; one of my favorite authors calls this the Beloved Son stage (he writes to a male audience). Part of the second stage is a tempering of these dreams, and we're bombarded with phrases like "yeah, but..." and "but you have to...". Realism is a very necessary thing in life, but I think that we also have to regain a little of that ambition from our childhood in order to find our place in the world, and especially our vocation. All that said, I think it is important to have great hope. And so, I want to share a little of my hope for the Chiefs' season approaching.

I was watching an AFC West preview video that I think was from a previous edition of NFL Live on ESPN. Anyway, Trey Wingo asked Cris Carter and Mark Schlereth who they thought might be able to contend with the San Diego Chargers for the AFC West title. While both agreed that the title is all but in name going to the Chargers, they pointed out why the Raiders and Broncos will do poorly this year. Specifically because JaMarcus Russell has not shown the necessary maturity and the already terrible Broncos defense is switching to a 3-4 scheme that fits their personnel even less. It brought to mind a glimmer of hope. The Chiefs are the only team that has shown marked improvement this year! Despite losing All-Pro Tony Gonzalez, the Chiefs have added a new quarterback, offensive line help, and a new defensive end projecting to be successful in a 3-4 scheme. Not to mention that the 3-4 scheme was put in place so that the Chiefs could improve on their biggest weakness of last season: defensive pressure on the quarterback.

I think that Scott Pioli and Todd Haley understand this opportunity very well. I was impressed when I went on ESPN this afternoon and found out that the Chiefs had signed veteran wide-receiver Amani Toomer. I will confess that I have always liked Toomer probably a little more than he deserves, but I still find this to be an important signing because it gives Matt Cassel another threat, and because defenses might not be able to stack the box on Larry Johnson quite as much on 1st and 2nd down. I think an improved offense could make a significant improvement in defensive performance as well. Several times last year the defense seemed to just get worn down and not be able to stop opposing teams in the 2nd half. I'm not saying that this might not happen again this year, but it would certainly help if the offense were out there giving the defensive guys a tad more rest.

I am very happy with the new regime in Kansas City, and I'm sure they understand that this year may provide a unique opportunity to rebuild the image of this franchise, and could play an instrumental role in building for the future.

That's Just About Right

I am writing this post after watching baseball most of today as I was trying to recuperate from a 12 hour security shift. I am currently sitting down to watch "The Shawshank Redemption." Aside from having to work for the first twelve hours of this lovely day, I would call this a perfect Sabbath. I had good fish for dinner, Foo's custard for dessert, and one of the greatest movies ever. There is something beautiful about Morgan Freeman's voice now. Something that is bringing today to a perfect end. Even with the intolerable cruelty of that prison, there is something comforting about this movie right now. Watching baseball today was my release, I had just tested myself by going a week without television.

That week was needed, it brought me back to where I should be. I got back to focusing on my relationship with the One who wants a relationship with me, instead of watching my life float away with all of the filth TV I would occupy the days with. Baseball is unlike any other sport in that sense. Even on TV, you feel it. A few weeks ago I was reading a Sports Illustrated article celebrating the 20th anniversary of Field of Dreams. In it the director of the film made sense of the film. Said it wasn't about religion or faith, it was about baseball. It's about time with fathers and friends playing a game that gets in your bones, all the way down to the marrow.

Kind of like this movie. It sinks in. You believe in Andy Dufresne. He's your friend too. And in an odd way, his journey is a tiny glimpse of our own. We feel free too. Isn't that what the Sabbath is? Freedom? Yeah, free to be me; free to be His.

Vision

Since I haven't done a purely scout related post in a little while, here is one. I was reading a terrific book recently, called Wild Goose Chase, and toward the tail end of the book he raised the point of having a vision for yourself and your vocation. Not sure why this got me started on how important I feel a long-term plan for a sports franchise is, but that's what I connected. I also thought about that phrase I and so many other scouts have heard countless times, our motto: Be Prepared. Especially as a Chiefs fan, these ideas seem particularly important as the franchise puts together a new front office and coaching staff.

One certainly has to be impressed by Scott Pioli's organizational pedigree with the New England Patriots. That said, many experts give Bill Belichick and the Kraft family most of the credit for resurrecting the Patriots franchise. Especially in later years, the Patriots have been able to let go of star players and replace them with new (and cheaper) talent. While the Patriots' model is commendable and has shown extraordinary results, a 2-14 franchise has a much taller mountain to climb to return to prominence. I hope that Pioli has a vision for the Chiefs organization, and is prepared to keep to that plan despite minor setbacks.

This is how my scout leaders have always explained the motto as being prepared for an activity or plan, so that if all goes well, it will succeed. But they have also expressed that it NEVER happens as you planned, but a prepared person has not only thought about the potential pitfalls, but is better able to react to the ones that are not foreseeable. For example, no one could see Michael Vick getting thrown out of the league for a fighting pitbull ring that he ran under the table for years. As the star player for the Falcons franchise, the loss of Vick was devestating to the team. But it was made all the more devestating because the front office was not prepared to handle a PR nightmare.

I feel bad singling out the Falcons, especially since they seem to have righted the ship since then, but I sincerely believe that their plan of action after the scandal broke was horrific. They hired an inexperienced coach from the college ranks, knowing that college coaches typically do not adjust well to the NFL, and then were surprised when that coach bailed for more money at the University of Arkansas. Don't get me wrong, I think Bobby Petrino is lower than dirt, but I could of told them that before they hired him! It's why I wouldn't hire Nick Saban either. Both coaches only care about enhancing their own reputation. That's where being prepared starts: putting trust into trustworthy people. I truly believe that Todd Haley is a talented coach, especially on the offense, but I hope that Pioli has developed enough of a character sketch of Haley to trust his judgment fully.

Pioli has a great city with one of the most loyal fan bases in the league behind him. If he shows early on that his and Haley's vision will turn around this disoriented franchise, I'm sure he will be well on his way to fulfilling his own goals in life. And hey, who said making thousands of Midwesterners proud of a once-great franchise again isn't a meaninful enterprise? I'm pretty sure I would sign up for that job if I had the talent.

The Best Race After the Trade Deadline

If Royals fans are looking for something to brag about, since we clearly can't about our team anymore, and it seems that even Zack Greinke gets robbed of a win every time he goes to the mound (He's still having a Cy Young type year by the way, just doesn't have the wins to prove it), they can now boast one of the greatest divisional races heading toward the playoffs. The Central divisions in both leagues are pretty tight, but you can tell from today's activity that the AL Central's 3 contenders aren't going to go down without a fight.

I must say that I was almost going to write a post about how boring today was for baseball fans, and how overhyped today usually is. But after returning from some errands, it turned out to be a pretty exciting day, especially in the AL Central. The day started with the division leading Tigers acquiring lefty Jarrod Washburn from the Seattle Mariners for two left-handed pitching prospects. Washburn will provide a much needed lefty option for the Tigers' starting rotation, and though his 8-6 record doesn't wow you, his 3rd place ERA of 2.64 (3rd in the AL) should turn people's heads. Even more promising for the Tigers is that in his last 5 starts, opponents have only scored 3 runs against him. With Verlander seemingly back to his old form and the addition of a lefty, the Tigers rotation is certainly a force to be reckoned with and it would not be a surprise if they were able to pull away from the division's competition.

Not to be outdone the Chicago White Sox added depth to their starting rotation as well. Although they gave up 4 pitchers to finalize the trade (Only 1 has played in the Majors thus far), the White Sox were able to get Jake Peavy out of his no-trade clause. With Mark Buerhle throwing well right now, and number 2 and 3 starters John Danks and Gavin Floyd pitching a little better than their career ERAs this year, the White Sox rotation was already decent, but the addition of Peavy makes it way above average. More importantly, the 1-2 of Buerhle and Peavy (or the other way I guess) will be quite formidable if the White Sox do end up making the playoffs. If you're a White Sox fan, I would think that you would consider Jake Peavy worth trading 4 players, especially if some of the prospects are not impressing the organization, but it still seems like a lot to give up for a 6-6 pitcher with a 3.97 ERA. We'll see how that gamble pays off, I just don't know if Peavy closes the gap as the White Sox are currently in 3rd place.

Finally, the Twins made an uncharacteristic deadline move (this is their first big deadline trade since 2003), and actually brought in a fairly big name in Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera could be a classic Twins good-not-special player that just works hard for the team and gets things done. Although only an average fielder, most would not consider him a liability defensively, and he is a solid hitter at .280/.318 (BA/OBP). Although this is probably the least glitzy of the trades, I think it could prove to be quite valuable. The Twins are simply plugging a hole here and only gave up one player and got cash for Cabrera. With Joe Mauer second in average in the league, and Justin Morneau leading in homers, the Twins can look forward to being in the race for the long haul.

So as we Royals fans lament our disappointing season, and for all of you general baseball fans, look out for the race for the AL Central lead as only one team will probably make the postseason. My bet is on the Tigers with the addition of Washburn. Feel free to comment with your bets.

You Really Let Us Down

I'm sure many of you have already heard the news that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez reportedly tested positive for performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in 2003. Yes, it was technically not banned back then, but the hurt is not gone. I could honestly care less about Manny testing positive, because we already knew he did them, but I am awfully disappointed in Big Papi. Beyond the fact that he ruins the game by taking PEDs, I am more dismayed by the fact that he repeatedly said publicly that he was one of the good guys, that he was one of the ones you could look up to if you were a little leaguer. Big Papi is not even one of my favorite Red Sox players, but everyone likes to believe that their team does it right.

Finding out that your team's legacy may or even should be tainted is a very disappointing discovery. Honestly, I haven't reached any decisions about how I feel about the Red Sox 2004 Championship and what this news will do to that legacy. It hurts too much to even think about right now. But it certainly ruins my opinion of Big Papi.

Finally, I want to talk about our responsibility as fans of the game. Especially in cases like this, the league will not retroactively punish Ortiz, so I think it is our job to let him know how disappointing his actions were. If public disgrace is the only punishment Ortiz and other PED users will face, then it is our duty to at least make them pay for their crimes. Every time I hear about another player caught up in the news, it gets easier and easier for people to rag on baseball, and it wears on us. Baseball is a beautiful game. It would be great to see more players treat it as such.

Superman

So, most people have known for a long time how long I have liked Tim Tebow. I am happy to know that aspiring athletes actually have someone to look up to and that he does it all the right way. It has kind of become a running joke among some of my friends that eventually Tebow will get busted on something and his image will be ruined. And that's exactly why I like him. He knows that a lot of people are looking for that flaw, that chink in the armor, but he still doesn't show it. Am I saying Tebow is a perfect guy? No. Nobody is. But he knows that because he is a role model he has to monitor his behavior.

Growing up, I had a ton of great role models. From friend's dads to scoutmasters, ski trip chaperones to teachers, when I met someone that could make a difference in my life, I tried as hard as I could to foster that relationship. And so, now that I am getting older, I guess it is sort of natural that I would want to be a mentor to the younger generation as well. Because of this, I never grow tired of stories of athletes being great role models. Even more, I am not looking for them to fail. It is easy to grow cynical about the greatness of sports when baseball is infected by steroids, and every college football champion seems to be questioned by BCS haters. So it never gets old to me when Albert Pujols, a guy who plays baseball the right way all the time, gets an MVP, or when Tebow's Gators win the National Title. Fan or not, I would rather people just be happy for people who have shown extraordinary ability and even more colossal effort.

I truly believe that Tebow will turn out to be the real deal. I'd put money on that. And I know that Tebow can handle all of this pressure because he is able to hand it off to someone a lot more powerful than he is. So, sure you can question whether Tebow has the strength and character to stay on the right track. But I know that every once in awhile, God sends these great people down to touch the lives of those that still dream, and I think that a few more of us need to help those dreams come true.

Mixed Martial Arts

Many of my closest friends are not fans of Mixed Martial Arts (from here MMA), and in particular the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). My mom outspokenly hates it. But I think that it is one of the most misunderstood sports. So without further ado, this is my defense of the sport.
MMA is more than just blood and guts all over the place. Was early MMA simply a brutal bloodsport? Sort of. But as the UFC has come under new ownership the sport as a whole has cleaned up considerably, thanks in part to seeking unified regulations. I'm not saying that there aren't huge cuts still being opened up, but if you take the time to watch the fighters, you can tell the intentions of the strikes are much cleaner now. There is a weight range similar to boxing which prevents unfair fights between a giant and a 155lb ninja from happening. No matter what people say the giant pretty much always crushes that small of a person. I think it is important to take in a fight and just see how skilled these fighters are.

I have always believed that sports point to something greater within us. I suppose that could be a brief synopsis of yesterday's post. And so that's where I started my debate with MMA. I thought that if I could feel inspired in some way by MMA, then I would indeed count it as a sport. And to me it points to one of the most basic and pure facets of humanity: Great things are worth fighting for. Maybe this doesn't do it for some people, but even if all these guys are fighting for is a gold belt and fame, it still captures my attention. One of my favorite fighters, the current welterweight champion, Georges St. Pierre, always says that he is currently fighting for his legacy, that he wants to be known as the greatest champion ever. Shouldn't that be our goal? To be the greatest champion ever, yeah, that sounds good to me.

Not to mention the shape that these guys have to be in to cut and make weight before a fight, and then turn around and knock each other senseless. There is something beautiful to me about the simplicity and rawness of being in a cage. No, I don't see the UFC as a gladiatoral sport for blood-thirsty fans to go crazy over. I truly believe that the early fans of the bloody free-for-alls would be disappointed by today's matches that are beautiful displays of technique, power, and speed. What I love is the instinctive nature of MMA. Perfect example: when I was watching UFC 100 a couple weeks ago, I was watching Dan Henderson (another favorite, known for his powerful right hand) stalk his opponenet Michael Bisping around the ring like a wolf on the hunt. It was majestic! He was looking for a right hand to throw...knew that Bisping's punches weren't hurting him. And midway through the second round it came...Boom! Like a thunder clap, Henderson's right hand belted Bisping right in the jaw. Out before he hit the mat. To this day, probably the greatest single punch I have ever seen.
This sport gets your blood flowing, pumps you up, makes you want to be dangerous. And that's a good thing! So, give it a try, maybe you will see that this new sport is not so different from the others that you love so much.

Whisked Away

A couple days ago I read Joe Posnanski's blog post about watching Tom Watson's run at the British Open this year (you can find it at joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog)and completely agreed with his statement about sports taking us to another world. So I just wanted to say a few words of my own about it.
I was at a wedding on Friday night when a friend turned to me, and said "Guess where I was last night?" Knowing we both share a love for baseball I guessed Fenway. Nope. Hmm?...The Royals game? Nope. (Side thought...Who would be bragging about that right now). "I was at U.S. Cellular", he said. It hit me like a ton of bricks how cool that was. For those of you who don't know, my friend watched Mark Buerhle pitch a perfect game. Lucky! And apparently he's seen two no-hitters in person. What I wouldn't give to have that kind of luck!
But that's what happens in sports. This British Open was no different than any other year, except that Tom Watson decided to give every sports fan a dream weekend of what golf used to be: a gentleman's game (and he did it to the very end). Mark Buerhle went out on his normal rest, just wanting to win one for the team; just doing his job. Well, he did it alright. And to the delight of all sports fans he achieved perfection.
It got me thinking about what is majestic about sports. I love how everyone has a favorite play. Sports gives us an adventure, and even better an adventure to live. So yeah, watching the Red Sox finally win in 2004 was amazing, and no, I will never forget the joy that Luis Gonzalez's bloop single on Mariano Rivera in 2001 still brings me, but I love my own sports stories even more. I was just talking with a former teacher about how all of my friends and I would play football at Loose Park on Sundays. I'll never forget how pumped I was, and how some new guys came and dubbed me "Superman". Anyone who has spent 30 minutes playing catch with me has heard the story of the Cigar Catch. Yeah, it is that legendary. It deserves a name like that.
Sports gives joy incomparable to many things in this technology driven world. Sometimes it's nice to get away from being in touch with everybody and take a buddy or two and enjoy a little struggle, a little competition. Believe me, it will make life a little more full.

Courtesy and Karma

It's been awhile since I have posted something scout related (or anything in general I guess), but when I heard this I felt compelled to make one. I heard a story about a certain new coach at the University of Tennessee, Lane Kiffin. From day one Kiffin has had trouble fitting in with the other coaches of the Southeastern Conference.

Kiffin's first questionable act involved University of Florida coach Urban Meyer. At a breakfast celebrating the incoming recruiting class, Kiffin opined the following: "I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and still didn't get [running back Nu'Keese Richardson]". This alleged cheating was Urban Meyer calling Richardson while the recruit was on an official visit to Tennessee. After promising to turn in coach Meyer, did Kiffin seek punishment for the Florida coach? Oh wait, as it turns out it's not a violation at all, but criticizing another SEC official is a violation of the conference's code of ethics. Can anyone say the pot calling the kettle black?

Criticizing other officials is in poor taste, but it's not the end of the world. Kiffin proved however that no one is safe from his discourteous behavior. ESPN blogger Chris Low reported that the night before National Signing Day (February 5), Kiffin called receiver Alshon Jeffrey to see if he had made a decision on schools and to give one last pep talk. I have never been a part of the recruiting process, and I'm sure it is intense, but what ESPN's Chris Low credits to Kiffin is unacceptable. "According to Jeffrey and Wilson (Jeffrey's high school coach), Kiffin told Jeffrey that if he chose the Gamecocks, he would end up pumping gas for the rest of his life like all the other players from that state who had gone to South Carolina." full story here

Since then Kiffin has denied saying it, and tried to assure fans that he does not intend to use negative recruiting techniques. It's really tough to believe that someone who had already signed with another school and his coach would simply make this story up though, and this is not Kiffin's first case of aggression. One can only hope that recruits will see the true colors of Kiffin and choose to attend different schools that offer more than dishonest accusations and classless threats as a means of diplomacy. I imagine that the Gators and the Gamecocks will circle the Tennessee game on the schedule for this year, and hopefully a certain freshman wide receiver might get a little payback and take a step toward a future in the NFL with a big game.

I hope that future articles regarding such treatment will take a less accepting tone as Mr. Low's, but until then public outcry will just have to be sufficient in assigning blame to Kiffin. It's quite shocking to hear such blatant rudeness from such a public figure, but hopefully it won't rub off on any of Kiffin's players

Now that Favre is gone

On First and 10 this morning, Stephen A. Smith (clearly not my favorite pundit to begin with) was charged with ranking the AFC East teams now that the Buffalo Bills have signed Terrell Owens. You may be asking where Brett Favre fit into all this. Well, in his infinite wisdom, Stephen A. has always argued that Favre was overrated in New York, and many of you may recall the final regular season game that the Jets lost to the Miami Dolphins in which Favre threw three interceptions. Many of you may also recall the storm of criticism Favre faced in the next week, especially from teammate Thomas Jones who felt that Favre should have been taken out of the game. I would venture to guess that Mr. Smith would agree with Thomas Jones, yet when asked where the Jets rank among the AFC East teams, he claimed this morning that they would miss none other than... Brett Favre.

While I will readily concede that Favre needed to retire, and that his shoulder injury clearly affected his performance in the back half of the football season, I think that the Jets clearly improved their team by signing him. I don't understand why pundits like Smith cannot understand that Eric Mangini had no other choice than to leave Brett Favre in the game. Let's be realistic: the other option was Kellen Clemens, who hadn't played all season long. Additionally, remember that it was only a seven point deficit. How many times in his career has Brett Favre thrown off a terrible day full of interceptions and won the game late? To argue that the Jets were better off without Favre is so beyond belief it should be considered hysteria.

Thankfully, Skip Bayless (ironically a man known for flip-flopping quite a bit) called Stephen A. Smith's contradiction. Hopefully this will make a few people realize that disparaging's Favre's contribution to the Jets is uncalled for. Maybe this will make Stephen A. Smith wake up and agree that Terrell Owens kills a locker room or that the Bill O'Reilly strategy for arguments does not equate to winning them; then again Rome wasn't built in a day.

Cause for Concern

Yesterday evening, I ran across some disturbing news. Amid several rumors that new coach Todd Haley was somewhat arrogant, Brian Waters, the all-pro guard for the Kansas City Chiefs has said that he wants out of Kansas City in part due to the treatment he has initially received by the new coach and general manager Scott Pioli. Columnist Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star reported that Waters was offended by Pioli's refusal of a meeting. This is especially concerning because Waters is known as a locker room leader. This brought to mind a scout related principle: trustworthiness.

Being trustworthy as a coach and GM should include an acknowledgment that the owner is appointing you as a liason between himself and the players. I grew up adoring the Chiefs' ownership under Lamar Hunt. At the very least, one knew that the players wanted to play for Kansas City because their was so much trust between the front office and the players. I certainly hope that Clark Hunt was able to take that valuable lesson from his father and that the news of Waters' frustration is concerning to him.

It is especially concerning when this spat involves a veteran with a long history of trusting the franchise. If one is being trustworthy of you, it really should not take much to return the favor. I sincerely hope that Pioli and Haley will make a serious effort to establish trust within the organization. Pioli should have learned from Coach Belichick that taking off-the-field issues off the players' backs is essential to a successful team on the field. With such a young team, establishing trust should be one of the first goals of a new administration. While signing veterans like Mike Vrabel to the defensive side show a desire to recruit leaders, nothing is quite as dumb as scaring off the leaders you already have.

The Chiefs are in a great position to vastly improve upon a 2-14 season, but maintaining trustworthiness is a simple first step that should not be overlooked. Just like being trustworthy is the first point in the scout law and the rest are built on it, building trust in an organization is the foundation of a successful performing team.

Should've done this, Could've done that

Recently I have noticed a disturbing trend of politicking for Hall of Fame candidates. Specifically in regards to active coaches and players, many people have begun excusing mistakes or mediocrity for feel good stories. The two most recent examples of this are Kurt Warner and the University of Louisville's men's basketball coach Rick Pitino.

This last week during the normal pre-Super Bowl buzz, many commented on Kurt Warner's possibility for the Hall of Fame. A lot of these commentators seemed like they felt that a win in this year's Super Bowl would seal his candidacy for the hall of fame. I respectfully disagree.

I completely agree that Kurt Warner is an exceptionally accomplished postseason quarterback, but he is not a Hall of Fame quarterback for two reasons: inconsistent regular season play over his entire career, and talented surrounding casts in his postseason runs.

For starters, Warner has had more seasons with double digit interceptions than seasons with 20 or more touchdowns. Between 2002 and 2006, he only has one season over 10 touchdowns, and was beat out of three jobs in that stretch. I dare you to find any Hall of Famer that lost three starting spots in the middle of his career. Warner has undoubtedly shown seasons of brilliance, but careers of brilliance are meant for the Hall of Fame.

Some make the case that Warner's exceptional postseason play will put him in the Hall. Isn't it interesting then that in compiling a poll of the top 10 Super Bowl Quarterbacks, Warner was not even on the list. But even in his postseason runs, his supporting casts preclude him from a Hall of Fame run. In 1999, he had two of the premier route running wideouts in the game in Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce and one of the greatest pass catching running backs in Marshall Faulk, not to mention one of the better offensive lines anchored by two pro bowlers in Adam Timmerman and Orlando Pace. Not to mention the threat of Faulk on the ground and a respectable defense on the other side.

In this Super Bowl, Edgerrin James was able to establish a running game and did anyone see how wide open Anquan Boldin was on his 30+ yard completion? How much work did Warner do on the 64 yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald to give the Cardinals the lead late in the game? Oh, and what a read he made on the last play of the first half trying to stick the ball through James Harrison as if he was a ghost. The truth is that he is a successful postseason performer, not an elite performer, and not worthy of the Hall of Fame that just kept Chris Carter out on the last ballot.

The case for Pitino is a little different. I do think that Coach Pitino will eventually make the Hall of Fame, but many, like broadcaster Dick Vitale, say that he is worthy of it now. There primary contention is that Coach Pitino would have even more gaudy numbers if he had not gone to coach in the NBA. Many baseball players not in the Hall of Fame like Bob Feller and Ted Williams are said to have been robbed by the onset of World War II. Being drafted into war is a legitimate reason to have less prolific numbers, but being paid to coach in the NBA is a professional decision that Coach Pitino made, and Hall of Fame voters should not give him any lenience for the Hall of Fame.

Both of these people have had incredible influence on their respective sports, but heart warming stories or regrettable professional decisions have no place on a Hall of Fame ballots. If anything in sports matter more than championships, it's the Hall of Fame, and nothing hurts the credibility of the institution like letting undeserving players in. I hope that Hall of Fame voters will maintain the tradition of excellence that makes names like Canton and Cooperstown such an integral part of Americana.

Jumping on the Bandwagon

Today I found a rare moment of agreement with ESPN analyst Skip Bayless. On the show First Take, Bayless mentioned an increasing trend of analysts picking the Arizona Cardinals to win the game. Obviously I have no problem with these people saying that they like the Cardinals, but these picks seem to be more sentimental, yet most of the analysts claim that their picks are intellectually based.

One of the popular teams that analysts compare the Cardinals to is last year's champions, the New York Giants. These analysts point out that the Giants went on a late run and ended up winning the Super Bowl against the heavily favored Patriots. While the comparison may look good at the start, these analysts should look at how last year's champions won the championship game, rather than obsessing about the whole run. Most notably, the fact that the New England Patriots brought in a stellar offense and a decent defense. In many ways, the Cardinals are more like the Patriots due to their extremely talented receiving corps. True, the Cardinals defense has improved in the last few weeks, but it is still not a high caliber defense.

One thing that I couldn't help but notice was that the Cardinals allowed the Philadelphia Eagles to score 3 touchdowns in 10 minutes in the NFC Championship game. The key difference between last year's Giants and the Cardinals is the popular maxim "Offense wins games, but defense wins championships". The Giants won last year's Super Bowl because they had a dominant defensive line that could get an incredible pass rush and keep the prolific Patriots offense from ever being successful.

For some reason analysts seem to be ignoring the fact that James Harrison is a freak of a pass rusher. Oh, and Casey Hampton, Lamarr Woodley, and Brett Keisel are no slouches either. The pass rush of the Pittsburgh Steelers is far more dominant than that of the Cardinals, and just like last year's Giants, the Steelers' offense seems to make the key plays at exactly the right time late in games.

There you have it, my pick for Super Bowl XLIII is the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they will be the team most reminiscent of last year's champions, the New York Giants. Enjoy the game.