Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: UConn women's basketball has won a record 71 straight games. How impressive is the streak?
Jordan: I don't want to diminish this accomplishment, because normally I'm the guy sticking up for the small conference team that's trying to make the tournament at 28-4, when everyone is discrediting them for beating up on lesser competition to get there. My response usually is, well, no matter what the competition, it's still impressive to be 28-4. But to me, having covered women's college basketball closely this year, there is such a giant disparity between UConn and everyone else, part of me doesn't want to give UConn all the credit I suppose they deserve. It's an amazing streak, on the surface. Geno Auriemma deserves a boatload of credit because he recruited these girls and they are the best players in the country. But they're SO much better than the average, and SO much better than the rest of the top 25, that they really should be blasting these teams every night. Most women's college teams don't have one player that's as good as one of UConn's starters. So congrats to them, but the problem here is women's college basketball needs teams that can challenge the Huskies.
Scott: That streak is, quite simply, stunning. Possibly more stunning is that they beat their own previous record set only a couple of years ago. Now, that all said, I'm not going to front like I've been keeping strict tabs on them all year, but I'm not sure whether or not this is great for UConn or telling of how mediocre the rest of the country is. This team isn't just "beating" teams, they're destroying them, on a nightly basis. We're talking ranked, top-10 teams by 20 and 30 points repeatedly. Just something to chew on...
Alastair: I had the chance to see the UConn women up close and personal earlier this year at Gampel Pavilion, and that is a well-oiled machine. Maya Moore and Tina Charles might be the two best players in the nation, but what makes this team special is coaching. Geno Auriemma might go down as the greatest women's college basketball coach in history, and it's because his teams never let up, not even for a single second. The Huskies could be down by 4 (although that would never happen) or up by 40, and without knowing the score, you couldn't tell the difference. You can't win 71 straight games based solely on talent (although it doesn't hurt). UConn's won 71 straight because complacency isn't a part of the program's vocabulary.
Sports Pants: I don't really pay attention to the UConn streak because it's college women's basketball and the only two teams I think of are UConn and Tennessee. Still, when you get 71 victories in a row, it's a good run. I wonder if the '72 Dolphins will crack open some champagne when UConn finally loses.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Where does the USA Canada hockey game rank for you in terms of sporting events you've watched? Was it the best hockey game you've ever watched?
Jordan: It probably was the best hockey game I've ever watched. I can point to some other games I've watched in my life that were great games, like 5 overtime Stanley Cup Finals games (Ducks/Devils not so long ago) and games as a Blackhawks fan that I have enjoyed. The one caveat with the Stanley Cup Finals, however, is that sometimes by the time the teams reach that level, players are so tired from the grind of reaching the Finals that they are fighting exhaustion. The players were fresh in this tournament, and they were playing with absolute reckless abandon. There wasn't one play in the game in which the play wasn't as "all-out" as possible. Ryan Miller was tremendous, as was Roberto Luongo. And how about the play of Zach Parise in this tournament, and Patrick Kane in the final few games? Appropriately, Sid the Kid ended it, but I wasn't even upset when it ended. Sure, I wanted America to win, and I was rooting as hard for them as I could. But sometimes, you just have to appreciate the game, and the only thing I was really unhappy about was that the game ended. It was really one incredible sporting event for the ages.
Scott: (Shocker/Spoiler Alert! Scott Doesn't Like Hockey!) Not particularly high. I tuned in time to see Parise's game-tying goal, but, try as I might, I just couldn't get into it. I wound up changing the channel because they went to a break before Overtime, and poof, interest gone. In total, probably 10 minutes of hockey viewing, max. So, while I obviously wasn't too thrilled because I turned off a close, great game in overtime, it probably has to be the best hockey game I've ever "watched" because I don't know if I ever have watched more than that of another one.
Alastair: I can't say it was the best hockey game I've ever seen (multiple OT NHL playoff games), but it was certainly one of the most meaningful sporting events I've ever watched. USA vs. Canada for the gold medal in an Olympics hosted by a country that treats the sport of hockey like a religion. You might never be able to beat that kind of international drama again. The game itself was helped by the fact that the US actually played far better than it did in a 5-3 win the week before. It was an extremely evenly matched and well-played game, although the game-winner from Sidney Crosby happened so suddenly that it took a few seconds to actually process. I never thought a tough angle shot like that had any chance of beating Ryan Miller. Still, one for the ages.
Sports Pants: I'm trying to think of the events that I've watched which I'll remember more than USA/Canada. The Texas win over USC in that epic championship game comes to mind, as does the Red Sox/Yankees playoff battle of 2004. There are several other events that I looked forward to more than this hockey game simply because I've never considered Canada vs. the USA a major rivalry. No one was talking about this game when the Olympics started. The game turned out to be a classic, but there was no time for build up in the tournament style of play.
I didn't get to see the Miracle on Ice which is probably the de facto best hockey game for anyone over 40, but I'd have to say my favorite hockey game was one a decade ago between the Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings. First of all, I was there. Secondly, it was Halloween night, so we were all dressed up (I was Jack in the Box complete with clown head and suit). Finally, the game was a classic 3-2 Stars victory over the hated defending champion Red Wings. The game winning goal was scored by newly acquired Star Brett Hull with just a few minutes left in the game. He hit a slapshot so hard that no one saw the puck until it was coming back out of the net. That was good times. Go America. Wait, it's over.
Well done Canada. You got the gold. Now go clean your shorts.
I honestly didn't think the U.S. had a chance as I saw Canada destroy Russia in the early rounds of the Olympic tournament. That was supposed to be a gold medal type match and Canada wiped the floor with those Russian types.
The U.S. beat the Canucks early in the tournament and people like myself thought that loss simply woke the Canadians up. They'd come into the gold medal game with something to prove and would therefor crush the upstart Americans with a team that reads like an NHL All-Star roster.
And yet there the Americans were, pushing the Canadians into overtime before falling in the final game of the Olympics.
So why did the Americans look so glum afterward? Sure, they lost. Losing sucks. But c'mon, man! The U.S. was one of the youngest teams in the tournament! This is a team that was hoping to make some strides during this Olympics. They were playing for 2014, but there they were, pushing the heavily favored Canadians to the brink.
I know America didn't win the gold. The Canadians deserve the praise they get. And so do the Americans.
It would have been nice to see some love given by the winners to a team that beat them once and then nearly beat them a second time despite the Canadians having every motivation to win big. The only tip of the cap I heard to the U.S. players was a big ovation for goaltender Ryan Miller during the medal ceremony.
Miller deserved it for sure, he was a beast. Don't think though that he was the only reason the U.S. was in the gold medal game. That's selling this team short. The Americans went toe to toe with the best in the world and absolutely held their own. Guys like Zach Parise, Patrick Kane, and Brian Rafalski proved that they could be on any Olympic team. Yes, even Canada's.
So I applaud the Canadians for a gold medal they deserve, but as I say that, I can tell you without a doubt that I am proud to be a U.S. hockey fan today.
Sven Kramer has a right to be pissed. He coach cost him the race.
When Gerard Kemkers told his star skater to switch lanes in the final part of the 10,000 meters, it de-
stroyed any chance for a medal. Despite walloping every opponent in the race, Kramer learned that he was disqualified because his coach told him move to the inside lane. Kramer was in the outside lane...where he was supposed to be. He moved at the last second after his coach screamed at him to switch. Then he got to skate the last few laps knowing something was terribly wrong. He'd won big, yet no one was celebrating.
Kramer heard the news about his disqualification. He threw his glasses and stalked off the ice in frustration. Kemkers just buried his head in his hands.
Speed skating in the Netherlands is somewhat like hockey in Canada. It's their pride and passion. This was no simple little blunder, this was a national embarrassment.
Today, after a difficult meeting supposedly filled with less than pleasant exchanges, Kramer finally made the big decision.
He kept his coach.
Not an easy decision for sure. Imagine a football coach opting to kick a field goal as time expired in
the Super Bowl when his team was down by four points. You think there might be some calls for his dismissal?
But Kramer resisted the calls for his coach's head because, despite the gigantic blunder, this was a
man who helped coach Kramer up to a world class skater. He'd won several titles before the Olympics and would have won gold if not for the disqualification.
It was a terrible mistake, but it was a mistake. That's it.
Plus, Kramer probably got more attention because of this story than he ever would have if he just won the race. His coach has made Sven a speed skating celebrity.
That's probably little consolation to a man who just lost a gold medal on a technicality, but there was no need for drastic action. Sven Kramer proved that he can be one cool customer.
YevgenyPlushenko is having trouble dealing with reality these days. The Russian figure skater is apparently still dumbfounded that he didn't win the men's competition despite being the only skater to land a quad jump which is considered the most difficult maneuver.
This sounds like a story for Jon Stewart. Russian skater upset with his medal decides to play make believe. The skater exclaims "Plushenko won in Vancouver!" He then shows Stewart his gold medal which is actually a paper cut out colored in gold crayon. "Plushenko colored a bit outside the lines. But is gold."
Right next to it is a second grader's drawing of her family which consists of stick figures, a brown spot that might be the dog, random grass, a giant tree, and the little cursive "m"s that make up birds flying below gigantic clouds and a sun with a smiley face. "Plushenko much better drawer than her. She can't even draw house correctly. She can't jump quad either."
Yeah, it's that kind of a joke now. Plushenko missed the gold which he though was his. Instead of sympathy, his actions are eliciting laughs. I hope he has a good sense of humor.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: What did you think of the US's win over Canada in Olympic Hockey? How big a win is it for the USA Hockey program?
Jordan: It is a big deal. It's a banner victory for USA Hockey in the modern era, since the American team really hasn't been so hot the last few Olympics. Obviously, comparing this win to the Miracle on Ice is asinine, but it is a big win given the circumstance. This was supposed to be Canada's chance to storm through Olympic Hockey en route to a gold medal, which they can still win. But losing to the Americans on their soil was certainly not what was expected of them. The Americans have a good team, while the Canadians have a great team, but Martin Brodeur was brutal, and singlehandedly cost his team. He wasn't strong in net, and made two awful clearing attempts which lead to US goals. Now that Roberto Luongo is replacing Brodeur, the Canadians maybe can catch lightning in a bottle. Hopefully not though. GO USA!
Scott: I think it was a kinda big deal. People want to make a bigger deal of it, I think, than necessary. This isn't US vs Russia, it's not that big of a deal. The US has pro's, they're not a bunch of college kids. Granted, they're not as good as Canada, at least on paper, but they're still not a bunch of college players. On top of all that, it was a trial game. So, take it easy.
Alastair: Regardless of the incredibly outstanding final score, it was an amazing back and forth hockey game. The NHL stars, the speed, the crowd, the atmosphere, not to mention an empty net goal for the ages from Ryan Kesler (fitting way to back up a guarantee don't you think?). The entertainment value was through the roof on Sunday night. However, if Martin Brodeur hadn't tried to be a 3rd defenseman (and a Norris Trophy winner at that), the Canadians probably would have had no problems with their clearly superior roster. His aggressiveness cost Canada at least 2 goals, and it's no surprise that Canucks' starter Roberto Luongo will get the nod against Germany. I was pumping my fists when the US beat the hosts on Sunday, and I truly hope this team can do something special. Too bad it was on MSNBC.
Sports Pants: The U.S. win over Canada is enormous for Canada. Those people are really sad today. Americans are happy, but it's hockey so it's not omni-present. Look, this was an early round win for the U.S. It gives them the easier road to a medal, but Canada could run the table. They and the Russians have an NHL all-star team as their players, so anything is still possible. It's just nice to see the young boys have such a nice win on the 30th Anniversary of the Miracle on Ice. On the topic of Canada, did you here how the country got it's name? A couple of British explorers went to the native land back in the day and had an indigenous member pick letters out of a bag in order to name the soil they were standing on. The native pulled out a letter "C" and said "I've got a C, eh." and then pulled out the letter "N" and said "I pulled out an N, eh." Finally, he pulled out a "D" and he had a D, eh. C-A-N-A-D-A. I'll be here all week, folks. Sorry.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: What'd you think of the NBA All-Star game? Was this the blue print of what future NBA All-Star games should be?
Jordan: I must confess I didn't watch a lot of it, because as we've talked about on this site, it really is a glorified pick up game. That said, the NBA got it right with the glitz and glamor of the event. I don't believe it rated that highly on television, but in terms of the event for the people there, it must have been a really great experience. Frankly, I think the NBA should do this sort of thing every year. They should try to play the game at a football stadium and make the event as great as possible. Anything to add something to the actual product, which isn't so great.
Scott: To even my own surprise (or, anyone who knows me), I didn't actually watch a second of the All-Star Game. From what I saw and read of it after the fact, it seemed like quite the spectacle. Apparently though, despite the record crowd, audiences across the land didn't seem to have quite the same interest. And you know what, I can't blame them. It's just an All-Star Game, and though it was close, it's a glorified (no defense having, showboating) exhibition.
Alastair: After seeing the spectacle that was the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, it seems amazing that the league didn't think of holding the game at a larger venue sooner. The NCAA has been holding its Final Four at gigantic indoor facilities for years. Clearly, the game itself was highly entertaining, but that's an aspect of the event that can't be controlled (although I'm sure Tim Donaghy would be available as a guest referee). David Stern should undoubtedly look into similar venues (re: new, indoor / retractable roof football stadiums) in the near future. A few that come to mind: University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and Ford Field in Detroit. Very few venues can match the grandeur of Jerry Jones' spacecraft of a stadium in Dallas, but going back to a 18,000 seat NBA arena seems unfathomable at this point.
Sports Pants: I didn't watch one second of the NBA All-Star game despite the fact that it was an hour's drive from where I live. I saw some highlights and it seemed to be all the usual stuff: big dunks, tons of fast breaks, and zero defense or plays run. It probably will be the blue print of future NBA All-Star games simply because over 100,000 fans showed up to watch the game. That's way too much bank to pass up. If you're a fan of the showboating and rim-rattling parts of an NBA All-Star game, this is the future for you. For me, it's wondering when March Madness will begin. My guess is in March.
From what I can gather, it's basically shuffleboard on ice for the middle-aged.
It's far from exciting (apart from when the players yell "Hard!" at the top of their lungs), but it's oddly entertaining, in the same way a late-night infomercial is entertaining.
There isn't much else on at 1:30 on a Tuesday afternoon, and consequently, you just can't change the channel.
The Norwegian team caught my eye (how could they not?) today with its argyle golf pants, making its members look like PGA Tour clowns.
Team member Christoffer Svae ordered the wacky pantaloons for his team over the internet before the Olympics, and the rest of the team assumed they were wearing black pants until they opened the uniform box.
It must have been just like the scene in Dodgeball when Average Joe's gets the wrong box and has to wear highly revealing black leather for its first game.
Personally, I think it's a great look. Unfortunately, the much more conservatively dressed Canadian team beat the Norwegians 7-6.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Football season is over. And it may not happen in 2011, according to many published reports. Could you survive a season without the NFL? And, which is the league that would cause you the most distress if it were gone for a year?
Jordan: I could easily survive a year without the NFL. Easily. I love football, sure. I really do, but I don't need it like I need baseball. Take my Cubs season away from me, and I'd be miserable. Baseball is the one sport that, when the season is going, is part of your daily routine like no other sport. I realize that now there are basically four days of NFL Football per week, but for most of us, who only care about one team, there's only one day a week. I'd be happy as a clam with baseball, the college football season, hockey and hoops for a year should the NFL lockout. It's not like you're taking the sport from us. We'd still all have our college teams. And from what I gather from people who know more than me, the NFL will be gone in 2011. Adios.
Scott: I could survive a season without the NFL, no doubt. The league I'd struggle the most without would definitely be the MLB, for two reasons. One, it's an every day thing, so its absence would be that much more pronounced. Two, the team I root for in basketball (Spurs) isn't local, so I don't see them as much as I see the Yankees. So again, the absence would be more obvious. Though, I'll say this, without having any real knowledge of reports, I don't think these leagues are going to actually lock out, especially for a full season. If any of the Big 3 ever lockout again, they shouldn't be allowed to come back. The insane amount of greed that already is inherent in pro sports should make it so that no one would ever want to watch a sport after it locked out. Of course, we'd all eagerly tune back in. But, I think the leagues are too well aware of the problems associated with locking out, especially with the way things are in the country nowadays.
Alastair: On a scale of 1 to 10, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith puts a potential work stoppage in 2011 at a 14. That's not a good sign for die-hard football fans like myself. Going without the NFL for an entire season would be extremely tough. It's something I look forward to every Sunday, and it's far more captivating than any one NBA or NHL regular season game (nothing against those leagues, each individual game just means much less). With that said, I really couldn't survive without baseball in the summer. You can sit down and watch a game basically every single day. Of course, some games can be boring or lopsided, but there's almost always three hours of baseball tomorrow. Can't deal with missing 16 NFL games? Try losing 162 Major League Baseball games.
Sports Pants: You're talking to the resident footballer at Berning, so I think I would miss it most. Could I survive? Well, yeah. I can live if living is without the NFL. I just hope the NFL has learned from hockey and baseball that work stoppages really piss fans off. You're talking millionaire athletes arguing with billionaire owners over sums of money most of us just can't fathom having. In the case of the NFL, I side with the players, but that doesn't mean fans like being taken for granted. If there is a work stoppage, the commissioner better stick his best P.R. people on spin control duty because fans just don't waltz back after being shunned, even if it is the mighty NFL.
So Jordan thinks February is the worst sports month of the year, huh? He does have a point. February has very few exciting moments. Basketball and hockey are at the midpoint so there is no playoff pressure yet. It's winter outside, in most places it's snowing, and all you want is for something to watch while you're stuck indoors.
I think that's why February gets labeled as the worst sports month by many. They need something to keep them from going nuts and February doesn't provide enough.
How can you vote for February though when July is sitting out there? July is that netherworld between the NBA Championship and Stanley Cup and football season. Nothing happens except for baseball (and golf if you're one of those people).
"Ah-ha!" You might say. "This year we have the World Cup so July will be much better!" First all, you'd have to be a soccer fan to say that and we know America doesn't have many of those. I personally love watching the spectacle of the World Cup, but when I do, I'll only see a handful of games in July. Most of the games are in June, so that argument doesn't work.
Even on the years when there is a Summer Olympics, most of the events are in August. So while February can at least get something every four years with the Winter Olympics, July never gets any event it can call it's own.
So unless you're a gigantic baseball fan who only needs to watch some pitch and catch to be happy (ahem, Jordan), July is the worst sports month of the year due to lack of choice. The good news is that it's July. You can go outside and play.
February and July both have a strong following to claim title of "Worst Sports Month". Everyone has an argument. Please give me yours:
Which is the worst sports month? July or February? Pick your side, young warrior.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: What is your favorite part about Super Bowl week? What's your least favorite part?
Jordan: My favorite part of Super Bowl week (like everyone else said, unless your team is in it) is the meeting of friends to watch the game. That may sound sappy, but it's true. I enjoy the fact that there's a sporting even that people congregate for every year. My friends and I are very busy usually and all run on different schedules, but we always manage to get together to watch the Super Bowl. It's like a guy's holiday, where you have a football game, beer, wings and the like to enjoy with your buddies. If it's a good game, it's a bonus. My least favorite thing is the saturation of hype that surrounds it, and the media day circus. But I've avoided it so far and would tell you that if you don't want the hype and the mindless breakdown, avoid ESPN for a week.
Scott: My favorite part about the Super Bowl, unless of course my team is in it, are the commercials. I know, that's stereotypically chick thing to say, but it's true. Besides the last two years, the game often is a let down. Which...leads me to my next answer. The worst part are the endless hours of pregame that seemingly start at around 9 AM on the day of. By noon, I'm exhausted.
Alastair: Unless your favorite team is playing in the big game, I'm not sure there is anything other than a "least favorite part". Mindless breakdowns and recycled reports on the same overplayed stories for an entire week, all centered around a game in which most people don't have a rooting interest. The game itself is fun to watch, especially when it's a great match-up like this year, but the buildup is nearly insufferable at times. By the end of the week, I might be able to personally conduct ankle surgery on Dwight Freeney. Will he play, won't he play? Unless you're a Colts fan or a Saints offensive lineman, "who gives a s***?" (to quote Happy Gilmore).
Sports Pants: My favorite part of Super Bowl is the classic replay of all the previous Super Bowls and the talk of where everyone is going to watch the big game. It hammers home just how big this thing is. Even Susan from production is planning on watching it. She may have no idea what is going on or who Drew Brees is, but she'll be there watching that team with the cute Fleur-de-lis on the helmet play the ponies. If I were actually working with other people, I'd probably be even more excited by this. Media day has to be my least favorite part of Super Bowl week these days. It's become such a beating with every media show on the face of the earth descending on the players every Tuesday before the game. It's barely digestible when it's about the game (really, what do want the players to say?) Nowadays though it's about some fake bride trying to marry the quarterback, Entertainment Tonight holding American Idol auditions with players, and an assortment of wannabe stars who use this day to show us all how talented and annoying they are. In the words of the Barenaked Ladies, it's all been done.
It's February 1st, 2010, and for sports fans, we know what that means.
It's the worst sports month of the year.
So take it from me, your friendly sports guy, that for the next 28 days, at least take solace in the fact that February is the shortest month on the calendar. After this week of non-stop, mind-numbing breakdown of the Super Bowl, you're going to be craving Trey Wingo and Mark Schelereth breaking down the second level of special teams this time next week.
Because there's not going to be much else.
This is a month where I suggest going out, reading books, or watching some TV unrelated to sports. Monday nights? 24. Tuesday nights? LOST. If they move Lost back to Wednesday after the premiere tomorrow night, then settle for American Idol on Tuesdays. Point is, there are ways to broaden yourself in February if you don't have compelling sports action to watch all night.
Backers of this month will say, what gives? There's basketball, college and pro, and hockey. And aren't pitchers and catchers reporting this month?
Yes. But is there anything that serves as more of a buzz kill than pitchers and catchers reporting? They show up, there are a few media opportunities, and then on the local news you see a bunch of guys stretching and running sprints. Not good enough.
I love basketball and hockey. But unlike baseball, they're not on everyday. Or, at least, your favorite team won't play everyday. On the days where your team isn't on, unless you're up for a national game of no importance to you, the month of February isn't much.
Plus, the month is doomed when the biggest day of the sports year starts the month. The only place to go from the Super Bowl is down hill, fast.
The anticipation of what's to come in March is also too much to take. March Madness is still a month and a half away. Baseball season is still too far off. A mid-February regular season NBA game isn't exactly the best way to spend a weekday night.
So find some things to do this month, but in the meantime, we'll try to quench your sports thirst. If not, 24 and LOST are my suggestions for a lackluster sports month of February.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Did Brett Favre lose the Vikings the NFC Championship? Or do you blame someone else?
Jordan: No, no and no. Is that clear? Brett Favre has been discussed and discussed for his pick, and hilariously Paul Allen and Pete Bercich on KFAN crushed him as he threw the interception on Vikings radio. But that was getting caught up in the moment. The bottom line is this: Favre's pick may have been classic #4, but Adrian Peterson and Brad Childress deserve the blame for this one. The way I see it, the Vikings lost the NFC Championship, the Saints didn't win it. The Superdome was raucous, and they were the home team, and they caused FIVE Viking turnovers and still had to eek out the game in overtime. Had it not been for Childress running the prevent offense on the team's final possession prior to the pick, or had Peterson not been a complete liability with the football, the Vikings would have had the Saints ass whooped far before the Favre pick. To me, the bigger story here is that Adrian Peterson is grossly overrated, and a player that cannot be trusted with the football.
Scott: No, Brett Favre didn't lose the Vikings the NFC Championship. Obviously, the interception didn't help, but then again, neither did a few other things. How about the never-ending string of fumbles (ahem, Bernard Berrian, Adrian Peterson)? Or, what about the 12th man in the huddle, just prior to that fateful Favre pass? How about that bullsh*t pass interference call that set up the Saints game-winning field goal? Point is, his pick was bad, but it didn't lose the game for them. That was a team effort.
Alastair: After thorough calculation, it's about 26.7% Favre's fault. If he holds onto the ball and runs out of bounds, Ryan Longwell still gets a shot at a long field goal for the win. 54.2% goes to the Viking's inability to hold onto the football with one of the most severe cases of fumblitis I've ever seen. Without recovering 3 fumbles (and the Vikes were lucky to hold onto the other 3), the Saints would never have had a prayer after getting out-gained by more than 200 yards. Percy Harvin's fumble deep in Viking territory was the most costly. The remaining 19.1% go to the inexplicable and inexcusable "too many men in the huddle" penalty on Minnesota's most important play of the season. Without that flag, Favre might have been more inclined to tuck it under and run out of bounds on the far sideline. Either way, it was one of the dumbest decisions in playoff history.
Sports Pants: Blame, blame, blame, we're always so quick to blame. It was a mind-numbing interception thrown by Brett Favre at the end of the NFC Championship game, just like the interception he threw against the Giants a couple of years ago, just like the interception he threw against the Eagles in 2003 (one might describe it as up for grabs), and just like several other bad interceptions he's thrown over the years. To point a solitary finger at Favre, however, would mean ignoring so much more of the game. Adrian Peterson fumbled all day long including one in the red zone, the Vikes lost another fumble deep in their own zone, and the offensive line allowed Favre to get hit so many times he probably didn't know where he was at the end of the game. In the end, the thing that did the Vikings in were the bad turnovers, but I don't recall all of them being on Favre. It was a team wide meltdown for the Vikings, but if you want to blame Favre, I'll be happy to point and laugh at him.
I love football. Not as much as a lot of meatheads, but I do love football.
I don't love it as much as I love other sports, however. And for many people, when one suggests that, it's sacrilegious. They look at you like you have a tree growing out of your forehead, like you can't be a true sports fan if football isn't the love of your life.
I always say, football is too slow. They tell me I'm nuts.
A Wall Street Journal study concluded that only eleven minutes of a televised 174 minute game (on average) are actually spent playing football. The rest of the time breaks down as follows:
--60 minutes are spent on commercials
--75 minutes are spent on shots of "players huddling, standing at the line of scrimmage, or just generally milling between snaps"
--7% of the broadcasts made of of shots of the head coaches and referees, and just 30 seconds show the network broadcasters
After they break it all down, only 11 minutes of the broadcast are actual minutes of game action.
So when I say football is slow, it is.
People always say when I say I prefer baseball (or even hockey and basketball sometimes) to football, they say that they don't like baseball because the players are always standing around. So are football players.
People always say when I say I prefer another sport, they say that there's more athleticism required. I'm not saying that football players aren't great athletes, because obviously they are. But I would argue that basketball players and hockey players, even many baseball players, are just as athletic if not more athletic than football players.
So if you want to argue that football is the superior sport to every other, I'll disagree, but here are some reasons why you might say that.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: The Bills hired Chan Gailey as their next coach. The Chargers extended Norv Turner through 2013. Are either of these moves good?
Jordan: For the Bills, hiring Chan Gailey isn't even a consolation prize. to me, it's the fact that nobody wants to go to Buffalo. Bills GM Buddy Nix can try and sell everyone on the idea that there were "15 calls per day" about their vacancy at head coach, and that many wanted this job. But were coaches calling about this job? Or were revved up season ticket holders offering to coach the Bills? This is a no win job, everyone knows it, and that's why the Bills settled on Gailey. Bottom line. As far as Turner is concerned, it's clear to me that this was a mistake. Sure, Norv has had plenty of regular season success, but so did Marty Schottenheimer. This team needs a regime change. Dean Spanos needs to clean house there, because there is too much talent for this team to flame out every January.
Scott: The Bills hiring anyone, even someone named Chan (really, Chan?) isn't a good idea. I wouldn't want that job, at all. Nothing about the team, the city, or the personnel is even remotely worth getting excited about. Ask Willis McGahee. As far as Norv Turner, that one I just don't get. This guy just keeps captaining a great regular season team that seems to always come up just short. Yet, he gets kept on board. He's won the AFC West three years running now, but has yet to take that team to the Super Bowl. I mean, it's not all his fault (ahem, Nate Kaeding), but at some point, can we cut him loose?
Alastair: You know the phrase "Shoot for the moon, land in the stars"? Well, that doesn't exactly apply here. The Bills shot for the moon with Bill Cowher and Mike Shanahan, but instead of landing in the stars, they took a nose dive back to earth. Chan Gailey is the definition of consolation prize. All the guy does is get fired, whether by the Cowboys, Georgia Tech, or most recently the Chiefs (as offensive coordinator before the season even began). Granted, Jerry Jones has admitted that he regrets firing Gailey after leading Dallas to back-to-back playoff appearances. Still, both of those resulted in 1st round exits, and Gailey has proven very little (if anything) as a head coach at any level. Of all the guys that were "available", this might have been the best Buffalo could do, so from that angle, it's a great hire.
Sports Pants: Chan Gailey is a human version of the Pillsbury Dough Boy and he has the personality of the chair that I'm sitting in as I write this. Jerry Jones hired this man to coach the Cowboys, so you know what that means about his inability to stand up to meddling owners. I'm not a big fan of his, but here's the thing: Bill Cowher recommended him and I also think that Buffalo really just couldn't get a bigger name to go there. It's a small market team that may end up in Canada some day, so no one really sees it as a good situation. You try selling the next hot free-agent on how nice Buffalo is, the hot wings and Niagra Falls will only get you so far unless the guy likes to sneak over the border to get Canadian drugs.
What in Jeebus' name is going on in the NBC Tonight Show soap opera? Just a few months ago, NBC unveiled it's grand plan to move Jay Leno up to prime time (a total money saving measure) while Conan O'Brien took over the Tonight Show and Jimmy Fallon took Conan's old late night spot.
Fast forward to the present and suddenly it's an NBC late night apocalypse. NBC is forcing Leno to move and wants to shove everyone back to accommodate him. Conan doesn't want the Tonight Show to be moved out of the slot that it's had for decades and Fallon doesn't want to be stuck with the late night infomercials. NBC execs are forcing the hand and no one knows what is going to happen even tomorrow.
All we know is that nobody is happy. Leno and O'Brien have spent their opening monologues crushing NBC, Conan put his show on Craig's List (to find an owner) and Kenneth the Page (a reoccurring character on Conan's show) walked in on the show during a fake tour and introduced Conan's studio as "former home of the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien."
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Your thoughts on Mark McGwire's apology, and his claim that the steroids he took didn't affect his performance?
Jordan: It was another disgraceful showing. Really. He only came out with this confession because Tony La Russa wanted him to, so he could diffuse the circus that would have ensued had he entered the upcoming season as Cardinals hitting coach without divulging the obvious. Then, he apologizes for taking the rods, but claims it didn't help him hit home runs, and he had the "God given gift" to hit homers. Please. What a load of crap. Then, he tries to discredit Mr. Truth, aka Jose Canseco, who we've all learned has been nothing but totally accurate in his claims about the steroid era. If you're going to confess, then confess, Mac! Didn't you learn anything from the other dopes who have come clean? And one other thing, La Russa really is a villain here, isn't he? He's been managing 'roid bombers for years, and obviously knew they were all on 'em.
Scott: I hate to be repetitive, it's one of the few things I truly hate (that, and of course, people asking me about the weather). So, I won't be. For my reaction to the Mark McGwire apology, I'll direct you fine folks to this answer. I normally don't like to give him any credit, but he nailed this one. I agree with the whole thing.
Alastair: Did anyone else crack a smile when McGwire said, "I preferred the orals"? I know Jordan did. Regardless, Mark had a hard time forming a sentence when Bob Costas asked him when he started using steroids. He claims it was prior to the 1994 season, not before the 1987 rookie season in which he hit 47 home runs. It's completely believable that he used steroids to enhance his rehabilitation from numerous injuries in the mid-90's. What is almost unfathomable is the suggestion that steroids played no role in his success as a power hitter. Why does every steroid user's public apology have to involve a caveat? Say sorry, and commit to it. Statements like "I wish I hadn't played in the steroid era" or "I wish we had testing when I played" are weak attempts to deflect the blame and reduce accountability. If steroids didn't help players put up numbers and earn contracts, then it wouldn't have been such a widespread issue in the sport. Still, McGwire's in the clear (which he likely used), and in time he will be forgiven. At least he didn't forget how to speak English like Sammy Sosa.
Sports Pants: I believe every word of Mark McGwire because it's a perfect explanation without any holes. He remembers exactly when he took steroids, but just glossed over what he stuck in his body. I do that a lot. I just grab a handful of pills and whatever syringe is lying around and inject myself. Might be aspirin, might be heroine. Hey, might be AIDS, but you've got to take some risks in life. He cleared up that steroids only kept him healthy and that the 493 pounds of muscle he added to his forearms had nothing to do with his explosive home run total. Look people, he was blessed by God. He worked hard to learn how to swing through the ball. That's why he hit all those home runs and that's why he called the Maris family to apologize for breaking Roger's record. He worked too hard. I should apologize for that too. Sometimes I don't screw around enough. Actually I screw around plenty, so never mind. What do I think about McGwire's apology? It rhymes with wool spit. McGwire needs to look up the definition of "come clean" in a dictionary and stay away from the Bonds/A-Rod book of how to treat fans like we have the intelligence of Forrest Gump. I was run-ning!
The earthquake that hit Haiti Tuesday night is truly an unbelievable catastrophe.
For it to happen in one of the poorest and most densely populated countries in the Western Hemisphere makes it all the more tragic.
The damage and death toll is almost unfathomable. The Haitian Prime Minister is prepared to announce the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives.
It's days like this that sports seem so insignificant. Who really cares about Lane Kiffin's infidelity or Chris Johnson's rushing ability when thousands of people are left sleeping in the street after their houses and lives have been literally and figuratively torn apart.
76ers center and Haitian native Samuel Dalembert still has family members and friends unaccounted for in his home country. He was a guest on Sports Center this morning, and you could hear the emotion and distress in his voice.
Needless to say, he's got a lot more on his mind right now than shot-blocking.
The earthquake destroyed most of Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince and affected nearly a third of the nation's entire population (about 3 million people).
The tremors could be felt nearly 200 miles away in Eastern Cuba.
This is Hurricane Katrina to a new level.
The sports world should have this square in its mind right now. Every sporting event in America should be sure to acknowledge the tragedy in Haiti (as I'm sure they will).
The images and footage really give you chills, and one can only help that the survivors will receive all the help they sorely need at this hour.
So while you're dissecting the Mark McGwire interview or just flipping on a game this week, make sure you keep Haiti in your thoughts.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Boise State won the Fiesta Bowl, and finished with another perfect season. More proof they should have a chance to be in the National Championship? Or cheapened because they beat TCU?
Jordan: Yes, it is more proof that they should have a shot at the National Title game, and no, it's not cheapened because they beat TCU. Boise State has a great program. Period. Forget what conference they play in, and all the other garbage people will say to denigrate the Broncos accomplishments. Having watched the Blue Turfers this year on more than one occasion, you can't convince me that Chris Peterson doesn't have the athletes or the scheme to beat top teams. You just can't. Give this damn team a chance. Now, am I saying that Alabama or Texas shouldn't be in the National Title game? No. But there should of course be a playoff to determine BSU's worth against the power conference teams. They beat Oregon earlier this year, a team that played in the freaking Rose Bowl, and the program took out Oklahoma a few years ago. Really, what more do they need to do? Playoff!
Scott: I couldn't even begin to tell you how hot (and bothered, while we're at it) it makes me that TCU didn't have a chance to compete for the National Championship. I mean, how much more do they need to do? Honestly? First of all, they play football, at the collegiate level, in the great state of Texas. Second of all, Kurt Thomas and LaDanian Tomlinson both went there. If that's not enough, then I don't know what is. Have I mentioned that I'm both hot and bothered by this? (Editor's note: Scott, clearly and flauntingly oblivious to all things college football, had no idea that the question I had originally asked him had the wrong team winning. There was a typo that said TCU won and not the real winner, Boise State, which Alastair and Pants had no trouble discerning. His ignorance aside, this was a funnier answer, despite its wild inaccuracy.)
Alastair: This is why college football is such a sham. A team goes undefeated (you can't do any better than that) and still has no shot at winning a national title. To clarify: a school which participates in Division I college athletics CANNOT reach the championship game no matter what it does. Obviously, the Fiesta Bowl matters big time to Boise State, and it mattered big time for TCU as well. But just because it's the biggest stage either school's football program has ever seen, it's still a consolation prize. That's what every bowl game is, except for the BCS National Title Game. The argument against a playoff will always be that the regular season is more meaningful than any other professional or collegiate sport (oh, and boat loads of bowl sponsorship revenue, that too). It's just too bad that the college football post-season means close to nothing.
Sports Pants: I feel incredibly sad today because TCU had a chance to throw the biggest wrench yet into the BCS system. An impressive victory would have shown beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Horned Frogs deserved at least a chance at a championship. Instead, they lost to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl and now BCS enthusiasts (all nine of them) can say "see, they weren't that good anyway!" Lost in all of this is the fact that Boise State went undefeated and beat TCU and Oregon this season. That's two big bowl wins for Boise State and an undefeated season. Meh, we all know nothing will change, it's about the money.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: What is your lasting memory of the 2009 sports year?
Jordan: This is a homer memory, no question, but for me my lasting memory of 2009 will be the Chicago Blackhawks run to the Western Conference Finals last season. And it's more than just the run itself, it was the resurgence of a once disastrous franchise during a troubled economic time. The Blackhawks success, combined with the overhaul of the organization by Chairman Rocky Wirtz and the brilliance of new president John McDonough and VP Jay Blunk turned an afterthought franchise into the hottest ticket in town seemingly over night. It's an amazing story, when you consider the rest of the teams in sports (with the exception of a couple) were struggling to make money and finding ways to cut cost. Then the fact that this young, extremely likable team was winning, capped by Game 6 of the Western Conference Semis when Patrick Kane scored his first career hat trick in a win over the Canucks. Ahh. Great stuff.
Scott: Cheating. Whether it was big name baseball players or NBA referees (or, most crushing of all, NBA superstars!), no one seemed to want to play fair and square. Granted, none of this, technically, took place this year, but it seems as if we found out about it all. Ortiz, Ramirez, Donaghy, Rodriguez. Should I go on? Y'all know the story, and I hate to be that guy that picks the easiest choice, but its hard to think about sports without thinking about these negatives. I've got better memories, sure, but these stick out the most.
Alastair: Alex Rodriguez trying hopelessly to fake tears as he admitted to his steroid use with the Rangers (but only with the Rangers). A-Rod was meant to be the "clean one" to break the All-Time home run record and replace the tainted Barry Bonds in the record books, but not shockingly, it was not to be. The revelations of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were also eye-opening (to some degree), but A-Rod really took the cake with his attempt at an apology. Of course, the Yankees went on to win title 27 with Rodriguez morphing into the second coming of Reggie Jackson, and no one really seems to care anymore.
Sports Pants: My lasting memory of this year is how the rich got richer while the rest of us poor schlubs had to watch. The Steelers, Lakers, and Yankees all won another championship while Florida and North Carolina took the college football and basketball championships. Even the college World Series was between traditional powers LSU and Texas. That's the year long memory. The year itself will be remembered for one thing and one thing only: Tiger unable to keep his wood in his pants. The damage to his persona took less than a month, but will be the gift that keeps on giving (or taking) throughout the rest of his golf career.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: So the BCS Bowls have been announced. You ok with the match-ups?
Jordan: For the first time in a while, the match-ups are all very interesting to me. As referenced Monday night, I really hate the fact that the BCS put TCU and Boise State in the same game. Still, I do want to watch that game to see which underdog wins the Fiesta Bowl. I also think the Bama/Texas game should be great, as should the Florida/Cincinnati game, given all that surrounds it (Tebow's last game, Brian Kelly may or may not still be coaching there, etc.). The Orange Bowl match-up isn't so great, given that ACC football stinks, so no matter who's in that game, it's mediocre. And the Rose Bowl game should be fun too, with Oregon being an exciting team to take on sweater-vest and Ohio State. Normally the only game I'm interested in is the National Title game, but I have to say I'm interested in all these BCS games with exception to the Orange Bowl. I'm also excited to see Northwestern play in the Outback Bowl. Congrats to Pat Fitzgerald and the 'Cats.
Scott: As you can imagine, I'm fine with the match-ups. Nothing gets me more excited than college football, especially around this time of year. Giminy Jee Whillickers, I love it! Nothing like strapping up for a bunch of games decided by computers after humans play their hearts out for several months all in a masked effort to simply bring more money to the various schools. Have I used the Jee Whillickers line yet? Pardon my excitement, but there are some things in this world that make a man blush and gush with joy, and this is one of them.
Alastair: Almost everyone in America (including myself) was rooting for a Florida-Texas national title game, or should I say, a Tim Tebow-Colt McCoy national title game. However, while it's not quite as flashy, the Alabama-Texas match-up is very intriguing and should be a fantastic game. Nick Saban brings a stacked defense which stuffed the top-ranked Gators in the SEC title game against a Heisman hopeful who's completing more than 70% of his passes. As far as the other games go, Boise State-TCU in the Fiesta Bowl wins by an absolute landslide. The two unbeaten nobodies who entered the final weekend with an outside shot at the championship game go head to head, and it's a great story (too bad we'll never know how good either team really is, stupid BCS). I wouldn't go out of my way to watch the Sugar, Rose, or Orange Bowls, not because they won't be good games, but because as a casual fan, they just don't matter. If you could brain-wash me into thinking it was part of a playoff, I might change my mind.
Sports Pants: I've heard a ton of complaints about the BCS putting TCU and Boise State in the same bowl. Most people want to see TCU lay the smack down on a big school, but TCU is in a lose/lose situation when it comes to bowl match-ups. The Rose Bowl took away Ohio State and Oregon because of the Big 10/Pac 10 tradition. If the Horned Frogs beat Iowa, no one would be even mildly surprised. Cincinnati isn't exactly a traditional BCS school, so that doesn't help the situation. It should be a big deal if TCU or Boise State got a chance to beat Florida, but even if that happened people would say that Florida didn't want to be in that bowl and had checked out mentally after the SEC Championship loss. I don't see Utah getting tons of respect after beating Alabama last year. So I'm fine with TCU playing Boise State because it will be the most exciting BCS bowl of the season. Meanwhile the Big 10 still won't get any respect and the Sugar Bowl will be played between a disinterested Florida and a distracted Cincinnati team who's coach is interviewing at Notre Dame. Blah.
After a wild weekend of sports, a couple of quick thoughts on some of the weekend sporting events...
Why would the BCS have pitted the two underdog teams against each other? TCU will meet Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Yay teams that aren't from the "BCS Conferences", as they both earned at-large bids and will play in a prestigious game. But didn't the powers that be miss the boat with this match-up? The point of putting teams like TCU and Boise State into these games is to gauge how well they'd fare against the bigger conference teams. Why didn't they understand this? If TCU had played Florida, and won, then there's really be a statement made. Just like when Boise State toppled Oklahoma a few years back. By putting these two underdogs against each other, neither team can make any statement of significance. This is why the BCS sucks, and college football can be a complete waste of time. Get a damn tournament so these teams can actually get a fair shake.
I'm sick of this Tiger Woods story. Really. Enough. Now every chick he's slept with in the last ten years is going to go public? Are you kidding? This story to me isn't sports anymore, it's National Enquirer/TMZ/Paparazzi garbage. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The accident itself is news. Fine. It is immoral that he had cheated on his wife. But that's his business, not ours. Just because he's a mega star doesn't give us the right to unearth every transgression this man has had in his past. Bottom line is, he shouldn't have gotten married. He should have stayed single, had all the women he wanted, and when he was past his prime, get married, have his family. He has faults, like everyone else. I don't want to hear about any more of these women. Please, stop reporting this on sports stations. It doesn't interest me, and I can't imagine the average American sports fan cares which women want their fifteen minutes of fame now that they can get it for sleeping with Woods.
How about Tim Donaghy on 60 Minutes last night? That was amazing stuff. Let me first say, 60 Minutes is one of the best television programs out there. The stories they have are really outstanding. And Donaghy was fascinating himself. Some of what Tim alleged wasn't new, but it's still crippling to the NBA's reputation. David Stern and all the NBA people can spin it that he's a crook and shouldn't be trusted, but Major League Baseball did that with Jose Canseco. Which of them do you believe now? Donaghy says league officials held tons of biases against players, which is probably true in every sport. What alarms me, though, is that the league knew about all this and was ok with it. To me, if I knew that certain referees had biases against certain players, and I'm working in the league office, I see to it that those referees never work games with those players involved. Furthermore, I wouldn't even allow those men to referee games, if for no other reason than to have plausible deniability. If the league doesn't know, how can they be completely held accountable later? Here's something else. How about the fact that the league would try to rig series so they'd last longer for the bigger named teams? We always wondered whether the games were rigged, and now Donaghy says they were! Amazing stuff. The people that love the NBA will continue to watch, but the people like me, that are very luke-warm on the league, are even more skeptical. I'll continue to watch the fourth quarter of a smattering of games, thank you very much. And that's it.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: What do you make of this whole Tiger Woods saga?
Jordan: To me, this is a story that has been blown way out of proportion because of his celebrity. Listen, Tiger Woods little "traffic accident" is why this got out in the first place, because that's news. Then, the TMZ's and National Enquirer's of the world decided to let the cat out of the bag on a story that many of us knew already that hadn't gotten out yet, which is that Tiger is highly unfaithful to his wife and has had a slough of extra-marital affairs. People have affairs all the time. I'm not saying it's right, or condonable, but it's none of our business. This is paparazzi type stuff, and the aforementioned "news" sources will continue to be all over this. Is Tiger a scumbag? I guess, but he's no bigger scumbag than the rest of the people who cheat on their wives. We only know because people want dirt on celebrities. Let's move on from this, is what I say.
Scott: I don't make too much of it, to be honest. From what I gathered, El Tigre got into an argument with his old lady, and hit something with his car. It wasn't like he was cruising around on the highway, drunk off his (you know what). What bothers me is, when are we as a society going to get over this ridiculous notion that celebrities and pro-athletes are impervious to the regular ills that befall the rest of mankind? People drink, people argue, people sometimes drink and drive, people sometimes do things they regret. This stuff happens. I'm not defending, rather just accepting. I think it's time we all do the same.
Alastair: There are three reasons why this story has received more attention than any shot the guy's ever hit: 1.) He's the most recognizable sporting icon on the planet, 2.) Upon first glance, it looks like drunk driving, and 3.) The National Enquirer (which has as much journalistic integrity as Jim Carrey in Liar Liar) reported that Tiger has potentially been cheating on his supermodel wife with some restaurant hostess in Australia. In a bigger shocker than Woods losing to Y.E. Yang at the PGA Championship, the hostess denied the affair. That's why people care about this seemingly insignificant car accident in Florida. It's the possibility of a DUI, or worse, a domestic dispute behind the crash. But let's check the facts, a word that's never been a part of the National Enquirer's vocabulary. No sign of alcohol consumption. No evidence of domestic violence. Nothing but help and concern from wife Elin at the scene. Everyone wants to know why Tiger has to be so secretive about the whole incident. Well, he's always been this way, and he doesn't owe the entire world an explanation. Let me know when the New York Times has something to report.
Sports Pants: I don't think anyone believes the Woods saga was a simple accident. He's not drunk, he slams his car into a fire hydrant and a tree and then his wife says she helped him out of his SUV by taking a golf club to the back window while he was in the front seat even though the front doors weren't ruined. Woods, however, is a savvy guy and knows that he's a public figure, so he will be as vague as he can be about this whole thing. Everything will be speculation until his wife writes a tell all book if they end up getting a divorce. It just proves Chris Rock's theory: show me the hottest woman you have ever seen and I'll find a guy who's tired of her. Maybe his wife is just crazy. We'll never know unless she needs money in the future.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
On this Thanksgiving Day, who is the biggest turkey in sports in 2009?
Jordan: Tom Cable is on the list for sure. Plax makes it for blowing his leg off. But I'm going with Milton Bradley. Call me a homer, but this guy is a psycho who doesn't deserve to be living amongst other civil humans. The guy destroys every clubhouse in baseball, and, he stinks. He had a terrible year, and every time the media and fans tried to give him another chance he'd rip them or lash out at them publicly, or fire a baseball into the bleachers with two outs. The guy's an idiot, and a turkey, and he may as well shove his head in the cavity of the turkey he has at his dinner tonight.
Scott: I could easily be accused of only looking at what's happened most recently, but I've got to give Allen Iverson my "Turkey of the Year" Award for 2009. Yes, that's right, A.I. The Answer is the answer to this question. Bah dumpt, chhhh. No, but honestly, Iverson's a complete turkey. He still can play, he still can contribute, and still be a damn good player in this league. As good as always? Of course not. But, his stubborn, even imbecilic, refusal to come off the bench for any team no matter the circumstances demonstrated his absolute me-first attitude that truly is disappointing. He's a great player, but to have his career end this way, because of him, that's too damn bad.
Alastair: Tom Cable and Larry Johnson finish in a tie for their general lack of respect for women. Johnson, however, isn't a huge fan of homosexuals either, so I guess he's the bigger turkey. Both of these gentlemen should gobble up some brain cells this Thanksgiving.
Sports Pants: From what I remember this year, A-Rod had a nice sit down talk about how he sort of kind of maybe used steroids once or a dozen times when he was a Texas Ranger (but he didn't inhale), Man-Ram got suspended for doing the same thing. Plax Burress decided to use his leg for target practice and then got too harsh of a sentence simply because of his celebrity status. Billy Gillespie proved he is as charming as a tarantula and got his ass dumped by Kentucky so John Calipari could bring his slick insincere ways in. Meanwhile, Rick Pitino was busy banging a crazy lady in a restaurant. Some jerk off sheriff in South Carolina got all up in arms because (gasp) Michael Phelps smoked pot in his state. Because that's never happened ever in the history of South Carolina. Rush Limbaugh failed in his attempt to buy an NFL team and still somehow managed to blame all Democrats for it. And Brett Favre retired and un-retired yet again. Jesus, do I have to pick just one? Fine, I'll pick JaMarcus Russell because he resembles a turkey in body type and a dead bird could probably play quarterback better than he does.
Since college football has such blah match-ups today--- the top teams are all gigantic favorites against teams like Florida International and Tennessee Chattanooga while the Michigan/Ohio State game will determine nothing except local bragging rights--- I guess today is a germane time to talk about a different kind of football. As in futbol.
While we Americans are knee deep in BCS madness and NFL playoff runs, the rest of the world is watching the World Cup qualifying games. One such game just took place between Ireland and France this past week. On the line was an invitation to the World Cup tournament next year.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: In the weekly "let's see who screwed up again" category, the University of Michigan took another one on the chin, as it's now being reported that the U didn't keep track of the time his team spent in football related activities in 2008, following a lengthy investigation. Considering that Rodriguez had a 3-9 Michigan team last year, and this year they're 5-6, (1-6 in the Big Ten), should Michigan fire him and go another direction, since the team isn't good and the school could end up in deep trouble?
Jordan: This is a hard question to answer, because I have been back and forth on what the best answer would be since I wrote it. I believe the biggest motivation for firing Rich Rod should be if he disgraces the university. If this time sheet scandal mushrooms into a big black eye for the school, on top of the fact that his team can't play a lick of defense (with Greg Robinson at defensive coordinator, by the way), you have to fire him because neither the on or off-field product is satisfactory. Any new coach, barring disaster, deserves 3 years in my mind to try and establish a system and a program. But if Michigan starts losing scholarships or the school finds itself in a monster scandal, dump him. Another point here too. Rich Rod's offense won't work in the Big Ten. The conference is set up for bruising defense and pro-style passing. The guy is trying to win in an uphill battle. You have to adapt to the conference. He's not, and if he thinks this is going to win, it likely won't anyway. But we'll see.
Scott: Scott chose not to answer this question on the plead of ignorance. He came up with his own question and answered it. An inventive strategy. But you can see his question/answer at the end of this post.
Alastair: If Michigan is spending excessive amounts of time on football-related activities, shouldn't it be better than 1-6 in the Big Ten? If Rich Rodriguez did indeed violate NCAA rules (would you be shocked if he did?), the Wolverines have every right to fire him. And they should. He's succeeded in bringing a high octane running game to Ann Arbor as his team leads the Big Ten on the ground, but that's about all he's accomplished thus far. His defense allows 28 points and 400 yards a game, and the competition has proven to be a tad tougher than the Big Least at West Virginia. I know there's patience involved with college coaching as guys slowly try to recruit players to their respective systems, but this is bad publicity to go along with Michigan's bad team. Maybe he took over a declining program, but if you play for the Wolverines, you're not a scrub. Anything short of an upset over #10 Ohio State, and I say good riddance.
Sports Pants: Rodriguez definitely doesn't have much of a start in Big Blue land. But the worst thing you can do in college football is to start having a coaching carousel. If I'm a blue chip college recruit, I want to go to a program that isn't going to suddenly change while I'm there. I want to be in a place where I can fit into a system I was recruited for. Michigan already went through one upheaval when Rodriguez came in. If Michigan makes changes this quickly, the university is going to look like it doesn't know what it wants and rival schools will have a field day with that. The only reason Michigan should make a coaching change this year is if Rodriguez embarrasses the program (aside from on the field), or Michigan can find a coach that is such a perfect fit, he will galvanize the program like Bob Stoops and Mack Brown did at Oklahoma and Texas. And hey, it could be worse. Lane Kiffin has recruits that just attempted armed robbery in Tennessee. Oops. That said, Rich Rod better win some damn games soon.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
Larry Johnson has been cut by the Chiefs following his suspension. What do you make of his situation, and should any NFL team without a good option at running back pick him up?
Jordan: Larry Johnson is an older back who has been punished by defenses for the last few years and he's no longer even close to the player he was a few years ago. More importantly, he's a jerk. As a fan of the Bears, who have the 28th ranked rushing game in the league, I'm not clamoring for Johnson's services for a second. The guy is polarizing, he'd likely become a media hazard, and he won't be able to back it up with performance. Even though T.O. was a lightning rod for years, we all knew that even though he was controversial (NOT for the same reasons) he was going to get the job done on the field. When was LJ's last good game? I don't even remember. Forget this guy, I say. Oh and one more thing, why does everyone think he'd be magically cured should New England sign him? Because Randy Moss and Corey Dillon cooperated while there? Different situations. Pats, forget about him.
Scott: I hate Larry Johnson with a fiery passion (deep within your loins?). Does that explain what it is that I make of his situation? I hope that doesn't come off as snippy to you or any of the other distinguished members of our panel. But this Johnson fella, Jesus Louisus. Homosexual slurs, throwing drinks at girls at night clubs, general surliness, selfish attitude. Oh yeah, and he's stunk (big time) the last several years. I wouldn't touch with him with someone else's 10-foot pole. Besides all of the other obvious red flags, he's an older (I know, 29 in real life isn't old but most of us don't get this sh*t beaten out of us for a living) running back in the NFL. No way in hell.
Alastair: So I guess making slurs against homosexuals and underlying the authority of one's head coach doesn't fly these days? It's hard to judge Johnson on how he's run the ball this year, given how thoroughly dissatisfied he was with his situation in KC. 2.7 yards per carry is bad, but with a better offensive line (re: any other offensive line), I have no doubt he could put up solid numbers. The guy did have back to back 1,700 yard seasons once upon a time for the Chiefs. The team was right to release him. At 1-7, it doesn't appear that losing a disgruntled running back is going to cost them a playoff spot. The beauty of the NFL is that no franchise is forced to play hostage to a malcontent. Multiple backs have become the trend in the league, so any team with a sub par running game (Arizona, Indy, Chicago, Seattle) should be making calls.
Sports Pants: Well, if you look down about one or two stories, you'll see that I already posted my thoughts on the L.J. situation. Let me explain...no, there is too much, let me sum up. Johnson has been acting like an a-hole of the highest order in the city that somehow exists in both Kansas and Missouri. The fans no longer liked him and he made it clear he hated his situation. He's done nothing for two and a half years, but coincidentally, neither have the Chiefs. Since the bye week of 2007, Kansas City has two wins. So has Johnson hit the running back wall or is the team around him just awful? I know the second part of that statement is true. Johnson is best when he controls the clock, but that's hard to do when your team falls behind by 14 points by the second quarter. So maybe L.J. can go to a better team that actually, you know, blocks, and become a late game force for a playoff team. He'd better check his attitude at the door wherever he goes, or he'll find himself right back out with the 17% (or whatever the real figure is) of unemployed Americans.
As you probably saw, Berning On Sports has now reached 200,000 hits!
Thank you all for your tremendous support of Berning On Sports! And thanks to Scott, Alastair and Sports Pants for bringing more and more people here. We appreciate your continued loyalty to this site and we hope you continue coming here in the future.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Chase Utley tied the record for most home runs in a world series, belting a 3 run homer off A.J. Burnett in the 1st inning of Game 5 and a second big fly later on. Utley is widely regarded as one of the better players in baseball, but should we be putting him in the top 5 in the game? Top 3?
Jordan: When I wrote this question, I knew I'd get some backlash, and I love the points the boys make here. I think there's absolutely no doubt that Chase Utley is the best 2nd baseman in the game. He's the best offensive 2-bagger, and he's good defensively as well. In terms of the top 3 in baseball, I'd put Pujols at number one (obviously) and A-Rod at number two, although he's fluctuated in and out of my top two over the last couple years. Third I'd put either Hanley Ramirez or Joe Mauer, but it would be close. After that, you could make the case for Utley to be in the top 5. In terms of an overall player, I'd rank him ahead of some of the power hitting first basemen that put up more prolific numbers than him because of the defense, the steals, and the far fewer strikeouts. Utley is a great, great player. And Scott makes a great point about his playoff success in his answer...
Scott: No way. Not a chance. People have a habit of doing this, and it's disgusting. Last year, people were slobbering all over B.J. Upton after he blew up in the postseason. Same with Carlos Beltran a few years back. Chase Utley's a fine player, a great player even. But, top 3, top 5 in the game is a bit too far for me. Utley's crushing the ball, and that's fine, but this is just a stretch of great games. In this series alone, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira are players I'd rather start a team with. To be honest, I'd probably take Ryan Howard over Utley. He's improved his defense, and he's a far bigger offensive threat. Utley's doing incredibly well, but top 3 or 5 is way too high.
Alastair: Chase Utley is one of the main reasons (along with guys like Dustin Pedroia, Ian Kinsler, Dan Uggla, and Robinson Cano) why 2nd base is no longer a weak offensive position. That role has since been assumed by Major League shortstops, with apologies to Hanley Ramirez. Pujols, Teixeira, and A-Rod: All still better than Utley. Teammate Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder are different hitters with more power and run production (also more K's), so it's a tough call with them. One could make a case for younger guys like Ryan Braun and Evan Longoria, and Miguel Cabrera's in the team photo for sure (no need to zoom in for him). Joe Mauer and Adrian Gonzalez aren't obvious choices, but they belong in the discussion as well. But any time you can guarantee 30 and 100 from a second baseman, I'll take him top 5 any day of the week. Plus, the guy get's on base like nobody's business, stole 23 bases this year, and apparently he's the second coming of Reggie Jackson.
Sports Pants: Geez. Top 3? Wow. Well, you have Pujols at number one and after this post season I think you need to put A-Rod at number 2. After that you can make an argument for Utley, but you can make an argument for other guys like Joe Mauer and Hanley Ramirez. Then there are guys like Grady Sizemore and Ryan Bruan who may not have had top seasons this year, but are considered big time players. There are too many variables to rank every player in baseball, but what you can do is rank Utley against his fellow second basemen and he compares favorably to most. He has more stolen bases than Dustin Pedroia and has a much better OBP than Ian Kinsler. Throw in his World Series heroics and you have an argument for Mr. Utley.
Happy November everybody. It was a great weekend of sports and there were plenty of thoughts running through my head this weekend that I thought I'd share with all of you.
As expected, the game was massively hyped. But like the first Favre vs. Packers game on Monday Night Football last month, this one provided fantastic entertainment value and was actually worth all the discussion.
Favre was booed mercilessly as he ran onto the turf that he called his own for 16 years, and then he caused the Cheeseheads to boo plenty more as #4 threw four touchdown passes, the 21st time in his career he's done that. Oh, and it's another NFL record he's tied. Dan Marino did the same thing. Favre will likely pass him soon.
You have to marvel at what Favre has done this year. Sure, he's got probably the best team around him he's had in a few years. But the man is 40 and yesterday he was the best player on Lambeau Field. For that, you've got to tip your cap. Say what you want about him, but he's still one of the best NFL quarterbacks in the league, when most people his age are cutting grass on Sunday afternoons. Another fantastic performance from a sports legend.
A-Rod Comes Though, Yankees Up 3-1 in Fall Classic
As Alex Rodriguez stepped to the plate in yesterday's 9th inning of Game 4, my dad yelled upstairs to me.
"A-Rod is mentally weak!" he proclaimed. "No way he's getting a hit here."
"Dad, the guy has been Ruthian in this year's playoffs," I yelled back. "I think he's getting a hit."
"He's a choker and a cheater!" Dad yells back.
Seconds later Brad Lidge uncorked a meatball and Rodriguez feasted on it, blasting the fastball down the left field line and off the wall to score the go-ahead run with two outs in the top of the 9th. Johnny Damon comes home to score, Jorge Posada rips one to the gap to score the remaining two base runners, and game, set, match. Yankees win.
"Hey dad, what flavor of crow would you like? You ready to eat it?"
"Yeah, whaddaya got?"
"It's steroid flavored," I yell down. "Clutch flavored."
A-Rod has 15 RBI in this post season. That's tied for the most by any Yankee in the post season. And his team is a win away from their first World Series crown. Guess we can put to bed the whole "A-Rod's not clutch" garbage.
And I'm just happy I was right and Dad was wrong. Love when that happens.
It is easy for all the experts to rip Charlie Manuel this morning, in hindsight, for not starting ace Cliff Lee in game four of the world series. Manuel wanted his ace to start on full rest in Game 5, when he goes tonight opposite A.J. Burnett. The Phillies hope he's ready to dominate the way he did in game one or this series, in the words of Hawk Harrelson, is "OVAH" tonight.
Having thought about it, I can see why Manuel thought he could save his ace for game five. Many people, including Manuel, thought the Phillies pitching staff was deep enough and good enough that they wouldn't need to throw Lee on 3 days rest. Turns out Cole Hamels is crap. We knew Joe Blanton wasn't much, and he kept his team in the game although he didn't pitch spectacularly.
Bottom line is this: the Phillies negated C.C. Sabathia with Pedro Feliz homering off of one of the more overrated pitchers in baseball. Fact is, despite the match-up, if Brad Lidge doesn't blow it, the Phillies had a chance to win last night in the 9th. Had they won, they could have dropped the hammer tonight with Cliff Lee. Does it look bad now? Yes. But I'm not going to kill Manuel for this. You have to put some faith in your players, and he did. Maybe it hasn't worked out, but not all his fault.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: The World Series begins Wednesday Night in the Bronx when the Yankees take on the reigning champion Phillies. Who ya picking and why?
Jordan: I've been back and forth on this a couple of times over the last few days, because I think this World Series is compelling due to the similarities of both teams. Both have great offense. Both have an excellent, left-handed ace. Both have deep benches. Certainly closer is a greater disparity but the way Brad Lidge has pitched in October, he's closed the gap a little. This should be a great series, and I'm absolutely excited about watching it. I'm going with the Yankees to win it, in seven, and here's why. It's very hard to win back to back World Series. And while the Rays were a great story last year, the Phillies weren't exactly challenged in that series. This year they'll face a team very much like themselves, but with a shut-down closer, the best ever, in Mariano Rivera. Scott astutely pointed out earlier this week the Yankees' offensive struggles over the first two series for guys not named Jeter or A-Rod. Still, the way the Yankees have found miraculous ways to win both in this year's post season and this year's regular season, that's the mark of a champion. With the home field advantage and the Bronx crowd, that may just be the edge the Yanks need to capture title number 27.
Scott: First of all, if you ever utter the phrase "who ya picking" to me in person, we can't be friends. Ever. OK, now that we're past that...I'm taking the Yankees, but I'm not confident. That may jinx them, sure, but I'm past that. I think the Yankees have better pitching, both starting and relieving (specifically relieving). Still, it's a tough series to predict, because you couldn't get more similar teams if you tried. Top heavy rotations back-ended by old guns, loaded lineups that hit for power and draw walks, and clutch, late game ability. The Yankees have Number 42, and no matter how good Brad Lidge has been, he ain't no Mo. Yankees, in 7.
Alastair: I'll take the Yankees high powered offense against Cliff Lee (ERA over 5 in his career against the Yanks) and Cole Hamels (hasn't lasted longer than 5 and a 1/3 this postseason). C.C. Sabathia has been virtually untouchable in October, and there's no question Joe Girardi will start him in 3 games if he has to. Plus, I know Brad Lidge has thrown 4 scoreless playoff innings despite a terrible regular season, but how can you go against Mariano when it counts? As much as it kills me to say, with homefield and such a solid team all year, it's meant to be in the Bronx this year. 6 year old Yankee fans will finally get that elusive title.
Sports Pants: If you could come up with a World Series match up I was least likely to watch, you couldn't do much better than the Phillies and Yankees, so I won't waste your time analyzing a series that I probably won't watch more than two innings of. I'll say the Yankees win in six because money talks and they bought more players. Then all the obnoxious Yankees fans can dance around like it's their divine right to have a championship and in the off-season the pinstripes will go out and sign two or three more All-Stars. Meanwhile, A-Rod will be photographed snuggling with Miley Cyrus and will make some lame excuse as to what he was actually doing that insults everyone's intelligence. Then spring training will begin. Done.
I bet you think that title has to do with a struggling football team or the baseball playoffs. It doesn't.
It has to do with my personal number one nightmare in life.
The next time you punch a wall/table/loved one over the fetor of your struggling team, be happy that your bruised hand will heal back up. The next time you curse because you got up from the couch and cracked your leg against the coffee table, know that you'll be able to walk again.
The catalyst for these comments is the story about a three year old boy named Josh Scoble:
It's like a twisted power from X-Men, one that no one would ever want. Every day that goes by, more of Josh's muscles inexplicably turn to bone. Josh already has trouble moving his neck and doctors predict he will be unable to move at all by his 40's. Injuries make it worse. At least his parents are allowing Josh to enjoy his young life before it becomes hell on earth.
Just think to yourself: "what would I do if faced with this disease?" Would you stay with life until the ugly end knowing that you will spend an undetermined amount of time as a living statue, or would you eventually become incredibly interested in the works of Dr. Kevorkian?
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Three sweeps in the Division Series and just one series that went four games. Which series result was most surprising and which was least surprising?
Jordan: The biggest surprise to me, far and away, was the Dodgers sweep of the Cardinals. As you know if you read this site, I thought the Cardinals would sweep the Dodgers. St. Louis had the two best pitchers in the National League (Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright) and the best player in baseball (Albert Pujols) and a mid-season stretch-run acquisition (Matt Holliday) who killed the ball in the 2nd half. They were the team built to be a prototype world series contender. Instead, they booted the ball around, blew games late with their suspect bullpen (which Scott and I did say would be a problem in the podcast) and played a horrifying series. I really am shocked. BUT I'm also very excited! HAHAHA Cards fans! Oh, and least surprising was the Yankees. Twins were beat up and had no chance. Yanks were clearly better.
Scott: There's no question about it, the Dodgers sweeping the Cardinals was obviously the most surprising. Loaded with the two big guns (Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter) and the big bats (Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday), this team looked like it had World Series written all over it. Then, the bats fell asleep, Carpenter wasn't sharp, and Holliday forgot what to do with his glove. You could tell by the looks on the Cardinals faces that not even they were quite sure what the hell happened. Neither was I
Alastair: The least surprising was the Yankees sweep of the Twins, although without A-Rod all of a sudden becoming clutch in October, the series would have looked a lot different heading back to Minnesota. The Yankees have been the best team in the American League for some time now, and the Twins were a great story, but just an average team that got hot at the right time. Surprisingly, it was their relatively thin starting pitching that kept them competitive in 2 of the 3 games (did anyone see Carl Pavano's stuff on Sunday, where's that been for the last 6 years!?), but it was a huge mismatch from the beginning. The most surprising was the other AL match-up, as the Red Sox couldn't take one game from a team they had dominated in recent postseason history. More specifically, the Sox' offense brought toothpicks to Anaheim and couldn't touch John Lackey or Jered Weaver, and Jonathan Papelbon had arguably the worst outing of his entire career on his way to blowing game 3. Boston is no stranger to going down early in playoff series, but there's usually a comeback involved. Maybe Terry Francona thought it was a 7 game series...
Sports Pants: Both the Dodgers sweep of the Cardinals and the Angels sweep of the Bo Sox surprised me. The Red Sox usually give the Angels fits and I figured the St. Louis pitching would take at least one game. The least surprising sweep was the Yankees over the Twins. New York won all year long versus Minnesota and everyone knew that the Twins were the best possible match-up for the Yankees group of mercenaries. Oh well Twinkies, it was fun while it lasted. Now go slash some more payroll.
If you haven't seen it before, Zach Galifianakis (bearded guy from The Hangover) has his own little internet talk show called Between Two Ferns. It's just Zach and a guest sitting on a set titivated by, what else, two ferns. Wonderful interviews:
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: What'd you think of Brett Favre's first revenge tour against the Vikings? Should Twin Cities residents be booking their Super Bowl tickets now?
Jordan: He was awesome. He really was. It's kind of weird for me because I have Favre on my fantasy team but it's no secret what I think of him. Still, last night he looked like the 2007 version of himself that took the Packers within a game of the Super Bowl. Brett Favre looks rejuvenated to me, and it's because he's back in the division he belongs. This is a guy who spent 16 years in the NFC North, and he looks comfortable in Minnesota. He never seemed that way to me in New York. I'm not making excuses for the guy. He choked last season and stunk it up down the stretch for the Jets. But he looks like a quarterback on a mission. He wanted revenge on the Packers, and he kicked their ass. He wants revenge on the league, to leave one more enormous imprint on the game. The Vikings will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Scott: Favre looked amazing on Monday night. Any of that nonsense he tried spewing that this wasn't a big game for him was disproved in how hyped he looked. He looked like a giddy school girl, and (I'd imagine) more importantly, he played like a young gunner. Then again though, when he was healthy for the 1st three quarters of last season, he looked damn good too. This guy can still play, and he can still deliver the ball into a tight spot with a ton of zip. But, it's that same zealous attitude towards passing into tight spots and injury question mark that would make me say, ease up with Super Bowl tickets purchasing. First, he's gotta stay healthy. Second, it's way too early. Hell, the 49ers are still winning.
Alastair: Brett Favre played a nearly perfect game on Monday night, and you have to acknowledge what he's doing this year. Annoying (annoying isn't really the right word, mind-numbing?) soap opera aside, you can't argue with 8 TD's, 1 INT, 68% completion percentage, and a 4-0 record. All that said about the Wrangler jeans wearing gunslinger, let's not forget what happened last year in New York. Favre threw 9 picks and just 2 touchdowns in the final 5 games, 4 of which resulted in Jets losses and eventually cost them what should have been a sure playoff berth. Some have made the case that Eric Mangini was to blame for his inability to reel Favre in and limit his mistakes. But it was number 4 who made those decisions, and you have to wonder if Favre can avoid those bonehead throws in clutch situations this year. The Vikings have been impressive, but don't act like they're already heading to Miami. That defense can still be gashed through the air with the right game plan, and let's wait and see how Brett handles the 2nd half.
Sports Pants: Brett Favre had an awesome night against his former team which started some rumblings about whether the cheese-heads made the right decision in getting rid of him when he came out of retirement. Here's the thing though, I could have had a decent night the way the Minnesota line played Monday night. If you switch out quarterbacks, I bet Aaron Rodgers has a superb night behind the Minnesota line. The Vikings are definitely one of the teams to beat in the NFC right now, but I wouldn't advise those who wear shades of purple to start making replicas of the Lombardi trophy yet. Remember, the Cowboys started 4-1 last season, the Redskins started 6-2, and the Tennessee Titans won their first 10 games. None won a playoff game. It's a long season and if the Vikings lose Adrian Peterson or have a rash of injuries across that magnificent line at the wrong time, it will be another long, unhappy winter in Minneapolis.
Well, that was fun. For a fleeting moment, we all thought Chicago had a great chance to host the 2016 Olympics. The city was the odds on favorite to win the bid because of the well built infrastructure and a certain president who calls it home.
Yet even Barack Obama's impassioned speech couldn't save the Windy City from being the first city eliminated from the running in a stunning turn of events. Rio will be the host city for the 2016 games, the first time the games have gone to South America. Good luck keeping order in that beautiful, but crime infested city. My over/under on kidnapped tourists is four.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: After seeing the story that New Mexico Football coach Mike Locksley and an assistant got into a fight prior to his team's game last week which two coaches, in any sport, would you most like to see fight?
Jordan: I was going to make a reference to a certain coach Ditka and God, but I think Alastair's answer is the funniest answer of any answer we've ever had in Connect Four. After reading it, my Ditka v. God fight pales in comparison to yours. Tip of the cap to you, sir.
Scott: Good question, Eddie. Let's see...Does this only include current coaches? If it does, I'm going to have to say Mike Tomlin and Joe Paterno. Why? One looks so young that he could still play, the other so old it looks he...well, it looks like he isn't alive. The twisted, demented side of all of us would get some joy out of seeing a no-holds bar a**-whooping. If it included any and all coaches, I'd have to say I'd want to see Jeff Van Gundy involved. He looks like he could throw down. Ask Alonzo Mourning.
Alastair: The sports world is clamoring for the following heavyweight match-up: Mark Mangino, the fattest coach in college football, vs. Andy Reid, the fattest coach in the NFL. With a combined weight that must be approaching 700 lbs., this would have to take place in some kind of sumo ring in Japan, both combatants wearing diapers of course. A large Baconator Value Meal from Wendy's will be placed in the middle of the ring before each colossal human is released toward the deliciously fattening prize. Honestly, what you rather watch? A University of Kansas football game, a Philadelphia Eagles football game, or a wrestling match between two fatties with their own gravitational pull. If your answer does not involve half naked fat guys, you are simply un-American. Hey, it could be great way to raise money for the National Association for the Advancement of Fat People.
Sports Pants: Well, I think the obvious choice that everyone wants to see is a main event showdown at midfield between Lane Kiffin and Urban Meyer. They've been talking through the media this whole time, the moment has come for a SEC throw down in a steel cage. The winner gets to have Kiffin's hot wife, Layla. Actually, both men will be too tired and sore to spend any time with her, so I'll keep her company. In the NFL, I'd love to see the Bay Area battle between Oakland's Tom Cable and San Francisco's Mike Singletary. Cable has already proven he's not afraid to punch people, but Samurai Mike is like a Tasmanian Devil with a headset and I don't think Cable will know what hit him.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Having seen and read about the prices at the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, do professional sports teams owe it to their fans to make their ticket/concession prices affordable to fans? Or are these events a privilege for the financially elite?
Jordan: The Cowboys new stadium looks incredible, and I understand the economics. I realize to have a $1.5 billion stadium, you need to make up the expense somewhere. But really, the prices at this place are gross. Professional sports teams owe it to their fans to make prices somewhat reasonable so that the common man can attend. I watched Jerry Jones explain to Bob Costas on Sunday night that there were "affordable" options, saying that you could stand in the nosebleed section for $59 or sit in the top rows for $79. (regular seats apparently start at $250 per ticket) In a stadium that seats over 100,000 fans, that's affordable? $60 bucks to stand hundreds of feet in the air? Let me remind you all what Alastair pointed out not too long ago, that a pizza in a suite is some astronomical price as well as $65 for a case of beer. This place may be beautiful, but it's only catering to the financial elite. For all the people that spent a ton of time and effort to watch the games and follow the team on a day in and day out basis, a family of four shouldn't need to pay $1000 for four seats to a Cowboys game. It's absurd. Do your fans a favor at least in certain sections. Oh, and the scoreboard is too low and punters are pelting it. Nice going, Jer.
Alastair: I can't really knock any team for driving up ticket prices, especially a team that spends north of a billion dollars on its new stadium. Sports are big business, and when it comes to business, there is no room for emotion if you want to be successful. The Cowboys know they can fill that mammoth of a stadium every week without catering to struggling, blue-collar Americans who just want to take their kids to a game. Would it be nice for every little Cowboys fan to go watch Tony Romo choke under pressure? Of course, but it's not a fan's right to be able to purchase an affordable ticket. I'm a Patriots fan and I've never seen a regular season game at Gillette Stadium, but I'm not about to go crying to Bob Craft in Foxboro about $50 standing room tickets. It's all about the Benjamins, and when you only have to fill the stands about 10 times a year, there's no reason to drop prices until people don't want to watch your product anymore (that means you Lions and Rams). So until pigs fly, just plan on mortgaging your future for a crappy beer, over-battered chicken fingers, and poor sightlines.
Scott: In reality, the answer should be a resounding, roof-top shouting, yes! In a fair world, yes. However, in reality, these teams owe nothing to their fans. Though it is because of fans, rich and poor, that grown men are allowed to play games for money and (often times) live above and around the law and common society, it's gotten to a point where all that matters is the bottom line. And that bottom line means that all that matters is whether or not someone (not necessarily you) can afford to go to the games. As long as that someone is alive, the regular fans may be S.O.L.
Sports Pants: I believe we all know how I feel about this. It’s a free market and teams are allowed to charge whatever they want, but teams also run the risk of destroying any kind of personality the home stadium may have. No matter what kind of hokey crap the P.R. department can think up to make the stadium original, nothing compares to what fans do. Jerry Jones has made it abundantly clear that he has no time for the regular fan. As a result, I think you’ll see tons of empty seats over the years as corporate ticket holders decide to go on a nice trip to Hawaii rather than attend the game. It’s too bad because the fans (aka taxpayers) helped fund the new stadium, which is why I think teams do owe it to fans to keep prices in the realm of fair. Fans may not have the cash that financially elite corporations so, but they make the team relevant. Some decisions shouldn’t just be about cold, hard cash. The new Cowboys Stadium is amazing, but once the novelty wears off, you’ll see plenty of empty seats.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Did Ohio State do anything to dispel the reputation that the Big Ten can't compete with the other power conferences in college football by keeping it close against USC on Saturday? Or is the Big Ten still a cut below the SEC and Pac 10?
Jordan: I think it did a little, but not enough. Ohio State is a team that is the class of a conference that has been down for a few years, but needs to beat USC, especially at home, to really call into question the Big Ten's reputation in comparison to others. Almost winning isn't good enough, especially at the 'Shoe. The bottom line is this: if Ohio State was going to beat USC, this was the year for them to do it. USC came in with a freshman quarterback, and lost a lot of its defense. Really, if Ohio State can't beat them in those circumstances, how can anyone in Columbus think this year is going to be any different than any of the last few seasons? The Buckeyes are a good college football team, but they're not as good as the teams in the top conferences. Period. And one other thing, Terrelle Pryor just isn't that good. Most overrated player in the country, I think. Can he be a good college quarterback? Yes, because good college quarterbacks don't necessarily have to be great passers. But the Buckeyes aren't fast enough as an offense to allow Pryor to be an option QB, and they don't run an offense in which he can flourish.
Scott: No comment. Actually, I have a comment. Jim Tressel, the 1970's called, they want their sweater vest back.
Alastair: You know what would have been more impressive for Ohio State and the Big Ten? How about beating USC at home? The Trojans are a top 5 team without a doubt, but don't make them out to be some untouchable giant. They're starting a true freshman at quarterback (Matt Barkley) for the first time in program history, and they just lost one of the best linebacking corps in recent memory. Ohio State isn't one of these programs that's trying to establish a name or prove that it belongs; the Buckeyes should already be there. If Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow was at the Horseshoe on Saturday, that game's not even close. So just because the Bucks came within a few minutes of beating the #3 team in the land in front of a sea of red, people shouldn't act like it adds legitimacy to what should be an elite program. In case you haven't heard, Ohio State hasn't done too well against college football's best in recent years, so there should be absolutely no moral victories to take from this loss.
Sports Pants: THE Ohio State played an inspired game that pushed USC to the limit and the Buckeyes dispelled nothing. Don't get me wrong, the Buckeyes are clearly the class of the Big 10 along with Penn State and they could even win a major bowl game if they catch the right team, but in terms of national championships, THE Ohio State and the Big 10 have proven that they just can't compete. The Buckeyes had every motivation in the world to beat USC on Saturday and had the Trojans coming into Columbus with a true freshman QB and a defense that lost all three linebackers as high picks in the NFL Draft. The Trojans were ripe for the picking, but (sigh) THE Ohio State still couldn't close the deal. A Big 10 title? Absolutely. National Title? No one is going to give the Buckeyes or the Big 10 another chance to embarrass themselves on the national stage until they prove that they belong.
The track and field world has been buzzing after puissant and manly South African female runner Caster Semenya dominated the women's 800 meter race. Other countries cried foul, (in Austin Powers voice) "That woman is a maaan, baby!"
She does look like Shannon Sharpe with lipstick (not a real big compliment for a woman) and the word "semen" is right there in her last name. It's just there taunting us.
Then the poop really hit the fan when International Association of Athletics Federations (some sort of governing body) ordered Semenya to get a gender test done. The South African government claimed unfair profiling. Just because Semenya isn't a dainty woman who adheres to the Western standard of beauty shouldn't force her to be ridiculed.
Did you know there was a lingerie football league? I've heard about it multiple times, but I just assumed it was like Bigfoot or the WNBA: something we all know about, but that doesn't actually exist.
Lingerie football does indeed exist, but it's still rough around the edges. For instance, league officials were stunned today when they saw that women playing football in lingerie might accidentally show some brief nudity. It was caught on film:
You can practically hear the horrified screams of the puritan crowd. The only thing missing from that play is a pile of malapropisms from an ex-player. Is Emmitt Smith available?
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Richard Seymour was traded to the Raiders for draft picks after putting forth a great effort for New England in multiple Super Bowl years. Is this just how the business goes or did Seymour get poorly treated? And what do you make of the trade?
Jordan: I realize this is a business decision and it may ultimately be better for the Patriots. Seymour is almost 30, his best years are most likely behind him, and the Patriots are trying to rebuild a defense on the fly. But shouldn't there be some kind of loyalty to the players that have brought your franchise its greatest run of success in its history? I'm not saying give the guy a contract extension, but why dump him with a year left when he could still be a good defensive end for the Patriots in 2009? And to send him to Oakland is an even bigger slap in the face! If I'm Seymour, I wouldn't want to report to Oakland either, but ultimately he should. Despite the compliments Bill Belichick and his teammates paid him, I'd be spitting fire I'd be so mad. And by the way, it's a good trade for the Patriots, a dumb trade for the Raiders, but isn't that how any deal with these two teams would end up?
Scott: As someone that tries (quite hard) to avoid all things Boston-related, I can't say I know a ton of how poorly Seymour was treated. I'm sure if you asked him, he'd say it was awful, and if you asked the Patriots they say they did what they had to do and that they really "wish him the best". Or something like that (Billy Madison voice). Either way, this is how things go in the NFL. And the Patriots have seemingly always made moves like this at the right time. Mike Vrabel to KC, letting guys like Lawyer Milloy go free. They seem to be on top of things in this (and basically every) area. Also, to get a 1st-round pick makes it honestly feel like the Raiders are being paid by some comedian somewhere to stay relevant as a punchline for sports pundits world-wide.
Alastair: It's the classic short term vs. long term argument. Seymour was due to count nearly $10 million against the 2009 salary cap, and this was clearly a financial move from the start. The Patriots need to clear room to re-sign disgruntled nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who is not only younger, but also much more important in the team's 3-4 scheme. They get a 2011 first round pick from the Raiders (their coaches spend more time punching each other than game planning), which will likely net them a quality player down the road. Seymour is a 5 time Pro Bowler and 3 time Super Bowl champion, but he's had a lot of injury issues and is not the same All-Pro type defensive end he was 5 years ago. New England believes it has enough depth on the line to justify the move, but the defense had a lot of question marks before the trade, and it's certainly not going to make them any better. With Tom Brady healthy, the Pats clearly have a Super Bowl offense, but a championship defense is now an even bigger question mark.
Sports Pants: Can the NFL please disallow any further trade talks between the Raiders and Patriots? Al Davis seems to have some sort of financial ties in the Patriots because he constantly tries to help that team out. Randy Moss for a 4th round draft pick? Vomit. Then he gives the Pats brooding push rushing specialist Derrick Burgess for a bag of jellybeans. (editors note: if they were banana jelly beans I'd say its worth it. Have you ever had those? SO good.) Now the Raiders give a first round draft pick for a talented DL who is getting to the end of his career. Does Davis think that the Raiders are this close to a Super Bowl run and only need a veteran defender to put them over the top? Seymour has every right to be upset the the Pats just up and traded him after all that he's done for that team, but that's the nature of today's NFL, so he'll need to get over it. Ask Willie McGinest, Corey Dillon, Lawyer Milloy, Drew Bledsoe, and all the other former Patriots who have been shipped off over the years.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Ricky Rubio is headed back to Spain to play for FC Barcelona, and won't be in the NBA until at least 2010. What do you make of Rubio's plans? And, how would you feel if you were a T-Wolves fan?
Jordan: I agree with everything Scott says below. In addition, not a good idea for Rubio to call out Minnesota for being too cold and an undesirable place to play. What a boob. And if I were a T-Wolves fan, I'd be furious. This guy is an arrogant clown for no reason. So you schooled a bunch of guys in Spain? Congrats. I hope Jonny Flynn becomes a superstar and Minnesota forgets you were ever drafted. For the rest of my thoughts exactly, read Scott's rant.
Scott: F**K RICKY RUBIO. Does that make my feelings 100 and 10 million percent clear about his plans? This is disgraceful what went down for the hapless Wolves. When you enter into a draft, you shouldn't be allowed to go back to the league you came from. That's part of the whole "entering" thing that seems to go by the way side. Do you mean to tell me he'd have went back to Spain if he was drafted by the Knicks? Or, how about this little nugget (reason number one billion and three you don't believe a word out of athlete's mouths)? This all coming from, by the way, a kid that's never proved a single thing. He's been good over there, but not amazing. He's dazzled a few times, but people that know basketball way (way) better than I do have killed him for his immaturity, his turnovers, and his poor defense. Bottom line. Forget (or another F word) him.
Alastair: Everyone is viewing this decision as some kind of disaster for the Timberwolves and their fans, but I really don't see it that way. The T-Wolves retain Rubio's NBA rights as long as he's playing professionally, and he now becomes their ace in the hole. David Kahn drafted Johnny Flynn (likely the more NBA-ready player) out of Syracuse to run the point this year, knowing that this was a distinct possibility. Minnesota won't be any good for at least 2 more years (the time frame for which Rubio is reportedly locked in at FC Barcelona), and the consensus on Rubio was that he needed more time to mature before crossing the Atlantic anyway. I guess it's annoying considering the hype surrounding this kid, but it all goes back to the fact that it was a weak draft starving for story lines. Plus, you can't expect Dickie Rubes (feel free to call him that) to shell out $7.5 million for a buyout just to leave Spain now. He might not have that kind of dough right now, but if it wants to get paid one day, he'd better be one heck of a floor general in 2 years.
Sports Pants: Well, at least we know why Minnesota took two point guards back to back in the draft. Rubio's plans are financial ones. NBA rules limit the Timberwolves to pay only 500 grand towards a buyout of Rubio from his Spanish team contract. His Spanish team wants eight million. So Rubio will stay in Spain so he doesn't have to figure out how to pay $7.5 million for a buyout. The T-Wolves will still hold the rights to Rubio no matter when he comes over, so he isn't holding out for a better team. Meanwhile, ole Jonny Flynn gets first crack at trying to entrench himself as the Minnesota point guard. If I'm a T-Wolves fan, I'm desperately hoping that team gets the front office together in time to take advantage when Rubio finally does make it over. This could be a major trade in two years and the Wolves could really build a team by trading either Flynn or Rubio. Or the Wolves could just pull a Memphis and send the player to the Lakers for a bucket of chicken and some biscuits. This would be the point when you'd stop being a T-Wolves fan.
If you're looking for something to listen to this morning I'll be co-hosting The Morning Break Sports Show today. It is the show I have hosted a bunch of times over the last six months and have tried to alert our loyal readers about it each time I'm on.
The show is on from 10 a.m. to Noon Central Time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're in the Chicago area, dial up 1240 on the AM and you'll find us. If you're interested in listening to the show out of the area, go to morningbreak1240.com or click here.
Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the show!
Today was the day I got my doggy spayed. She was all happy and excitable when we brought her to the clinic. If she's completely pissed off and saturnine when my girlfriend and I pick her up, I won't be surprised. After all, she trusts us and all she knows is that we took her somewhere and now she's groggy and in pain.
But at least she doesn't live in Virginia.
The Richmond Times Dispatch has reported that Robin Starr, CEO of Richmond SPCA left her 16 year old dog in a car for four hours. You can probably guess the ending to this story. Dead dog.
Starr had a communication breakdown with her husband and didn't realize the deaf and blind dog was in the car when she went to work. It's a horrible mistake for any dog owner, but multiply that by a thousand when you're the head of an animal loving organization like the SPCA.
This story is also big because the accident happened during the week when dog destroying Michael Vick makes his comeback debut for the Philadelphia Eagles. Where is Michael Vick from? Newport News, Virginia which is about a two hour drive from Richmond.
The only responsible conclusion I can come to is that Virginians hate puppies.
Sports Pants brought this list to my attention this morning and we discuss it at length in the newest Berning On Sports Podcast. But we, the bloggers, the sports media, anyone who likes sports, love breaking down lists. Here's the top ten most snakebitten franchises in NFL history, according to the NFL Network. (1 is most snake bitten, 10 is least)
Browns
Vikings
Bengals
Eagles
Oilers/Titans
Saints
Lions
Jets
Chiefs
Bills
Here too, is a message board poster's list. I personally like his better:
Lions
Browns
Bills
Vikings
Eagles
Oilers/Titans
Bengals
Cardinals
Saints
Falcons
Your thoughts on this are welcome. For our thoughts, check the podcast.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: With Brett Favre going to the Vikings, does the NFC North now have the best group of quarterbacks of any division in the NFL? If so why? If not, which division's quarterbacks are the best?
Jordan: I'll take the NFC West. OK just kidding that would be ridiculous even for me. While the NFC East might be a bit deeper I'll take the NFC North for the following reason: at the top, the North is better. Say what you want about my least favorite football player, but Mr. Favre is a top ten quarterback of all time. Jay Cutler won't throw for 4,500 yards like he did last year, but he'll fill it up plenty despite a mediocre receiving corps since defenses will have to watch for Matt Forte. Aaron Rodgers is a stud despite his team's 6-10 2008 campaign. Favre is a proven winner even though he's old. Rodgers and Cutler, while they're not proven yet, will do plenty of winning. And with the #1 pick as the Lions QB, he likely will have a bad year this year but could turn out to be a good quarterback. (At least Detroit fans are hoping he doesn't turned out like the famed pianist Joey Harrington.)
Scott: This is a tough one, and despite the power of this division, I'm going to go one up in the standings, to the NFC East. McNabb, Manning, Romo, Campbell. Lest we forget, Vick. Granted, the North has the better top talent, far as QBs are concerned, with Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers. That said, the Lions are in the NFC North, and as such, I have a hard time putting this division ahead of the NFC East, if we're talking best overall group of quarterbacks. Favre is almost a guarantee to be good for about 8 to 10 weeks, and Campbell is an almost lock to be extremely average (which I look at as a wash on the whole). I know Romo's overrated, and has his issues in December, but I think he'll be better this year free of T.O., and even still, he's better than Daunte Culpepper or (insert other Lions QB here).
Alastair: The best group of quarterbacks in the NFL resides in the NFC East: Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning, Tony Romo, and Jason Campbell. 3 of the division’s 4 QB’s had better than a 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio last year (Romo not far off with 26 TD and 14 INT), a mark reached by only 10 starting quarterbacks in the league. Granted, all 4 are flawed in some way: Manning’s putrid playoff game last season, McNabb’s injury concerns, Romo’s propensity for gagging when it counts, and Campbell’s “game manager” status. So although there isn’t one QB in the division that I’d place in the NFL’s top 5, I still trust all 4 more than the ancient Brett Favre and the unproven Matt Stafford. The NFC East is also arguably the best / most competitive division in football, which can’t hurt its chances.
Sports Pants: You could make a case for the NFC North if you were looking at last year's stats. Rodgers, Favre, and Cutler were all top ten touchdown passers last season. The problem is that only Aaron Rodgers is with the same team. We don't know if Cutler is that good or if he was part of the Mike Shanahan offensive brain child. Plus, only Flip Flop Favre has won a playoff game before and that was some team in Wisconsin. Right now, I'd probably take the NFC East QB's over the NFC North QB's simply because you know what you're going to get with them. Eli Manning has dumb face and a Super Bowl ring, Donovan McNabb has been to five different NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl and Tony Romo....well, he broke up with Jessica Simpson. I'd take Jason Campbell over whatever poor QB gets thrown to the wolves in Detroit too. So for right now, I take the NFC East, but get back to me at the end of the season.
Still thinking about it? Take your time. Her (quite possibly his) name is Caster Semenya, an 18 year old South African who just won the women's 800 meters in dominant fashion at the world championships in Berlin. She won the race by more than 15 meters, clocking in at 1 minute, 55.45 seconds. It was the fastest time of the year and a personal best by more than a second.
Officials will now use gender verification tests to investigate the possibility that Semenya is actually a male. The results of those tests won't be availible for days, maybe weeks, so for now, Semenya is basically the Usain Bolt of women's track and field. The only difference? No one's checking to make sure Bolt isn't hiding anything in his shorts.
I can't help but think of the scene in Austin Powers when Mike Myers mistakes Basil Exposition's mother for a spy, punches her in the face, then tries to rip off what he thinks to be a wig. "I'm sorry Basil, I thought she was a man!" Alas, the International Man of Mystery was sadly mistaken, and for Semenya's sake (and South Africa's sake), I hope all of her (his?) doubters are wrong as well.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Michael Vick has landed in Philadelphia with the Eagles, and also has appeared on CBS's "60 Minutes" this week. Is Vick a good fit with the Eagles, and how did you think Vick handled the interview with James Brown?
Jordan: I said last week on the podcast that Vick's best fit would be a team in a smaller football market to avoid constant scrutiny. He won't be able to hide in Philadelphia, but the city of brotherly love may not be a bad fit. Vick finds himself in an offense that has had a running quarterback for years, (even though Donovan McNabb certainly isn't the runner he used to be), so his skills may open the playbook up to schemes the Eagles haven't run in years. Vick isn't going to play a whole lot anyway, unless McNabb is sidelined by injury, but he could and should be used as some type of decoy on the field if nothing else. Line him up in the backfield or in a slot position and try some creative plays. The Eagles have the talent to utilize and complement him well, so this should end up a good thing for him and his new team. As for 60 Minutes, Vick said all the right things, but didn't he seem a bit too smiley through the first part of the interview? Not until he mentioned he was "disgusted" with himself did his facial expression turn sour. I'm not sure I can completely believe everything he said, but credit him for saying everything the right way even when James Brown drilled him with tough questions.
Scott: Yes, no questions asked, he'll be a good fit. The real work load though, isn't up to Vick, but coach Andy Reid. I don't believe that Vick's skills have diminished, and if they have, only negligibly. Keep in mind, while he's also been away from the game for 2 years, he's also been away from the constant pounding that quarterbacks take for two years. That said, Andy Reid will have to be able to utilize the vast amount of speed he suddenly finds himself the good fortune to have. Jeremy Maclin, Vick, Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson. Tons and tons of hot, wet speed. And, while it might not always work, speed is incredibly difficult to game plan against. Far as the interview, I wasn't around, didn't see more than snippets of it. (Good work, Scott!)
Alastair: From a football standpoint, this move makes a ton of sense for the Eagles, who might look more the West Virginia Mountaineers this season. Vick's best asset is his athleticism, and he's joining a supremely athletic offense that already exists in Philly. Andy Reid can utilize Vick along with players like dynamic wideout DeSean Jackson, rookie speedster Jeremy Maclin, experienced do-it-all Brian Westbrook, high ceiling rookie tailback LeSean McCoy, as well as starting QB Donovan McNabb, who can still create and improvise with his feet at the age of 32. The Eagles personnel gives them a wealth of potential offensive looks, and they might be one of the toughest teams in the league to gameplan against. Of course, part of the deal hinges on Vick's ability to play the sport after nearly 2 years in jail, but it's intriguing nonetheless.
Sports Pants: The Eagles are a shrewd organization. They grabbed Vick and signed him to a one year deal with an option for two. If Vick has lost his football edge, the Eagles get rid of him in a year and go on about business. If Vick still has it though, the Eagles will have a quarterback who was once the highest paid player in the league at a bargain price. Vick's contract is up at the same time as Donovan McNabb's so the Eagles might be angling to see which QB to keep in the future. In the meantime, Vick can provide the Eagles with an electric backup QB and a ridiculous option for the Wildcat (or bird) offense. As for the 60 minutes interview, Vick said all the right things, but everyone I talked to remains skeptical. He says he's sorry, but is he sorry he killed dogs, or sorry he got caught killing dogs and the fallout the ensued? He was well coached for his interview and knows if he doesn't say a certain thing, he'll never get his career back.
Just looking at some of my favorite sports websites, gathering some morning news for myself to digest before lunch, I had the following thought: "There are a lot of people that play professional sports that I hate."
I'm not talking about every member of the Red Sox (actually, there's more people on the Red Sox that I like than I ever have...Pedroia, Youkilis could play for my team any day). I'm talking about people that I just can't stand, and I'd have to imagine that unless you're in their secret cult, or you are related to them, you likely feel the same way.
If you're looking for something to listen to this morning I'll be hosting The Morning Break Sports Show today. It is the show I have hosted a bunch of times over the last six months and have tried to alert our loyal readers about it each time I'm on.
The show is on from 10 a.m. to Noon Central Time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're in the Chicago area, dial up 1240 on the AM and you'll find us. If you're interested in listening to the show out of the area, go to morningbreak1240.com or click here.
Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the show!
I have finally returned from my driving trip. That means that I can get back to writing here, of course, since I have returned to quarters that provide Internet service (and even cell reception, in some cases.)
Don't know how many of you have ever taken a drive across country, but there are some great sights west of the Mississippi River. This may come as a shock to East Coasters, but really, it's worth leaving your comfort zone at some point.
Here are some of the sports highlights you should check out at some point if you have never been out west:
As you might expect, sports were a big part of our trip, and here are some of the highlights that any sports fan might be interested in checking out.
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section, or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
1st Topic: Eli Manning is set to receive a 6 year, $97 million contract that is set to make him the highest paid player in the NFL in terms of annual salary ($15.3 million per year). Is this a good move by the Giants, and is he worth the money?
Jordan: There are very few quarterbacks that can truly be considered "franchise" quarterbacks in the NFL, and Eli Manning is certainly one of them. That said, this contract is set to pay Manning a lot of money when the performance isn't quite there. Manning is a good quarterback, but he's just good, not great. Of course, he led the Giants to a historic and amazing Super Bowl victory a couple years ago, but when I think of the elite QB's in the NFL, he's not on my list. Manning has handled the pressure in New York pretty well. He came in with a lot of pomp and circumstance after his draft day move to land in the Big Apple, and has done well for the most part. But how can the Giants justify paying him more than any player in the league? Giants paid too much.
Scott: Yes, he is worth the money, at least relatively speaking. In football, contracts are meaningless, but locking up your best players, at the most important positions, isn't. While Manning isn't certainly the best QB in the league, the fact that he's technically making the most money in the league is meaningless. I say that because if he stinks or gets hurt, they can likely shed a lot of that contract. What's nice about this, no, what's great about this if you're a Giants fan, is that your team has locked up one of it's most important assets. Probably at too high of a price, but if that's what needed to be done, it's worth it.
Alastair: Here’s a list of quarterbacks I’d take over Eli Manning: His older and better brother Peyton (6’5, rocket arm), Tom Brady (major knee surgery and a smoking hot wife), Drew Brees (basically gets paid by the passing yard), Donovan McNabb (despite his age and recurrent injury problems), Ben Roethlisberger (Super Bowl MVP, possible sexual deviant, idiot on a motorcycle), and Philip Rivers (he may throw like a girl, but that’s a girl with a very impressive QB rating). You’ll notice Tony Romo isn’t on the list, and that’s because he has trouble winning those games that generally take place in January. All in all, it’s a little bit of a ridiculous deal considering he’s now the highest paid player in football, but that’s not to say he’s a bad player. Eli's a lot more confident and takes care of the ball far better than he did 3 years ago, and I’d be comfortable with him running my offense. Translation: franchise quarterback, and now he’s paid like one.
SportsPants: Eli Manning is obviously not the best quarterback in the NFL. He's not even a top three quarterback, but he is a franchise quarterback who's the latest to get a contract. If Matt Cassel plays one season as a starter, doesn't even make the playoffs, and gets a six year, 6 year, $63 million contract from the Chiefs, you have to give Manning, a proven Super Bowl winner, a bigger contract. A franchise quarterback is the hardest position to fill in the NFL and when you get one like Manning, you keep him happy, even if he does suffer from dumb face.
If you're looking for something to listen to this morning I'll be hosting The Morning Break Sports Show today. It is the show I have hosted more than a dozen times already and have tried to alert our loyal readers about each time I'm on.
The show is on from 10 a.m. to Noon Central Time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're in the Chicago area, dial up 1240 on the AM and you'll find us. If you're interested in listening to the show out of the area, go to morningbreak1240.com or click here.
Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the show!
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: Edinson Volquezis having Tommy John surgery and is now out for the year. Mark Prior was released by the Padres this week after failing to make it back to the Majors with a series of arm problems. Common denominator? Dusty Baker was the manager of both players at major points in their careers. Given this fact, would you want Baker to manage your team if it needed a new manager? Or would you be wary of hiring since he has had a history of burning pitchers' arms?
Jordan: While he did lead the Cubs within five outs of a World Series berth and was a couple innings away from a World Championship with the Giants, Baker is a babysitter, not a manager, and I wouldn't want him managing my team again. He doesn't hold players accountable for bad performance and coddles them no matter what. He also doesn't understand that pitchers have devolved since he played, in that they don't have the arm strength that they had when he played the field. Kids don't throw as much as players of his generation did. Therefore, he hasn't learned that a young pitcher's pitch counts must be carefully monitored. I can tell you one thing though- I'd love to play for him. No accountability and you play no matter what!
Scott: I wouldn't want Dusty Baker to manage my team, but it's not because he has a history of burning pitchers' arms. There's definitely something to the fact that he's burned out some good young arms, but I'd steer clear of Baker because I don't like retreads, and he is just that. I'd rather give someone new a shot, but that's just me. As for Volquez and these other young guys getting injured, I think the problem simply is that pitching isn't a natural human motion. As such, guys get hurt.
Alastair: I wouldn't want Dusty Baker to manage my team, but it has very little to do with the belief that he wears out his pitchers. (For the record, Scott and Al did not coordinate opening statements.) I'd rather let the toothpick make most of the significant in-game decisions. Mark Prior and Edinson Volquez are following very similar career paths, but it's still way too early to tell if Volquez will completely fizzle out the way Prior has. Based on what I've read, Baker did use Volquez a lot last year in situations that should have seen the young right-hander on the bench (i.e. the Reds leading by 9 runs in the 6th, which I can't imagine happens too much in Cincinnati). Still, the guy had a huge innings spike from 34.0 IP in 2007 to 196.0 IP 2008, which isn't exactly a standard progression for such a young pitcher. Volquez also pitched in the World Baseball Classic, and was apparently hammered into the ground in winter ball (99 pitches in his first start!). Taking everything into account, it doesn't appear that Edinson was put in a great environment to succeed, and it was probably a combination of these factors that has him on the shelf for at least a year. Dusty Baker certainly didn't help, but to put the blame squarely on his shoulders would be harsh.
SportsPants: Baker is known as an old school manager which basically means he wants his players to just play without worrying about on-base percentages, pitch counts, or righty/lefty match-ups. A pitcher throws until he's tired and if you have a horse of a starting pitcher, you ride that talent until he can't get people out. The problem is everyone now knows a pitcher's motion is not normal for the body and if you continue to blow up your shoulder and arm joints, your body is going to collapse. Good pitchers are hard enough to get, why not keep the good ones around for a while? I'm for using conservative pitch counts on my big guns and then letting them loose in a post-season situation when the stakes are higher.
You all know I love SportsCenter commercials. This is a new one you may or may not have seen yet. I think it's one of the funniest ones they've ever made. Featuring Scott Van Pelt and Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Enjoy.
Looks like Roy Halladay won't be a Phillie, but guess who probably will be?
Mark Buehrle's major league record 45-consecutive batters retired, as he took a perfect game into the 6th inning in Minnesota last night.
One last thought on Brett Favre's latest decision not to come back to the NFL (although until I see another QB under center, I'm not ruling out #4 in Viking purple this fall).
Michael Phelps lost a swimming race. Should we care?
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
First Topic: The Mets fired front office assistant and Minor League Player Development head Tony Bernazard for a run of bizarre incidents including a profanity laced tirade at a scout at Citi Field and another blow up in the Binghamton Mets Clubhouse. At the press conference announcing Bernazard's dismissal, General Manager Omar Minaya accused New York Daily News beat writer Adam Rubin of writing stories that lead to Bernazard's firing to angle for a job in the Mets Front Office. Rubin called the allegations "deplorable". Panelists?
Jordan: Way to turn your press conference into something it's not, Omar. Let me get this straight. Your roster has been turned upside down with a ton of injuries, the season has been a major disappointment, and this press conference is just more bad publicity for your club. So the strategy for the presser? Turn the story on one of your beat writers to ruin his reputation and deflect the bad publicity on him. Real smooth, Omar. Just because someone asks about how people get into the business doesn't mean that they're trying to change careers. It may be information that helps them do their job. Now how does Rubin cover the team if the players, coaches and front office people think he's angling for a job? I got news for ya, Mr. Minaya. I don't envy those covering your pathetic baseball team. Have fun watching Daniel Murphy drop fly balls in left field the rest of the season.
Scott: Simply put, this whole mess with Tony Bernazard and Adam Rubin and Omar Minaya proves one thing: the Mets are a bicycled bear away from being a verifiable circus. Don't let the big city fool you, this organization (that includes the trainers, the owners, the people who designed the stadium with tons of blind spots) has no idea how to handle things. Far as Rubin is concerned, he's right, that Minaya shouldn't have brought up the fact that he'd asked about baseball jobs before. It's completely uncalled for, but still, Rubin was defending himself like he might be more guilty than he let on.
Alastair: Here's the state of the Mets, offered up in simple terms by CEO Jeff Wilpon: “Ownership is not happy with the direction of the team." I guess that's how you could describe one of the worst collapses in major league history in 2007, followed by one of the most pathetic bullpens in recent memory in 2008, and an injury decimated season clouded by front office turmoil in 2009. If New York Daily News reporter Adam Rubin is telling the truth (and I'm firmly on his side), it's a pretty sad statement about Omar Minaya and the rest of the folks running the Metropolitans. The violent tactics of your vice president of player development are creating enemies within your minor league system, and then you go out and attack the New York media. Not a smart set of moves. Needless to say, get someone else in there who can build the Mets back into a respectable franchise. Has there been a bigger waste of talent in Major League Baseball over the last 3 years?
SportsPants: When a team is in the midst of a season this injury-riddled and disappointing, management should be doing whatever it can to make sure the organization doesn't come apart at the seams. Instead, it sounds like Mets officials are actually brandishing a pair of scissors and going to town. Tony Bernazard needed to be fired if he was an internal nuisance who seemingly started fights with anyone who breathed on him wrong, I have no problem with that. Then Omar Manaya turns the situation into a circus by publicly picking a fight with a 35 year old beat writer? Suddenly dropped balls and bad base running appear to be the least of the Mets worries. This team needs a shake-up.
Back in the day (editor's note: "the day" refers to January), I drummed up a little diddy, something of a book review, on Paul Shirley's Can I Keep My Jersey?.
Today, I bring to you a few more sports books you might want to check out if you're a reader, and ESPN The Magazine just isn't cutting it any longer. Then again, if it ever did, I'm not going to be recommending any picture, pop-up books, so I'd advise you stop reading here.
Let me first say, neither of these books are non-fiction, and neither is entirely sports-driven. Rather (and, in my opinion, more preferred) they are centered on or around sports, with other elements driving the plot. In Darryl Brock's If I Never Get Back, we follow Sam Fowler, a beleaguered reporter for the San Fran Chronicle en route to his father's funeral on the East Coast. Leaving the train for a moment, he falls down, bumps his head, and wakes up in the 1800s. Not aware he'd gone back in time, he simply gets back on the train. However, those on the train assume he's simply strangely dressed, but still one of theirs. That "theirs" is the first pro baseball team, the Cincy Red Stockings. So, the book follows Fowler as he plays alongside some of the first pro ballers (I baseball-referenced them, they're real), and many other adventures that ensue.
It's like Field of Dreams, Back to the Future, and a Civil War movie all wrapped into one. It's a little long (ok, very long---432 pages for this sort of book struck me as too much), but it's a page turner. And yes, I realize how much of a tool I sound like with the phrase "page-turner". Action, love story, baseball. It's a good one.
The other book (John Feinstein's Winter Games), which I actually just finished reading this morning takes place on Long Island, where we meet Bobby Kelleher, another beleaguered reporter. Kelleher, a native of Shelter Island in New York, returns home after losing his job as a political reporter for the Washington Herald. He had been involved with a breaking story that gained him tons of publicity in the area, but after two of his friends were murdered in the aftermath, he'd failed to regain the confidence and form he'd previously shown. A former D-I basketball player at UVA, Kelleher returns home to New York to collect himself when he stumbles upon a high school phenom playing at his former school.
Rytis Buzelis attracts all sorts of attention, some not the good kind, as Kelleher and a local reporter become involved in the chase of trying to solve the murder of an assistant coach involved in recruiting of the highly regarded Buzelis. A shoe company, a TV announcer, and college coaches are all in play as this quick read races through the murder mystery in quiet Shelter Island.
Not a bad hype-up, no? That last book is a really good, quick read. It's interesting, for those that like college basketball, as a look into the underworld of recruiting. For those in need of a good mystery read, it's also a winner.
And so we're clear, I'm not a fanatical reader, but I look a good book just like the next chap. So, if you're looking for something to read by the pool/beach/in your room by yourself, don't say I never did nuthing for ya.
If I didn't tell you this was one of the infamous photos of a nude Erin Andrews, would you know that it's her?
Now you might, given all the media attention this photo, the other photos posted around the Internet, and the video. But had this not become the talk of the town for the last 72 hours, would you have any idea it was Andrews and not some other hot blond?
Probably not. I wouldn't have known. I can tell you that.
It is with this premise that the New York Post asserted in today's publication that ESPN outed its nude employee.
Written in it's popular "Page Six" column, the Post had this criticism of the network for identifying Andrews in the pictures when they didn't have to.
“No one would have known that a sick voyeur had secretly videotaped ESPN reporter Erin Andrews nude in her hotel room, if the Mickey Mouse sports network hadn’t sent a letter to an obscure Web site demanding that it take down its link to a fuzzy video of an unidentified blonde."
Again, their words, not mine. But they might have a point.
Had Andrews and ESPN denied these pictures were taken of her, I don't think you can decipher whether it's her or anyone else. Her facial features are not distinguishable in any of the three snapshots. And most would not be able to tell that's her body (except for a privileged few).
It was ESPN which sent a letter last week to one of the websites that had possession of the content and asked them to take it down. Had they not done so, would there be so much publicity surrounding it? I didn't even know about it until the network became involved.
Back in the late 1960's and early 1970's, athletes began a new type of training session where they lifted weights to increase strength. Now you can't drive from here to there without seeing a gym in most cities.
At one point, yoga was this bizarre new "exercise" that was only for hippies and new age types who would try to read your palm or talk to you about your chakras. Now, Sue from accounting can't make it to happy hour because she is going to a yoga session.
Now one of the new trends peaking out of the sporting world is barefoot running. Anica Wong of the Denver Post followed several runners who swear that letting the glabrous bottoms of your feet touch the ground while running will make you stronger and healthier than running while wearing shoes.
I'm sure you have had trouble accessing the site recently. We have too. I apologize for the problems that the Yahoo! server which our site runs from is not functioning properly. It's not something I can control, and our web guy Ben has been working on trying to fix it, but it's not something he can fix either. The problem is their server, it appears, and hopefully it'll be rectified soon. We appreciate your patience while this is worked on, and we hope you keep coming to Berning On Sports!
If you've been furiously searching for the video of Erin Andrews, you probably won't find it. I've tried. I can't find the pictures either.
I've also been told that there are several viruses now linked to websites that are falsely advertising the content, as it has all been removed from the web. So if this disclaimer doesn't stop you, maybe the thought of a debilitating computer virus might.
Then again, maybe it won't. But don't say I didn't try to warn you what might happen.
Of course, I'm referring to the video tape and still photos of a nude Erin Andrews taken in a hotel room and posted on the Internet against her will. According to reports, ESPN's blond bombshell sideline reporter was secretly taped through a peephole, and the video which lasts nearly five minutes is a blurry depiction of Andrews standing nude in front of a mirror.
I didn't really grasp how much of a discussion piece this would be until I heard about it on every sports station in town this morning. Yesterday a friend of mine sent me a text message that read "Naked vid of Erin Andrews on the internet!". Until I read and heard about it today, I thought he was joking.
Andrews is planning to sue the unknown cameraman responsible for the video, and also file civil suits and seek criminal charges against anyone who posted the content on the web. She should do that. She should also make sure that there's no way anyone can see into her hotel room the next time.
Sorry, I should've had this posted earlier, but I wasn't around a computer to get it up (pause). The question I ask, simply is, is there anything worse on television than the self-promoting sham that is the ESPY's? Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you know anyone that's ever watched a full showing?
Do you know anyone (or anyone that knows anyone) that actually enjoys/looks forward to any part for any duration?
Why do they need to have an award show for people who are in professions where there are already awards systems in place?
Shaq is set to begin shooting this week for a television show called "Shaq Vs" where he will take on other professional athletes in their own sports. He's already slated to play football against Ben Toothlesburger, play baseball against Albert Pujols, swim with Michael Phelps, he's going to box, play tennis, and hit the beach for some volleyball.
I'm generally the first person to lament the way reality television has imbued our homes, but I might be down to watch a couple of these episodes on ABC. Shaq is always entertaining (particularly when swimming where I imagine he'll look like some sort of Loch Ness Monster) and even if the show turns out to be a dud, it will at least take me back to those Bo Jackson "Bo Knows" Nike campaigns of the late 80's:
Rick Reilly recently wrote a column for the upcoming issue of ESPN: The Magazine which caught my attention if only for the reason that I couldn't have disagreed with him more. (That magazine is trash by the way, and I canceled my subscription two years ago but for some reason they still send it to me.) The piece, entitled "The 10 Best Sporting Events To See Live" counts down Reilly's list of ten, based on the premise that he's "so old my ears still hurt from the Big Bang and having seen nearly every sporting event twice, what would be my list of must-see live events?"
This was his list, and no, I'm not making this up:
10. Home Run Derby
9. Iditarod
8. Ryder Cup
7. Yankees vs. Red Sox at Fenway
6. America's Cup
5. Tour De France
4. North Carolina vs. Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium
3. Wimbledon
2. Kentucky Derby
1. The Masters
If you're like me, and you disagree with many of the items on Reilly's list, let me bounce my list off you and you at home can select yours.
If you're looking for something to listen to this morning I'll be co-hosting The Morning Break Sports Show alongside regular host "The Coach" John Cohn.
The show is on from 10 a.m. to Noon Central Time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're in the Chicago area, dial up 1240 on the AM and you'll find us. If you're interested in listening to the show out of the area, go to morningbreak1240.com or click here.
Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the show!
Alright readers, we add one more voice to Berning on Sports, and yes, he's another Syracuse guy. (Shocker, I know.) Brad Seal brings a unique perspective to the site, as he he grew up in Dallas, lived in New York City, and currently calls Phoenix home. So he has been all over the map and has experienced many cities' sports scenes.
Scott and I knew Brad at Syracuse and Scott pointed out his blog called "SportsPants" which I started reading every day before Scott suggested we bring him aboard. (And I still do read it). Brad will be bringing the essence of "SportsPants" here to Berning On Sports, and we're happy to have him!
If you're looking for something to listen to this morning I'll be hosting The Morning Break Sports Show for the second time this week (forgot to post about Tuesday, sorry).
The show is on from 10 a.m. to Noon Central Time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're in the Chicago area, dial up 1240 on the AM and you'll find us. If you're interested in listening to the show out of the area, go to morningbreak1240.com or click here.
Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the show!
Jordan has been known to call me "the child" on occasion, and it's times like these when he couldn't be more spot on. Some would say I have the look and sense of humor of a 5 year old. So when I received an email from a good friend today asking me to rank the top 10 kids sports movies of all time, I literally could not wait. Without further hesitation, here's are 10 films that, even to this day, are likely to make you giggle like a schoolboy:
1. THE SANDLOT - Hamilton Porter gives some great pointers on s'more construction
2. MIGHTY DUCKS - Emilio!
3. COOL RUNNINGS - "Why don't I draw a line down the middle of your head so it looks like a butt?"
4. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Let's set the over/under at 5.25 for Chet Stedman's ERA that year
5. SPACE JAM - Daffy Duck and Muggsy Bogues in the same film, enough said
6. HAPPY GILMORE - I'll make the case that Shooter McGavin is a top 5 movie character of all time, and Bob Barker proves that the price is indeed wrong
7. ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD - Average movie overall, but the arm flapping part is classic
8. THE BIG GREEN - Gotta get a soccer movie not named "Bend It Like Beckham" into the mix, plus the Great Hambino from Sandlot is the goalie
9. BAD NEWS BEARS - A very underrated classic, and perhaps Walter Matthau's best role outside of Mr. Wilson in "Dennis the Menace", which would be on this list if pea shooting was a sport
10. AIR BUD - Obviously the original, none of this "Golden Receiver" or "7th Inning Fetch" crap
Honorable Mention:
- LITTLE BIG LEAGUE
- LITTLE GIANTS
- MAJOR LEAGUE III: BACK TO THE MINORS
- THE WATERBOY
- REMEMBER THE TITANS
You'll most likely disagree with at least one of my selections, and there's probably a few kiddy classics that I've yet to discover, so feel free to voice your outrage...
So I missed it last week because I was on vacation. Then I said I'd post it later in the week but didn't. Sorry about this. I was out of town and then very busy.
In this week's Hump Day Headlines, we discuss...
A Ray of Sunshine is beaming over the Trop, as Tampa Bay has won seven straight...
The Orioles Stun the Red Sox 11-10 after falling behind 10-1...
The Pistons axe Michael Curry after just one year as the team's coach...
Manny Ramirez is set to return to the Dodgers lineup on Friday...
If you're looking for something to listen to this morning I'll be hosting this morning on The Morning Break Sports Show again, a show I've hosted on a fill-in basis for a few months now.
The show is on from 10 a.m. to Noon Central Time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're in the Chicago area, dial up 1240 on the AM and you'll find us. If you're interested in listening to the show out of the area, go to morningbreak1240.com or click here.
Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the show!
Berning on Sports has hit the big time! Well, maybe not yet, but I just wanted to say that. Anyway, as the title states just wanted to let you, our loyal readers, know that we have a new voice coming aboard the crew. Alastair Ingram is one of our closest friends and he's going to bring a fresh voice and perspective to the site. And by fresh I mean very fresh, because while he's actually older than Scott he looks way younger!
Alastair is a Bostonian by way of Britain. He came across the pond at the ripe age of seven before becoming a hardcore American sports nut, and he can actually lend useful perspective on soccer, which Scott and I definitely cannot do. He's a fanatic supporter of any team from Beantown, but knows a ton about every sport. Alastair co-hosts a sports talk show on ESPN Radio 890 in Boston and also does play by play for some small local colleges.
Going to see the Mets tonight at the new Citi Field. I'll have thoughts on it at some point tomorrow. Hump Day Headlines fans don't fret either. I'll have that coming up later in the week. I return home from vacation tomorrow.
With all the backlash from Artie Lange's raunchy and offensive appearance on HBO's new show Joe Buck Live, here's Chris Russo from Sirius/XM's Mad Dog Unleashed taking Lange to task for his behavior, and Lange's defense.
Last night, apparently, Joe Buck's new show on HBO, Joe Buck Live, debuted. I've already heard a number of voices and read a few others that have slammed the show. Essentially, from what I've seen and heard, the show is a cross between Costas Now, The Tonight Show, and something else that is supposed to be funny.
Most of it wasn't.
For some reason, Buck booked comedian Artie Lange, of Howard Stern fame. Maybe he's never seen him perform, but the man is filthy dirty. As such, Lange lived up to his billing, and completely derailed and defiled the opening show.
However, it wasn't just that. In this segment here Lange completely dumps on Buck, and seems to take pleasure in really ripping the show's host. Not that I can fully blame him, but it seemed like it became more than just joking around. Watch the clip, trust me this is as funny/awkward as live TV gets.
If you're looking for something to listen to this morning I'll be hosting this morning on The Morning Break Sports Show again, a show I've hosted on a fill-in basis for a few months now.
The show is on from 10 a.m. to Noon Central Time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're in the Chicago area, dial up 1240 on the AM and you'll find us. If you're interested in listening to the show out of the area, go to morningbreak1240.com or click here.
Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the show!
Here's where I was right: Amazingly, after terrible luck picking football games and being the jinx on a couple of hitting streaks, I got something right. I picked the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup in seven games. I said it in the podcast, so I don't have a link, but listen back a couple of weeks ago and you'll hear me say it.
I guess I'm not a complete clown. Just a semi-clown. But you probably already knew this.
The Penguins exciting win, and how Rob Scuderi saved the Penguins from elimination in the Stanley Cup Finals...
The hot-shooting Magic win to stay in the NBA Finals, and could tie it with a Game 4 win...
Stephen Strasburg goes number one in Baseball's Amateur Draft (no surprise), should a team draft a guy knowing they'll have to break the bank to sign him?
If you're looking for something to listen to this morning I'll be hosting this morning on The Morning Break Sports Show again, a show I've hosted about a dozen times to this point. If you've listened before, today's show will be a little different as I'll be hosting the first hour solo before "The Coach" joins me for hour number two.
The show is on from 10 a.m. to Noon Central Time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're in the Chicago area, dial up 1240 on the AM and you'll find us. If you're interested in listening to the show out of the area, go to morningbreak1240.com or click here.
Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the show!
Sundays are usually lazy days, so with that in mind, this post isn't much in the way of reading.
As we are all apt to do, I was YouTube surfing a little while ago, and I came across a wonderful set of videos regarding a few SportsCenter Top 10 lists. In all, I found four I'd like to share, the first two are in this post.
These first two are hysterical to me, as someone that's watched and been a part of many press conferences. If there's anything more annoying than the B.S. spewed by various players and coaches, I'd like to know what it is. That said, take a look at the Top 10 Most Awkard Interviews and Top 10 Most Avoided Questions.
If you're looking for something to listen to this morning I'll be co-hosting this morning on The Morning Break Sports Show again, a show I've hosted about a dozen times to this point.
The show is on from 10 a.m. to Noon Central Time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're in the Chicago area, dial up 1240 on the AM and you'll find us. If you're interested in listening to the show out of the area, go to morningbreak1240.com or click here.
Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the show!
Danica Patrick is a moron. There, I said it. But I have a reason for saying it. She made a "joke" that nobody that plays a sport can possibly make is this era of performance enhancing drug use suspicion.
In an interview with Dan Patrick in Sports Illustrated, the journalist asked the race car driver if she could take PEDs and not get caught, would she do it to win the Indianapolis 500?
This was her answer: “Well, then it’s not cheating, is it? If nobody finds out?”
Dan didn't let this answer go without a follow up question. "So you would do it?"
Danica’s response: “Yeah, it would be like finding a gray area. In motor sports, we work in the gray areas a lot. You’re trying to find where the holes are in the rule book.”
Good lord.
She said she was joking, and maybe she half was. But in this day and age, you can't joke about potential drug use. That's just an irresponsibly stupid thing to do. Come on, Danica.
I'm not going to get on the media's morality pedestol and cry about the fact that she's a role model for many young girls and is sending the message that it's acceptable to cheat so long as you don't get caught. While there is validity to that, if any kids think that now from hearing these comments, then their parents aren't doing a good job of teaching their children lessons.
Still, idiotic thing to say, Danica. Dumbest possible thing you could have said. Nominate her for dumbest person in the sports world this week and I think she'd win.
The headline on NCAA.com read: "Five Touchdowns and A Safety: Florida State Trounces Ohio State 37-6". It's no longer there, but I saw it last night at work. Take my word for it.
Florida State set four school records and five NCAA Tournament records in College Baseball's regional tournament last night by bludgeoning Ohio State by 31 runs. Florida State lead this game 32-0 in the fifth inning, and set school records for runs (37), hits (38), doubles (15) and total bases (86).
Let these numbers sink in for a second.
Eh, take another second or two.
Ok. In a beating like this, there should be a slaughter rule or mercy rule or whatever you want to call it. Bottom line is, this contest should have never gotten to this point, and should have been called when it got out of hand.
I spent the spring calling college baseball and softball games at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC). I saw many games that got way out of hand, but only in softball is there a mercy rule that ends the game in the event of a lopsided score. NCAA softball games end if the leading team has an eight run lead (or more) after five innings, or if the leading team goes ahead by eight runs (or more) at the end of an inning before the seventh (meaning if the team is up by eight after six the game would end there as well). Point is, once the game gets out of hand, a winner is declared and we don't have to sit through run after run after run.
I called some baseball games in which UIC won by sixteen runs and the game wasn't called. With aluminum weapons (err, bats) and some fields usings a faster playing surface (field turf), I understand runs can be scored quickly and a five run lead can be easily erased. That said, when a team is up by twelve runs in the seventh inning, haven't we already determined a winner?
College baseball should use this score as exhibit A for a rule change. The NCAA should devise a mercy rule, like a twelve run lead after the sixth inning (or a twenty run lead after the fifth) so that this cannot happen in the future. College pitchers already throw a ton of pitches and a ton of innings every season for their respective teams. Why waste them for far more pitches than necessary when the game has already been decided?
It's irresposible. Just like this score. It might be funny to see a game like this, but we shouldn't be seeing anymore.
If you know me well, you know that I check my Facebook account probably fewer times than anyone you know (which I probably should do more, yet I digress). However, BERNING ON SPORTS can now be reached on Twitter, by visiting this link.
I'll do my best to continue to let you know via Twitter when we have new posts if you're someone who "tweets" often. Knowing that Scott and I could be described as a couple of twits, it's no surprise that we're now on Twitter tweeting, or however you say it.
If you're looking for something to listen to this morning I'll be co-hosting this morning on The Morning Break Sports Show again. I mentioned earlier this week on this site that I'd be on, and if you saw the post or heard the show it's the same procedure to listen again today. This is merely serving as a reminder.
The show is on from 10 a.m. to Noon Central Time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're in the Chicago area, dial up 1240 on the AM and you'll find us. If you're interested in listening to the show out of the area, go to morningbreak1240.com or click here.
Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the show!
The newest installment of the Berning On Sports Podcast is now available. Check the podcast player for today's edition. It's heavy on the baseball, for all you diamond lovers.
I suppose I should be happy that Syracuse just won the National Championship in lacrosse again. And I am. I guess.
But winning a national championship in lacrosse is like winning a championship in softball. It's nice for your school. It brings money to the university, or at least some. Yet it doesn't compare to a win in football or basketball.
Obviously.
In Syracuse, lacrosse is the big third sport. For most schools that third sport is baseball or hockey. Instead, Syracuse and roughly 40 other Division I schools take lacrosse seriously.
The sport can be entertaining. It's generally fast paced, and there's plenty of contact. I had never seen a game before I went to college, as my high school didn't have a lacrosse program until my senior year.
I've received a bunch of text messages and phone calls after the team won, everyone excited and overjoyed. For me, however, it would have been fun to watch had I been there for it. Otherwise, I really don't care.
The game happened to be very exciting at the end. Syracuse was down by three goals with just three minutes left and came back to tie it at nine. Kenny Nims scored with four seconds left after the Orange turned the ball over with under thirty seconds left and had to create a turnover of its own to set up the shot. In overtime they lost the faceoff but managed to possess the ball just seconds later, and Cody Jamieson fired in the game winning goal to secure the title.
But when they won, I wasn't jumping up and down. I wasn't pumping my fist. I barely even showed emotion. It's a nice win. Sure.
I suppose I should be happy. Yet I really don't care.
Happy Memorial Day! (or whatever you say to someone today)
If you're looking for something to listen to this morning I'll be co-hosting this morning on The Morning Break Sports Show again. I mentioned last week on this site that I'd be on, and if you saw the post or heard the show it's the same procedure to listen again today. I'll also be hosting again on Thursday.
The show is on from 10 a.m. to Noon Central Time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time. If you're in the Chicago area, dial up 1240 on the AM and you'll find us. If you're interested in listening to the show out of the area, go to morningbreak1240.com or click here.
Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the show!
I've been hearing this a lot lately due to the recently completed Kentucky Derby and Preakness races. It's this notion that somehow horses are athletes and that they deserve consideration to be on lists of great all-time athletes.
I know this isn't a new topic either. It's merely just a topic that gets recycled every year during the horse racing season. I just can't stand it though. I can't believe these horses are considered athletes by any intelligent sports people.
They're animals.
They're animals that are bred to be in these competitions. They are trained from birth to run a one mile race when they reach the age of two or three.
They don't know the significance of the race. They don't go to sleep at night before the race and visualize the track. They're incapable of thinking the way athletes do in training for an event and there is normally no sign of emotion from the horse when they win or lose the race. The only emotions you ever see from a horse are either exhaustion or pain. You don't see the horse smile or pump a hoof if he or she wins.
They don't train by choice. They train because some trainer has forced this lifestyle upon them. It's not as though Rachel Alexandra told Calvin Borel, "You know, I'd really like to race against the boys. Ever since I was an infant Filly I've had a Mine That Bird poster hanging in my room. What a dream it would be to race against him."
They're not sophisticated and intelligent animals like human beings. They can't think like an athlete. They're trained.
Are dogs athletes? They're in shows. What about the wolf dogs in the Iditarod? Do they count too?
It may sound ridiculous, or look ridiculous, but there are people out there that firmly believe these animals are athletes. People can debate until they're blue in the face whether golfers and race car drivers and others are truly athletes.
But horses are not. They are trained to run races. That's it.
We've all heard that one at sporting events. The "YMCA" by the Village People has been a stadium anthem across the country for some time now.
Still, as popular as it is, that doesn't make it any more normal. At the Yankee game I was at recently, this song came on over the speakers (along with this one, shockingly) and I remarked to the person I was with that this song has to be one of the strangest that I've ever heard.
Beyond the "is it or isn't it gay" crap (who really cares either way, people dressed like they are in that video are funny, regardless of orientation), how did this song ever even come about? Did the folks over at the YMCA pay the Village People to make an advertisement/song (seems like the government may have for this one---what is it with this group?)? Whether the song is about the value of going to the YMCA or about how great of a spot it was for gay men to hook up, how the hell did it become so popular at sporting events?
Listen, don't get me wrong, it's got a catchy tune and people can get off their butts and make it seem like they're involved. But, you could say the same for the Macarena, but that some how faded out of popular culture.
But no, not the YMCA. Since 1979, the Village People's odd hit has rocked, throughout discos and stadiums alike. How the hell it got there, I have no idea, but I wanted to at least point at the ridiculousness of the song and its existence in the sporting world.
I feel like we all are aware of this, but the song's so damn popular that no one really thinks twice when they hear it.
Many athletes find the media burdensome. They hate answering questions day in and day out and find us to be an annoying part of their everyday lives as athletes.
That's why I always find it funny when they join us in the media ranks when their careers end. That said, however, Shaquille O'Neal has always been media friendly, and now he apparently wants to join the media when his career is over.
He's spending the next couple of days at "Sportscaster U", a two-day broadcasting seminar at Syracuse University taught by voice of the Orange Matt Park and ESPNU Broadcaster Dave Ryan. Scott and I both spent many class hours on the very set you'll see in the video, so it's kind of funny for me to watch. Mike Waters, the SU Basketball writer for the Post Standard whom Scott and I have both interviewed, conducts this interview with the Shaqcaster.
Shaquille O'Neal at Syracuse University's Sportscaster U
Each week our four Berning on Sports voices will sound off on a couple different topics going on in the sports world. Feel free to rip us apart in the comment section if you disagree or add a point that maybe we didn't consider.
Scott: That streak is, quite simply, stunning. Possibly more stunning is that they beat their own previous record set only a couple of years ago. Now, that all said, I'm not going to front like I've been keeping strict tabs on them all year, but I'm not sure whether or not this is great for UConn or telling of how mediocre the rest of the country is. This team isn't just "beating" teams, they're destroying them, on a nightly basis. We're talking ranked, top-10 teams by 20 and 30 points repeatedly. Just something to chew on...
Alastair: I can't say it was the best hockey game I've ever seen (multiple OT NHL playoff games), but it was certainly one of the most meaningful sporting events I've ever watched. USA vs. Canada for the gold medal in an Olympics hosted by a country that treats the sport of hockey like a religion. You might never be able to beat that kind of international drama again. The game itself was helped by the fact that the US actually played far better than it did in a 5-3 win the week before. It was an extremely evenly matched and well-played game, although the game-winner from 
The skater 
Jordan: It is a big deal. It's a banner victory for USA Hockey in the modern era, since the American team really hasn't been so hot the last few Olympics. Obviously, comparing this win to the Miracle on Ice is asinine, but it is a big win given the circumstance. This was supposed to be Canada's chance to storm through Olympic Hockey en route to a gold medal, which they can still win. But losing to the Americans on their soil was certainly not what was expected of them. The Americans have a good team, while the Canadians have a great team, but 
Alastair: Regardless of the incredibly outstanding final score, it was an amazing back and forth hockey game. The NHL stars, the speed, the crowd, the atmosphere, not to mention an empty net goal for the ages from 
Scott: To even my own surprise (or, anyone who knows me), I didn't actually watch a second of the All-Star Game. From what I saw and read of it after the fact, it seemed like quite the spectacle. Apparently though, despite the record crowd, audiences across the land didn't seem to have quite the same interest. And you know what, I can't blame them. It's just an All-Star Game, and though it was close, it's a glorified (no defense having, showboating) exhibition.
By Alastair Ingram
Scott: I could survive a season without the NFL, no doubt. The league I'd struggle the most without would definitely be the MLB, for two reasons. One, it's an every day thing, so its absence would be that much more pronounced. Two, the team I root for in basketball (Spurs) isn't local, so I don't see them as much as I see the Yankees. So again, the absence would be more obvious. Though, I'll say this, without having any real knowledge of reports, I don't think these leagues are going to actually lock out, especially for a full season. If any of the Big 3 ever lockout again, they shouldn't be allowed to come back. The insane amount of greed that already is inherent in pro sports should make it so that no one would ever want to watch a sport after it locked out. Of course, we'd all eagerly tune back in. But, I think the leagues are too well aware of the problems associated with locking out, especially with the way things are in the country nowadays. 
So Jordan thinks February is the worst sports month of the year, huh? He does have a point. February has very few exciting moments. Basketball and hockey are at the midpoint so there is no playoff pressure yet. It's winter outside, in most places it's snowing, and all you want is for something to watch while you're stuck indoors.
Scott: My favorite part about the Super Bowl, unless of course my team is in it, are the commercials. I know, that's stereotypically chick thing to say, but it's true. Besides the last two years, the game often is a let down. Which...leads me to my next answer. The worst part are the endless hours of pregame that seemingly start at around 9 AM on the day of. By noon, I'm exhausted.
Jordan: No, no and no. Is that clear? Brett Favre has been discussed and discussed for his pick, and hilariously Paul Allen and Pete Bercich on KFAN crushed him as he threw the interception on Vikings radio. But that was getting caught up in the moment. The bottom line is this: Favre's pick may have been classic #4, but Adrian Peterson and Brad Childress deserve the blame for this one. The way I see it, the Vikings lost the NFC Championship, the Saints didn't win it. The Superdome was raucous, and they were the home team, and they caused FIVE Viking turnovers and still had to eek out the game in overtime. Had it not been for Childress running the prevent offense on the team's final possession prior to the pick, or had Peterson not been a complete liability with the football, the Vikings would have had the Saints ass whooped far before the Favre pick. To me, the bigger story here is that Adrian Peterson is grossly overrated, and a player that cannot be trusted with the football.
Scott: No, Brett Favre didn't lose the Vikings the NFC Championship. Obviously, the interception didn't help, but then again, neither did a few other things. How about the never-ending string of fumbles (ahem, 
Alastair: After thorough calculation, it's about 26.7% Favre's fault. If he holds onto the ball and runs out of bounds, 
Jordan: For the Bills, hiring Chan Gailey isn't even a consolation prize. to me, it's the fact that nobody wants to go to Buffalo. Bills GM Buddy Nix can try and sell everyone on the idea that there were "15 calls per day" about their vacancy at head coach, and that many wanted this job. But were coaches calling about this job? Or were revved up season ticket holders offering to coach the Bills? This is a no win job, everyone knows it, and that's why the Bills settled on Gailey. Bottom line. As far as Turner is concerned, it's clear to me that this was a mistake. Sure, Norv has had plenty of regular season success, but so did Marty Schottenheimer. This team needs a regime change. Dean Spanos needs to clean house there, because there is too much talent for this team to flame out every January. 
Scott: The Bills hiring anyone, even someone named Chan (really, Chan?) isn't a good idea. I wouldn't want that job, at all. Nothing about the team, the city, or the personnel is even remotely worth getting excited about. 
it's grand plan to move Jay Leno up to prime time (a total money saving measure) while Conan O'Brien took over the Tonight Show and Jimmy Fallon took Conan's old late night spot. 
Jordan: It was another disgraceful showing. Really. He only came out with this confession because Tony La Russa wanted him to, so he could diffuse the circus that would have ensued had he entered the upcoming season as Cardinals hitting coach without divulging the obvious. Then, he apologizes for taking the rods, but claims it didn't help him hit home runs, and he had the "God given gift" to hit homers. Please. What a load of crap. Then, he tries to discredit Mr. Truth, aka Jose Canseco, who we've all learned has been nothing but totally accurate in his claims about the steroid era. If you're going to confess, then confess, Mac! Didn't you learn anything from the other dopes who have come clean? And one other thing, La Russa really is a villain here, isn't he? He's been managing 'roid bombers for years, and obviously knew they were all on 'em. 
Alastair: Did anyone else crack a smile when McGwire said, "I preferred the orals"? I know Jordan did. Regardless, Mark had a hard time forming a sentence when Bob Costas asked him when he started using steroids. He claims it was prior to the 1994 season, not before the 1987 rookie season in which he hit 47 home runs. It's completely believable that he used steroids to enhance his rehabilitation from numerous injuries in the mid-90's. What is almost unfathomable is the suggestion that steroids played no role in his success as a power hitter. Why does every steroid user's public apology have to involve a caveat? Say sorry, and commit to it. Statements like "I wish I hadn't played in the steroid era" or "I wish we had testing when I played" are weak attempts to deflect the blame and reduce accountability. If steroids didn't help players put up numbers and earn contracts, then it wouldn't have been such a widespread issue in the sport. Still, McGwire's in the clear (which he likely used), and in time he will be forgiven. At least he didn't forget how to speak English like Sammy Sosa.
Jordan: Yes, it is more proof that they should have a shot at the National Title game, and no, it's not cheapened because they beat TCU. Boise State has a great program. Period. Forget what conference they play in, and all the other garbage people will say to denigrate the Broncos accomplishments. Having watched the Blue Turfers this year on more than one occasion, you can't convince me that Chris Peterson doesn't have the athletes or the scheme to beat top teams. You just can't. Give this damn team a chance. Now, am I saying that Alabama or Texas shouldn't be in the National Title game? No. But there should of course be a playoff to determine BSU's worth against the power conference teams. They beat Oregon earlier this year, a team that played in the freaking Rose Bowl, and the program took out Oklahoma a few years ago. Really, what more do they need to do? Playoff!
Scott: I couldn't even begin to tell you how hot (and bothered, while we're at it) it makes me that TCU didn't have a chance to compete for the National Championship. I mean, how much more do they need to do? Honestly? First of all, they play football, at the collegiate level, in the great state of Texas. Second of all, 
Jordan: This is a homer memory, no question, but for me my lasting memory of 2009 will be the Chicago Blackhawks run to the Western Conference Finals last season. And it's more than just the run itself, it was the resurg
ence of a once disastrous franchise during a troubled economic time. The Blackhawks success, combined with the overhaul of the organization by Chairman Rocky Wirtz and the brilliance of new president John McDonough and VP Jay Blunk turned an afterthought franchise into the hottest ticket in town seemingly over night. It's an amazing story, when you consider the rest of the teams in sports (with the exception of a couple) were struggling to make money and finding ways to cut cost. Then the fact that this young, extremely likable team was winning, capped by Game 6 of the Western Conference Semis when 
Alastair: 
Scott: As you can imagine, I'm fine with the match-ups. Nothing gets me more excited than college football, especially around this time of year. Giminy Jee Whillickers, I love it! Nothing like strapping up for a bunch of games decided by computers after humans play their hearts out for several months all in a masked effort to simply bring more money to the various schools. Have I used the Jee Whillickers line yet? Pardon my excitement, but there are some things in this world that make a man blush and gush with joy, and this is one of them.
I'm sick of this Tiger Woods story. Really. Enough. Now every chick he's slept with in the last ten years is going to go public? Are you kidding? This story to me isn't sports anymore, it's National Enquirer/TMZ/Paparazzi garbage. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The accident itself is news. Fine. It is immoral that he had cheated on his wife. But that's his business, not ours. Just because he's a mega star doesn't give us the right to unearth every transgression this man has had in his past. Bottom line is, he shouldn't have gotten married. He should have stayed single, had all the women he wanted, and when he was past his prime, get married, have his family. He has faults, like everyone else. I don't want to hear about any more of these women. Please, stop reporting this on sports stations. It doesn't interest me, and I can't imagine the average American sports fan cares which women want their fifteen minutes of fame now that they can get it for sleeping with Woods.
How about Tim Donaghy on 60 Minutes last night? That was amazing stuff. Let me first say, 60 Minutes is one of the best television programs out there. The stories they have are really outstanding. And Donaghy was fascinating himself. Some of what Tim alleged wasn't new, but it's still crippling to the NBA's reputation. David Stern and all the NBA people can spin it that he's a crook and shouldn't be trusted, but Major League Baseball did that with Jose Canseco. Which of them do you believe now? Donaghy says league officials held tons of biases against players, which is probably true in every sport. What alarms me, though, is that the league knew about all this and was ok with it. To me, if I knew that certain referees had biases against certain players, and I'm working in the league office, I see to it that those referees never work games with those players involved. Furthermore, I wouldn't even allow those men to referee games, if for no other reason than to have plausible deniability. If the league doesn't know, how can they be completely held accountable later? Here's something else. How about the fact that the league would try to rig series so they'd last longer for the bigger named teams? We always wondered whether the games were rigged, and now Donaghy says they were! Amazing stuff. The people that love the NBA will continue to watch, but the people like me, that are very luke-warm on the league, are even more skeptical. I'll continue to watch the fourth quarter of a smattering of games, thank you very much. And that's it. 
Jordan: To me, this is a story that has been blown way out of proportion because of his celebrity. Listen, Tiger Woods little "traffic accident" is why this got out in the first place, because that's news. Then, the TMZ's and National Enquirer's of the world decided to let the cat out of the bag on a story that many of us knew already that hadn't gotten out yet, which is that Tiger is highly unfaithful to his wife and has had a slough of extra-marital affairs. People have affairs all the time. I'm not saying it's right, or condonable, but it's none of our business. This is paparazzi type stuff, and the aforementioned "news" sources will continue to be all over this. Is Tiger a scumbag? I guess, but he's no bigger scumbag than the rest of the people who cheat on their wives. We only know because people want dirt on celebrities. Let's move on from this, is what I say.
Scott: I could easily be accused of only looking at what's happened most recently, but I've got to give 
Since college football has such blah match-ups today--- the top teams are all gigantic favorites against teams like Florida International and Tennessee Chattanooga while the Michigan/Ohio State game will determine nothing except local bragging rights--- I guess today is a 
Jordan: This is a hard question to answer, because I have been back and forth on what the best answer would be since I wrote it. I believe the biggest motivation for firing Rich Rod should be if he disgraces the university. If this time sheet scandal mushrooms into a big black eye for the school, on top of the fact that his team can't play a lick of defense (with Greg Robinson at defensive coordinator, by the way), you have to fire him because neither the on or off-field product is satisfactory. Any new coach, barring disaster, deserves 3 years in my mind to try and establish a system and a program. But if Michigan starts losing scholarships or the school finds itself in a monster scandal, dump him. Another point here too. Rich Rod's offense won't work in the Big Ten. The conference is set up for bruising defense and pro-style passing. The guy is trying to win in an uphill battle. You have to adapt to the conference. He's not, and if he thinks this is going to win, it likely won't anyway. But we'll see.
Jordan: Larry Johnson is an older back who has been punished by defenses for the last few years and he's no longer even close to the player he was a few years ago. More importantly, he's a jerk. As a fan of the Bears, who have the 28th ranked rushing game in the league, I'm not clamoring for Johnson's services for a second. The guy is polarizing, he'd likely become a media hazard, and he won't be able to back it up with performance. Even though T.O. was a lightning rod for years, we all knew that even though he was controversial (NOT for the same reasons) he was going to get the job done on the field. When was LJ's last good game? I don't even remember. Forget this guy, I say. Oh and one more thing, why does everyone think he'd be magically cured should New England sign him? Because 
Jordan: When I wrote this question, I knew I'd get some backlash, and I love the points the boys make here. I think there's absolutely no doubt that Chase Utley is the best 2nd baseman in the game. He's the best offensive 2-bagger, and he's good defensively as well. In terms of the top 3 in baseball, I'd put Pujols at number one (obviously) and A-Rod at number two, although he's fluctuated in and out of my top two over the last couple years. Third I'd put either Hanley Ramirez or Joe Mauer, but it would be close. After that, you could make the case for Utley to be in the top 5. In terms of an overall player, I'd rank him ahead of some of the power hitting first basemen that put up more prolific numbers than him because of the defense, the steals, and the far fewer strikeouts. Utley is a great, great player. And Scott makes a great point about his playoff success in his answer... 
Alastair: Chase Utley is one of the main reasons (along with guys like 
Sports Pants: Geez. Top 3? Wow. Well, you have 
Should 
Jordan: I've been back and forth on this a couple of times over the last few days, because I think this World Series is compelling due to the similarities of both teams. Both have great offense. Both have an excellent, left-handed ace. Both have deep benches. Certainly closer is a greater disparity but the way 
Jordan: The biggest surprise to me, far and away, was the Dodgers sweep of the Cardinals. As you know if you read this site, I thought the Cardinals would sweep the Dodgers. St. Louis had the two best pitchers in the National League (
Alastair: The least surprising was the Yankees sweep of the Twins, although without A-Rod all of a sudden becoming clutch in October, the series would have looked a lot different heading back to Minnesota. The Yankees have been the best team in the American League for some time now, and the Twins were a great story, but just an average team that got hot at the right time. Surprisingly, it was their relatively thin starting pitching that kept them competitive in 2 of the 3 games (did anyone see 
Sports Pants: Both the Dodgers sweep of the Cardinals and the Angels sweep of the Bo Sox surprised me. The Red Sox usually give the Angels fits and I figured the St. Louis pitching would take at least one game. The least surprising sweep was the Yankees over the Twins. New York won all year long versus Minnesota and everyone knew that the Twins were the best possible match-up for the Yankees group of mercenaries. Oh well Twinkies, it was fun while it lasted. Now go slash some more payroll.
Jordan: He was awesome. He really was. It's kind of weird for me because I have Favre on my fantasy team but it's no secret what I think of him. Still, last night he looked like the 2007 version of himself that took the Packers within a game of the Super Bowl. Brett Favre looks rejuvenated to me, and it's because he's back in the division he belongs. This is a guy who spent 16 years in the NFC North, and he looks comfortable in Minnesota. He never seemed that way to me in New York. I'm not making excuses for the guy. He choked last season and stunk it up down the stretch for the Jets. But he looks like a quarterback on a mission. He wanted revenge on the Packers, and he kicked their ass. He wants revenge on the league, to leave one more enormous imprint on the game. The Vikings will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. 
Scott: Favre looked amazing on Monday night. Any of that nonsense he tried spewing that this wasn't a big game for him was disproved in how hyped he looked. He looked like a giddy school girl, and (I'd imagine) more importantly, he played like a young gunner. Then again though, when he was healthy for the 1st three quarters of last season, he looked damn good too. This guy can still play, and he can still deliver the ball into a tight spot with a ton of zip. But, it's that same zealous attitude towards passing into tight spots and injury question mark that would make me say, ease up with Super Bowl tickets purchasing. First, he's gotta stay healthy. Second, it's way too early. Hell, the 49ers are still winning.
Alastair: Brett Favre played a nearly perfect game on Monday night, and you have to acknowledge what he's doing this year. Annoying (annoying isn't really the right word, mind-numbing?) soap opera aside, you can't argue with 8 TD's, 1 INT, 68% completion percentage, and a 4-0 record. All that said about the Wrangler jeans wearing gunslinger, let's not forget what happened last year in New York. Favre threw 9 picks and just 2 touchdowns in the final 5 games, 4 of which resulted in Jets losses and eventually cost them what should have been a sure playoff berth. Some have made the case that Eric Mangini was to blame for his inability to reel Favre in and limit his mistakes. But it was number 4 who made those decisions, and you have to wonder if Favre can avoid those bonehead throws in clutch situations this year. The Vikings have been impressive, but don't act like they're already heading to Miami. That defense can still be gashed through the air with the right game plan, and let's wait and see how Brett handles the 2nd half.
In this week's Hump Day Headlines, we discuss the Baseball Playoffs... 
Well, that was fun. For a fleeting moment, we all thought Chicago had a great chance to host the 2016 Olympics. The city was the odds on favorite to win the bid because of the well built infrastructure and a certain president who calls it home.
Scott: Good question, Eddie. Let's see...Does this only include current coaches? If it does, I'm going to have to say Mike Tomlin and Joe Paterno. Why? One looks so young that he could still play, the other so old it looks he...well, it looks like he isn't alive. The twisted, demented side of all of us would get some joy out of seeing a no-holds bar a**-whooping. If it included any and all coaches, I'd have to say I'd want to see Jeff Van Gundy involved. He looks like he could throw down. Ask Alonzo Mourning.
Alastair: The sports world is clamoring for the following heavyweight match-up: Mark Mangino, the fattest coach in college football, vs. Andy Reid, the fattest coach in the NFL. With a combined weight that must be approaching 700 lbs., this would have to take place in some kind of sumo ring in Japan, both combatants wearing diapers of course. A large Baconator Value Meal from Wendy's will be placed in the middle of the ring before each colossal human is released toward the deliciously fattening prize. Honestly, what you rather watch? A University of Kansas football game, a Philadelphia Eagles football game, or a wrestling match between two fatties with their own gravitational pull. If your answer does not involve half naked fat guys, you are simply un-American. Hey, it could be great way to raise money for the 
Sports Pants: Well, I think the obvious choice that everyone wants to see is a main event showdown at midfield between Lane Kiffin and Urban Meyer. They've been talking through the media this whole time, the moment has come for a SEC throw down in a steel cage. The winner gets to have Kiffin's hot wife, Layla. Actually, both men will be too tired and sore to spend any time with her, so I'll keep her company. In the NFL, I'd love to see the Bay Area battle between Oakland's Tom Cable and San Francisco's Mike Singletary. Cable has already proven he's not afraid to 
Jordan: The Cowboys new stadium looks incredible, and I understand the economics. I realize to have a $1.5 billion stadium, you need to make up the expense somewhere. But really, the prices at this place are gross. Professional sports teams owe it to their fans to make prices somewhat reasonable so that the common man can attend. I watched Jerry Jones explain to Bob Costas on Sunday night that there were "affordable" options, saying that you could stand in the nosebleed section for $59 or sit in the top rows for $79. (regular seats apparently start at $250 per ticket) In a stadium that seats over 100,000 fans, that's affordable? $60 bucks to stand hundreds of feet in the air? Let me remind you all what Alastair pointed out not too long ago, that a pizza in a suite is some astronomical price as well as $65 for a case of beer. This place may be beautiful, but it's only catering to the financial elite. For all the people that spent a ton of time and effort to watch the games and follow the team on a day in and day out basis, a family of four shouldn't need to pay $1000 for four seats to a Cowboys game. It's absurd. Do your fans a favor at least in certain sections. Oh, and the scoreboard is too low and punters are pelting it. Nice going, Jer.
Alastair: I can't really knock any team for driving up ticket prices, especially a team that spends north of a billion dollars on its new stadium. Sports are big business, and when it comes to business, there is no room for emotion if you want to be successful. The Cowboys know they can fill that mammoth of a stadium every week without catering to struggling, blue-collar Americans who just want to take their kids to a game. Would it be nice for every little Cowboys fan to go watch 
Sports Pants: I believe we all know how I 
Jordan: I think it did a little, but not enough. Ohio State is a team that is the class of a conference that has been down for a few years, but needs to beat USC, especially at home, to really call into question the Big Ten's reputation in comparison to others. Almost winning isn't good enough, especially at the 'Shoe. The bottom line is this: if Ohio State was going to beat USC, this was the year for them to do it. USC came in with a freshman quarterback, and lost a lot of its defense. Really, if Ohio State can't beat them in those circumstances, how can anyone in Columbus think this year is going to be any different than any of the last few seasons? The Buckeyes are a good college football team, but they're not as good as the teams in the top conferences. Period. And one other thing, 
Scott: No comment. Actually, I have a comment. Jim Tressel, the 1970's called, they want their sweater vest back. 
Alastair: You know what would have been more impressive for Ohio State and the Big Ten? How about beating USC at home? The Trojans are a top 5 team without a doubt, but don't make them out to be some untouchable giant. They're starting a true freshman at quarterback (
The track and field world has been buzzing after 
Jordan: I realize this is a business decision and it may ultimately be better for the Patriots. Seymour is almost 30, his best years are most likely behind him, and the Patriots are trying to rebuild a defense on the fly. But shouldn't there be some kind of loyalty to the players that have brought your franchise its greatest run of success in its history? I'm not saying give the guy a contract extension, but why dump him with a year left when he could still be a good defensive end for the Patriots in 2009? And to send him to Oakland is an even bigger slap in the face! If I'm Seymour, I wouldn't want to report to Oakland either, but ultimately he should. Despite the compliments Bill Belichick and his teammates paid him, I'd be spitting fire I'd be so mad. And by the way, it's a good trade for the Patriots, a dumb trade for the Raiders, but isn't that how any deal with these two teams would end up?
Scott: As someone that tries (quite hard) to avoid all things Boston-related, I can't say I know a ton of how poorly Seymour was treated. I'm sure if you asked him, he'd say it was awful, and if you asked the Patriots they say they did what they had to do and that they really "wish him the best". Or something like that (Billy Madison voice). Either way, this is how things go in the NFL. And the Patriots have seemingly always made moves like this at the right time. 
Alastair: It's the classic short term vs. long term argument. Seymour was due to count nearly $10 million against the 2009 salary cap, and this was clearly a financial move from the start. The Patriots need to clear room to re-sign disgruntled nose tackle 
Sports Pants: Can the NFL please disallow any further trade talks between the Raiders and Patriots? Al Davis seems to have some sort of financial ties in the Patriots because he constantly tries to help that team out. 
First Topic: Ricky Rubio is headed back to Spain to play for FC Barcelona, and won't be in the NBA until at least 2010. What do you make of Rubio's plans? And, how would you feel if you were a T-Wolves fan?
Jordan: I agree with everything Scott says below. In addition, not a good idea for Rubio to call out Minnesota for being too cold and an undesirable place to play. What a boob. And if I were a T-Wolves fan, I'd be furious. This guy is an arrogant clown for no reason. So you schooled a bunch of guys in Spain? Congrats. I hope 
Alastair: Everyone is viewing this decision as some kind of disaster for the Timberwolves and their fans, but I really don't see it that way. The T-Wolves retain Rubio's NBA rights as long as he's playing professionally, and he now becomes their ace in the hole. David Kahn drafted Johnny Flynn (likely the more NBA-ready player) out of Syracuse to run the point this year, knowing that this was a distinct possibility. Minnesota won't be any good for at least 2 more years (the time frame for which Rubio is reportedly locked in at FC Barcelona), and the consensus on Rubio was that he needed more time to mature before crossing the Atlantic anyway. I guess it's annoying considering the hype surrounding this kid, but it all goes back to the fact that it was a weak draft starving for story lines. Plus, you can't expect Dickie Rubes (feel free to call him that) to shell out $7.5 million for a buyout just to leave Spain now. He might not have that kind of dough right now, but if it wants to get paid one day, he'd better be one heck of a floor general in 2 years.
Jordan: I'll take the NFC West. OK just kidding that would be ridiculous even for me. While the NFC East might be a bit deeper I'll take the NFC North for the following reason: at the top, the North is better. Say what you want about my least favorite football player, but 
Scott: This is a tough one, and despite the power of this division, I'm going to go one up in the standings, to the NFC East. 
Alastair: The best group of quarterbacks in the NFL resides in the NFC East: 
Sports Pants: You could make a case for the NFC North if you were looking at last year's stats. Rodgers, Favre, and Cutler were all top ten touchdown passers last season. The problem is that only 
Scott: Yes, no questions asked, he'll be a good fit. The real work load though, isn't up to Vick, but coach Andy Reid. I don't believe that Vick's skills have diminished, and if they have, only negligibly. Keep in mind, while he's also been away from the game for 2 years, he's also been away from the constant pounding that quarterbacks take for two years. That said, Andy Reid will have to be able to utilize the vast amount of speed he suddenly finds himself the good fortune to have. 
By Jordan Bernfield
back to the Majors with a series of arm problems. Common denominator? Dusty Baker was the manager of both players at major points in their careers. Given this fact, would you want Baker to manage your team if it needed a new manager? Or would you be wary of hiring since he has had a history of burning pitchers' arms?
Scott: I wouldn't want Dusty Baker to manage my team, but it's not because he has a history of burning pitchers' arms. There's definitely something to the fact that he's burned out some good young arms, but I'd steer clear of Baker because I don't like retreads, and he is just that. I'd rather give someone new a shot, but that's just me. As for Volquez and these other young guys getting injured, I think the problem simply is that pitching isn't a natural human motion. As such, guys get hurt.
Darryl Brock's 
for the Washington Herald. He had been involved with a breaking story that gained him tons of publicity in the area, but after two of his friends were murdered in the aftermath, he'd failed to regain the confidence and form he'd previously shown. A former D-I basketball player at UVA, Kelleher returns home to New York to collect himself when he stumbles upon a high school phenom playing at his former school. 
By Jordan Bernfield
By Jordan Bernfield
By Jordan Bernfield