Tell Me Something I Didn't Know

With the Mitchell report being released yesterday, it was the hot topic of conversation for sports media and national media outlets everywhere. Why was this story such a surprise? We all knew it was coming and we all new there would be big-time names and potential future Hall-of-Famers on the list.

This doesn't change what has happened over the last number of years. To see Barry Bonds or Sammy Sosa go from looking like virtual skeletons to having Schwarzenneger-type guns, we all knew this was happening and that it was rampant. The performances and pictures told the true story.

What some are looking at correctly, is why this report was even completed or came out. This report was basically a way for Bud Selig to try and rehab his legacy as he begins his exit as baseball commissioner over the next number of years. Nothing positive came out from this report for Baseball, it's players, or it's history. But, Selig can now say he did his best to curb these issues.

I call B.S.!!!

This Mitchell Report is just a front for him to say that he tried his best to stop it. He is as much responsible for all of this as are all the players, trainers, GM's, and other commissioners who let this get so bad. There were scrubs like Adam Piatt and FP Santangelo using perfomance enhancing substances just as much as Bonds and Roger Clemens. Sure, a lot of the information in the report is hearsay from trainers or former teammates, but to see some of these athletes bodies changing enormously from 25 to 45 for the better, thus becoming almost superhuman playing their best baseball in the tail end of their careers in their 40s, showed how obvious it was that there were performance enhancing drugs involved.

Shame on you Mr. Selig for using this report as a cover for your real intent to help save your image.

Baseball is a joke and has been for quite sometime, and all it takes is to look at the leadership and see why.

Classy

Last Friday, ESPN.com's SportsNation published the above poll online. After considering the elements of it, "Senior Editors" who supposedly didn't see the poll previously, decided it was distasteful and took it off the site. ESPN issued an apology to a local Boston media outlet, and the story pretty much fell off the national media picture.

It is this type of gross abuse of power, authority, and audience that ESPN sometimes gets away with because they are the "Worldwide leader". How the ESPN staffer and ESPN execs above him/her do not get blasted in the national and local media for posting ludicrous polls or stories is beyond comprehension.

To have a thought about possibly ending an athlete's career, a person's livelihood, or even make the suggestion that a personal devastating injury could compare to a defeat on the field or a trade offer that fell through is an abomination.

After seeing this story on Awful Announcing and hearing a quick sound bite from Kevin Garnett, this story basically just fell off the radar thanks to the story of Petrino weaseling out of his deal with the Falcons and the upcoming Mitchell Report findings this afternoon.

Kudos to Garnett for responding calmly, while still questioning the point of including an option for his resulting possible injury. KG is a professional and exudes class on and off the court and for that he deserves all the credit in the world, not to mention good health.

However, I would hope that ESPN would learn from this and make sure they watch a little more closely before they put up something like this poll.

I love ESPN and ESPN.com as much as the next sports fan, but what's next for you SportsNation, a poll about which athlete you'd like to see dead next?

Wade Boggs = LEGEND!

I've never seen or heard this before today, but if this is true...WOW!

Taken from the Tasty Booze blog via Deadspin...

"The Origin of Boggs"

Gladiator, READY?!?!?!?!

American Gladiators will be returning to NBC on January 6th!

No Mike Adamle, Todd Christensen, or Joe Theismann awkwardness, but the Eliminator, Hang Tough, and Joust all appear to be making a glorious comeback.

I can't say I'm as excited as the person who runs this blog, but here's hoping the new Gladiators will follow the likes of Gemini, Nitro, and Thunder and provide some great entertainment for us. I think this is a great idea to bring back a retro show and revamp it. Gladiators can definitely bring an audience and advertising.

Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali are scheduled to be hosts...GLADIATOR, READYYYYYY!!!

Da Business

This is already on most of the major blog players (Awful Announcing, Deadspin, With Leather, etc.), but I had to post it on here.

I will preface this by saying I severely dislike Ron Cherry and he is obviously plagiarizing, but this is definitely hilarious in both instances. Also kind of funny that the announcer screws up the penalty call not once, but TWICE!

Enjoy!

Tragic

Being a Seminole fan, it's hard to ever root for a Hurricane. This situation, however, is far beyond being a fan. It's about being a human being.

After the tough injury on the field to Kevin Everette, a former Cane and Bills player, and now the off-the-field shooting of Sean Taylor, a Washington Redskin and former University of Miami product, its hard to not root for these guys to make it.

Taylor was shot in his home in South Florida by an apparent attacker at his home in Miami. The unfortunate incident shows how professional athletes are targets. Whether its in public at a club or at home, these guys are targets to predators and idiots who think they can make a quick buck. With past instances this summer in Chicago involving NBA players being burglarized and robbed, this apparently is becoming a discouraging trend.

I know some of you out there will call Taylor out for previous transgressions including brandishing a gun in an argument over all-terrain vehicles, late hit fines, and skipping meetings, but that's not what the point is here. It's about the need for athletes to always protect themselves no matter the environment. To a greater extent, it's important we all watch out for our well-being no matter the situation.

It's tragic that this has happened. All of our thoughts and prayers should go out to Taylor, no matter his athletic affiliation.

Redskin teammate Pierson Prioleau said it best today, "This is not just a member of the Washington Redskins. But we're talking about a dad, a brother, a friend of ours."

It's no wonder that many of these superhuman athletes seek out the help of bodyguards and personal protection...

UPDATE: Obviously, we all heard the sad news that Taylor passed away. All thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Sorry "All Day"

Well, it looks like the podcast might have jinxed Adrian Peterson's unbelievable rookie season. Peterson went down yesterday with a sprained knee after a vicious hit to his leg by Al Harris. Peterson is scheduled for an MRI today.

To all those fantasy football players who have been counting on "All Day" all season...my sincerest apologies. If it makes you feel any better, I've got him on my team as well, so I wasn't happy to see that play either!

Podcast!!!

Ok, fine people...I've decided to give it a shot and put up a podcast.

Of course, its only the first one, but give it a listen and let me know what you think...good or bad.

I think you will enjoy it...at the very minimum, the opening and closing has some funny stuff!

Here it is:




You can also view or download it here:

Men Have Aliens Podcast - Volume 1

Random thoughts...

My apologies for the severe lack of posts the last couple of weeks, but I've been traveling and very busy with stuff.

Here are some random thoughts:

-Can we please never host a regular season game in England again? I love the country, but this weekend's debacle between the Giants vs. Dolphins shows that while the real "football" rules in Europe, the NFL needs to stay here and do it the best way they know how, instead of thousands of miles away. The game and lead-up was sleep inducing.

-So much for the curse of the Bambino...the Red Sox took home another title by cruising past the Rockies who looked like a young team with a long layover.

-Everybody whining about the Pats running up the score is funny. The game is professional football. Athletes on both sides of the field are getting paid millions to do a job. If one team is just that much better than the other, than they need to take their trouncing like a man or step up and do something about it. That said, Belicheck is obviously pissed off about Spygate and the questioning of past championships being tainted. Wouldn't it be great if one of his key players got hurt during one of his upcoming beatdowns of any team not named the Colts?

-Speaking of the Colts, this weeks match-up between the Colts and Pats IS a match-up of the century. We hear that term so much in college football, but the fact that these two teams are unbeaten this late in the season will make it a huge regular season showdown, probably the biggest ever. Anyone remember the last time two undefeated squads met up this late? Well, my grandfather was about 3 months old when it happened, in 1921!!! I think we can all expect a higher scoring affair than the 0-0 tie between the Buffalo All-Americans and the Akron Pros. Solid team nicknames back in the 20's...

-The richest man in baseball interrupts your World Series viewing to announce, yes, he wants even more money! Everyone who has a gripe about this probably doesn't understand business. A-Rod has a product to sell...himself. What better stage to do it than on national TV in front of the entire baseball viewing audience (ok, maybe not that many people considering the boring series, but still...)? Sure the guy is selfish, but he and his agent are masters at getting every dollar out of whichever team is willing to pay and know how to utilize the media to create this wonderful A-Rod commotion.

-Finally, the MLS Cup playoffs are in full swing. This just in...soccer is fun and exciting to watch...even in the USA. I know there aren't a lot of fans in this country, but MLS is fun to watch. With Chicago possibly upsetting DC on Thursday, and three other great matchups this weekend, be sure to tune in and catch a sport that is growing and fun to watch despite what its many detractors in the media and sports fandom in this country claim.

I will hopefully be putting up a regular podcast in the near future, so be on the lookout for that in the upcoming weeks.

Thanks for being loyal readers...I appreciate all of you!

Good behavior?

This story is just sickening. It shows why criminals don't deserve time off of their sentences for good behavior.

Death sentence for leaving 5-year-old to be eaten by gators

This guy is one sick individual.

Pointless Polling...Part 2 Update

Last month, it was discussed on this blogosphere how pointless pre-season polls were.

Well, let's revisit that issue and see were we stand with about half the college football season complete.

Pre-season AP Top 25 followed by Current AP Top 25
1. USC - Currently #13
2. LSU - Currently #5
3. West Virginia - Currently #9
4. Texas - Currently #19
5. Michigan - Currently #24
6. Florida - Currently #14
7. Wisconsin - Currently unranked
8. Oklahoma - Currently #4
9. Virginia Tech - Currently #11
10. Louisville - Currently unranked
11. Ohio State - Currently #1
12. California - Currently #10
13. Georgia - Currently #21
14. UCLA - Currently unranked
15. Tennessee - Currently #20
16. Rutgers - Currently unranked
17. Penn State - Currently unranked
18. Auburn - Currently #18
19. Florida State - Currently unranked
20. Nebraska - Currently unranked
21. Arkansas - Currently unranked
22. TCU - Currently unranked
23. Hawaii - Currently #17
24. Boise State - Currently unranked
25. Texas A&M - Currently unranked

Let's look at the three most telling facts:
-11 of the 25 teams in the pre-season AP Top 25 are no longer in the Top 25.
-5 of the current Top 10 teams were unranked at the start of the season.
-Only 3 of the current Top 10 teams were ranked in the Top 10 to start the season.

Although this college football season has been ripe with upsets, it continually holds true that a pre-season Top 25 poll is pure guesswork. Let the athletes decide everything on the field and it will all play out eventually...oh wait, there is that whole BCS monster isn't there? So much for letting the athletes decide it!

Pabst Blue Ribbon at it's finest!

I enjoy laughing, so please continue feeding this guy the PBR's and filming the hilarity that is sure to follow...

Travis Johnson = class..................NOT!

Poor Trent Green. The guy signs a deal with the horrible Miami Dolphins and "leads" them to an 0-4 start. Game 5 presents a chance to beat a mediocre Houston Texans team on the road and Green was giving his all to help his team win.

Problem is, Travis Johnson is a 300+ pound monster. Unfortunately, Green forgot the great Jack Parkman's advice in Major League 2 about not "standing on the train tracks when the train is coming through."

Please take note Mr. Green: Quarterbacks should never try to block anyone, let alone a nose tackle with his full momentum moving towards making a play on a ball carrier.

What happened next, though, was sad and deplorable.

Trent Green tried to cut block Johnson, legally according to the current rules. He managed to make Johnson flip head over heels, but in the process jarred his neck/head and laid motionless on the Reliant Stadium turf. It was a sad moment and one that will probably lead to the end of Green's career after a major concussion last year and now this Grade 3 one.

The play had finished and Johnson got up and proceeded to taunt and point fingers at Green, while probably cursing him out every which way possible. This was happening while Green still lay MOTIONLESS on the ground, possibly concussed, paralyzed, or dead for all we knew.

It was a deplorable sight and totally classless.

Of course, its understood that Johnson could have easily busted his knee up or suffered a season-ending or even career threatening injury due to Green going very low on his block. But, the guy is a quarterback...blocking isn't really his expertise.

It was amazing that no Dolphins came to Green's defense aside from their long-haired Samoan rookie center, and even he really did nothing but point a finger to the refs hoping for a flag.

The game finished and the Dolphins lost in typical fashion.

Then, Johnson's wonderful post-game interview session.

Ah, the idiocy!

Johnson went off on a tirade against Green, cursing him and using a reference to the Wizard of Oz which he botched up pretty badly. He had no apology for his earlier reaction, which definitely happened in the heat of the moment.

Instead he just took the time to question Green and call him out. Nice show of compassion for a guy who's career might be done thanks to that play. He wasn't trying to hurt you, he was trying to make a play. Sure, Johnson could have been hurt on the play, but he could have easily used better tact and judgment when responding and reacting to the block in the post-game press conference.

As a Florida State University alum, its sad for me to see how Johnson reacted to this play and the post-game questioning. Although according to his NFLPlayers.com page, he went to school at Florida, he was a Seminole defensive lineman a few years ago. After this recent incident, I wish he was a Gator product, because that type of reaction both post-play and post-game were unacceptable and classless.

Johnson then gave a forced apology in a secondary interview which was obviously forced on him by some Texan P.R. staff member, but it couldn't correct what he already did.

Keith Olberman was right on point last night, Travis Johnson, you are this week's "Worst Person in the NFL".

Collapserific!

The collapse like no other, your 2007 New York Mets.

The pathetic last month for the "Amazin's" will leave historians trying to find a bigger collapse in Major League Baseball history. Problem is, there are none bigger.

So instead of dwelling on the negative and wasting time writing up all the reasons for the unprecedented collapse, let's look back at the good old days of the 1986 Mets and their amazing victory over the Red Sox in this classicly scripted RBI Baseball moment:



Ah, now doesn't it feel better Mets fans? Just be happy your name isn't Bill Buckner.

(Lack of) The Power of Ten

What a great weekend for upsets in the land of college football.

With five of the top ten teams losing this weekend, plus the top 2 teams both not looking great in their victories, the college football league and national championships are any team's for the taking...that is unless you are undefeated and play on blue turf...apologies to the Boise Staters from last year.

Here's the rundown of the weekend:

Friday Night:

#18 USF 21, #5 WVU 13 - My second favorite team in Florida continued their hot run by shutting down the Mountaineers, albeit without Pat White for the 2nd half.

Saturday:

Colorado 27, #3 Oklahoma 24 - Colorado's offense looked atrocious earlier in the season, but some costly turnovers helped the Buffs to an unbelievable upset.

Auburn 20, #4 UF 17 - So much for Tim Tebow being "God". The War Chickens seem to have the Gators number after beating them for the 2nd time in the last two years (they are the only team to beat UF in the last 19 games).

Kansas State 41, #6 Texas 21 - Kansas State's special teams dominated this game and Texas looked like they were lost for most of the game...

Maybe they aren't focused enough during the TV timeouts, as shown in this hilarious video found on Awful Announcing via Break.com taken from their struggles the week before against lowly UCF. Mack Brown seems to really have his teams focused on the task at hand...


http://view.break.com/372365 - Watch more free videos

Maryland 34, #10 Rutgers 24 - Apparently Greg Schiano's boys aren't as good as they appeared after they finally played a "real" opponent. And by real, I mean pathetic ACC bottom feeder using a back-up QB.

In total, there were nine Top 25 teams who went down and being a Seminole fan and resident of South Florida, no victory was sweeter than the Noles triumph over the Nick Satan lead Alabama Crimson Tide.

It was a great college football weekend, hopefully the big boys at the NFL can match it today and tomorrow!

Fantasy Miracle

Fantasy football is the greatest thing known to football fans. Ok, maybe HDTV, the NFL Ticket, and Tivo get the edge, but it's close. The ups and downs are unreal and being able to manage your own squad is so much fun and so challenging as well. Plus, rooting for 10 players and not just one team gives you more to root for.

Of course, that is all geeky, nerdy, sports talk gibberish, but here is yet another example why fantasy football is so popular:

I've played in a league for 11 years and last night, a fantasy football miracle happened. Going into the Monday night game, my team was 0-2 and facing a 2-0 division leader. The score was tied at 97 and I had no players left. My opponent had Drew Brees left as his only player yet to play. If the score remained tied, I would have lost the tiebreaker.

In our league, the only way to get negative points is to lose a fumble (-2) or throw an interception (-3). So going into the night, it was obvious that I had less of a chance of winning than Britney Spears has to be a good mother (man, those poor kids).

Well, the fantasy football gods were looking over my team and Drew Brees posted -5 points giving my team the much-needed early season victory.

I'm sure Brees was thinking about my team's hopes when he was throwing those 4 picks and fumbling away Manning's (my opponent) victory.... ;-)

Thank you Mr. Brees....I'm just glad I wasn't on the other end of your freakish inability to throw to your own teammates instead of the Titans defense!

Rage

The stories run rampant all the time. Tank Johnson. Pacman Jones. Rae Carruth. On and on and on.

Sometimes the stories are bigger, sometimes they barely hit the national media radar. Regardless, it seems that football players are generally involved in more arrests and violent behavior off the field than any other athlete.

With the recent arrests of FSU football players Joe Surratt and Geno Hayes (both pictured above), it brings to mind how brutal the game of football is and what types of feelings and emotions it brings to its players.

In Surratt and Hayes' case late last week, the players were involved in an altercation outside a popular Tallahassee bar. Alcohol was involved. Eventually, the players got into it with the Tallahassee Police Department officers on duty outside the bar. There is a claim that it appears Surratt also hit an officer and Hayes needed to be Tasered.

What the players did was irrational, unacceptable, and unfortunate for all parties involved including bystanders.

Fights at bars happen all the time because liquor can get the best of anyone.

That's not the point here.

What's important is understanding the physical prowess and mental thoughts of a football player. Kids are taught at a very young age to act with rage and force on the field to tackle their opponent, lay a huge block on a defender, or otherwise use force to "win each individual battle."

While it is no excuse for what Surratt or Hayes did, nor what any other criminal does, football players are predisposed to use force and have altercations because of what they are taught while excelling at the entertaining, yet rage infested, game.

Bill Romanowski is a great example. At times, he would get so out of his mind with fury, that he would spit at opponents or fight teammates in practice. Not logical, just crazy.

But crazy is a trait that is needed when throwing your entire body around for the cause each and every hit, down, week, and season. Without that little bit of extra edge, a player would be at a disadvantage against opponents.

Of course, the best players (& people) can control that emotion and compartmentalize it on the field.

Unfortunately for some, they live their daily lives with it and can't separate what happens on the field from off it.

It's sad that a sport so entertaining, can so greatly affect people physically (see Kevin Everette, Mike Utley, and a slew of others), mentally (concussions and long term issues like Alzheimer's), and psychologically (Ray Finkle!).

Most people feel athletes are overpaid. However, when you think about it, if any athletes deserve the overpayment for their services and effort, its the football players who kill their bodies day in and day out while taking years off their life with each tackle or hit.

Oh Britney!

I think that Mike Patrick is a decent football announcer and a very good, if not excellent, college basketball play-by-play guy. But this little exchange in overtime of the Georgia vs. Alabama game the other night was just awkward and an overall horrible television moment!

Side note: It's always nice to post something that involves a Nick Saban-coached team losing...

Ocean's 9: The Prequel?

Jae C. Hong / AP-pool (left); Courtesy CNN (top, 2nd from right); TMZ.com (bottom, 2nd from right); all others, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept.-Reuters
Cast of characters: Simpson in cuffs. From left to right, top: Alexander, Beardsley, Riccio, Ehrlich. Bottom: Stewart, Cashmore, Fromong, McClinton.

Special thanks and props to MSNBC and Newsweek for a great update about some of the facts and details behind the OJ saga. This will be a continually developing story as the days and weeks go by.

Here is the link to their story:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20912460/site/newsweek/?GT1=10357

Somewhere, George Clooney and Matt Damon must be laughing at this scheming plot gone so wrong...

Misunderstood!

Step on a star one year, you're the villain.

Switch the color of your jersey, and suddenly you are a team's savior.

We all know this villain and savior, one Mr. Terrell Owens.

Ok, maybe he's not the Cowboys savior, but my how the times have changed since the days of his stomping on the star at midfield wearing the colors of rival San Francisco.

Nowadays, the Cowboys fandom basically embraces T.O. because he is a very good football player. Past indiscretions and loyalties aside, T.O. gives the chance for the Cowboys to win.

But this story isn't about T.O.'s love/hate relationship with teammates, fans, or the public. That one has been written 1,000 too many times.

It's about perception versus reality. It's about why we tend criminalize T.O.'s childish antics and hold Chad Johnson's maneuvers in the highest regard for comedy. It's about how coaches like Nick Satan, Bill Parcells, and Bill Belicheat get away with selling out their players, organizations, and most importantly fans, while disgracing the game with lies and deceit.

I'll start by stating I am a Cowboys fan but have never been a T.O. fan. I didn't want them to pick him up. I used all the typical T.O.-bashing keywords....locker room cancer, showboat, selfish.

How could the Cowboys welcome a player who just a few years prior was degrading the star that represents all of the Cowboy successes and their shining as "America's Team"?

But what I didn't see was that T.O. is no different than Chad Johnson, a man loved by most all fans, media, and organizations alike. NFL players are paid to entertain. They are paid to perform on the field. The most important part of that performance is catching passes and scoring touchdowns, but keeping the fans entertained and interested in the game is a very close second.

Sure, T.O. has had his issues. Fake suicide attempt, running his mouth instead of being the quiet or politically correct speaker, questioning his superiors and teammates. However, when you look at all his "transgressions", the guy has never really done anything wrong, aside from being loud and proud of his ability, especially when you see some of the criminals running amok in professional sports.

So why does he get a $7,500 fine for making a very serious league allegation against the New England Patriots (spygate anyone?) into a funny and light-hearted joke by using the football as the camera to "tape" the Dolphins, while Chad Johnson gets off scot-free while jumping into the Dawg Pound in Cleveland and using a prop to make his "Hall of Fame" jacket?

Got me.

Now onto the hallowed coaching fraternity and their constant free pass. Parcells has jumped from team to team without anyone questioning his loyalty or how he just slid out of situations he didn't want to be in (Read: Cowboys and T.O. just like T.O. and Eagles). Or how, Satan, err Saban, just picks up and bolts from the Dolphins after realizing he was a terrible NFL coach. Or why somehow Belicheat does not get suspended while cheating the game and its rules?!?

On top of all that, these coaches, and many like them, continually avoid media scrutiny and questioning, while guys like T.O. and Ocho Cinco are honest and straight-forward while not holding back what they feel and believe. They are true to themselves whether you like it or not, unlike most in the coaching business.

Somehow these coaches broken promises, broken rules, and demands for control and huge salaries get a pass or are overlooked, while players are always called selfish.

After seeing the No Fun League once again hit Terrell Owens with a fine only because he was T.O., I've come to realize why we should appreciate players like him and Chad Johnson. We need to appreciate them for what they are: paid professional athletes and entertainers who allow us to enjoy the sport a little bit more than the player who just isn't as good at what they do when compared to T.O. and Ocho Cinco.

Not nearly as funny either!

They have shown to be generally harmless, and also extremely talented, athletes who are out there to promote themselves, their teams, and the game itself. They deserve the same amount of leverage, if not more than, these coaches because they are ones who allow us fans to enjoy the sports we watch.

Beli-cheat!

The New England Patriots are a dynasty. They have a great team and have had one for a long time. The whole video-gate saga was, and is, a black page in their amazing story on how to be a successful organization.

Those statements are obvious to most any football fan.

However, the more and more you listen to Belicheat, it just makes you hate him and his team, even though they are great at what they do.

Yes, Russ Parker's song is apporpriate:

Boom goes the Dynamite!

This video is a little bit old, but I just saw it for the first time. Deadspin is the best!

Absolutely hilarious stuff. Something tells me ESPN hasn't been knocking on this guy's door recently.

Good Problem Solving!

I have a huge passion for sports and also for many of my favorite teams. However, I do not even come close to the die-hard fan who is Albanian Vilson Alushi and the passion he shows for his sorry squad.

Read up (warning: good problem solving ahead):

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20777953/?GT1=10357

Sir, you deserve fan of the year. I don't think anyone can come close to your passion.....

Or stupidity.

NOTE TO SELF: Next time there is a drought, hit up the local fire truck!

9/11/01 - We'll Never Forget!

With each passing year, it is that much more important to understand and truly appreciate the catastrophic events of 9/11/01. It is a reminder of how important it is to appreciate our freedom, lives, family, and friends.

9/11 - Its a date that no one in our lifetime will ever forget, but when you think about it, after six years, we still take many things for granted.

For some of us that day hit closer to home than for others, but without a doubt we'll all remember it and how our freedom as we knew it was compromised that day.

Just sending you this reminder to never take anything for granted. Love your family and friends...take advantage of all your blessings and talents - seen and unseen...take time out for others...live life to the fullest...don't be afraid to go after things you want...and most of all, enjoy yourself - life is too short not to.

Sometimes in our daily routine, we forget that, and 9/11 always makes me think of those things because of a person some of us knew, who always lived up to those ideals.

Dom (http://www.atributetodom.com/ for more information if you didn't have the pleasure of knowing this great man), you had all those areas covered. I miss you as we all do and you will never be forgotten. Thank you for being there for all of us during your 40 years with us, showing us how to laugh, learn, live, and love.

To all of you, be sure to go after your dreams, live your life to the fullest - how you want to, and enjoy everything that is important to you.

To all the fallen heroes of 9/11/01 and to all the service men and women who defend our freedom everyday...thank you for your heroism and all of your efforts.

Wishing you all the best always,

Brian

How bout them Bulls???

There were some good games to watch this past college football weekend, but the University of South Florida Bulls victory over the Auburn War Chickens was probably the most fun to watch.

USF turned in a great defensive performance against #17 Auburn and pulled out the victory in overtime by a final score of 26-23.

Despite forcing multiple turnovers and creating many chances, the USF defense was held back by missed FG after missed FG and missed opportunities. However, they stayed tough and held the Auburn team to limited offensive numbers.

It was such a joy to watch Tommy Loserville sit on the ball near midfield with about 30 seconds left in the game instead of giving his kicker a chance to win it, who had a great day for the War Chickens. The Auburn head coach is an absolute clown and it was fun to watch him get beat down by the Bulls at Auburn while hearing some of their fans boo his decision making.

On the other hand, USF head coach Jim Leavitt had the guts to go for it on 4th and inches in OT, which lead to a first down and the eventual winning touchdown.

Congrats Bulls...that was a well-earned victory and it was fun to see.

Sticking with the round ball

When the ACC and its Commissioner decided to go after the likes of Miami, Virginia Tech, and even Boston College, the thought was that by adding these storied football programs from the Big East, the ACC would become a top football conference in addition to its basketball prowess.

What has happened in the last few years, though, is that while most people have been reassured that the ACC is a basketball powerhouse, football is far from dominance.

Sure, programs like FSU, Miami, and Virginia Tech have had past success, but that has not translated to football greatness as a conference over the last few years.

Let's look at some of the questionable results from this year and see how far behind the ACC is when compared to other big time football conferences, and some not-so-big time conferences:

#2 LSU 48, #9 Va. Tech 7 - LSU is a great team, but the Hokies looked like they were overwhelmed.
#16 Nebraska 20, Wake Forest 17 - Not the same Wake team as last year, but Nebraska isn't great.
#5 Oklahoma 51, Miami 13 - It took a little while, but Oklahoma totally outplayed and dominated the Canes.
East Carolina 34, UNC 31 - I know UNC is rebuilding with Butch Davis, but East Carolina is still EAST CAROLINA!
FSU 34, UAB 24 - UAB lead for a good portion of the game and they only have 60 or so players on scholarship. Not a good performance or result for the Seminoles, even with a short practice week after the Clemson loss.
#9 Va. Tech 17, East Carolina 7 - See UNC answer above minus the rebuilding part...Va. Tech is supposed to be the class of the league and ACC Championship contenders...17-7 victories over ECU are a far cry from championship caliber.
Wyoming 23, Virginia 3 - Wyoming? They have a football team?
UCF 25, NC State 23 - NC State might be rebuilding under Tom O'Brien, but UCF was 4-8 against a C-USA schedule last year. Plus lyin', cheatin' George O'Leary is their coach so that drops them down another level.

That's not a pretty picture after 2 weeks of the 2007 college football season. Sure there are a couple of bright spots like Georgia Tech rolling over Notre Dame (although, as we've seen so far, Notre Dame is terrible this year), but the above results plus a mediocre 4-4 bowl record in 2006 and 5-3 in 2005 show that the ACC continues to be a basketball conference that is far from football dominance.

Pointless Polling

Pre-season polls are downright pointless, especially in college football because they can mean so much at the end of the year BCS bowl choices. While it's great for overhyping teams and giving the media more material to work with, it generally proves to be inaccurate, as we saw this past weekend with Michigan at No. 5 and FSU at No. 19. Most importantly, if a team is not ranked highly early on, it can haunt them later in the year despite having a great season on the field.

This argument has been made before, but why not let the teams play 3 or 4 weeks of football and then start making some decisions on who belongs where? With all the turnover in player personnel from year to year from graduation, transfers, early entries to the draft, and new freshman recruits, this would allow for the teams to be slotted appropriately according to the effort and performance on the field, instead of on paper.

Seems easy to change, right?

Not if the media conglomerates have a say. ESPN, Sports Illustrated, conferences and all the other large, and not-so-large sports news outlets, utilize these mostly unfounded rankings to hype up their shows, periodicals, and other pre-season elements. It allows everyone to speculate and be an "expert" before the season.

Like ranking draft or recruiting classes when they first happen instead of after the players start performing, nobody really knows until the teams get on the field. But like many flaws in the system, pre-season polls will continue to be the norm rather than the exception.

Trenches

Tonight's FSU vs. Clemson snoozer of a game on ESPN is proof positive that the offensive and defensive lines are the most important parts of a football team. Sure, special teams come into play a lot in college as well, but the importance of a solid line on both sides of the balls wins and loses football games.

While so many people are enamored by the speed, arm strength, and playmaking abilities of quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and shut-down corners, the game is won and lost in the trenches...almost every single time. Aside from Davis and Spiller breaking a run here or there, tonight's game lacked many big plays because of a lack of experience, especially on the O-line.

Being a Seminole fan, and having been fortunate to be at school there for 3 National Championship games, I've been lucky enough to see some great talent on the field both for my beloved Noles and on the opponent's side.

For every lightning fast running back with long runs, I'll show you a few quality offensive lineman who open up his holes. For every cornerback with interception after interception, you'll generally see his teammates on the defensive line making the other team's QB miserable with constant pressure.

Therein lies the only thing I can hopefully look forward to as a Seminole fan after tonight's poor showing. The young men up front played much better in the 2nd half and the additions of Rick Trickett as O-line coach and the habitual quality that Mickey Andrews and Chuck Amato produce on 'D' will at least bring hope for better things to come in the next few years. Unfortunately, the growing pains will still be there for now...now let's at least keep up the hot recruiting for next year!

Side note: Ron Cherry is horrible and should never be given the privilege of ever working a high school game, nevermind ACC college football.

Side note #2: You should be ashamed as a student body when you rush the field after a mediocre win against a team you have beaten 4 out of the last 5 years. FSU of the 90's who was Top 5 every year...ok. FSU of 2007 who was 7-6 last year and barely ranked in the top 20...that's just a waste of a special moment. Good win for the Tigers, but the need to rush the field after that win on a level of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, was like a 3 at best. On the other hand, ASU Mountaineers students rushing the field in Boone after the Michigan win even though the game was hundreds of miles away in Ann Arbor...that is easily a 10...well done!

Lost Wolves

Watch out for those Mountaineers.

No, not Steve Slaton and his West Virginia squad.

Appalachian State University!

Boone, NC. Population of 13,000. Home to the defending D-IAA champions, the Booners (that is what you call someone from Boone, no?) of ASU pulled off one of the greatest upsets in college football history, if not sports history.

In front of 109,000 Michigan fans at the "Big House" in Ann Arbor, on opening day no less, the Mountaineers, lead by QB Amanti Edwards, took home with them a $400,000 check for showing up and all of Michigan's title hopes and pride in one of the most unbelievable games we'll see in our lifetimes.

Congratulations are in order to the whole squad, but 1 player...

The hero (and goat in my opinion) Corey Lynch, a DB from Cape Coral, FL, made the game saving play to finish off the Wolverines by blocking a last second field goal attempt by Michigan's kicker Jason Gingell.

Although he made the game-saving play, what most people didn't notice was after the block, Lynch recovered the football and began running 70-yards towards the end zone.

One problem...he was tackled by Gingell! Lynch should have just fell on it to begin with, but wasting all that effort to be tackled by a KICKER a few yards short of the end zone is un-athletic and un-American.

Despite this, Lynch and his teammates pulled off an absolute miracle. It was excellent and one of the many reasons sports are so fun to watch.

If only Lynch could have figured out how to outrun a kicker, then it would've been perfect!

Fantasy Football!!!

I was going to post a little story on Fantasy Football, but my buddy CTP beat me to it with a great one, so I'm getting lazy and just posting a link to his...

It's a good read. Check it out here.

Media's Crown Jewell

It happens all the time. Something newsworthy happens. The media blows it up. The public gravitates towards it and the sensational coverage spirals to disproportionate measures.

Although it wasn't a major national story, Richard Jewell, of the Atlanta Olympics infamy and heroism, died today in Georgia.

With his death, the story of a man who's heroism was falsely identified as terrorism and the eventual media blitz on his name brings to mind just how easily the media (and the public who feeds their reporting tendencies) ruined a man's good name and eventually his life and legacy.

The stories like this are rampant. The media will latch onto a story like the OJ Simpson case or the Vick case and just feed the beast that is the American (and World) viewing public.

Sure, many of these cases are severe and deserve the attention, but when Paris Hilton's saga after saga gets more coverage than the American soldiers giving their lives overseas or other more important issues, it proves that we, as a country, are very childish in our consumption of news and "news".

It's a sad time when faux-celebrity or over-inflated stories captivate us, while more important, crisis-like issues routinely go unnoticed, or at the least, under reported.

Jewell's death brings a haunting reminder that unless the public turns it off, the media will continue to glamorize the "Hollywood" story and sensationalize any news item to keep your eyes peeled.

Our viewing decisions fuel the machine that is tabloid journalism.

Choose wisely. Someone's life and legacy could be at stake.

Plagiarific!

Somewhere in Idaho, Boise State Head Coach Chris Peterson must be laughing hysterically.

For those of you who missed it, the Miami Dolphins and their offensive "genius" of a coach, Cam Cameron, decided to use the same "Statue of Liberty" play that the Broncos used in last year's unbelievable Fiesta Bowl, when they outlasted Oklahoma for a win and an unbeaten season.

So did Cameron wait for an important regular season game against a rival? Maybe an intense playoff match-up to show off this trickeration at a very critical juncture in a season?

Nope.

Cameron had the cojones to pull it of in a freakin pre-season game. In the first quarter.

So much for saving your playbook for the regular season like you've said all along, Camarones.

As classic as that ballsy playcalling was last January, this latest Miami Dolphin blunder just continues the series of comedic errors in judgment and game management in the footsteps of Wannstache and O'Sabin Bin Lyin.

Get on the wagon...

You have to love this time of year. Baseball is finally starting to mean something, even if its one of the most boring sports out there. Sorry, but Barry Bonds' home run chase didn't captivate nearly as much as a feat like that should have, regardless of the issues surrounding his Royal 'Roidness. Soccer fans can relish the recent flurry of great MLS matches and the start of the European leagues which are always entertaining. College and professional football are wrapping up the preseason and getting ready for the real stuff. And of course, the new national past-time of fantasy football has many a fantasy owner gearing up for their most special time of the year, the fantasy football draft.

It is without question the best time of year to be a sports fan.

Unless of course, you live in the South Florida area where the pathetic bandwagoners and constant whining from "sports fans" do a great job of ruining the best time of year.

South Florida teams have been lucky in relatively short existences as sport franchises to be very successful. The Dolphins can lay claim to the only undefeated season an NFL team has ever seen. The Canes have 5 football national championships to showoff to all their "rabid" fans. The Marlins have 2 World Series titles in less than 20 years -- or more than what the Red Sox, Cubs, and Mets can say combined in that span. Since hockey really doesn't count, we'll leave the Panthers alone, but they did have a nice run with the Beezer in the mid-90's as well.

So, how does the South Florida sports fan base reward these organizations? Lets take a look:

Miami Heat
Before Shaq and D-Wade, did this franchise even exist? Sure Hardaway and 'Zo were around, but even in the heat (pun intended) of the rivalry with the Knicks, fans didn't really take to the NBA in South Florida on a regular basis.

Fast forward to Shaq, D-Wade, and an NBA championship and suddenly the streets of Miami are teeming with Heat die-hards. The passion was there...it was White Hot!

Time came for a run at a repeat...but the fans were nowhere to be found. Shaq was taking his normal regular season break, D-Wade was hurt on and off, and the supporting cast was lead by Jason Kapono...yes, the UCLA sharpshooter himself.

So, maybe it wasn't the best basketball to watch, but your team was the DEFENDING CHAMPIONS...SHOW UP! The sea of empty seats game after game showed most South Florida sports fans true colors.

Florida Marlins
This team's fan base is by far the most pathetic. With all the success the Marlins have had, it's an absolute joke that they can barely average 10,000 fans a game. Ok, maybe its a bit more, but still, it is poor at best. The excuses given for non-attendance are laughable. "It's not a stadium made for baseball." Weak. "The traffic is atrocious." Weaker. "I don't want to make the trip because there is always a chance or rain." Weakest.

Sure the two fire sales after World Series titles were probably not easy to swallow, but the team has proven time and again that it can and will rebuild into a winner. The fact that they want to build a new stadium for this team would be the biggest waste of private and/or taxpayer dollars.

Miami Dolphins
Aside from Dan Marino and the '72 undefeated team, these fans probably have the biggest gripe overall. The team has had a playoff drought that ranks among the worst in the NFL including the Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, and Buffalo Bills. Of the local sports teams (college and pro), they are probably the least fair-weathered, but they have definitely been showing signs of late. Poor choices at head coach (Nick Saban is known by many a local 790 the Ticket sports radio listener as Osabin Bin Lyin) and some questionable drafts of late don't help either.

University of Miami Hurricanes
I'll preface this next one by saying that I firmly support the Florida State Seminoles, an obvious arch rival. However, that in no way will taint the argument against this band of front-running "fanatics."

Temple comes to town...10,000 fans. UNC comes to town...29,000. Virginia Tech...49,000. The capacity at the Orange Bowl is 72,000+. Your main rival, aside from Florida State, comes to town and the stadium is 32% empty. Deplorable. Woeful. Just poor.

South Florida may be a hotbed for the athletic talent on the field, but that talent is not supported on a consistent basis. Forget consistent, that talent is not even supported on a marginal basis.

So with the recent announcement that the Canes would be moving to Dolphins Stadium starting next year, the "fanbase" was outraged. Upon hearing of the possible move, they staged a protest on a sunny weekend at the OB. The turnout was tremendous...a whole 75 people! What passion!

It's been funny to hear the complaints from these "diehard" Canes supporters.

"I won't drive to Dolphins Stadium, it's takes to long from my home." - Understood, I'm sure the people in LA, NY, and Boston have a rough time too.

"We won't have a home field advantage there." - Hate to break it to you, but when you don't show up, that is generally what happens.

"I'll miss the atmosphere from the OB." -Yes, it is tough to not have to deal with leaky urinals, horrible parking, and abysmal stadium management from a usually corrupt City of Miami.

Alright, it's not just me people. Dan LeBatard, he of Miami Herald, ESPN the Magazine, and substitute PTI fame, had this to say. It's pretty obvious that the UM braintrust made a business decision. Maybe if the fans showed up in force for every home game and not the 1 or 2 big ones per year, the OB situation could've came out differently. But even if it didn't, you turn your back on your team because it's going to play at a different stadium a little further north? Nice support, diehard.

So in all, what a great time of year. That is, unless you live in the front-running, bandwagoning capitol of this sports crazed country, M-I-A-M-I!

That's right....LA has been passed, sports fans. We have a new king!

Beckman!

David Beckman...USA Soccer Savior? Yes, you read that correctly, Beckman, not Beckham...if you don't believe me, ask Shogun's Uncle.

Anyway, why do people insist on asking this question?

Sure, Beckman is a superstar, both on and off the field. But why does he need to "save" US Soccer?

There is a reason he is here, but its not to save US Soccer. It's to play the beautiful game. It's to promote the beautiful game in this country. It's to help elevate its status as a growing and legitimate sport. And of course, its to allow Mrs. Beckman to elevate her "major" status.

With Beckman, we have seen increased attendance at all LA Galaxy away games, better television ratings for games, and a huge increase in jersey sales and sponsorship money. Beckman deserves all the credit in the world for all of that and soccer fans throughout this country hope that the hype will continue for years to come.

However, the hype will eventually fade.

News flash: US Soccer is alive and well without Beckman.

Of course, he is more than doing his part in the last month or so to help it further along, but Major League Soccer and US Soccer was growing before he signed with the Galaxy.

For the first time ever, ESPN Classic will replay an instant classic MLS game this week between the New York Red Bulls vs. LA Galaxy game. The game was one of the best MLS regular season matches ever and it was seen by 66,000+ at Giants Stadium.

Sure the game involved Beckman which helped make it an instant classic, but a young 17-year-old named Josmer "Jozy" Altidore proved to be a huge star in the making. In the near future, he will most likely acquire the largest US transfer fee for a soccer player going to Europe ever. How many times have you seen a young MLS Soccer player be the front page story on Yahoo.com? Once...Jozy Altidore last night!

Other recent MLS and US Soccer success stories include the great recent showing from the U-20 US Soccer team in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, Freddy Adu being signed by Benfica, a prominent club from Portugal, and Tim Howard continuing to progress as a top keeper in the world while plying his trade in the English Premier League.

The naysayers will ask, if MLS as a league is getting better, why are all these players leaving? MLS and US Soccer has proven that it can develop these players to advance to bigger and better leagues. Examples include Brian McBride, Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, Clint Dempsey, DaMarcus Beasley, and Claudio Reyna.

However, leagues like the EPL have been around for a 100 years. MLS has been around for 12! There is no comparison, but give the league some time to develop and it may prove itself to be equal or better than some of the better leagues in the world. Decades from now, these local products will stay for their careers like they do in Spain, Italy, and England.

MLS is developing youth soccer development programs in most teams regions. MLS teams are building their own stadiums where new revenue streams can be realized. They are slowly starting to bring in world class talent (in addition to Beckman, Juan Pablo Angel, Guillermo Barros Schellotto, Youri Djorkaeff, and Cuatehomoc Blanco have all shined recently for MLS teams). Individual ownership groups and new communities throughout the USA are quickly realizing that the league is growing and want to come aboard as expansion markets. US Soccer is scheduling friendlies against world powers like Brazil and Sweden.

Sure, MLS and US Soccer have many areas they need to fix and get better, but the positives are there and the future is bright.

Thanks, Beckman. Thanks for the increased coverage across all media platforms. Thanks for the increased interest from marginal fans and non-traditional fans. Thanks for displaying the ability you have and the determination you show in trying to grow this sport. Thank you for showing early on that you are worth every penny that your contract will eventually add up to. And of course, thanks for showing off your trophy wife in all her "major"-ness.

However, it's not a 1 man job or a 5 year effort. MLS has positioned itself well by growing incrementally and slowly at a grassroots level. It has not overspent early and often like the NASL of the past.

So don't worry about saving the league Becks, it'll be fine long after your 5-year multi-million dollar contract expires.

But thanks for the help along the way...

Vick Venom

I've been meaning to do this for quite a while, but with the news of Michael Vick pleading guilty to the unbelievably graphic and horrific charges against him regarding dogfighting, I figured it was finally time to get my personal blog going.

When first seeing Michael Vick on the football field at the 2000 Sugar Bowl against the Seminoles in New Orleans, it was fascinating just how athletic, fast, and overly talented this guy was. He literally ran circles around the FSU national championship defense, and despite coming up a bit short in one of the higher scoring BCS championship games ever, he ran the one-man show for the Hokies like a man among middle school kids (think Rob Schneider in Benchwarmers x 100). Although Peter Warrick might have stole some of his thunder in that game, Vick surely proved he was on another level than most other supreme athletes.

Forge ahead a few years later to see Vick leading the Atlanta Falcons to a playoff victory at Lambeau Field against the future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre and it seemed pretty obvious that Vick was the future. Lightning speed, rocket arm, sick cuts and moves that reminded you of the great Barry Sanders...this kid was the future.

There is one huge catch, though....Talent can only take you so far. Although physical talent generally wins out over mental abilities or off-the-field incidents in professional sports, sometimes even your phenomenal athletic abilities come crashing to a halt with the wrong decisions.

Although this will be a blog mostly about sports, this sad story about Vick and his transgressions is more about life than sports.

Vick had it all. He had the 10-year, multi-million contract with the Falcons. A great endorsement deal with Nike. An owner who basically put the well-being and success of the organization in his QB's hands (and feet). And to top all of that, he was a black sports hero in a city well-known for its diverse community and support of African American celebrities.

Vick could do no wrong, right? Wrong!

Like the Powerball lottery winner that throws all of his millions of dollars down the drain in a matter of months on drugs, frivolous purchasing habits, and other money mismanagement, Vick has thrown it all away quicker than one of his trademark cut-back runs for a touchdown.

Dogfighting? Was it really all worth it Mike?

Sure, athletes have tons of free time in the off-season and plenty of money to use it as they please, but is the vicious brutality of innocent dogs to pass your time worth squandering your legacy, your career, and your dignity, Mike? How about millions upon millions of dollars thrown away?

For Mike Vick, apparently it was.

We are all judged by our decision-making, whether it be in the workplace, dealing with a friend, or in a athletic environment.

Remember how Vick was so supremely gifted on the field making the other players look like prepubescent middle school kids? Now, his off the field actions will forever remind our society and sports fans nationwide how his mental decision-making capabilities were less than that of a 10-year-old.

Suddenly, I don't feel as bad for those athletically inept Seminole defenders who looked so silly on that field at the Superdome.