History Unfolds on a Saturday Afternoon.

Ohio State and Michigan share one of the most storied rivalries in all of sports. For more than 100 years Ohio State and Michigan have been facing each other on the football field which makes this series almost as old as football . There aren't any trophies in this one. No jugs, or hatchets or bags of magic beans. Nevertheless, the players always play this game as though everything they stand for is on the line. Often, this game is a heart breaker. One of the teams will come in with a sterling record while the other has wallowed through a miserable season wrought with adversity only to win decisively as though the rest of the season never happened. They often say you can throw the records out when arch rivals meet but they never tell you that this is the rivalry that makes the adage true.

On November 18th this legendary contest will have an added twist: Ohio State and Michigan are both unbeaten, untied and ranked first and second in the nation respectively. Moreover, both teams are entering the game healthy and playing extremely well. It's unlikely you could examine the history of college football and find two teams playing at a higher level than these two are right now. These teams aren't just the best teams 2006 has to offer, both of these teams are as top to bottom dominant as college football teams get.

That's bad news for the BCS. After Saturday one of these teams is going to fall out of the so-called National Title picture. At best the loser might find themselves at #3 but after the polls are turned in and the equations are calculated the loser find themselves playing in a bowl they simply can't get excited about. The BCS people will hope and pray that they can generate enough hype about USC, Notre Dame or Florida to get the nation excited about who ever survives the formula to play Saturday's winner, but everybody know that the real title game is being played this week, not in January.

Saturday's contest will be epic. There is no question in anybody's mind that these two teams are the very best in college football and when you factor in the intense rivalry you are guaranteed that both teams are going to bring their level best for four quarters. That will make it hard to get anybody excited for the holiday exhibition that the BCS will become.

That's why we need playoffs. It's a shame that the top two teams in the country have to face each other before the predetermined national championship game. The winner of this game will prove that they're the better team, but some how the BCS will determine that the loser is worse than somebody else. It's simply not fair. A playoff system would force teams to prove their worthiness on the field in head to head competition. If Ohio State beats Michigan that shouldn't automatically elevate USC past the Wolverines. Let USC prove they're better than Michigan by beating them on the field, not in some arbitrary formula.

Tiger Woods: Best Ever

Sports fans love to compare superstars. These comparisons are always subjective and subjected to various stretches of reason, but the discussion is fun in spite of the fact that there is never a definitive answer. It's all about banter. In reality the very idea of comparing Michael Jordan to Wilt Chamberlain is ridiculous. They played in different eras, under different rules and faced different obstacles. Never mind the fact that they played different positions, and if you want to talk about the different positions try quantifying the value of an offensive lineman in football. Impossible. Then we have those inane discussions where we try to transcend specific sports and speak in general terms about athletics. Crazy.

However at the age of 30, Tiger Woods has made a strong case for being dubbed the greatest athlete of all time. No, I can't crunch statistics to support that claim, my argument is esoteric. Before you dismiss me as one of those golf fanatics let me point out that I am loath to call most golfers athletes. Too many fat old white guys with a two-pack-a-day problem succeed in golf for it to be confused as an athletic pursuit, but Tiger Woods is different. Tiger has that quality that we rarely see in athletes. The fact that most of us have enjoyed three such athletes in the last 15 years is a anomaly. Tiger is cut from the same cloth as Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong...all three sharing the combination of admirable and deplorable traits that add up to athletic dominance. Yes, I said deplorable...sadly, a lot of what makes these guys great athletes also makes them lousy people. You can't be a great athlete without being a little selfish and egotistical.

Instead of wasting time arguing how Tiger compares to Joe Montana (who owes everything to Jerry Rice and Bill Walsh) I'll address a subject much closer to home: Jack Nicklaus. The Golden Bear is revered as the greatest golfer of all time and holds a lofty perch on almost anybody's all-time athlete list. He dominated golf for years, holding records for winning the most majors of any other golfer. Jack was impressive. Being from Columbus I can't help but be all too informed of how brilliant he was. To the point of nausea. Big town, small minds.

Tiger's well short of Jack's big stage accomplishments. With his recent British Open victory Tiger can only claim 11 majors to Jack's 18. Few people will argue that Tiger's best golf lies ahead of him since most golfers are at their best when other athletes are hanging on too long, but what Tiger has already accomplished is more impressive to me.

My point is that you simply can't compare Jack and Tiger stroke for stroke. I submit that you can't do that in any sport. Jim Brown's career rushing average is extremely impressive but he was a freak of nature in an era where football was still rather primitive. The same holds true for Jack...except Jack's advantages weren't physical, at least not in the manner Jim Brown's were, Jack was an elite golfer who had access to equipment, training and assistance few of his contemporaries had. Tiger faces a field of golfers who have access to everything he does. Many of the golfers Jack beat golfed as a hobby in hopes of finishing high enough to get a sponsorship and make a career of golf. Now, sponsors are abundant, purses are rich and simply qualifying for the PGA tour virtually guarantees a comfortable living.

Golf gets more exposure now than it ever did and that brings in more money. Since Tiger is already getting his share, more money is going to weaker golfers, that money is being invested in personal trainers, personal swing coaches, nutritionists and psychologists. In Jack's day the weaker golfers got day jobs and golfed with clubs straight of the shelf. Now, everybody has custom clubs that are specifically designed to enhance strengths and minimize weaknesses of each golfer. While one might think that the elite golfers benefit from those perks, the reality is a golfer as fundamentally sound as Tiger simply can't gain as much of an advantage as those with more glaring deficiencies. He's ahead of the curve and therefore can't get much help from custom clubs or special instruction. It's like a corked bat might help Omar Vizquel turn a couple of doubles into home runs, but a slugger like Manny Ramirez isn't going to benefit from a few more inches of loft. Tiger can only be hurt by inferior equipment, not helped by better gear.

But perhaps the biggest hurdle Tiger has faced is the fact the golf has conspired to beat him. The PGA and its member courses have tinkered with various holes to make them a little more difficult to play. Since the general idea is to lengthen holes while narrowing the fairways, long driving golfers are forced to use more finesse to work their way to the pin. This practice was referred to as "Tiger-proofing". When Tiger first burst onto the scene people were in awe of his drive. He turned 450 yard par fives into par threes by chipping to within 4 feet of the pin on his second shot. Tiger could accurately drive the ball 300 yards every time, now it seems every hole has some sort of hazard or at least a bad lay at that 300 yard marker.

Tiger's not the only guy to have a 300 yard drive, but he's one of the few heavy hitters to bring a formidable short game to the table. Before he came along the only golfer that combined tremendous power with such refined skill was Jack Nicklaus. The difference is that every club manager didn't spend 10 million bucks trying to take Jack's game out of the equation. There was never any "Bear-proofing". They might have softened up a few sand traps here and there, but we've seen wholesale changes in golf since Tiger came along. Even stoic Augusta National, home of sexism and bigotry, dared lay waste to Bobby Jones' legacy in order to lengthen the course and tighten up the approaches.

But that's not the half of it. Jack Nicklaus is a legend, but he was far from being a celebrity. Sure, golf fans will debate it but Jack's not, nor was he ever, as universally recognized as Tiger Woods. Even in his prime, Jack never saw the kind of crowds following him around the course that Tiger sees today. That's pressure. When Jack's dad died, people weren't sticking cameras in his face to get him reacting to a question about what his father meant to him. Tiger is essentially an A-list celebrity. And he doesn't like it.

Yes, that's the price he pays for the hundreds of millions of dollars he clears each year and at the end of the day he knows it's worth the sacrifice, but Tiger is not a media whore. He does his interviews after an event and disappears. He could have dated big name celebrities, done a reality show or even shot a thousand more commercials but Tiger seems genuinely uneasy with his celebrity status. He doesn't want it getting in the way of his golf.

With his rapid rise to mega-stardom, one would expect him to get distracted; after all, he's been striking balls since he was 3, but Tiger has remained focused. For a while it looked like he was getting sloppy, but once he adjusted to the changing courses and put his driver on the shelf he's been the top golfer in the world. He's that good. Instead of letting "them" take his game away, he went to work and proved that he can win regardless of the conditions. Make him shoot the back nine with a ping pong ball and he'll figure out how to bring it home 3 under for the day.

Tiger has faced all the big pitfalls. At 30 he lost his dad and responded by winning the British Open with that same stoic determination that made him impossible to beat a few years ago. He's gotten married, dealt with fame, fortune and negative publicity. And did I mention that he's a black man playing one of the whitest sports in history? Tiger is so cool and collected that most people forget he's black. Race shouldn't be a challenge or an issue, but we all know that it is. Tiger's probably heard more than his fair share of epithets on the course and you know he's read plenty of death threats from the sick pigs we share a planet with. With each obstacle he seems to get a little tougher and more determined. He's at an age when most golfers start contending for championships and he already has 11 majors to his name. Even though he'll eventually erase all doubt, there's little question that he's already accomplished more than anybody could have expected. He's the best and getting better.

Indians not much of a rival for the Yankees

In Cleveland fans consider the New York Yankees to be bitter rivals. Some commentators dismiss this talk as the rampant animosity the rest of the league feels toward the most successful franchise in baseball. Everybody, they will tell you, hates the Yankees.

This is true. Part of it is the consistent success the Yankees enjoy but the hatred goes much deeper than just jealousy. Fans loath The Yankees because they have always been able to get away with the sort of roster moves that would ruin other teams. George Steinbrenner buried the Yankees in mediocrity for most of the 1980's but managed to buy his way out in the 90's. We have seen him make huge mistakes in recent years but it seems that he always has the money to buy himself a competitive team. They might not win the World Series every year but they're in the hunt every single season. The Indians made a few mistakes in the 1950's and paid dearly for the next 40 years.

Of course we are also talking about New York City. Two things that are hammered at the world by mass media are New York City and Southern California. Through books, movies, television and magazines we are constantly reminded that the vast majority of the people living in the US just aren't smart, sexy or sophisticated enough to handle life in those locations. The Yankees are the flagship enterprise of New York arrogance. If you don't hate them, you're admitting that you aren't worthy. You have no self esteem.

But the Indians might have a good case for claiming a rivalry against the mighty Yankees. Some fans would insist that it dates back to the 1940's but The Indians weren't exactly a post season fixture back then either. They won the World Series in 1920 and 1948, lost it in 1954 and spent the next half century waiting until next year. As a long time Tribe fan I can only attest to the misery. The Indians have been inept at their best and embarrassing at their worst.

Nope. If we're going to claim that a rivalry exists we have to show cause in the modern era and with the Indians spending the second half of the 1990's as a playoff regular this is where you can start to make the connection. Of course, even that is a stretch considering the Indians never managed to win a World Series while the Yankees claimed four rings. However, it's not just about post season success, regular season numbers come into play.

Since 1995 the Indians have played the Yankees 104 times. They have won only 40. That's not including the current 2006 season which is far from over and fans might point to the 19-1 beating the Yankees endured on the 4th of July, but at the time this article was being written the Yankees were on their way to drubbing the Indians 9-3 in the eighth on July 5th. Even if the Indians manage to pull it out and win three in a row against this so-called rival, they will only match their best winning streak against the Yankees since 1989. It's been 16 years since the Indians have swept a series. Hardly the stuff of bitter rivalries.

Not only have the Indians failed to post a .500 record against their hated counterparts over the past decade, season by season, regardless of how dominant the Indians have been, the Yankees have always been competitive either taking the season series or splitting it. The 1994 Yankees went 9-0 against the Tribe before that season was halted. In 1995, when the Indians were one of the best teams in the history of the game, Cleveland went 6 and 6 against the Yankees. The best the Indians could do in 2000 was split the series 5-5 with the Yankees coming out ahead every other year. In fact the Indians are well over 1000 losses in the all time series. Rivalry?

Now fans will tell you that the stats don't tell the whole story, but what other story do you have? It's not like the Indians have stolen any titles from the Yankees. The playoffs haven't exactly been a regular hangout for the Indians. Cleveland got the best of the Yankees in the 1997 Divisional Series, but New York returned the favor by beating the Indians in the ALCS in 1998. In either case the Yankees enjoyed the last laugh because they won it all in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. The Indians essentially served as a doormat so Atlanta could finally win a World Series in 1995 and of course who could forget how the lowly Florida Marlins backed into a world title after the Indians piddled away a win in 1997? Even when you throw out the stats and just look at the big picture the Indians look less like a rival and more like that old college buddy who always lays down a week's pay on poker night.

Sadly the Indians just don't have any rivals. They haven't been good enough to foster any real animosity on the field. They haven't established themselves as a force to be reckoned with and they haven't spoiled anybody's season. Other than their own. The closest they came was last year when they clawed their way into a battle for the AL Central title that Chicago thought it had in the bag all season. With a week left to play and a winner takes all series on the line the Indians folded up shop and handed the White Sox a title. In fact, one could argue that the Indians gave the Sox the jolt they needed to get in gear for the playoffs. Had the Indians failed to force Chicago to play for something at the end of the season, the White Sox might have been flat in the playoffs. That's hardly the stuff of rivalries. A rival doesn't want to send you a championship ring for being such a great practice squad.

There are those who will say I'm being too hard on the Indians. Others will claim that I'm not a true fan, but history doesn't lie. The Indians stink a lot more than they shine and lousy teams don't have rivals. Especially rivals who seem to have a shot at winning a title every year. Tribe fans should keep this in perspective before talking smack.

Soccer: Global waste of time.

Every few years, when the World Cup activity begins to peak, everybody gets excited about soccer. Granted the rest of the world calls it football but here in the U.S. we ugly Americans call it soccer because we already have a game we call football.

Let me say that I respect a lot about soccer. It requires tremendous coordination, astounding stamina and a considerable degree of toughness, although there are some teams and players who engage in unflattering antics to gain a strategic advantage. Soccer doesn't allow for timeouts. The clock always runs and play is continuous. Players who are ejected can't be replaced so it's not unusual to see a team play short a player or two. Of course, there also aren't that many fouls that will result in ejection. In fact, most fouls aren't really penalized. A team is awarded a free kick for most infractions but that free kick rarely offers a team a decided advantage.

Soccer scores are low. Not only are the scores low, but the number of shots taken on goal are low as well. The entire game is about moving the ball and gaining position. The rules favor defense and the aspect of soccer that infuriates Americans is the rather common 0-0 tie. In fact, the administrative wing of Major League Soccer has offended purists by tweaking certain rules to avoid the dreaded tie in the US vertsion of this global sport, The tie is a most incestuous offense in American sports. We have overtime. On rare occasion an NFL game that fails to produce a winner after a sudden death period will get recorded as a tie, but that's a rare occurrence. In fact, the last bastion of the American tie, NCAA football, adopted an overtime policy that not only makes a tie virtually impossible, the shootout method used in college actually makes for some exciting offensive possessions. A game deadlocked at 14 can balloon into a 48-46 nail biter thanks to some creative overtime rules.

Americans like offense. Maybe we have too many diversions and deriving entertainment out of a pitching duel or a defensive masterpiece is too much to ask the modern sports fan. Maybe we are just a bunch of ignorant slugs who refuse to show the rest of the world respect. But perhaps it is possible that soccer really does stink. The rest of the world can be wrong.

And I'm not just some fat NASCAR hick upset because ESPN is cutting into my Dale Jr. coverage. I hate NASCAR. In my mind the only good thing about it is that it allows inbred hicks a mindless source of entertainment. Studies have shown that incidents of incest have decreased in the past 10 years and that's thanks to NASCAR.

No, I actually know a good bit about soccer. I can't name more than four players, but I officiated high school soccer for a few years and even coached a youth team. It's a great sport from a participation perspective, but so is synchronized swimming, track, gymnastics and wrestling. None of them are that appealing from a spectator's perspective. Not unless artificial drama is added. That's why we have the WWF and why boxers will pretend to hate each other. Hype rules. Football makes it's own, baseball has history and basketball has some hard-core street values instilled in it. Soccer is a bunch of sweaty Euro-trash drones running around on a field all day. Hockey at least speeds up the game with the ice.

To me, it wouldn't matter if the U.S. managed to entice its best athletes into soccer and field a good team. MLS could find new revenue sources for payroll and lure the best players in the world to play here and I would still pass on the free tickets to watch the Columbus Crew play. It's not the quality of play that discourages me, but the quality of entertainment. Soccer is boring. It's like one of those "films" that critics laud but regular lugs like me find pretentious and pedantic. Can we blow something up once in a while? Soccer is the art piece of the sports world and like great art, I like to appreciate it from a theoretical perspective. Don't expect me to pay money to visit a museum. I'll meet you at the brewery down the street. Nuture your cultural side while I load up on barley and hops and we'll talk about who had more fun. I got ten bucks on the beer. That's ten bucks I won't spend on soccer tickets.

Shaq shows why he's not the best

Shaq describes himself as dominant. And there's no doubt about that. Even at the end of his career the big guy can still move some bodies when he gets a mind to. Unfortunately there is a lot more to NBA basketball than knocking people down. Especially in the playoffs where talent evens up a good bit.

Miami caught a break in game 3 of the finals, but so far Shaq has been mediocre at best. Dallas has zeroed in on shutting him down, forcing the rest of the Heat to beat them and until game 3 it wasn't happening. And while Miami won a game, it wasn't like they punished Dallas for picking on Shaq. They sneaked past a Dallas team that might have gotten a little unfocused.

The bottom line is that the problem lies with Shaq. It always has. As dominant as the guy can be, teams have proven time and time again that you can beat Shaq if you foul him hard and send him to the line. With a career free throw percentage a shade over 50%, it's just good basketball economics. Shaq with the ball in the paint equals two points nine times out of ten. Shaq on the line needs four shots to score two points. On a good night a couple of nights ago he was 0-fer.

This is the finals and Shaq is making a little more than a quarter of his free throws. 27%! He's supposed to be a great basketball player, but do great players go 6 for 22 from the free throw line? Miami as a team is only hitting about 55% from the stripe which is about what Dallas is shooting from the field.

As dominant as Shaq is, I can't give the man his due because he has dismissed one of the most basic aspects of the game: That 15 foot set shot they let you take whenever you get fouled. Shaq's taken a lot of trips to the free throw line in his career and has visited the charity stripe 22 times in three finals games. Every one of those missed shots is a missed point. In the finals those points might add up to another victory. In his career those missed free throws amount to a career's worth of points that could be added to his legacy.

But that's only part of the story. If Shaq made more free throws he'd get fouled less and that would mean more access to the basket. What's the point in sending the guy to the line and wasting those fouls if he's going to score the points anyway? Why risk fouling the guy when he's got a good look and risk that three point play?

Shaq's free throw woes have hurt his teams and they have hurt his career. He's tired and showing his age. Not uncommon for a man of his size, but if Shaq didn't take such a pounding night after night he'd be in better shape. In fact, he might have enough juice left in him to play more minutes in these finals. The fact is, if Shaq made free throws, he'd be better off.

It wasn't an issue in LA. The Lakers had enough talent around Shaq to easily offset his missed opportunities from the line and Shaq was a younger player who could power through those hard fouls and come up big with rebounds and blocks. Now Shaq doesn't do nearly as much away from the ball and Miami is paying the price in the finals. Dallas can see when the ball is heading to Shaq and they employ the latest version of Hack-a-Shaq when he gets it. It's working like a charm.

Getting to this point is a fine accomplishment and Dallas is a more experienced and better rounded team. They should win and Miami shouldn't be disappointed if they come out on the short end, but it would be a shame if the Heat lost because Shaq couldn't deliver crucial free throws when they matter the most. Shaq has always claimed that he sinks those buckets when they matter. So far, he's 6-22 in the finals. Does it matter yet?

'Roid Rage

In case you missed it, baseball took another shot on the chin this week when news broke of the plight of Jason Grimsley, a journeyman relief pitcher who has not only been availing himself of performance enhancing drugs, but also dabbling in the trade. So much so that the IRS is all but living with him as they investigate his finances and business ventures.

This is not a surprise. Sure, there are those who donned the blinders early on and insisted that steroid use was sporadic and easily identified, but the reality is that in the absence of strict regulations men who get paid for athletic performance will cheat. Period. While smearing a booger on a ball might help it break a little harder and corking a bat could help the ball clear that right field wall if you hit it just so, steroids leave nothing to chance. They simply make athletes better. All the time.

Media clowns like Peter Gammons have long ignored the reality of steroids and allowed the public to believe that it was only the beefy sluggers who would benefit from steroids, but the truth is that the players who benefit most are those who need to recover faster. That's how steroids work. They elevate hormone levels and allow the body to generate muscle faster, this increase stamina and durability while decreasing the amount of time an athlete needs to recover from intense activity. Now that the steroid scandal has revealed that steroids are being taken by players at every position, the media hacks who fed the denial are now wagging the finger of shame. These so-called reporters have rather intimate relationships with players. They are in and out of locker rooms and see these guys up close everyday. Shame on them for not reporting the story of steroids as it unfolded. Instead they helped sweep the problem under the rug until there was so much crap under it that the story had to break. Now everybody wants to be stunned.

Let's be honest about steroids. Anybody who knows about sports from a participation level knows that steroids are there. I witnessed extensive steroid abuse by football players at a division III college. Those players had nothing to gain from steroid use. None of them were going to see an NFL scout at any of their games, but they still loaded up on steroids so they could be bigger stronger and faster. Coaches knew but looked the other way. The tests are easy to beat. Even the more stringent international tests can be fooled, but those used domestically are a sham. They can't detect Human Growth Hormone at all and it is easy to mask most of the contemporary steroids that are in the market today.

Baseball isn't the only place steroids are in play. Just because the NFL claims to have a testing program in place doesn't mean that 75% of the players in the NFL aren't on steroids. When a 250 pound linebacker runs the forty in 4.4 seconds something isn't right. The same is true when a wide receiver manages to bench 400 pounds. But the NFL isn't where it starts. Some players begin taking steroids in high school but most learn about them in college. Big time college football is rampant with steroids. Pick any of the top ten teams and watch how the players develop over the course of four years. Sure, it's natural for an 18 year-old to pick up a few pounds over three or four years of college, but some of these guys are gaining 50 or more pounds of solid muscle. One highly touted linebacker started his college career as a 215 pound freshman and managed to get up to 250 pounds by his junior season.

And don't think that they stop there. Have you noticed how muscular players in the NBA have become? Do you think that steroids might have something to do with the above-the-rim antics we see so often on ESPN? Until they start employing some serious testing we should simply assume that everybody is taking them. I love Lebron, but he's totally unnatural. I would hate to see him test positive for steroids and I hope that he's just a freak of nature but the reality is that in the back of my mind I suspect that he's taking some kind of supplement that enhances his physical performance. Golf? Why not? Hasn't the average drive gone up drastically in the past 10 years or so?

For now baseball is under the gun. Bud Selig's decision to ignore the blatant abuse of steroids by players like Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire encouraged other players to follow suit and the problem got so far out of hand that Congress stepped in. Now we have a dramatic story unfolding involving some obscure middle reliever and dozens of players he did business with. While the hoards of sports media personalities are all doing their level best to appear shocked the only real surprise is that this story didn't break 10 years ago.

Cleveland's motto:

Wait 'til next year!

The Cavaliers blew a perfect opportunity to send the Pistons packing in a pivotal game six in Cleveland, but a sudden deficit in toughness cost them key rebounds that would have iced the game. That was enough to get the Pistons back on track for a game seven showdown in Detroit and the Pistons responded by humiliating the Cavs in the second half. It was bad.

Even so, there is a lot to be happy about if you're a Cavaliers fan. 50 wins, and a strong post season showing is more than you can expect from a team that was largely revamped in the off season and hampered by an extended injury to its starting shooting guard. Larry Hughes showed some potential in the final game against the Pistons, even though he came unglued late and failed to give the Cavs much to work with in the second half.

There's a lot of work to be done. Anderson Varejao needs to hit the gym everyday in this off season and develop skills that will compliment his tenacity. He has the potential to be a strong power forward which is a concern if Drew Gooden is able to secure a contract that the Cavs can't match. If Gooden stays, he needs to work on his conditioning and have some energy in the post season. He seemed to get tired down the stretch and failed to give the Cavs a consistent presence in the low post. The one thing the Cavs sorely lacked in the last two games was backbone. Lebron was the heart and soul, but they needed something else and that was late game dominance under the basket.

Speaking of questionable play in the paint, what can you say about Zydrunas Ilgauskas? He showed some signs of life late in the series, but he didn't sustain anything. With his size and range he should have been scoring 20 points, blocking five shots and snagging 10 boards every night. Here's hoping Zydrunas hires a personal trainer and comes back next year with an extra 20 pounds of muscle on his lanky frame. Hitting those midrange jumpers is nifty, but I wouldn't mind seeing him knock some people around once in while. Seriously, Z, you're a tree. There's no way you should be falling away from the basket.

Larry Hughes needs to deliver. No more trips to the injured list. We need a minimum of 75 games per season. The Cavs signed him to a big contract hoping that his quickness would force teams to spread the floor and give Lebron a little more room to create. Even in the games where he was healthy, Hughes wasn't all that dynamic and his outside shot is a joke. In fact, the only solid long range threat the Cavs have is Donyell Marshall. Damon Jones can drill one every now and then, but he's a liability who turns the ball over too often and lacks any meaningful skills on defense. Eric Snow is a great defender but he's not a playmaker. He has no outside shot, limited passing skills and only an average ability to slash to the basket. His scoring average speaks volumes on the plight of the Cavaliers.

So who should the Cavs keep? That's a good question. Lebron's a start, but that's not exactly a revelation. Aside from that, it's not so simple. NBA contracts are tricky things and it's not always so easy to unload useless players. Just ask the Knicks about Penny Hardaway. If you're asking who he is, all you need to know is that there was a time people compared him to Magic Johnson. He was that good. Now the Knicks are paying him not to play. There is actually speculation that Penny Hardaway doesn't exist. Maybe Starr Jones ate him.

The Cavs would do well to retain the services of Drew Gooden. In spite of some weak performances, Drew is still developing his game and has demonstrated some key strengths on the boards and with the ball. He rebounds well, scores in traffic and plays solid defense. Not great, but solid. A little work under Mike Brown and another off season to tweak his game will do wonders. Gooden will be one of the premier power forwards in the game before long. He's no Tim Duncan, but he's on his way to that shelf just below the top. However, Gooden is no secret. There are people out there who would like to grab him up and the Cavs don't have enough money to throw Drew a high end offer.

A pipe dream for Cavs fans would be acquiring the services of Big Ben Wallace. While it's unlikely Detroit will let the heart and soul of their defense slip away, there will be opportunities to woo the musclebound menace and Cleveland could certainly use the help on defense. Sure, Wallace is a liability with the ball in his hands, but Lebron can pick up Ben's share of the points. Of course, it won't happen. If it does, then Danny Ferry should see if the Spurs will trade Tim Duncan and Tony Parker for Luke Jackson and Ira Newble while the rest of us take cover from all of the flying pigs. The Cavs would have to dump big salaries to pull a Wallace deal off and it's unlikely the Cavs will be trading Z or Larry Hughes in hopes of freeing up the kind of money Wallace will command. Especially if they try to keep Gooden.

If Gooden leaves they will have to fortify their front court. Anderson might be able to step in and play the forward position, but they'll need another heavy to come in off the bench. Maybe help is already on the roster, maybe they'll have to lure in a marginal free agent and hope he plays with a big heart. Who knows? There will be plenty of big guys out there but timing and financing is everything. How long will it take the Cavs to realize they can or cannot afford Gooden? Who will be left on the market when/if he goes? How much money will they have to burn?

A critical weakness for the Cavs is at point guard and what they lack there is range. They need to long range shooter who can make good decisions with the ball when he isn't open. Lebron runs the offense well so a Steve Nash type is really a waste. It might be nice, but why bother? Sacrifice all that fancy lane driving for some long distance shooting. Eric Snow lacks range, Damon Jones lacks brains and the rest of the guards on the roster didn't do anything for the team, so the market has to bear fruit. Lindsey Hunter showed the Cavs his range in the playoffs and although he is getting long in the tooth, he should be able to contribute nicely for another season or two. Chucky Atkins isn't setting the world on fire but he does have a respectable 3 point percentage and might do well playing with a guy like Lebron who will have patience with a developing player. A great fit for the Cavs might be Bobby Jackson who can play either guard position and shoot from the outside. But can the Cavs afford them? Maybe David Wesley is an option. Snow is a nice defensive asset to keep handy, but his range is too short to keep him in as a starter. They need a starter who will force a defender out of the box. Then Lebron can split the double team and make big plays. Zip the ball into Z for an easy bucket or kick the ball out to "blank" for the trey. Larry Hughes would make for a nice outlet who could exploit the back side for easy layups.

As it stands right now, Donyell Marshall is that clutch X-factor who can come in and present match up problems because of his size and range. He's a solid forward who can stroke shots from behind the arc, but he's not a 30 minute guy anymore. He's an excellent sixth man who can provide a nice boost, but they need a starting guard who can provide that range early and a starting forward who can wear opponents down. Nevertheless, the Cavs need to develop his role on the team and work harder to use it as an advantage throughout the season. Get a little more depth out of the starters and let Donyell provide some fireworks in nice five minute sessions three of four times a game.

Overall the Cavs need to get tough. Lebron is a specimen, but asking him to average 46 minutes per game in the playoffs is ridiculous. It's no wonder he couldn't find his range in the last couple of games against Detroit, his arms had to feel like jelly! He might have bristled at being asked if he was tired, but only an idiot would think that fatigue wasn't a factor. I wouldn't have asked the question. Duh. He averaged 42.5 minutes per game over 79 games in the regular season and then played some of the most intense basketball anybody has ever played in the post season. Back to back seven game blockbusters? Of course the kid was tired. I'm tired just thinking about it. You can't do that to a player night after night, even if he is 21. 40 minutes should be the maximum. If you can't win a game playing your star player for 40 minutes you don't deserve to win. Jordan didn't average much more than 40 minutes per game in any season of his career. He was usually under 40.

The Cavs should seriously look into hiring a strength and conditioning consultant. Aside from Lebron, nobody else showed consistent toughness or any meaningful degree of stamina. Every player on that team should be able to deliver 30 minutes of solid professional basketball every night. Strength, stamina and quickness are all skills that can be developed over the course of a few months. The Cavaliers organization needs to instill a sense of commitment in each player and challenge them all to come back to the team bigger, stronger and faster than they were this past season. There's nothing wrong with losing to a team that has more talent, but there's no excuse for getting beaten because you weren't tough enough. Detroit had talent, but the Cavs got pushed around in the second halves of the last two games. Had the Cavs been able to stay tough late in game six, they'd still be playing. There's no excuse for getting pushed around. Don't apologize for it, just don't let it happen again.

Danny Ferry needs to keep a close eye on Mike Brown. Even though the Cavs will be making moves this off season, most of this cast will be returning and Brown will have to show that he has built on this past season by making the team better. Defense will have to improve, Lebron will have to play less and the team will have to win more, or Brown will have to go. I wasn't impressed with the way Lebron was handled this season and shudder to think what might happen if Lebron goes down for four weeks. Of course Mike Brown can't build a winner without Lebron, but if they are going to win a title they should be good enough to at least make the playoff without him. As it stands right now the Cavs would be a 20 win team if Lebron wasn't there. That's not good enough. Mike Brown wasn't hired to coach Lebron, he was hired to build the supporting cast. The pressure's on. The Cavs were a defensive stop and a rebound shy of advancing past the mighty Pistons. We can take this one on the chin, but there's no room for stepping backward next season.

Rasheed's big fat mouth.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers showed guts by taking game three of the Eastern Conference semi-finals following a thorough schooling in Detroit, Rasheed Wallace dismissed the effort as a last gasp by a much weaker team. The Cavs responded by beating the Piston's at their own game, winning ugly in a 74-72 slugfest that featured sloppy play by Lebron James and very little help from the rest of the starters. It wasn't pretty but it proved that the Cavs don't have to be perfect to beat Detroit.

I don't mind players being confident. Sometimes a little arrogance is refreshing in a world so often muddied by cliche-riddled platitudes and abundant false modesty. I respected Rasheed Wallace for stating what most of the sports world believed to be true: The Cavs got lucky at home and probably wouldn't smell another victory until next season. As much as I wanted to see Lebron and the guys serve up a big fat plate of steaming crow, deep down I doubted that the Cavs had much of a shot.

Mind you, it's not the absence of Larry Hughes that concerns me. Truth be told, Hughes is highly overrated. Flip Murray is a better guard, at this point, than Hughes and the Cavs are a better team with Hughes on the bench. Condolences to Larry and the Hughes family, but don't feel the need to hurry back on the team's account. You aren't needed. No, the problem facing the Cavs in this series is the fact that outside of Lebron James, the Cavs have no consistent scoring threat. The Pistons only carry one offensive liability and Ben Wallace brings so much to the team in the way of defense and rebounding there's no need to sweat his inconsistent point totals. The Pistons are a better team. Period.

But the better teams don't always win. There's something called heart. And luck. You can't measure either. The Pistons were lucky to be so accurate from three point range in the first two games. Sure, skill plays a huge part in it, but even under the best conditions a great three point shooter is only going to nail 60% of his shots. That average generally falls below 50% during the game and good long range shooters usually take satisfaction in something between 30% and 40%. Damon Jones has an NBA career because he is a little over 35% from three point land. The Pistons were hitting something like 80% of their three pointers in the first two games. That's luck.

The Cavs didn't play with much heart in those first two games. That's thanks in large part to Zydrunas Ilgauskas not stepping up and delivering the sort of performance you expect out of a 7'3" center. Between his "ole" defense and candy-ass offense, Z's proven that he's not the kind of guy the Cavs can rely on in big games. When Z fouls somebody they mange to finish the shot and end up with three points. How's that for soft? Clearly Z lacks heart and so does most of the team. Lebron showed some heart. He always does, but the rest of the team didn't seem to show up.

That changed in Cleveland. Mike Brown found some magic in Anderson Varejao and the lanky Brazilian has been delivering a gritty performance, blocking key shots, grabbing crucial rebounds and scoring some hard fought points. He's not going to set the world on fire, but his effort is consistent 100% everytime. The guy wants to win and has been Lebron's go to guy in this series. Mix in some strong spurts by Flip Murray and solid effort by Donyell Marshall and you have a team that can scrap.

The first win could have been a fluke. A long layover, rabid fans and the surprisingly soft manner in which the Cavs folded in the first two games might have caught the Pistons off guard. It's easy for a juggernaut to get distracted in a seven game series and a loss is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. That's why Rasheed's prediction that the Cavs were done after one win wasn't so outlandish. No problem.

But then the Cavs took game four and evened up the series. Not only that, but they made Rasheed look something like a punk in doing it. The big man with the big mouth didn't put up much of a fight and the Cavs took control of the game with stout defense, hard fouls and solid rebounding. They intercepted passes, blocked shots and made the Pistons work for every last point and when that final buzzer sounded they found themselves in a best of three dog fight with the best team in the NBA. Surely 'Sheed would have to show the Cavs a little respect, right?

Nope. 'Sheed didn't miss a beat. He went right back into diss mode making it clear that the Cavaliers have no chance to beat the Pistons. None at all. Except that the Cavs proved that they aren't a fluke. Winning one game with Lebron catching fire in the fourth quarter is NBA basketball...there's no sweeping a superstar, but following that up with a nasty defensive struggle that sends the Pistons back to Detroit facing a must win situation isn't luck. That's reality.

Rasheed spoke of sunshine and dogs' asses, but the fact is that right now the Cavaliers are as good as the Pistons. Not on paper, but on the court. Where it counts. The statistics in this series prove that. 2-2. Even Steven. This isn't some 41-41 team winning two throw away games after falling 3-0. This is a legitimate contender rising to the occasion and taking control of its destiny.

Can the Cavs pull it off? That's the burning question, isn't it? And that's the point. A week ago Everybody had the Pistons in the finals and the debate was whether or not they would be playing the Spurs or the Mavs. Now the Pistons might be the biggest question mark in the NBA playoffs. I'm not doubting the Cavs. I think they can win it. I really do. They need two wins and we have yet to see Lebron at his level best for 48 minutes in this series. Even though Z is soft, there's still a possibility he might wake up one day and remember where he left his manhood. Larry Hughes might return from his brother's funeral and have something to play for.

Psychologically the Piston's have to be in trouble. The schoolyard bully has finally had his nose bloodied and doesn't know what to do. They're ripe for a collapse and if the Cavaliers can walk into that cat box they call The Palace and show some spunk, this series could be over. If the Cavs go up 3-2, the Pistons won't show up for game six. Yeah, they'll talk a great game, but you don't score points with your lips. You can't block a shot with a pronoun. Rasheed proved that the other night. Blah, blah, blah. Talk all you want, Wallace, but the score board tells a different tale.

Is Mike Brown a bad coach?

Let's face it. Lebron James is a man among boys. You can make arguments that Kobe, Nash or Duncan are better, but you'd be wrong. Lebron is one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. Period. By the time he's done, he'll leave a permanent mark on the game. Not like Magic, or Michael. Like Wilt. He's that good. He will be the player by which all others will be judged.

So one would expect the Cavaliers to advance to the playoffs just because Lebron is there. With his ability to score 30 points, grab 7 boards and drop 7 dimes on a bad night, getting a post season bid is a given. I could coach the Cavaliers to the playoffs. And I still can't tell you what a pick and roll is. So is Mike Brown doing a good job or is he along for the ride?

I'm starting to think that he's in the passenger seat. The proof is in the performance of the rest of the Cavs. Lebron has been stellar. He stepped up his game in the playoffs and willed the Cavs to clutch victories. He hit game winners, blocked key shots and came up with timely steals. It's hard to find any faults in his performance. But the problem is with the rest of the team. Where's Ilgauskas? With Shaq playing at 70% most experts will contend that Zydrunas is the best true center in the east. Some will give him league wide props, but his box score looked pretty weak in the opening series and in game one against Detroit, the 7'3" center was shooting off-balance fade aways from well outside 10 feet. See that paint? That's where the center is supposed to dominate. Get in there, Z.

And then you have Larry Hughes. Some will argue that he's still getting his legs under him, but that's nonsense. He was out with a broken finger. Nobody told him to sit on a couch for six weeks. He could have been running and lifting and keeping his legs in shape. And his strong suit is supposed to be defense. Lock somebody up, Larry. Finding an open look with Lebron facing triple teams would be nice, but getting a hand in somebody's face once in a while might help. How many threes did Detroit drain in game one? Didn't Gilbert Arenas match Lebron point for point?

The bench has lacked consistency, but that wouldn't matter if the 2 and the 5 were showing up every night. Lebron's been amazing while the highly touted acquisition and the long time anchor have slept through entire games.

That's coaching. Mike Brown supposedly came from that hard-nosed Larry Brown school of hoopsology. Smart offense, tough defense and clutch plays were supposed to be the norm in this new Cavaliers game plan. Nobody expected miracles, but when a team that has a reputation for grinding out ugly wins scores more than 60 points at half time in the first game of a seven game series, you have to fault the defense. That's on the coach.

Lebron James is a coach's dream: a flat-out super star who respects authority without question... A franchise player who takes direction...A ready-made icon who embraces unselfish play...He's not a coaches dream, he's the league's dream. Give Lebron some help, play a little defense and Cleveland might actually get tired of winning titles. So what gives? Where's the D? Where's the Z? What happened to Larry Hughes?

Maybe it's too early to send Mike Brown packing. Maybe he's struggling with the sometimes lethargic Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Perhaps he'd feel better with a real playmaker at the point. Maybe Larry Hughes got lazy after he inked a cushy contract. There could be a number of things working against the guy and with this being the first time the Cavs have seen post season play in what must be 66 years, it's only fair to let him take this team back to the shop after the Pistons finish humiliating them over the next week.

It's not like anybody had the right to expect a visit to the finals this year. Danny Ferry just started filling roster spots, Lebron is only in his third year and it could take the rest of the team a full off season to grasp just how to go about helping him. But next year the bar will be set high. The Cavaliers will have to be the real thing. No more dramatic first round battles, dominate the weaker opponents and save the nailbiters for the conference finals. Next year the Cavs have to play like a championship team, not just a playoff contender. If they don't, Mike Brown will have to go. Or Lebron will.

Draft Experts afraid to go out on Limb.

Every year we get bombarded by NFL draft coverage. Everybody is breaking down players and rewriting somebody else's scouting report so they can get their face on TV. Sadly, nobody is taken to task four years later when the first two quarterbacks taken in the draft put their applications in at Wendy's. The worst is Mel Kiper Jr. who seemingly monopolizes the airwaves with his stolen expertise and hideous, Wayne Newton hair.

Give credit to Merrill Hodge for putting himself out there. Hodge is aggressively stating his case for draft day darlings Vince Young and Matt Leinart to be passed over until later rounds. Other commentators have bristled at his opinion, choosing to protect themselves by rating players exactly the way NFL scouts have them rated, but anybody who has paid attention to the draft knows that the experts are idiots. How else do you explain Brian Bosworth?

I like Vince Young. He's big strong and stood tall in the face of intense pressure. He was the only weapon Texas had against USC and he still managed to win that game, almost single-handed. I know he's a little raw and his accuracy is in question, but I have to defer to the big performances he turned in against Ohio State and USC. He might be a bust, but I think he's a gamble you have to take.

I'm not enamored with Matt Leinart. The guy is soft. He's what my mother would call a candy ass. Every time he's been hit hard he has shown cowardice. He crumbles like that sweet cracker crust on a nice cheese cake. That's facing the buttery soft defenses of the Pac-10. What happens in the NFL when Ray Lewis bloodies his chin on an ill-advised scramble? What will pretty boy do when Warren Sapp lays into him with all 330 pounds? Making matters worse, is the fact that Leinart throws like a sissy. He might be accurate, but if you can't throw a frozen rope 20 yards out, NFL DB's are going to eat you alive. Leinart's lobbing rainbows five yards down field.

Hodge has drawn a line in the sand and declared both QB's as potential busts. He could be proven wrong and people will hammer him for it. That's too bad. Mel Kiper Jr. spoke highly of Ryan Leaf and Tim Couch, but Mr. Draft Guru never took himself to task for failing to see the downside of those players. A year later he's telling the world how great Courtney Brown is going to be. Kiper's not an expert. He claims to be, but what he really does is picks the brain of NFL scouts and reports back on it. He talks about talent and potential, but he wouldn't know talent if he walked in on it sleeping with his wife. The guy is a clown.

Hodge might be too, but at least he's got the huevos to break from the crowd and take a stance on his own. It's easy to split hairs over whether Leinart or Young should go first, but to declare both of them washouts in waiting demonstrates that Hodge is doing his own work. And if history has anything to say about it, he'll be half right. That's more than you can say for the rest of them.

Indians need to seek a real ACE

The Cleveland Indians are ready to make a run at the World Series. They knocked on the door last year, mounting an incredible late season surge that almost knocked the White Sox out of the playoff race, but Tribe skipper Eric Wedge took a metal vacation with 6 games left and gave the AL Central away. How he managed to keep his job after showing the world how not to manage a red hot team is beyond me, but Mark Shapiro loves a good yes man.

Lousy management aside, the Indians got off to a great start in 2006 and have shown the rest of the league that they are ready to contend for real. That is if the rest of the league will cooperate and agree not to abuse their suspect bullpen. The Indians have a lot of offense and solid starting pitching so if they can slap a bandage on the middle relief they have a great chance at winning their division or at least clinching a wild card appearance. With some quality pitchers in AAA, the Tribe should be able to shore up the pen, so fans shouldn't be overly concerned. With the bullpen.

Even though this team is ready to contend, they are still missing a key component that is necessary if they want to win it all. They need that stud starting pitcher. An ace. The guy who can grit his teeth and come up with seven strong innings whenever the team needs it. They simply don't have it.

The Indians believe, and have most of their fans convinced, that C.C. Sabathia is that guy. He is the number one starter...A towering lefty with a powerful arm. On paper C.C. Sabathia should be the best pitcher in baseball. At 25 he is in his sixth year, he's 6'7" officially listed at 290 pounds and reportedly throws close to 100 miles an hour.

Too bad the games aren't played on paper. After making a strong debut in 2001 striking out 171 batters on the way to posting an impressive 17-5 record, C.C. responded by eating a shortstop in the off season. Fat and sloppy in 2002, he went 13-11 with a 4.37 ERA. Since then he has yet to hear the wake up call, proving to be an average performer who is susceptible to nagging injuries and prone to giving up runs in bunches. He has no poise, getting frustrated easily and exiting games early typically leaving lots of runners on the bases for relievers to contend with. Throughout his career he averages six innings per start, which is great for a number three starter but far from what one expects of an ace.

Rumor has it C.C. lost weight heading into the 2006 season and people associated with the team had high hopes, but in his first start the so-called ace got touched up for three runs in 2 1/3 innings before he strained an abdominal muscle and made yet another visit to the DL.

It's obvious that C.C. Sabathia is not the anchor the Indians need in their starting rotation. Aside from an impressive rookie season, C.C. has established himself as an average starting pitcher who occasionally delivers a sensational performance. Much like the old version of David Wells. One might argue that if C.C. weren't left-handed, he might have been unloaded a couple of seasons ago. With a 4.12 career ERA and only 2 shutouts pitched in six years, it's obvious that Sabathia does not have the talent or desire to be that number one starter.

Sadly, that's a component that the Cleveland Indians will need if they want to win it all. Their immediate concern should be a struggling bullpen, but they have talent in their farm system that should be able to plug the gaps nicely as the season progresses. In the long run, however, the glaring hole on Cleveland's roster is the number one starter. If the Indians don't address C.C. Sabathia's glaring deficiencies, they'll simply qualify for the post season so a better equipped team can treat them like a playoff doormat. You've got to have an ace. C.C. Sabathia is more like a nine.

Second guessers always win

Lebron James scared Cavaliers fans to death when he pulled up lame after driving the lane against the Detroit Pistons in a game that was not only out of hand but completely insignificant as the Cavs had wrapped up the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Naturally this led people to question Mike Brown's decision to put Lebron in harm's way with the playoffs looming and nothing to be gained from a victory and his detractors make a great point, but is it really a bad decision?

There are two lines of thinking late in the season. You can rest your starters and protect them from injury in meaningless games, thus ensuring they'll be rested and ready for the rigors of the post season. Many coaches take this approach and it's a very reasonable course of action. Especially when your team's success revolves around one or two players. The Cavaliers have no chance to win a title if Lebron James gets hurt. They have other important players on the team and losing any of their starters is bad news, but Lebron is the best player in the league. The team is built around him.

The other train of thought is that you don't want your starters getting cold. For every team that has lost a key player to an injury in an unnecessary game there are five teams who have lost in the playoffs because their star players didn't step up. The Chicago Bulls struggled in early playoff rounds and only managed to advance because Michael Jordan did not have the mentality that allowed him to get cold. Had Jordan displayed the same characteristics of Scottie Pippen one could argue that the Bulls dynasty might have consisted of one or two titles over eight years instead of six. Look at what happened to the Colts over the past two seasons in the NFL. Disapointing playoff performances followed several weeks worth of rest for the starting players.

Why do you suppose Wild Card Teams win in the NFL and Major League Baseball? We just watched the Pittsburgh Steelers claw their way through the AFC after fighting tooth and nail to get into the playoffs. The World Series has been dominated by teams who would not have made the post season 15 years ago. In spite of risking fatigue and injury it seems that the teams who have to play hard down the stretch manage to maintain a sharp mental edge through the playoffs. That translates into wins.

The numbers don't lie. With so much parity in professional sports right now, teams can't expect to walk through the first round of the playoffs and improve as they go. They have to step up with the "A" game from the very start and not let up. There are no more free rides.

Knowing this, Mike Brown's decision to keep Lebron in the game when victory seemed impossible isn't so bad. It makes even more sense when you consider the fact that Larry Hughes has been sidelined for most of the season and never had much of a chance to develop his game along side James. Brown could use the remaining regular season games to give Lebron and Larry a chance to get on the same page.

One good thing that came from the injury is the fact that the Cavaliers were forced to play the Knicks with Lebron in street clothes. While the Knicks aren't much of an opponent, the game gave Mike Brown a chance to work his reserves out. Larry Hughes also had a moment to shine, getting back his confidence and showing his teammates that they can count on him to lead the way if Lebron is struggling. It also sends a message to playoff opponents that containing Lebron might not be the best way to stop the Cavaliers.

While Mike Brown probably feels pressure to hold his starters back, he can't afford to let them get complacent. The Cavaliers are a solid competitor and have a legitimate shot at getting to the finals. Don't let the huge loss to the Pistons fool you. The Cavs have the players available to give the Pistons serious trouble, but they have to be hot. Sitting them out in the last few games could have negative repercussions later.

Bonds on Bonds? Classy

ESPN's turned into a monster. I didn't have a problem when they fired up a 73rd channel and I don't mind in depth coverage of the Junior World Curling Championships. Sports are great and frankly I find myself wanting more after five months of college basketball. Really. The Poker Championships are essential to my well-being and ESPN radio is the highlight of my day.

But this Barry Bonds quasi-reality show is going too far. I know ESPN's got to make money and Barry Bonds is the biggest draw in sport right now. Besides being at the center of a steroid scandal, he is on the verge of breaking long standing home run records. Somebody's going to do the show, so why not ESPN?

Well maybe because Bonds represents everything bad about sports. Even if you take away the steroids, he is a brooding, selfish, egocentric jerk. He's alienated teammates, fans and the press. He's not just bad for baseball, he's bad for sports in general. he might even be bad for America, bit I think that's a probable overstatement. If ESPN is going to offer Barry an soapbox to air his own personal pity party, they should follow up with an intensive investigation into the dark side of Bonds.

I don't buy the whining coming from ESPN reporters who see a conflict of interest. Let's be honest about journalism here and dispense with the pretense that the people who cover sports are really journalists. Sports is where the lines between news and entertainment have always been blurred and on the rare occasions sport writers have been asked to deal with real news, they've balked.

One only need look at the OJ Simpson case to appreciate how inept sports writers are when real news comes calling. Another fine example is how sports writers reacted when Congress started asking questions about steroids. Suddenly, sports writers weren't having fun anymore. The reason is because with real news comes real accountability. The job gets hard when libel becomes a reality.

There are some sports writers who actually take the time to do their jobs with journalistic integrity, but most get caught up into the hyperbole of sports and they lose their way. Most end up spouting their opinions rather than fact. They get nationally syndicated radio shows and preach from their ivory towers. So let's stop with this talk of the true nature of journalism and the conflict of interest that might exist if ESPN is paying Barry Bonds for his reality show.

Nevertheless, I think this is a lousy decision by ESPN. Not because they specialize in sports news, but because ESPN should have a vested interest in promoting the right things about sports. ESPN should avoid those issues that can tear sports apart. Barry Bonds has been subjecting the public to his own version of reality for 20 years. We don't need more BS from Barry.

In the first installment of the show Barry broke down and cried about how he doesn't care about the negativity because people have been trying to hurt him and his family all along. BULL! Barry has hurt himself. Barry has hurt his family. It wasn't the media who cheated on your wife, you did, Barry. The press didn't stick steroid needles in your butt, you did. Nobody asked you to hide behind your son at a press conference when your name came up in the BALCO case, you did that on your own.

Barry's whole tumultuous relationship with the press comes from his massive ego. His dad was a famous player who made lots of money so Barry got treated differently all his life. He entered the league with a massive chip on his shoulder and it grew almost as rapidly as that swollen head bobbling around on what used to be a neck. Steroids.

ESPN should have put the screws to Barry on this one. If Barry wants his show to air, then he should answer some direct questions about his steroid use. He talks about how he loves baseball, but yet he is the one who is tearing it apart with his illegal use of performance enhancing drugs. Does he love baseball or is it more likely that he loves himself?

History proves that Barry loves Barry. How many titles has Barry won? Zero. Is that his fault? Absolutely. Barry's the one who has a history of lackluster late season performances and he is the one who ran off the talented players who could have helped him win a title in recent years. Even though former teammates have been reluctant to tear into Barry, the fact that few of his former mates speak highly of him is telling. If you can't say something nice...Barry is a jerk on and off the field.

There's no question he is talented. Even without steroids, Barry was on track with greatness. Unfortunately he let his ego get between him and the game. He didn't want to miss out on setting records so he got on the juice. That's the reality ESPN should be reporting, not some fantasy world where Bond's is a misunderstood hero with a sensitive side.

Packers owe Favre

The Brett Favre saga is getting tiresome. Should he stay or should he go? Does he owe the Packers a decision before the draft? Is he hurting the team?

The fact is Favre has given the Packers more than they have given him. He restored that team to glory and has been the embodiment of everything good about football. He's a throwback player who Vince Lombardi would have adored. No, he's not the greatest quarterback to play the game, but he's one of the best pure football players to ever take the field.

The Packers are being the bad guys here. They don't want Favre to come back. They know he's still got a solid season or two in him, but it's going to take them a season or two beyond that to become competitive again. They need to move on, but they don't want to alienate fans by telling Favre that he no longer fits into their plan.

Favre, on the other hand, wants to play. That's why he hasn't officially retired. The reason he appears ambivalent is because he knows that the Packers aren't going to be competitive and he doesn't want his last season or two to be spent playing for a 7-9 team. Favre wants one more crack at winning it all. He wants to get to one more Super Bowl so he can atone for a subpar performance against the Broncos a nearly decade ago.

Favre doesn't want to demand a release. That would offend the fans and possibly hurt people in the organization. Favre doesn't want to have to explain that he is giving up on the Packers. And he shouldn't have to. They have given up on him by failing to surround Brett with the kind of players who can win a title. The team has become mediocre and Favre is tired. Tired of getting knocked around. Tired of players dropping passes. Tired of losing. The Packers know Favre wants out. They also know he won't demand his release, so they are playing chicken with him. They want him to quit. It's a low class move.

The Packers owe Favre more. They owe their fans more. The best course of action to take is to let Favre know that his services will always be appreciated but that the team has to build for the future and it's not in anybody's best interest if Favre stays. Wish the man well, and let him know that whatever he does he will always be a Packer. Retire his number, build a statue and send him on his merry way with your blessings. It would be highly appropriate to advise him to play for a legitimate contender and encourage Packers fans to cheer Brett on as he pursues the glory that the Packers simply aren't ready to attain. Take the high road. There's no shame in letting your favorite son go off on his own to seek that one last date with destiny. Forcing him to stay put or retire is selfish.

Sadly, this only demonstrates that the Packers, in spite of being publicly owned and operated, are no better than the other teams out there. It's all about the marketing. Instead of doing the right thing and showing a little integrity, they are putting all of the pressure on the shoulders of the one player who has done so much for them. Favre has never missed a game, he's played through physical and emotional pain. Favre has stepped up and taken so many hits for the Packers...It's time that the Packers stepped up and take a hit for him.

Cinderella Stories will become the norm...

George Mason has stormed into the Final Four, capturing the imaginations of sports fans all over the country. Upsets happen every year, a double digit seed always sneaks into the Sweet Sixteen and sometimes teases us by advancing into that Elite Eight, but reality always brings us back down to Earth and the Final Four rarely entertains the team wearing the Cinderella slipper.

George Mason clawed through stiff competition, breaking through to the Final Four by beating a top seeded Connecticut team that was favored to win the whole tournament. Every team George Mason faced was ranked higher than they were but they won each game convincingly. They didn't sneak past sleep-walking giants to get to Indy, they played solid basketball and exploited each foes weaknesses with expert precision. They even suffered a let down against UConn when they allowed the Huskies to tie the game, but instead of folding under the pressure they stood tall and won a game most teams would have lost in the overtime period.

Some experts are taking a little bit away from George Mason by pointing out the fact that this tournament field was exceptionally young and rather inexperienced. The teams weren't very deep and the mid majors had a better chance to dominate this year because the rest of the NCAA has been decimated by the early entries the NBA has whisked away. These analysts think that George Mason's miraculous run is a fluke.

There's something to that argument. Gone are the days that Duke, UConn and North Carolina will start the same five players two or three years in a row. Players are going to leave early. The fact that the NBA is so hungry for young talent will actually encourage more players to sign with the mid-majors in hopes of getting more playing time. The NBA is requiring all players to wait a year after high school before being eligible for the draft so the NCAA won't be losing marquee talent right out of high school, but those top notch players aren't going to be enamored by the legacy of the traditional powers. They'll look for schools that are promising immediate playing time. Many of those players will probably stay close to home.

It's no fluke. The playing field is leveled and the mid majors hold the advantage because they are used to having to play by the players' rules. They've had to make exceptions and change plans in midstream. It's the Duke's and North Carolina's of the world who will struggle. Talent is already diluted, there's not that much separating the teams anymore. The best players in the game get snatched up by the NBA leaving teams trying to rebuild. The advantage goes to the teams that recruit players who need to develop or the teams who embrace the one and done star. As the big teams struggle to adjust to a recruiting climate that has players looking at college as a one year delay in their quest for glory, guys like Coach K aren't going to capitulate and the top players will opt to play for a program that embraces their presence for one season.

The selection committee will still give credit to the old guard and the traditional powers will remain in top seeds, but upsets will become the norm. A number 1 seed doesn't mean what it used to. The fact that there are no number 1 seeds remaining in this year's tournament speaks volumes as to how the shift in power has already begun.

Some see it as an aberration. They claim that this is a down year and that the power conferences and traditional contenders will hold sway for years to come. That's not true. The fact is, this is the tip of the iceberg and the big name programs will see themselves frozen out of the tournament more and more each year.

Best and Worst of NFL Signings already in.

Even though there are still deals to be made, the best and worst moves of the NFL off season are already behind us. Unless the San Diego Charges trade all their picks to draft Reggie Bush, it's unlikely any horrendous decisions will be made in the draft. Free Agency is a bigger deal. The players on the market are proven and there is a standard against which their value can be measured.

The Free Agent market is more entertaining because it's you can predict which teams are going to make a splash with their acquisitions. The draft is a huge crap shoot. Nobody knows which rookie is going to rise to the challenge of being an impact player. There are no unexpected holdouts. Free agents know their market value and they sign with the teams of their choosing.

There's still some activity pending, but we are confident in our projections and feel comfortable in declaring the winners and losers.

Best Team Improvement: Browns

This year the Cleveland Browns were aggressive, bringing in LeCharles Bentley to fortify a much improved line will bolster a surprisingly effective running game and open up the passing game for Charlie Frye. Joe Jurevicius is coming home after a strong performance last year and should be able to hold the fort down while Braylon Edwards recovers from a knee injury. Defensively the acquisition of Willie McGinest will stabilize that transition to the New England-inspired 3-4 Romeo Crennel wants to install. Ted Washington will be a big plus as well. The Browns might contend for the AFC North title thanks in part to the Steelers losing a playmaker in Randle El and the Bengals starting the season with their QB struggling with a bum knee.


Worst: Patriots

Of course that brings us to the worst performance by a team. Early indications point to New England. Sure, people have been counting New England out for years, but this off season looks bad. Rumor has it that the Patriots are looking to clear enough cap room to bring in Lavar Arrington which is a departure from the M.O. previously employed to win as a team. Lavar will command big bucks and bring in a big ego. Not only are the patriots bleeding talent, they might be losing chemistry.

Best Individual Move: TIE Saints and Dolphins
Some people are excited about Edgerrin James heading to Arizona. Big Deal. Edge wasn't nearly as critical to the Colts as people like to think. That team enjoys regular season success because they have a great line and a wicked passing attack. As long as they can find a back that can run routes and catch passes they'll be fine. The Cardinals, however, won't be. Do they really think that Kurt Warner still has what it takes? And what does it matter with that line? The Cardinals are going to learn a tough lesson once the season opens. Never spend big money on a running back, unless you have a great line to block for him.

The Saints made a wise choice in acquiring the services of Drew Brees. Quarterback was a big problem for the Saints last year and Brees has proven his mettle. However, the departure of LeCharles Bentley will not help the Saints improve their offense. The Saints will have to find some blocking in the free agent market or hope to score a quality lineman in the draft. By picking up Brees they acquire some flexibility in trading that draft pick, but losing a solid blocker in Bentley is not going to be good for the team in the immediate future.

The Dolphins needed a good Quarterback. They have solid performers throughout their offense but the liability since Marino retired has been the dead heads they've tried to pawn off as NFL starters. Culpepper is a great acquisition and a steal for a second round pick. I don't know when the world decided Dante Culpepper was washed up, but before last season Culpepper was MVP material. He's big, strong, tough and throws well. He's not without flaws, but even the mighty Peyton Manning has a hole or two in his game. Culpepper's season was cut short by a gruesome knee injury, but the surgery supposedly went well and Dante will be 100% by the time the Dolphins take the field. With New England and Buffalo looking really confused this off season and the Jets being the Jets, Miami could win the AFC East going away. They'll lose in the playoffs, but they'll look like Superbowl contenders all year long.

Worst Individual Move: Chargers

It's got to be the Chargers. In fact, the Charges are a case study in stupid personnel decisions and this years blunder was three years in the making. Drew Brees is a good quarterback and has proven his value in two consecutive seasons. Completing 65% of his passes for almost 7,000 yards and more than 50 touchdowns in 31 games. The kid ripped up his shoulder in the last game of the season...a game he shouldn't have been in, no less...and the Chargers decided to let him walk.

The comedy of errors started when they jumped the gun and drafted Eli Manning, who they knew was not going to sign anyway, and trade him for Phillip Rivers. Brees came on strong, left Rivers on the bench and now everybody wonders if the guy can play. Brees proved he was at least better than Rivers simply by virtue of relegating the former NC State star to the bench for two years.

The Chargers didn't do themselves any favors by breaking the bank on two quarterbacks for two seasons. Everybody knew one of them had to go so the Chargers weren't going to get a lot of trade value, but letting the one who proved his worth on the field walk away with nothing in return was foolish. How do you let a pro-bowl QB slip away and not even get a fourth round pick for him? That's not even stupid, it's insane. The NFL should sue the Chargers management for negligence.


The Cowboys have to get a dishonorable mention for bringing in T.O. Drew Bledsoe simply doesn't have thick enough skin to put up with T.O.'s antics over the cpourse of a season and Parcel's unwavering authority might not impress the egomaniacal Owens. There's no disputing the talent the guy brings, and from that perspective he is an upgrade over Keyshwan Johnson, but it's a sad state of affairs when the guy you're replacing Keyshawn with brings more baggage. Vegas isn't taking bets on the Cowboys getting to the Superbowl, they're setting odds on when T.O. implodes. I'm taking week 9.

Look for some new faces at the top of the divisions this year. The Browns and Dolphins could be the rags to riches stories in the AFC and the Redskins might end up being the class of the NFC. Some teams will need to make a little headway in the draft, but it's been a busy off season and the balance of power will be swinging.

Method to the Madness

The NCAA Tournament selection committee revealed the pairings for the Championship Tournament that begins with the opening rounds today. But just because the games begin, don't count on the whining to subside. Especially when those teams believed to have received special consideration fall. See, Maryland would have won.

No, they would not have. Here's the thing, people: 64 teams get a ticket to the Big Dance. A number of those bid are automatic meaning that the selection committee has no power over the teams who either win their regular season title, or storm through their respective conference tournaments to win a championship. That's how teams with losing records can actually sneak in.

If you fail to qualify for an automatic bid, the selection committee is going to split hairs and scrutinize the rest of the at large hopefuls. In most cases it's a no brainer. The better a team's national ranking, the more likely it is they'll get in, but the selection committee reviews strength of schedule, power rankings and late season performance. It's possible that the occasional top 20 team who didn't lock up the automatic bid could get snubbed. Even in those rare cases it's hard to feel sorry for the teams on the outside looking in.

Fans are expected to make mountains out of molehills. That's what fans do. They see injustice in every thing that doesn't reflect their opinion that the team they root for is the best. But analysts and coaches should know better. When you have something as hideous as the BCS using a twisted combination of computers and people to select the top two teams in the country next door in football, the NCAA Basketball Tournament should seem like a beacon of unbiased hope.

The problem is the fact that too many of these analysts are former college players and/or coaches who hold strong loyalties to the conferences they were associated with. Sports networks want to improve their perceived credibility by hiring people who actually played the game as though these idiots actually have insight that enhances our appreciation of the game.

The reality is that these ex-jocks and coaches often provide insight into the painfully obvious and present uninspiring information as though it's some sort of an inside secret. When you convert points off of turnovers it puts the pressure on your opponent. Really? Wow. I did not know that. Hey, you know what else puts pressure on your opponent? Stupid analysts who won't stop blathering about the painfully obvious. Jeez, next you'll tell me that the team with more points at the end of the game will be the winner. Is the ball round? Does it bounce, too?

Sadly, these washed up jocks steal career opportunities from qualified mass media students who try to combine their love of sports with an education in broadcasting. They study and practice and work long hours at unpaid internships so they can one day graduate from college and become a hot dog vendor at their local arena because some big dumb athlete blew out his knee and had to get a real job. It's not fair but we can tolerate it as long as these idiots at least pretend to be professional. Crying foul over a two or three debatable selections in a 64 team field is not professional.

The Tournament is great. It's so big and comprehensive that you can't diminish it by whimpering over one or two teams. It's like criticizing a sunset because of a few thin clouds. Over the next few weeks the field of 64 will be whittled down to the Final Four and beyond that a true national champion will emerge. There will be upsets. Big upsets. There always are.

Regular season performance doesn't matter. Anybody can win. Goliath can stumble and David can get on a hot streak. There's no margin for error, no getting back on track after a tough loss. If you don't bring the "A" game every day, you will "B" going home. That's why the fans love it. Every game is game seven.

Some coaches try to downplay the tournament because of that upset factor. It's just one game, they say. Sure. If UConn plays Albany 100 times UConn will win 99 of those games, but that one shot is what makes the Tournament so special. You don't have any margin for error. Win or go home. To me, that's a bigger challenge than winning a regular season title. It's a lot easier to win 25-30 games over the course of a season than it is to win six straight games against top ranked opponents in the national spotlight.

Some say that this makes the tournament a novelty act. The regular season is a grueling test of which team is the best. The tournament is a reward in itself. It's an exhibition for the fans, but it's not the fans I see exalting in their glory when the final horn sounds. It's not the fans I see gleefully cutting down the nets. No. The tournament is the season. Coaches, players and the NCAA want the regular season to matter, but for most fans the regular season is just practice for the Big Dance in March.

Steroids, Strife and Schtick

Steroids

I can't find one good reason to get behind Barry Bonds. It's obvious this joker has been loading steroids the way John Goodman hammers cheeseburgers and the fact that this spoiled baseball brat has been a certified jackass from day one makes it easy to laugh as the stuff hitting the fan splatters all over him. I only wish that Barry was white so he couldn't hide behind being black when the critics come calling. Of course he's already proven that he'll hide behind his kids so I guess it wouldn't matter.

But the issue of steroids is rampant. It goes beyond Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire. Sure, the records they set should be wiped clean from the record books but then again everything that happened in baseball since 1988 should be treated like toxic waste. That includes Rickey Henderson's stolen base record and Cal Ripken Jr.'s consecutive game streak.

I'm not throwing those accomplishments under the bus to prove a point, I really believe that everybody in baseball over the past 15 years is guilty until proven innocent. I know that's harsh and defies the logic of our criminal justice system, but I'm not talking about a criminal trial. This is the court of public opinion and it is the players who, through their union, refused to submit to a meaningful drug testing procedure. You reap what you sow.

I know that it's hard to imagine golden boy Cal taking steroids, but didn't everybody dismiss Jose Canseco's claim that he introduced Rafael Palmeiro to steroids? Not Raffi! Then a few months after wagging his finger at Congress and calling Jose Canseco a liar on national television, Palmeiro tested positive for steroids. He still claims he didn't do it, but nobody believes him.

So why not Cal? He sure managed to stay in shape didn't he? Does that mean everybody who stays fit is a cheater? No. But if you're a professional athlete making millions of dollars you need to pee in a cup and prove that you're legit. Last time I checked Cal didn't pee in any cups. At least not for any drug test. And it's pretty obvious that a few of the guys Cal played with took steroids. Remember how Brady Anderson suddenly packed on 20 pounds of solid muscle and blasted 50 home runs out of the lead off spot? No doubt about the pharmaceutical assistance he got there.

But will peeing in the cup cut it? Bonds and Jason Giambi were taking designer steroids that can't be detected through current testing procedures and many other drugs the players have access to won't show up. The test used by Major League Baseball is a sham. Instead of taking a cue from the International Olympic Committee and selecting a test that accounts for modern advancements in hormonal supplementation, MLB went with the minimum acceptable standard. They don't want to solve the problem at all, they want to appear to be concerned.

Baseball isn't alone. The NFL has a testing policy that former players have called a joke. One doesn't need to look very far to find the freakish physical attributes that tell the tale of steroid use. Somehow wide receivers and defensive backs who weighed under 200 pounds in college manage to become quicker and faster after they bulk up to 220 pounds in the NFL. And you have to be suspicious of the speed and quickness the 250 pound linebackers in the league are capable of. Sure, an intense training regimen can do great things, but you have to be naive if you think that steroids are the exception rather than the rule.

The NBA has seen players get bigger and stronger over the years as well. Fans don't clamor for testing in the NBA because fans don't really clamor for the NBA. A limited fan base provides the NBA and it's cellar-dwelling cousin the NHL a lot of latitude in the drug testing department. Fans seem more concerned that NBA players might smoke marijuana and that Hockey players might wear mullets. And in all honesty, mullets are a menace.

If any sports league was really serious about drug testing, they would happily outsource the entire process to a third party agency that has no interest in the outcome of the tests. As it stands right now. None of the sports leagues want to see their best and most popular players endure the long term humiliation of a positive test. The fact is the leagues don't want testing. It's too much of a hassle. They struggle with enough image issues without having marquee players being suspended regularly for violating the substance abuse policy.

And fans don't want it either. We like to make a stink about fair play integrity and, of course, the children, the poor innocent children who look up to these athletes for guidance and inspiration in ever walk of life, but at the end of the day we want eye-popping highlights. Until everybody takes the issue seriously the leagues will only go through the motions. In short talk is cheap.

Strife

The NFL has slowly but surely turned itself into one of the most successful live action entertainment ventures in the history of the modern world. Billions and Billions of dollars change hands in the name of the NFL. Rival professional leagues have come and gone, failing to make a dent in the popularity the NFL enjoys.

The only thing that comes close is college football and that's only because the NCAA doesn't have to pay those future NFL stars who are basically indentured to the farm system for three years before they can get paid for their efforts. If the NCAA ever had to pay those kids, or the NFL decided to stop making it so easy for the NCAA to hold them hostage college football would really be about student athletes and the big time be lucky to see 100, 000 fans over the course of a season.

The NFL has a stranglehold on payroll. While their counterparts in other leagues sign massive guaranteed contracts for a hundred million dollars, NFL players don't have the leverage to secure big salaries or long term security. With the league minimum salary well into the six figure range it's hard to feel sympathy for the players as they struggle through unguaranteed contracts and hard salary caps, but you still can't fault the players for taking an opportunity to push the NFL for more money as the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires. The NFL has enjoyed massive revenues and the players are entitled to take what is theirs.

You see, the NFL controls everything related to the game of professional football. In the NBA Lebron James can squeeze Nike for 50 million a year because he's allowed to wear Nike shoes on the court. The NFL controls the apparel agreements so even if a player is popular enough to secure an endorsement deal, he can't get the money an NBA player clears because the NFL will determine which shoes he wears during a game. Even if player does wear a brand not licensed by the NFL, he has to cover the shoe with tape. This is a bone of contention with the players. Not only are they getting short changed on their salaries, they are limited in earning money off the field as well.

But that's only part of the problem with this labor agreement. The players want more money than the owners would like to part with. What else is new? However, the owners are quibbling amongst themselves over the revenue sharing provisions. The NFL controls general revenues and the teams share in that revenue equally. Television contracts, endorsement deals, and licensing agreements are all arranged by the league office and the revenue is divided evenly among the teams. Even the revenue generated by ticket sales is shared among the league to a large degree. And that's fair.

One thing that isn't shared are local revenues. Some teams are very popular in their particular area and they are able to secure local revenue deals with area businesses. The sources of the revenue can be tied to stadium concessions, luxury suite sales, parking and other game related items. Another popular revenue source is naming rights. Then you have various advertisements that can be placed throughout the stadium. Owners of smaller market teams want to share the local revenue while the owners of the larger market teams are logically opposed to it.

Small market owners believe the revenue sharing would help the league by allowing small market teams to be more competitive, large market owners believe that this would reduce incentive to generate local revenues. They don't want to share their money. Who does?

Obviously both sides can make a great case, but the point nobody seems to be making is so simple: If the NFL won't impose a local revenue sharing plan, then the NFL should not be able to prevent teams from moving. While some teams have made controversial moves, the NFL strictly regulates this activity and many proposed moves have been nixed by the league. Reasons have included the size of a particular market, the fan base and the proximity of the desired market to another team. When Art Modell repackaged the Browns as the Ravens and moved to Baltimore the Redskins filed a grievance with the NFL because they felt Baltimore was part of their market. Obviously the NFL disagreed but not until they tendered a cash settlement to the Redskins.

So if the large market owners don't want to share local revenues, that's fine. But then the league can't block moves. So Zygi Wilf can pack up the Vikings and open up shop in Hartford; Bill Bidwill can hop a Greyhound and base the Cardinals in Fort Worth. How would that affect those local revenues? Stop the whining and close the deal.


Schtick

The World Baseball Classic has to be the biggest sham since they tried to make the All Star game count by putting home field advantage for the World Series at stake. Ho Hum. I'm not even paying attention. Spring training just started which means the players are just now getting into shape. Pitchers aren't ready to throw 200 pitches a game and sluggers haven't shaken off the rust enough to hit a hanging curve ball out of the infield yet. So why should anybody care about the WBC?

I like baseball and I follow it throughout the season, but I don't even get invested into the action until after the All Star break. It's not even interesting until then. They play 162 regular season games but it's only the last 62 of them that really matter and that's a stretch. The casual fan can tune into the action in the last week of the regular season and enjoy baseball as much as the junkie who's been keeping box scores since April 2nd. So tell me again why this WBC matters?
Don't give me national pride. Please. Do you really want to pin your national pride to a bunch of guys trying to shake off 15 pounds of winter flab?

If you want this to matter, extend the All Star break and play it in the middle of the season. Scrap the non-baseball dog and pony show that is the home run derby, do away with the lame excuse for a game that the All Star game has become and play a few double headers over a five day period, give the players a couple of days off on the back end and call it a Classic. Don't hand me some repackaged version of the Grapefruit league and tell me it's exciting. I know better.


Sadly, these three issues have taken center stage in the sports world right before the NCAA announces it's tournament pairings. That's too bad. This is the time of the year we are supposed to suffer from March Madness and we're more worried about this garbage. Here's hoping we come to our senses next week.