One Fan's Opinion

What's Going on in College Football - 11/14

2009-11-14T21:22:00.005-05:00

I haven't updated in a while, because honestly, I don't like writing negative things, and UofL has had a pretty bad season. But here are some other happenings and observations.

Cincinnati has had a couple close games recently. One against UConn last Saturday night, and then one Friday night against West Virginia. After the UConn game, they fell in the rankings. While TCU and Boise State had bigger margin of victories, their competition wasn't all that greater. I also believe that a USC or Ohio State would not have been punished for a close victory. I distinctly remember Ohio State having many close games against inferior competition on their championship run during the 2002 season. Of course, if Florida and Texas wins out, it doesn't matter if Cincinnati, TCU or Boise State finishes undefeated.

Speaking of the BCS, I am tired of hearing the complaints. I like the bowl games. Winning a bowl game allows for a nice celebration at the end of the season that does not exist in a playoff format unless you win the championship. When you lose a playoff game, it feels bad regardless of when it occurred. Winning a bowl game is an enjoyable experience that allows for an enjoyable time afterwards.

It would appear that USC's loss to Washington was not a fluke, and the win against Ohio State was. USC has now loss handily to Oregon and Stanford. What's particularly surprising about those two losses was that it was the defense that gave up the games. Coming into the season, the question was the quarterback, and those fears seemed to be true in the loss to Washington, but now USC is giving up more points than I have ever seen them give up.

Notre Dame may lose the last four games of the season and finish 6-6. This will certainly make the extension they game Weiss a few years ago as a reward for doing nothing really look foolish. Currently, Notre Dame is 6-4, having just lost games to Navy and Pitt. Remaining on the schedule is UConn, who is playing everyone close, and Stanford, who just beat up on USC.

In Louisville related news, they did finally win their first Big East game today, beating Syracuse. It's nice to know they aren't the worse team in the league. Although, it should be noted that this was an ugly, painful game to watch. Both teams are that bad. Tied 3-3, Syracuse scored a touchdown and missed the extra point. This allowed Louisville to win the game on the extra point when they finally scored a touchdown. It should also be noted that both touchdowns came in the fourth quarter. Now, I don't follow the belief that the score is a true justification of the quality of the game, but trust me, this one was ugly. Kragthorpe is gone. Monday after the season, it will be announced. No, I have nothing official like other people claim, just common sense. Jurich has to fire him. attendance is poor, and the expansion is opening next season. It just doesn't make sense to fire him during the season. It's not going to improve things. An interim coach is pointless.

UofL vs. Indiana State -- 9/5/09

2009-09-06T00:48:00.002-04:00

In Kragthorpe's first season, the offense was able to keep the team in most games, but the defense was not able to stop anyone. (There was also this thing about a UConn punt returner running a punt back for a touchdown after signaling for a fair catch.) In his second season, the defense kept the game close, while the offense couldn't score. What's in store for this season? It's difficult to say. A game against a 1-AA school, excuse me, a Football Championship Series, will not really show you what your team can do. It will show things to be worried about.

Penalties. UofL committed 14 penalties tonight. That is way too many penalties to be committing in any game, even the first one of the season. The more acceptable range would be 5-7. If they continue to play in the 10+ range, then this is going to be a very, very long season, with very few wins.
Kicking game. UofL's place kicking was an issue all last year. While Payne was able to make 3 of 4 field goals, his kick-offs were fairly short. This field position disadvantage will wear on the defense, and good offenses don't need any help.
Burke's decision making. While his first interception was an errant pass in his wild first quarter, his second interception was a stupid mistake, and worries me about his instincts as a quarterback. With 6 seconds left, there is time for one quick pass into the the end zone. If that pass is not there, throw the ball out the back of the end zone quickly so you can then kick a field goal. Burke's instinct was to scramble and then try to dump the ball off with his left hand. That type of decision-making and game management worries me.
Burke's arm. His deep passes need a lot of work. Once he settled down, he became fairly accurate with his shorter passes, but his deep passes were still off. I pin this on Burke because the receivers were open downfield, often wide open. If he can't stretch out the defense, then that is going to make life rough on the running backs, which are the highlight of the offense.

Kentucky is in two weeks, and that is when we'll be able to see more clearly how the rest of the season is going to progress. Right now, I'll admit I'm not very hopeful. But right now, UofL did win tonight, and a win is a win. Better to be 1-0 than 0-1. Just ask Oklahoma who just saw their national championship hopes take a major hit after losing their starting quarterback, and get upset by BYU.

The Pitino Thing--My Two Cents Worth

2009-08-16T12:48:00.002-04:00

For those of you that do not know what is going with the Rick Pitino/Karen Sypher scandal, quit living under a rock, and Google it. I am a blogger, not a journalist. Now, here is my opinion on the matter.

First, let's start with the actual act, sex in a restaurant. I agree with the police that this was likely not rape. But the fact remains that there was still sex at a place where people eat. That is just gross. I will not be eating at this place. Well, if I could afford it, I would choose not to eat here. While sex between two adults is not a big deal, Pitino is married. And to some people, adultery is a big deal. Okay, to most people, it's a big deal. But is it an issue to lose your job for? Well, that depends on who you are, and how good you are at your job. Pitino is coming off his first Big East championship, and back-to-back Elite Eight appearances. Yes, there is a "morality clause" in his contract that says the university may fire him for actions that are detrimental to the university. But honestly, you are a fool if you think that this clause is really there to fire people because of scandals. These clauses are there to provide an easy out for the university if they feel the need to fire the coach before their contract expires. The university can find conduct that is detrimental, and fire him without having to buyout his contract. As I mentioned earlier, Pitino is coming off a couple good seasons. Winning coaches don't get fired. Now, if this was Kragthorpe, the university would have thrown a party, and kicked him quickly to the curb.

Another issue at hand is whether or not Pitino paid Sypher to have an abortion. Right now some groups are protesting the university, and it'll likely come up again when UofL plays at Notre Dame. Here, I could just copy and paste my reasons Pitino won't get fired from this. Winning coaches don't get fired for non-NCAA scandals.

So, do I think Pitino should be fired? No, not really. I'm not one that thinks a person should be fired for non-job related issues if it is not effecting their job performance. Kind of like random drug tests at work. If you're a good employee, it shouldn't matter to the employer. I do hear some say that this will discourage parents from letting their kids play for Pitino, but this is naive. Good players are drawn to winning program. They want to go to someone that can get them to the NBA, and Pitino has shown he can do that. A sex scandal is not going to change that. So , long as Pitino keeps winning, and stays out of any NCAA trouble, he will remain with UofL for as long as he wants to.

Hat Trick - 2/7/09

2009-02-07T12:30:00.006-05:00

1) The way NHL hands down suspensions confounds me. One person gets a 1 game suspension for leaving the bench to join in on a fight, someone gets a 2 game suspension for fighting, someone gets a fine for hitting someone in the head with a stick, and yet someone else gets 6 games for saying some players are getting his sloppy seconds because they are dating his. Now, I am fairly new to really following hockey, so my memory is shaky as to who did what, with the exception of the last person, but I wanted to be consistent.

2) Both of my rooting interests in hockey, Columbus ("local") and Pittsburgh (first NHL time I discovered) are currently on the outside of the playoff picture, but not by much. I find the Pittsburgh situation confusing, in that they have the top two scorers in the NHL, but still have trouble scoring goals consistently. (For better coverage of Pittsburgh, go to Pensburgh.) With the March 4 trade deadline a few weeks away, I will be keeping track of who is buying, and who is selling.

3) The Las Vegas Wranglers, an AHL team, had quite possibly the greatest promotion ever on Wednesday night, Blagojevich night. In recognition of governor, everyone involved in the game wore prison uniforms. The home team had the black stripe jerseys, the away team wore solid orange jerseys, and the officials wore prison guard uniforms. This is probably my favorite quote about the story, taken from channel KTNV's website. "Over the years we've asked our players to not look so tough for a cause," Johnson said. "Once they had a lot of chirping from opposing players when we've dressed them in pink for cancer research. We owe them a game of looking a little more sketchy. G-Rod helps us with that." Below are pictures of the uniforms.

3-Pointer

2009-02-07T11:54:00.004-05:00

1) I have two words of advice of UofL fans, don't panic. Sure UConn came in on Monday night and absolutely destroyed UofL in Freedom Hall. Sure, no one besides T-Will could do anything in that game, but remember, it was just one game. Bad nights happen. Now, if UofL loses at St. John's, at Notre Dame, and against DePaul, then you can start panicing.

2) On Wednesday, IU beat Iowa 68-60 to gain their first Big Ten win of the season (6-15, 1-8). To say that Tom Crean has had a rough first season at IU would be an understatement, but this has not been unexpected. When Crean came into the program during the offseason, he did quite a bit of house cleaning. After the Mike Davis firing, and the Kelvin Sampson debacle, the program was in an awful predicament. However, I do have confidence that Crean will be able to restore IU to the type of program it used to be, and more importantly, I believe that the President and AD at IU understand the problem, and will give Crean time to do the job.

3) On Wednesday, LeBron James had a triple-double (52 points, 11 assits, 10 rebounds) against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, following up on Kobe's record setting 61 points earlier in the week. Well, correction, no he didn't. On Friday, NBA officials took away one of his rebounds, and said that it should have gone to Ben Wallace. Stupid staticticians and their stupid counting.

Strikeout - 1/29/09

2009-01-29T16:11:00.005-05:00

In attempt to motivate myself to update more, I am going to try to implement a new column series. Since I rarely have the time to write a long piece, these will be a series of 3 quick points regarding a particular sport, and will be titled as such. Baseball = Strikeout, football = 3 Point Stance, hockey = Hat Trick, and basketball = 3 Pointer.

1. Now, I have never been a big supporter of a salary cap in baseball, but during this off-season, the New York Yankees are making me believe something needs to be done. So far, they have spent over $441 million on free agents. The second place buyer is the Cubs at slightly over $87 million. The total expenditure of the other 29 teams is $557.2 million, with the mean being $19.2 million, and the median (#15 on the list) $11.55 million. To me, this represents a problem. While I still do not favor an overall salary cap (although I am leaning more in that direction every year), I do not think a cap on free agency expenditure is not unreasonable. Maybe set a per year limit so teams have to build gradually, or a 2-3 year average mark that forces teams to choose whether they want a slow build, or throw all of their eggs into one basket.

2. The Reds have not done a lot in the free agent market, but I do like the moves they have made. I think signing Willy Taveras was a good move. It gives them a decent lead-off hitter and fills an unsure centerfield. If he can have a season somewhere between his very good 2007 season and his poor 2008 season, the Reds will be in good shape.

3. It sucks that Detroit plays at St. Louis instead of at Cincinnati. Maybe I will be able to convince my Tigers fan friend to go to a game against the Indians or Royals so he can boo those division foes.

UofL vs UK, Basketball

2009-01-04T21:08:00.003-05:00

UofL won this game 74-71, on a 30-foot 3-point shot by Edgar Sosa with 2.8 seconds remaining. The game was tied at 71 with 16 seconds left, after UofL gave up a 4 point lead on two Earl Clark turnovers. Meeks and Patterson had wonderful games for Kentucky. Any success UK is to see this season will hinge on the performance of these two players.

With UofL, the key to playing well is emotion. Specifically, the players emotional state of mind. Sosa is a great example of this. He's been in a slide ever since he missed what would have been the game-winning shot against Texas A&M in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Overall, his confidence was shaken, and he plays better if he is confident in what he is doing. He will have a good game if he can hit an early shot. If he does not, then usually he will have a bad game. Hopefully, this game-winning shot will last in his mind a while.

But Sosa is not the only player who's performance depends on his mindset. Clark and Samuels are also like this. Clarks shot has been off, and you can see it in his body language and his expression. Same thing with Samuels. There are times when he is having a difficult time adjusting to college ball. Now, this is not a critique of anyone's work ethic. I have not felt like any player has given up on a game.

It's Been A While

2008-12-15T15:10:00.003-05:00

It has been a long while since I have updated this blog, but it is difficult to write on topics when the teams you are following absolutely stink.

UofL football had an abysmal year, going 5-7. This 5-7 was reached after being 5-2 at one point in the season. Jurich is standing behind Kragthorpe, but I expect some changes to be made on the offensive side of things. Namely a change in Offensive Coordinators. Jeff Brohm is a fine Quarterbacks coach, but his offensive playcalling leaves something to be desired. On the defensive side of the ball, Ron English had greatly improved the defense, for most of the season. If they show nearly as much improvement next year, then the defense will be fine.
The Cincinnati Bengals have had an even worse season, but thankfully not as bad as the Detroit Lions. The season has not been helped by the injury to Carson Palmer, but things were destined to be bad before the season began. You can't release two starters, an offensive lineman and running back, and expect things to go well on offense.
Free agency signing is in full swing for the MLB, and it looks like the Yankees are trying to buy their way back into the playoffs, but what else would you expect. They have already signed A. J. Burnett, a starting pitcher rated as the fourth best player in free agency, and are in talks with C. C. Sabathia, the second rated player in free agency. The Reds have not had a lot of movement in the free agent market, but no key players are up for free agency this year.

Phillie Phanatic.......Terrorist

2008-09-25T21:35:00.003-04:00

In this time of turmoil, coming across an article like this is always enjoyable. This story is proof that you cannot tell who is a possible terrorist by their looks. Tell me, does this......thing look like a terrorist?

Apparently, someone forgot to clean up their foil wrapped hot dogs after filming a commercial. Someone thought they looked suspicious, so the police department disposed of them. I know bomb scares are no laughing matter, but a police department blowing up hot dogs is pretty funny. And that night's game was not delayed.

Saturday Commentary: No Sport Is Boring

2008-09-20T11:13:00.002-04:00

As I sit here and watch the morning foursomes at the Ryder Cup, watching the momentum of the matches swing back and forth, I wondered how people could possibly find this boring. But that got me thinking on the larger scale. What makes one think a particular sport is boring?

I believe one answer is the personality of person watching the sport. The type of person that needs constant action of some sort is not going to be entertained by a methodical sport such as golf. But likewise, someone that likes to take things slow may not be interested in a fast paced game of basketball. Also, the personality of the society plays an important role. Everyone around the world is interested in football, but for Americans, it is a different type of football than the rest of the world plays.

Another factor contributing to the judgment of boring is that people may simply not understand the what is involved in the sport. I use hockey as a good example of this. There is continuous action, but people complain that there is not enough scoring. However, a 28-21 game of football is comparable in scoring to a 4-3 game of hockey. Both would have the same number of scores, but more Americans grew up with football, and know the game better than they know hockey. So, that lack of knowledge about the sport affects their opinion on it. I believe this also happens with golf and soccer. People do not understand how much skill and effort is required to succeed, so they dismiss them.

Ultimately, I view someone declaring a sport boring the same way I view reviews. It is all opinion. So, when someone says that a sport is boring, all they are really saying is that they think that sport is boring.

UofL vs. Tenn. Tech, College Football Week 2

2008-09-07T10:00:00.005-04:00

The looked much better in this 51-10 victory. Yes, the level of competition was not very high, no offense, but the execution was there. The Receivers were not dropping passes, thus allowing the running game to get open. If only they could have remembered how to catch against UK. Another change in the offense was that is seemed like Cantwell rolled out of the pocket more. This might have been a response to him have several balls tipped last week, or just a product of gameplanning against Tenn. Tech. Either way, it appears to have been successful.

Once again, the defense looked good. This defense is not getting fooled on plays, and is not missing tackles. With last year's defense, this game would have been much closer.

In other news, Ohio State did not look good without their starting running back. It could be a long day next week against USC if he is not healthy. Whoever threw the flag for excessive celebration against Washington should be slapped. It is unreasonable to expect a team that has been on hard times to not celebrate when they score a touchdown as time was expiring to give them a chance to tie the game with the extra point, against a ranked team. The penalty made a simple 20 yard field goal into a more difficult 35 yard field goal. BYU blocked the kick, and won the game by 1. A shorter field goal would have allowed the kicker to get under the ball more, and put more of an arc on it.

Saturday Commentary: Brett Favre the Captain

2008-09-06T16:45:00.002-04:00

Brett Favre, before playing in an actual game for the New York Jets, has been named the captain for the team. He says that he has not earned it. Sports commentators that I have heard say he should be captain because who else on the team should get it. Favre is their best player. It should be noted that the players voted on this, and the last captain, Chad Pennington, was released when Favre came in. Since this is my blog, here is what I think.

I agree with Favre in that he has not earned the title of captain. Simply put, he has not had time to do anything. He has only been with the team for around a month. I have not looked at the Jets roster, but I am pretty certain that someone on the roster has been with the team longer than Favre has. Surely, someone else has leadership ability. But of course, the players did vote for this. I just find it very self-depricating.

I completely disagree that the best player on the team should be captain. Yes, in many instances the best player on the team is the leader in the clubhouse, and therefore the captain, but this does not have to be the case. Jason Veritek is the captain of the Boston Red Sox, but he is not their best player. However, he is the leader of the team. It takes the respect of the team and ability to lead to be captain, not skill on the playing field.

I would not call it wrong that Favre is the captain, just not entirely right. I am sure Favre has the respect of the Jets players from his time in the league, but this does seem like more of a marketing decision.

Chad Johnson No More

2008-09-04T20:01:00.003-04:00

Chad Johnson changes his name.

I do not know what to say. Chad Ocho Cinco might have replaced The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as the dumbest name in sports. I am sure this will be listed as just another distraction for the Bengals if they have the type of season people are predicting they well.

UofL vs. UK: 2008 Football Edition

2008-08-31T20:44:00.003-04:00

Wow. I was not expecting UofL's offense to just not show up today. Granted, they did lose the starting quarterback, their top 3 wide receivers, and 2 of their top 3 running backs, so it should not be that big of a surprise. Cantwell did not have a good game, and with the exception of Beaumont, the receivers did not help him out at all. The last time UofL was shutout was Sept. 23, 2000 at Florida State. I know that they were not technically shut out here, it might as well have been.

The offense lost this game. If someone had told me that the deffense was only going to give up 6 points today, I would have been ecstatic. (I do not blame the defense for a rushing touchdown given up immediately after a turnover.) I was really pleased with how the defense played today. They were able to contain UK's rushing attack, which is what I was worried about heading into today. If they play like that for the rest of the season, this team will have chances to win, if the offense shows up.

I can hear the calls for Jurich to fire Kragthorpe coming from the message boards, which I do not read anymore. I say, not so fast. Yes, Petrino was winning, but he did not leave the program in good shape. There were numerous disiplinary issues that Petrino ignored, and Kragthorpe would not. I would imagine that Kragthorpe will have one more year, regardless of how this season goes. This is a rebuilding process, and it does not happen immediately. To bad people have no idea what patience is.

News Items

2008-08-26T20:02:00.003-04:00

This article about the LPGA caught my attention. Basically, it says that all players on the tour have to be able to speak English starting next year. Not a lot of time for those that do not speak English. Bob Harig on ESPN.com has a good opinion piece on this topic.

Baseball will start using instant replays on some plays starting Thursday. To recap, the plan went from testing it a little in Fall ball, and in Arizona during Spring Training to being implemented before September. I like it, but if only Major League Baseball moved this fast on all issues.

The college football season starts this week. I would do a preview, but that requires effort. Also, I generally do not like preseason previews or predictions. I believe they fall into the the "useless things in sports" category.

Live Blog: 2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremonies

2008-08-08T19:57:00.004-04:00

7:57 P.M. - Well, here is my blog about the Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics. I am prepared for a weird showing. Dignitaries coming to their seats, including our honorable President and his wife. A discussion on the debate on if he should have boycotted the Olympics. I agree with him being there.

8:00 - Cool light drum thingys. A lot of them. A whole lot of them. This is going to be weird.

8:02 - Neat countdown with the lit drums.

8:03 - Wow, awesome opening. It looked like the stadium exploded.

8:05 - This is an amazingly precise performance to open things. Reciting words, followed by a drumbeat. I cannot even estimate how many people are on the field doing this.

8:07 - And now they have sticks. Where the hell did they get sticks. Announcers made a comment that the performers were told to smile more, so it would not be intimidating. And the lights on the drums and stadium went off, to only show the sticks glowing. That was an amazing opening. Announcers said that there were 2,008 performers. Heh...clever.

8:13 - And now we have flying people.

8:14 - I wish the announcers would shut up.

8:16 - It has just been invaded by ethnic kids. Seriously. 56 kids dressed as each of the 56 ethnic groups in China. And oh look, Bush is talking to Putin. Uhg. Please do not show him again. This is about the Olympics, not politics, and announcers, please do not analyze meanings.

8:19 - Ummm...NBC, this is a taped event. Why are you cutting off fireworks to go to a commercial?

8:22 - Dancers painting on a large sheet of paper by dancing. Neat.

8:24 - The floor they are performing on is an LED screen?! Damn!

8:30 - They are going through some of Confusous' teachings. I wish I could describe it.

8:32 - There are these blocks moving in intricate patterns. Then sometimes forming Chinese symbols.

8:35 - Holy shit! There were people moving the blocks. The precision of this show has been amazing. I know they have headsets on, but that is still a lot of people to get together.

8:39 - Dancer being carried out on the paper that was printed on earlier, then lifted into the sky. We're going through Chinese history. We are at the period when China would trade with everyone. Silk roads, that sort of thing.

8:41 - A lot of people waving around large paddles that make images of boats on them. Did I mention that this is amazingly precise? Just said 15,000 performers. No one does more than one thing. Director was asked if they could have this many, and he joked that they had enough people in China.

8:43 - We are getting way too many commercials.

8:51 - Okay, NBCs commercial breaks are pissing me off now. They are cutting stuff off. It is a previously recorded thing. There is no need to do that. Now things have gotten weird. People in green jumpsuits. Wait, green jumpsuits with lights on them.

8:53 - The guy playing piano is pretty good. Some star in China whose name I did not catch.

8:54 - I know marching bands that would sell their souls to Satan for this kind of precision.

8:55 - Little girl flying through the stadium, flying a kite. Nifty.

8:59 - Now we have Tai Chi demonstrators.

9:02 - Now 2,008 Tai Chi masters performing a demonstration together surrounding kids. Wow, they are in a perfect circle, without floor markings.

9:04 - Damn. If you are not watching this, I pity you.

9:06 - I like the touch of having all the performers wave to the crowd before they leave. Even the people inside the boxes earlier got to wave.

9;11 - This is a trippy sequence recognizing Chinese astronauts. A globe rose up from the ground, and it has people running around on it. Some are sideways, and others are on the bottom.

9:13 - I seriously do not understand how they are projecting images onto all of the things that they are. It is just mind boggling.

9:16 - There are fireworks all over the city going off.

9:20 - And now we have the parade of athletes.

11:30 - Not surprised Yao Ming is carrying the Chinese flag. The kid walking beside him, an earthquake survivor, is a sweet touch. I am happy that Yao was able to return from his injury in time for the Olympics. He is the biggest (no pun intended) Chinese athlete, known around the world. Also wanted to note that having the athletes step on a color and walk across the painting from earlier was a wonderful idea.

11:42 - Cute. Yao is holding the kid that walked in with him so he can see what is going on.

11:52 - Holy shit! They lifted the final torch bearer and he is running around the top rim of the stadium. This is utterly amazing.

11:55 - Wow. How the hell did they put the torch there? It has not been there the entire time. I am happy that I decided to watch the ceremony this year. It was incredible.

Thank You Favre

2008-08-04T19:54:00.002-04:00

Thank you, Favre, for showing that you are still the same quarterback we have come to know and love. I admit, after last season, I was worried. Last season, you played very unlike yourself. You appeared to actually be thinking and making decisions on the field instead of just throwing caution to the wind, except for the NFC Championship game. However, this past month has shown that you are still the same reckless decision maker that you have always been.

I admit, I was fooled by your tear-filled retirement. I thought you were actually going to retire. I should have known better, my roommate did. I should have known that after years of being wishy-washy on the topic, you could not have possibly come to a finite decision now. You are not the type that will bow out gracefully.

So, now you have been reinstated, and are reporting to training camp to "compete" for the starting job. Does anyone actually think there will be a competition for the starting job? It cannot happen. Even if Aaron Rodgers wins the starting job, there is no way he can suceed. He was already getting booed at home during a preseason game. In order to get and keep fan support, he would have to set every single season record, and go undefeated. Anything less, and he will forever be labeled as "not Brett Favre." Thanks Brett.

Here are Rick Reilly's thoughts on the matter.

Trade Deadline

2008-07-31T20:52:00.003-04:00

That's All You Can Get?
Well, the Reds traded Griffey to the White Sox for pitcher Nick Masset and infielder Danny Richar. Do not be ashamed if you have no idea who these players are, I did not either. Nick Masset has appeared in 32 games this season with a 4.63 ERA. Nick Masset is hitting .262 in Triple-A Charlotte. Also, the Reds will split Griffey's remaining salary and the buyout on next year's option with the White Sox. So, to recap the deal, in return for a future Hall of Famer, the Reds get a mediocre relief pitcher, a mediocre minor league infielder, and have to pay half of his remaining salary. This deal does not look good. Even if they wanted to just get rid of his salary, surely they could have gotten more. Also, will what they save in payroll offset a possible drop in revenue from ticket sales and merchandise.

Manny's Out Of Boston
Manny Ramierez has been traded to the Dodgers in a 3 team deal that also includes the Pirates. The Dodgers get Manny, Boston gets Jason Bay from the Pirates, and the Pirates get four prospects.

Double Standard Much?

2008-06-24T23:14:00.003-04:00

Earlier today, Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw admitted that he used steroids in the '70s. I had seen the headline scroll on ESPN. I come on ESPN.com tonight to read the article, and do not see it on the front page. Perplexed, I decided to go to MSNBC.com, and lo and behold, it was not in there main page sports headlines. Why is this? Why is it ignored when a 4-time Super Bowl champion and Hall of Fame football player admits using steroids?

Today, speculation is enough to destroy the Hall of Fame hopes for a baseball player. Is it possible the Bradshaw admission is being ignored because he is a former player? I would believe this if there had not been a similar apathy toward Shawn Marrion or Rodney Harrison. I would write more, but this issue infuriates me. All athletes should be held to the same scrutiny. Taking steroids to "heal faster" is the same as taking them to become stronger.

Saturday Commentary: Can A Position Be Cursed, And Other Questions

2008-06-21T10:48:00.004-04:00

Jolbert Cabrera severely dislocated a finger in last night's win against the Yankees. He joins Alex Gonzalez, Jeff Keppinger, and Jerry Harriston Jr. as Reds shortstops currently on the disabled list this year. Is it possible that someone within the organization angered a witch doctor in Florida during training camp, and they put a curse on the position? It is as if it were the professor of dark arts position at Hogwarts. Perhaps the Reds should bring back Barry Larkin to perform an exorcism on the position.

Has a pitcher on a team with a losing record ever had a 20-win season, started the All-Star game, or won the Cy Young Award? Last night, Edinson Volquez pick up his 10th win of the season, bringing his record to 10-2. He also leads the league in the majors with an 1.71 ERA and 110 strikeouts. Unfortunately, I doubt he will be considered by many for the Cy Young. These type of awards usually go to the best pitcher on a good team. I just hope he fares better than Harang did a couple years ago, where he became the first pitcher ever to lead the league in strikeouts and not receive a single vote.

Are people in the New York Mets' organization complete jackasses? Based on the way they handled the Willie Randolf situation, I would say yes. Well, not all of them, but whoever decided to fire Randolf at 3 a.m., while he is on a road trip to Los Angeles definately is. And people that did not stand up and say that they thought it was a bad idea.

When is Griffey going to be traded? After listening to one of the out-of-town Fox announcers during last saturday's game, one would come away from it thinking that it was already a done deal. I am not so certain that he will be traded. He has a no-trade clause in his contract, and can veto any trade he does not like. There is also still the sentimental fact that he grew up in Cincinatti. Yes, Griffey is in the the last year of his contract, with it being unlikely that the Reds will pick up next year's option and pay him $16.5 million. However, a new contract is not out of the question.

Should baseball start using instant replay? Hell yes. Actually, let me clarify that. Baseball should start using it in close plays to determine if a ball is a home run or not. They should not use it to determine if a player was out or safe at a base. And they should absolutely not use it to determine balls and strikes. Let those decisions stay with the umpires on the field. Fortunately, after a breakout this season of hard to determine home runs, the MLB is going to test it in fall ball leagues and possibly Spring Training. Hopefully, it will work out.

Is This Necessary?

2008-06-17T22:34:00.003-04:00

ESPN.com has released their Top 25 prediction for next season. Next college basketball season. I do not believe we went through a time warp, and ended up in the Fall. I am guessing what brought this about is that with the deadline to enter/withdraw from the NBA Draft passing, we pretty much know who is going to be on what team. But seriously, it is June, and practice does not begin until October. Thankfully, these rankings do not count. You know why? Because they are power rankings. If you need to be reminded of my view on power rankings, click here.

Tiger Wins the U. S. Open

2008-06-16T16:30:00.003-04:00

In the 91st hole, 1st sudden death playoff hole, Tiger Woods wins the U. S. Open. After hitting a birdie on the 18th yesterday to force a playoff round, he did it again in the playoff round to force sudden death. Rocco Mediate hit a poor tee shot into a bunker, and then his second shot went into the rough. Whereas Tiger hit his tee shot onto the fairway, and second shot onto the green. He was able to two-putt for par. Rocco was unable to make his long par putt. However, it should be noted that Rocco was down 3 shots after 10 holes, and was able to birdie 3 consecutive holes to take a lead heading onto the 18th.

It amazes me that Tiger won the U. S. Open. Just the sight of seeing him in pain after most of drives was inspiring. Not to say that people have been, but no one should ever be able to question his mental toughness. He was put to the test in this tournament. In a side note, it is nice and humanizing to see him holding his daughter.

Live Blog: Game 5 of the NBA Finals

2008-06-16T00:10:00.000-04:00

9:00 pm ET - Here is my live blog of game 5 of the NBA Finals. As stated before, I'm not a fan of the NBA, but I thought I'd try to do this. I also want to note that I just finished watching the U.S. Open, and it's amazing that Tiger is still walking. He started showing pain on the second hole, and was able to force a 18-hole playoff tomorrow.

9:02 - Celebrities in LA going to a basketball game. It is the trendy thing to do, just like Duke students doing their thing.

9:07 - Oops. Missed the tip-off because I was getting some food. That should tell you something. Kobe makes his first ill-advised shot. Let's see if this continues.

9:09 - This time Kobe misses the ill-advised shot. If he keeps shooting these bad shots, he'll shoot the Lakers right out of the final.

9:12 - I think Kobe has forgotten he is on a team. And if you hadn't guessed, I do not like Kobe.

9:14 - While I'm thinking about it, I really dislike music being played in the arena during the game. Lakers up 15-5 with 7 minutes left.

9:18 - Saw a commercial for the show Wipeout. I'll just say that Japanese game shows should be left to the Japanese. Granted, I do like seeing idiots hurt themselves.

9:22 - Just made a comment about Kobe's leadership in that he's showing it by doing stuff. All I see him doing is making shots that are poor choices. If my memory serves me correctly, that's what cost them game 4.

9:23 - Odd. If a guy gets fouled during the rebound, and then shoots, should he get foul shots? My mind tells me no, but it happened.

9:25 - Time out. Lakers up 31-15 with 2 minutes left in the 1st quarter.

9:28 - Just saw a commercial for "I Survived a Japanese Game Show." I have a bad feeling that this is another show. And Kobe is talking about how this is his March Madness, since he didn't go to school. Uhg.

9:34 - End of the 1st quarter with LA up 39-22. This has been a frantic game. If LA keeps this pace, they should win easily. What will be interesting to watch is what happens if Boston can cut the lead to around 6. Does game 4 enter the Lakers minds, and they start pressing? Bad things happen when people press to hard.

9:40 - Lakers continue to hit ugly, off-balance shots.

9:49 - The WTF calls in the Lakers favor are starting to add up. Not a deciding factor in the game, but something to keep an eye on.

9:51 - I find obvious make-up calls funny. Lakers got call for a questionable charge, and next time down, Boston gets called for a questionable reach in. Wonderful.

9:52 - Garnett picks up his 3rd foul by touching the ball.

9:54 - I never realized just how bad officiating is in the NBA. And Boston has trimmed it to 43-39 with 6 minutes left in the 2nd quarter.

9:58 - I do like the "There can only be one" NBA Playoffs commercials. Unfortunately, there was also a commercial after that for a reality show called "High School Musical: Get in the Picture." Uhg again.

10:00 - The poor shots Kobe was hitting early in the game have stopped falling.

10:07 - Defense must be a 4-letter word to Radmonovic, or he's still mad after getting a technical foul.

10:11 - Lakers have remembered how to score. Lead is fluctuating between 5-8.

10:14 - Paul Pierce has had an amazing 2nd quarter, hitting a 3 before the end of the quarter. It's halftime, with the Lakers leading 55-52.

10:20 - Is it just me, or does Bill Walton always sound drunk to anyone else?

10:31 - Oh my god. Both of ABC's Japanese type game shows have hour long premieres on the same night. May god have mercy on our souls.

10:36 - The color commentary is painful at times.

10:38 - Lakers fell asleep and allowed Boston to tie the game. Boston was just out-working them on one trip down the court.

10:39 - Boston has taken the lead on a Pierce free throw.

10:42 - So far, the difference in this game is that it looks like Boston is able to play some defense, whereas LA generally seems not to want to. Or not able to.

10:44 - Last two fouls that have gone LA's way have been very questionable. Questionable as in that no one touched either LA player.

10:52 - Rondo just negated about a minute of hard work on both ends of the court, by fouling Derek Fisher after he shot, leading to a 3 point play. Lakers lead is back up to 7 with 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

10:57 - Matt Damon is a brave man, cheering on the Celtics at courtside.

10:58 - Just caught glimpse of one ref that looks like he is at least 70. Wow.

11:00 - Even though LA is still leading this game, with the way both teams look, I get the sense that Boston is the harder working team.

11:06 - The Celtics are having too many unforced errors, allowing LA to stay ahead.

11:11 - End of the 3rd quarter with LA up 79-70.

11:15 - It appears that Lamar Odom took a hit to the family jewels. Actually, he took a knee to the family jewels.

11:16 - LA has expanded the lead to 12, and Boston calls time out.

11:22 - Lakers have expanded the lead to 14 with 9 minutes left. They've been able to up the pace to near what it was in the first quarter. Frantic.

11:24 - I'll take this moment that I'd like to see the NBA institute something the NHL has, in that only certain people talk to the officials.

11:26 - I do not think that when the offensive player fakes the defender up into the air, and then jumps into should be a foul. Casell did that to Faramir.

11:31 - LA up 7 with 6 minutes left.

11:32 - Pierce falls down, gets the ball to Posey for a 3. Craziness. When Pierce rolled over was properly not called a travel because he maintained a pivot foot, even though he was on the ground.

11:35 - LA's lead has shrunk to 2 with 5 minutes left in the game.

11:37 - Game tied. 4:30 left. I don't know if LA can hang onto this game.

11:39 - Garnett and Pierce have both just picked up their 5th foul. LA up by 1, 92-91 with 3:31 left.

11:46 - Pierce looks spent. I think he's played every minute, again.

11:47 - Gasol, quit your whining. You landed on Garnett's back. There's too much of that in the NBA, and Garnett just missed both free throws. LA up 95-93 with 2:14 left.

11:49 - There's no reason to chant MVP for someone, after they've already won it. You chant that when trying to campaign for them to win it.

11:51 - Lamar Odom, quit your crying. An over the back at the end of game should still be called. Pierce hits both free throws. LA up 2 with 1:12 left.

11:53 - Lakers get a steal to take a 4 point lead with 38 seconds left. Upon review, by steal, it really means that Kobe hit Pierce's side, and the ball squirted loose. So yeah, Pierce should have been on the line with a chance to tie it. But it's being called a great steal by Kobe.

11:56 - Boston unable to score, and Lakers have the ball. This may be the ball game.

11:58 - LA up by 5 with 24 seconds left.

12:00am - Boston misses a 3, and that should be the game. LA is on the line. Kobe makes it a 6 point game with 15 seconds left.

12:02 - They showed Kobe's "steal" again, and finally commented that it might not have been a steal. He wasn't close to the ball.

12:03 - Boston just hit a 3, and quite possibly should have gotten the ball back on a traveling call that was not made when Kobe fell to the floor with the ball, and slid.

12:04 - Lakers win 104-99 to force a game 6 in Boston. This was the perfect example of simply surviving.

Well, this was an interesting time, writing this live blog type thing. I doubt I will do it for game 6 or game 7, but I will probably do this occasionally for other events. Actually paying attention to this game did not change my opinion of the NBA.

Saturday Commentary: What Would You Do?

2008-06-14T18:43:00.003-04:00

On Monday, Ken Griffey hit his 600th career home run in Florida against the Marlins. A fan caught the ball. Griffey would like to keep the ball. The fan wants to auction it off. What would you do?

I agree with Gene Wojciechowski, in that the fan should give the ball to Griffey. I do not say this because I am a Griffey fan, but I say this because it is the right thing to do. Sure, giving the ball to Griffey is not the profitable thing to do, but doing the right is not usually profitable.

First off, he should have never been in a position to catch the ball in the first place. The man you caught the ball is a season ticket holder, who's tickets are not in right field. There is reserved seating for a reason. I know that he was probably not the only one that was out of his seat, but that does not make it right.

Secondly, I do not believe that people should make money off of the work of others. This person that caught the ball did not spend 20 years of his life playing professional baseball to reach the milestone. Why should he be compensated for this accomplishment?

I would probably look more favorably on this person if it weren't for a couple things. He's a season ticket holder. It is not likely he is hurting very much for money. I may be wrong here, but just sticking with probabilities. He also brought along an extra ball, just in case he caught the home run ball. When he did catch it, he threw the ball on the ground, and let people fight over it, trying to get to it, while he made an escape. Another thing going against this guy is that the person who caught Manny's 500th home run immediately gave it to him, without being asked, because he knew it was the right thing to do.

I hope that if it were I in this situation, I hope that I would do the right thing. What would you do? Would you try to profit off of history, or would you do the right thing?

Countdown to 600

2008-06-09T19:19:00.001-04:00

The countdown is over. In the first inning of Monday's game against the Marlins, Griffey hit 413-foot, 2-run shot for the 600th home run of his career.

Saturday Commentary: Big Brown and the Belmont

2008-06-07T19:34:00.003-04:00

Big Brown did not win the Belmont Stakes. He did not finish second either. In fact, he did not finish third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth. Big Brown, in his bid for the first triple crown win since 1978, he finished ninth, otherwise known in this race as last. Big Brown's jockey actually pulled up and coasted to the finish, after initially urging him on, and getting nothing. Fortunately, a post race inspection showed that the horse was still in good health. So, why this dramatic collapse after dominate wins in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness?

It was discovered after the Preakness that Big Brown had a crack in a hoof. Now, I do not know enough about horses to comment on how the treatment of this was handled. But, I do not doubt that this will be scrutinized by many people. I do not question the sincerity of the veterinarian in saying that Big Brown was fine to race.

The more likely cause of this failure is something that has been at issue for the past several tries at the Triple Crown. You had a horse running his third race in five weeks. Big Brown was the only horse in the field that had run in the Preakness. There were 3 others that had also run in the Derby. This issue of fatigue will probably bring up the issue of the schedule of the races, but it is unlikely to do anything. This schedule is set by tradition, and it is very difficult to change tradition.

There have been 11 Triple Crown winners, with the last one being Affirmed in 1978. This is longest stretch in which there has not been a Triple Crown winner. The previous had been between 1948-73. In the 70s, there were 4 winners. Oh, and by the way, the winner of this year's Belmont Stakes was Da'Tara.

Countdown to 600.....And It's All Part of the Plan, Again

2008-06-01T01:07:00.003-04:00

In the first inning of Saturday's game against the Braves, Griffey hit a 2-run home run for his 6th of the season, and 599th of his career.

1 to go.

Also today, the Reds blew an early 3 run lead to come back and tie the game in the ninth inning. Then in the bottom of the 10th, rookie Jay Bruce, who was called up Tuesday, as you may recall, hit his first major league home run to win the game. It was his first walk-off home run at any level.

Oops...Oh Well

2008-05-29T22:26:00.004-04:00

Well, as it turns out, Fisher really did foul Barry at the end of game 4 between the Lakers and the Spurs. This is according to the NBA. They acknowledged this fact on Wed. Unfortunately, the game was played Tuesday night. At the end of the game, the Lakers were up 93-91. With time winding down, Barry did a shot fake, Fisher jumped and landed on Barry, Barry shot and missed, end of the game. No foul was called when Fisher landed on Barry. Had there been a foul called, Barry would have gotten 2 free throws to possibly tie the game. Most of the talking heads on tv agreed that a foul should have been called, although one idiot on ESPN said the right call was made because Barry did not "sell" the foul. People "selling" fouls is a big problem in the NBA as it is, and one that I will comment on another time.

Now, it is nice that the NBA has admitted that a mistake was made, but there is nothing that really can be done once the game is over. Unfortunately, bad calls are a part of the game. It happens. Hopefully, it just happens to happen. One person on MSNBC.com does not think it just happened to happen. But, it is all in the past now, and game 5 is currently going on. Although, if this was the Democratic Primary, the Spurs would probably have demanded credit for those 2 free throws that they were not awarded, and awarded the win because it was their home game, and they had won the previous home game. (For more on the Democratic primary, check out Beyond The Nation.)

Jay Bruce Is Here

2008-05-27T22:44:00.004-04:00

The Reds have finally called up Jay Bruce, who many consider the #1 prospect in baseball. In his debut, he went 3 for 3, with 2 walks, and 2 RBIs, in a 9-6 win over the Pirates. There are many fans that feel like Bruce should have been starting in centerfield on Opening Day. However, management did not feel like he was quite ready to go. Corey Patterson was signed in the off-season to play center, but he had been having a horrible season. Today, the GM decided the time was right. I happen to agree with managements' decision to start him in Louisville. If you're not confident the eventual future of your organization is ready, you do not rush them. That is how top prospects become forgotten. I believe Homer Bailey was hurt by being called up last year, and that set him back, causing him to not be ready for this season. I also liked what I saw, and stories the announcers told about Griffey and Dunn spending time and joking around with Jay Bruce and Paul Janish before the game. It is important for the established vets to ease the transition for the rookies. Yes, I know every game for Bruce is not going to be like this, but it is nice to see his first one go well. And two shaving cream pies to the face is always fun to watch.

Countdown to 600

2008-05-22T22:13:00.001-04:00

In the top of the first inning, against the San Diego Padres, Griffey hit a two-run home run for his 5th of the season, and 598th of his career.

2 to go.

Dunn Does It Again

2008-05-17T23:10:00.003-04:00

The Reds won today on a 3-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. This is not the first time Adam Dunn has beaten the Indians with a walk-off home run. In 2006, Dunn won a game with a grand slam.

Saturday Commentary: Return of the Blade Runner

2008-05-17T11:51:00.003-04:00

No, Harrison Ford is not reprising his Blade Runner role as Rick Deckard. I am talking about a different blade runner, named Oscar Pistorius. This South African, double-amputee was born without a fibulae in each his legs. In order to run, he uses a blade like invention attached to what is left of his lower leg.

On January 14, the International Association of Athletics Federation ruled Pistorius ineligible to compete against "able-bodied" athletes because he would have an advantage against them. They believed that he used less energy running than runners with both of their legs. Their proof was a study done by a German professor named Gert Peter-Brueggerman. Pistorius appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sports. The CAS ruled in favor of Pistorius, claiming that the IAAF had failed to fully prove their case, citing an MIT study done by professor Hugh M. Herr that disagreed with Peter-Bueggerman's study.

However, being eligible to run in the Olympics does not mean that he necessarily will. Pistorius needs to improve his 400m time by nearly a second to qualify for the Olympics. If this does not occur, one possibility being floated around is that he could be named an alternate for the relay team. This would at least give him the possibility of participating in the Olympics.

The thing that is significant about this ruling, is that finally, a ruling body helps an athlete that has not done anything wrong. Pistorius did not ask to have his legs removed. Life would probably be easier for him if he had both of his legs. For the IAAF to say that he had an advantage over other runners was foolish and short-sighted. They saw something that was different, and took the easy way out. Maintaining status quo usually is the easy way out for a ruling body. The NCAA has been guilty of this on too many occasions, but that is a topic for another day. Issues are not always black and white, and fairness lies somewhere in the gray area. When the gray area is ignored, so is justice. Luckily, the CAS was there to favor the athlete, instead of status quo.

Information for this article was taken from the MSNBC.com article on the CAS ruling.

All Part of the Plan

2008-05-14T22:47:00.002-04:00

Going into the top of the 9th inning against the Marlins, the Reds had a 6 run lead. They then proceeded to blow said lead. First one by Cordero this season, granted he only gave up the final 2 of the 6. However, in the bottom of the 10th, with runners on first and second, two outs, and 2 strikes, Paul Janish hits a walkoff single to win the game. Who? Paul Janish. If you do not know who he is, do not feel bad. He was just called up from Louisville today, to replace the injured Jeff Kepinger. He entered the game in the eighth inning, and Baker allowed him to hit in the 10th. His first major league hit won his first major league game. To add to that, his mother had just happened to have traveled up from Houston to watch him play in Louisville yesterday.

Useless Things In Sports: Power Rankings

2008-05-13T21:07:00.003-04:00

This is the first edition of a new column I am starting here, titled "Useless Things In Sports." In this column, I will explore useless items that exist in the world of sports. This may include stats, phrases, equipment, rules, or anything else that catches my attention. Today's useless thing is "power rankings."

"Power rankings" are lists created by a group of "experts" to rank teams in the professional leagues from best to worst. They should not be confused with rankings in college sports that actually matter. In college, the various rankings have an affect on post-season play, and also with the perception among possible recruits. But back to "power rankings."

The catalyst that started this realization was seeing a debate about ESPN.com's NFL pre-season power rankings. I listened to a couple "analysts" vehemently debate where certain teams should be ranked, and I realized this was pointless. First, we are barely a couple weeks removed from the NFL draft. (To see my friend's comments on the 2009 mock draft, another useless thing, go to his blog, Beyond The Nation.) Training camps will not start for a couple months. There is no possible way anyone can honestly make a prediction on how players gained and lost in transactions and drafted will affect a team. This is true about any sport before the pre-season starts, not just the NFL.

So, pre-season rankings are useless, but what about "power rankings" that occur during the season? Useless as well. All professional leagues choose their playoff teams, and draft status based on the record at the end of the season. It does not matter if the team is "ranked" first or tenth. Their record is going to determine their status.

In conclusion, "power rankings" for professional leagues could disappear completely, and it would have absolutely no affect on the sport, or your enjoyment of it. So, you have one less thing during Sportscenter to watch. Oh well. Maybe they could take the time spent on discussing "power rankings" and talk about sports that are currently going on, that do not get much coverage.

Saturday Commentary: The Kentucky Derby

2008-05-10T17:12:00.003-04:00

Every year, the Kentucky Derby is run on the first Saturday in May. This was the 134th running of the race. I have had the honor of being a part of the tradition surrounding the event for the past 7 runnings. As a member of the University of Louisville Marching band, we perform the song "My Old Kentucky Home" as the horses step onto the track before the Derby. I have many fond memories of time involved with the Derby. One happened at my first Derby. Wynton Marsalis perfromed with us. Before the performance, he had an impromptu jam session with one of our tuba players named Raymond Green. Another moment happens when the wind is blowing in the correct direction. There are times when there is a brief moment of silence in the music, but due to the sound delays, we could hear the grandstand singing. Each time this happened, it gave me chills.

Big Brown won the race this year, which is odd for a couple reasons. First, the favorite does not usually win. There are just so many situations that can happen, that keep them favorite from winning. It is possible for them to get stuck in the middle, and simply never have a chance to make a run. This risk is compounded during years like this year, where there is a maximum field of 20 horses. Granted, a jockey can try to get out front immediately, but then it is very rare that a horse leads from start to finish. Another thing working against Big Brown this was him starting from the 20th post position. Starting that far out increases the risk that the horse will have to run wide around the first turn. Taking the turn wide either forces to horse to work harder to keep up, thus tiring it out quicker, or lose ground to the horses closer to the rail.

Sadly, the runner-up, the filly Eight Belles had to be euthanized after breaking both front legs, while trying to slow down after the race. While this is sad, and I do feel sorry for all the people involved with the horse, I will stop short of calling this a tragedy. A tragedy is when 100,000 people die from a cyclone. A tragedy is when a bridge collapses. A tragedy is when there is a mass amount of death and damage occurs, and not when a single horse, or even human dies. However, this event is proving to be a lightning rod for the horse racing industry. PETA has made their voices and demands heard. Of course, none of their demands are very realistic. Look them up if you want to. I am not posting them here. On the more respected side of the debate, how race horses are being bred today compared to decades ago is being examined.

Saturday Commentary: Congress to take on the BCS?

2008-04-26T12:31:00.001-04:00

"Lawmakers want probe of college football bowl system"

Happy NFL Draft Day. To all of those people that are going to watch the all day coverage of the draft, I think you are crazy. I will let you in on a little secret. Your favorite team is still going to draft the same people whether you watch it or not. I also promise that at some point during the draft they will draft someone that you do not want them to. So, do something else with your day, like watch hockey. NBC is showing Colorado at Detroit at 3:00.

Now, this entry is not entirely about the NFL Draft. Instead, it is going to discuss a resolution being brought up in Congress about the BCS. Three members of the House of Representatives have decided that they want the Justice Department's antitrust division to investigate the BCS, to see if it violates federal law. Those members of the house include Neil Abercrombie (D-HA), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), and Mike Simpson (R-ID). The rest of this entry will look at why this resolution is pointless, and nothing will come from it.

First, where the creators of this resolution are from weakens their argument. All 3 are from a state that has a team with a fairly recent complaint against the BCS. In 2004, Boise State and Utah both went undefeated, but Utah went to a BCS game, in which they beat Pitt. Boise State however, went to the Liberty Bowl, losing to Louisville. In the 2007 season, University of Hawaii was the only team to make it through the regular season undefeated, and while they did play in a BCS game, they did not have a chance to win the championship. Also in 2007, the University of Georgia believed that they were better than the two teams that did play for the championship. In order for any resolution to even be considered in a situation such as this, it should come from a neutral party, not a disgruntled fan.

Secondly, while the majority of fans do want to see a playoff system implented, most of the major conference schools are actually against it. Why are many schools in the major conferences against a playoff? The same reason smaller schools in the minor conferences are for it. Money. Major conferences have control of the money in the bowl games, and the minor conferences want a bigger share of it. After the 2005 season, another game was added to the BCS, and the ranking a non-BCS conference team needed to achieve was lowered, making it easier for a smaller school to play in a BCS game. While some may think that Congress could force this system to change, that is not the case, which brings us to my third point.

Thirdly, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is a voluntary organization. Schools choose to be a part of it. With that in mind, the NCAA does not actually manage the BCS. If a school does not like the system, then they do not have to participate in it. This volunteer membership will make it difficult to enforce any anti-trust laws.

There are other issues involved in this as well, but these are the major issues. I will bring you updates should this issue progress. However, I do not see that happening.

Countdown to 600

2008-04-24T12:16:00.001-04:00

Last night, in a loss to the Astros, Griffey hit his 4th home run of the season, 597th of his career.

3 to go.

Reds vs. Brewers 4/18 - 4/20

2008-04-21T19:58:00.003-04:00

Game 1 - 4/18
Brewers 5
Reds 2

WP: B. Sheets (3-0)
LP: B. Arroyo (0-2)
SV: E. Gagne (5)

Game 2 - 4/19
Brewers 5
Reds 3

WP: G. Mota (1-0)
LP: D. Weathers (0-2)
SV: E. Gagne (6)

Game 3 - 4/20
Brewers 3
Reds 4

WP: J. Burton (1-1)
LP: E. Gagne (1-1)

Thoughts
The Reds need to start scoring first. Granted, they need to start scoring more runs period, it is important that they start getting some leads for their pitchers. Even in the game 3 win, they had to come back twice. The Reds have only scored first in the game 5 times, winning 4 of those games. Whereas, they've scored second 14 times, having a recored of 4-10. If this trend continues of scoring second 3 times as much as scoring first, it is going to be a long season, and a lot of quality starting pitching is going to be wasted.

Encarnacion continues to be a frustrating player to watch. He will look like he has the potential to be a good player one moment, then the next moment, look like he should not be playing higher than double-A ball. In game 3 for example, he made a great defensive play, and had a home run to tie the game at 1. Then in the 10th inning, he had an error on a relatively easy ground ball that allowed, then came back in the bottom of the inning to hit the first of back-to-back home runs to tie the game. He also has 6 of the teams 11 errors.

Up next: 2 game series against Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles. First meeting of the year. Matt Belisle makes his return from rehabbing in Louisville, on Monday.

Overall record: 8-11
Series recored: 2-3-1

Danica Patrick Wins A Race

2008-04-20T13:02:00.002-04:00

Danica Patrick won the IndyCar Japan 300 to become the first female to win an IndyCar race. While this race was won at the end on fuel mileage, that should not lessen her victory. She is not the first driver to win playing the fuel game, and she will not be the last. It is just a part of racing, getting the most out of your equipment.

And while this win is historical, it also gets the proverbial monkey off her back. One announcer made the comment that she is no longer the Anna Kournikova of racing. It is not like Danica had not been successful in her career, gaining many top 5 and top 10 finishes. However, this is the elusive win that she needed to cement her place in racing.

NBA Playoffs vs. NHL Playoffs

2008-04-19T12:49:00.003-04:00

Well, the NBA playoffs have begun today, and this being a blog about sports, I thought I should comment on them. So, here's my comment on them. I wish the NHL playoffs were more widely televised instead. Even though game 1 of the Cleveland/Washington series is on my T.V. right now, that is more a product that it is currently 12:54 on a Saturday afternoon, and there is nothing else on.

I simply do not like NBA basketball. Give me college basketball any day. However, this entry is not meant to go into the differences of the two brands of basketball. Instead, I will talk about why I would rather be watching the NHL playoffs instead.

First, the NHL playoffs are more exciting than the NBA playoffs. There are many reasons for this, a couple of which will be discussed in the next two points, but simply put, the NHL is more exciting. The complaint that there is not enough scoring in hockey is hogwash. Yes, I said hogwash. The amount of scoring in the game has no relation to the quality or excitement of the game. In fact, I believe that the infrequency of goals is what adds to the excitement of hockey.

Secondly, NHL players are more passionate about the game. I know that NBA players talk a lot talk before, during and after the games, and will show emotion during the games, but that does not compare to NHL players. I have watched a lot of games in my life, and I cannot think of any sport other than hockey where the team plays harder for the entire game.

Finally, NHL players have less of an ego than NBA players. How often do you see stories on Sportscenter about an NHL player running their mouth about how great they are? Very rarely, if ever. How often do you see stories about an NBA player expressing their greatness? Quite often. Sometimes, I believe that many NBA players want to win to simply to prove to everyone else of how great they are. In contrast, in hockey, they want to win to become part of the tradition of the Stanely Cup.

These were just a few reasons I wish the NHL playoffs were shown more frequently on stations that I actually get. If you agree or disagree, let your opinion be known.

Reds vs. Cubs 4/15 - 4/17

2008-04-18T19:47:00.001-04:00

Game 1 - 4/15
Reds 5
Cubs 9

WP: R. Dempster (2-0)
LP: A. Harang (1-2)

Game 2 - 4/16
Reds 3
Cubs 12

WP: C. Zambrano (2-1)
LP: J. Fogg (1-2)

Game 3 - 4/17
Reds 9
Cubs 2

WP: E. Volquez (2-0)
LP: T. Lilly (0-3)

Countdown to 600

2008-04-17T23:08:00.001-04:00

Tonight, in a win over the Cubs, Griffey hit his 3rd home run of the season, bringing him 596 for his career.

4 to go.

Countdown to 600

2008-04-16T15:59:00.001-04:00

Griffey hit home run #595 last night in a loss to the Cubs.

5 to go.

Reds vs. Pirates 4/11 - 4/13

2008-04-14T14:11:00.000-04:00

Game 1 - 4/11
Reds 0
Pirates 1

WP: J. Grabow (1-0)
LP: J. Burton (0-1)
SV: M. Capps (2)

Game 2 - 4/12
Reds 3
Pirates 4

WP: I. Snell (2-0)
LP: M. Lincoln (0-1)
SV: M. Capps (3)

Game 3 - 4/13
Reds 1
Pirates 9

WP: T. Gorzelanny (1-1)
LP: J. Cueto (1-1)

Reds vs. Brewers 4/8 - 4/10

2008-04-13T13:54:00.001-04:00

Game 1 - 4/8
Reds 2
Brewers 3

WP: S. Torres (1-0)
LP: D. Weathers (0-1)

Game 2 - 4/9
Reds 12
Brewers 4

WP: J. Fogg (1-1)
LP: D. Bush (0-2)

Game 3 - 4/10
Reds 4
Brewers 1

WP: A. Harang (1-1)
LP: C. Villanueva (1-1)
SV: F. Cordero (2)

Reds vs. Phillies 4/4 - 4/7

2008-04-12T14:21:00.002-04:00

Game 1 - 4/4
Phillies 8
Reds 4

WP: W. Kendrick (1-0)
LP: J. Fogg (0-1)

Game 2 - 4/5
Phillies 3
Reds 4

WP: F. Cordero (1-0)
LP: C. Durbin (0-1)

Game 3 - 4/6
Phillies 2
Reds 8

WP: E. Volquez (1-0)
LP: B. Myers (0-1)

Game 4 - 4/7
Phillies 5
Reds 3

WP: C. Hamels (1-1)
LP: B. Arroyo (0-1)
SV: B. Lidge (1)

Good Series
Ken Griffey, Jr. - Went 4 of 10, with his first home run of the season in game 3. FYI, a countdown to 600 will start after he hits one more to reach 595.

Jarred Burton - Over 2 games, pitched 2.1 innings of relief, striking out 4, walking one, and allowed no earned runs.

Jeff Keppinger - Went 6 of 16, with 4 RBI.

Bad Series
Josh Fogg - Started game 1, going 4 innings, giving up 6 earned runs and 3 walks.

Adam Dunn - Went 2 of 13, striking out 3 times in game 4.

Bronson Arroyo - Started game 4, giving up 5 earned runs in 5.2 innings, giving up 4 home runs.

Thoughts
Volquez had a good debut. Fogg did not. Even though it is still early, Fogg is the starting pitcher that is on the hot seat. Belisle has started his rehab, and when he returns to the line up, someone is most likely going to be sent down to Louisville. A bullpen spot would be possible, but so far, the bullpen has been solid.

Overal record: 4-3
Series record: 1-0-1

Next up: 3 games at Milwaukee

Olympic Torch Protests

2008-04-06T13:55:00.002-04:00

I am going to make what I say perfectly clear, even though I know the message will never reach anyone it should. LEAVE THE TORCH ALONE!

What China is doing in Tibet is vile and deserves to be punished. However, the Olympics do not deserve to be punished for the actions of the host country. The Olympics are not responsible for those actions. When someone tries to interrupt an Olympic event, in this case the running of the torch, they are not impacting the host country, but rather the participants.

These participants have earned the honor of carrying the torch, or in the athletes case, have spent their entire lives training for something that happens once every four years. It is wrong to take from them the enjoyment of their moment. Specifically, what I am referring to are the events that happened in London. Here's the story on MSNBC.com. It is unfortunate that some people are so focused on something, that they cannot see the bigger picture of the consequences of their actions.

Reds vs. Diamondbacks 3/31 - 4/3

2008-04-03T21:08:00.003-04:00

Game 1
Arizona 4 WP: B. Webb (1-0)
Cincinnati 2 LP: A. Harang (0-1)
S: B. Lyon (1)

Game 2
Arizona 5 WP: J. Affeldt (1-0)
Cincinnati 6 LP: B. Lyon (0-1)

Game 3
Arizona 2 WP: J. Cueto (1-0)
Cincinnati 3 LP: D. Davis (0-1)
S: F. Cordero (1)

Good Series
Johnny Cueto - Making his major league debut, he struck out 10 in 7 innings, had 0 walks and only allowed 1 home run, a solo shot in the 6th inning. Until that home run, he had a perfect game going.

Jeff Keppinger - Went 5 for 10, with 2 walks, a double, a solo home run, and only one strikeout.

Edwin Encarnacion - In game two, hit a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 9th.

Bad Series
Ken Griffey, Jr. - Went 1 for 9, with 3 strikeouts, but did manage to get 3 walks.

Brandon Phillips - Even though he went 4 for 12, he struck out 5 times.

David Weathers - Gave up 3 walks in 1.1 innings during the series.

Thoughts
It was encouraging that a couple pitchers that were brought in to improve the staff did not disappoint. Cordero did what he was brought in to do, and closed out the game, and Cueto performed well in the #3 starter spot. Harang and Arroyo did not have bad starts, but they were plagued by errors by Encarnacion. Strikeouts continue to be a problem for this team. In 88 at-bats, there were a total of 21 strikeouts, compared to 17 hits. To have a successful season, this number needs to be reversed. Phillips cannot strikeout this much if he is going to be batting fourth.

Overall record: 2-1
Series record: 1-0-0

Next up: 4 game series against Philadelphia

Thoughts on the 2nd round

2008-03-23T21:03:00.002-04:00

-Overall, I finished 11 of 16 for the round. 1 game shy of my goal.
-Notre Dame not showing up against Washington St. surprised me. Harangody had a decent game with 22 rebounds, but the offense was not there.
-Davidson upsetting Georgetown is another result I never saw coming. I did not see that game, so I'm not sure exactly how it happened.
-North Carolina, Louisville, Kansas, Washington St. all rolled easily into Sweet Sixteen.
-Performance in one round does not always translate to how a team will perform in the next round, but too many teams had trouble with teams the should have handled easily today. I am looking at Tennessee, Memphis, Texas, and UCLA.
-There are 3 double digit seeds left in the tournament. Anyone of them can advance, but more on that in my Sweet Sixteen preview on Wednesday.

Day 2 of the NCAA Tournament

2008-03-22T13:36:00.003-04:00

-Was 9 of 16 on Day 2. Barely reached my goal of 24 or 32 for the first round.
-My Four Four lost one when San Diego beat UConn.
-This was the first time that four underdogs at one site won. The site was Tampa. The games were Western Kentucky over Drake, San Diego over UConn, Sienna over Vandy, and Villanova over Clemson. I only saw one of those coming.
-Louisville beat Boise State, which seemed be some people's upset pick. But that's the way it's been the past couple tournaments we've been in. Last year, some were picking Stanford to win. In 2005, it Louisiana-Lafayette. Louisville was not in the tournament in 2006, but they did go to the NIT Final Four, which gave me a second trip to NYC that March (look for a blog on stories from tournament experiences coming soon).
-Half of my losses are in the 8/9 and 7/10 games. 3 more losses came from the Tampa craziness, and I thought St. Joe's would beat Oklahoma.

Things to watch for in the second round.
-The Pitt/Michigan St. game is going to be a giant defensive struggle. Some might even call it ugly. How that game is officiated is going to play a big role in it.
-It will be interesting to see how the freshman at Kansas St. handle the pace and defense that Wisconsin will bring.
-Which Marquette will show up against Stanford?
-Don't be surprised if West Virginia upsets Duke today.

Day 1 of NCAA Tournament

2008-03-21T06:52:00.003-04:00

Here are my thoughts about Day 1 of the NCAA Men's basketball tournament.

-I went 15 of 16 in my picks for the day. The only game I missed was UNLV vs. Kent State. I did manage to call the only upset of the day, Kansas State over USC.
-Kansas State was able to overcome Beasley getting 2 fouls in the first 5 minutes of the game. They actually thrived then.
-Duke got lucky. Belmont forgot how to play basketball in the last minute of the game.
-Wisconsin managed to do what always do, win. No, it isn't flashy, but it doesn't have to be.
-George Mason will not be this year's George Mason. Even with a comical pre-game talk from their coach, George Mason was not able to overcome Notre Dame's talent.
-There was at least one good game continuously going on. Except from 5-7, when they didn't show the Stanford/Cornell game in favor of showing the news. Stupid news.
-Georgia gave me a scare. I was not looking forward to losing a Sweet Sixteen team in the first game of the day, but fortunately Xavier was able to send them back to reality.
-Kentucky/Marquette was a good game. Marquette was just able to have a good night, and counter everything Kentucky threw at them. However, Marquette can be very streaky, so look for a bad game coming up.

Impacts on the Tournament

2008-03-19T12:50:00.001-04:00

Here are a couple seemingly minor things that will have an impact on this year's tournament.

Officiating:
There was an article this week on ESPN.com about the decline in the level of officiating this year, citing blown calls late in close games. While officiating in a late game situation always has the potential to influence a game, what I am referring to is how the entire game is officiated. A game that is called tightly will favor a quick finesse team. Whereas, a game that is allowed to be physical will favor bigger, physical teams. Also, see if the game is called differently in the second half than it was in the first half. Teams are not the only ones that make adjustments at halftime. Officials will get together, and discuss things they need to do. A team will have a better chance to succeed if they are able to quickly adjust to the way the game is being called. Going along with officiating, is does a key player get into foul trouble quickly? Is the team able overcome the loss of a key player?

Style of Play:
Every team has a style that they would like to play. If you get two teams with the same style, then it is just a matter of who is better. But often in the tournament, this is not the case. One team is often able to dictate the style or the tempo of the game, forcing the other team to match them. If a team is unable to match, then often they lose. Usually, this is how upsets occur. The underdogs are able to dictate the speed of the game, usually by slowing the game down, and the favorites try to speed up the game, only to make too many mistakes.

Coming 3/20: Reactions to Day 1 of the first round.

Problems with the Play-In Game

2008-03-18T20:27:00.003-04:00

For those of you that think the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins on Thursday, you are wrong. Right now, Mount St. Mary's is playing Coppin State in Dayton, OH in the "opening round" game of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of this game will be the #16 seed against North Carolina. That is some prize for winning a game that you've had 48 hours to prepare for, including time to travel.

The "opening round" game, or "play-in" game as most people call it, was created several years ago when the number of conferences with automatic bids increased by 1, from 30 to 31. Instead of eliminating an at-large spot, this play-in game was created. The selection committee takes the bottom two rated teams in the tournament, and has them play on Tuesday in Dayton. The winner becomes the final #16 seed. Officials try to deny that this is a play-in game by calling it opening round game, but the fact is that one of these teams with a supposedly automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament will never actually reach the Tournament. This is not right. A team that has won its way into the tournament should not be left out so that a team that nearly lost its way out of the tournament can be included.

Here is how I think it should be changed, along with a proposal for expansion of the tournament. First, get rid of the play-in game that we have now. For example, this year, that would knock out Villanova, since they are the lowest seeded at-large team. Instead, create four play-in games for the final four spots in the tournament. In these games you would have the last four teams that would make it into the tournament play the first four teams left out of the tournament. If this were the scenario this year, it would put Kentucky, Baylor, Kansas State, and St. Joe's against Villanova, and whoever the next 3 would be. The winner would gain a spot in the tournament. This would allow those small conference teams that won their way into the tournament to have a tournament experience, and would also give teams on the bubble one final chance to show that they belong in the tournament.

Of course, all of this is just my humble opinion. Having participated in 4 NCAA tournaments as a member of the University of Louisville Pep Band, there is something special about arriving at a tournament site, and seeing all of the other fans there. I firmly believe that a team that wins their way into the tournament should be allowed to experience this, and not be relegated to what amounts to nothing more than a single game on some neutral court. If you'd like more clarification, just leave a comment, and I will answer your question.

Coming 3/19: What minor things will have an impact on this year's tournament?

NCAA Tournament

2008-03-16T19:41:00.003-04:00

As with every year, someone is unhappy because some team got left out while a "less deserving" team got in. This year is no exception. Having watched the Selection Show on CBS, and the Bracketology special on ESPN, I am seeing and hearing the same basic things that I usually hear at this time of year. How did Team A get in over Team B, when Team B beat Team A? How did Team C get left out when they are from the best conference, and that conference did not have the most teams in the tournament? How can we fix this problem in future tournaments?

The first question is a hot topic on ESPN's show, regarding Arizona getting in over Arizona State. And the simple answer to that is that selection into the tournament is not ultimately boiled down to two games. I do not know what Arizona's RPI is, but I do know that Arizona's State RPI is 88, with a non-conference schedule in the 300s. Sure, Arizona State had a one-game lead in conference record over Arizona, but the first half of the season cannot be ignored. If the conference schedule is all that should matter, then what is the point to keeping track of what happens in the non-conference schedule. Too much emphasis is put on the end of the season.

The answer to the second question is that which conference a team is from should not be a determining factor in the selection process. Who the team plays is already factored into RPI and strength of schedule. There is not a need to consider it a third time. And with these larger conferences, an imbalanced schedule is skewing one team's success within a strong conference.

The answer I am hearing for the final question is that the tournament should expand. I think this would be a bad decision. As Jay Bilas said on ESPN, I think it was him anyways, is that the only thing that teams on the edge of being selected have proven is that they all can lose. Everyone has a conference tournament, so everyone has a chance to win their way into the tournament. Ultimately, no one can complain if they do not make it into the tournament.

Coming on Tuesday 3/18: Why the NCAA Tournament "play-in game" needs to be changed.