A little Michigan analysis

I don't usually cover the sports world of individual cities, but I’m a Michigan native and there is something going on in that state that I must bring to your attention.
Two of the most frustrating football teams in the country professional or collegiate resign in the state of Michigan. I’m talking about the Michigan State football Spartans and the Detroit Lions, two teams that have traditionally been very similar but this year could not be further apart.
Fans of both teams traditionally have high expectations, only to see their team sputter and collapse, making them wonder why they even wasted their time.
Every year both teams swear they are going to get it right next year and turn the corner, every year they are proved blasphemers. This year however it’s a bit different.
For the first time since 2000 the Detroit Lions are 5-2. It is the best record Matt Millen has had since he took over the team in 2001. Millen has (fairly) been routinely criticized for horrible personnel decisions, while he had built a franchise that had been amongst the worst in the league the past six years.
That has all changed this year. Last year Millen hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defensive Line Coach Rod Marinelli as his Head Coach. After spending a year getting his system in place and his players to believe, Marinelli has the Lions looking like a legitimate football team and people in Detroit starting to (very quietly) whisper the “P” word.
And then there’s the Spartans. Every year MSU comes blazing out of the gate. From 2003 through 2006 the Spartans started the season 7-1, 4-3, 4-0 and 3-0 respectively. Michigan State finished those respective seasons 1-3, 1-4, 1-6, 1-8, and only made it to one bowl game losing to Nebraska 31-17 in the Alamo Bowl in 2003. This year Michigan State started the season 4-0 and is 1-4 since. The Spartans again have squandered a good start only to look like a team that doesn’t have the discipline or mental toughness to keep it together for a whole season.
Sound familiar? That is the same thing that was said for years (and is still being said by some) about the Lions. They now appear to be heading in the right direction. Unfortunately for Sparty fans everywhere, the same cannot be said about MSU. MSU has gone through three coaches, numerous NFL players and still has not had a successful season since Nick Saban left after leading the Spartans to a 10-2 record and a 37-34 win over Florida in the Citrus Bowl in 1999.
There has long been a culture of losing for many years on both of these football teams. The Lions appear to be fixing it with a coach who has instilled a winning mentality and a discipline that has long since been missing from the team. Michigan State as evidenced by their record and recent off field arrests apparently hasn’t solved either problem. If MSU wants to become a better team and a more solid program that avoids collapses at the end of the season, they need to stop getting in trouble off the field and stay focused on football for 12 weeks. Maybe then the Michigan versus Michigan State game will mean more than bragging rights.
Hey if the Lions can do it, anyone can, even old Sparty.

Sox in Six

Just a quick post.

As far as this World Series is concerned I have gone back and forth on my pick. My heart tells me to go with the Rockies. I would love to see them win for the city especially if it's a sweep. 11 in a row, what a story that would be.

I hate the Red Sox but my mind tells me to go with them. They have the top two pitchers in the Series both of whom dominate in October. They also have home field advantage which usually helps.
In conclusion I am picking Boston in six. Too much pitching and that's what wins in October. Sorry Colorado Rocktober's been fun but it had to end sometime.

Performance enhancers are over-rated.

I am starting to get really sick and tired of hearing about performance enhancing drugs and their effects on sports.
Granted if a person takes performance enhancing drugs it is going aid their performance, but to what extent?
Barry Bonds, the poster man for performance enhancing drugs was ALREADY a Hall of Famer before he allegedly began using steroids. If you look at Bonds’ statistics he was on pace to have over 500 hundred home runs possibly 600 WITHOUT any help from performance enhancers.
The newest guilty party appears to be that of Cleveland Indians pitcher Paul Byrd. Byrd allegedly took Human Growth Hormone from 2002-2005. Byrd claims he was recovering from a tumor on his pituitary gland, and that he took the Hormone under medical supervision and that he made it aware to both the Indians and Major League Baseball. Both the Indians and MLB denied that Byrd ever told them he was taking HGH, but regardless it shouldn’t even matter and here’s why.
First of all, every baseball player who used performance enhancing drugs prior to the 2005 season should not be punished. Prior to 2005 baseball did not have a drug testing policy and therefore it was not illegal to take steroids, HGH, or anything else so long as it was prescribed by a “doctor”.
Granted many of these doctors have since had their licenses revoked or have been federally indicted but that is their problem, NOT the players they prescribed to. Baseball made their bed and they need to sleep in it too.
Not to mention the fact that for as long as there have been professional sports there have been performance enhancers in sports. For years professional baseball players took amphetamines a stimulant to help them maintain their energy between games.
People talk about “tainting” baseballs records. The players who set these records were using performance enhancers to get an edge as well. Granted amphetamines are not on the same level as steroids or HGH, but with the list of the accused getting longer by the day it is possible that some of these players were just taking the drugs to keep up with where they should be, not to gain an edge. It is equally as tough to compare someone from the 1960’s who may have used amphetamines against someone from the dead ball era as it is to compare steroid era players to the amphetamine users.
Finally who decides which drugs are considered performance enhancers and which ones aren’t? The NFL has a laundry list of banned supplements, that supposedly when taken make a player perform at a higher level. I was watching a game last weekend when I saw a quarterback leave the game with a shoulder injury only to come back after taking cortisone shots. The announcer said this as if it was no big deal, but to me it only highlights the hypocrisy of professional sports. How is taking a shot to make you play through an injury any different than taking HGH? A performance enhancing drug does just that: enhances your performance beyond what you could do without it. If these players play better with the shot then they would without it, I would call that a performance enhancing drug, but hey that’s just me.
Professional sports need to spend less time discussing steroids and more time trying to resist the corporate world, which is trying to ruin sports as we know it. Forget performance enhancing drugs and focus on more important problems.

Dear Baseball: Please don't make me hate you too

I love baseball. It is my favorite sport for many reasons. I love the fact that there is no time clock. Watching a baseball game helps me to understand what it might have been like to live in the Victorian era, when the world moved slowly and people could take a break and go watch a ball game for entertainment.
I love how none of the 30 MLB parks are the same. To my knowledge, it is the only sport where there is no standard playing surface for the league. Each park has its own quirks, which gives the home team a unique advantage not found in other sports. It also makes for an interesting road trip, trying to see as many as you can in as short a time as possible.
I love that each league is slightly different. In the American League there is a DH, while in the National League there's not. In the American League the team with the best record can pick which Divisional series they want. No dice in the National League. Each league even hands out its own awards.
The biggest reason I like baseball, however, is because of its refusal to change its traditions for the modern sports world and all the money hoarding associated with it. This leads me to the one thing I absolutely despise about this postseason. Baseball is changing its traditions for the modern sports world.
There is no reason that there should have been an off day on Wednesday for the ALCS. Baseball has it right with the 2-3-2 format, and now they are essentially butchering the entire idea by giving an off day in the middle of Cleveland’s three home games. The entire point of the 2-3-2 is to keep the series as similar to the everyday schedule endured during the regular season as possible. If baseball was going to have an off day they might as well moved the series back to Boston for game 5 and had a 2-2-1-1-1 series like many of the other sports do.
No sport depends as much on a consistent schedule as baseball. When there’s an extra day off it gives the starting rotation an extra days rest, meaning that a team that can only go three deep in its rotation would not have to use its fourth pitcher. Also it gives the bullpen an extra day rest, so that a dominant closer can get a heavy workload one game, take a day off, and then do it again the very next game. Part of the strategy of the game involves wearing a bullpen out by getting into it day after day after day. Major League Baseball is allowing Fox to screw with the strategy of the game all for the sake of a better television schedule and a few extra bucks.
Baseball is a great sport that unfortunately has been hijacked the last few years by a need to make money. (Remember the blind eye turned to steroids earlier this decade?) What makes baseball great is that it sticks to tradition. That’s what makes its records so important, and that what makes each team part of the city’s social fabric. Gone are the days when children will sit up in bed and listen to their favorite players each night. Gone are the days when men come home from work to see how their boys did at the park that day. Gone are the days when everyone knew that the only reason the players played was because they loved the game.
These are the things I miss about baseball. They’re gone and that’s fine, at least they don’t affect the game, or the strategy involved in it.
For the love of Joe Dimaggio: Major League Baseball please don’t take away anything that messes up the game ever again.

Like most big market teams, the Lakers are run by morons

So is Kobe going to get traded or not?
Everyday I hear something new out of L.A. One day Kobe says he wants to get traded, the next he changes his mind. One day management says that they are not listening to offers for Kobe and then later on we find out from Dr. Buss that Kobe has been on the market all summer.
People say Shaq is a goofball and this is true, but I'd rather be goofy than loony. Let me make something very clear. When Shaq played in LA, the Lakers were one of the top organizations in professional sports, now this organization is about as steady as Britney Spears, with talks of breaking up even more frequent (if that's possible).
I challenge anybody without looking at their roster to give me two of the other four players that make up the starting five. And this Los Angeles! One of the most overexposed cities in the world! How can this team be so bad and even more surprisingly so OBSCURE?
If Kobe gets traded the Lakers will be bad, and not just for a little while. There are too many young stars in the NBA, and the Lakers are not going to find anyone (or even a package of players) that will be able to make up for what they will be losing in Bryant.
The real tribute to the NBA is that the league is so successful despite the fact that it's two biggest teams are absolutely awful on the court, and inept off of it. (I'm not even going to bring up Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan, except only to say that he is the biggest buffoon in sports, including Bonds/Cuban/Vick, this guys got em all beat and them some.) The NBA has teams in small markets such as Sacramento, Portland, and Orlando and yet still does very well (the average team is worth over $300 million). Congrats to the NBA. It's too bad a majority of the coverage given to the league, goes to the teams that do the least to deserve it.
I hope Kobe gets traded to the Clippers, then I'll be able to get a good laugh when the Clippers are actually the talk of LA and win an NBA title.
Maybe I'm the crazy one.

Arizona: Go Watch your team or give them to someone who will!

There are just some cities that shouldn't have certain sports teams. Sometimes the markets are just too small (I'm sorry New Orleans but you couldn't hold two teams BEFORE Katrina), sometimes the sports are just not relevant in the city(HALF of the NHL teams to fall into this category), and then other times you have a fan base that is just completely and utterly indifferent to sports in general. I am talking about the Phoenix/Arizona/Scottsdale fans.
This is a city with FOUR professional sports teams, and I am here to tell you that four is too many for the state of Arizona to handle.
Oh sure, you can look at the latest Census and find out that Phoenix is the fifth most populated city in America. That's all fine and dandy, but then why does nobody care about the Cardinals, know about the Coyotes (I swear I don't think half of the Arizona population knows what ice is), or watch the Diamondbacks? I'll tell you why. It's because a high percentage of the people in that area are NOT originally from Arizona, and therefore would apparently rather stay home and watch Grey's Anatomy, or The Office tonight instead of watching their Diamondbacks play in the NLCS.
Don't believe me, then why is it that as of this morning there were still 4,000 unsold tickets to game one of the NLCS, and that game is TONIGHT? Any city who even wanted to pretend they cared about their team would have sold out this game. The Diamondbacks themselves must know what kind of nonchalant city the reside in, because they even kept the bleacher seats at nine dollars. And I kid you not, some of these tickets as of this morning, the day of the NLCS game 1, remained UNSOLD. What? NINE DOLLARS FOR BLEACHER SEATS TO THE NLCS AND YOU CANT EVEN GET THAT SECTION TO SELL OUT?! Are you kidding me? In Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston or Baltimore those tickets would have been gone in minutes. All of those cities are SMALLER than Phoenix and oh yeah with the exception of Baltimore, they all have four pro sports teams as well (DC is so close, I'll give the "charm city" a pass).
This is not the first time this happened. In 2001 when the Diamondbacks won the World Series, the ONLY games that sold out were in the World Series, and that was because they played the Yankees. Last series it seemed like over half the sold out ballpark were Cubs fans. MLB better hope the Bo Sox pull it out versus Cleveland in the ALCS, because if they don't, I can't imagine Cleveland fans traveling as well as Cubs/Yankees/Red Sox fans, and then MLB would be in for a real embarrassment when their World Series games aren't sold out and the Stadium shots on Fox look like one of the spring training games played in the area.
It's not baseball's fault if the series doesn't sell out, but it is baseball's fault for giving Arizona a team in the first place. Even those who are Arizona "lifers" may not necessarily like the Diamondbacks, because half of baseball plays spring training in Arizona and up until 10 years ago THOSE were the teams that took the state's heart.
As far as I'm concerned, let Phoenix keep the Suns, and even the Cardinals(they just built a new stadium and the NFL draws fans, EVEN the Cardinals) and get rid of the other two. I'm sure people in Arizona love baseball, they just apparently don't love the Diamondbacks, so move them somewhere else (how about San Antonio, which speaking of city sizes is now seventh in the United States-BY FAR the largest market with one team). Send the Coyotes back to Canada (now that there's a salary cap more Canadian cities should have and be able to afford teams), and go on cheering for your Suns, Cardinals and whoever the hell you root for in baseball, because as far as I'm concerned not supporting a local team when they are in the NLCS and you can get a nine dollar ticket to watch them means you don't deserve to have that team.

T-O better stand for Take Over aginst the Pats

Okay let's be real, we all knew it would happen some day soon. Terrell Owens has officially
started running his mouth again this year.
Granted it is not as bad yet as in previous years, but he might just be getting started. Unfortunately I thought that maybe this was the year that Owens would go a whole year and not use the media to call out a teammate, coach, or opponent. Looks like I was wrong.
Owens is once again showing the world why his nickname must stand for Talk-Over(the media). Just when you think he's run out of ways to get the media to talk about him, he gets even more creative and types out a giant note, telling media that "the original 81" (not Randy Moss who's also 81), will not be available to them until after Sunday's game and to "getcha popcorn ready."
I don't usually eat popcorn when I watch football Terrell, but thanks for the offer. However I would be very impressed if Owens is able to back up his note on both fronts and not only keep his mouth shut for a week (as unlikely as Britney Spears to ever record a number one single again-not to mention, another person who should keep their mouth shut), but also get though an entire game without dropping a first down or touchdown (again I wouldn't bet my leftover lunch on it).
I have Owens on my fantasy team,(I just picked him up for Jerry Porter, Leon Washington and Ben Roethlisberger, leave a comment and let me know what you think) so I would LOVE to see him succeed, but the truth is the deck is stacked against him. T-O is under more scrutiny than any other receiver in the league including the other 81, but most of it is brought on by him and his stupid comments that teeter on being unprofessional. Focus on the field Terrell and let your game do the talking, hopefully sans the dropped catches.
Owens needs to learn to close his mouth, close his pen and open his hands and then we'll both be happy on Sunday.

A few observations (and predictions) about this year's MLB playoffs

Just a few observations now that the divisional round of the MLB playoffs are officially over.
First, I don't want to brag (okay maybe I do a little) but I believe it was me who said the Rockies were the team to beat in the National League. They were the hottest team in baseball and still are the hottest team in baseball after polishing off the supposed hottest team in baseball in three straight games. Don't be surprised to see this young team continue to do well. They are the team that nobody expected to even get into the playoffs, with a roster full of guys who are just happy to be there and are playing like they have nothing to lose.
Second, there are just some things in life that are inevitable. The Sun will rise and set everyday. A celebrity will get too much attention for their personal problem. The Cubs will lose. Every year, between the end of September and the middle of October the Cubs are done. No more white "W" flags flying high, and another year to add to the "years since" counter at Wrigley field (I sure hope they have figured out to add a third spot for the "World Series champions" by now. They'll need it next year when they hit the big 100). As guaranteed as the Cubs yearly demise is the "curse" cubs fans will come up with as to why they lost (think Billy Goat, Bartman, I bet it will be something obscure this time like maybe the alignment of the stars, or a mysterious car parked outside the stadium that had Arizona plates. Who knows, I'm just guessing, or should I say giving Wrigleyville a head start). Maybe next year Cubs fans, or maybe when the Sun stops rising and Paris Hilton buys the team and puts everyone in pink uniforms that say "I'm Hot" on the back nameplate. Congrats to the Arizona Diamondbacks for beating the Cubs in three straight games. The Diamondbacks are a young team and it will be nice to see two NL West teams nobody knows anything about playing each other on the big stage.
Boston appears to be making up for lost time. Three years after winning their first World Series title in 86 years, the Red Sox are again looking like the favorite to win the title. They have the most complete team of the four remaining, with a fearsome lineup, starting pitching and a good back end of the bullpen. It will take a while for the Sox to catch up to the Yankees (think 20 years minimum), but in this Century it is the Yankees who appear to be "cursed" (I've got it, "the curse of the bought team," no Cubs fans you can't use that one for your own team and their 100 million dollar imported payroll). The Red Sox had the most miraculous series win I've ever seen in sports in 2004 when they came back from a three games to zero in the ALCS and beat the Yankees, who usually close the deal better than anybody. Now this year, in their first time back to the ALCS since winning the whole thing, they don't even have to play the evil empire they get to play The Cleveland Indians.
Which brings me to the Indians. For the third straight year the AL central will have a team in the ALCS; the longest such streak of any of the six divisions. Each time it has been a different team and the previous two both won the Pennant. Both the White Sox in 2005, and the Tigers last year won the ALCS so perhaps that is a good omen for the Tribe. However, the Tribe won't have to rely on statistics to have a shot. They'll have a shot because they have the best 1-2 punch in baseball with C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, a top half of the order that with the exception of number two hitter Asdrubal Cabrera, can beat the seams off the ball (Sizemore 24 Home Runs, Hafner 24, Martinez 25, Peralta 21), and that crazy guy with the Drum in the left field bleachers. Say what you want about his loyalty, no fan (including Fireman ED in New York, the J-E-T-S chant ringleader, and Mo Cheese in Detroit, the eternally dancing Red Wings fan) is more annoying than John Adams and his aptly named bass drum "Big Chief Boom Boom." One of these days that drum is going to drive a visiting left fielder crazy and the Red Sox' Manny Ramirez just might be the craziest left fielder in baseball (think peeing in the scoreboard at Fenway). Then again it might have been old Boom Boom that made him loony, since Ramirez began his career in Cleveland, playing with the Tribe from 1993-2000. The drum may not be enough to push the Indians into the Series, but it would sure make for good TV if Ramirez flips his lid.
In all, each team has unique story lines and successful season so far, but now it's time for the picks.
Colorado over Arizona 4-2. The Rockies are hot and will stay that way. Arizona gets two wins out of Brandon Webb, but the Rockies hitters pound the rest of the staff and people in Denver for the first time ever say "Broncos who?".
Cleveland over Boston 4-3. This is tough one to pick and could go either way, but I think the four starts the Indians will get out of Sabathia and Carmona will be too much for the Sox to overcome. I expect Cleveland to win three out of those four games, and pick up another along the way. And no, unfortunately Man-Ram will not blow his lid on Big Chief Boom Boom.
Stay tuned for World Series picks.

P is for parity. It might soon be for playoff

What is up with College football? I mean seriously since when are California, Boston College and South Florida such powerhouses? Remember when Nebraska, Michigan, Miami, and Penn State dominated college football, like oh I don't know, a couple of years ago? Where are those teams now? None of them are ranked this week

Now listen I love College Football and there's nothing like a good upset (speaking of which props to Stanford this weekend for beating USC on the road. Nothing beats watching Pete Carroll whimper off the field after a loss. Second to Steve Spurrier, no coach is more arrogant and therefore entertaining when his team loses). But I mean this is rediculous. Does anybody have a clue who the best teams in the country are right now? I know LSU is for real, and that comeback win over Florida makes them the team to beat, but after them it's a crap shoot.

If this college football season has shown us anything, it's that nobody knows who's going to finish where. For the first time this year, the AP waited until week 4 to release its rankings. As far as I'm concerned they should have waited until November. Does anybody really think that South Florida or Boston College are better than USC or Florida? I know I sure don't.

Now I'm not advocating a playoff system,(the bowls are about all that is left of what college football-or sports in general for that matter-used to be) but since I brought it up, let's just take a look.

If college football was going to switch to a playoff there's only one logical solution. An eight team playoff would be the best idea for college football and it's fans. The winner of each of the BCS conferences (Big 10, SEC, Big 12, ACC, Big East, PAC 10) would get into the playoff as well as two at large teams (allowing Notre Dame in good years or a strong small conference champion). Under my plan, only one of the At-Large teams could come from a conference that already has an automatic spot. The other must go to a small conference champion or an Independent.

This plan would put more of an empahsis on the conference schedules, and would give teams the freedom to schedule tougher opponents in the non conference without the fear of losing and dropping in the rankings. As far as I'm concerned there would be no need to even have rankings. Once the teams are decided the positioning would be randomly determined and all games would be played on neutral fields (you could even give naming rights to sponsors, or keep some of the bowl names).

After all if said plan was in place this year, Michigan, Florida, and many of the other teams who people thought were supposed to be good this year would still have a chance to win a National Championship and the rankings would be worthless (as if they already aren't).

Parity in college football is not a bad thing, but silliness is. If college football wants to look more like a multi-million dollar enterprise that it is and less like a circus, it needs to fix its ranking system first.

The NHL needs to remember what once made it great

So apparently the NHL hockey season starts tonight (actually it already started in England, but come on, I can hardly stand watching hockey anymore, so I can't imagine the Brit's would even know what the hell was going on). Was somebody planning on telling me this? If so when? After the first fight appeared on Sports Center? Maybe I would have to wait for 6'7" 270 Derek Boogaard to get his first single blow KO of the year, or maybe I'd have to wait until I could watch Alex Ovechkin score off his back. Let me know when one of those things happen and I'll start watching, but until then leave me alone and let me watch the Cubs find another curse to start.
My point here is that nobody south of Canada could really give a puck about hockey anymore. That's why ESPN underbid for its broadcast rights two years ago(actually turns out they MAY have overbid), that's why an NHL regular season game between Stanley Cup contenders San Jose and Detroit, got bumped for HORSE RACING last year, and that's why ratings in hockey will soon be lower than (dare I say it) soccer.
Now don't get me wrong, I love soccer, I have always loved soccer and will always love soccer. To me nothing is more special than watching a team slowly move their attack up the pitch with nice crisp passes, capping it off with a beautiful goal, while the announcer is screaming at triple digit decibles. It truly is the closest thing sport has to sex, but I digress.
I used to love hockey too, and one of my (and most other men's) favorite things other than sex has always been violence; that's why I used to watch! I wanted to watch Bob Probert knock some wise ass on his ass, and then imitate the knockout punch as I retold the fight to my buddies the next day.
I don't know if you've noticed this but in the last few years particularly since the lockout the NHL has been trying to remove fighting and other forms of "thuggery" from the game. Watching the NHL without fighting has been about as difficult as watching Wayne Newton on Dancing With the Stars: both seem terribly forced and want to make you think that everything is okay, but all you can really think is they look like they could both die any minute. That's because NOBODY watches hockey anymore, and the ratings are down, advertising is down and soon the NHL actually may die and it has nothing to do with the salary cap (which is actually one of the smarter moves Bettman's made, making all cities care slightly more about their teams), and everything to do with the lack of a knockout (that it unless you count me on my couch).
Every sport needs that retaliation aspect to let the other team know they can't stomp all over you. Football has the big hit, Baseball uses the high heat, basketball players can give a hard foul, hell even soccer (with only one referee to monitor the game) has ways to intimidate the opponent, and that's supposed to be a pacifist's sport!
While I am aware I am being critical of the NHL, as always I am only trying to help. My advice to the NHL is stop treating it's players like babies and let them get back to playing hockey the way it was meant to be played. If someone lays a dirty hit on a teammate, they better not skate with their head down or they might look up and meet an elbow, and that's how it should be. Wake me up when the people start knocking each other out again, until then, I think I'll just watch Wayne instead.

Wallace needs to prove he's earned his headband

Ben Wallace will once again be able to wear a headband while he plays defense in the NBA. Scott Skiles is showing that he realizes his job as coach is to put his team in the best position to win and that means keeping Big Ben happy.
Not that Big Ben needs to be able to wear a headband to be happy. Wallace has a four year $60 million contract to essentially stand under the basket on defense so that he can block shots and rebound. If I made $15 million a year to stand around half the time and have other people do the rest of my work, I would take off whatever they asked me to, and I'm not just talking about a headband. Wallace is really an exceptional help side defender who's an offensive liability, masquerading as a $15 million a year superstar, and Im not sure a headband can change that.
Unless of course this is some sort of special headband. Maybe his head is loose just like his wrist, in that case will the headband will hold his brain in place? That is the kind of headband he needs, because he seems to loose his mind every few weeks, with a tempertantrum of some sort. (Are we sure Ben and Rasheed aren't REALLY brothers?) Maybe the headband will help Ben get some sort of special power that will help him make free throws (actually Shaq still can't make free throws and he's Superman). Or maybe it will just be like any other headband and won't do anything other than help Ben Wallace stand out from all the other players when he's on the bench.
I've never understood that argument; a headband helps a player stand out. No, when you are 6'9" of pure muscle, with an afro that could hide a bird's nest, THAT ALONE is enough to make you stand out Ben, and just in case we have trouble finding you, well look for your new $15 sneakers, not your headband. With different color and pattern schemes being debuted in each city, your sneakers will be much more entertaining than your head band.
Actually I'm not giving the headband it's due. I almost forgot to mention the headband's greatest asset: it will shut Wallace up for a month until he finds something else to complain about (my guess is some retread about his lack of a role in the offense, if nothing else you can always coun't on him to argue EVERY foul he's called for). That will be one month the Bulls can concentrate on trying to finally surpass the Pistons and Cavaliers in the Central Division, and Wallace can work on trying to improve on the 40.8% free throw percentage he had last year.

Phillies have the glam, but young Rockies might be the real "Whiz Kids"

Now that the Colorado Rockies have officially wrapped up the NL Wild Card, the playoffs can officially start. While all four series (Yankees/Indians, Angels/Bo Sox, Cubs/Diamondbacks, Rockies/Phillies) should make you TIVO your regularly scheduled late night programming, the one that is most intriguing will be the one that took the longest to develop: Rockies/Phillies.
While this series features two teams that are completely different in terms of media coverage: one that no one talks about vs. one that is continually overscutinized, in almost every other way the two teams couldn't be more alike. Both teams have players whom they think should be the MVP(Matt Holliday, Jimmy Rollins), The Phillies are first in the National League in runs scored the Rockies are second. The Rockies have won 14 of 15, while the Phillies have won 13 of 17.
Therein lies the biggest plot. Somebody HAS to cool down. I repeat, both teams cannot win this series, (unless Bud Selig calls the game during a tie in extra innings of game 5. I know that was the All-Star Game, but that one's supposed to count now too...right?)
While everyone and their brother has been making a fuss about the Mets collapse (seven games up on September 12th) and the Phillies ability to benefit from it, the real story in this series is the (dur)ability of the Rockies. Winning 14 of 15 is feat in and of itself but the Rockies were 4.5 games back of the Padres in the Wild Card on September 20th and CAME BACK TO WIN IT. That is a much tougher feat given that they were also three games back of the Mets at that time(the Phillies were 1.5 games back of the Mets on the same day).
Not only did the Rockies pass the Padres but they also overcame a lead two times the size of the lead that the adored Phillies had to overcome against the same team with 10 days to go. If you disagreed or misunderstood my comparison of the two teams media coverage(drooling over the Phillies and drooling on the Rockies), I'll use this stat to refer you back to the bold sentence near the top.
While the Rockies are no guarantee to win this series (if the 10 pitchers Colorado used tonight showed us anything, it's that the nickname Rockies does not stand for the geological terrain of the team's loctaion, but rather the status of the pitching staff), they are the hottest team in the majors coming in, and have a lineup stacked with young homegrown talent (Troy Tulowitzki, Garrett Atkins, Brad Hawpe, Holliday) and one experienced area legend (Todd Helton) that is finally in position to make a run at a Pennant now that the team is in its first postseason since 1995.
While the Phightin's(are they stiil called that, or did that go out with the Vet?) certainly have some fight left, I remind people that this is a team that has notoriously flopped in the playoffs(see EVERY year except 1980, particularly those immediately leading up to 1980), and will be competing against an hot team who nobody is giving much of a chance.
Well everyone except me. I'm not saying the Phils won't pull this thing out, I'm just being critical of a team that is notorious for being overhyped and then underperforming.

-Critic-

Charlie Weis needs a new job...is there a Santa shortage in South Bend?

The Irish are bad. They are 0-5 and on the fast track to 0-8. Their next three games are at UCLA, and at home against #7 Boston College and #2 USC, two teams the Fightin' Irish usually don't put up much of a fight against. The Irish are 0-8 against the Eagles and the Trojans since 2002, and don't be surprised if they are 0-8 agianst everybody since August three weeks from now.
Notre Dame's offense looks as bad this year as it ever did under Bob Davie, and Davie's teams played as if they thought the forward pass was illegal (think option, option, option, punt). This year the Irish probably WISH the forward pass was illegal. Highly touted recruit Jimmy Clausen has exactly ONE passing touchdown, (and that came against Purdue, whose pass defense I'll save for another day), three picks, and a 60.6 completion percentage. Last time I checked, those are not acceptable numbers for a quarterback at Notre Dame. Even Ron Powlus had 19 touchdowns to nine interceptions his freshman year.
Where is this potent offense Coach Weis? It must be on a coffee break, or is it doughnuts? I know that's a cheap shot, but honsety, doesn't Charlie Weis remind you of the fat kid you always made fun of in high school? You know, the one who comes back to appear on talk shows to show everyone how successful he is now that he's finally gotten away from the big bad bully?
Weis runs his program tighter the CIA. He rarely lets his players talk to the media, has alienated almost all of his alumni base (yes that includes Rudy), and you damn sure better not challenge his authority or he'll ship you to Siberia (see former starting quarterback Demitrius Jones, now at Cincinnati).
Weis acts as though now that he has "dream job" the rest of the world can go to hell. Unfortunately that's not the way it works. Weis is quickly alienating not only the football alumni, but also some donors who are sick of seeing their money go to an operation being run like Guantanamo Bay, with the success of the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
Now I am not trying to be mean or "Irish Bash". Believe it or not, I actually like Charlie Weis U and hope they do well, but unfortunately here at the Critical Corner it is my job to clear through all the b.s. and tell it like it is.
This is how it is. Notre Dame will not improve until they start getting back to what made Charlie Weis more than a fat coordinator with a vendetta aginst doctors; be more creative and less predictable. Stop using offensive youth as an excuse and get back to doing what made you one of the richest coaches in football.
Otherwise in 2015 when your contract runs out, you'll have a lot of money and no job. And don't even think about joining Bob Davie in the broadcast booth, I already think John Madden is going to eat his microphone, but at least he won something as a head coach.

-Critic-