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1.31.2007
Super Bowl media day: Since there is very little to write about the Super Bowl for an entire two weeks, the Tuesday media session each year is as much about the sideshow as the game. Most players are too savvy to give bulletin board material, so they tend to be on the bland side. The only sizzle comes from credentialed "reporters" who couldn't write a story if their lives depended on it. They provide enough comic relief to make the day interesting. One such incident was captured by Sports Illustrated:
A scantily clad beauty from TV Azteca is interviewing the Bears' Dante Wesley and Tyler Everett and asks each one to kiss her on the cheek. But when they come in for the kill, she kneels down, hoping they will kiss each other. They stop in time. "Oh, I see how it is," says Wesley. "I see." The petite beauty then hugs Wesley and tackles him to the ground. "You're strong," says Wesley. --Jim Buzinski
1.30.2007
Barbaro's race is finally over. This morning Barbaro lost his gallant charge to get to one more finish line -- surviving the ongoing complications of the broken leg that he suffered in the Preakness last year. His owners said they would know when and if it was time to put him down, and animals always let you know when it's time -- when they can't go on.
There's a saying that certain horses have "a heart as big as a battleship." Barbaro is one of those. Likely the flags will be at half mast at many tracks across the country.
Outsports readers who want more information can find many stories, including this Newsday story. -Patricia Nell Warren
The Tiger-Federer debate: Tiger Woods pulled off another stellar fourth round on Sunday, coming back from two shots down to win the Buick Invitational, his seventh consecutive PGA Tour victory (the second longest streak in tour history).
His victory came coincidentally on the same day that Roger Federer won his 10th grand slam tournament, opening the door to the growing debate of who is the more dominant athlete in his sport: Federer or Woods?
It's impossible to say for sure. Both men are headed to career benchmarks that would label them in almost any circle as the greatest athlete their sport has ever seen. Both men have incredible streaks (I personally think that Woods' streak of 142 consecutive cuts made is one of the two or three greatest records in all of sports), both are dominating their sport as though they were playing against high schoolers, and both have several prime years ahead of them.
For my money, what Woods is doing is more impressive; But Federer is the more dominant "athlete." In a footrace or a game of one-on-one, I'd take Federer over Woods in a heartbeat. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
1.29.2007
Federer, Williams win: Roger Federer continued to show that he's on one level in men's tennis and everyone else is playing for second place. In winning the Australian Open, Federer became the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win every set of a Grand Slam event. He also won his 10th Grand Slam and has won 36 straight matches. Only Rafael Nadal, who beat Federer in the French Open last year, has come close to denting his aura of invincibility.
On the women's side, Serena Williams showed she is back with a crushing straight-sets win in the Final over Maria Sharpova that took slightly more than an hour. Like them or not, the Williams sisters bring interest to their sport so it was good to see Serena back on top.
Weir finishes third: Johnny Weir's bid to win his fourth straight U.S. men's figure skating title was dashed by a great performance by Evan Lysacek in the long program this weekend. Weir, who slipped during his long performance, finished third behind Ryan Bradley.
"He beat me by 30 points," Weir said about Lysacek. "He didn't just beat me, he kicked my ass. But I'm proud our U.S. champion did so well. I know how well I skated the last three years, and I wouldn't have wanted to be beaten by something that was subpar." --Jim Buzinski
1.27.2007
Tennis, anyone? Anyone?: As Jim B.'s post yesterday emphasized for the nine billionth time, team sports can be bastions of homophobia. And while college tennis is played by "teams", it's really an individual sport (yes, yes, I know, doubles). Anywho, this story combines two elements that we Jock Talk writers love to search for: homophobic idiots and hazing.
Both elements were present last year in New Haven, Connecticut, home of Yale University. Men's tennis team members donned women's underwear and fishnet stockings, posed as members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, went to various dining halls and made asses of themselves. Fine, that's what college students do. However, the people being initiated in to the team had to wear signs on their backs that said "I'm a faggot, insert here". Charming.
While I understand the reasons that drag and anti-gay slurs are part of the initiation process, what I'll never get is why people submit to the ludicrous rituals that are supposed to be a team building exercise. Sure, the people on the receiving end, as it were, don't really have many options, but sexist, homophobic humiliation certainly wouldn't make me feel like part of a team, let alone want to contribute to it. --Jim Allen
1.26.2007
Players shave 'gay' mustaches: Two members of the Florida Panthers NHL team have shaved their mustaches after players from the Vancouver Canucks said they looked gay during a Jan. 7 game. "Their guys were calling me gay," Panthers captain Olli Jokinen (photo) told The Palm Beach Post. Teammate and fellow Finn Ville Peltonen also shaved his 'stache.
"There were a couple of idiots over there," Jokinen said. "Obviously you don't hear Markus Naslund calling anybody gay. He wouldn't do that. But that's what this game has come to now ... there's not as much respect as there used to be."
The two Finns were the last of their team to shave their mustaches after a mid-December pact among the Panthers. The team had 10 wins at the time and were not going to shave until they had 20. It's probably good that they got out their razors since Florida has only 18 wins and the players' mustaches would have gotten tangled in their skates by now.
As Elvis Costello sang, I used to be disgusted but now I try to be amused. That's how I feel about this story. If the Canucks did call the Finns "gay" and not "faggot," it shows that at least NHL players have slightly more class than Joey Porter of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. And, as a clean-shaven fan myself, I applaud the smooth look and wonder if the taunting Canucks were secret metrosexuals concerned with good grooming; or maybe some of the Canucks had a crush on the two Finns and wanted them to look their best. And I also wonder why Jokinen, 6-3 and 215 pounds, and Peltonen, 5-11 and 185 pounds, would even care what opposing players said; why not settle it the traditional NHL way -- with their fists. As Panthers coach Jacques Martin said, "You can't worry about what other people say. ... That kind of talk shows a lack of class."
Jokinen, being from Finland, which offers same-sex civil unions, added that, "If somebody is gay, there's nothing wrong with that." That's a nice sentiment, so why get so rattled about being called it? Why not laugh it off and retort, "You wish."? I suspect the person egging on the Canucks was Panthers trainer Jim Pizzutelli. According to the Post, Pizzutelli, "who was also in on the agreement, won $500 for being the last man still wearing" a mustache. --Jim Buzinski
1.25.2007
Jock Talk is taking the day off.
1.24.2007
A Sunny streak: The Phoenix Suns won their 14th straight NBA game on Tuesday, a 127-105 drubbing of the Washington Wizards. With the win, the Suns are now 33-8, a great record, but amazingly they are still not the top team in the West. That distinction belongs to the 35-8 Dallas Mavericks. The Suns are nine games better than any team in the mediocre East. The real joke is the Atlantic Division, where the New Jersey Nets lead with a 20-21 record.
Is he a 'Cocks fan?: Some things you just can't make up: A tattoo artist from Argentina is facing a lawsuit after drawing a penis on the back of an Argentinean football fan instead of his favorite team's official logo.
The teenager was a fan of Boca Junior and went to get a tattoo with their logo. But the artist was a fan of Boca's rival River Plate and he decided a penis was a more appropriate symbol. The teen only became aware when he went home and proudly displayed his new look for his parents. Too bad he doesn't root for the University of South Carolina, then it would have fit right in. --Jim Buzinski
1.23.2007
Parcells quits: It rated as big news on ESPN, which overhypes all things Cowboys, but I yawned when Bill Parcells announced his retirement Monday after four years. Parcells has been living off his two Super Bowl wins for 16 years and was a mediocre 34-32 with the Cowboys and no playoff wins.
Parcells says he has retired, but he's said that before only to resurface for some owner willing to pay a bundle for a talented but overrated coach known to grab more headlines than his players. Don't be surprised to see his name among leading candidates for jobs in 2008.
Serena in the semis: Don't look now, but a familiar tennis face is making a run at the Australian Open. Serena Williams, ranked 81st and unseeded after an injury-plagued 2006, survived a three-set match to beat to beat 16th-seeded Shahar Peer 3-6, 6-2, 8-6. Williams is not the same dominant player she once was, but her marquee name and pedigree is good for women's tennis, which is suffering from the lack of recognizable and dominant stars. --Jim Buzinski
1.22.2007
Super Bowl set: The Super Bowl between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts will feature the first African American coaches in the big game. Their teams took different routes Sunday to get there. Conference championship game notes.
1.20.2007
Knife Edge: Back in September, 2006, we mentioned one of the more bizarre stories of the year: a backup punter for the Northern Colorado football allegedly stabbed the starter on the team in the leg because....well, it wasn't really clear why. However, a measure of clarity was achieved this week when Mitch Cozad was bound over for trial for inflicting a 3-5 inch knife wound in Rafael Mendoza's kicking leg.
Cozad will now go to trial on attempted first-degree murder and second-degree assault charges, convictions which carry sentences of up to 48 years in prison. Cozad allegedly knocked Mendoza to the pavement outside of Mendoza's apartment house, tried to stab him in the chest and ended up knifing him in the leg. How pathetic that Mitch Cozad thought he could get away with it, in these days of a strand of hair being enough to convict someone, but even more that he felt he couldn't win the starting punter's job by, you know, kicking the damn ball better. Genius move, Mitch Cozad, sheer genius.
Cubs get a pitcher: There's a history of guys starting out in pro baseball, usually in the minors, but giving up the sport to play pro football. As I joke to Jim B., "the curve ball will do that to an athlete". Jeff Samardzija had a great college career as a receiver for Notre Dame but he's going to be the one throwing those curve balls now.
Samardzija was projected as a first round NFL pick but he's staying with the Chicago Cubs, with whom he had a minor league stint last year. He's got a 97-mile an hour fastball, the Cubs are projecting him to be a starter a few years down the road, but the real reason was simple: he loved baseball more than football. Despite being from Notre Dame, gotta love a guy for that. Let's see what a few years with the hapless, and no longer "loveable losers" Cubs does to his attitude, though. --Jim Allen
1.19.2007
London Calling: I just again watched the YouTube video that Jim
linked to on Wednesday, with the three British lads screaming at the TV
during the recent Indianapolis Colts v. Baltimore Ravens playoff game.
After an announcement this week, those three lads might not
have to confine the object of their screaming to just a television.
The NFL, in a probably futile bid to expand their sport outside of U.S. borders
and a country with a large presence of U.S. troops (Germany), announced
that London's brand spanking new Wembley Stadium will host a regular
season NFL game, probably featuring the Miami Dolphins and New York
Giants. The game will be played 6:00 p.m. in London, meaning, for
example, that Jim B. and I can watch it at 10:00 a.m. here in Los Angeles.
The Clueless Quote In the Press Release goes to new NFL commish Roger Goodell: "London is one of the great cities of the world with an established and growing fan base for our game". The "great cities of the world" part is true, it's the "established" part that's slightly risible. If by "established" he means "So small that it caused the NFL Europe team based there to be renamed the England Monarchs, the whole franchise ending after a mere three years in 1998", then sure. It'll probably be like when Manchester United tours the United States: curious sports fans will go, but that doesn't indicate a groundswell of support for the sport itself.
As post on a British message board for the real football (i.e. soccer) that I lurk at once memorably said "The NFL was popular here when we saw just highlights of the games. Once the full games were shown, it died a death". Oh well, the NFL can't get a team in Los Angeles but they can play on other continents, good for them.
Atlanta Calling: Earlier this month, Bobby Petrino, who had signed a 10-year contract with the University of Louisville to coach football there in July of 2006, jumped shipped from the Cardinals and signed a five-year deal to coach the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. I wonder if events of the last few days have him regretting his decision, apart from having to pay Louisville a million bucks as compensation for breaking his contract?
Quarterback Michael Vick was detained at Miami International Airport this week for a suspicious water bottle. Even in these days of heightened airport security, what makes a water bottle suspicious? Hmmm...could it be that it reeks of marijuana? In an incident that is similar to the case of former Vikings player Onterrio Smith being caught with a Whizzinator (a device used to mask drugs in urine tests), Vick's water bottle turns out to be something I see advertised for in High Times: it's actually a fake, and comes apart so that you can store your stash without arousing suspicion. According to the reports I read about this, maybe Vick spaced on the "arouse suspicion" part because it seems he put the recently smoked remains of a joint in the fake bottle. Not a great idea, considering how pungent marijuana can be even un-smoked. D'oh!
The Falcons downplayed the incident, of course, but they have to wonder if Vick is the quarterback they want to go forward with. Apart from issues at the position, like, oh, he's a pretty bad passer of the ball, this is the second incident in three months that's caused unwanted publicity. He flipped off home fans who were heckling the team as they left the field after a 31-13 loss to New Orleans, paid a fine and apologized publicly.
I'm certainly not going to be a hypocrite and criticize Michael Vick for puffing on a joint, but in the intense glare of the NFL, it does show a distinct lack of judgment. He needs to look no further than Miami itself to see the example of a player who threw away an NFL career for the love of the bud: Ricky Williams. --Jim Allen
1.18.2007
U.S. wrestlers in Iran: Despite tensions between the two countries, a group of 14 American wrestlers got a warm greeting when they arrived in Iran for a meet. "The Americans, wearing jackets emblazoned with 'USA Wrestling,' were given the warm greeting by young girls in traditional Iranian dresses at an airport in the southern city of Bandar Abbas." The Americans were also exempt from being fingerprinted at the airport, something Iranians who travel to the U.S. are subjected to.
It's too pat to say that athletes could bring countries closer together, though the spirit of competition generally has a unifying effect. This is true of the Olympics and of international gay events like the Gay Games. Back in the early 1970s "ping-pong diplomacy" was credited with helping thaw relations between the U.S. and China.
Marty stays: Ending days of speculation, the San Diego Chargers announced that Marty Schottenheimer will be back as coach in 2007. Most people thought Schottenheimer was a goner after the Chargers gagged in their 24-21 playoff loss to New England, giving him a 5-13 playoff record. The way the Chargers lost -- with dumb penalties, dropped passes and numerous bad coaching decisions -- made it look as if Schottenheimer's day were numbered.
But the Chargers decided that a 14-2 regular season record warranted another chance; at least that's what they said publicly. In reality, it appears that the team simply couldn't find anyone better to replace him at the time. The Chargers offered Schottenheimer a one-year extension of $4.5 million but included a $1 million buyout at their discretion; Schottenheimer said no and will coach the last year of his contract at $3 million. If he does not make the Super Bowl next year, Schottenheimer will almost certainly be fired. My choice to replace him in 2008? Try Bill Cowher, the ex-Steelers coach who is taking a year off and would be a perfect fit for the Chargers' personnel. --Jim Buzinski
1.17.2007
Triple-OT thriller: I find it hard to get too excited about college basketball in January since we have a tournament that settles everything. But there was a classic played Tuesday night between Oklahoma State and Texas, with the hometown Cowboys pulling out a 105-103 triple-overtime win.
Mario Boggan scored 37 points, but none bigger than his 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left to give Oklahoma State the win. "When it left my hand, I knew it was going to go in. It felt like it was going in," said Boggan. "Not to be just saying that, it actually felt good coming off my hand." Texas coach Rick Barnes realized he had been in a classic, saying, "I don't know if I'll ever be involved in another one like that."
Brits do the NFL: Being an Indianapolis Colts fan, I am paying a lot of attention to this week's AFC championship game between the Colts and the New England Patriots. I had a great laugh when I stumbled across this YouTube video of three Colts fans in England watching the playoff win over Baltimore. What's funny is that they are all wearing No. 18 Peyton Manning jerseys, yet say things like "it's 6-nil" for the score. It's the language, though, that makes it funny -- raw and laced with expletives, which are always more amusing when said with a British accent. The best occurs at the 5:37 mark of the video after the Colts iced the game with a field goal. "Baltimore is a shitty place," Jordan James, one of the fans, says. "I'm going to go to Baltimore and I'm going to shit on you all." Ah, just what the NFL needs, soccer hooligans. --Jim Buzinski
1.16.2007
Brady or Manning?: One of the subplots in this week's AFC Championship game is the quarterback battle between Peyton Manning of the Colts and Tom Brady of the Patriots. Manning wins at least one round: According to a survey by Sony, Manning was picked as the quarterback American women would "most like to see up close in HDTV."
The choices were Manning, Brady, Atlanta's Michael Vick, Green Bay's Brett Favre and Tennessee's Vince Young. Manning won with 21% of the vote.
The vote got a lot of comments on a Colts message board, with fans of both QBs picking sides. Said a Brady supporter: "OK, speaking as a female WITH HDTV, there is NO FREAKIN WAY I'd rather see a guy with a head the shape of a lightbulb over Tom Brady!!!!!! Were these women blind???" Countered a Manning backer: "I think the commercials of him in his fuzzy bathrobe being nice to the paperkid make him seem more ideal husband like. LOL. It's not all about looks, but Tom is prettier than lots of girls ... which is kind of a turn off."
My vote? They're both pretty hot but I would choose Manning. He's more of a football geek than Brady and I can envision a date of dinner and computer football before bed. I know that among Outsports readers, Brady would probably win in a landslide. --Jim Buzinski
1.15.2007
Apology for Weir remarks: The producer of an ice skating show has apologized for comments one of its host made about Johnny Weir, comments that many (including me) found homophobic.
Jerry Solomon, executive producer, on behalf of Nancy Kerrigan and the cast and crew of "Nancy Kerrigan's World of Skating" send this in response to the outcry from Weir's fans: "We understand that Mark Lund's comments on "Reflections Off the Ice: Countdown to the National Skating Championships" have caused quite a reaction. Anyone that knows Mark knows that he is not mean-spirited nor prone to personal attacks. In fact, as a former skater himself, founder of International Figure Skating Magazine and a regular commentator on the world of skating, Mark has a history of promoting and protecting the sport and its participants.
"If Mark's comments regarding Johnny Weir have offended anybody we sincerely apologize. Nancy made this known publicly on CN8's "Your Morning" show on Thursday, January 11. In case there is any doubt, we all think very highly of Johnny and had actually hoped he would join us on the show to help us preview the Nationals (he was not available). Johnny Weir is and has been a great and entertaining US Champion and we wish him all the best in the upcoming US Nationals.
"Finally, we want to thank you for taking the time to let us know your feelings. It is our intent to report on figure skating and promote the sport through a variety of means. We have no interest in deliberately causing controversy or raising issues that are not in the best interests of the sport. We agree that in this instance, Mark's comments may have crossed the line. We hope you accept this apology in the spirit that it is given and hope you will enjoy future shows that try to bring you behind the scenes and on the ice."
Lund, who is openly gay, took these shots at Weir on the show: "I can't wrap my head around how overly out he is without saying he's out," Lund said. "I'm sorry, but I dont think he's representative of the community I want to be a part of. & And who designs these outfits? You cannot compare yourself to the Lord's savior as a figure skater." Lund went on to sing the praises of Weir's chief rival, Evan Lysacek, who projects a much more mainstream and conformist image on and off the ice. Lysacek "has a classical elegance and masculinity on the ice I think we need to see in male figure skating. I'm saying I don't need to see a prima ballerina on the ice." Kerrigan chimed in that Lysacek "can relate to more people," while "Johnny is a little more out there."
Weir fans caused such a dustup that they went onto Lund's Wikipedia entry and caused a debate about whether it should be deleted or not. --Jim Buzinski
1.13.2007
Quick hits: I've written about this before, but I feel compelled to do so again after reading some quotes. Michelle Wie is a talented 17-year golfer who continues to insist on playing like crap on the men's tour, missing cuts, not being able to hit the fairway on a consistent basis and generally embarrassing herself. Fine, it's her career to mismanage, but it's her continued cluelessness that grates.
Sample: "I tried my best. It's all I can do. I have a lot of game, it's just not showing right now. When I get it to come out, I'm going to be fine". No, you're not; you're clearly overmatched, shooting a 14-over 154 at a tournament in Hawai'i before --again-- failing to make the cut. I'd really like to know who's advising Wie on her career; they should be banned from ever giving directions to a lost motorist, let alone giving out career advice.
I've never been a devoted fan of any particular NFL team, unlike my fanatical devotion to Everton FC and the Anaheim Angels. I consider myself a "free agent fan", picking teams based mostly on who plays the most exciting passing football and renounces the "three-yards and a cloud of artificial turf" running game theory of offense.
Of course, in 2006, that means the Indianapolis Colts. Jim B. and I are big fans of this team, and I go in to Saturday's playoff game with the Baltimore Ravens with a sense of dread. I just can't shake the feeling that the Ravens are going to use their excellent defense to throttle the Ponies passing and running games, winning 13-10 on a 98-yard kick-return and two field goals or something. If you hear loud screaming coming from somewhere on Saturday afternoon, Pacific time, that'll be Jim B. and me screaming at the television. --Jim Allen
1.12.2007
Beckham mania?: As a devoted follower of European football (i.e. soccer), I've been reading rumors about a possible David Beckham move to the United States for years. The gay-friendly metrosexual icon finally made those rumors come true when it was announced on Thursday that he'd signed a staggering $250 million/5 year deal to leave Real Madrid and play for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS (Major League Soccer).
I think the whole thing is a disaster waiting to happen, to be honest. First off, Beckham's best years in the top flight of international football are way behind him --he's a bench warmer in Madrid these days-- so we have a repeat of the Pele/Franz Beckenbauer thing in the 70's, when those aged stars came to America to play in the nascent North American Soccer League.
Great, has-beens coming to grace us poor Americans with their diminished skills against inferior competition. Oh, and make piles of money too. I've already read of at least three other has-beens now being interested in the MLS. Of course, it's a long way, quality-wise, from Real Madrid to the Galaxy, so Beckham probably becomes the best player in MLS right away. The money figure being bandied about is staggering; it makes Alex "Payrod" Rodriguez' baseball contract seem puny in comparison.
Then there's MLS itself. Frankly, I think the quality of play is pretty poor --it's like watching second division clubs in England-- but the league, which has prided itself on slow but steady growth with mostly American players, changed it's rules about foreign players to attract Beckham. There's all this talk being bandied about regarding "branding" and
"international name recognition" and all that marketing babble, but as this quote from an article I read makes clear, not everyone will buy that bill of
goods: "He's rubbish. And if you're rubbish, you go to the States". As Monty Python once said "Cruel, but fair".
The real eye-rolling part of this
involves Beckham's wife, Victoria, formerly known as Posh Spice of the Spice Girls. She wants an acting career, you see, and where else better to do that than Los Angeles? *sigh* Another talent-free actress (she admits that herself) clogging up the freeways here. Great.
Beckham will finish out the season for Real Madrid after his contract runs out at the end of June and join the Galaxy immediately after that; the Galaxy season starts in April and ends ca. October. Despite being cynical and sarcastic about this, I do hope it works out for all concerned, especially for MLS. I have no illusions about the real football ever being more than a niche sport in this country, but if anyone can bump it up to the next level, it's David Beckham. It's too bad I don't find him attractive in the slightest..... --Jim Allen
1.11.2007
Webber gets buyout: One more way pro athletes are different from you and me. Us: We get laid off, we might get a few weeks severance. Them: The Philadelphia 76ers decide, in effect, to lay off Chris Webber, and they buy out the last year-and-a-half of his contract for $43 million.
Home field advantage: To ensure that they would be few New England Patriot fans at their playoff game this week, the San Diego Chargers decided to sell single-game tickets only to fans who lived in Southern California. This is not new and is legal -- the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles have done it, as have the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.
1.10.2007
Coach charged with abusing players: Every time high school basketball coach Gregory Burr, 28, asked a player the capital of Thailand and heard "Bangkok," he would hit the player in the groin. This and other charges of abuse have the now ex-coach facing 39 charges of abuse. The Colorado Spring Gazette reported that Burr is accused by former players of hitting them in the groin, showing them porn, and pouring water on his players and then driving them to games in the winter with the windows rolled down.
The incidents allegedly occurred in a period from September 2005 to March 2006. Burr denied the charges through his attorney, who told the paper, "Mr. Burr is not a sex offender or anything close to it."
Some of the victims told the paper they thought Burr was trying to be funny but went too far. I think that hitting players in the groin with his hand, basketballs and tennis balls as many as 40 times, as is alleged, is going a bit too far.
No Hall pass: Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were easily elected to baseball's Hall of Fame, but home run Mark McGwire was not. McGwire, who helped revive the game in 1998 with his epic season-long home run duel with Sammy Sosa, was a shoo-in for the Hall until he refused before Congress last year to deny taking steroids. McGwire's no-comment performance was pretty devastating to his thenpositive public image and everyone assumed (rightly or not) his silence equaled guilt.
While not having much sympathy for McGwire, I find it hypocritical that the same sportswriters who cheered on McGwire in 1998 and turned a blind eye to obvious large spurts of muscle growth among players and the resulting power surge of home runs, all of a sudden get morality when it's time to judge him for the Hall. Racists like Ty Cobb had no trouble getting elected in their time, so I find it hard to justify denying McGwire. Anyone who couldn't figure out that a ton of ballplayers were on the juice was not paying attention, but society always needs a scapegoat. As Gwynn said yesterday about drug use in the sport: "We all knew. All you [sportswriters] knew. We knew. Players knew. Owners knew. Everybody knew. And we didnt say anything about it." It will interesting to see what happens to Barry Bonds, when he becomes eligible five years after retirement. --Jim Buzinski
1.9.2007
Florida beats Ohio State: Florida pounded Ohio State, 41-14, to win the BCS game Monday night, but don't expect me to say that the Gators are No. 1. Not when the only unbeaten major college team is Boise State, which was not even considered for the game. For many fans, myself included, Boise State's dramatic Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma will be the only memory from this bowl season.
For Gator fans, Monday night was heaven, but it was a nightmare for Ohio State followers. Meanwhile, I suspect the rest of the country yawned. The game was played 51 days after Ohio State's last contest and a week after New Year's and the Buckeyes certainly looked rusty. As someone said, was this the last game of the 2006 season or the first game if 2007? This lame lack of a playoff system is the big reason college football is not even a quarter as compelling as the NFL.
The Gators played superb defense (holding Ohio State to 82 total yards and six first downs) and made everyone wonder how Ohio State's Troy Smith (an abysmal 4 of 14) could have won the Heisman Trophy; Smith looked lost and hesitant. His fumble at the end of the first half, when he held the ball too long, pretty much sealed the game as it gave the Gators a 34-14 lead.
Ohio State entered allowing only 10 points a game, but the defense was totally befuddled by the offense of Florida coach Urban Meyer. We had a foreshadowing in the Michigan game, when the Wolverines scored 39 points against the Buckeyes. And with Michigan getting crushed in the Rose Bowl, maybe Ohio State's unbeaten season was less impressive than it first appeared.
I confidently and accurately predicted a 41-17 blowout. Can I blame dyslexia for listing Ohio State as the winner? Didn't think so.--Jim Buzinski
1.8.2007
Ending a long drought: The Caltech basketball team won its first game in 10 years on Saturday night, beating Bard College of New York, 81-52. It ended a streak of 207 straight losses. "It was a combination of a sense of relief and happiness for the kids. They were euphoric," said coach Roy Dow. Travis Haussler, the team's tallest player at 6-7, had 27 points. Of course, this news comes as a shock to people who didn't know Caltech even had a basketball team.
On the sparse website for Caltech athletics they even have a questionnaire for potential athletes that says: "To our prospective student-athletes: Please fill out this form to the best of your ability. By doing this, you will help our coaches evaluate what kind of athletic and academic opportunities you might find here at Caltech." Screw recruiting and fancy brochures, but they do want to know your SAT and what your area of academic interest is ("computational mathemathics" is one choice). Nice to see one school that puts athletics in its proper place.
BCS pick: I have to admit to having relatively little interest in tonight's BCS title game between Ohio State and Florida. With Boise State out there at 13-0, it will be hard to convince me that tonight's winner is the undisputed national champion. For what it's worth, I don't think Florida has the offense to stay with the Buckeyes and the Gators have the look of a team just happy to be there. Ohio State 41, Florida 17. --Jim Buzinski
1.6.2007
Coaching changes: When a politician says he's not running for re-election because he wants to "spend more time with my family", what that usually means is that a Federal prosecutor is about to indict him for accepting large piles of cash in exchange for votes or something.
However, when Bill Cowher basically used the same reason as he stepped down as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I believe him. He got what he so long had come close to but fell short of, a Super Bowl ring, last season and for some of the time that Jim B. and I watched him this year, he seemed curiously detached on the sideline. Cowher's been one of the more animated coaches on the sideline, so that was kind of odd to see. Rumor is that he's going to wait until his youngest kid graduates high school in two years before looking for work again. He'll have no problem at all finding work whenever he decides to return.
At least Cowher got the chance to walk away. Art Shell, in his second stint with the clearly insane Al Davis in Oakland wasn't so lucky: he was fired this week after a pitiful 2-14 season. How the Raiders have fallen since 2002, when they appeared (and lost) in the Super Bowl to Tampa Bay.
If Cowher was curiously muted on the sidelines this year, Shell was positively catatonic: in all the time Jim B. and I watched him on the satellite Dish/NFL Sunday ticket (they'd sometimes play teams we were interested in), I don't think he showed any emotion other than utter boredom a few times. Just like I pity anyone who gets drafted by the Raiders (see yesterday's entry), I pity whoever is dumb or desperate enough to take the job being Davis' handpuppet. --Jim Allen
1.5.2007
Buwahahaha, again: I'm still chortling about Notre Dame getting demolished in the Sugar Bowl by LSU, but while I feast on a huge helping of schadenfreude, it's been interesting to watch Irish quarterback Brady "Horse Face" Quinn's NFL draft day stock sink like a stone since the disaster in New Orleans.
Team sports, obviously, is often ruled by a herd mentality, especially among the people who evaluate talent. Before the Sugar Bowl, Quinn was being mooted as a number one pick, by the pathetic Oakland "Commitment to Sucking" Raiders. Now, after his 15-for-35/4.2 yard average/two interceptions performance on Wednesday, I've read some anonymous quotes from People Who Know These Things, hinting that Quinn can't win the big one, he's overrated because Notre Dame played a fairly weak schedule, he doesn't have the physical tools etc. Funny how all that wasn't an issue while they hype was going on.
Compare and contrast that with JaMarcus Russell of LSU, who saw his stock go through the roof after passing for two touchdowns and running for another. Scouts drool over his basic physical stats (6-6, 260), but he's only a junior; if he continues to improve in his senior year in 2007 (assuming he stays in school), he could be where Brady Quinn was a week ago, NFL draft-wise. Of course, I wouldn't wish Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders on *any* player, even someone from Notre Dame. See also: Matt Millen and the Detroit Lions. --Jim Allen
1.4.2007
A man not of his word: It's always amusing to hear coaches preach loyalty and commitment, then jump at the first better opportunity to come along. It's even more amusing when they lie in the process.
The latest is Nick Saban, who decided after two years to bolt the Miami Dolphins to lead the University of Alabama. This comes after Saban indignantly denied he wanted the job. The deal is reported to be for $40 million for eight to 10 years. That's a pretty obscene amount for a public university to pay for a football coach, but it does show where the school's priorities lie. It also shows that Saban's word is worth a lot less than $40 million. It will be interesting to see how Alabama players react the first time Saban preaches their loyalty to the team.
Saban was 15-17 in his two years at Miami and made the dumb decision of picking Daunte Culpepper as his quarterback over Drew Brees. Culpepper sat on the bench the last half of the season due to injury while Brees signed with New Orleans and led the Saints to the playoffs.
No body fat: People like Marvin Harrison can make you sick with envy. Here is part of an interview from Sports Illustrated with the Indianapolis Colts receiver:
SI: Peyton Manning said that you have body fat almost like a cadaver. That sounds like an exaggeration. What number is it? Do you check that regularly?
HARRISON: I don't even check it anymore. It was to a point where it wasn't human-like. It wasn't right. They were like: "Well, this can't be right." From that point on, there was no need to check it anymore. ... I've always had good metabolism. I eat what I want to eat, when I want to eat. A lot of guys gain weight when they don't do any [activity]. I lose weight. I don't know what it is, but my objective during the offseason is to maintain my weight.--Jim Buzinski
Buwahaha: How nice to see Notre Dame get smoked in the Sugar Bowl by LSU, 41-14. For those keeping score at home, that's NINE straight bowl losses by the Fightin' Irish, seven of those being by 14 or more points. The Irish are consistently overrated and waaaay overhyped but that doesn't stop top-tier bowls from inviting them (see: $$$$). Why does Touchdown Jesus hate Notre Dame football during Bowl season? --Jim Allen
1.3.2007
Millen keeps job: It's funny how some people can keep their job, no matter how demonstrably incompetent they are. Take Detroit Lions President Matt Millen for example. In his five years running the Lions, Millen has compiled a 24-72 record, the worst in the league over that span and presided over failed draft after failed draft. The Lions finished this season 3-13 and show little sign of going anywhere.
Yet Millen has been given assurances that he will back in 2007, which will demoralize Lions fans everywhere. The team is owned by the Ford family, which has messed the franchise up as badly as it had the car company that bears its name.
Millen has been on our shitlist since 2003 when he yelled at Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Johnny Morton after a game: "You faggot! Yeah, you heard me. You faggot!" Millen issued a non-apology apology and no action was taken against him by the NFL. This is in contrast to the league fining Steelers linebacker Joey Porter $10,000 for calling an opponent a "faggot." There is a double-standard for players and management, though I would argue that the latter has even more responsibility. I hope that as long as Millen runs the team, the Lions continue to suck. --Jim Buzinski
1.2.2007
All hail Boise State: Boise State's stunning, thrilling, shocking, unbelievable 43-42 overtime win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl was the best reason I've seen for why there needs to be a college football playoff. At 13-0, the Broncos have as much right to claim they're No. 1 as Ohio State or Florida, but will not get a chance to play for it because of the dumbest system in sports.
In case you missed it (the game ended close to 1 a.m. Eastern today), here was how it unfolded. Catch the highlights on ESPN when you can:
The Broncos raced out to a 28-10 lead over the heavily favored Sooners midway through the third period.
Oklahoma made a furious rally and got to within 28-26 with 1:30 left in the fourth. The Sooners then missed the 2-point conversion. But wait -- Boise State was called for pass interference. On their second chance the Sooners scored. But wait -- Oklahoma was called for illegal motion. On their third try, the Sooners scored again and the game was tied 28-28.
With 1:07 left, Broncos quarterback Jared Zabransky threw a hideous pass that Oklahoma returned for a touchdown and a shocking 35-28 lead. Poor Broncos, I thought. Gutty team falls short.
Boise State had one last chance and faced 4th-and-18 at midfield and pulled off a phenomenal hook and lateral. Zabransky threw a 16-yard pass Drisan James at Oklahoma's 35, and James started to turn right, taking four Sooner defenders with him. At the last second, he pitched the ball to Jerard Rabb, who raced into the end zone to tie the game with only seven seconds left. The game was tied 35-35 and overtime loomed.
Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson took the handoff on the first play of OT and ran 25 yards to give Oklahoma a 42-35 lead.
Boise then faced another fourth down on its first possession. They lined up and Zabransky split wide, leaving receiver Vinny Perretta behind center. Perretta rolled to his right and threw(!) a pass into the end zone that was caught by Derek Schouman. Sooners led, 42-41.
Broncos coach Chris Peterson then decided to go for two points and win or lose the game there. Zabransky took the snap out of the shotgun and looked right, where he had three receivers lined up. He pumped faked, then reached the ball around him and handed it to Ian Johnson on the Statue of Liberty play. Johnson ran left with no Sooner in sight and Boise State had an incredible win. For good measure, Johnson after the game on national TV proposed to the school's head cheerleader (alas, it was a female). She accepted and it was a perfect capper to a perfect season for the Broncos.
In the only other New Year's Day bowl game of note, USC pounded Michigan 32-18 to win the Rose Bowl. So much for people screaming that Michigan deserved a spot in the BCS title game. USC had its way with the Wolverines throughout and the vaunted Michigan defense closed the season by allowing 75 points in its last two games, both losses.--Jim Buzinski
1.1.2007
NFL Week 17: Check out our weekly notes on the NFL action, including Jim's picks for hottest player of the year and the runnerup.
Happy New Year: Cyd and Jim wish everyone a terrific 2007!
12.30.2006
Juicing: For my final Jock Talk item of 2006, I'll return to a familiar topic: steroid use in baseball. This week, the baseball player's union was a dealt a rare court loss when a panel of appeals court judges ruled 2-1 that a list of over 100 players that tested positive for 'roids in 2003 can be used by federal agents pursuing various cases.
The circumstances of the court loss are kind of strange. Under an agreement between owners and players, massive testing was undertaken in 2003 to gauge the extent of the problem. Names of players testing positive were to be kept secret because each urine sample was supposed to only have a number attached to it. Somehow, names and numbers were collated, the samples and records were not destroyed as per the agreement and now players, who were promised there would be no punishment, might face problems from the feds. There were seven searches of various labs, an entire forest of dead trees whacked for legal docs and so on.
I'm no legal eagle (hey J.P.), but it seems that the union has a fair claim, especially since it *was* agreed that the names would not be linked to samples, samples that were to be destroyed. They are also claiming "doctor-patient privilege" but that's where they ran aground this week: the federal agents were pursuing a "legitimate law enforcement purpose" according to the majority opinion. There's obviously big privacy issues involved and the union will, of course, file an appeal, to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Welcome to 2007, baseball fans.
I hope everyone has a great 2007 and that your team/favorite athlete rules their sport. Unless you're a Los Angeles Dodgers or Liverpool FC fan, in which case I want your team to go 0-162 and 0-38-0 respectively, their seasons ending in bankruptcy and ruin for your club. Go Angels! Go Everton! --Jim Allen
12.29.2006
No, not yours, not yet: In the day, I couldn't stand Dean
Smith's North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball teams. The leading
proponent of the stall before the shot clock was introduced to college
hoops in 1985, I thought his teams relied on boring people to death, rather than playing, for their success. So, not impressed with Coach
Smith, nope.
I'm no fan of Bobby Knight either, but it'll be
nice when he dislodges Four Corners Stall Smith as the all-time
winningest coach in NCAA men's college basketball history. He's
currently tied with Smith on 879 wins and his Texas Tech team couldn't
get him over the hump on Thursday, losing to UNLV 74-66. Knight's
players will get another chance on New Year's Day to get their
mercurial coach his 880th win, against New Mexico at home in Lubbock. --Jim Allen
12.28.2006
Thank you Jason Taylor. Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor went after San Diego Chargers drug user Shawne Merriman on Wednesday, saying that his rival for NFL Defensive Player of the Year shouldn't even be considered because he tested positive for steroids and served a four-game suspension for it in November.
"You really shouldn't be able to fail a test like that and play in this league, to begin with," Taylor said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. "To make the Pro Bowl and all the other awards, I think you're walking a fine line of sending the wrong message."
While it may sound like sour grapes to some, I say three cheers. It's great to see athletes calling out their fellow athletes who take illegal shortcuts and set the example for young athletes that they should shoot up with harmful steroids if they want to get ahead. If Merriman had any integrity, he would decline his Pro Bowl selection and any other honors he may be handed.
Yes, other players are cheating by using steroids. But Merriman was caught. And if you're caught using illegal substances that others don't stoop to using, you should have the balls (even if they have shrunk) to let somebody have the spotlight. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
12.27.2006
Is that Jeff Reed's You-Know-What? A picture has suddenly appeared on the internet that is apparently of Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Jeff Reed showing more than his kicking leg. Deadspin has the pic.
Golf dominates AP Players of the Year: It was no big surprise that Tiger Woods won AP Male Athlete of the Year honors. He won two Majors (the British Open and U.S. Open) and ended the year winning six PGA tournaments in a row. But Woods felt he wasn't deserving.
"What he's done in tennis, I think, is far greater than what I've done in golf," he told the Associated Press. His sentiment is understandable. Federer won three Grand Slam tournaments and came in second in the fourth (the French Open). He lost only five matches all year in what is considered one of the greatest years any male tennis player has ever had.
But the sports editors who voted didn't even put Federer second; They voted San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who set an NFL record for touchdowns in a season, second after Woods.
It was a clean sweep for golf, with 24-year-old golfer Lorena Ochoa winning the AP Female Athlete of the Year in a landslide. While most people don't know Ochoa's name, she lit up women's professional golf this year, winning six tournaments and unseating five-year No. 1 Annika Sorenstam atop the LPGA money list for 2006.
According to AP, it was the first time since 1945 (with Babe Zaharias and Byron Nelson) that two golfers topped the lists. And I'm personally a little torn about it all. On the men's side, 10 of the last 13 winners were individual-sport athletes. On the women's side, 73 of the 76 AP Athlete of the Years have been from individual sports. So, while I think guys like Woods and Federer are certainly deserving, I also think that other team-sport athletes like Tomlinson, Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young, who lit up both college and professional football this year, and Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat don't get the consideration they deserve. I'm a huge Woods fan and think he's very deserving of his fourth AP Athlete of the Year. I just wonder if individual-sport athletes get a little more credit than maybe they should. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
12.26.2006
Jets, Iggles Get Big Wins: Two teams needing wins to help their playoff aspirations both post big victories Christmas night.
The Philadelphia Eagles completely dominated every aspect of their game against the Dallas Cowboys. It was pretty shocking to me. In the last two days I've watched two NFC East teams with playoff hopes lay eggs. While the Cowboys are in the playoffs, they are still chasing a bye. Make that were. Their 7-point output was their lowest of the season by 10 points, and it likely has put them on the road for the entire playoffs. I didn't get to see coach Bill Parcells' post-game interview, but I sure wish I had.
The New York Jets, who are an even bigger surprise to me this season than the New Orleans Saints, beat the Miami Dolphins on a field goal after a 60-yard screen pass. The Jets are in the playoffs if they beat the Raiders in the final week of the season. Before the season, the odds of them making the playoffs were about a 2007-BMW-3-series-to-1. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
