The Shogun Assassin

            

"When I was little, my father was famous. He was the greatest Samurai in the empire, and he was the Shogun's decapitator. He cut off the heads of 131 lords. It was a bad time for the empire.

The shogun just stayed inside his castle and he never came out. People said his brain was infected by devils.

My father would come home to mother each night and he would forget the killings. He wasn't scared of the Shogun, but the Shogun was scared of him. Maybe that was the problem.

Then, one night the Shogun sent his ninja spies to our house. They were supposed to kill my father.....

....but they didn't.

That was the night everything changed, forever. That was when my father left his samurai life and became a demon. And he took me with him. I don't remember most of this myself. I only remember the Shogun's ninja hunted us wherever we went. And the bodies falling. And the blood."

-"The Shogun Assassin"

Punchout.mid

Two Things I Used To Love...I Now Don't Care Much About Anymore

THE MLB ALL STAR GAME

                                 

It has now turned into the All Star Break.  Great.  But, for baseball fans...it isn't a break.  We will be force-fed the Home Run Derby on Monday and then see the glitzy game on Tuesday.  On Thursday, we resume our regularly scheduled program. 

I just don't care anymore.  It's not that I hate the game or the idea of the game.  I used to love it.  But it's turned into something that just doesn't sit right with me anymore.  The magical game that lined up the best players in the game has turned into this inconveinent mess that sits like an albatross in the middle of the season.  The "game" itself has less meaning than the "break".  Everyone loves to punch out the before/after the All Star break numbers...and that is fine.  And I am not for getting rid of the actual game.  I just don't really like it that much anymore.

FAN VOTING:  For the first 30 years of my life...I would have defended the fans voting for the All Star starters until I was blue in the face.  Now...well, I'm not so sure.  In the computer age...any idiot can just keep voting for his favorite players [I know, they have a limit...but it isn't hard to get past that limit to keep on voting].  When New York teams have a 10 million fan base...well, they'll push in a few more people than Minnesota, Cincinnati or even Detroit. 

It isn't like it even matters anymore.  The guys you vote probably don't want to play anyways.  I mean, they'll say it is an honor and collect their All Star bonus that was written into their contracts.  Then they will pass on the actual game and chill out somewhere. 

THAT STUPID "IT NOW COUNTS" CRAP:  Where baseball messed up was by determining the outcome of the most important game of the year [Game 7 of the World Series] by using the winner of the least important game [an exhibition like this All Star game].  It is dumb. I mean, can you blame Ozzie Guillen for picking all his guys to fill out his American League roster??  Dude might be in the World Series and would love to have that home field advantage.  Why trust someone else's guys when you can bring the ones you know??  Why have guys from the Pirates and Royals determine what stadium gets to host Game 1 of the World Series??

It was fine as just a game.  I mean, there is no proof that the All Star game is more popular now that "it means something". 

I have an idea.  Why not just determine which league gets home field advantage in the World Series by which league did better in interleague play???  Makes sense, huh?  the AL has dominated the NL in interleague play this year....so they should win the home field for the World Series.  There.  Cleaned that up.

SPEAKING OF INTERLEAGUE PLAY....:  I'm not bashing interleague play at all.  But those great matchups you used to crave in the All Star game you get to see now during the season.  I mean, you wanted to see a guy like Barry Bonds hit in Fenway Park.  Where else but an All Star game could that happen??  Well, with interleague play, we get to see that every few years.  How would those NL managers adjust to the DH???  How would those AL managers adjust to having their pitchers hit??  Again, we see that in interleague play.  The biggest novelty for the MLB All Star game was the two leagues having to share the field together.  Now, it happens in two big chunks during the regular season.  No big deal anymore.

THE ROSTER CALL:  I know people hate the fact that every team gets a rep...but I love it.  It makes baseball unique.  The best part of the All Star game has always been the player introductions.  Seeing those players and coaches standing on the 1st or 3rd base line tipping their caps is great.  Seeing those nice clean uniforms in the bright lights is awesome.  There, you can see superstars lining up next to guys having their breakout season.

I AM AN NBA ALL STAR MAN NOW:  Baseball's All Star game does have the most.....magic.  But I like the NBA All Star Game a bit better.  In the NBA, the All Star game feels like a great pickup game where the best players show off their talents.  Not so in baseball.  There isn't much freelancing out there....aside from when A-Rod made Cal Ripken take his shortstop spot a few years ago in the ASG or when John Kruk played chicken with Randy Johnson about a decade ago.  Guys in the NBA are willing to try something fun and exciting.  I mean, what if Albert Pujols gets up and....lays down a bunt just to be silly.  Or, say, Manny Ramirez tries to play first base for an inning.  Or, say, Derek Jeter tries to pitch.  Yeah, that's all rather quirky and such....but there is no fun in the game.  None.  Sure, you can be serious about it....the NBA guys do too.  After they do all their alley-oops, dunks and behind the back passes early in the game....they really get down and gritty over the last quarter and a half.  That's why I love that game.  It really shows me the best of the NBA.  Baseball doesn't really do that. 

THE ESPYS

The ESPYs take place next Sunday night...and, well, I won't be watching.  The ESPYs are to real sports awards what the MTV Movie Awards are to the Oscars.  A sideshow.  They do have some very good categories in there...and they should stick with them.  The don't need to have an NFL Player of the Year category.  More times than not, the ESPY winner will be the same as the league winner.  But there are categories I do like...and that I'm going to put my two cents on:

BEST MALE ATHLETE:  A good category.  I'm not picking Albert Pujols or LeBron James because, well, while they did have great seasons....they really weren't that great.   Footballers Vince Young and Shawn Alexander deserve close inspection for the award.  They are worthy candidates...but no.  My vote will have to go to Lance Armstrong again.  Sorry, but winning the Tour de France for a 7th straight time is amazing.  Of the other nominees in this category, only Young won a championship this year.  Armstrong has defended his title for the 7th time in one of sports' most grueling events. 

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE:  There isthe hippie snowboarder Hannah Teter.  There is the hoops icon Sheryl Swoopes.  But it is just a two woman race.  Normally, I'd bet on Melanie Troxel to win any race.  She's the NHRA drag racer who's dominating her circuit.  But it is Annika Sorenstam.  I mean, she won 10 of the 20 events she entered last year. 

BEST TEAM:  Sorry, it won't be the Steelers.  That team didn't win their division and was the final team in the playoffs [that doesn't diminish their Super Bowl, however].  I don't like to pick the Heat since they had two teams die on them in the ECF [Pistons] and NBA Finals [Mavs].  The Texas Longhorns fall just a bit short.  I have to take the Chicago White Sox.  It is actually rare to see MLB's best regular season team take the World Series title...but the ChiSox did it.  And they did it with domination.  The swept the defending champion Red Sox in the divisional round.  They then went on to beat the Angels in five games in the ALCS....in which the last four games were complete game wins for the Pale Hose.  Then, in the World Series, they swept the Astros.  An 11-1 postseason record.  Domination. 

GAME OF THE YEAR:  There were some good ones.  The Astros-Braves NLDS game that went to 18 innings was a classic.  So was the Andre Agassi-James Blake US Open match.  But neither holds a candle to the Texas-USC Rose Bowl game for the National Championship. 

MOMENT OF THE YEAR:  This category is stacked.  Any one of these moments could win in any other year.  How about 13-yr old Dakoda Dowd who competed in the LPGA's Ginn Open??  Or that great George Mason upset of UConn to put them in the Final Four??  Or Kobe Bryant dumping in 81 points on the Toronto Raptors??  That doesn't even win for me.  The winner is autistic hoops player Jason McElwain pouring in 20 points in four minutes of action for Greece Athena HS. 

GREATEST PLAY:  Some interesting ones.  There was Antwaan Randle El's TD pass in the Super Bowl...the first receiver to toss a TD pass in the big game.  There is also Aaron Rowland cracking up hisface on a diving catch in the outfield.  There also is Candace Parker's two dunks in an NCAA tournament game.  But I will go with the Doug Flutie drop-kick.  That hadn't been done since WWII and was just so wild and out of the blue. 

UNBELIEVABLE PERFORMANCE:  It ain't AJ Hawk in the Fiesta Bowl or Matt Leinart against Notre Dame.  It isn't Ryan Howard and his 22 HR mark.  Nope, it is Kobe Bryant dumping 81 on the Raptors.  That was a guard pouring in the 2nd most points in NBA history. 

NFL PREVIEW PT 2 - NFC South

The NFC South has turned into maybe the NFC's top division in the past 5 years or so.  Carolina has a shot at being a Super Bowl contender and the Buccaneers aren't too far away.  Atlanta has Michael Vick, one of the premiere stars in the game.  All three have great young coaches [well, Fox isn't that young].  Oh, and then there is New Orleans...who we will get to later.

1-CAROLINA PANTHERS

                               

COACH'S STATE:  Coach John Fox may have the coolest seat in the NFC.  He's taken a Panthers' franchise that had just one winning season into a NFC Champion and, last year, a NFC runner up.  And last year they did it with smoke and mirrors.  Injuries hurt the defense and their running game.  Yet, Fox adjusted his gameplans and still got his team to the NFC title tilt.
BIGGEST ADDITION:  Sure, Keyshawn Johnson will alleviate some pressure on Steve Smith....it will be DT Maake Kemoeatu which will have the biggest impact.  Carolina had issues stopping the run last year...and with the recent injury woes of fellow tackle Kris Jenkins, Kemoeatu will be a huge upgrade.  This also causes a domino effect.  He can keep blockers off the linebackers which frees them up to make plays.  It also makes it difficult to constantly double up Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker.  And with those guys being able to man the box...it frees up the secondary to stay with the receivers.  The entire defense should benefit. 
BIGGEST SUBTRACTION:  If this was 2004, then the losses of Stephen Davis, Ricky Proehl, Brentson Buckner and Ricky Manning would be huge.  But this is 2006.  Losing OLB Will Witherspoon is the key.  Witherspoon has great range and coverage skills and was a key asset to a franchise that has had issues with injuries and illness in the LB corps.  Carolina will replace Witherspoon with Keith Adams and Thomas Davis...the latter being a safety a year ago. 
PLAYERTHAT NEEDS TO SHOW UP:  The key to the team will be if DeShawn Foster can stay on the field.  Fox loves to run the football...and Foster is their main man.  But he has a history of injuries which cost the Panthers in the NFC title game.  They drafted DeAngelo Williams as a capable backup...but Foster must be the horse. 
OFFENSE:  Fox likes running the ball...and with Foster, Williams and Eric Shelton they should be able to do so.  And if defenses try to stop that....then Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith can make them pay.  Smith was the top receiver in the NFL last year and could be even more deadly with Keyshawn.  The line is solid, though with a few defections. 
DEFENSE:  Again, the defensive front should be solid.  Not only do they have Peppers, Kemoeatu, Jenkins and Rucker...but they can rotate Al Wallace and Demione Lewis in.  Great depth.  As I said earlier, the linebackers will have an adjustment period as they lost Witherspoon and Brandon Short.  The secondary is great.  They have, essentially, two shut down corners in Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble.  They did lose Marlon McCree at safety...but still have stallwart Mike Minter.  This defense will be darn good.
SCHEDULE:  The NFC South faces off with the AFC North...so there should be some great games in there.  Because of that, the Panthers have to go to Baltimore and Cincinnati and get Pittsburgh at home.  In the NFC, Carolina have NY Giants, Dallas and Washington to worry about.  Aside from the mandatory NFC South games, they have Minnesota and St. Louis.  Not too shabby. 
OUTLOOK:  The Panthers have all the trappings of a Super Bowl champion.  With Johnson as his new "Mushin Muhammad"....Delhomme should have a much better year since he won't have to force the ball into Smith constantly.  But, he won't lose sight of Smith, who could have an even bigger year.  The defense should be near great again that they can take some of those Delhomme chances and hopefully not cost them as dearly.  The biggest obsticle [as it is with any team] is injuries.  Guys like Foster, Dan Morgan and Jenkins need to stay on the field as much as possible.  They do that...they could be in Super Bowl XLI.

2-TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

                            

COACH'S STATE:  Jon Gruden may be able to have the kind of offense he's wanted since his days with the Raiders.  Gruden did take the Bucs to a Super Bowl title in his first season...but the team floundered since.  A division title last year was nice, but the team was upset at home by Washington in the first round.  The good thing that came out of that game was the emergence of Chris Simms as a somewhat reliable QB.  If Simms can build on what he's done thus far, Gruden can have a blistering offense again.
BIGGEST ADDITION:  Well, Tampa really didn't add anything but depth.  The top addition will probably be rookie WR Maurice Stovall.  He is a big receiver with speed who could become a factor in a more open Gruden offense. 
BIGGEST SUBTRACTION:  The team didn't lose much on defense either, so really only QB Brian Griese qualifies.  Sure, Simms is the starter...but he became one right after Griese went down with an injury.  And looking at the Tampa QBs, they really don't have much experience past...well...Griese.  Still, he won't be missed that much. 
PLAYER THAT NEEDS TO SHOW UP:  Chris Simms, obviously.  The keys are in his possession and he is the man to run this ship.  He really has no one behind him but retreads.  He played really well in the playoffs and made a beautiful would be game winning pass for a TD had it not been dropped. 
OFFENSE:  Again, it is up to Simms.  If he can stay on this upward path, than Gruden can open up the offense more.  If not, then it will be steady doses of Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman.  There are weapons around Simms to suceed. 
DEFENSE:  It still is good.  I mean, when you can still line up Booger McFarland, Simeon Rice, Shelton Quarles, Brian Kelly, Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks....you are still okay.  Not only is the personel good...butguru Marty Kiffin is still there calling the shots.  . 
SCHEDULE:  Like Carolina....the Buccaneers have a tough schedule.  And since they win the division [not Carolina]...they get it worse.  How about games at Atlanta, NY Giants, Carolina, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Chicago??  Add in home games with Baltimore, Carolina, Cincinnati, Washington, Atlanta and Seattle and there is a tough roadmap.  They also have a late stretch where they play 4 of 5 on the road.
OUTLOOK:  Only one starter is gone from the defending NFC South champs.  So, they should repeat, eh?  Well, a tough sked mixed in with relying on what was an unreliable QB could spell a step back.  I think they will still be a good team...possibly a playoff team.  But one reason the won the division was the injuries Carolina had.  I think that the Panthers will be better and get past Tampa for the division.  But a wildcard can be had. 

3-ATLANTA FALCONS

                                

COACH'S STATE:  Jim Mora is one of the best up and coming coaches in the NFL and is respected by his GM, Rick McKay.  His issue, though, has been trying to fit Michael Vick's talents into what the Falcons want to do on offense.  He has yet been able to do so....and it may end up costing him. 
BIGGEST ADDITION:  DE John Abraham will bring back that great Falcons pass rush of old.  His addition brings the Falcons front line to him, Patrick Kearney, Rod Coleman and Darrell Shropshire.  A tough line indeed!  Injuries and attitude have been issues in the past with Abraham...but his talent has always been there. 
BIGGEST SUBTRACTION:  I hate to say a kicker...but they need a kicker.  Todd Peterson is gone from the Falcons and Atlanta has yet to replace him.  He missed just 2 of 25 FG attempts last year and in this rough and tumble division...close games are plentiful.  The Falcons had five games decided bya FG or less last year. 
PLAYER THAT NEEDS TO SHOW UP:  Michael Vick is a superstar but not really a great QB yet.  His physical talents are breathtaking....but an NFL quarterback has got to be able to consistently play in the pocket.  Many teams just try to keep Vick back there by not putting too much pressure on him...not letting him run out of the pocket.  They don't respect his decisions passing the ball.  And because of this, the Falcons are too one-dimentional. 
OFFENSE:  This is a running team.  They have solid backs, a good line and a QB that can pick up yardage on the ground.  The issue is passing the ball.  Vick seems to only trust huge TE Alge Crumpler...and that's because he's a big target.  Vick doesn't see open players until they are really open.  And that hinders the team. 
DEFENSE:  The defense should be much improved.  The additions of Abraham, Lawyer Milloy and rookie Jimmy Williams should shore up deficiencies they had a year ago.  Atlanta prides itself on tough defense and that running game.  The problem is that they let opponents score 30+ points on them FIVE times.  Again, the new blood should help bring that down.
SCHEDULE:  Just like everyone else...Atlanta has a tough sked.  And they get the mandatory tough stretch after Thanksgiving...with at Washington, at Tampa and then Dallas and Carolina at home.  They begin the season with three straight division games...two of which are on the road.  They got to get out to a decent start.
OUTLOOK:  Like I just said, the Falcons begin with a big start.  They are in Carolina, host Tampa and are at New Orleans.  An 0-fer there would be disasterous.  It is up to Michael Vick and Jim Mora to figure out some kind of passing game.  If they can, the Falcons can compete with Carolina and Tampa.  If not...watch out...this could be an ugly season. 

4-NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

     

COACH'S STATE:  Sean Payton finally gets his shot at a head coaching gig. He had other shots...but for some reason took this Saints job.  That says a lot about New Orleans' ability to try to rework their franchise from the muck of 2005. 
BIGGEST ADDITION:  It seems that Reggie Bush landing in the Saints' laps marks good fortune for a team that had such bad in 2005.  But it will be Drew Brees that will try to bring back the Saints.  With Payton a former QB coach....Brees should be able to have success in the offense.  There are weapons there when healthy, and Brees can make the most of them.  Signing Brees also shows the NFL that New Orleans can still attract big time free agents into town. 
BIGGEST SUBTRACTION:  The Saints lost several players, but were strong in those areas anyways.  But the loss of CB Fakhir Brown could hurt the most.  They didn't replace him with any free agents and they didn't have anything already on their roster that can step in. 
PLAYER THAT NEEDS TO SHOW UP:  Joe Horn is still a top notch receiver...but he had an all around bad season last year.  He will be key in getting Brees into the Saints passing groove.  He can stretch the field and turn short passes into long gains.  If he and Brees can get on the same wavelength, the Saints offense could be really good.
OFFENSE:  Speaking of the offense, it has talent.  Not only does Brees have Horn to toss it to, but Donte Stallworth and Zach Hilton could have big years too.  And let us not forget those two backs they have....Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush.  Both can carry the load for the Saints, who may use both considerably.  Bush could be used as a slot receiver at times.  The problem is their offensive line...which is rebuilt.  There is no depth and the guys they got haven't really worked together...with several changing positions.
DEFENSE:  They have a solid front line led by Will Smith.  After that, they are just decent.  They will attack a lot, but the secondary may not be good enough to stop big plays from happening.  The entire defense lacks depth pretty much everywhere. 
SCHEDULE:  The sked is unkind to N'Awlins.  They must go to Carolina, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Dallas and NY Giants.  Yowser.  Add home games with Atlanta, Tampa, Cincinnati, Washington and Carolina and the Saints have a tough road to climb.
OUTLOOK:  It has to be better than 2005.  They will come back to the Superdome which has become the lasting image of how the infrastructure of New Orleans was damaged during Hurricane Katrina.  The Saints will be glad to have a real home again.  As much bad that happened in the city last year...the Saints have offered the city some good.  The Superdome will reopen, the drafting of Bush adds hope for the future, and signing Brees means that guys aren't as scared of the rebuilding as many would think.  Still, in this division this season...the Saints are on the tail end of the stick.  But, you gotta start somewhere. 

Italy Wins World Cup......On Crappy Penalty Kicks

     

The World Cup Final was quite a match.  Two very early goals and then a defensive struggle the rest of the way. 

But it ended the way I hated.  On a penalty kick shootout. 

As I wrote on this blog a few weeks ago....Hey World Cup....Get Rid of the Penalty Kicks....[and that blog entry was on ESPN2's Cold Pizza last Friday]....deciding World Cup matches with penalty kicks are not fun.  It isn't.  Click on that link to read why I thought so.

If you watched the game...you saw France dominating Italy.  Over the final 30 minutes of regulation and the 30 minutes of overtime, you saw France be aggressive and had numerous scoring chances.  The Italians couldn't get the ball out of their end of the field.  And when they did....they didn't do much with it.  They were worn out...using all their substitutions during regulation.  But the fact that the French couldn't get a ball into the goal...it eventually went into overtime.

Again, I don't know why people love this.  It's horrible.  After 120 minutes of action in which France bled Italy...everyone got a fresh start with penalty kicks.  Except that France had to sub for two of their stars and watch one get ejected.  Italy had perfect life.

And...again...I don't know why people love this.  I was told about how it is a mental game between takers and goalkeepers.  Yeah, right.  Only ONCE in the 9 kicks made did the goalie even remotely picked correctly.  ONCE.  And that one scored.  The only penalty kick that wasn't true was one that struck the crossbar and landed straight into the ground.  Just a mistake.  Which proves my point.  The World Cup Final....a game watched by 1 billion people...a game that was so tight...was decided on a penalty kick that was just one or two inches too high.  The biggest sporting event was decided not by a save....but the fact that thetaker was just underneath the ball. 

And...yet again...I don't know why people love this.  Penalty kicks ruined overtime.  Ruined it.  The Italians were worn out...but knew that with penalty kicks comes some life.  So over the past hour of the match...they just tried to hold on, not give up a big goal.  Kinda like running the four corners for the entire 2nd half of a basketball game just so you can go to "penalty free throws". 

Congrats to Italy for winning the World Cup.  France outplayed you....but you just held on to dear life in order to get to the fountain of youth....called penalty kicks.

                

ZIDANE'S ERROR:  French captain and star Zinedine Zidane made a somewhat crucial mistake late in the match.  After being touted everywhere for how great a player he was....he headbutted an Italian player in the chest and was red-carded [ejected].  Horrible play.  While the French didn't pay for it the rest of overtime....Zidane wasn't available for the penalty kick phase of the match.  The picture above is from the BBC.

ITALY HAD THE DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE ON THEIR SIDE:  Well just look at the picture:

Seems that Sith Lord Darth Maul is Italian. 

MY ROOTING INTEREST:  As any good American...I was rooting against the French.  But why does Italy wear blue???  Just curious.

MY ENGLAND SOCCER HAT:  A friend of my dad sent me and him an authenic England soccer hat....and I wanted to thank her kindly for it.  Makes a good addition to my Sportz Room.

MY WIFE, THE SOCCER LOVER:  Let's just say that watching any sporting event with my wife is interesting.  She hates Steve Nash's haircut....she thinks the "NE" for New England stands for "Nebraska" during NFL games...and she yells at the end of NBA games about the amount of timeouts taken.  Mind you, my wife watched maybe 10 minutes of the World Cup...and that was right as the regulation time was running out of this game.

-When the announcer said that a French attacker was looking to get the ball to Zidane...my wife says "Why are they trying to find Saddam??"

-On soccer players:  "It is a pansy game.  The only reason they like it is cuz they get to drink a lot of pints and get drunk."

-When she sat down near the end of regulation:  "There is 88 minutes left!?!?!"

-A general statement:  "Why do people like this crap???"

-When she got up to get something to drink...and the crowd in Berlin was blowing horns and such:  "Is that a cow mooing or what??  What is that noise??"

-And when I informed her [she was in her office playing Pogo games by then] that they were in penalty kicks...she says:  "What?  They stand around and kick each other in the nuts?"

Ah....my lovely wife!  And...YES...I did write all this stuff she was saying down on paper as she was ranting. 

The World Cup Final

                             

The World Cup is coming to an end today, as France and Italy battle for soccer's supremecy.  Should be a great game with all the fare that should become of Cup Final.

Still not sure if I'm gonna watch it.  Just like the running gag in "American Psycho"....I gotta return some video tapes [I really gotta return some at Hollywood Video]. 

Again, that's the bad American in me.  I've talked about the World Cup a bit here...some bad, some good.  No, I don't really like soccer.  And, no, I really don't ever care to.  I have the same complaints that every other non-soccer fan has:  low scoring, boring, the flopping only to sprint off a minute later [that's where Vlade Divac got it from!] and the worst offsides rule of all time. 

I've ripped the penalty kick shootout [that little blog entry was mentioned on Friday's "Cold Pizza" on ESPN2].  I'm also not a fan of the whole "score a goal and then sit on it the rest of the game" strategy.  Get rid of running up to somebody and showing them a card.  Ugh.  And I'm not a fan of that whole "extra injury time" which is just kept as sort of a neat ending [just stop the freakin' clock!]. 

Of course, those can all be bad complaints.  As Americans, we watch NASCAR which features three hours of left turns and stops at the Jiffy Lube wedged in there.  I know, I know...there is strategy buried in all that, but soccer has as well.  While you can bash soccer for being "slow"....it is a constant game with a running clock.  Baseball, America's pastime, has no clock and could look like a bunch of people standing around all day. 

Flopping??  Well, anyone who's watched an NBA game over the last 10 years has seen plenty of flopping.  The biggest defensive adjustment in the last decade is running to a spot so someone can run you over.  Sell it enough...and you got it!  And the greatest-player-of-the-moment in the NBA....Dwayne Wade....has gotten the "I'm so hurt that I may not play but then I score 40 points" speil down cold.

The cards given out is nothing odd when you think in the NFL we throw flags everywhere.  Little yellow hankys.  And we thought the French were fluffly. 

And the injury time....well, that sucks and I don't see that in American sport.

But the World Cup itself it a great event.  I have always marveled about how big in stature it is.  It has all of the things that the Olympics wish it could have.  Real nationalism.  Sure, Italy can play France in anything in the Olympics and it won't be a pressurized as today's game.  And these countries share a border and aren't too far from where the game will be played [Berlin].  I mean, think how goofy we are about the Super Bowl....and that comes every year with just a two week buildup.  The World Cup happens just once every four years with tons of buildup in between.  The Olympics, which tries to cultivate that, can't.  Neither can we.  Either we dominate in a sport so much that a "world cup" is just a vehicle to show our dominance....or we stink at it that we just don't care [read: this World Cup].  And if the FIBA hoops games show us anything....it is that when we don't win those things wish we should dominate, we start not to care anymore either. 

The goal scoring celebrations are the best.....and don't say they are horrible.  This is America....where home runs get patented trots.....touchdowns have pre-meditated dances....NBA "and ones" get screams, yells and mean looks....and hockey goals get a sweet one legged, fist pumping skate until the team tackles you and slaps your head.  Imagine back to your high school days.  Imagine if you hit the game winning shot....hit the game winning home run....or made the game winning drive.  You'd be a god at your school.  Teachers and student would pat your back and show you love for quite some time.  Imagine an entire country doing that.  Someone will be that guy after today's game. 

It's beautiful.  To hear the majestic sounds of fans in the crown screaming out songs of patriotism.  You think we'd do that??  Most of us barely know all the words to "Star Spangled Banner".  And our best sing-songs in the crowd are "over-rated", "de-fense", "here we go, blah blah, here we go" and the gracious "BS" chant. 

I love the NFL and all is spectacle.  The tailgating before the game and brotherhood [and sisterhood] is something special.  Then the love people give those teams and the wildness that goes on in NFL stadiums are great.  But that isn't a sliver of what the World Cup is.  The NFL's greatest event, the Super Bowl, is a stadium filled with people of influence and many who don't have a dog in the fight.  Same thing in the NCAA's Final Four.  Today, it will be as rocking as you will see for any event....both ways. 

I still may not watch it.  But I understand it. 

For a great preview of the game...go to: ESPNsoccernet - World Cup - Chang: World Cup final preview

NBA Summer Leagues

                                 

To most of you peeps....the basketball season is over.  The NBA Finals just ended and the draft concluded...so you just sit and wait for the training camps to open up in the NBA in October and those Midnight Madness events in NCAA hoops.

Oh, but there is plenty of hoops going on.  The Summer Leagues.

The Summer leagues aren't anything but for the big hoops heads.  These are games that see sparse crowds and more scouts than anything.  There is no PA announcer gushing over your play nor is there a dude with a microphone giving you nicknames.  These games are played in Long Beach, Orlando, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.  Of course, many guys playing on these rosters were in Athens, Spain or Telaviv last year.  Some might have been in America...but in Asheville or Austin.  Nearly all of them are fighting for a small NBA check.

The summer leagues have gained so much importance in recent year.   With the addition of high schoolers and foreign players in the draft....the summer leagues are a good way to break these guys into NBA play [and coaching].  Also, with the new design of the NBDL [aka the "D-league"], guys who impress during the summer leagues could make their way onto D-league teams which is just a step from NBA action. 

Sure, the summer leagues feature most first round draft picks and man 2nd rounders.....and the summer leagues may see a lot of 2nd and 3rd year NBA players and some guys like Amare Stoudamire coming off injuries....but it is those guys fighting to get back into the NBA that are the ones who are the most interesting.  These guys need these summer leagues to show that they can stick in the Association.  They have nothing guaranteed.  Here are a few of the guys of note.

Walter Herrman, Bobcats:  I featured this cat on this very blog when I first started it.  He was the Argentine player who had his fiancee, his mom and his sister all die in a car crash back in 2003.  Exactly one year later...he had his greatest game.  A 38-point, 11 rebound effort in the South America championship game.  He came home to find out that his father died of a heartattack.  He was on the Argentina team that won the gold medal in the Olympics in 2004...which is when I first learned of him.  Great player, horrible story. 

Casey Jacobson, Nuggets:  The former Stanford standout is one guy that can parlay a great summer league into a possibly NBA roster slot.  The Nuggs need shooters and that is what Jacobson is.  He's bounced around the league and spent last year in Spain. 

Paul Shirley, Timberwolves:  Shirley is best known for his blog on ESPN.com.  He put the pen down [well, the keyboard] to give basketball another try. 

Omar Cook, Hornets:  The posterboy for legendary high schooler that didn't make it.  This NYC legend has done next to nothing in his NBA tries.  He has made the rounds in the D-league.

Joe Forte, Heat:  Former Tar Heel All American whose attitude made him, well, unwanted at Carolina and unwanted in the NBA. 

Marcus Fizer, Hornets:  Former lottery pick from Iowa State, Fizer played very well in the D-league last year.  Enough so that New Orleans brought him up for a spell. 

Darius Washington, Rockets:  Probably the 2006 posterboy for declaring too early.  Still, the Memphis guard is best known for missing FTs in the 2005 Conference USA championship game.   

Taylor Coppenrath, Pacers:  He was that big dude who led Vermont to that upset of Syracuse in the 2005 NCAA tournament. 

Marco Killingsworth, Magic:  He was a beast earlier in the NCAA season at Indiana.  His lack of size and range knocked him out of the draft. 

Brett Blizzard, Bobcats:  This UNC-Wilmington player was that dude that lit up offenses back in the day with his rabid three-pt shooting. 

Will Bynum, Warriors:  Bynum may be the reason that the Warriors were willing to deal away Derek Fisher.  Bynum was awesome in the D-league last year where he led the league in scoring. 

Will Solomon, Wizards:  The former Clemson star has become a Euro star.  He's cut out a nice career in the Turkish, Greek and Israeli leagues. 

Kevin Pittsnogle, Heat:  Well, he'll get a look.

Gerry McNamara, Magic:  He'll get one too....which is rich since he's on the same summer league team as fellow NCAA gunner JJ Redick. 

Vonteego Cummings, Nets:  Dude is 30 years old and still trying to get another NBA job. 

Darvin Ham, Magic:  Speaking of old, Ham [he's 33] does have 8 years of NBA experience...including time with the Pistons.  Best known for breaking a backboard in the NCAA tournament [against my beloved Heels]. 

Ansu Sesay, Timberwolves:  Dude's been a pro for nearly a decade with some time with the Sonics several years ago. 

Justin Williams, Kings:  My personal favorite summer league player who I hope sees an NBA court at some time.  A defensive presence...I fell in love with him watching the Mountain West tournament last year in which the Wyoming center blocked pretty much everything around him. 

Rodney Billups and Wayne Wallace, Pistons:  These two guys are know more for their relatives than anything.  Rodney's big brother is Chauncey Billups...currently the starting PG for those Pistons.  Wayne Wallace is Ben Wallace's nephew...who just shunned the Pistons for the rival Bulls earlier this week.  Awkward!

John Lucas III, Rockets:  He's the son of former Rockets coach John Lucas. 

Chris Owens, Suns:  The great-nephew of Jesse Owens.

Former Tar Heels looking for a possibly NBA payday:  Jawad Williams, Clippers....Jackie Manuel, Bulls....Joe Forte, Heat....Byron Sanders, Lakers

 

NFL PREVIEW PT 1 - NFC East

The NFC East could be the toughest in football.  Well, at the least it will featured a frenzied race that could see the combatants battle to the very end of the season for playoff berths.  And in the weaker NFC, three teams could emerge in the postseason.

1-DALLAS COWBOYS

                

COACH'S STATE:  This could be Bill Parcells' final season coaching, even though he did sign an extension.  Things have been very up and down for Parcells as the Cowboys' boss.  A quick start and a playoff berth, then a down season, then a very inconsistent 2005.  Parcells, though, has his best team in quite some time at any of his stops.  He has his tough defense, possible electric offense and the combative star he needs.  Sounds like a certain team in New York he once ran. 
BIGGEST ADDITION:  Let's see.  Some guy named Terrell Owens now wears the blue and silver.  This will give the Cowboys a legit receiving threat and should open up holes all over the field for Terry Glenn and the running game.  The key will be the dynamic relationship Owens will have with Parcells and QB Drew Bledsoe.  Neither will be afraid to get in TO's face....which actually may be what Owens' needs.
BIGGEST SUBTRACTION:  Larry Allen went to 10 Pro Bowls as the Cowboys' guard.  Sure, he isn't as good as he once was, but it will be tough to replace someone who had been there so long. 
PLAYER THAT NEEDS TO SHOW UP:  Regardless of what people think, RB Julius Jones is the first option of the offense.  But can he stay healthy??  He has yet to do so.  This may be his final shot at being the Cowboys featured back.  Just a hunch, but I think he's in for a big season.  And they will need one from him in order for the passing game to be so lethal. 
OFFENSE:  Again, even though Owens is in Dallas, this will still be a running team.  With Jones' injury issues last year, Marion Barber emerged as a reliable back too.  This could allow Parcells to feature both backs and run teams into the ground.  But, let's get real, Owens is a nightmare for any defensive coordinator and he will be bent on proving himself after his horrible 2005 season.
DEFENSE:  It is now a 3-4 defense with a great defensive backfield.  They've built their tough defense via the draft and have some of the top young defensive stars in Roy Williams, Marcus Spears and DeMarcus Ware.  And I think Bobby Carpenter, a rookie LB from Ohio State, will have a nice first season.  They'll be tough to conquer. 
SCHEDULE:  Well, the Cowboys play just once at Texas Stadium before October 15th...and that is a mega battle with the rival Redskins on Sunday Night Football.  The schedule has some landmines.  They have to go to Carolina, Arizona and Atlanta in addition to the division games in Washington and NY Giants.  However, they get the AFC South this year and aside from the Colts [who they get at home], none of the other teams scare you too badly.  Three of their final four games are at home.  Oh, on October 9th, Terrell Owens returns to Philly.
OUTLOOK:  It has been nine years since the Cowboys last won a playoff game.  Amazing when you think that after Super Bowl XXX, Dallas averaged a Super Bowl championship every six years [and an appearance every 3.5 years].  A decade has passed since the Boys won their last title but they could end up with a good shot this year.  A very veteran group will try to mix it up with some young guys to try to win this murky NFC East.  I think they will get it with their stellar defense and very solid offense.

2-WASHINGTON REDSKINS

                      

COACH'S STATE:  Joe Gibbs went from "old man out of touch" in Year 1 back to "genius" status in Year 2.  If there is anything I ever tell people about Gibbs, it is how great he is at making adjustments.  He figured out the 21st century NFL and has more help then any coach.  Essentially, he has two head coaches working under him.  Al Saunders and Gregg Williams were heavy favorites to win head coaching jobs this past spring but owner Daniel Snyder locked them both up to help Gibbs with everything. 
BIGGEST ADDITION:  Brandon Lloyd.  I know that Antwaan Randle El was the bigger name signing, but Lloyd may be the bigger addition.  Lloyd will force safeties to worry about him as well...making Santana Moss, Chris Cooley and Randle El better. 
BIGGEST SUBTRACTION:  Sure, LaVar Arrington didn't play well during the Gregg Williams' era....but he was just so good an athlete that he has to be missed.  At least a little.  Especially since he will be lining up with the rival Giants who feature one of the fiercest defensive lines in which Arrington can excel. 
PLAYER THAT NEEDS TO SHOW UP:  With the additions of Lloyd and Randle El.....and Al Saunders now calling the offensive shots....it will be up to QB Mark Brunell to keep the offense smoking.  Brunell had a decent year last year, having his best TD season ever.  But he had some horrible stretches as well....and some very bad mistakes.  With two guys [Todd Collins and Jason Campbell] behind him that have yet to take a snap as Redskins....well, Brunell has got to make it work. 
OFFENSE:  Even with the new receivers, the Skins will want to run the football with RBs Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts.  Off of that, they will be able to make that short passing game.  Cooley, an HB, should benefit the most from Saunders calling the plays [Tony Gonzalez anyone?].  Also, their offensive line has been together for a bit now...even though they've fought injuries.
DEFENSE:  The defense has carried the Skins over the past two seasons.  They are a blitzing defense that relies of great DB play.  It works.  However, it hasn't resulted in a high amount of forced turnovers.  New starters Andre Carter and Rocky McIntosh should make impacts.  With the legal stuff mostly out of the way, Sean Taylor could have a breakout season.  Adam Archuleta adds more big hit-ability back there while Shawn Springs and Carlos Rogers are very solid CBs.
SCHEDULE:  There are three occassions the Skins play consecutive road games.  Also, the Skins get games at Indy and at Tampa as well as hosting Carolina and Atlanta at home.  In reality, the sked isn't much different than anyone else in the division got. 
OUTLOOK:  The Skins lost virtually nothing [okay, LaVar...but they really weren't using him] from a team that contended for the division title last year.  This will be a solid coached team with everyone having defined roles.  If Brunell can stay on the field and make sound decisions while he's there....the Skins could win the division.

3-NEW YORK GIANTS

               

COACH'S STATE:  Tom Coughlin got this team to gel just one year after people thought he lost the veterans.  Still, despite the division title, the Giants were smoked at home by Carolina in the first round of the playoffs.  While Coughlin did a great job last year, he still isn't out of the clear. 
BIGGEST ADDITION:  Adding LaVar Arrington means that not only do they steal a player from a rival [Redskins] but they get that LT-type player that can make plays happen all over the field.  The problem with Arrington is that he relies on his raw athleticsm too much where he gets out of position and can give up big plays.  Still, with that stud of a D-line in front of him and a chip on his shoulder, Arrington could have a stellar season. 
BIGGEST SUBTRACTION:  Though the talk of the D-line is the ends, DT Kendrick Clancy had a darn good season for the Giants last year.  He's a run stuffer, which allowed the ends to lean a bit more to attacking the QB.  New York will be inserting the young Damane Duckett in his place
PLAYER THAT NEEDS TO SHOW UP:  It's always easy to blame the QB, but it really is Eli Manning's time to shine.  He has weapons....he just needs to find them.  With Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey, he has two great red zone threats.  Amani Toomer is solid and they have Tim Carter and Sinorice Moss who can stretch out defenses.  Manning has got to be able to find these guys.  He played okay last year....but sunk against the league's better defenses.
OFFENSE:  This offense is set around Manning playing well....so the entire offense needs him to step it up.  Like I just said, there are receiving threats everywhere.  And behind him he has Tiki Barber who is defying RB time and getting better with age.  Still, this team needs to perform better in the red zone and needs to make more big plays. 
DEFENSE:  The defense was smashed with injuries last year.  They basically ran thru 6 starting linebackers and had to deal with broke down guys in the wildcard round last year.  The additions of Arrington and Brandon Short means the Giants get a bit deeper and better.  But a guy like Antonio Pierce must stay on the field.  The secondary was completely rebuilt and may actually take advantage of their beautiful defensive line.  I mean, this team has Michael Strahan on one side; Osi Umenyiora on the other; with Justin Tuck and rookie Mathias Kiwanuka as backups.  Yeesh!
SCHEDULE:  This is why I think the G-men may finish below Washington and Dallas.  Being the defending division champion, the Giants end up with games against the Seahawks and Bears...the best teams in those divisions.  With Tampa and Indy on the sked already, that means the Giants must face four division winners from '05 and have seven games against playoff teams. 
OUTLOOK:  The defense, just like in Dallas and Washington, should be better than ever.  The offense looks good too.  But, the guys in DC and Dallas have been there/done that.  Eli hasn't...though he could end up greater than either of those guys.  Still, I think that a healthy dose of stellar defenses may make Eli wilt a bit this year.  I don't think they'll repeat as division champions but they can definitely get into the playoffs. 

4-PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

                             

COACH'S STATE:  Andy Reid will be under a bit of pressure this year.  One, it was his inability to mediate the TO-McNabb feud that ultimately ended up with Owens in Dallas.  Two, he was criticized for relying too heavily on passing the football.  Third, these Eagles are seeing a different NFC East.  The division they dominated over the previous 5 years has gotten much better and have left the Eagles in the rear.  Many people want to see how Reid can pull out of this. 
BIGGEST ADDITION:  Philly really hopes that DE Darren Howard can bring back to life a horrid defensive line.  He's great against the run and is a solid pass rusher who could open up Jevon Kearse on the other side. 
BIGGEST SUBTRACTION:  It has to be Terrell Owens.  Sure, the team played without Owens last season...but they also lost 9 of their last 11 games.  He will be missed badly.  Their receiving corps is decent at best with no one putting fear in any defense.  The fact Owens is in Dallas hurts more, since they will have to see and hear from him twice during the season.  And no one in the NFC East feels sorry for Philly in any way. 
PLAYER THAT NEEDS TO SHOW UP:  Jevon Kearse has been a disappointment in Philadelphia.  He's weak off the line and really is only effective when he does "The Freak" and chases down people.  Aside from that, he's only mediocre.  He needs to step it up.
OFFENSE:  Getting Donovan McNabb back will definitely boost the offense.  But, what will he be dealing with?  His receiving corps is a pretty good Reggie Brown, a Todd Pinkston who is recovering from a blown Achilles, and a disappointing Jabar Gaffney.  His top receiver is RB Brian Westbrook, who is a better receiver than runner.  And with no true running back behind him, McNabb may be in for a long year. 
DEFENSE:  Thank God the team has one of the NFL's best secondaries [doesn't everyone in the NFC East?] of the Eagles would be in dire straits.  The D-line is in flux and the linebacking crew features two newbies.  But that secondary of Lito Sheppard, Michael Lewis, Sheldon Brown and Brian Dawkins is awesome....and they have solid backups as well. 
SCHEDULE:  The advantage of finishing last means you get the division's easiest sked.  The Eagles get the Niners and Packers...where the other division foes don't.  Figure in the Texans, Titans and Saints...and the Eagles will play against teams who picked in 5 of the top 6 selections of the recent draft.  They still have a burning stretch around Thanksgiving when they go to Indy, Carolina at home, at Washington, at NY Giants and at Dallas.  And then they host Atlanta.  Ouch. 
OUTLOOK:  Well, it is easy to see why the Eagles are last in my division rundown.  The other three teams added onto their rosters and didn't take big hits in free agency.  And all of those teams were competing for a playoff spot on the final week of the season.  While Owens may be gone and the chemistry better, his presence on the field will be missed.  The team is relying on a QB and a WR who were hurt all or most of last season to make things happen.  Not a good hope in this division.  The Eagles will finish last, but won't be near as bad as any of the other last place teams. 

Tools For The Fantasy Nut

I don't usually endorse anything because, well, no one has ever payed me to.  But I do endorse products that I love.  Products that are well crafted and delivered in a timely fashion.  So, I'm gonna pimp something out there for all y'all.

For all of you having your Fantasy Football drafts in the next 6-8 weeks, try going to FJ Fantasy Draft Board for your equiptment.  I did last year....and I am again. 

What you see above is a jumbo draft board for a 14-team league.  The board is free standing and comes with those color coded stickers [the colors tell you what position the player is categorized in].  There is also a smaller version of the board, which is what I am planning to buy again.  And new this year is the mini version.

You can even order personalized labels.  Labels that have the name of your fantasy league's name and a label for every team in your league.

Also available are various forms that you can pass out to your fantasy owners so they can keep up with the draft.  You can also purchase from a variety of Fantasy trophies or plaques.

                                  

And even you non-football fans can use some of this stuff.  They also have baseball, basketball and hockey draft boards and labels. 

So....if you are a commish of a fantasy league....please give these guys a try.  I promise you won't be disappointed. 

 

EA Sports' "HEAD COACH" Game

     

I guess I am that guy that gets all the sports stuff.  I'm one of the few people I know that has DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket [I have no idea how I ever lived without it].  According to Deadspin.com, I'm one of the few people that has an ESPNMobile Phone [and it's works great for me].  I also just bought EA Sports' newest football game - Head Coach.

Head Coach is a very interesting game.  But, there is a distinct split into who should buy this game.

If you love playing the Madden games....well, you have to be a Madden lifer to get into Head Coach.  Not just that....you gotta know football.  Not just the teams...but strategy and personel as well.  And there is the split.

If you like playing the football in Madden only....well, this Head Coach game isn't for you.  It is what it is....the head coach.  You control nothing that goes on the field....except for what plays are run.  Once the ball is snapped, the guys on the field determine the outcomes.  It's a tough pill to swallow at first...especially for Madden nuts who are used to calling the same set of plays that go at certain times.  Personally, I love rolling out when I play Madden.  Ya can't do that here.  So, if you love Madden just for the gameplay....wait another month for Madden 07.

But, if you are the guy that loves the dynasty mode of Madden....this game is for you.  Essentially, that is what Head Coach is....just a tedious version of Madden's dynasty mode.  Pretty much the same stuff is going on....just at a slower pace.

CREATING A COACH:  First off, you create your coach.  I, like most people will, made himself as coach.  Then, you interview for a job.  As a Redskins fan, I interviewed for the Skins job [I guess they hook you up with your favorite team if you want].  And....yes....it is an interview.  The owner asks you questions and you must answer them.  And not just the baloney questions that are asked at most job interviews.  I was asked various strategies that I would employ if I got the job.  That's where a good history of Madden playing helps out....since you know what kind of player you are.  A few days passed...then I was offered about 5 different head coaching jobs, including the Skins.  Obviously I took that job. 

YOUR COACHING STAFF:  The big thing is meeting and assembling your coaching staff.  The Skins coaching staff was the same as in real life....even the "free agency" of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.  I sat in a room with all my assistants and discussed various needs they had [guys they wanted resigned, etc].  I've noticed that you gotta do some ego stroking and some tough love with these guys.  They'll ask for the world from you, and sometimes you must break their hearts.  Especially when Earnest Byner [my running backs coach] begged me to resign FB Mike Sellers.  I just didn't want to do it.  You gotta balance your emotions...as the trust factor with your coaching staff can rise or fall depending on what you think of their suggestions.

AH...EMOTIONS:  That is the big key to this game.  You must yell at your players and coaches as well as pick them up when they are down.  Their confidence can rise and fall depending on how you decide to coach them.  During practice and gameplay...you can really dishearten the team if you yell at them at the wrong time.  But I did a good job in my first preseason game of running out the clock because I was sorta nice to the offensive line who then opened holes so I could kill the clock.  Oh, and you gotta be nice to the agents.  If you are cool with certain agents, they'll give you more slack when working with their clients.  Screw one over and they will bleed you to death. 

BUILDING YOUR ROSTER:  This is the tedious part.  If you actually do everything on your schedule....it will take you forever to get thru the game.  You have so many meetings and office time that it's hard to concentrate on the player aspect of the game.  You can scout free agents, draft picks and your opponent by discussing it with your scouts.  You can call up other team's GMs to discuss deals or dial up agents to talk to their clients.  This takes forever.  When starting the game, you inherit the team as it was when the Super Bowl ended.  You can tender offers to your restricted free agents...deal with holdouts....resign your guys and scout free agents.  The reason this all takes forever is because you have a schedule to keep...and it sometimes cramps your style.  If you are looking to sign a free agent, you can only do three things before you have to move onto something else on your schedule.  But the contract negotiations feel as slimy as they must feel in reality. 

CLOTHES:  Sorry, EA Sports....I don't need to look at my wardrobe every week. 

THE DRAFT:  This was cool.  You got a chance to scout players before the draft.  Then the draft is held in real time.  Meaning, every team has about 45 seconds to make their pick [you get 5 minutes].  You can sift thru all your notes as the draft is going on.  When a pick is made, it is discussed like real draftniks would.  Pretty cool.

REAL PEOPLE:  I have only gotten to my first preseason game [a 13-7 win over the Bengals] but I have already seen three real people in this game.  First, Trey Wingo of "NFL Live" on ESPN talks about you as you begin your career [with a neat re-inactment of Super Bowl XL].  Later, Steve Sabol of NFL Films steps in for a chat.  Then, Mel Kiper Jr does the draft work...analysing every pick made. 

PRACTICE:  This is where you teach your team certain plays.  The more you practice them, the better shot it has to working on gameday. 

COACHING:  On gameday...you are the guy with the headset roaming the sidelines.  Your coordinator calls a play to you on your headset which you can then relay to the QB or choose your own play.  Once it is called, you can order some changes....like audibles, motions, shifts, etc.  But it is the players which you cannot control that determines the success of your plays.  During the game, you can discuss certain strategies with your guys.  You know how in Madden, you only call time outs to stop the clock.  Here, you used them to discuss strategy.  In fact, most of your hands-on ability with your team is during timeouts and between quarters.  You can tell your QB to keep his passes near the sidelines during the 2 minute drill.  Youcan tell your RB to stay in the middle or tell him he can bounce it outside if he needs.  You just can't do it for him.  You can yell at specific players.  If you have the headset and all of that...you can really feel like a coach by calling plays in your headset.

It is a pure strategy game with very little actual football that you play.  But, it gives you that feeling of running a football team.  Not only do you have to deal with guys play on the field...but their emotions....your coaches' emotions....doing what your owner wants from you....plus figuring out the salary cap and your player personel.  Again, it is intense when having to keep all these people happy yet keep yourself looking good to the boss and your players.  It can be boring during the offseason when there is nothing to do but check e-mails and make phone calls.  But, if you are a football nut that loves fantasy football but need a different kick....this game is for you.

Clarett Is A Hitman!

                 

My....what happened?

According to MVHITMEN...oh, that is the website for the Mahoning Valley Hitmen of the Eastern Indoor Football League....the Hitmen will be signing Maurice Clarett.

For shame.

Really.  This dude was a stud running back at The Ohio State University....and now he's the headliner for an upstart league and for a team who has mob mugshots as their "mascot".  Lordy.

The EIFL is a new league with just three teams.  Yep, three teams.  Well, as of now.  And those teams are the Mahoning Valley Hitmen, Bay Shore Brawlers, Three Rivers Rats.  Wow.  There is soon to be an announcement that a new team in Maryland will be born. 

                            

What Happened To My National League!?!?!?

     

The MLB All Star Game is approaching and there is little debate on who will win this game.  The American League owns the National League.  It's the way it is.  The NL hasn't won an All Star Game since 1996.  Yep, in that span the AL has won 8 All Star Games [the 2002 game ended in a tie] and since Major League Baseball adopted the "winner of the All Star Game gets home field in the World Series" rule...well, the NL hasn't sniffed home field advantage. 

The National League is considered to be the "senior circuit" due to it's lifespan to the American League [yeah, but their both old].  Looks like daddy is getting spanked.

What happened to my National League??

The NL is being dominated by the American League over the last 8-10 years.  Over the last 8 seasons, the World Series has been won by the American League team 6 times.  The AL has won the last 8 World Series wins....the last two Series ending in sweeps.

The AL has eight of their 14 teams over .500 with three of the teams over .600.  The NL has just seven of their 16 teams over .500 and ZERO teams over .600.  The 2nd worst AL team has a 44% winning percentage.  There are five NL teams worse off than that. 

Oh, and after this last little batch of Interleague games....the American League is currently up 154-98.  Yikes!!!!  Even the horrific Kansas City Royals with baseball's worst record has a 10-8 interleague record.  Only TWO National League teams sit with winning interleague records:  the Rockies [11-4] and the Giants [8-7].  That's it.

Baseball still has the rarity of the seperation within it's league system.  Oh, sure, the NFL does have the AFC and NFC which do perform on different wave-lengths and do go thru peaks and valleys.  Their franchises have varied histories [all but three AFC franchises have been in the NFL since 1970...whereas in the NFC, only three teams have been added since 1970 and one of them has spent a majority of their time as an AFC team] and NFC teams typically have a lockdown on the biggest TV markets [Chicago, Philly, Detroit, DC, Dallas].  The NBA has nearly the same type of thing.  The Eastern Conference is more physical and defensive while the Western Conference is more run-fun-and-gun. 

But MLB has distinctly different brands.  There is the DH rule which, over the last 30+ years, has cultivated a different style of play.  With the DH, there are less pinch hitters needed, more pitchers can be added to the roster and games are managed in a slightly different manner.  Guys who need rest can take a day off but their bats aren't missed if they DH.  In the NL, rest means you may come in to pitch hit late in the game.  In the NL, there are double switches and not as many situational hitters.  Only in the last decade has those two sides even played each other during the season....meaning that just now are the two sides really having to play at each other's rules.

But that can't be it.  Like I said, they've been doing this for 30 plus years and only recently has it been getting out of hand.

Could it be payroll??  The four biggest payrolls belong to the American League [Yanks, BoSox, Angels, ChiSox].  Ah....but the next eight biggest payrolls belong to NL teams [Mets, Dodgers, Cubs, Astros, Braves, Giants, Cardinals, Phillies].  So, less cheese can't be the answer. 

It just makes no sense.  Sure, the American League has those legendary Yankees and Red Sox....but the NL has all that too.  I mean, the Los Angeles [and Brooklyn Dodgers]....the San Francisco [and New York] Mets...the St Louis Cardinals....the Pittsburgh Pirates.   The O.G.s of this, the Cincinnati Reds.  Yet, while the Red Sox and White Sox were busy ending curses...the Cubs are looking at firing their manager yet again.  Of the four World Series titles the NL has won since the Reds' 1990 title...two were wildcard teams [the Marlins, believe it] and one was a recent expansion team [D-backs].  The other was the Braves who won 100 straight division titles a got one lousy ring to show for it. 

Maybe it is just how things work out.  From 1963-1985, the National League won 21 of 23 All Star Games.  Maybe the NL can get back on the upswing soon.

Maybe it starts this year.  Let's hope.

Did The Reds' Get Short Changed???

I know....I know.  I've written plenty on this blog about how tired I've grown of seeing and hearing about the Yankees and Red Sox.  But...somebody in Cincinnati finally snapped.  Paul Daugherty [who looks like Steve Garvey] of the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote a piece about how the Reds got screwed in the All Star festivities. 

I agree.

The Reds have the THIRD best record in the National League....yet fielded only ONE PLAYER on the All Star team.  And that was Bronson Arroyo, who was a Red Sox pitcher just 6 months ago.  True, you cannot blame the Yankees or Red Sox, I guess, on this one. 

But FOUR of the NL's starters are New York Mets....who also field two pitching reserves....making for a total of SIX All Stars.  The worst team in the NL, the Pirates, got TWO All Stars.  The second worst team in the NL, the Braves [who are on TV almost as much as COPS], got THREE All Stars. 

Anyhoo....read the article.

The Enquirer - Reds treated like an afterthought

It has come to my attention that the Cincinnati Reds do not exist.

It's a Yankees world and a Red Sox world, with guest appearances by the Mets. The rest of baseball is furniture. The Reds are a 3-by-5 glossy of Pete Rose, bent double beneath a seat cushion in a boardroom at ESPN.

The starting teams in the All-Star Game next Tuesday will feature four New York Mets, two New York Yankees and three Boston Red Sox. In other words, it'll be just like every game broadcast by the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network for the last three months. I've seen David Ortiz so much, I'm thinking of inviting him to Christmas dinner.

Has anyone else seen enough?

Having worked in New York for a time in the mid-1980s, I can tell you the provincialism there makes Cincinnati seem like the United Nations of burgs.

If it doesn't happen in New York, or if it doesn't affect New York, it doesn't happen.

That sentiment is shared by the New York media, including those close by. In Bristol, Conn., say.

That the Yankees and Boston can't play each other 162 times is a major inconvenience for ESPN.

The decision-makers at ESPN couldn't spot Cincinnati with a detailed map and a 10-day head start. The only time the Heads on ESPN mention the Reds, it's to suggest they'll have the second-half staying power of an ice cube in an apartment fire.

Thanks for what you've done, Brandon Phillips. Way to go, Aaron Harang. Enjoy your three-day vacation. Somehow, Bronson Arroyo caught the eyes of someone. Arroyo made the NL All-Star team, the only Red so honored. Maybe it's the hair.

Not that the All-Star Game says anything about anything. Harang (9-5, 3.65 ERA) should have gone instead of Chris Carpenter (6-4, 2.85). The fact he didn't go ahead of the Mets' Pedro Martinez (7-4, 3.45) is a New York-centric farce.

Phillips lost to Dan Uggla on a coin toss. Their numbers are close. Uggla has six more homers. Phillips has a better batting average and is 16-for-16 in steals. Regarding David Ross: He has 110 at-bats. No one is an All-Star with 110 at-bats.

Regardless, the best part of the All Star Game is the introductions. Yet this year's selections were symptomatic of Lil Ol' Cincinnati Syndrome, a malaise we've been battling since the Big Red Machine. Simply put, we go national only when something colossally stupid occurs: Marge, Pete, Mapplethorpe, Wicky Wacky Wyche, the 2001 riots, etc.

The 2006 Reds are mentioned nationally as the First Team to Tank After the Break. This just in: Anyone who has followed the National League for more than five minutes knows it's as wide open as Janet Jackson's shirt on a magazine cover. The league's mediocrity will keep the Reds relevant through Labor Day.

You don't need to be a Reds fan to know that.

The team has worn its anonymity well. Manager Jerry Narron has played the No Respect card enough; he should wear an eyeshade instead of a ballcap. The Reds are barely good. Their relief pitching is a gasoline can next to a propane tank looking for a lightning strike. Their dangerous lineup spends too much time in the shop.

Entering Monday, they had the third-best record in the league. They'd won one fewer game than the Yankees. If GM Wayne "Midas" Krivsky can find a middle reliever and/or closer, they're right in the game.

They're better off than the Astros, currently the sexy choice for the NL wild-card club. Houston was two under .500 through Sunday. Not counting Roger Clemens, three of its four starting pitchers have ERAs of 4.97 or worse. The Astros are 11th in the league in runs scored, playing in a stadium almost as ridiculous as Great American Small Park.

But the Astros have Clemens. The Heads in New York know him. He played there once.

If the Reds make the postseason, New York might actually have to show up here. That'd kill 'em. We'll give them directions. We'll be polite. That's just how we are. Then the day after the Reds win it all, ESPN will lead with the Red Sox, waiving Wily Mo Peña.

Hey World Cup....Get Rid of the Penalty Kicks

   

These 2nd round [or bracket] games of the 2006 World Cup have been really good.  We've had three matches go to penalty kicks and 8 of the 11 matches have been decided by 1 goal or in penalty kicks. 

Get rid of the penalty kicks.

I know.  I know.  These guys have been at it for hours running up and down the field.  But that is what makes this exciting....sorta like the NHL playoffs.  They will play, and play, and play, and play until someone finally knocks one in.  Sudden death. Now, the NHL has a shootout during the season, which is fine....everyone needs to get back home, but realized that keeping on playing was what was needed for the playoffs. 

I mean, that's like stopping a gripping NBA playoff game with a free throw shooting contest.  Or stopping an NFL game for a "who can kick it farther" FG contest.  Or stopping a baseball game after 9 innings have having a HR derby. 

Actually, it is worse.

This event comes once every four years and is apparantly the biggest sporting event in the world.  Then why not go balls out??  Keep playing.  Maybe let all the substituted players from regulation be eligible for the overtimes??  I dunno.  But after watching a scoreless match for 120 minutes [like Portugal-England] it would be nice to see the winner advance by finally breaking thru and getting that beautiful sudden death winning goal.  Isn't that much better than going to penalty kicks?? 

Imagine the sight across the country of some Portugese player breaking away for a goal; or getting a header in; or just a lucky bounce off a scrum in front of the goal.  Anything is better than playing chicken with a 6-foot goalie guarding a huge net. 

I just don't like deciding a scoreless, defensive match by having a contest to see who's goalie can guess right at least once more than the other team. 

Maybe that is the American in me.  Maybe.  But that's one thing that I think Americans do well in sport....have gripping endings to games.  I watched some of these World Cup matches that were just 1 goal contests that ended like they were still in the 30th minute.  It isn't gripping.  There is nothing like those extra inning affairs in baseball where one bad pitch could end it [see: Reds-Indians last night where the Reds scored four in the 8th and five in the 9th to win 9-8].  There is nothing like the NFL overtime, or during the season, when a team lines up for a hopeful winning FG.  There is nothing like the trailing team pulling the goalie in the NHL to try to get that extra scorer on the ice.  And there is nothing, nothing, like that inbounds pass in the NBA where the star has to hit the game winning shot. 

Let soccer have that too.

I Guess Dirk Really Does Have Stones

                  

"Do I think it's a bit much sometimes? Yeah.  He's got to learn how to control himself as well as the players do. We can't lose our temper all the time on the court or off the court, and I think he's got to learn that, too. He's got to improve in that area and not yell at the officials the whole game."

"There are no perfect people in the world, and Mark would be the first to admit that," said Donnie Nelson, team president of basketball operations. "Sometimes Mark's passion just gets the best of him, but I'd rather have him than some owner who sits on his hands and comes to five games a year.  He's the best owner in professional sports, and I wouldn't trade him for anyone out there."

"You guys know Mark.  He loves it...down there. We tried to get him up [in a suite] for a couple of games and he's too fired up. He has to be in the mix. We love that about him, too, but just every once in a while he needs to relax a little bit."

"He sits right there over by our bench, too.  Sometimes I think that's a bit much, but we all told him this before. It's not rocket science.  The game starts and he's already yelling at [the officials]. He needs to learn how to control himself a little better. If somebody's in your ear constantly...I'd be [ticked] off if I were an official."

"We all know what Mark brings to the table.  He's the greatest owner to all of us. How he supports us and how he spends money around the team to get us to that level, we all love that about him.  Obviously, we live with who he is. We love him that way, but do I think it's good for us always? No."

The New Milwaukee Bucks Logo

           

The new Bucks logo is essentially the old logo...except the different letterting...oh, and the red.  Yeah, the Christmas look.

The Seattle Sonics tried the red and green look during the 1990s....and the New Jersey Devils used to have those colors.  Now it is the Bucks, who are ditching the purple.