Alphablogsports

Yes We Can! NFL Style.

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:13:00 +0000

Those Who Can’t Play, Write

By Chad Brown

What are my thoughts about the NFL ’08 season? I feel like I’ve gone away from blogging for a few weeks and the playing field is turned upside down! In the words of Vince Lombardi “What the hell’s going on out there?” OK, the Lions still stink, thank goodness for that league staple. Anyway, I’ll have more to say about this season in subsequent weeks. For now, in honor of President-Elect Barack Obama, here are 32 editions of Yes We Can. No matter how prolific or how putrid your favorite team’s season is right now, more (or less) is always possible. Also, while we at Alpha Blog Sports congratulate the Democrats on winning the White House, there will be no excessively favorable coverage for Chicago or DC’s sports scenes. I have, however, petitioned the writing staff of The Office for a Joe Biden appearance sometime this season.

NFC East Yes We Can…
New York Giants (8-1), lead the division and conference. ’07 was no fluke.

Washington Redskins (6-3), compete for a wild-card spot in Jim Zorn’s first season as head coach.

Dallas Cowboys (5-4), play better at quarterback than Brad Johnson. By the way, T.O. had nothing to do with this one.

Philadelphia Eagles (5-4), continue to screw up short yardage and goal line situations that cost us football games.

NFC North, Yes We Can…
Chicago Bears (5-4), stop the run and rush the quarterback. Overcoming Rex Grossman is another story.

Minnesota Vikings (5-4), make a run at the NFC Norse title as long as Adrian Peterson is running wild and opposing quarterbacks are giving up safeties.

Green Bay Packers (4-5), return interceptions for touchdown with alarming frequency. Gotta cross “beat the Vikings anytime, anywhere, any way” off the list.

Detroit Lions (0-9), earn the first pick in the ’09 draft and not blow it on a wide receiver.

NFC South, Yes We Can…
Carolina Panthers (7-2), have one of the worst passing days ever and still beat the Raiders handily.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3), extend Florida’s run of good luck with a playoff berth and at least one more quarterback change.

Atlanta Falcons (6-3), continue to make everybody forget that the ’07 season ever happened. Bobby who?

New Orleans Saints (4-5), hope that Drew Brees’ arm compensates for our non-existent defense.

NFC West, Yes We Can…
Arizona Cardinals (6-3), provide University of Phoenix Stadium with a playoff game involving the home tenants.

San Francisco 49ers (2-7), keep Mike Singletary’s volume down (questionable) and his pants up (probable, we hope).

Seattle Seahawks (2-7), produce more moral victories than actual ones in Mike Holmgren’s swan season.

St. Louis Rams (2-7), open up the head coaching search to candidates beyond Jim Haslett.

AFC East, Yes We Can…
New England Patriots (6-3), still come to play each week no matter which offensive or defensive stalwart gets hurt.

New York Jets (6-3), get through a sentence about this improved team without mentioning a certain grizzled, gun slinging, game managing quarterback.

Miami Dolphins (5-4), show what a difference the Tuna and a legitimate quarterback make. Stone crabs for everybody

Buffalo Bills (5-4), reminisce fondly about the days of 4-0 and first place. Where have they gone?

AFC North, Yes We Can…
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3), join the Patriots in taking the Manning brothers off the team’s Christmas card mailing list.

Baltimore Ravens (6-3), enjoy having a productive and creative offense to complement that suffocating defense.

Cleveland Browns (3-6), have two goals for the rest of the season; play hard regardless of the score and avoid further staph infections.

Cincinnati Bengals (1-8), avoid being victory free and keep our players out of court.

AFC South, Yes We Can…
Tennessee Titans (9-0), bring the pain and bring the AFC South title to a southern-based team, for once.

Indianapolis Colts (5-4), credit Peyton Manning alone for about three of those wins and staying in the wild-card hunt.

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5), run the ball again, even if only against the Lions.

Houston Texans (3-6), hope that Andre Johnson returns to his October form. Unbelievable!

AFC West, Yes We Can…
Denver Broncos (5-4), plan to outscore everybody down the stretch because the defense is _______ (fill in the blank).

San Diego Chargers (4-5), be the best NFL team in California by default.

Oakland Raiders (2-7), count the weeks until this season is over.

Kansas City Chiefs (1-8), play to win the game, even if that means coming up agonizingly short as of late.

Some random ish about Sports and Politics -- Seven Signs of the Apocalypse

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:29:00 +0000

From the possible resurrection of the Cold War, to the shocking sight of Roy Jones Jr. being toyed with in the ring, and newfound sanity in Knicksland, here are seven signs our world will never be the same.

1. The Evil Empire is back. No, I'm not referring to the New York Yankees who figure to break the bank this offseason by opening the vault in a bid to sign free agent standouts like C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira. I'm referring to Russia, the brooding giant who's looking to re-establish itself as a dominant international player following the humiliating collapse of the Soviet Union. Puppet-master Vladimir Putin looks like he's itching to test President-elect Barack Obama. The day after the U.S. celebrated Obama's historic win, a stone-faced Kremlin said it would station missiles near Poland -- a NATO protectorate. Are we in store for a Cold War sequel?

2. And speaking of tests, looks like Mike D'Antoni survived his first major one since taking over as coach of the New York Knicks. The frenetic New York media made 'much a do' about nothing regarding D'Antoni's decision to excommunicate Stephon Marbury from the active roster. After arriving for training camp in arguably the best shape of his life, Marbury played well during the preseason and appeared willing to play the good soldier in his final year as a Knick. But D'Antoni apparently wants no part of Marbury, benching the $21.9 million point guard. Despite chants of "We Want Steph," from fans and hot-headed criticism of the move on the airwaves and in the tabloids, D'Antoni is sticking to his guns. And the Knicks are 4-2. Sanity finally reigns at Madison Square Garden.

3. Speaking of MSG, hopefully this is the last time we'll ever see former champ Roy Jones Jr. in a boxing ring. Jones was pummeled at the Garden Saturday night by undefeated Welsh legend Joe Calzaghe in a bout that should end Jones' viability as a pay-per-view caliber fighter. In a sight that conjured images of a washed-up Muhammad Ali being battered at the hands of Larry Holmes, Jones covered up and absorbed a total beating over the final 11 rounds of the bout. After enduring a first round knockdown, Calzaghe overwhelmed Jones -- who bled profusely for the first time in his career after the Welshman opened a nasty gash over the former champ's left eye. And since he couldn't knock him out, Calzaghe proceeded to mock and taunt the helpless Jones, who gamely fought to go the distance.

4. While the sight of Roy Jones Jr. being utterly humiliated was strange, an even stranger sight will be tolls booths on the East River crossings if New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has his way ... Slowly but surely, the little guy is being priced out.

5. Speaking of being priced out, longtime Jets season ticket holders Bob Yost and Stephen Giaramita won't be attending Jets games when the club moves into its new home next season. In order to keep their lower-level seats on the 49-yard line in the new stadium, Yost and Giarmita would have to pay the club $25,000 for the right to buy their tickets. Then they'd pay $700 a game for the seats. The Jets and Giants -- who'll share the new stadium -- say the fees are necessary to foot the bill for their shiny new $1.7 billion stadium. Did these teams really NEED a stadium this expensive? Six years ago, the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles opened gleaming new buildings which cost a tad over $300 million to build -- in a much better economic climate no less.

6. Too bad Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall wasn't able to make his tribute to President-elect Barack Obama after scoring a touchdown Thursday night. Marshall planned to commemorate Obama's historic victory by putting on a black and white glove and raising his fist in a move reminiscent of Tommie Smith and Juan Carlos' black power salute at the 1968 Olympics. He was stopped by teammates since such a move would have resulted in a 15-yard penalty, which could have been crucial in such a tight game. But maybe, just maybe -- wrong was right this time, and winning a game wasn't the most important thing.

7. On another note, why does New York Jets kicker Jay Feely wear large gloves on each hand in relatively warm weather? He's a kicker. Last I checked that means he doesn't catch, block, pass, tackle -- or really anything that gloves may assist him with.

Where have you gone Juan Carlos and Tommie Smith? Today's athletes stand for nothing more than $$$

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:36:00 +0000

By Colin Benjamin

The China Olympics have begun, but amid the revelry of competition between the world's best athletes, will any of these superstars "seize the time" and speak out against China's repression of Tibet or their support for the genocidal Sudan
government?

Don't expect the NBA/Team U.S.A players to say anything. "We're coming to play basketball," LeBron James said. Said Kobe Bryant: "Our focus is to play basketball, that's what we are here for, that's what we do best. We're not politicians or government officials."
He also seemed to issue a warning to other players saying "Don't say anything stupid." Dwayne Wade said, "it's not about
us making a stand or taking a position. It's about us playing our position." Wade added this: "It's not our home...This is a business trip for us. We'll let the politics take care of itself. There might be some people that get into it,
but that's not my focus."

Supposedly, NBA Commissioner David Stern has encouraged those players whose conscience urges them to speak to do so. Somehow, I find that hard to believe.
"I say be your own person," Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball managing director said. "One might say, 'well I am just here to play basketball and the Olympics are about sport. The Olympics are about bringing countries together.' But if your heart is telling you something...then be your own person. We're not muzzling anyone"

Team USA Coach Mike Krzyzewski stated "Our country allows you to do that (speak out.") However, he also said "We look at the Olympics as sport, not a political forum. But that doesn't mean our guys don't have the right to speak out on any issue." For some it's never the right time to speak for justice. If the Olympics aren't a political forum why do nations like China clamor to host them? And how vain are these people who can't seem to comprehend the futility of a world where
people care more about superficiality than the cries of the suffering masses?

Unfortunately, these days most Black superstar athletes seem totally devoid of any civic responsibility. They are disgraceful benefactors of the legacy of real sports heroes like Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith and John Carlos. First, the man: Muhammad Ali.

Has there ever been another American athlete with more righteous courage than Ali? At the height of his career, Ali sacrificed millions, his championship belt and freedom because his conscience wouldn't allow him to sign on to the slaughter of the Vietnamese. Ali could've easily signed on to the carnage, and as a celebrity he would never have faced combat. But he never wavered and used his celebrity status to oppose the Vietnam War.

In the face of these cowardly comments made by these pampered, self-absorbed Black athletes let's examine something that happened in the 1968 Summer Olympics, in Mexico City. On October 16, of that year two Black athletes, John
Carlos (born in Harlem) and Tommie Smith, took a dramatic stand for justice.

Smith and Carlos, track and field stars, placed first and third respectively in the 200 metre race; after accepted their medals, they proceeded to raised their fists wearing Black gloves and socks to show their solidarity with the masses of poor Blacks. Needless to say, these two men were excoriated. First, they were expelled from the Games. Back "home," in America, they were
pilloried in newspapers and in magazines; like Time which ran a piece entitled "Angrier, Nastier, Uglier. Sportscaster, Brent Musburger spewed venom calling the pair "Black-skinned storm troopers." Moreover, they were subjected to death
threats by some in white America.

Unfortunately, the brave legacy these Black men bequeathed means little to today's Black basketball superstars. But, as these neutered Negroes reject any responsibility to speak up against China's repression and partnership with the
genocidal Sudanese government this isn't the case with Joey Cheek. Cheek, a former Olympic speed-skating champion, co-founded a group named Team Darfur. Team Darfur is an international organization of athletes dedicated to raising awareness on the Darfur crisis. Cheek was to have attended this year's games. But a few hours before his flight, the Chinese government revoked his visa. They refused to give a reason for their actions.

Interestingly enough, while Britain's Prince Charles and German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to forgo the opening Olympic festivities, in protest of China treatment of the people of Tibet among other things, President Bush attended. When asked why he was attending Mr. Bush claimed he didn't want to offend the Chinese people. Question: would he feel that way if the Olympics were being held in Cuba? Facing mounting pressure, Mr. Bush issued a statement supposedly to prod China to clean up its human rights abuses. But given the scandalously criminal behavior of his administration, what kind of moral force
do his words carry?

It's not hard to see what going on here. In 1980, America boycotted the Moscow Olympics and in 1984 Russia returned the favor in Los Angeles. During those Cold War days Americans were brainwashed with the "Red Scare" and Cuba then an ally
of Russia broke the ultimate rule by defying the hegemonic Monroe Doctrine which declared Latin America and the Caribbean the backyard of America.

For decades, Americans have been told that communism is evil. So, why is America so buddy-buddy with China? Could it be the profits American corporations make, due to the cheap labor that China's government extracts from its people?
Nike also makes a killing from sweat-shop labor. Is this why these NBA players are united in their shameful silence?

What Can I Say? Couldn’t Stay Away. The NFL Is Back And So Am I.

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:08:00 +0000

Those Who Can’t Play, Write

By Chad Brown

Was going to start this post with an “Ah, good times”, as the NFL is back (that being the portion of the National Football League not consumed with the Brett Favre drama) and so am I. However, that’s kind of difficult to do considering the recent deaths of Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes. RIP fellas.

Nevertheless, the season, and with it my posts, will go on and that’s a good thing. This has been an epic summer of sports and I have a feeling that this trend will extend to the gridiron come this autumn. My NFC and AFC preview capsules are coming up later this week—and who knows where they’ll end up this time around. I’d also like to thank everybody who took a listen to my NPR appearances this summer.

Really appreciated the kind words from my sport fan friends and Chad fan friends; as long as I’m invited back to the sportsblogger’s roundtable, I’ll keep sending out the MP3s. It’s an honor to be included in the conversation with established, knowledgeable and down to earth sportswriters/bloggers.

Ok, so here are some preliminary thoughts, trends, Chadisms regarding the NFL ’08. None of which involve reports of # 4 navigating Interstate 280. Seriously, I’m pleased, and still somewhat surprised that Favre is a New York Jets after 16 seasons as a Green Bay Packer, but the coverage leading up to Wednesday night was beyond any adjective. At least the WorldWide Leader in Sports has ceased to be FAVRESPN for the moment. Or at least shifted the coverage’s geographic focus.

A few points regarding the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Induction Ceremony; I thought that Darrell Green and his son were excellent as enshrine and presenter. I understand that Green played Cornerback over a twenty year period that produced some of the greatest teams, players, games and coaches in NFL history. Having said that, I echo SI.com’s Peter King in wondering what Green and son meant by saying that there were maybe two future HOFers in today’s game. Am guessing he didn’t mean Tom Brady or Peyton Manning (not that they’re not, in my opinion, but he is a defensive all-timer).

Second point, much simpler. Art Monk’s induction was looooong overdue and he deserved all four minutes of that standing ovation. Makes you wonder if Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain will get half of that at the Republican National Convention next month, in terms of length and fervor.

Finally, I noticed that Andre Tippet—whose final season as a New England Patriot coincided with Bill Parcells’ first year as Pats coach—thanked then defensive coaches Al Groh and Romeo Crennel in his speech, but made no mention of the Tuna? Maybe to appease Owner/Presenter Bob Kraft who, along with the other presenters, did a terrific job.

Trying to predict the next Super Bowl Champion? (Memo to Antonio Pierce, this is not meant to disrespect the New York Giants) Look at the teams who have either lost/added a running back through free-agency, trade or the draft. It might not mean anything, but since ’99, most of the eventual Super Bowl Champions—with the exception of the ’03 Patriots—have benefited from a new backfield presence. In the cases of Pittsburgh in ’05 and the Giants in ’07, that replacement was already on the roster and just needed the opportunity to play full time. Does this mean a Super Bowl Swan Song for Mike Holmgren’s Seahawks and a possible worst to first for the Oakland Raiders? Let’s not get crazy here.

Also, football fans and teams should be excited if your starting running back sets a new single season touchdown record, your quarterback sets a single season touchdown record, your offense scores the most.points.ever, and you have a shoe-in candidate for league MVP on your roster. Just don’t bet on winning the Super Bowl, let alone playing in it, if you make it out of your first playoff round. Observe:

Last running back w/td record to win Super Bowl: Emmitt Smith, (25 tds, 1995). Since then, Marshall Faulk (26 tds, 2000), Priest Holmes (27 tds, 2003), Shaun Alexander (28 tds, 2005) and LaDainian Tomlinson (31 tds, 2006), have combined for a grand total of two playoff victories (both Alexander’s) in the postseason following their stellar campaigns.

Last MVP to make the Super Bowl and not stink up the joint: Kurt Warner, Rams, 1999

Of the three highest scoring offenses in NFL history, two featured Randy Moss, one couldn’t make it out of Minnesota, and the two that appeared in their respective Super Bowls scored a combined total of 23 points.

Dan Marino (48 td passes, 1984), Peyton Manning (49 td passes, 2004) and Tom Brady (50 td passes, 2007) were incredible during their respective regular seasons and had at least one standout postseason game. But, when facing the eventual Super Bowl Champions of those seasons, they generated 16, 3 and 14 points, two total touchdowns and didn’t give their defenses much help. Now, do these statistics mean anything for the 2008 season? Not necessarily, just know your pigskin history. Stuff happens.

Just to get it out of the way early, no NFL team is going undefeated and no team will emerge from the ’08 campaign unvictorious.

Having said that, chances are good that the New England Patriots will have another great season, the Miami Dolphins will lick the bottom of the AFC Barrel, Jason Taylor will go sackless against AFC East competition and Jessica Simpson will be banned (however unfairly) from the state of Texas should the Dallas Cowboys fail to win a playoff game.

My thoughts on the Packers rift with Favre and vice versa. Long term, his Green Bay legacy will be fine. There were many more good times than bad ones over the course of those 16 years he spent in Green and Gold. Even if the memories and ownership of those good times border on fanatic. However, both sides are at fault for letting this happen. While Favre had/has the right to change his mind, the Packers were right to not let him be bigger than the team with his indecision and interviews with Gretta. This has been going on for a few years, the only difference being that he said yes when they needed a decision. As for the Packers, forget about all of the earlier platitudes; as of last season, this guy quarterbacked your team within an overtime period of the Super Bowl (again, no disrespect to the G-Men). If you’re not going to realistically consider bringing him back, let him go elsewhere, even if it’s out of the division. More details to come in my Packers and Jets previews, within the context of their respective teams.

John Edward’s political career may be dead, Herm Edwards hasn’t done much to impress in Kansas City, but the Edwards on the come up in ‘08 is Braylon. He and K2 could be even better in Cleveland’s offense if all goes according to form. But first, Braylon, enough of running sprints in socks. Let those stitches heal.

A New York Giants team without Wellington Mara, Bob Tisch, Ernie Accorsi, Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan or Jeremy Shockey? The squad will bring it, no doubt—3 straight years in the playoffs for Coughlin’s crew. Just feels weird, is all.

Best of luck to Shockey and former Jets MLB Jonathan Vilma in New Orleans; they’ll make some noise in their new NFC South home. Also looking forward to Warrick Dunn’s return to Tampa Bay. In all of the “Will Brett Favre come to Tampa” and “Will Jeff Garcia escape captivity” talk, Dunn’s been overlooked. Always felt bad that he wasn’t part of the team’s Super Bowl run and can’t wait to see what Jon Gruden has cooked up for him and Earnest Graham. And no, I cannot confirm reports that Doug Williams was seen throwing the ball at a Bucs training camp practice.

Never thought that I’d congratulate anybody for getting out of Miami, but good for Jason Taylor for moving to a contender (sorta) in Washington. Was that one of Gang Green’s selling points to Favre, that he wouldn’t have to worry about #99 messing with him twice a season? Also, with Taylor a Redskin and former Fins teammate and current brother in law, Zach Thomas, a Cowboy, yet another juicy twist in the longtime Redskins-Cowboys rivalry emerges.

Does the Madden Curse still count if the player on the cover is active, but no longer in THAT uniform? Speaking with obvious bias, I hope not. Vince Young’s relatively good fortune should be a harbinger of good things.

Is it strange that we’re this far into pre-season play with no visual evidence of Peyton and scant sightings of Brady?

Also, it’s time to end this Manning family monopoly of the Super Bowl MVP award!

Two game suspension and his importance to the Carolina Panthers aside, does anybody else think that Steve Smith has a butt kicking coming to him this season? I wouldn’t condone it any more than I did his assault on Ken Lucas. Still, karma is unpredictable.

Just to acknowledge a current member of the Packers’ roster; Aaron Rodgers, stay healthy and productive. This team is in much better shape than the old, broken down squad Lombardi left behind in ’69 or that Ron Wolf permitted to flatline after TO ended the quest for a 3rd straight Super Bowl appearance in the late 1990s.

Finally, if you had said in June of ’07 that PacMan Jones would be on a team other than the Titans in ’08, I could accept that. If you would’ve mentioned that Michael Vick might miss some games due to events in Virginia, that’d be plausible. Throw out the possibility of Favre wrestling with retirement after a great season, I wouldn’t think you were off. One year later, Adam Jones is a Dallas Cowboy, Vick’s number is no longer 7 and #4’s colors are Green and White. Hands up from everybody who saw all that coming. Ok, thought so.

Whatever. I’m just glad the NFL is back. Now off to watch the Olympics.

Coming Soon, NFC Previews.

AccuScore & Aaron Isaac

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:07:00 +0000

My Loyal Readers:

I am proud to announce I am attempting to move up in the sports journalist world, and with the help of my cousin... I can do that!

I have been hired to work for AccuScore.com, a web site that provides vital sports information and works VERY closely to YahooSports!

My work will start getting posted this week and should continue throughout the football season.

Please Check Out My Articles. The more hits and comments the better.

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

San Diego Chargers

Seattle Seahawks Preview

Green Bay Packers Preview

Can the Florida Marlins Win the National League East?

Chicago Bears Preview

Jacksonville Jaguars Preview

Get the AccuScore Edge!

Aaron Isaac Feldstein

Mid-Season Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:48:00 +0000

Necessary Roughness
by Aaron Isaac Feldstein

It's amazing to think the baseball season is already half over. I mean, it must be because I'm already getting stuff in my e-mail asking me to sign up for Fantasy Football. And although it may be hard to notice through all the Brett Favre talk, the first half of the season has been a tremendous one.

That being said, here are my mid-season Awards.

Gold Glove: Rick Ankiel
-Playing a position for St. Louis once held by the magnificent Jim Edmonds, it's only fitting this former pitcher continue the greatness the Cardinals fans have come to know from that position. Numerous diving plays and a couple no hoppers to third will help this man earn this award at the end of the season too.

The Jose Offerman Award (The opposite of the gold glove): Dan Uggla
-After watching all 15 innings of the All-Star game, Uggla is the man who kept making it interesting for all the wrong reasons.

Silver Slugger Award: Ryan Howard
-It may have taken a couple months, but this former MVP has finally found the power swing that has made him a terror to opposing pitchers. It's also funny that this former Home Run Derby Champion wasn't selected to the All-Star game. He's only leading the league in long balls.

The Josh Hamilton Award (Feel Good Story): Josh Hamilton
-What this guy went through in his life, most can't even imagine. And yet, here he is capturing the hearts of baseball fans with a superb showing at the Home Run Derby and making the Rangers a plus-.500 ball club. Not to mention his stats are pretty good too! (.310, 22 HRs and 95 RBIs)

Rookie of the Year: Evan Longoria
-This kid started the season playing for the Triple-A Durham Bulls. After a spring training where he was noted as the next big star, he was demoted before the season even began. Longoria could've easily packed it in and become a minor-league journeyman. Instead, he came back two weeks later and made the Tampa Bay Rays a contender. His 16 home runs, 23 doubles and 53 RBIs were good enough to get the fans to the ballot box and earn him a spot on the All-Star team.

Biggest Disappointment: The Cleveland Indians
-For awhile there, I thought this spot was going to be reserved for the Detroit Tigers or the entire NL West. Well, either can still work. But the Indians were a game away from the World Series only nine months ago, and now they are sitting in the cellar of the American League and they traded away their ace. Now, I understand injuries haven't helped this team, but come on! The Kansas City Royals have a better record than Cleveland.

Biggest Surprise: Tampa Bay Rays
-It's hard for me to put them down as a surprise. After all, I did pick them as my sleeper team this year (Team under .500 last year that will make noise this year). But what the Rays are doing in a division with money spending behemoth's like the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays makes their run at the playoffs that much more amazing.

Biggest Idiot of the Year: Jonathan Papelbon
-Look, I know the Red Sox closer didn't mean to make it sound like he should close the All-Star game instead of Mariano. But he did, and he knew it. Then, he goes down 6th Ave in New York, waving around his World Series ring and doesn't expect to get booed and have people yell obscenities to him and his wife. Get a clue Papelbon! You play for the Red Sox and have been more successful than the Yankees the last four years. Of course they are going to yell things at you. Do I condone the actions of my fellow New Yorkers? NO! But Papelbon, you should have known better.

Smartest Man of the Year: Doug Melvin
-The Brewers GM went out and quickly got CC (no periods) Sabathia and made a playoff contending team into a potential World Series team. Instead of waiting around till the end of July for the trade deadline, he went out and sent Matt LaPorta over to the struggling Indians. LaPorta will be a good player, but the Brew Crew already have enough bats. What they needed was another arm, and they got a pretty good one. Now let's see if Melvin can go get some bullpen help, because he's not getting it from Eric Gagne.

Relief Man of the Year: Brad Lidge
-I know, I should have given this award to Francisco Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but as an A's fan I just couldn't do it. However, Lidge is an amazing story. It seemed like he was never going to be able to come back from that Albert Pujols home run in the 2005 NLCS that quieted thousands of Astros fans. But he has. A trade to the Phillies has proven to help Lidge become a perfect closer. (20 saves in 20 attempts). It might help that he doesn't have to see Pujols in the other dugout 19 times a year.

Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon
-What Maddon has done in Tampa Bay is make the players and the fans forget that the second Florida team has lost at least 90 games a year every year since it's inaugural season in 1998. Now, only a 1/2 game out of first in the East, the Rays are the story of the year. Don't look for them to fall off the map either.

Cy Young Award: Justin Duchscherer
-Boo! Homer pick! I know. But look at it. This former middle reliever has become the ace of a staff that had two pretty good pitchers up until the last few weeks. He doesn't have over powering stuff. A great curve ball and beautiful pitch placement has Duchscherer holding the best ERA in the majors (1.82). If he continues to pitch this way, he will end the season with 20 wins and an ERA under 2. That is good enough for the Cy Young in my opinion. (Honorable Mention: Cliff Lee and Edison Volquez).

Most Value Player: Josh Hamilton
-If Alex Rodriguez can get the MVP for a last place Rangers team, why can't Hamilton get it for a third place OVER .500 Texas team. Hamilton has a chance to hit for the triple crown, if his pal at second base Ian Kinsler will lower his batting average a bit. Either way, Hamilton is a huge reason the Rangers are actually contending for the wild card for the first time since 2004. Hamilton should continue this awe-inspiring season with a strong second half. Unless the home run derby messed up his swing. I doubt that.

There is only two and a half months left in the season before we hit playoff baseball. One thing is for certain, the second half looks to be just as exciting as the first half.

Experiencing a Piece of Golf History

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:22:00 +0000

Necessary Roughness
by Aaron Isaac Feldstein

It is the legendary golf course of North Carolina. Its fairways have been played on by legendary golfers Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. It’s the course that held one of the most exciting finishes in U.S. Open history back in 1999. It’s the course I was lucky enough to walk a week ago.

That course is Pinehurst No. 2.
Although my golf game is about as good as Anna Kournikova’s tennis skills, I’ve appreciated the game since I was a little kid. My father played in numerous tournaments growing up, and has the tacky pants to prove it. I’m a golfer’s son, and that is why hiking the fairways of Pinehurst No. 2 meant so much to me.

The day I visited this unforgettable place of golf lore was the 4th of July. As I drove up with my girlfriend, Morgan Reich, and her father, Mr. Michael Reich, whose tee times allowed me to walk the remarkable course, old men and women decked to the nines in flamboyant patriotic hats and vests smacked the croquet ball around. This was my first taste of what Pinehurst had to offer.

Then I walked through the doors.

The hallways were decorated with incredible pieces of the Pinehurst history. First was the statue of the famous Putter Boy. Sculpted by Lucy Richards back in 1912, this former sundial has become the face of Pinehurst. The Golf Lad, as he is known as, was created for advertising and graces numerous hats, t-shirts, posters and golf equipment. Several framed pictures of the putter boy go down the halls, including a great picture of the Golf Lad imitating Payne Stewart’s famous pose.

Plaques and frames of all the tournaments winners hang on the walls, some with the names like Hogan, Sam Snead and Peggy Kirk Bell.

Window displays of legendary golfers embedded into the walls as you walk the hall and get closer to the golf shop.

Stewart has numerous pieces of memorabilia of his tremendous ’99 U.S. Open victory at the No. 2. The final day score card sits in front of the bust dedicated to the golfer who died in a plane crash only months after his second open win. Next to Stewart was Bell’s memorial. Considered one of the pioneers of women’s golf (along with Babe Zaharis), the Ohio native, who started playing when she was 17, had numerous trophies that she won at Pinehurst fill her window, along with a book and video by Bell instructing women how to play better. It was a display that meant the world to Morgan, a female golfer for Towson University. It meant so much, I made sure she took a picture standing next to it whether she wanted to or not.

Finally, two pictorial wings branched off the hall dedicated to the two U.S. Opens held at No. 2. The first was Stewart’s ’99 victory followed by Michael Campbell’s win in 2005.

The hall breaks like a fork in the road, leading to the regular Pinehurst Pro Shop, or the Pinehurst No. 2 Pro Shop. Numerous items were available for the 2008 Amateur Championships, which is going to be played there in about a month. I couldn’t resist picking up a few things for myself.

I quickly headed outside into the blistering heat to get a glimpse of the magnificent statues that sit behind the 18th green. There was a statue of Donald Ross, considered to be the founding father of American Golf Course Architecture. The Scotsman is famous for such courses as No. 2, the Seminole in Florida and Oakland Hills in Detroit. In 1899, Ross was asked by the Tuft family to help design a few courses on their land, in which they paid a dollar per acre. Ross maintained the courses for 47 years, and made No. 2 legendary.

Next to Ross stood a statue dedicated to Robert Dedman. The founder of ClubCorp, a organization that quickly became the world’s leader in golf, private clubs and resorts, helped restore Pinehurst to glory and was a major factor in the famous course acquiring the ’99 and ’05 U.S. Opens.

The final statue is of Payne Stewart’s famous pose when he sunk the famous 15-footer to beat Phil Mickelson in ’99. It’s a pose that will forever go down in PGA history.
After the Reichs did a bit of practicing on the famous large putting green and the driving range known to players as “Cardiac Hill,” it was time to hit the course.

Or was it?

Just as the Reichs were preparing to tee off with the Stricklands, a crowd walked up the 18th fairway watching two young men battle in the quarterfinals of the North & South Amateur Championships. The match play tournament is held throughout the summer every year at Pinehurst, and this particular match was a dead heat at the last hole. One of the competitors hit a nice chip shot from the right side of the green and landed next to the hole, then putted for par. This sent the match into sudden death, but more importantly set our tee time back about 20 minutes.

But none the less, we were finally able to hit the course that Ross considered “the fairest test of championship golf I ever designed.” On this day it would be, as the foursome of vacationers were about to play tournament tough pin placements.

The Reichs and the Stricklands were up for the challenge. Especially thanks to their caddies Jon and Jimmy G.

Jimmy G was an outgoing caddie from Brooklyn, which gave me a little sense of home. He could talk your ear off about anything, whether it was about the course (which he affectionately referred to as “she”) or a secret drinking society found in the trees of Pinehurst. Jimmy G’s knowledge of the course was impressive, but his command of the greens was phenomenal.

Jimmy G was not the veteran caddie on the course that day. That title belonged to Jon. Jon was the ying to Jimmy G’s yang. Where Jimmy G walked up on the green and immediately told the Reichs where to place the ball, Jon sat back and quietly gave his 53 years of expertise to the Stricklands. The African-American caddie had helped many golf greats including Gary Player, and when asked how many hole-in-ones he had seen, laughed with an answer “too many to count.”

Whether it was the quiet Jon or the thunderous Jimmy G, both knew how to attack the crowned greens. As Morgan told me days before, Pinehurst No. 2 greens were like a fist covered with grass. They were nice and flat next to the pin, but if you didn’t hit that small safe haven, your ball would roll off the green quicker than Michael Phelps in the 100 meter butterfly. It was a fate Mr. Strickland found out on numerous occasions.

The wide open fairways were breathtaking, with trees on both sides and a landing area a jumbo jet could sit on. But it wasn’t until the fourth tee when I was able to engulf Pinehurst’s true beauty. A massive drop from the tee to the fairway on this par-5 really complimented the tree line that surrounded the hole.

The day continued and the players fought through a bit of rain, a few lost shots and an annoying camera man before we came to the final three holes. Three holes that a golf enthusiast will tell you hold some of the most memorable moments in the sport’s rich history.

First was the 16th, the only hole on the entire course that has a water hazard. The hazard sits right off the tee, so it never comes into play. Well, except once on July 4th, 2008.

This spectacular par-5 is where, according to one random golfer at the beginning of the day, Payne Stewart really won the open in ’99. On that fateful day, the hole played as a par-4 and Stewart sunk a 20-foot double-break putt to save par and was the beginning of the end for Mickelson.

Next was the par-3 17th. A hole that was the demise for Tiger Woods in both the Opens played at Pinehurst. In ’99, Woods was charging towards the leaders until he bogeyed the second to last whole of the tournament. In 2005, Woods three-putted the hole for bogey and lost to Campbell by two shots.

The hole wasn’t as challenging for Mr. Reich. After hitting a tee shot left of the green in the pine needles, he was able to chip a wedge inches from the hole giving him a near gimmie putt for par. It was a putt he made easily. Well played, sir.

As the sun began to set behind the famous clubhouse, the seven of us walked up to the 18th and glanced down at greatness. This was the hole that sent Stewart’s caddie jumping into his arms. This is the hole that made Campbell raise his hands in victory when he became only the second New Zealander to win a golf major.

This was the hole we were about to play. What an honor.

After taking a few pictures, the Reichs and Stricklands went down the fairway like they had been playing there for years. Good shot after good shot put the group on the green faster than we wanted to be. And before we knew it, it was over.
They had just played 18 at Pinehurst No. 2.

Mr. Reich and his daughter both ended the day on a high note, sinking par putts to end the day. And as we sat there in the rocking chairs, drinking a beer from the Verdana Bar and reminiscing on the day that was just about end I started to realize a few things.

I’ve been to a few famous stadiums. I’ve been to Camden Yards where Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive game record. I’ve seen the Athletics sweep the Yankees at the House that Ruth Built. I’ve watched the apple pop up in the center of Shea Stadium and soon, I will sing Sweet Caroline at Fenway Park. But I’ve never walked a golf course with as much history as this one.

Damn, I wish I played.

(Remember, please leave all comments on the site and don't forget to leave your name. That way, we Alpha Blog Sports Columnists can say thank you.)

Nadal May Have Won, but it was Federer Who Lost

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:47:00 +0000

Necessary Roughness
by Aaron Isaac Feldstein

The sun set on what has been noted as possibly the best grand slam final in tennis history. Pitting the two best currently in the sport, No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Rafael Nadal went back and forth as they battled for the top crown in their respective sport.

Nadal looked as if he was going to walk away with the title, then Federer fought back like a prize fighter against the ropes. But even though the rain delayed the game, what it didn’t delay was history.

As tennis fans stayed glued to the television from early in the morning till late in the afternoon, they were rewarded with what could be considered the greatest match to grace the grass court.

In an amazing five set thriller, Nadal yanked history from the grip of the world’s No. 1. With Sunday’s loss, Federer failed to tie William Renshaw’s record of six straight Wimbledon victories set back in the 1880’s. The 26-year-old who has held the No. 1 spot since February of 2004, failed to tie Bjorn Borg’s 41-match win streak at Wimbledon.

And the only person Federer has to blame is Federer.

Maybe the pressure of winning six in a row was too much. Maybe the lack of light in the fifth set caused Federer to put his best shot, the forehand, into the net and give Nadal his first grand slam title outside the French Open. But throughout the match, the greatest player in the game today wasn’t the dominant champion tennis fans are used to seeing.

Federer had an unprecedented 52 unforced errors, including the final forehand shot into the net. Although unforced errors are one of the hardest statistics to calculate, it wasn’t difficult to see how simple shots for a normal Federer turned into points for Nadal. Easy slice shots went out of bounds or into the net; hard forearm smashes went long.

Despite how bad he was playing, Federer still had a shot to win his sixth straight Wimbledon. The Swiss had 13 chances to break Nadal and open this match right open, but only converted on break point once. This could be a credit to Nadal not giving into the tennis giant, but it looked more like Federer doubted himself and lost that killer edge that has earned him 11 grand slam victories.

Even though Federer wasn’t at his best, he was able to fend off three championship points, including the fourth set tiebreaker when Nadal was serving for the tournament. Nadal gave everything he had to pull off this victory, and Federer wasn’t even at the toop of his game.

Although Federer won’t walk away from Wimbledon as champion, it is hard to note Nadal as the next big thing in tennis. That title still belongs to Federer.

There are four grand slams tournaments in tennis: The French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open and the Australian Open. Federer has five Wimbledon titles, four U.S. Open wins and two Australian championships. At the end of August, Federer will arrive here in New York and attempt to win his fifth straight U.S. Open, the first player since Bill Tilden of the 1920’s to do so. Nadal has never even sniffed the finals of a hard court tournament, the furthest being a semi-final appearance at this year’s Australian Open.

Federer has six more grand slam titles than Nadal.

Federer has been No. 1 for a long time now, and it is hard to believe he is going to drop from that ranking. Although, without one grand slam victory this year, Federer is dangerously close to becoming No. 2 thanks to his longest slam drought since 2003.

It will go down as one of the best Grand Slam finals in ATP Tennis history. Rafael Nadal has slain the dragon that is Switzerland’s Roger Federer and has been officially crowned Wimbledon Champion.

Today may be Nadal’s time to shine, but let’s not dub him the new king of tennis just yet. That title still belongs to Federer… for now.

(PS: If you leave a comment, please let us know who you are. It's nice to be able to interact with those who read us regularly).

It's a Whole New MLB World

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:30:00 +0000

Necessary Roughness
by Aaron Isaac Feldstein

As of Sunday, Major League Baseball hit the halfway point in a season that has many watching with their heads cocked to the side. Everything die hard baseball fans have come to know has changed at the blink of an eye.

A sport with no salary cap is watching as a small market ball club in the major’s highest priced division has been its best team. Players watch as the chase for the home run title is led by a couple of second basemen, a position normally reserved for slap hitters and base stealers. Finally, the league leaders and true All-Star caliber players aren’t a “who’s who” of baseball talent, but more of a “who are you.”

The biggest story in MLB this season are the Tampa Bay Rays. A team that regularly loses more than 90 games a year is currently sitting with the best record in baseball. The second lowest payroll in the majors is currently holding the top spot over spending juggernauts like the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.

Changes in name and uniform have also given this team a change in attitude. No longer are the Rays the joke of the league. Now they are the class of it. And it all starts with pitching.

The Rays sport the fifth best ERA in the majors (3.69). In the starting rotation, Andy Sonnanstine holds the highest ERA (4.60). Yet in the month of June, he had an ERA of 3.82 to go along with a 3-0 record in six starts. The second-year starter also leads the team with nine wins. Scott Kazmir is proving once again he is a Cy Young caliber pitcher. Despite being out all of April with a left elbow strain, the lefty ace put together an amazing May, where he went 5-1 with a 1.22 ERA and was named AL Pitcher of the Month. Currently he leads the rotation with a 2.28 ERA and has seven wins to go with it. Fellow starters James Shields and Matt Garza have an ERA of 3.76 and the bullpen has 23 saves in only 28 opportunities. This is why the Rays have the second best pitching staff in the majors.

The young hitting is finally coming together as well. In spring training, Evan Longoria was projected to be the top of this year’s rookie class. But when the season started, the third baseman was playing for the Durham Bulls, Tampa Bay’s Triple-A affiliate. But on April 12, he was called up and hasn’t looked back since. In June, he hit eight homers, had 19 RBIs and batted .309. The Cal State Long Beach grad is a big reason the Rays have won five of the last six to move into sole possession of first place. Put Longoria together with the speed and timely hitting of Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton, and you have a team that the Yankees and Red Sox could be looking up at for the rest of the year.

These next few days will prove what the Rays really have. A three-game series with the Red Sox could put some distance between them and the World Champions. The rotation has lined up perfect for this series, as Shields, Garza and Kazmir won’t have to face the likes of Josh Beckett or Jon Lester.

The Rays may be the shocking team in the majors, but just as shocking are the two men leading the majors in home runs.

Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins and Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies currently lead MLB with 23 home runs. The two power leaders in baseball also play second base, a position where power isn’t usually found.

Playing a position where the big hitters once were Ryan Sandberg and Craig Biggio, Uggla and Utley are on a pace never before seen by a second baseman. If both continue their first-half pace, they will each have 46 home runs by the end of the year, breaking the record of 43 set by Davey Johnson of the 1973 Atlanta Braves.

If Uggla and Utley are changing the face of second base, then they are leading a charge of fresh faces in a league that desperately needs it.

The old regime of the 90’s is all but gone. The steroids era is nearly wiped out and now the fresh blood is here to take back the majors. Uggla and Utley are just two names leading the way.

In the pitching department, former middle reliever Justin Duchscherer is leading the league in ERA (1.91) closely followed by the Reds Edison Volquez (2.08) and the Indians Cliff Lee (2.34). Lee is also second in the majors in wins (11) and Volquez is third in the league in strikeouts (110). Curt Schilling, Andy Pettite and Randy Johnson don’t rule the league anymore.

In the hitting department, Utley and Uggla are the leaders of the National League, and the only old school name atop a category is Chipper Jones who is flirting with .400. Jones is hitting .394, the closest anyone has been to .400 this late in the season since Tony Gwynn in 1994.

The American League has two new names leading its hitting categories, including a potential triple-crown winner. Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers is currently tied for the AL lead in home runs at 19 with the White Sox’s Carlos Quentin, is first in the AL in RBI (79) and has a batting average of .312, only .11 behind fellow teammate Milton Bradley.

Quentin has come out of no where to lead the AL in home runs and the White Sox to the best record in the AL Central. The outfielder drafted by the Diamondbacks in 2003 has finally come into his own, already having a career year in batting average, home runs, RBI and runs scored. He is a big reason there is a potential Windy City World Series on the horizon.

All in all, the first half of the season has been one to remember. Everything the fans thought they knew about the game has been turned upside-down.

Just think, we still have 81 games to go.

Marbury eyes one last shot as off-court drama mars Knicks legacy

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:52:00 +0000

By Justin Grant

It wasn't supposed to be this way for Stephon Marbury.

New York Knicks fans rejoiced on that fateful January day four years ago when Isiah Lord Thomas brought Brooklyn's Finest home to resurrect this once-proud franchise.

Marbury would return home to stake his claim as the greatest guard the city ever produced, and he'd lead the Knicks deep into June -- to a championship perhaps -- in the process. Sure, New York produced the likes of Tiny Archibald, Bob Cousy, Kenny Anderson, Kenny Smith, Lenny Wilkens, Mark Jackson, and Dick McGuire to name a few.

But Marbury would be the greatest of them all. Indeed, Brooklyn's Finest was home and Knicks games at MSG were once again the hottest ticket in town.

"Now Marbury is given the chance to show everybody, at the Garden, across the river from (Jason Kidd),that he can still be everything in basketball that he was supposed to be," Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News wrote the day after the trade.

"Marbury has wanted the Garden his whole life. He has it now, and has a guard even greater than him - Isiah Thomas - running the operation there," Lupica wrote.

Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

In frustrating, painstaking fashion, Knicks fans saw those hoop dreams deflate in a New York minute. No one could have envisioned Marbury as he is now -- hoping for one last shot at redemption in a Knicks uniform.

None of us expected that Marbury's defining moments with the Knicks would occur nowhere near the basketball court. No, Marbury's biggest moments with the Knicks were the (alleged) fistfight with Thomas on a team flight after being told he was being benched; in the courtroom where he admitted to an affair with a team intern; and at 30 Rockefeller Center, the site of his unfortunate interview with NBC's Bruce Beck.

ONE LAST CHANCE?

And now, after four years of abject failure -- the Knicks, and New York appear ready to move on. Donnie Walsh is reportedly on the prowl for the Knicks' point guard of the future heading into Thursday's draft.

Yet with trade value that's all but evaporated, Marbury is likely to get one last chance with the Knicks. Under normal circumstances, a player with a $21 million expiring contract is highly tradable, but rival GM's are leery because of Marbury's rep for being a bad teammate and uncoachable.

"Personally I don't think he has much value. I don't know who would want to deal with him," one team executive told Newsday last month.

So that likely means one last chance for Brooklyn’s Finest to make good, even though his legacy is likely already set.

Epstein has Sox positioned for dynasty as Yanks crumble

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:56:00 +0000

By Justin Grant

It's a new world order for the New York Yankees -- a place where Steinbrennarian fire and brimstone are a thing of the past; where the real Yankee Stadium meets the wrecking ball, and a world in which the Boston Red Sox have become the alpha-dogs in their age old rivalry.

With every year that passes since their last World Series triumph in 2000, Buster Olney's "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty" becomes more and more prophetic.And as the Yankees sputter in their attempt to recapture championship glory, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein seemingly has his team positioned for a dynastic run of its own -- while out-performing the Yankees GM Brian Cashman in the process.

Consider both teams' response to injuries to their top starting pitchers.

Organizational pitching depth has enabled the Red Sox to remain comfortably in contention this season despite a season-long rash of injuries to its best pitchers. The 24-year-old lefty John Lester, (6-3, 3.18 ERA) who threw a no-hitter earlier this season, has the look of a future ace -- as does Justin Masterson, the burly right-handed prospect.

Reports last week that Curt Schilling would undergo season-ending shoulder surgery were met with a collective shrug throughout New England. Panic didn't infect Red Sox Nation after Daisuke Matsuzaka was hammered by the St. Louis Cardinals for seven runs in one inning Saturday, in his first start since coming off the DL.

And as expected, ace Josh Beckett is beginning to look like his old dominant self since coming back from a DL stint of his own a few weeks ago.

WHAT IF THE YANKEES GOT JOHAN?

On the other hand, there is no doubt Hank Steinbrenner wonders how Johan Santana would've looked in Yankee pinstripes from time-to-time. Despite closing to within five games of the Red Sox, the Yankees will be hard-pressed to close the gap without Chien Mien Wang -- who may be out for the season with an injured foot.

And so far it appears Cashman has added to his inauspicious history concerning pitching in declining to trade Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy for the ace lefty. A rotation of Santana, And Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain, and Mike Mussina would have surely been a formidable one.

Instead, the Yankees must scrape by with the likes of mediocre back-end pitchers like Darrell Rasner, and the recently signed Sidney Ponson -- who wears out his welcome at every stop. The Red Sox, meanwhile, counter with high-end pitching prospects to trade or develop -- such as Clay Buchholtz or Craig Hansen.

The Red Sox were a force during the first 20 years of the last century as well, winning five championships by between 1903 and 1918. Epstein has them positioned for a similar run. For Yankees fans, a new world order indeed.

Some random Ish on the Celtics, NFL Divas and Tiger. Diggystyle.

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:03:00 +0000

Those Who Can’t Play, Write.

By Chad Brown

In honor of the Boston Celtics 17th NBA Championship, and in advance of a month without SI.com’s Peter King’s “Ten Things I Think I Think”, here are 17 “Chadisms” on the happenings of sports and other stuff since my last post, not necessarily in chronological order. Then it’s off to prepare more inaccuracies for the 2008 NFL season -- barring any congressional hearings.

1. Congratulations to the Celtics on their aforementioned title. They deserve it, hands down. Thanks also to the New York Giants. If they hadn’t pulled off the Super Bowl upset against the New England Patriots, the sports nation might’ve forced Boston to secede, just to give the other MLB, NBA and NFL cities a title shot.

2. What a difference a year makes for Beantown. A year ago at this time, Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants were just leaving Fenway, Paul Pierce was more likely on his way out than Kevin Garnett was on his way in, nobody quite knew what to expect from Randy Moss, and I couldn’t zoom in on Camera Two to save my life. (Ask anybody at BU’s Sports Institute). Well, most of those scenarios worked out okay for the aforementioned teams. Although I still can’t operate Camera Two.

3. These Celtics remind me of the 1999 St. Louis Rams team that went from worst to first. Even though the team struggled in the later rounds of the playoffs (including the Super Bowl), the powers that be gutted the worst team in the division, brought in proven superstars, sporting the conference’s best record. Even though Isaac Bruce didn’t win the MVP like Pierce, here were two franchise players who both played well and were banged up during the franchises lean years. And on the biggest stage, they did everything within their power to clinch a championship. Different decade, different town, different glitz factor, same result.

4. The second half of Game 4 and the final 3 quarters of Game 6—not to mention an agonizing stretch of Game 5 should put all Kobe Bryant-Michael Jordan comparisons to bed. Still a great player, but not the defining moment he and the Lakers faithful anticipated.

5. The Zen Master didn’t fare much better than the MVP. Doc Rivers’ coaching job rendered Phil Jackson into Obi-Wan Kenobi about to get cut down by Darth Vader. For the most part, he had his team ready to play against the beasts of the Western Conference, but he rarely had an answer against Boston. Heck, the Phil Jackson from any of the three-peat Bulls and Shaq-Kobe Lakers would’ve had this series under control.

6. To paraphrase an early, early, early Simpsons episode, Ray Allen’s resurrection in the Finals was the greatest comeback since Lazarus rose from the dead.

7. Pierce for Finals MVP and VP? I know the latter isn’t happening, just putting it out there. Heck, a black man’s running for president and Doc represented for all the brothers and fathers in coaching to the title.

8. Nice bit of redemption for Rondo and KG in Game 6, not to mention the Big Ticket’s postgame repertoire—a classic interview with Michelle Tafoya, warm embrace with Bill Russell and the bully/lunch money analogy. Almost enough to make one forget his putrid Game 5 performance. On the other hand, we can partially forgive it because he didn’t run and hide afterwards.

9. We’d better not read about Bill Simmons complaining about anything having to do with Boston Sports again. Having said that, his NBA Finals Recaps are a must read. OK, once the victory parade is over, it’s back to hating on Boston, Sports Guy.

10. The antics of certain NFL receiver divas are starting to get on my nerves. Now, let me just say that A) these are mini-camps/OTAs which, while important, aren’t the same as training camp and B) I’m not talking about T.O. here, although his behavior a few years ago certainly established the template. Players like Chad Johnson, Plaxico Burress and even Bobby Engram would be wise to follow the example of recently retired Michael Strahan and Jonathan Ogden on how to conduct themselves. Different positions and personas, but there’s a difference between being classy and, well, you know…

11. Now let’s get this straight. Arlen Specter was willing to use congressional resources to expand the Spygate probe, but has no interest in looking into the NBA referee scandal? As for Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter’s “asterisk” rant about the Patriots on NFL Live, he might be onto something, except for the fact that his next big play for Miami will be his first.

12. PacMan in ’07, now Javon Walker in ’08? NFL players need to just give Vegas an extended rest. Ok, not happening anytime soon, but this stuff has got to stop. We’re well past the “before somebody gets hurt” phase.

13. Spin it however you like, but Jeremy Shockey will probably not be in a Giants uniform by the start of the ’08 season. While I think this is a mistake, considering the man can still play when not hurling ice or insults, it’s understandable why the move should be made. Tiki Barber and Strahan’s retirements in the past couple of years have made this Eli Manning’s team, for better or worse, and it remains to be seen if Shockey is willing or able to get with that program.

14. The firing of Willie Randolph was a joke. No need to go into further details, as AlphaBlog’s EIC Justin Grant has done an excellent job, but it goes to show how clueless New York sports franchises can be when firing coaches/general managers. Timing and tact. You don’t want to fire the man on Father’s Day, fine, but at 3:15 am after a win on a west coast trip? They might as well have fired him after last year’s historic collapse. Just as the Giants should’ve parted ways Jim Fassel after the wild card collapse in the ’02 postseason and the Jets could’ve shipped Herm to KC after the debacle in the ’05 Divisional Playoffs in Pittsburgh. Not saying that any of these decisions are/were right, but each franchise would’ve been spared a mockery of a season/half season.

15. Memo to Jason Taylor; I’ve got no problem with your Dancing With The Stars stint, but being MIA from the Dolphins this offseason was probably not the way to get a much deserved trade to a contender. Nor was announcing your intent to play one more year before calling it a career. Memo to Bill Parcells; you’re definitely not out of touch with today’s players when it comes to football-related matters. But you might’ve been just a l’il bit stubborn with your handling of this matter. Players have lives in the offseason now; it’s a fact, Tuna. Having said that, come game time, all will probably be well, one way or another.

16. It’s a shame that we won’t have the Immortal Tiger Woods to watch for the remainder of the golf season, but that performance was one for the ages. This playoff story is one that non-golf fans will be telling their children and grandchildren about in years to come.

17. Gotta conclude this post by paying respect to the recently departed Charlie Jones, Jim McKay and Tim Russert. The broadcast industry and the country won’t be the same without them. I’m especially saddened that Russert won’t be around to help keep both sides on their toes in the upcoming presidential election, as well as guide the country through some uncharted territory. Here’s hoping that his beloved Buffalo Bills can at least break .500 for him this coming season.

Kobe cast down with mortals as Woods soars to pantheon

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:11:00 +0000

By Justin Grant

The talents of Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant were on full display over the last week amid the glare of championship spotlight, but as one man's legend grew, the other saw his legacy take a hit.

Ironically, both men have been compared at some point to Michael Jordan -- who sits atop the pantheon of marketing and sporting champions. Woods'dramatic victory at the U.S. Open -- on a shredded left knee no less -- moved him closer to not only filling those shoes, but perhaps one day passing them.

Kobe Bryant meanwhile, has been derided from coast-to-coast as a mere mortal after his Los Angeles Lakers absorbed a humiliating 39-point beating at the hands of the Boston Celtics in the deciding game of the NBA Finals.

"There was only one Jordan and that's who Phil Jackson desperately needed Tuesday night as Game 6 of the Finals quickly turned into Boston Massacre II," New York Daily News columnist Mitch Lawrence wrote after the Celtics clinched the NBA championship.

On the other hand, news that Woods played the tournament with a torn ACL and double stress fracture in his left leg, further enhanced his image before a fawning media corps. The feat led George Willis of the New York Post to declare Woods -- a mere golfer -- the toughest man in sports.

"Other athletes - Michael Jordan (flu), Emmitt Smith (dislocated shoulder), Lawrence Taylor (broken leg) - have played games with severe ailments, but Woods had to perform at a high level for five consecutive days. Remarkable," Willis wrote.

With Bryant and Woods each in the prime of his respective career, there are likely still many more chapters to be written, and many more questions to be answered.

Will Woods ever be the same after this victory, which he called his finest? How will recontructive surgery on his knee affect his push to supplant Jack Nicklaus as golf's greatest champion?

And will Kobe Bryant ever get that elusive post-Shaquille O'Neal championship ring?

Mets sink to new low in handling of Randolph

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:01:00 +0000

By Justin Grant

It was a long, lonely flight home from Anaheim for former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph and deposed coaches Rick Peterson and Tom Nieto following their shocking dismissal in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

Like a thief in the night, New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya finally swooped in with his machete and brought Randolph's tenure as the city's first black manager to an end.

Although the move was widely expected, the way in which the Mets went about it demonstrates a disheartening lack of class from an organization that has long battled to shed its second-rate status in New York City.The Mets brass knew full well they were going to make this move on Sunday night after the Mets split a double-header at Shea Stadium against the Texas Rangers. So why would they allow Randolph to fly across the country with the team knowing that his rein was over?

To duck the New York media, that's why.

The team waited until the New York press had gone to bed before announcing Randolph's firing in a press release after 3 a.m. ET, hours after the Mets' 9-6 win over the Angels. The gutless move meant New Yorkers had to wait a full day before seeing the blaring back pages of the New York Post and New York Daily News.

RANDOLPH WAS NO JOE TORRE AND MINAYA MAY BE NEXT

Randolph ultimately paid the price for last year's stunning collapse which saw the Mets miss the playoffs after leading NL East by seven games on Sept. 12. But unlike former Yankees manager Joe Torre -- who kept his job after the worst post-season collapse Major League history against the Boston Red Sox -- Randolph lacked the equity that comes with four championships at the helm.

Randolph's foundation was a shaky one -- built around the likes of creaky old veterans like Carlos Delgado, Luis Castillo, and Moises Alou. He paid with his job because their window of opportunity effectively slammed shut during those two fateful weeks last September.

He met this fate because Minaya fell hard for too many seemingly washed-up players like Delgado, Alou, Pedro Martinez, and Orlando Hernandez. He went to the chopping block because Jose Reyes hasn't been who we think he is.

And now with Randolph gone, Minaya's head is the next to head to the chopping block. Minaya bet $138 million of the Wilpon's money that this roster -- which relies too heavily on retreads like Fernando Tatis and Damion Easley -- could contend in the NL East.

Minaya was reluctant to let Randolph go because he knows the Wilpons will have his head next if the Mets don't play up to expectations. Lets see how the Mets handle that one.

Are NBA playoff games fixed? Perception may destroy league

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:04:00 +0000

By Justin Grant

Was the fix in to orchestrate a Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals, a historic matchup that would no doubt boost sagging ratings for the league's showcase event?

If one rogue former NBA referee is to be believed, that just might be the case. Tim Donaghy -- who pleaded guilty last year to felony charges alleging he took cash payoffs from gamblers and bet on games -- told investigators two officials were in cahoots with the league to extend a 2002 playoff series to a seventh game.

The 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings was the only series to go seven games that year. That series -- which the Lakers won -- featured a number of controverial calls. Players and coaches from both sides claimed the zebras had a direct impact on the outcome of several games.

Now obviously a guy like Donaghy is operating at a serious deficit when it comes to credibility. And with his July 14 sentencing date fast approaching, Donaghy may very well be willing to say just about anything to ensure leniency from the judge. He's facing a maximum of 33 years in prison for conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce.

But the seeds of doubt have been planted at the worst possible time for the league and commissioner David Stern. So instead of basking in the glow of the renaissance of the NBA's most storied rivalry, Stern must instead defend the credibility of his product.

To make matters worse, a startling 82 percent of fans actually believe the 2002 Western Conference Finals were fixed, according to a Foxsports.com poll. And Donaghy is only part of the problem.

How can fans not be skeptical after seeing the Boston Celtics enjoy a 38-10 advantage in free-throw attempts in Game 2? How are they supposed to believe in the product when Derek Fisher is allowed to crash into Brent Barry at the end of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals and not get called for a foul?

The NBA later admitted the refs blew that one. But that missed call ultimately enabled the Lakers to take a commanding 3-1 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs. That botched call no doubt had skeptics wondering if the league preferred having the large-market Lakers in the Finals following last year's disastrous Spurs-Cavaliers matchup which was a television bust of epic proportions.

"We welcome scrutiny. This is something that should be scrutinized," Stern said at Staples Center prior to Game 3 of the Finals between the Lakers and Celtics.

Indeed, the spotlight is on the NBA -- for now. But if any more allegations like Donaghy's surface, the lights will no doubt go out on Stern's league.

More than a ring at stake for Bryant in Finals

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:56:00 +0000

By Justin Grant

With a cold-blooded mean streak and a lack of natural charimsa, Kobe Bryant will never fill Michael Jordan's shoes as a marketing icon. LeBron James will likely assume that throne -- provided he ever starts winning when it counts.

But in terms of what's done on the court -- Bryant is well on his way. And that's why he's chasing more than just his first post-Shaq championship ring as the Los Angeles Lakers gear up to take on the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

For Bryant, these Finals are about the next step in an evolution that has seen him grow from teenaged wunderkind, to reluctant sidekick, to selfish superstar, to possibly the greatest winner of his era.

With a victory over the Celtics and their latter-day Big Three -- and his first Finals MVP award to go with it -- Bryant will etch his name in stone among the pantheon of All-Time greats while simultaneously making Kobe vs. Jordan a legitimate debate.

A win would give the 29-year-old Bryant his fourth championship ring. And with a solid young supporting cast in place, he'd be well-positioned to make a run at surpassing Michael Jordan's six championships. Jordan won his first at 28-years-old in 1991, in a five-game rout of Magic Johnson and the Lakers.

For Bryant's contemporaries still in search of their first championship -- a list that includes Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, James, Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tracy McGrady -- here's the scary part.

Bryant is at that same magical place Jordan was at in 1991 ... that place where his mental understanding of the game finally matched up with his physical talents. Jordan subsequently became a virtual one-man championship roadblock for most the NBA from 1991-93, and 1996-98.

Barring injury, Bryant could be at the beginning of a similar run.

On Race Matters -- Is an ethnically diverse roster hurting the Mets?

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:25:00 +0000

By Justin Grant

With the New York Mets sitting in first place nearly a year ago just months after coming within a base hit of the World Series, general manager Omar Minaya was lauded by Sports Illustrated for the ethnically diverse club he put together.

But with the Mets' season spiraling out of control last week, critics called the club's racial makeup into question -- blaming the team's struggles and allegedly poor chemistry on Minaya's rainbow coalition.

The issue erupted two weeks ago when closer Billy Wagner chafed at being interviewed following a maddening 1-0 loss to the Washington Nationals -- a game he didn't participate in. Meanwhile veteran first baseman Carlos Delgado -- who lined into a double play to end the game -- was long gone.

“Can somebody tell me why the closer’s being interviewed and I didn’t even play?” Wagner told reporters. “Why they’re over there not getting interviewed? I get it. They’re gone. Shocker.”

Wagner's anger stemmed from the fact that he, David Wright, Ryan Church and John Maine -- who are all white Americans -- are the only players who routinely speak to the media following games. Many of the Mets' key players are Latin American, including Jose Reyes, Delgado, Carlos Beltran, and Johan Santana.

(Half of the players on the Mets' 40-man roster are of Latin American descent.)

The first tremor along the club's racial fault line shook last year when Paul Lo Duca claimed not enough of the Mets' Latino players were stepping up to the plate to speak with the media following games.

“Some of these guys have to start talking,” he said. “They speak English, believe me.”

Wagner and Lo Duca's comments are poignant. Professional athletes are rarely candid with the media, so clearly this has been an issue eating at some Mets for a while. And now some members of the vaunted New York media are questioning whether Minaya's pursuit of Latin American players is a chemistry experiment gone horribly awry.

(Ironically the Mets play in Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the United States.)

In his assessment of the social strata of the Mets' locker room, Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News pointed out the white players hung out with each other on one side of the locker room, while the Latino players congregated on another.

Meanwhile, New York Post columnist Larry Brooks compared the Mets' situation to the New York Rangers -- who have a diverse mix of Americans and Europeans on their roster.

"You better believe the question is asked every day around NHL front offices: Do we have too many Europeans? ... You better believe the question was asked by the Rangers when they collapsed late in 2005-06: Do we have too many Czechs?," Brooks wrote last week.

"Those posing the questions aren't necessarily bigoted. They're simply covering the bases in attempting to apply common sense to a complex equation in which two dozen men of disparate backgrounds must live and work together over eight months in order to achieve a common goal," Brooks wrote.

A legitimate point perhaps. But on the other hand, how come no one questions whether or not a struggling baseball team has too many white players? And remember, Minaya was criticized a few years ago for signing too much Latino talent.

Sports are not only about the games on the field; they also act as a barometer for the key issues of the day. And as much as we like to sweep it under the rug, the innuendos gnawing at the Mets show how obsessed our nation remains with race.

On Race Matters -- Latter-day Celtics a far cry from team, city's past

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Mon, 26 May 2008 12:06:00 +0000

By Justin Grant

These aren't your father's Boston Celtics.

As Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and the crew take on the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals, one of the last things that comes to mind is the dark side of the team's glorious past.

Growing up in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I was taught by my elders to root against the Boston Celtics, and not because they used to stomp my beloved New York Knicks on a regular basis. My ingrained dislike of the franchise -- one mirrored no doubt by legions of black fans across the country -- stemmed from what the Boston Celtics represented.

To put it bluntly, they were seen as a "white team" based in a city known for its tortured relationship with black athletes. Vandals ransacked Hall of Fame center Bill Russell's home in 1971, destroying his trophies and other keepsakes, topping things off by defecating on his bed and spreading the excrement on the walls. And although Russell has since reconciled with the city, the incident was one of many that left him bitter for years.

(There are even contemporary accounts of black athletes encountering racism in Boston as well. In 2007, Anaheim Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. said Boston was "one of the few places where you hear racist comments every once in a while." But I digress. Back to the Celtics.
Never mind that the Celtics were at the forefront of several key milestones for African-Americans in sports. It didn't matter that the franchise made Russell the first African-American head coach of any major sport back in 1966. And it didn't matter that the Celtics were the first team to take the court with an all-black starting lineup, or that they were the first NBA team to draft an African-American.

Instead, the Celtics were remembered in many black circles for filling out the bottom end of their roster with mediocre white players to appease the mostly white hometown crowd -- a fact pointed out by the New York Times' Harvey Araton and the New York Daily News' Filip Bondy in their 1992 book "The Selling of the Green: The Financial Rise and Moral Decline of the Boston Celtics.

"With the exception of Artis Gilmore for 47 games in 1988, the Celtics' backup center position to Robert Parish was virtually a closed white union shop, passed down from Rick Robey to Eric Fersten to Greg Kite to Bill Walton to Mark Acres to Brad Lohaus to Joe Kleine," Bondy and Araton wrote.

Further compounding matters was the late great Red Auerbach -- the architect of the Celtics dynasty. For all of the good Auerbach did to advance African-Americans in sports, he stained that legacy by reportedly telling forward Cedric Maxwell he reminded him of "that old movie guy Stepin Fetchit," a character who embodied the stereotype of the subservient, shiftless black male.

And during the 1980s, the Larry Bird-led Celtics were at the height of their fierce rivalry with Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Bird and the workman-like Celtics embodied the "hard-working Americans, white Americans" Hillary Clinton famously referred to, while the free-wheeling, fast-breaking Lakers appealed to a good number of African-Americans across the nation.

Those Celtics were led by K.C. Jones -- a black coach, -- and featured key black players like Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson. Bird versus Magic, glamour versus blue collar -- and black against white were the underlying themes in one of the most spirited rivalries American sports has ever seen.

And the national media hungrily devoured the delicious plot.

(Ironically, if the Celtics and Lakers meet in the 2007-08 NBA Finals, it would mark a stark role reversal from the 1980s. With foreign-born players Pau Gasol, Sasha Vujacic, and Vladimir Radmonivic playing key roles, the Lakers represent the globalized NBA. On the other hand, with only two white players and a black coach, the current Celtics squad bears little resemblance to their forefathers.)

But if the Celtics can be viewed as a microcosm of society -- then we've come a long way. Many black fans are pulling for Garnett & Co to win the NBA title for the first time since 1985-86. And while never forgotten, memories of the team's checkered past concerning race relations has faded for a new generation of fans.

On Race Matters -- Randolph Steps on the Third Rail

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:19:00 +0000

By Justin Grant

New York Mets manager Willie Randolph stepped on the third rail when he chose to answer Ian O'Connor's question on whether black managers and head coaches are held to a different standard than their white counterparts.

And in doing so, he may have signed a one-way ticket out of Flushing sometime in the near-future if the Mets continue to sputter on the field.

"I don't know how to put my finger on it, but I think there's something there," Randolph told O'Connor, a columnist for the Bergen Record. "Herman Edwards did pretty well here and he won a couple of playoff [games], and they were pretty hard on Herm. Isiah [Thomas] didn't do a great job, but they beat up Isiah pretty good. ... I don't know if people are used to a certain figurehead. There's something weird about it."

For many African-Americans in the corporate world -- the major sports leagues included -- concerns about race and how it affects one's place in an organization often simmers beneath the surface.

Randolph's suspicions about race aren't unfounded. Mets General Manager Omar Minaya, baseball's first Latino GM, was criticized by some fans for signing too many Latino ballplayers a couple of years ago.

But in this particular instance, Randolph would have been better off declining to answer that question and instead redirecting the conversation towards simple math -- wins and losses.

Race matters aside, in sports -- especially in New York -- the bottom line is always going to be what happens between the lines. When teams don't win as expected, the head coach or manager's head is the first one to go on the chopping block.

And with the Mets stumbling out of the gate on the heels of one of the worst pennant race collapses in baseball history, the vultures are circling around Randolph.

"They don't like me?" Randolph told O'Connor. " 'We don't like Willie.' Wait a minute, why don't you like me? I don't get it. Did I do anything to you? If you look at what I've done for your club, you should like me a little bit."

Such comments suggest Randolph may be cracking under pressure at a time when the Mets need strong, steady leadership to guide them out of a funk which may very well cost Randolph his job.

On Draft Day, Everybody Was Celebrating

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:55:00 +0000

Those Who Can’t Play, Write

By Chad Brown

This was the first time in a couple of years that I didn’t do my usual NFL Draft pick-by-pick commentary. Not for lack of interest, more for a plethora of watch parties to attend and socializing to be done on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Plus, fellow Alpha Blogger Aaron Feldstein beat me to the punch with an excellent expose on the offensive tackle situation. So, I’ll save the team-by-team, pick-by-pick, automatic grades after the fact for the real experts, whom one decade ago predicted that Ryan Leaf would have a better career than some quarterback out of Tennessee. By the way, does anybody know how those picks worked out? Instead, I’ll give my not so quick hit thoughts on some pre-trade flurry picks, the coverage, some observations from watching at Latitude Lounge in Midtown and McFadden’s on the East Side and a few Diggyisms. So, in honor of Josh Howard, let’s cue up The Chronic and reflect on the weekend for a minute.

Despite all of the pre-draft coverage stating the start time and Miami’s early signing of Jake Long, I still received several texts asking whom the first few picks were. No problem there, other than the requests came between Noon and 2:30 and the draft started at 3:00. I can speculate like everyone else, but nobody’s so good that they know before the commish.

As for the top picks in the draft, clearly Bill Parcells has visions of Jumbo Elliot (twice) and Bruce Armstrong dancing in his head. OT Jake Long fits the Tuna’s mold of rebuilding through the trenches and the ‘Fins offensive line has been a punchline the past few years. As long as he’s closer to Orlando Pace and Chris Samuels than Tony Mandarich or Robert Gallery, this could be a huge step in the right direction. Signing him early doesn’t hurt, either.

Throw in DE Chris Long going to the Rams and you’ve got consecutive first round picks with the same surname. Has that ever happens before and, in the words of Norm Peterson, does this really affect the price of beer on Sundays? Then, what do we care?

Liked The Falcons selection of BC quarterback Matt Ryan. Understood, but didn’t really care for all of the questions/comments/texts regarding whether this meant the absolute end of the Michael Vick era in ATL. Please, that era was officially over once #7 was sentenced to hard time. He wasn’t coming back, he’s not coming back and it’s unfair to everybody not to move on as swiftly and decisively as possible. Just ask Bobby Petri—ok, bad example. They should also let Ryan be a young quarterback and not a savior in waiting. It’ll be tough enough doing that on a good team and, a pretty good draft “so far” notwithstanding, the Falcons won’t be a good team for at least a couple of seasons.

Did not applaud the selection of Darren McFadden by the Raiders—strictly personal, wanted him to go to the Jets. Don’t know whether I was hopeful or discouraged that Al Davis used almost all of the team’s allotted time (how much authority does Lane Kiffin have left, if any?). Now that this D-mac is a Raider, I’m looking forward to watching the all running back offense. Option, Wishbone, T-Formation, u name it, it’s in the playbook. Seriously, if the offensive line continues to improve and he’s deployed ala Marcus Allen, Marshall Falk or even Charlie Garner, he could be exciting to watch. Still don’t know if Oakland is going to be any good, but how about that running back pedigree in the AFC West? Holy Toledo, indeed.

As badly as the Chiefs have struggled down the stretch in ’07 and as little as Herm Edwards has done to be missed around the New York area, I’ve gotta applaud KC’s getting “up to date” through the draft strategy. While he might not be a replacement for Jared Allen, DT Glenn Dorsey could be a huge addition. Especially when considering the disappointing tenure of Ryan Sims and the time Edwards spent around Warren Sapp in Tampa Bay. Getting another first rounder for Allen didn’t hurt either. It remains to be seen how the rest of their picks turn out, but an active two day stretch could pay dividends. Of course, this is Carl Peterson and a team that last one a playoff game during my freshman year of college that we’re talking about.

As I mentioned before, was not happy to see McFadden taken off the board before the Jets could take a shot at him. That being said, I like the addition of DE Vernon Gholston. Winning in the AFC East means being able to knock Tom Brady around on a regular basis. This is something that Gang Green has been unable to accomplish on a regular basis, but bookending this kid with free agent signee Calvin Pace could reap some serious havoc. Maybe moreso on the likes of Trent Edwards and John Beck/Josh McCown/Chad Henne than Brady, but it’s a potential step in the right direction. As for the TE situation, I like Dustin Keller—though I’ll reserve judgment before anointing him the second coming of Dallas Clark ala Fox Sports John Czarnecki. What I don’t like is incumbent Chris Baker running his mouth about being underpaid, underappreciated and lied to, regarding his contract. As I said “offline” regarding certain unnamed veterans grumbling during the team’s offseason shopping spree, when you’re 4-12 two of the last three seasons, there’s not much room for this kind of complaint. If anything, he’s lucky management isn’t saying that he’s overpaid. BTW, this is all coming from a Baker fan, so take it with a grain of salt.

Now for some post Green Room not so quick hits.

Definitely thought that the reduced time between picks worked to everyone’s advantage (teams, broadcasters, fans). But the first round will always be a loooong one. How many text messages would I have received about the picks had the additional five minutes stood pat?

Was that the NFL Draft or a Saturday session of the New York Stock Exchange? I’d see a team on the clock, go talk to somebody for a minute or less, check back and see that a trade had been made. At the end of the day, this draft set records for most “pick movement”. Whatever works, but we might not know how these moves pan out for a few years.

Just wondering if the Jaguars included some real estate in Orlando when trading up for DE Derrick Harvey. The importance of pressuring Peyton Manning notwithstanding, that was awful lot to give up for the pick. Hope things work out.

Looks like The Tuna’s drafting acumen isn’t totally missing in Big D, nor were the celebratory hi-fives. The selection of Felix Jones, McFadden’s backfield mate at Arkansas, should be a good complement to the bruising, quick hitting style of Marion Barber. Their second first rounder, Mike Jenkins, fills a need in the secondary until Pacman Jones gets in shape. Having said that, I still have a feeling that that any more defections from the Cowboys front office might lead to the return of Shante Carver-Kavika Pitman, Sherman Williams type of players. At least there’s little chance of another Quincy Carter fiasco. Not that anybody from the tri-state area would mind at all.

Was kinda surprised that Jeremy Shockey wasn’t traded. Then again, if he didn’t spend every offseason in Miami, we might not have heard about how much better the team looked down the stretch without him. What is it with these New York TEs anyway? A little motion never hurt anybody. Still, he hooked up with Vida Guerrera a few years ago, so it’s not entirely hate here. As for Jason Taylor, Lito Sheppard and Chad Johnson, anything’s still possible. Taylor deserves a better situation more than Ocho-Stinko.

I’ve got to agree with two points on Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback on SI.com. Jim needs to propose to Pam already and the NFL Network had some nerve promoting Brian Billick as a quarterback exper—hahahahahahahahaha. Almost got the word out. Seriously, he did some nice work with Warren Moon, Brad Johnson and Randall Cunningham in Minnesota, but Baltimore? Let’s just say that the legacies of Unitas and Bert Jones are safe for a l’il while longer. Now, that doesn’t mean that Billick isn’t a fit for the broadcast world; he’s a natural and by all accounts did good work over the weekend. But he’s no QB ex, oh no, not going there again.

No wide receivers were taken in the first round. No big surprise, as I can’t remember one receiver who stood out as first round material. Plus, I attended the ’03 draft when most of Northern Michigan came to MSG to cheer on Charles Rogers and we know how that worked out, or didn’t. Of course, Andre Johnson was drafted early, too, and he’s worked out in H-town. So, it’s a gamble, but everybody’s favorite receiver-diva TO wasn’t a first rounder. Teams can help or hurt themselves at that position just as much in the later rounds.

Finally, gotta thank Jill, Joyce and everybody at McFadden’s (the Buffalo Bills bar on East 42nd street and 3rd Ave) for welcoming me with open arms when I came through during the second round. Yeah, I took some grief for wearing a green and white D’Brickshaw Ferguson jersey—I’d do it again, by the way. Hoping that Alan Faneca will help ’06 first rounders Brick and Nick Mangold take their offensive line play to the next level. But any banter I took or gave was all in good fun. Plus, never say that they don’t know their football or their history (you had to be there, trust me). But predicting a win over the Patriots in week 17 is not the best idea when your team hasn’t beaten them since ’03 or swept them this century. Nor is detailing how and why it’s going to happen. Even I wouldn’t go that far in forecasting or prognosticating.

No need to be too hard on anybody trying to project a player or team’s fortunes based on the ’07 collegiate season for one weekend this spring. After all, it was Draft Day and everybody was celebrating—kinda, sorta.

Tackle-ing the NFL Draft

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:42:00 +0000

Necessary Roughness
by Aaron Isaac Feldstein

Bill Parcells finally got to pick the groceries and he is buying all the right ingredients.

Prior to Saturday’s NFL draft, it was announced that the Miami Dolphins made Jake Long, offensive tackle out of Michigan, their No. 1 pick by signing him to a five year deal worth $57.75 million with $30 million guaranteed.

What’s guaranteed is a fantastic start to a new Dolphins era with Parcells as Executive Vice President of Football Operations.

In the past decade of the draft, picking in the top 10 always has the potential for a bust. Each position has held claim to a major bust, with the quarterback producing the most “busts” thanks to names like Ryan Leaf, David Carr, Akili Smith and Joey Harrington. But one area that nearly never goes wrong is offensive line.

In the past 10 years, 11 offensive linemen have been chosen in the top 10 of the draft. If we go back 11 years, we can add the last lineman to go No. 1, Orlando Pace to the St. Louis Rams.

Pace was a mammoth man, and a cornerstone of the Rams two Super Bowl appearances and one win. He went to seven Pro Bowls, and if not for injures might still be one of the dominant lineman in the game. When the Rams drafted Pace, they had just finished their seventh straight losing season and spent a top 10 pick on running back Lawrence Phillips, whose off the field issues made him a bust on the field. Pace made the difference and the Rams became legitimate contenders for years to come.

Another first-round lineman who was picked in the top 10 is Chris Samuels of the Washington Redskins. The left tackle has helped the Redskins improve their running game, gone to the post-season two of the last three years and has been voted to five Pro Bowls including three straight. The Redskins found a gem when they picked him third in 2000.

If you want more immediate impact, look at the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have selected numerous times in the top 10 the past decade. Other than Tim Couch and Courtney Brown, they have been able to put together a surplus of talented players. Then last year, when they could’ve taken a chance and chosen Brady Quinn with the third overall pick, they went a different route and grabbed Joe Thomas, offensive tackle out of Wisconsin. Through the luck of the draft and a trade, they were able to get Quinn anyway, but he didn’t make the immediate impact that the left tackle did. Thomas, along with Eric Steinbach, anchored a line that only gave up 19 sacks, 35 less than the year before.

The jury is still out on a few of the top 10 offensive linemen picked over the last decade. Robert Gallery of Oakland, D’Brickshaw Ferguson of the New York Jets and Levi Brown of the Arizona Cardinals still have a chance to be amazing or go belly up. Only one of the top 10 O-linemen picked in the last decade has been a bust. Mike Deshaun Williams was drafted by the Bills in hopes of fixing an offensive line that gave up 46 sacks, one that had nine rushing touchdowns and was 27th in the league in offense. But lack of passing support and injuries ended his stint upstate. A tryout with Jacksonville didn’t turn into a job and he no longer has a place in the NFL.

Over the past decade, offensive linemen have a success rate of 90 percent. That’s why Parcells decided to go for a sure thing, and make his team stronger. This will help running back Ronnie Brown who was having a successful season last year before getting injured. This will help whoever head coach Tony Sparano decides is the quarterback. Mostly, this will help the Dolphins become relevant in a conference dominated by the Colts, Steelers and Patriots, all teams with amazing offensive lines.

Crossing the Finish Line to History

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:41:00 +0000

Necessary Roughness
by Aaron Isaac Feldstein

On a weekend that saw the Stanley Cup Champions ousted from the playoffs, the NBA playoffs begin with a bang thanks to a double-overtime game between San Antonio and Phoenix and a 500-plus home run hitter released from a team tying to contend for a championship, it was easy to miss history being made.

Late Saturday night as many slept, IndyCar racer Danica Patrick was driving her heart out in Japan and became the first female driver to win an IndyCar race.

It looked as if Patrick was heading down the path of famous female sports flop Anna Kournikova. Despite racing under the Andretti Green flag, the only woman to lead a lap at the Indy 500 was becoming better known for her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition pictorial and her GoDaddy.com commercials.

Finally, in her 50th career race, Patrick silenced the critics and put her name in the history books.

Prior to this weekend’s win, Patrick’s best finish was second at the Belle Isle in Detroit last September. This former IndyCar Rookie of the Year has been lugging IndyCar’s popularity on her shoulders, as the sport is better known as the “redheaded stepchild” to CART and NASCAR.

That’s what makes her accomplishment a little less exciting than it should be. Although Patrick’s feat was amazing, in the annals of women’s sports she has tons of work to do to break into my top five list of sport’s revolutionary women.

After all, Patrick wasn’t even the first woman to qualify for the Indy 500. That title belongs to Janet Guthrie in 1977.

1. Bille Jean King

The obvious choice for revolutionary women in sports belongs to this tennis icon. King won 12 tennis grand slams, including six Wimbledon crowns. She finished No. 1 in the world six times and was called one of the 100 most important Americans of the 20th Century by Life Magazine three years after being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

One of, if not the, main reason she was considered one of the most important Americans was her match against Bobby Riggs -- better known as the Battle of the Sexes in 1973.

Riggs had been in retirement for a few years, but he was once one of the top players in tennis. Playing the part of the chauvinistic pig, Riggs defeated the top female in the world Margaret Smith Court a few months before the legendary match against King at the Astrodome.

King watched Riggs’ match against Court and came up with a game plan to defeat the former No. 1 tennis player in the world. On that September night, King shocked the world, not only beating Riggs, but making him look silly. She won the match 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

The victory was a huge step forward not only for women’s place in tennis, but in sports all together. But King said best what the win meant for women’s sports.

“I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win that match,” said King. “It would ruin the women’s [tennis] tour and affect all women’s self-esteem.”

This legendary match is the reason King is No. 1 on the most important women in sports history list.

2. Pat Summitt

The laundry list of accolades and championships say it all for this 34-year coaching veteran.

Summitt has 983 wins, the most all-time by any NCAA basketball coach both men and women. She has eight NCAA Championships including back-to-back titles in ’07 and ’08. The Tennessee women’s basketball coach is a seven-time NCAA Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. In fact, the only blemish on her record may be that she was inducted into the Hall of Fame the same year as Isiah Thomas.

Summitt is one of the most respected coaches in basketball history and it is argued she could easily coach men’s basketball and still be a champion. That point was illustrated when the University of Tennessee made her the first women’s basketball coach to crack the $1 million barrier when she signed a year extension in 2006 for $1.125 million.

Summitt has more wins than men’s basketball coaching icons Bobby Knight and John Wooden. That is what makes her second on the list.

3. Babe Zaharias

Before Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie, there was Babe Zaharias.

Zaharias was a softball and track star long before becoming a legend on the Ladies Pro Golf Tour. The golfer born Mildred Ella Didrikson earned gold medals in the 80-meter hurdles and the javelin throw in the 1932 Olympics.

In 1938, Zaharias became the first woman to compete in a men’s pro golf tour event when she stepped on the links for the Los Angeles Open. Back-to-back rounds of 81 and 84 caused “Babe” to miss the cut, but the Texas native made her mark in the sports world.

After that, Zaharias went on to win 17 straight amateur tournament. When she made the LPGA tour, she had 41 tournament wins, including three U.S. Opens and a total of 10 major wins.

Golfers like Patty Berg and Sorenstam may have more tour wins than Zaharias, but she was one of the first women to attempt to compete with the men, which puts her No. 3 on my list.

4. All-American Girls Baseball League

There wasn’t one player from this league that I was able to pick to make the list; therefore I chose the entire league. After all, it does have an entire wing devoted to it in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

When Major League ball players started heading into the military to fight in World War II, Philip K. Wrigley created a new form of entertainment to fill stadiums that were looking like they might go under. In 1943, the chewing gum mogul and a board of trustees created the all-women’s baseball league.

In the inaugural season, four teams played 108 games. As seen in the film A League of Their Own, the Racine Belles won the first AAGBL Championship.

By using great marketing tools like trading players mid-season and the girls lining up before the games in a “V” for victory in honor of the soldiers, the league was able to stay open for nine years. By 1948, the 10 teams were able to attract 910,000 fans to come out and watch them play.

The league that gave 600 women the opportunity to play baseball helped entertain a country during a trying time in the U.S. history.

5. Shirley Muldowney

Before Danica Patrick became the darling of the motorsports world, the National Hot Rod Association had Muldowney.

Muldowney joined the drag racing world in 1965 when she earned her license to drive top gas dragster. A few years later, after a short stint driving funny cars, the “First Lady of Drag Racing” entered the world of Top Fuel Dragster in 1973. Much like Patrick, it would take a couple of years before she posted her first win at the Springs Nationals in June of 1976 running at a top speed of 243.90 miles per hour and a quarter mile time of 5.90 seconds.

Then, in 1977, Muldowney made history once again. The New York native won three events on her way to becoming the first female to win the Winston World Championships points title. She was even given an “Outstanding Achievement Award” by the United States House of Representatives.

Muldowney went on to win the points title two more times, in 1980 and 1982. She was the first driver to claim the title twice and three times respectively. In 1990, She was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame and is No. 5 on the NHRA Top-50 Drivers of All-Time list.

In my eyes, this is what Patrick is looking up at.

Female sports are becoming more popular as time goes on. The WNBA is lasting longer than anyone had predicted, the popularity of NCAA Women’s Basketball continues to rise and women tennis players are getting the same amount of money as the men.

Patrick’s accomplishment on Saturday was impressive -- but she’s got some others ahead of her in the history books.

The Hallowed Halls of Baseball History

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:35:00 +0000

Necessary Roughness
by Aaron Isaac Feldstein

For a sports fan, this was a weekend that could easily fill one’s appetite. There was the first golf major of the year, the Masters. There was the biggest rivalry in sports kicking off - the Red Sox vs. the Yankees. The Stanley Cup playoffs were in full swing and NBA teams continued to battle for Western Conference superiority.

But for me -- I didn’t watch any of it.

Sure, I glanced at Sportscenter like any sports writer would if he were unable to catch the games. Sure, I jumped on the internet and checked out boxscores and storylines in an attempt to find out what was happening to the Anaheim Ducks and Detroit Tigers.

But for me -- I was more interested in the past, not the present.

Last week was the 28th anniversary of my birth, and in true Feldstein fashion I treated myself to a birthday baseball game. This year, I added something else. It wasn’t enough to claim I loved the game of baseball unless I was able to do one thing -- visit the Baseball Hall of Fame.

So two of my friends and I hoped into a blue Nissan Versa and whizzed up to Cooperstown, N,Y. I drove down two lane country roads, going through town after town where the red barn was a major piece of real estate, where bicycles and toys were left on the front lawn with no worry of someone taking them, and where places, for one reason or another, had to specify that they were open on Tuesdays.

Despite my economy rental struggling to make it up some of the hills, we arrived at Cooperstown. According to the lady who was nice enough to let me check in an hour early at the Howard Johnson, this was Cooperstown’s off-season. That was apparent by the empty parking lot and the fact we were the only guests staying at the hotel that night.

The next day, my two friends and I walked into the Mecca of baseball. There I realized that despite what anyone says, baseball is still America’s sport.

The halls were drenched in history. I examined the origins of baseball and analyzed the first ball ever used at a game where admissions were charged. I saw the ball that was used by Christy Mathewson to strike out the final batter in the first ever World Series. I walked into the wing dedicated to the “Great Bambino” Babe Ruth and watched as fathers told their sons about this icon of the sport.

The artifacts that were inside were enough to even shock the casual fan. We tricked my friend into coming on this trip, even though he doesn’t watch baseball. Despite his lack of knowledge or interest, he took in the history and asked questions like, “Why is Pete Rose not a member of the Hall of Fame, but his jersey is here?”

There were amazing displays that could easily bring a tear to your eye. A door that said “colored entrance” was at the entry to the Negro League wing, reminding the fans of how terrible life used to be. How in 1947, Jackie Robinson became one of the first images of the fight against segregation, and that when the Brooklyn Dodgers tried to trade him to the Giants after the 1956 season, he wrote on what looked like a Choc Full-O-Nuts stationary that he’d rather quit in his prime than play for the rival team.

I took pictures of jerseys worn by legends like Brooks Robinson, Willie Mays, Lou Gehrig and Stan Musial. I marveled at the evolution of the baseball mitt that once seemed more like a golf glove. I uttered the words “Say It Ain’t So” as I looked at the Chicago Black Sox and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson display.

The championship wing was impressive. Relics from Sandy Koufax to Mike Schmidt to Kirby Puckett were on display to ignite memories in the heads of life long fans, and to enlighten the fans of tomorrow. The small sections dedicated to the Athletics, who won three World Series in a row, were overshadowed by Mike Schmidt and the Phillies amazing display for their one World Series win in 1980. It’s okay though, I got to see the shoes Rickey Henderson wore when he broke the stolen base record, and of course, he signed them.

The records hall was an incredible exhibit of the past and the future. For each record, a framed picture showed the current record holder with the highest active player in the same frame. Juan Pierre sits in the same frame as Henderson for stolen bases. Greg Maddux is placed in the same picture as Cy Young for wins, the man after whom the pitching award is named. after, an award Maddux has won four times. Trevor Hoffman shared the all-time saves picture frame with -- Trevor Hoffman.

The individual season awards sat in a display case with last year’s winners and those who came before them. A trophy dedicated to the Triple Crown rested in the case with a hint of dust on it, since no one has earned the Triple Crown for hitting since Carl Yasterzemski of the 1967 Boston Red Sox. However, Jake Peavy earned the pitching award -- strikeouts, ERA and victories -- just last year.

The No-Hitter wall was impressive, as the game-ending ball was placed with a picture of the pitcher and the years were distinguished by different colors. Moments like Fernando Valenzuela and Dave Stewart throwing no-hitters on the same day were displayed next to no name pitchers like Chris Bosio and Kent Merker, who was a part of two no-hitters with the Braves.

And when it comes to No-Hitters, Nolan Ryan was a king. A separate display for the master of the strikeout contained a hat for each team he threw one with -- four Angels hats, two Rangers hats and one Astros hat, for a total of seven.

Another record that just seems untouchable.

Then again, that’s what they said about Babe Ruth’s 714 career home runs. That has now been surpassed twice. Before you ask, Barry Bonds’ asterisk branded ball was not on display because it had not arrived yet.

I saw the ball that Orel Hershiser used to strike out Tony Phillips to win the 1988 Worlds Series, and I even saw the bloody, gross, crusty, faded, historic sock worn by Curt Schilling in Game 6 of the ALCS in 2004. The sock sat across the room from the Sox’s latest World Series shrine from this last World Series.

Finally, I walked slowly into the hallowed halls where the plaques for each inductee hang on the wall. I saw name after name of the men that helped revolutionize the sport I have come to love. Players turned war veterans had a display commending them for their duty, which even included one veteran of the civil war.

Down the long hall of legends are the most recent inductees next to the inaugural class of five -- Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Mathewson, Walter Johnson and George Herman Ruth. Only a few panels over are “the Ironman” Cal Ripken Jr. and “Mr. Padre” Tony Gwynn -- two legends of my lifetime.

It was an amazing experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I watched the game that I love evolve in the matter of just a few hours. With all the clouds that hang over the game today, it was nice to get away from that and look at how fantastic the game can truly be. That no matter what happens, baseball is still a game loved by the masses and will forever flourish. It survived the Black Sox scandal, it survived the 1994 strike, and it will certainly survive the steroid era.

I can’t wait to go back and see how the Hall of Fame will handle this fragile situation. And it will be worth going back to, because not only is the game always changing and records continue to be broken, but also a townie informed me that they change displays every month because they don’t have enough space for all the gargantuan collection they have in the basement.

I just hope that I will be able to cover that history --- maybe even be recognized for a Ford Frick award. A boy can dream, and besides, I already took the picture for it.

Take the Road Less Traveled

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:38:00 +0000

Necessary Roughness
by Aaron Isaac Feldstein

March Madness once again lived up to its name. But instead of sitting here complaining about my bracket and how it’s currently in flames in the trashcan, I’ve decided to move on.

My birthday is today, and when that happens it can mean only one thing – it’s time for the Masters.

The only story anyone seems to be talking about is Tiger Woods being able to win another green jacket. You watch all the shows like Pardon the Interruption or First and 10 and they always have to choose between Woods and the field. Nearly every time these television sports journalists always take Tiger.

I understand why these journalists choose Woods. No one is arguing that there is a better player out there. In fact, there is no one in Tiger’s league in any sport. The closest was tennis phenom Roger Federer, but even he has fallen off this year.

Therefore, instead of taking the easy route and sitting here telling you what a golf god that Woods is and that no one is going to beat him, I am going to give a few names that might have a chance at beating the four-time Masters’ winner.

Let’s look at who is currently on a role. The first name that comes to mind is Geoff Ogilvy. This past weekend the Australian tied for second at the Shell Houston Open and two weekends ago won the World Golf Championships - -California. Ogilvy currently has a scoring average of 69, three strokes below his career average. With his win at the World Golf Championships, the 10-year-pro has nearly equaled his career money total of 2007 and has improved his scrambling percentage, which is the percentage of pars made after missing the green in regulation. A skill that will be necessary on a course that will play as tough as Augusta does.

A good way to challenge Tiger on a course this difficult will be to take advantage and get eagles and birdies on the Par-5 holes. The key to having this opportunity is a good drive off the tee. Currently leading that statistical category is Bubba Watson. Off the tee, he is averaging 313.5 yards per drive, and back-to-back solid shots will give the Florida native a chance to score low on those particular holes. However, Watson averages 30 putts per round and Augusta’s tricky pin placement could be a problem for this powerful golfer.

If I were going to take someone with a big drive who I can trust in a major, Phil Mickelson would be my bet. Although Sergio Garcia has a farther driving distance average, the guy chokes more than UCLA in the Final Four. Mickelson on the other hand has won two green jackets, is in the top five this year in scoring average and can still knock it solid off the tee, averaging 293 yards a drive. But the lefty from San Diego has only two top-five finishes on the tour this season, and both were over two months ago.

Tricky pin placements on tough greens are going to make putting very important. Enter British Open Champion Padraig Harrington. The Irish golfer is averaging only 26.81 putts per round. Harrington has been able to thrive under the pressure. He was able to take advantage when Garcia cracked at the British Open and brought Ireland its first British Open in 60 years. This year, Harrington has improved on his average driving distance, his scrambling percentage and his scoring average. Harrington finished 26th in the Shell Houston Open this past weekend, but that doesn’t mean he won’t have a chance at Augusta.

Harrington will be turning 37 this August, but how about some of the young guns that will be battling this weekend.

No one is coming in hotter than Johnson Wager. The Texas-born Virginia Tech graduate earned a victory at the Shell Houston Open last weekend, in which he beat solid players like Ogilvy, Harrington, Mickelson and Davis Love III. A flawless first round with seven birdies and one eagle put Wagner nine strokes under par and gave him the ability to cruise to his first tour win.
The win also earned the 28-year-old an invitational to the Masters.

But golf is the type of sport that just because you are young, doesn’t mean you have a better chance. For the best example, look at Fred Couples. The 1992 Masters champion has started his 18th season as a pro on a hot streak, making up for a sub-par year in 2007. He has already made five more cuts than he did all of last year, including a fourth-place finish at the Shell Houston Open. Couples had a final round of 66, that included six birdies, but more importantly no bogeys. Couples also has his drive back, averaging 12 yards more per drive than he did in ’07. Plus, it was only two years ago Couples was right in the mix and finished tied for third at Augusta.

Finally, there are tons of big guns I haven’t even mentioned. Ernie Els, Vigay Singh, Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk, Jose Maria Olazabal or defending champion Zach Johnson. Out of the list above, no one needs it worse than Olazabal who hasn’t won a major since winning this tournament in 1999. Even David Duval has a major win more recently than the Spanish golfer.

Els has the fire in his eyes that earned him the British Open back in 2002, the last major win for the man nicknamed the Big Easy. Els had an impressive victory at the Honda Classic at the beginning of March, with a come-from-behind win. According to the PGA Tour website, the course the Honda Classic was played on was the third toughest course on the tour last year, and the weather conditions didn’t make it easy this year. Augusta should play at or over par, and with the weather that plans to slam the year’s first major, Els has the potential to use the same mentality he used to win the Honda Classic and bring home his first green jacket.

In the end, I understand how easy it is just to pick Tiger Woods to win. If he wins, it was a forgone conclusion. If he loses, well, it was a big field and to quote LIU’s own Scottish golfer Greg Nicolson “even a blind squirrel finds a nut.”

That’s why I am going to take the other route and pick the field. I think Els or Ogilvy have a great chance of keeping Tiger Woods from getting his fifth jacket. However, I’d have a better chance if I called Dr. Frankenstein and had him make me a creation that had a little bit of everyone I mentioned above. That creation could keep up with Tiger, but more than likely lose nine out of 10 times.

The One's Have It!

noreply@blogger.com (Alpha Blog) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:40:00 +0000

Necessary Roughness
by Aaron Isaac Feldstein

When 65 teams were selected three weeks ago, some said it was a foregone conclusion that there were going to be a few upsets.

And there were.

Who picked Villanova, Western Kentucky, San Diego and Siena to defeat the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in the first round?

Who thought 10th-seeded Davidson was going to make a magical run through the early rounds that reminded the world of George Mason only a few years ago?

And who thought Bob Huggins in his first year at West Virginia would be able to knock out Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils in the second round?

With all the upsets that occurred over the past three weeks, the biggest upset is one that shouldn’t seem like an upset at all.

All four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament have made it to the Final Four for the first time – EVER!

The stage is set for what could be the best Final Four in history. The four teams that will battle for the crown have a combined record of 139-9. The four schools that will clash have a total of 19 championships between them with UCLA holding 11 of them.

But amidst the hoopla that is going to be the television hype of this historic season finale, the biggest story is the potential match up of the two best big men playing basketball right now.

Tyler Hansbrough versus Kevin Love.

Hansbrough was named Sports Illustrated Player of the Year, and has become the inside presence the Tar Heels that reminds me of Karl Malone. The 6’9” forward out of Missouri has averaged 21 points a game during the tournament, while averaging a double-double on the season (22.8 points per game, 10. 3 rebounds per game).

But what Hansbrough brings to the court is energy. The brute force to get second and third chances on the offensive end of the court gives his team an edge. The speed Hansbrough has to keep up with teammates like Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green, keep that high-paced Phoenix Suns offensive style moving up and down the court.

Hansbrough isn’t the only big man who makes his teammates better. UCLA has a dominant big man of its own.

Love is the center UCLA wishes it had the last two years it reached the Final Four. In the last two years, the Bruins ran into a juggernaut that was the back-to-back champion Florida Gators.

Now UCLA Coach Ben Howland is currently in his fifth year as the Bruins coach, and is going to his third straight Final Four. This team may be the one that gets him over the hump and brings Bruins fans their first NCAA title since 1995.

Love leads the PAC, averaging a double-double for the season and stepping it up a notch since the tournament started. The product of Oregon has averaged 21.75 points per game during the tournament and 11 rebounds per game. Normally, the best way to stop a big man is to foul and put him on the free throw line – the “Hack-a-Shaq” technique if you will. But that doesn’t work with the 6’10” UCLA center. Love has only missed five free throws the entire tournament.

But it is not written in stone that both Hansborough and Love will make the finals. Two teams with pretty good records might have something to say about it.

Memphis is the lucky team that gets to draw the Bruins in the first round, and it doesn’t really have an answer for Love. But that doesn’t mean the Tigers don’t have a chance.

When Memphis lost to Tennessee back in February, many assumed this team couldn’t make it to the Final Four because of the weak conference it dominated this year. The Tigers were 16-0 in the Conference USA, and it was a cake walk for Memphis to get its second straight conference tournament title. In the last two games, the Tigers have looked solid beating their opponents by a combined 36 points.

But the best all-around team left in the tournament is the one least talked about.

The Kansas Jayhawks squeaked by Davidson to make to the Final Four, but it was their only close battle of the entire tournament. Coach Bill Self has four players who average in double digit points per game, and a team that shoots over 50 percent from the field. While other teams let Davidson’s Stephen Curry beat them, Kansas gave him his points and stopped him when they needed to most, at the end. Kansas isn’t the greatest team defensively. But when your offense is averaging 81 points per game, the defense can give up over 60 points and be okay.

This year’s NCAA tournament baffled me beyond belief. After the first weekend, my bracket looked dead in the water, only to realize one week later I had picked six of the Elite Eight and then three of the Final Four. Despite the close calls, the upsets and the dominance, I am going to stick to my guns.

In the end, I see the “big” stars of this tournament pulling through for their teams. I see “Psycho T” and the North Carolina Tar Heels defeating Kansas, and K-Love’s Bruins taking down Memphis to give NCAA fans the ultimate match up.

North Carolina’s Roy Williams will come up just short and 13 years since their last championship, Kevin Love and the UCLA Bruins will cut down the nets and bring home the title.