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.

Why the Gators will roll over this Tide

I'm sure most of you know that I favor the Gators in today's game. I'm sure you've heard all kinds of reasons that the Gators will lose, but I'll show you why they have the statistical advantage. I've heard some crazy stuff this week, like Alabama will win because they have won 3 games under 7 points and Florida is 0-1 in games in that window. Nevermind that it is perfectly possible that the SEC Championship is spread by more than 7 points, and we know how impressive Florida is in those games.

But looking at the numbers will prove why the Gators will win. On offense, the Gators outmatch the Tide in almost every statistical category. While the Crimson Tide has the two leading rushers individually, the Gators have rushed for more as a team and have 10 more touchdowns. The pundits have been making a big deal about how electric Glen Coffee and Mark Ingram are, and indeed they are both playmakers, but it will be Florida's depth and diversity that will win out. Florida has speed up the middle, speed on the wings for reverses and Tim Tebow powering his way though the middle.

In the passing game, Florida also leads statistically, but will win because of intangibles. Tebow dominates John Parker Wilson in total yards, yards per attempt, touchdowns, rating, completion percentage, and the all important interceptions thrown. It is this last statistic that points to the difference in the two quarterbacks. Throughout their careers Tebow has led in touchdown-to-interception ratio. The difference on Saturday night will be one mistake, Brandon Spikes will intercept one of Wilson's passes in the first half, and Alabama will not be able to keep scoring with the Gators.

Here's my first official prediction post, but I'm pretty confident on this one. Enjoy the game guys.