She was 48 years old, two years younger than Michael Jackson when he passed, a comparison I make because those two are inextricably linked in my mind – much more for the genius and brilliance that made them stars than for the controversy and personal demons that embroiled them later in life.

Simply put, the two most iconic voices of my childhood were those of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.

It wasn’t just that they became super-duper-mega-stars in the mid-80s right as I started to become a coherent human, or that they mom seemed to play them constantly in the house and in the car; it’s that even at that young an age – 4, 5, 6 – I already genuinely enjoyed their music.

I’ve written about Michael on MSF numerous times, because he is far and away my favorite musical artists of all time. Not long after he passed, I wrote this about the King of Pop: My Personal Tribute to the Complex Life and Incredible Legacy of Michael Jackson.

Though she never reached the historic popularity and notoriety of MJ, Houston’s legacy too can most certainly be described as both complex and incredible.

In addition to her iconic voice, Whitney Houston's pre-meltdown and addiction smile radiated like few others'.

The Legacy of Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston’s legacy is complex, of course, because of the drug and alcohol abuse and generally erratic behavior that derailed it.

But it is unquestionably incredible because of the wonderful catalog of music she leaves behind and the memory we all will have of one of the greatest voices any human has ever been gifted. Truly, it was a gift to us all.

If you need a reminder, just listen to the isolated vocals from “How Will I Know.” Mind-blowing.

As I write this, I have no idea what the cause of Whitney’s death is, though I think we can all fairly speculate, as Houston was still publicly battling her drug demons as recently as May of 2011. Houston’s is a sad, unfortunate story that came to an all-to-predictable but no less disappointing end.

She is not the first artistic genius to die well before her time and to do so tragically and ignominiously, nor will she be the last. And the memory of Whitney that has been forced into our heads for the last decade plus will never go away.

But it will also never transcend her talent, nor her songs. Whitney’s slow but steady meltdown and agonizing fall from grace may have been spectacular, pejoratively speaking, but still not nearly as spectacular as the vocal brilliance she created.

So no more dwelling on the negativity.

I’m sure we’ll all do plenty of that in the coming hours and days. We always do when a troubled star of Houston’s magnitude passes on.

Tonight, I just want to focus on and re-live the music. Something tells me you’ll agree. And if you don’t yet, just starting hitting play. You will.

Whitney once asked, “Where do broken hearts go?” Hopefully Whitney went somewhere she has peace. Her fans can go to the music.

In honor of the late, great Whitney Houston, here are all 11 of her #1 singles (plus a most worthy honorable mention), presented in somewhat close to chronological order.

1. “How Will I Know”

———-

2. “Saving All My Love For You”

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3. “Greatest Love Of All”

———-

4. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”

Note: This is my personal favorite Whitney song. It’s not necessarily her best or most impressive performance, but I just enjoy this song more than any other.

———-

5. “Didn’t We Almost Have It All”

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6. “So Emotional”

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7. “Where Do Broken Hearts Go?”

———-

8. “I’m Your Baby Tonight”

———-

9. “All The Man That I Need”

Note: When this song first came out, I remember thinking for some reason that it was about Randall Cunningham. Anyone know anything about this? I was nine at the time, so who knows where I picked that information up, but it’s endured to this day, true or not.

———-

10. “I Will Always Love You”

Note: this was song was originally recorded by Dolly Parton. I did not know that until tonight. Whitney’s version stayed at #1 for an amazing 14 weeks. Wow.

———-

11. “Exhale”

———-

Honorable Mention: “Star Spangled Banner”

Note: this did not reach #1, but it was top 20, becoming one of the only times that an artist made the “Star Spangled Banner” a hit on the pop charts.

**********

Rest in peace Whitney.

Thank you for the music and a voice unlike any we ever heard before or will ever hear again.

We also discuss:

• Billy Beane being extended until 2019
• Elvis Andrus and Nelson Cruz resigning in Texas
• The Jeremy Guthrie trade to Colorado
• AJ Burnett possibly being traded to the Pirates
• We spotlight the Detroit Tigers
• Ryan Rayburn (well the whole Tigers infield) is horrible on defense (as this video shows)
• Andy Dirks’ Dominican dominance
• Corey and I each give our 3 best and 3 worst off-season deals

Click play on the player below to listen:

—–

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Before We Get To Alex Morgan, A Quick Word of Fabio Capello…

After my piece ran on the Chelsea/Manchester United Barclay’s Premier League fixture last Sunday and did so well, I considered doing another soccer piece.

There was an explosive story this week were England football manager and Mark Attanasio stunt double Fabio Capello abruptly resigned over the manure storm of John Terry being stripped of being team captain. Terry stands accused of going Kerry Collins with some sort of racial barb towards an opposing player during Chelsea’s match with Queen’s Park Rangers earlier in the season.  The case is scheduled to go to trial, but not until after this summer’s European Championships.

The job of England’s manager will now supposedly fall to Tottenham Spurs head-man Harry Redknapp, who was coincidentally cleared of tax fraud charges this week on cue with Capello turning in his resignation. Whatever happens, England football and John Terry can go back to doing what they do best – and that’s being a major distraction. Look for an implosive quick exit from the Three Lions in Euro 2012. Much more coverage on the continuing circus to come on your favorite UK tabloid.

But, of course, there was a much better soccer story that broke on Friday. So much so that even Jeremy Lin dropping 38 points on Kobe Bryant doesn’t even mean a thing…

Alex Morgan is in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. In ‘bodypaint’.

Caliente.

Body-painted Alex Morgan To Be In SI Swimsuit Issue

MSF’s Drew Lange said it best on Facebook a few weeks back when he proclaimed himself ‘to be in love’ with three-quarters of the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Who isn’t??

Everyone wants to see Alex Morgan right now. Al Michaels probably wants to see Alex Morgan. Alex Smith wants to see Alex Morgan. Alex Jones wants to see Alex Morgan. (No wait, Alex Jones is convinced that Alex Morgan is being used by the Illuminati to distract the American government while the One World Government is being implemented. If so, well played – we took the bait.)

The pink sports bra Morgan rocked underneath her kit at the Women’s World Cup last year was good enough. Anyone want to knock on the USWNT ‘s ‘nurses outfits’ now? Not when a pink bra is visible under that white get-up.

Now Morgan is taking it up to the next level by appearing in the annual SI swimsuit piece. Whatever beach that the photo-shoot occurred is immaterial. It is nine degrees above zero where I’m writing this now, but if Alex Morgan showed up in bodypaint on the Milwaukee lakefront, it would suddenly heat up like the Fourth of July.

Morgan spoke about her experience in a sneak-peek column for SI.com, saying that she was ‘a little nervous, but ‘this opportunity doesn’t come every day.’ Alex later added ‘athletes have amazing bodies, and my teammates are a great example. They work so hard day in and day out to compete at the highest level, and their bodies reflect their hard work.’

You can catch Alex Morgan and the rest of the SI swimsuit issue when it hit’s newsstands February 14^th.

Happy early Valentine’s Day.

Then promptly, last night, Lin went for a career high 38 points and 7 assists in a victory over the visiting Lakers.

Lin scored 89 points in his first three starts. According to Elias, that’s the most points by any player in his first three starts since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976.

If you missed last night’s game, here (via the CBS Eye on Basketball blog) is a video of all of Lin’s field goals:

Reader Sam Angean sent me a link to an article by Timothy Dalrymple, “Jeremy Lin and the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations.” Dalrymple, a philosopher and former top-ranked NCAA gymnast, looks at the stereotypes that plague Asian-American athletes and particularly Lin. It’s worth a read if you have time today.

Finally, here’s one Knicks fan’s response to Linsanity (and to Carmelo Anthony’s recent struggles):

via SB Nation and @OleDirtyBZA

Pace and Points Per Possession (PPP)

The purpose behind looking at scoring on a per-possession basis is that it normalizes teams who play at a variety of different tempos.

For instance, VMI ranks third in the nation at 83.1 points per game, but they play at one of the fastest paces in the country and don’t shoot the ball very well.  And just because Wisconsin is 252^nd overall in scoring doesn’t mean they are inherently terrible offensively.  Ultimately it boils down to a quantity versus quality proposition.

The first piece of the calculation is to arrive at the number of possessions in the game, which is defined as:

Field Goal Attempts – Offensive Rebounds + Turnovers + 0.475 * Free Throw Attempts

A more detailed description of why this makes sense can be found at the old Big Ten Wonk site.

Once you have that, you can easily divide the points scored in the game by that number of possessions.  For a point of reference, here are some numbers through Friday’s games:

• National Average: 68.5 possessions per game
• Fastest Pace: Houston Baptist at 75.4 possessions per game
• Slowest Pace: Wisconsin at 58.9 possessions per game
• Average Points Per Possession: 1.01 ppp
• Most Efficient Offense: Missouri – 1.19 ppp
• Least Efficient Offense: Grambling – 0.78 ppp
• Most Efficient Defense: Ohio State – 0.84 ppp
• Least Efficient Defense: Nebraska Omaha – 1.18 ppp

The Four Factors

The other most commonly cited statistics are the “Four Factors,” which statistical pioneer Dean Oliver broke down in his book, Basketball on Paper.  In simplest terms, these are the four factors he deemed most critical to on-court success.

1. Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%)

eFG% is calculated by:

(0.5 * Three-Pointers Made + Field Goals Made) / Field Goal Attempts

As you can see, the calculation is virtually the same as a standard field goal percentage, except that it gives additional credit for made three-pointers.  The calculation accounts for the fact that a made three is worth 50 percent more than a made two.  Big Ten Wonk says that eFG% “is roughly analogous to calculating a batting average using plate appearances instead of official at-bats.”

Through Thursday’s games, here are some key eFG% numbers to know:

• National Average: 49.0%
• Best on Offense: Creighton – 58.5%
• Worst on Offense: Grambling – 38.1%
• Best on Defense: Wisconsin – 39.9%
• Worst on Defense: Longwood – 57.8%

2. Turnover Rate (TO%)

The calculation for TO% is a simple one:

Turnovers / Possessions

Again, this normalizes the fact that two teams might each turn the ball over 15 times, but the impact of that is greater for a team that has just 60 possessions versus one that has 75.

Here are the numbers to know about TO% this season:

• National Average: 20.6%
• Best on Offense: Purdue – 13.8%
• Worst on Offense: Towson – 30.6%
• Best on Defense: Ohio State – 27.4%
• Worst on Defense: William & Mary – 14.8%

To put the Towson one in perspective, no one else is even over 26.4% for the year.

3. Offensive Rebounding Percentage (OReb%)

The calculation for OReb% is as follows:

Offensive Rebounds / (Offensive Rebounds + Opponent Defensive Rebounds)

Instead of looking solely at the raw number of offensive rebounds a team gets, this reduces it to a rate by comparing to the number of missed shots.  Again, as Big Ten Wonk put it, “Rebounds are like hits—and missed shots are like at-bats.”  From an efficiency standpoint, the theory is that offensive rebounds essentially extend possessions and provide additional scoring opportunities.

Here’s a look at how OReb% has played out this year:

• National Average: 32.3%
• Best on Offense: Pittsburgh – 43.6%
• Worst on Offense: Hartford – 21.9%
• Best on Defense: Bucknell – 23.1%
• Worst on Defense: Alcorn State - 40.3%

4. Free Throw Rate (FTR)

Again, the calculation for FTR is a relatively simple one:

Free Throws Attempted / Field Goal Attempts

Ken Pomeroy says this metric “measures a player’s ability to get to the line relative to how often he attempts to score.”  In short, it’s a measure of aggressiveness.  Guys who are content to shoot jumpers and won’t attack the basket will end up with a low FTR, while others can provide increased value by making a concerted effort to get to the stripe.

Here are some key data points for FTR this season:

• National average: 36.5
• Best on Offense: New Mexico State - 55.3
• Worst on Offense: Troy – 23.6
• Best on Defense: North Carolina – 20.4
• Worst on Defense: Eastern Washington – 64.6

Some of these are pretty extreme.  For example, New Mexico State is the only team over 50.3, and for Eastern Washington, no one else is over 55.6.

So as you look forward to filling out your March Madness 2012 bracket when it comes out, efficiency numbers can provide a different point of view on many of the matchups, particularly as you’re comparing teams from a wide range of leagues with a variety of styles.  Sites like KenPom.com and Statsheet.com provide this data if you’d like to get more in depth.

**********

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

There are only a handful of teams that have earned the seller status thus far and a few teams that are on the fence, but should have made up their mind in the coming weeks.

The sellers that have emerged thus far include the likes of Columbus, Carolina, New York Islanders, Edmonton, Montreal and Anaheim. Teams that are on the cusp include Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Colorado. These three teams will have to make up their minds in the next 17 days and will most likely lean towards seller, but you never know what could happen.

It’s a hard pill to swallow for a GM — if you’re sitting 10th or worse in the conference at this point in the season, then you have to be pretty sure it will take more than one piece to be able to compete with the elite teams at the top of the standings.

Here are a number of players — all unrestricted free agents at the end of the season — that I believe will almost certainly have a new home sometime soon. Here’s a recap of their current numbers, contract values, and where they might end up.

Tuomo Ruutu – Carolina Hurricanes – $3.8 million

Ruutu could garder as much as a first-round draft pick if traded. Photo via Kellja00 under Creative Commons

While Canes GM Jim Rutherford has been talking of trying to work out a deal with Ruutu, he is way too valuable an asset to risk losing in the off-season. Ruutu could garner as much as a first-round draft pick or a top prospect if traded. He’s an unrestricted free agent at season’s end with no guarantees he will stay in Raleigh. Carolina is in the basement of the East, which certainly makes them a seller.

The gritty winger would fit in with any team that’s looking to toughen up, but he also adds the ability to produce on the score sheet. Ruutu has 17 goals and 11 assists in 55 games this season and is coming off a career best 57 points in 2010-11.

Where he could end up: Potential suitors include just about everybody looking to add scoring. Expect the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Minnesota Wild to make an aggressive push for the Finnish winger.

Andrei Kostitsyn – Montreal Canadiens – $3.25 million

Kostitsyn has had an average season thus far. He has 12 goals and 12 assists in 45 games and averages just over 15 minutes a game. He’s on pace to reach his fourth 20-goal mark in just his fifth full season in the NHL. He will become a UFA following this season and will likely command somewhere in the $3-$4 million range. The Habs cannot afford that, since they are handcuffed with a number of high-priced, long-term deals.

Montreal is one of the true sellers, despite their position in the standings, and should be expected to be a huge player at the deadline. Expect veterans Hal Gill and Travis Moen to be making an exit as well. Kostitsyn thrives playing on a line with skilled players as we saw in his rookie season when he played with Alexei Kovalev, where he tallied a career best 26 goals. Wherever he ends up, expect that team to use him as a top-six forward.

Where he could end up: Teams that could be interested would be the Kings, Wild, Predators, and Panthers. Dallas or Phoenix could possibly show interest if they decide in the next two weeks to buy instead of sell.

Paul Gaustad – Buffalo Sabres – $2.3 million

Photo Courtesy of Bridget Samuels

The Buffalo Sabres aren’t exactly out of it yet but it would still take a huge run to leapfrog the five teams in front of them and make up 10+ points in their final 29 games.

After being one of the largest spenders this off-season, expect the Sabres to shed some costs down the stretch. Paul Gaustad has value for teams looking to increase their toughness and pick up a good penalty killing winger.

Other Sabres that could leave Buffalo include Derek Roy and Brad Boyes, who both earn four million per season. Boyes is a UFA, while Roy has one more year left on his contract.

Where he could end up: The Detroit Red Wings could be looking to bolster their toughness and their penalty kill as well. They are currently 25th in the NHL in killing penalties. Detroit is chalked full of young talent and have some room to manoeuvre under the cap, so they wouldn’t have to give up any of their current starters to acquire a player like Gaustad.

Bryan Allen – Carolina Hurricanes – $2.9 million

Another Hurricane that will be a UFA at season’s end, Allen could provide teams with veteran depth on the blue line. Don’t expect Allen to put up a lot of offense, but he could be a good fourth or fifth defenseman on most NHL teams.

Where he could end up: The Blues will be looking for a veteran defenseman to add depth to their squad.The Red Wings and the Rangers could also be interested parties and are in prime position to make a run at the Cup.

Evgeni Nabokov – New York Islanders – $0.57 million

The Islanders are most certainly a team destined to sell off some assets come deadline time. Although Nabokov isn’t making too much coin this year, he’s unrestricted at the end of the season and is highly unlikely to re-sign with the Islanders, who claimed him off re-entry waivers last season.

He’s the most affordable goalie option for any team, especially given his solid play of late where he allowed only eight goals in his last five games while posting a .952 save percentage and a shutout, earning him three wins. Expect the Isles to shop Nabokov for a prospect or draft pick.

Where he could end up: Interest likely will come from Tampa Bay (ranked last in goals against), Chicago, Phoenix, Florida, or just about any team that is looking for a veteran goalie to provide depth in a backup role.

[Editor's note: This was originally posted back in January, but it got lost in the Super Bowl shuffle. Keith did a great job on it though, so we're cycling it back to the front of the site for those of you who missed it.]

You know how sometimes when you hear a one-hit wonder song on the radio or on the jukebox at a bar, it makes you think of a certain time in your life and all of the memories of that time come flooding back?

For some reason, those songs resonate.  They are the songs that everyone knows the words to, even if they are embarrassed to admit it.  The best one-hit wonders activate that mental and emotional time machine in a person.

Sports do the same thing for me.  I tie events in my life to notable sports players and seasons.

I distinctly remember my first two years of middle school being “Fab Five” years.  I wore a Jalen Rose #5 maize jersey, matching shorts, black socks and black Nikes to school at least once a week. By 8^th grade, I had orange and turquoise hair, but not because of Greenday or the Offspring, but because of Dennis Rodman.  I also wished that I could grow a mustache at 13 years old to be more like L.A. Raiders quarterback Jeff Hostetler, whose jersey I also proudly donned.

Ill-conceived fashion choices aside, the feelings and memories generated by sports and music endure as much as any.  Years from now, when I look back at this NFL season, I will remember plenty, but among the most amusing things to reminisce about will be the guys who came out of nowhere to have a great year and then disappeared.  Guys like Victor Cruz or (gasp!) Tim Tebow could qualify if they are unable to replicate their 2011 successes.

In that spirit, here are some of the greatest single-season performances by players who were never able to reach that level of success again in NFL history and a one-hit wonder tune to go along with each.  Nonsensical?  Probably.  Fun?  Absolutely.

Steve Beuerlein – 1999 / Chumbawamba – “Tubthumping”

Stats: 60.1 Comp %, 4,436 Yards, 36 TD, 15 INT, 94.6 rating, 50 sacks

Beuerlein was primarily a backup quarterback until 1998, when he took over for Carolina Panthers quarterback Kerry Collins, who was battling personal problems and ineffectiveness on the field.

Beuerlein finished the 1998 season strong and staked his claim to the starting job in 1999.  That season, he demolished all expectations, helping the Panthers double their win total from the previous season and setting franchise records for passing yards, touchdowns and rating that still stand today.

He was reasonably successful the following year (3730 yards, 19 TD, 18 INT, 79.7 rating), but nowhere near the same as in 1999.

You certainly did get knocked down, Steve.

Why “Tubthumping” for Beuerlein?  Well, he was sacked 50 times in 1999.  So he literally got knocked down and got up again, and no team was able to keep him down, at least that season.

In fact, in the 44 games he started from 1998-2000, he was sacked 156 times.  That’s an average of over 3.5 times per game.  Hey Jay Cutler, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I would call Steve Beuerlein.  He feels your pain.

DeAngelo Williams – 2008 / Aldo Nova – “Fantasy”

Stats: 273 carries, 1,515 rushing yards, 20 total TD

I understand that DeAngelo might have a couple of good years ahead of him.  Carolina certainly hopes so, as they signed him to a 5-year, $43 million contract this past year.  But given the new direction of the offense with Cam Newton at the helm and the time share between Williams and Jonathan Stewart in the backfield, I just don’t see Williams ever having the kind of impact he did in 2008.

"Fantasy" kryponite has a name, and it is DeAngelo Williams.

I chose Canadian rocker Aldo Nova and his 1981 hit “Fantasy” because in that magical 2008 season Williams was the #1 ranked fantasy player in the NFL.  And also because I think “Fantasy” and it’s wicked synth/guitar riff is quite awesome.

Before Rob Dyrdek used a cover of it for his Fantasy Factory show, the song was relegated only to occasional airplay on classic rock stations and my iPod.  Now, we can all sing “life is just a fantasyyy” every time Williams comes off the board in a draft and laugh at the guy who thinks he will sniff his 2008 numbers again (note: I was that guy in 2009 and 2010).

Derek Anderson & Braylon Edwards – 2007 / Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock – “It Takes Two”

Stats:

• Anderson – 3,787 yards, 29 passing TDs, 3 rushing TD, 19 INT, 82.5 rating
  
• Edwards – 80 receptions, 1,289 yards, 16 TD
  

This is it for Carolina Panthers players, I promise, even though Anderson was in Cleveland during his lone great season.  Both of these guys have bounced around after their fantastic (especially by Cleveland Browns standards) 2007 season.  Edwards was recently cut by the 49ers thanks to nagging injuries and inconsistency, and Anderson is toiling away as a backup in Carolina.

That 2007 Browns team overachieved its way to 10 wins, and this QB-WR duo is a big reason why.

Rob Base and D.J. E-Z Rock scored a hit in 1988 with “It Takes Two,” and I attached this to the Anderson-Edwards tandem because I have to believe that without one another they wouldn’t have been able to chalk up numbers like they did in 2007.

I still find it hard to believe that, with all his gifts, Edwards has disappointed so spectacularly in the NFL.  I find it similarly strange that Rob Base and D.J. E-Z Rock never put together another infectious hip-hop club anthem, as “It Takes Two” was undeniably catchy, and in the right venue can still incite a late-80′s dance party.

Otis Armstrong – 1974 / Carl Douglas – “Kung Fu Fighting” 

Stats: 263 carries, 1,407 yards, 9 TD, 405 receiving yards, 3 TD in a 14-game season

Long before the Denver Broncos could just plug and play guys in the backfield and expect 1,000-yard seasons, Armstrong had an amazing season.  In 1974 the season was only 14 games long, meaning Armstrong averaged over 100 yards rushing per game.  Applying his averages to today’s 16 game schedule, Armstrong could have totaled over 2,000 total yards and 14 or 15  TD.

Unfortunately, he had only one other decent year (1976) and it didn’t compare to his 1974 first team all-pro campaign.

I’m going to be honest here; I chose “Kung Fu Fighting” because it is hilarious, and the only tie it has to Otis Armstrong is that both were wreaking havoc on the United States in 1974.  Douglas’ goofy song is one of the top 25 selling singles of all time, which is patently ludicrous, yet funny.

Apologies to Broncos fans and Armstrong aficionados.  I just had to include this somewhere.

David Boston – 2001 / Inner Circle – “Bad Boys”

Stats: 98 receptions, 1,598 yards, 8 TD

David Boston’s career never really took off the way it seemed it would, due to PED use and knee problems.  He was a record-setter at Ohio State, and he seemed to be a rising star at receiver for the Cardinals by the 2001 season.

Of course, looking at his physique it wasn’t surprising when he was suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s steroids policy.

One could argue that his 2000 season was good enough to exclude him from being a one season wonder, but the list of receivers with 1,100-1,200 yard seasons is a very, very long one, while only 14 other receiving seasons have ranked higher than the 1,598 yards Boston posted in 2001.

Inner Circle’s “Bad Boys” has become synonymous with the show Cops, and Boston has had a few run-ins with the bad boys himself.  In addition to the steroid suspension (which was merely an NFL suspension – no charges were filed), Boston has had legal trouble in 2007 with a DUI arrest and in 2011 was accused of beating a woman to the point that she needed stitches.

Meanwhile, his 1997 sparring partner Charles Woodson has been busy being the veteran leader of the 15-1 Green Bay Packers’ defense.

Ickey Woods – 1988 / Toni Basil – “Hey Mickey Ickey”

Stats: 1,265 total yards, 15 touchdowns, 5.3 yards per carry

Ickey Woods was about as famous in southwest Ohio in 1988 as Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Wayne Gretzky (ProStars!) combined.  The man created what might be the worst on-field celebration (although Merton Hanks is close) in history – the “Ickey Shuffle” – and it was celebrated as groundbreaking for the time.

The 6-2, 231 lb. Woods was a force running the ball that year, rolling through defenders and helping lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl as a rookie.  Sadly, the shuffles mostly ended after that, as injuries claimed Ickey’s career after only four seasons (26 total games, including 1988).

For this post, we’re changing Toni Basil’s song to “Hey Ickey,” for obvious reasons.  Plus, the video is a bunch of cheerleaders, which is perfectly fitting an NFL post.

There’s probably not a lot I can say about the video for the song that hasn’t already been said on a VH-1 special or three, but I will say that Toni Basil’s eyes are downright frightening.

Scott Mitchell – 1995 / Timbuk 3 – “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades”

Stats: 4,338 passing yards, 32 TD, 12 INT, 92.3 rating, 4 rushing TD

when you’ve got Barry Sanders on your team, you wouldn’t think putting up big passing numbers would be a likely occurrence, but in 1995 Scott Mitchell put up some massive stats while leading the Detroit Lions to a playoff berth.

Mitchell’s 1995 season set franchise records in touchdown passes and yards (both broken by Matthew Stafford this year), and he was able to get both Herman Moore and Brett Perriman over 100 catches apiece.  The lanky lefty seemed to have the Lions headed to the top of the NFC.

With Mitchell, Sanders, and Moore all 27 or younger, one would have thought the Lions would have the makings of a contender for at least a few years to come.  Unfortunately for them, the stars never aligned, as Mitchell regressed badly and Sanders retired at age 30.

Timbuk 3′s hit is fitting here, because almost everyone thought the Lions were a few defensive pieces away from a Lombardi trophy.  And like the Lions, Timbuk 3 wasn’t able to strike another hit on par with “The Future’s So Bright…”

Mark Carrier – 1989 / OMC – “How Bizarre”

Stats: 86 receptions, 1,422 yards, 9 TD

Mark Carrier was the only real offensive bright spot for the 1989 Bucs, as Vinny Testaverde threw more INTs (22) than TDs (20) and their leading rusher, Lars Tate, had just 589 yards.  Carrier never had more than 66 catches in a season after that, and he only gained 1,000 yards once more (1,002 in 1995).

I certainly didn’t watch many Bucs games in 1989 (I was a kid and they were 5-11 – not exactly priority viewing in Ohio), but I can’t find any answers as to why Carrier was able to put together such a strong season on such a bad offense.

“Bizarre” is exactly the word I would use to describe Carrier’s huge 1989 season.  OMC are from New Zealand, and the tropical setting of their video meshes well with the tropical setting of Tampa, where Carrier rescued Testaverde from what could have been an even worse season.

Sadly, OMC frontman Pauly Fuemana died two years ago, but OMC’s lone hit will live on, reminding me that sports too can be bizarre.

Barry Foster – 1992 / The Verve – “Bittersweet Symphony”

Stats: 390 carries (!), 1,690 rushing yards, 11 TD, 344 receiving yards

Even with Big Ben throwing more, when we think of the Pittsburgh Steelers today most of us still think of smash-mouth football with a nasty streak on the defensive side.  In the early ’90′s, it was much the same, but there was more balance on the offense than most people remember.

Except for 1992, that is.

Barry Foster became a one man wrecking crew that year, running the ball almost 10 times as much as the next back on the roster (Merril Hoge) and accounting for about 43% of the total offensive touches for the team.

It comes as no surprise then that Foster struggled to stay healthy for the rest of his short career and was never able to reach those heights again.  Injuries forced him out of football in 1994, in what was truly a “bittersweet” parting for Steelers fans.  His 1,690 yards still rank first all time in Steelers history.

Christian Okoye – 1989 / EMF – “Unbelievable”

Stats: 370 carries, 1,480 yards, 12 TD

The “Nigerian Nightmare” was a legendary figure amongst kids my age in 1989.

If you had asked me then how many good seasons he had completed I would have guessed somewhere around 19.  I was that enamored by the 253-lb. bruiser.  Of course, as a young Raiders fan, I would have fought to the death over any argument about who was more badass between Okoye and Bo Jackson.

One question I have about Okoye’s 1989 season is how in the hell did he only catch 2 passes all year while carrying 370 times?  That has to be among the strangest football statistics ever.

Okoye fell victim to the same ailment that afflicted Foster – a relentless workload.  He couldn’t really keep his knee healthy and was out of the league just three uneventful seasons after his transcendent 1989 year.

“Unbelievable” is about as iconic a song as Okoye was a football player.  I chose it primarily because of Okoye’s exploits on Nintendo’s Tecmo Super Bowl.  The guy was nearly unstoppable on that game, and I sometimes had to forgo my silver and black allegiances to experience the awesomeness firsthand.

And now, in honor of the Super Bowl coming up, I will list a couple of the most noteworthy Super Bowl performances from guys who have otherwise failed to live up to their big stage moments.

Timmy Smith – Super Bowl XXII / Afro Man – “Because I Got High”

Super Bowl Stats: 22 carries, 204 yards, 2 TD

Rookie Timmy Smith was an unknown back who stepped in for injured starter George Rogers and started the Super Bowl.  He had the good fortune of running behind the “Hogs,” Washington’s dominant offensive line, and as a result he was able to set a Super Bowl record with 204 yards rushing.  For his entire regular season career he only totaled 602 yards, 3 TD and a 3.2 yards per carry average.

Rumors of cocaine abuse surrounded Smith the following year, and after he took an entire season off in 1989, he failed to make an impact in the NFL again, rushing just six times in a single game for Dallas in 1990 before being released.  Smith denied the drug abuse rumors but has certainly had ties to drugs since, as he was convicted on charges of selling cocaine in 2005.  He served two and a half years in prison and was released in 2008.

Afro Man’s hilarious rap “Because I Got High” is probably a little light-hearted for a man who has undergone such personal strife, but it just goes to show what the effects of drugs can be on someone with a promising future.

David Tyree – Super Bowl XLII – Eiffel 65 – “Blue (Da Ba Dee)”

Super Bowl Stats: 3 receptions, 43 yards, 1 TD, 1 miraculous helmet catch

In honor of this year’s Super Bowl rematch, I can’t leave out one of the most notorious Super Bowl plays of all time.

Tyree caught a 5-yard touchdown early in the 4th quarter, but it was his miracle “helmet catch” on 3rd-and-11 that kept the Giants’ game winning drive alive.  The win broke New England’s 18-game winning streak and brought the Giants their first Super Bowl win since 1990.

Tyree had only made four catches for 35 yards all season, but he turned in a performance for the ages in the decisive quarter of Super Bowl XLII.

What players will have their brightest moment in the rematch?

Eiffel 65′s “Blue” is the choice here because the Giants are known for, among other things, their blue uniforms.  Plus, I would imagine most people in the New England area really hated that song, and I know they hated the helmet catch, so why not throw the two together?

That’s it for my list.  What single season wonders did I miss?  And what songs would you put with them?  Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Follow me on Twitter @keithmullett

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 Image Credits: golf912.org, nfl.com, espn.com, sportsworldcards.com, sfgate.com, sbnation.com, nola.com, pittsfinest.tumblr.com, chiefscrowd.com, sportsillustrated.cnn.com, wfplaw.com

There are many contemporary British-accented characters making a heavy impact, including Piers Morgan of CNN, Stuart Varney of Fox News, Stewie of Family Guy, entertainer/host Ricky Gervais, and the Geiko Gecko.

The simple explanation for all these British accents may be in how Americans perceive them.

A recent Harris Interactive Poll indicates that for Americans, when comparing American accents to British accents, the British accents receive much higher marks for sounding well-educated, intelligent, and sophisticated.

This research seems to indicate the preponderance of British accents in American popular culture can be attributed to marketing efforts by entertainment and advertising executives.  A British accent sounds smart, reliable, knowledgeable.  These marketing efforts are one more way to get to the mind of the consumer.

Of all the broadcasts for American sports on television, Soccer seems to be the one utilizing the British accent most often.  The effect of using this marketing tool may work for Soccer fans already accustomed to the sport, but is it the best idea for reigning in new fans to the sport?

Nicknames and terminology in Soccer already have a foreign touch. Will too many British-sounding announcers add to the chaos and be a turn off for new fans or will fans not notice the subtlety of the marketing ploy?

The subliminal effect of the British accent is what executives seem to be most interested in.  What goes unnoticed, yet is accepted, is the most important message: reeling in the consumer without them catching on to why they are being influenced is the most effective type of promotion.

There is an obvious gamble being taken with British-accented television broadcasters doing American Soccer matches.  New viewers to the sport may grow frustrated with the abundance of technical jargon these broadcasters are known for and may grow to feel more alienated to the game.

So for attracting new fans, the ploy could be defeating its purpose.

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Howard Alperin is Managing Editor of AmericanizeSoccer.com

Wednesday night featured a pair of great rivalry games, as Syracuse outlasted Georgetown in overtime and Austin Rivers capped off an impressive Duke comeback with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to win at the Dean Dome.  Throw in Murray State falling from the ranks of the unbeaten on Thursday night, and it’s been a solid week of basketball.

That action provides a nice springboard into a Saturday schedule that is shaping up to be even better.  Baylor-Missouri, Michigan State-Ohio State, Virginia-North Carolina, San Diego State-UNLV, and Wichita State-Creighton are just a handful of the intriguing matchups scheduled for the weekend.

But before you settle in for a weekend on the couch, here’s a look at this week’s risers and fallers in the world of college basketball.

Bottoms Line: Stock Up

Arizona

The Wildcats followed up road wins over Cal and Stanford by taking care of Colorado at home on Thursday night.  With Washington getting crushed at Oregon, the door is open for Arizona to be the Pac-12′s second tournament team.

While a talented group of freshmen were talked about prior to the season, veterans Kyle Fogg, Solomon Hill, and Jesse Perry have led Arizona’s recent resurgence.  Fogg poured in 23 at Cal, while Hill posted 20 points and 17 boards against Colorado this week.

The remaining schedule isn’t too daunting for the Wildcats, and if they can manage to win at Washington next weekend, they have a shot to finish 14-4 in the league.

Louisville

Monday’s 21-point win over UConn was Louisville’s fifth straight, as the Cardinals have quietly climbed the Big East standings in recent weeks.  Sophomore big man Gorgui Dieng has played well during that winning streak with 59 points, 51 boards, and 19 blocks over the last five games.

They also got news this week that highly regarded freshman Wayne Blackshear was cleared to play after missing the first few months of the season with a shoulder injury.  If healthy, he gives them another perimeter scorer and would allow Rick Pitino to expand his rotation a bit.

The Cardinals will use all the help they can get with three of their next four on the road, starting with Saturday at West Virginia followed by a home date with Syracuse on Big Monday.

Miami (FL)

The Hurricanes followed up Sunday’s critical overtime win at Duke with a win over Virginia Tech, which extended their winning streak to five.  The Duke win moved them into the RPI Top 40, and the committee will have to take into account the fact that four of the team’s seven losses came without Reggie Johnson and DeQuan Jones.

Jones is a nice complementary piece, but Johnson is a game-changer.  He  scored 27 points and grabbed 12 boards against Duke and had 15 points, seven rebounds, and four assists versus the Hokies.  The guard play has been solid as expected, while Florida transfer Kenny Kadji has been a revelation at power forward.

The next two games give Miami chances at additional signature wins, as they travel to Florida State on Saturday before hosting North Carolina next week.

Notre Dame

I wrote about the Irish a couple weeks ago, but they certainly have earned additional accolades.  They have now won five straight, including three road wins and three victories over ranked teams.

Notre Dame struggled from long range for most of the game against West Virginia, but they buried three straight threes late to pick up a win in Morgantown.  Jack Cooley had 21 points and 12 boards against the Mountaineers, and he now has five double-doubles in Big East play.  Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant have continued their solid play in the backcourt, and the defense has been terrific with four of the last five foes scoring 0.95 points per possession or less.

The Irish host DePaul and Rutgers in their next two games, and a 14-4 conference record is not out of the question.

Temple

While most of the teams in the Atlantic 10 are beating up on each other, the Owls have reeled off seven straight wins and are currently atop the standings.

The return of big man Micheal Eric has helped them defensively as well as on the glass, and the duo of Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt are averaging a combined 34.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 3.2 steals.  Both guys can shoot it well from beyond the arc, but both have also attempted over 100 free throws so far this year.

Temple’s next six games are against Top 100 teams, starting with Saturday night’s home game versus Xavier.

Bottoms Line: Stock Down

Arkansas

Wins over Mississippi State, Michigan, and Vanderbilt are terrific, but Arkansas won’t make the tournament if they can’t find a way to win on the road.  They have missed golden opportunities in their last two games, losing by six at LSU and getting steamrolled by 22 against a subpar Georgia team.

The fact that the Hogs are even in the NCAA discussion is impressive since Marshawn Powell played just two games before injury cut short his season, and young players like B.J. Young have a bright future.  That said, the opportunity to go dancing is there, but Arkansas needs to play well down the stretch.

Their best chance at a road win is at Auburn, and they also have home games against Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Baylor

The Bears land here not just because they lost to Kansas at home, but moreso they way they lost.  After jumping out to an early lead, poor defense allowed the Jayhawks to rip off a 43-12 run.  They also made Jeff Withey look like an All-American with 25 points, and once again they played like a team that is mentally fragile and lacks toughness.

Scott Drew has done very little to make people more comfortable with his ability to make adjustments, and it’s tough to envision a scenario where Baylor goes into Missouri and wins on Saturday.  From a pure talent standpoint, very few teams can stack up with the Bears, but right now they serve only as further proof that talent alone isn’t enough.

Creighton

After reeling off 11 straight wins, the Bluejays have now dropped two straight to fall into second place in the Missouri Valley.  Admittedly, both losses came on the road, one on a three at the buzzer against Northern Iowa and the other by eight points at Evansville.

The Creighton defense allowed 1.08 points per possession in each game, and while that isn’t exactly impressive, this team will never be mistaken for an elite defensive squad.  However, their offensive production has also dipped in those games with 1.03 ppp against UNI and 0.95 versus Evansville.  Those are the lowest numbers they have posted since late December, and the 0.95 is a season low.

Saturday’s game against Wichita State was already important, but the Bluejays can ill afford to fall two games back of the Shockers in the MVC race.  A tournament berth isn’t in question, but these losses have definitely hurt their seed and their potential to play close to home in the first round.

Illinois

Since beating Ohio State, the Illini have lost five of six with the lone win coming in an ugly 42-41 game against Michigan State.  For much of the season, offense was a concern for Bruce Weber’s team, as they had scored over 1.00 ppp in just one of their first nine league games.

However, that has turned around in the past two games, but that improvement has been accompanied by their two worst defensive performances of the year.  Brandon Paul and Meyers Leonard have both played well of late, but this team lacks reliable depth and doesn’t have a lot of confidence right now.

The fact that Illinois has four Top 50 wins definitely helps their tournament case, but the upcoming schedule doesn’t do them any favors.  The Illini have road games left against Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin as well as a home date with the Wolverines.

West Virginia

The Mountaineers have now lost four of their last five games, and their last two wins have come in overtime against Cincinnati and Providence, both of whom were in position to win those games late.

The defense has really struggled recently, as their last five opponents have all scored at least 1.07 ppp.  To put that in perspective, that happened just four times in their first 20 contests.  On the positive side, Kevin Jones has continued his outstanding play and is now averaging 20.6 points and 11.2 rebounds.

West Virginia’s next four games are brutal, starting with Saturday’s home game with Louisville.  They follow that up with road trips to Pitt and Notre Dame before returning home to face Marquette.

‘Linsanity’

Last Saturday against the Nets, Lin had 25 points and 7 assists in 36 minutes off the bench. It was only the second NBA game all season that he had played more than 7 minutes. In his first two starts, Monday against Utah and Wednesday at Washington, he had 28 and 23 points and 8 and 10 assists, respectively.

As of this writing Lin is averaging 30.3 points and 11.8 assists per 48 minutes. Had he played enough games to qualify, he would be sixth in the league in both points and assists per 48 minutes. Lin is second in the league in PER (John Hollinger’s player efficiency rating that combines stats such as true shooting percentage, usage, and rebounding rate), trailing only LeBron James.

As of January 23rd, Lin was playing for the Erie BayHawks of the Developmental League. (On January 20 he had 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists in a win over Maine.) Less than three weeks later, he’s the topic du jour on Twitter, sports blogs, and all of ESPN’s talking-head shows.

So where did this kid come from, and what’s his story?

No Respect?

You may have heard that Lin had no scholarship offers coming out of high school. This, despite leading his team to a state title and being “the runaway choice for player of the year by virtually every California publication.”

But Lin was determined to go to UCLA, Cal, Stanford, or one of the Ivy League schools. None of the Pac-10 schools showed any interest (though Lin says Stanford was “fake interested”), and the Ivies don’t give out athletic scholarships. If Lin had set his sights on a mid- or low-major, things might have worked out differently.

Lin went to Harvard, where he was a two-time All-Ivy League First Team selection and, as a senior, a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award. But no one took a chance on Lin in the 2010 NBA Draft and only one team, the Mavericks, invited him to play in the Summer League.

After an impressive Summer League performance, Lin got free agent offers from four teams. He signed with the Warriors for the 2010–11 season. Three times during that season, the Warriors assigned Lin to their D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns. For the season, Lin played in only 29 games, averaging 2.6 points and 1.4 assists in 9.8 minutes.

The Warriors waived Lin as soon as training camp opened for the 2011-12 season. The Rockets claimed him off waivers then let him go less than two weeks later. The Knicks picked up Lin after rookie guard Iman Shumpert got injured on opening day. A few weeks later, New York assigned Lin to the D-League.

Since Lin’s breakout game against the Nets last week, the Knicks are 3-0. Lin led the team in assists in all three games and points in two of the three. (Tyson Chandler scored 25 points to Lin’s 23 Wednesday against the Wizards.)

Linsanity skeptics will point out that two of these three games were against the lowly Nets and Wizards, but Lin bested All Star point guard Deron Williams and 2011 rookie-of-the-year John Wall. He also went for 28 and 8 against the 13-10 Jazz.

Photo by Kathy Kmonicek, AP

Jeremy Lin: The NBA’s Only Taiwanese American

Jeremy Lin is the NBA’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese ancestry. All other Asian-American players (and there have only been four) have been of Japanese or Filipino descent.

Lin’s father, Gie-Ming Lin, grew up in Taiwan, where he become obsessed with basketball, despite having few opportunities to watch, much less play, the game. The elder Lin said that the chance to watch the NBA was one reason he decided to pursue his Ph.D in engineering in the United States.

Gie-Ming Lin went to Purdue (naturally). But even as an adult working on his doctorate, he had never picked up a basketball and didn’t feel comfortable playing against his peers. So he studied tapes of basketball games. Analyzing NBA games on his VCR became an obsession. And Gie-Ming passed down his extensive knowledge of the game to his children, among them Jeremy.

Lin’s ancestry made him a fan favorite when he played in the Bay Area, with its large Asian-American population. But Asian stereotypes might also have been responsible for Lin’s lack of opportunities coming out of high school and college.

His ethnicity also made him the target of racial slurs in college. Lin told Time that he received racially motivated taunts in most, if not all, Ivy League gyms.

Lin responded to those taunts with grace, and now he is doing more than perhaps any player before him to dispel old stereotypes about Asian Americans and basketball.

Do you want more Jeremy Lin?

Here’s Lin dominating an intramural flag football game:

Here, Lin breaks John Wall’s ankles then throws down on the Wizards:

And a couple of other Linsanity-related links:

• Mike Prada at SB Nation explains Lin’s success.
• You can buy the official Knicks “Linsanity” T-shirt here.

This is the latest post in Kurt’s continuing series to identify the NFL’s Ultimate Franchise Player of All-Time. For an explanation of his methodology for choosing each franchise’s ultimate franchise player, and then how you and he will choose the NFL’s Ultimate Franchise Player from that list, click here.

To see all the category page for this series, of which there will be one for every franchise, click here.

Previous selections: ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR

The first five installments of Ultimate Franchise Player have been compelling, with each franchise having its own unique history – but now things are about to get serious.

Out of the NFL Network’s list of the Top 100 players of all-time, eight of the top 60 are Chicago Bears.

My first five UFPs came from franchises that will only produce one, or at the very most two representatives in the eventual 64-player UFP field. The Bears and their 90+ year history will be a little different.

However, with only 32 at-large berths to be awarded, I am probably going to have to cap off each franchise with a maximum of four bids. That is going to lead to some agonizing decisions in the selection room, a couple of them involving Monsters of the Midway legends.

Unlike the previous UFP pieces, a lot of great players will be left on the cutting room floor for time and space purposes – although I will throw in a few unique players from Bears football history.

HONORABLE MENTION

George Halas (WR/DE 1920-29)

Much like his counterpart Curly Lambeau in Green Bay, George Halas was a player and also ran his own franchise in the early days of the NFL.

Halas returned a fumble 98 yards for a touchdown in 1923, and that record stood until Oakland’s Jack Tatum’s 104 yard return in 1972.

A member of the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 1920s, Halas coached the team during the period and was on board for three other separate tenures as Head Coach, finally stepping down for good in 1967 and remaining as owner until 1983. Halas also had a cup of coffee with the New York Yankees, going 2-22 as a hitter in 1919.

Red Grange (RB 1925, 1929-34)

In 1925 pro football had a meager following in comparison to its collegiate counterpart.

The Bears were lucky to draw 5,000 a game while the college game drew upwards to 50,000-60,000; in fact the NFL was marketing its game as ‘Post-Graduate Football’, as many frowned on college legends continuing to play the game for money. Halas wanted to change that by signing legendary Illinois back Red Grange, which he did just hours following his final collegiate game (and may had even had him inked before that game).

Halas wasted no time getting Grange into uniform, and he made his pro debut on Thanksgiving Day at a sold out Wrigley Field. After finishing their official league schedule, the Bears went on a barnstorming tour in which eight games were played in just 12 days (the final five in six days) and included a crowd of over 70,000 at New York’s Polo Grounds. The tour concluded with eight more games played between Christmas and January 31, with the Bears tour finally ending on the West Coast.

On the train ride back to Chicago however, the Galloping Ghost literally disappeared like one. Grange made approximately $100,000 (a nice amount of money even today) from the gate receipts in those two months, but wanted part-ownership as well. The result was Grange leaving the Bears to form his own league, along with a couple forays into the movie industry. Grange eventually returned to the Bears in 1929, not quite the player he was in college,  but still made key plays to help the Bears win NFL titles in 1932 and 1933.

Bronko Nagurski (RB 1930-37, 1943)

At 6’2”, 235 lbs, the Canadian-born Nagurski remains one of the great all-time physical specimens, and back in his era he was literally unstoppable.

One of Bronko’s most legendary stories was when something finally did stop him after plowing through two defenders past the goal line, it turned out to the be the left field brick wall at Wrigley Field. Teammate Red Grange once referred to Nagurski as a faster version of Larry Csonka on offense and equal to Dick Butkus as a linebacker.

Later in his career, Nagurski used his profitability in the pro wrestling business, a venture he remained involved in until 1960. Nagurski was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Sid Luckman (QB 1939-50)

You all see the graphics Al Michaels pulls out for Bears-Packers games. The Packers have had two QBs over the past 20 years, while the Bears have lost count. Luckman is still the career passing yardage leader in Bears history, and nearly 8% of his career pass attempts resulted in touchdowns.

It was during this era that the Bears employed the T Formation and the man-in-motion for the first time. Luckman only threw the ball six times in the Bears famous 73-0 rout of the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL Title Game, but his four completions resulted for 102 yards.

He was in the service for two years and was stationed state-side and played for the Bears on game day. With Luckman introducing the deep ball into the pro game, the Bears won five league championships during his career.

Johnny Lujack (QB 1948-51)

A brief but memorable career for the Notre Dame Legend. The game had opened up much more as Lujack succeeded Luckman as the Bears quarterback (A young Bobby Layne was the third-stringer!!). In the 1949 season finale Luckman threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns, and the following season Luckman rushed for 11 scores, which tied a league record for QB’s.

A shoulder injury ended Lujack’s career, and he returned to Notre Dame as an assistant coach and eventually went into TV broadcasting.

George Connor (OT/LB 1948-55)

Originally an offensive lineman by trade, the 6’3” 240 lb Connor was used at linebacker out of necessity in 1949 in an attempt to stop the Philadelphia Eagles strong running attack. Connor wound up being used on both offense and defense after that, and he earned induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

Bill George (MLB 1952-65)

This is where the Bears inside linebacking heritage began. George dropped back into coverage just before plays began, inadvertently inventing both the 4-3 defense and the middle linebacker position.

For his career, George intercepted 18 passes and recovered 19 fumbles. He passed away at age 52 following a 1982 car accident in Wisconsin.

Doug Atkins (DE 1955-66)

At 6’8”, 275 lbs, think of Julius Peppers, just a few generations earlier. And like Peppers, Atkins was originally a college basketball recruit before the University of Tennessee realized that he could make a much better impact on the gridiron.

Atkins was a first-round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns, but was traded after reportedly belching during a team meeting. Atkins went on to earn eight Pro Bowl selections during his time with the Bears.

Jim McMahon (QB 1982-88)

Of course it was another Jim who is by far the most famous QB of recent times, but McMahon is a legend in his own right despite never starting more than 13 games in a season due to injuries, most notably taken down on an infamous late hit by Green Bay’s Charles Martin. Still, the charisma won McMahon over with the team’s fan base.

If you’re wondering what the ‘Rozelle’ headband was about, the commish was fining him during the ’85 season for wearing Adidas apparel. The league was thinking about licensing and marketing even then…

Jim Harbaugh (QB 1987-93)

I have already revealed Sid Luckman as the Bears all-time leading passer, but you will no doubt win bar bets asking who may be #2 on the Bears all-time list. Harbaugh spent seven of his 14 NFL seasons in Chicago. Harbaugh (and Luckman) are both still keeping the seat warm until Jay Cutler blows by them on the career charts.

Brian Urlacher (ILB 2000-present)

Of course Urlacher is just the latest of the iconic Bears linebackers who will follow his predecessors into Canton someday, currently ranked #109 on Pro Football Referances EloRater. Urlacher has endured a couple of major injuries in recent years and the end may be near, but Urlacher has already earned his lore at Halas Hall.

Lance Briggs (OLB 2003-present)

Has earned Pro Bowl bids in each of his last seven seasons. His tenure with the team has been controversial at times, and he could be dealt this off-season, but you can’t argue with the track record.

Richard Dent (DE 1983-93, 1995)

One of pro football’s all-time great pass rushers, Dent recorded 137.5 sacks and 37 forced fumbles in all during his playing career.

In the epic 1985 season Dent recorded 17 sacks in the regular season, and added six more sacks and five forced fumbles in the playoffs. Dent forcing a fumble on Rams quarterback Dieter Brock (which was picked up and returned for a TD by Wilber Marshall) which put the final dagger on the NFC Championship remains an image frozen in time.

Devin Hester (ST/WR 2006-present)

It seems like he’s been in Chicago forever, but it’s only been six years. Bob Costas already made a nomination for Hester’s Hall of Fame candidacy after he scored his 12^th return touchdown during the 2011 season.

If he ends up scoring somewhere around 20 kicks for scores for his career (which he is on pace for), the Windy City Flyer may indeed wind up in Canton.

Brian Piccolo (FB 1965-69) COURAGE SELECTION

Growing up I saw the movie Brian’s Song on television many, many times.

Piccolo had finally earned a place in the team’s starting lineup during the 1969 season when he took himself out of the game due to breathing difficulties. Piccolo was soon diagnosed with an aggressive form of testicular cancer which by that point had already spread into other parts of his body.

After undergoing surgeries to remove his lung and pectoral muscle, Piccolo passed away in June of 1970.

THE FINAL FIVE

Mike Singletary (ILB 1981-92)

Simply one of the most intense players ever to play the game, Samurai Mike earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Bears ’85 Championship season and recovered three fumbles during that season’s playoffs. He recorded nearly 900 solo tackles in 172 career starts and was an eight-time All-Pro selection.

Dick Butkus (MLB 1965-73)

You could watch vintage NFL Films footage of Butkus committing mayhem on the football field for hours, as he remains one of the most intimidating presences in league history.

ESPN named Butkus #70 among the best athletes ever in 1999, and was named to the NFL’s All-time team in 2000.

Like Red Grange generations before, Butkus first became legendary at the University of Illinois and placed sixth and third in Heisman Trophy balloting. Today, college football’s best linebacker is the recipient of the Butkus Award.

Gale Sayers (RB 1965-71)

As was the case with Butkus, it was a shame that injuries cut short Sayers career. Had he played a full career he may have been the best back ever, period.

In his rookie season, Sayers accounted for over 2,200 all-purpose yards and 22 scores. His six TD game versus the San Francisco 49ers still goes down as one of the most memorable individual days in NFL history.

Sayers was averaging over six yards per carry when he suffered his first serious knee injury during the 1968 season. He had a modestly successful 1969 season (4.4 yards per carry/1,032 rushing yards) although the team finished 1-13. He suffered another devastating injury (to his left knee this time) in 1970 which effectively ended his career.

Mike Ditka (TE 1961-66)

The Ultimate Franchise Player list is confined to players only, but if you were to include coaching Ditka obviously ranks even higher in Chicago Bears annals.

Ditka caught 58 passes as a rookie in 1961, redefining the tight end position, a job description that involved blocking much more than receiving up to that point. In all, Ditka caught 228 passes and 30 touchdowns in his first four years with the team and played in the NFL 12 years overall.

Walter Payton (RB 1975-87)

A fascinating book excerpt this past fall in Sports Illustrated revealed Payton’s difficulties to adjusting to life post-football, including putting copious amounts of sugar in his coffee, turning to alcohol (which he rarely did as a player), and recreational use of nitrous oxide (try some at your next dental procedure). How much this may had played a part in Payton’s eventual illness and death in 1999 is unknown, but the piece was revealing as a classic case of the struggles of an athlete once the cheering stopped.

Payton’s passing at age 45 was especially stunning as he seemed indestructible for 13 years on the field. Anyone remember Jim Brown contemplating a comeback at age 47 because Franco Harris was going to hang long enough to break his all-time rushing mark? Well, Sweetness wound up making that a moot point.

Payton still ranks second on the All-Time list with 16,726 rushing yards, and he also finished with over 21,000 combined yards and 125 touchdowns. Excluding the three games during the strike-marred 1987 season when replacement players were utilized, Payton only missed one game during his entire career!!!

And, of course, Payton was the star of one of the most memorable teams in NFL history, which shuffled its way all the way to a Super Bowl title.

AND THE WINNER IS…

The NFL Network Top 100 series included the following Bears: Payton #5, Butkus #10, Nagurski #19, Sayers #22, Luckman #33, Grange #48, Singletary #58, and Ditka #59. Payton, Butkus, and Sayers should be automatics for the 64-player field, while the RPI’s of Nagurski and Luckman will provide interesting test cases for old-time players.

After racking up a then single-game record of 275 yards versus the Minnesota Vikings in 1977, NFL Today did one of their then sappy ‘musical tributes’, playing Walter Payton highlights to Carly Simon’s Nobody Does It Better. Unfortunately, of all the items available on YouTube I was unable to find that clip. But I’ll leave you with the next best I can find (but you’ll have to click to watch, as it can’t be embedded).

MSF’s Ultimate Franchise Player for the Chicago Bears is…

WALTER PAYTON

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The game will take place between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings on January 1st at ‘The Big House’ (The University of Michigan stadium) and is expected to set attendance records for an NHL game as well as an outdoor hockey game.

The current outdoor record is 104, 411, which was set in a game between the University of Michigan and Michigan State held in December of 2010 at the University of Michigan campus.

The NHL’s commissioner Gary Bettman weighed in on the game saying, “The meeting of these two ‘Original Six’ rivals, at this iconic venue, will lift this Winter Classic to incomparable heights. The demand to be there will be so great that this event could only be held at ‘The Big House.”

Photo Courtesy of Michael Barera

This matchup is projected to sell upwards of 115,000 tickets, which would dwarf the mark set at the first Winter Classic held in Buffalo in 2008, which had an attendance of 71, 217.

Leafs GM Brian Burke coined the game, “Hockeytown vs. The Center of the Hockey Universe,” which should make for a solid match up and create a great deal of hype around the game.

The Red Wings have been a perennial contender and threat to win the Stanley Cup, year in and year out. They haven’t missed the playoffs since the 1989-90 season and have won four championships in that period. They currently sit 1st in the Western Conference and look polished to challenge for this year’s cup. They have the elite talent and depth at about every position, which will most certainly put them in a similar position of contention next year.

The Leafs, on the other hand, have been one of the most disappointing of the original six teams in recent history, failing to make the post-season in the post-lockout era. Their last appearance came in the 2003-04 season where they were eliminated in the second round and their last Cup win dates back to the 1966-67 season.

The team has been rejuvenated as of late under the guidance of Brian Burke and currently sits in 7th place in a tight Eastern Conference race. They are young, fast, and gritty, but are at least a few years away being a contender for Lord Stanley’s mug. Despite their lack of recent success, their fan base remains the largest and most widespread of any team in the NHL.

Toronto holds the edge in the all-time series against Detroit by the narrowest of margins: 276-275.

One of the most exciting things for Wings and Leafs fans alike is that they will get a deeper look into their teams through HBO’s 24/7. This increasingly popular show has showcased teams leading up to the showdown at the Winter classic and has given fans a window into their team that they have never had before. This has given fans a more in depth look at the personalities of their favorite players and has been immensely popular since its inception two years ago, and is just as, if not more exciting than the game itself.

The Leafs will be the first Canadian team to participate in a Winter Classic on American soil and the first to be profiled on 24/7.

This event won’t be limited to this one game between old divisional foes. Comerica Park, in downtown Detroit, will be hub of the festivities in the week following Christmas leading up to the main event on the 1st of January. Some of the events to be held at Comerica  include:

• All four NCAA college games as a part of the Great Lakes Invitational Tournament.
• Two OHL games tentatively scheduled between: Plymouth Whalers vs London Knights and Saginaw Spirit vs Windsor Spitfires.
• A regular season game between the Red Wings and Leafs AHL affiliates: Toronto Marlies vs. Grand Rapids Griffins.
• A Legends game, featuring Red Wings and Leafs old-timers/alumni.
• A number of high school and youth hockey games.

The featured game has the potential to be a spectacle unlike any other.

With Detroit’s proximity to Toronto (about three hours by car), expect an even distribution of fans from both sides to be attending the game. This will be the closest geographically two teams participating in the Classic have ever been to each other.

With both sets of fans as passionate as they are about their respective teams, anticipate tensions to be running high in Detroit for this clash between old Norris Division rivals.

Ferrell, who is in the Big Easy shooting a movie with Zach Galifianakis about “political rivals who are seeking the same congressional seat” (must see), got especially clever with the visiting Bulls’ lineup, introducing Joakim Noah as “a Scorpio and a terrible dancer” and announcing that Luol Deng “collects rare birds and has a pet dolphin named Chachi.”

Watch the entire thing from CSN Chicago:

The Bulls ended up winning 90-67.

Will Ferrell doing the intros at last night's Hornets-Bulls game. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

As always, Jerod, Ryan, and Andy will be here with another episode of The Assembly Call as soon as the game ends with instant analysis and fan reaction.

IU-Illinois Gameday Info

• Date: Thursday, February 9th
• Time: 8:00 ET, 7:00 CT
• TV: BTN
• Announcers: Gus Johnson and Jimmy Jackson
• Point Spread: Indiana by 4.5
• Over-Under: 134
• KenPom Prediction: Indiana 74-63 with a 83% chance of winning
• Peegs: IU Gameday
• Inside the Hall: What to Expect – Illinois
• IU-Penn State live tweet coverage: @AssemblyCall
• Assembly Call IU Postgame Show: http://assemblycall.com/live

IU-Illinois Preview

Illinois

The Illini come in losers of four of their last five games after falling to Northwestern at home on Sunday.  Brandon Paul poured in 22 points, while Meyers Leonard added 21, but once again the Illini got no scoring from their bench.  In fact, four players logged 39 or more minutes against the Wildcats, and only six guys played more than one minute.

Illinois’ lone win during that five-game stretch was a 42-41 victory over Michigan State in one of the ugliest games I have watched all season.  As that point total would indicate, the Illini have struggled offensively most of the season.  They have been held under 1.00 points per possession in seven of their last nine contests.

In conference play, the Illini rank 10th in adjusted offensive efficiency.  Their best attribute is their 51.3 percent shooting from two-point range, but they don’t shoot it nearly as well from beyond the arc.  They rank eighth in offensive rebounding percentage and free throw rate, and they are next to last in turnover rate.  That’s good news for an IU team coming off of its best defensive performance in weeks.

That said, the Hoosiers can’t allow Brandon Paul to get clean looks.  Despite the fact that his efficiency numbers aren’t particularly impressive, he did explode for 43 points against Ohio State and has three 20-point efforts since then.  Paul has taken at least 11 shots in 11 straight games, so it will be important for the Hoosiers to make him work for his points.

The other main offensive threat on the Illinois roster is sophomore big man Meyers Leonard.  In many ways, he and Cody Zeller are similar in the sense that each team recognizes their talent but often struggles to get them the basketball.  Against Northwestern he finished 10-of-12 from the field, so the Hoosiers need to limit his touches inside and push him off the block.  They also need to keep him off the offensive glass, which is an area that plagued them early on in conference play.  On the defensive end, Leonard is a tremendous shot-blocker, and I am really looking forward to the matchup with Zeller.

Guard D.J. Richardson also averages in double figures, but he has scored more than nine points just twice in the last eight games.  He’s really struggled with his shot since sustaining a wrist injury early in Big Ten play.  Joseph Bertrand started to emerge near the end of the non-conference slate and has shown flashes as well.  Again, their is limited depth on the Illini roster, so these four players are likely to score most (if not all) of Illinois’ points.

The Illini defense ranks fourth in defensive efficiency in Big Ten play.  Thanks in part to Leonard’s shot-blocking prowess, opponents are shooting just 46.9 percent on two-pointers.  They also do a nice job of forcing turnovers, but they rank in the middle of the pack in defensive rebounding percentage, opponents’ free throw rate, and three-point defense.  Opponents are also shooting a league worst 66.7 percent from the line, so some luck has also played a factor in their solid defensive numbers.  Three of their last four opponents have scored at least 1.02 points per possession, with the 1.25 ppp allowed against Northwestern establishing a new season high.

Indiana

The Hoosiers should come into the game with plenty of confidence after a 17-point win at Purdue on Saturday.  Victor Oladipo played the best game of his career and scored 23 points to go with eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.  He was relentlessly aggressive, which paid huge dividends on both ends of the floor.  Indiana also got a lift from Remy Abell, who came off the bench to score 13 points in just 19 minutes.  Cody Zeller attempted 11 of IU’s 35 free throws in the game and finished with 16 points and eight boards.

Against the Boilers, the team showed more toughness than they have in recent weeks and put together a complete performance.  They will need to carry that over to Thursday night’s game and jump on the Illini early.  If the Hoosiers can get Illinois in foul trouble, get out to an early lead, or both, Illinois’ offensive struggles and lack of depth will be magnified.

The Hoosiers are likely to play without Verdell Jones once again, but Oladipo did a nice job of handling the ball more and allowing Jordan Hulls to spend time playing off the ball.  Limiting turnovers will be important for IU, because they don’t want to give a team that struggles offensively any easy baskets off of miscues.  Otherwise, the Hoosiers match up pretty well with Illinois, particularly if they stay aggressive by attacking the offensive glass and getting the ball inside.

Indiana has gotten great play from the bench in recent games, and their depth is a real advantage in this one.  It’s unclear whether Crean will stick with Derek Elston in the starting lineup given Illinois’ relative lack of size, but no matter what, he will have multiple contributors available off the bench like Will Sheehey and the aforementioned Abell.

Final Thought

The Hoosiers finally got a key road win in Big Ten play against Purdue, and it will be important for them to remember how they earned that victory.  If they come out with the same intensity and toughness from the opening tip, this is a game IU should win at home.

On the defensive end, they need to limit Leonard’s touches inside and force Paul into contested jumpers.  Offensively, the Hoosiers have to continue to attack off the dribble or through Zeller in the post, both of which give them a chance to get Leonard in foul trouble or kick the ball out to open shooters.  Look for IU’s depth and what should be a raucous home crowd to be the difference in this one.

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Listen to Andy Thursday on The Assembly Call. Follow him on Twitter at @AndyBottoms.

Image source: Imgur via Reddit

For confirmation, this also appears verbatim in the online edition of the Creston Valley Advance.

If I had to guess, I’d bet it was this scene, in which Rocky and protege Dwayne Schintzius (err, Tommy Gunn, sorry) get into a street fight.

Any other ideas what scene might have prompted to a call to the cops?

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