Oh come on...just give it up!

So we all know the Pro-Bowl sucks. And we all know that the idea of moving it to the week before the Super Bowl was an ill conceived one at best. The question remains, however. How do you make it better.

The answer, my friends, is simple...you don't. The Pro-Bowl is an unnecessary thing. It has none of the history or tradition of the MLB All-Star game. None of the coolness associated with the NBA's All-Star weekend. Hell, it doesnt even compare to the NHL Skills Competition. The game is boring. The best players don't play. The ones that do, don't care about the outcome. There is no reason to watch this game. Solution...don't play it.

The NFL's grueling regular season schedule does not lend itself well to the type of all-star games they have in other sports. The very nature of the game makes playing an exhibition rather difficult. Either the players play at full speed, or they barely play at all.

Obviously, the game makes someone some money or else the NFL would have scrapped it by now, but what if the league did away with the Pro-Bowl and two of the pre-season snooze-fests. and added a seventeenth regular season game. This would make the league, and the individual teams much more money than keeping the Pro-Bowl.

The NFL is king. The league is already looking to expand the regular season to capitalize on its immense popularity, and it should. But seriously guys...enough is enough with the Pro-Bowl. Give your employees some time off. Name an All-Pro team, give out some bonuses, but lets just skip the game. Its kind of embarrassing. Sorry Hawaii.

We're #1....NO...WE ARE...No, wait...Who?

Ok, so before I start waxing intellectual about college basketball, I'm gonna lay out some of my plans for the blog...If for no other reason than once they are in print, it will be harder for me to justify putting them off.

First, I'm working on a new layout to try to make this place look a little less like every other blog out there.

Second, I think the format is going to change a little. While I will still occasionally write long opinion pieces, I'm going to be posting more often, and in shorter bursts in the hopes that this will keep the blog fresher, and that it will keep me engaged so that it won't fall to the back burner like it did last year.

Alright, without further ado, lets talk some college ball.

For those of you who don't know, I will put my biases out there. I am a Syracuse fan. Have been since I was little and my unfortunately small stature made the 2-3 zone my favorite thing ever. I also liked Duke growing up, i know, i know...ew...but what can ya do. Anyway, that has waned and while I still love Coach K, my abject disgust when forced to watch Greg Paulus play point guard was enough to turn me off them for good. I also have a soft spot for the Memphis Tigers...but, well...maybe next year that will matter a bit more.

This season already has obviously been a lot of fun for me. Cuse is 21-1 and ranked very highly. (#4 ESPN, #3 AP) And while their are plenty of candidates for the best team so far, it is very difficult to pick one that stands out above the rest. Unlike last year when North Carolina looked head and shoulders the best team in the country there is no obvious number 1 this year. Fear not, however, I'm going to break down the top four contenders and let you all know who will be #1 when we enter the tournament in March.

Contender #1 - The Kansas Jayhawks

There are a lot of reasons to like this team. First of all, their coach has a championship, at this school. Second, his star player...was huge in that championship win. I think the thing that separates Kansas is their experience. Unlike the other contenders they have been there before, and not only have gotten close, but have reached the summit.

Kansas has four players averaging double figures. They have a true go to guy in Sherron Collins and a true big man in the middle in Cole Aldrich. They had a great out of conference schedule that included wins against Memphis, UCLA, Cal and a blowout win at Temple. None of these schools are big time final four caliber schools this year, however, and after Kansas' loss to a depleted Tennessee their was legitimate reason to wonder if maybe they weren't quite the team we though they were. But with their hard fought overtime victory this Saturday at Kansas State I think Kansas has shown that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Kansas plays Texas next Monday night in Austin. If they win that game I see no reason to think they wont remain a one loss team through the end of the regular season.

Contender #2 - The Villanova Wildcats

I'm gonna be honest here. I haven't watched a lot of Villanova this year and they are the probably the one of the four I know the least about. But from what I have seen I think they play simmilarly enough to how they have in the previous 19 seasons Scottie Reynolds has been on the team that I can break them down a little.

One thing I really like about Villanova is that they have upperclassmen carrying the load. 5 of their top 6 scorers are Juniors or Seniors. Their best player, Scottie Reynolds has seemingly been their since the University was founded and has played in countless big games whether they be in the Big East or the Tournament. Villanova is deep and of course, as a big east team they play physical tough defense.

Villanova did not have a particularly tough out of conference schedule. Their best early wins came against Dayton and Maryland. Early on their was some voiced concern from analysts that Nova were pretenders. A 10 point loss to Temple and a couple of squeakers with Marquette did nothing to quiet these rumblings. Recent wins at Lousiville and against Georgetown have shown that Nova is the real deal, however, and deserving of their high national ranking.

The telling stretch for Villanova's season is about to begin. Over the course of their next 8 games they play at Georgetown, at West Virginia, at Pitt and at Syracuse. And sprinkled in with those games...home games against a tough Seton Hall team and an always game Connecticut Husky squad. I think by the end of this stretch the nation will know for sure that Nova is one hell of a basketball team, but I don't see them surviving that stretch unscathed. I think they end up dropping two and falling just a little.

Don't count them out come tourny time though.

Contender #3 - The Syracuse Orange

So, who saw this coming...no one. Well, no one other than Jim Boeheim. Syracuse lost more than 40 points from their starting line up last year. Their super star point guard Johnny Flynn is playing for the Timberwolves. They were picked to finish sixth in the Big East. And yet, here they are, on February 1, at 21-1.

Syracuse started the year with low national expectations and a surprisingly tough out f conference schedule. They started the year rattling off 13 consecutive victories. Including wins over Cal, UNC and Florida. They lost their first game to an upstart Pitt team and it looked like some of the luster might be gone. The orange bounced back, however, and currently have won 8 straight including wins over Georgetown and Memphis and a big victory in Morgantown over West Virginia.

Syracuse's success has been keyed by several factors. The most obvious one has been the outstanding season turned in so far by super-transfer Wesley Johnson. Not expected to be much of an impact player at Syracuse, Johnson has not only exceeded expectations, but has vaulted into the talk for Big East player of the year. He leads the team in scoring and rebounding and has been their best three point shooter (percentage wise). In addition to Johnson, the key to Syracuse's has been improvement. Andy Rautins, now two years removed from a serious knee injury looks like an entirely different player from when he entered the Cuse. He has added weight and and with it toughness. Everyone knew he could shoot, but now he is a much more complete player. Rick Jackson has also taken a hug step forward this year, having greatly improved both as a scorer around the basket and also as a shot blocker on the defensive end.

I think what may separate Cuse from the other top teams is their depth. Behind the starting 5 of Triche, Rautins, Johnson, Onuaku, and Jackson sit two true contributors. Scoop Jardine has shown great improvement to his game and has had a big impact on the team in several games where the starters struggled to get it going early. Also coming off the the bench is Kris Joseph, who now gives Cuse an explosive driver off the bench. After some early season jitters he has settled into his role and is now averaging more than 10 points a game for the Orange.

While things seem good for the orange, this past saturday's game where they had to come back from 18 down against the lowly Blue Demons of DePaul shows that this is still a Syracuse team and they can not always be trusted to play their best. Combine that with the murderer's row that is the Big East Schedule and it seems likely at least one more game gets dropped before the season is over.

Contender #4 - The Kentucky Wildcats

I think without a doubt if you were ranking these teams on talent alone Kentucky would be your #1. John Wall is ridiculous. Bledsoe can score like crazy. Cousins is a man child. Oh, and did I forget to mention...PATRICK PATTERSON IS STILL ON THIS TEAM. Add to that, 0 time Final Four coach (technically its true...check the record books) John Calipari and you have a team thats very hard to bet against.

Kentucky has wins over UNC, UConn, Louisville, Florida and Vandy. They were the last team in the country to lose and they have a coach that always seems to get the most out of his players. Some questions, however, remain unanswered.

This is a team of Freshman. Other than the veteran Patterson most of the teams contributions come from unproven players who have yet to experience the pressure of the tournament. While I believe they are the most talented team its still uncertain how they will react to true adversity. John Wall has been sensational at the end of close games, but do the rest of the players rely too heavily on him to get the job done.

Only time will tell. Kentucky still has two games against Tennessee and a trip to Vandy before they finish out their year. I think Vandy clips them in their gym.

Conclusion

So, how does this all shake out. In the end, it doesn't really matter. Unless one of these teams really underachieves in this last month I think you are looking at the four number one seeds in March. If you were to force me to put them in order I would have to say that as we enter the Conference Tournaments the top four will be... 1. Kansas, 2. Syracuse, 3. Kentucky and 4. Villanova.

Regardless of how things actually shake out I think its exciting to have four teams at the top, each with different strengths and flaws. For the first time in a long time, I'm rooting for all the top seeds (assuming these are the four) to meet in Indianapolis to vie for the National Championship.

A guy can dream can't he?

So, on the advice of the "real" Miss D.C. I have decided its time to unretire the Monster Seats. I spend way too much time teling people I can be a better analyst than the people on TV and radio...so I may as well put up or shut up. Shutting up is not something I'm good at.

This time around, I hope that the blog will last a little longer, and I'm also hopeful that it can take off a little bit, but that may just be wishful thinking.

Regardless, any of you who read this, I will always be looking for suggestions for topics, and of course for interaction with the site whether it be comments on the posts or participation in poll questions.

Over the next few days I will get everything together, and start making posts...and for my friends...you will start getting pestered to frequent the blog. So get ready...and let the yankee bashing commence.

A-Roid Takes It In The Butt... Just Not The Way We All Assumed

I knew there would eventually be a sports news story that would shake me from my slumber and push me back into the sports blogosphere. And this one is a monster.

Alex Rodriguez, multiple time MVP, highest paid athlete, adulterer and pink lip gloss addict used steroids. It's almost too good to be true. But the question that has bugged me recently is this...while there is no doubt that it is amusing to watch this jerk squirm and face his actions, does this news further cheapen my favorite sport to a point from where it may never recover?

First things first...my thoughts on the revelation and the interviews since. I can say with all honesty that I was caught totally off guard by the news report letting us all know that A-rod had tested positive for steroids. For one thing I had always believed, whether out of naivety or a hope that maybe he could redeem the home run record, that A-rod, for all his failings, was clean. I had a strange mix of giddiness (I mean he is a Yankee after all) and disappointment. Perhaps the most intriguing thing to come out of that day, however, was that there was a list in existence with 104 players names on it. That is nearly 12% of the league (as I understand it).

We need to see this list. This era in baseball is a black eye from which the game may never recover. The longer this is dragged out, however, the longer it will take for baseball to get back on the road to recovery. The players on the list don't deserve to be protected. Yes, i know that these tests were supposed to be confidential, but the very notion that confidentiality should ever be granted to cheaters and law breakers is absurd. These players, whether they be stars or bench warmers, defrauded the game and cheated the fans, fellow players and the league. And likely they continue to reap the benefits of being a pro athlete without having to be honest with their fans and their teammates about the way they cheated in the past.

These 104 names should come out, the media storm will commence, no more names from this era will leak in the future, and hopefully the game can begin to move forward and leave the steroid era behind.

Now back to A-rod. After the initial revelation a few days of silence were broken when A-rod scheduled an interview with Peter Gammons to be aired on ESPN. He answered questions, and while he stopped short of saying everything he did and played dumb about what exactly he took I have to say I was somewhat impressed by the way he handled himself. He realized he was caught and instead of taking the road of Bonds, Clemens, and McGwire he realized that he had to admit his wrong doing and apologize. That's what he did, similar to how Andy Pettite chose to handle his situation and I really thought that forgiveness may come sooner as opposed to later for A-rod. That was of course until his spring training press conference this morning.

It appears that A-rod not only held some stuff back, but flat out lied in parts of his interview with Peter Gammons. He insisted that he did not know what he was taking that led to the positive test, but then today he said that not only did he know what it was, he and his cousin had to smuggle it in from the Dominican Republic just to get it. When speaking with Gammons A-rod indicated that there were any number of products you could get off the shelves at GNC back then that would now be illegal. He brought up GNC at least five times and seemed to be indicating that whatever he tested positive for may have been simply an over the counter product. Today he admitted that the drug had to be injected...you know...i can't remember ever seeing hypodermic needles sold at GNC. This, however, was not what I view as the most important lie that A-rod has been caught in. During his interview on ESPN A-rod attacked the integrity and methods of SI reporter Selena Roberts in her efforts to break this story. He accused her of stalking him and having several brushes with the law for which she was cited. As it turned out none of what he said was true, and the whole thing was merely a ploy by A-rod to engender sympathy for himself.

So there you have it, three (and there could be more...I'm writing this from memory) significant lies in A-rod's "coming clean" interview. He already had little to no credibility due to the fact that he cheated, concealed it and lied in a CBS interview a year and a half ago, but now, at a time where he has to come out and tell the truth it appears he is still trying to hide as much as possible, only coming forward when he gets caught in his own lies.

This leads to one very important question...why should any baseball fan believe A-rod when he says that he stopped taking PEDs in 2004. Maybe, just maybe, in 2004 when drug testing became the norm and penalties were implemented for positive tests...and when he was under the most pressure of his career after having been traded to the New York Yankees, A-rod switched to the undetectable HGH and has been a chronic cheater much longer than he is ready to admit. The fact of the matter is this, he didn't come clean when he needed to and while I think it is certainly possible that he has been clean I don't think there is any reason anyone should give him the benefit of the doubt. It is time we look seriously at the idea of striking cheaters numbers from the record books. Obviously there was a different culture and a lot of people who should not have looked the other way did, but that is no reason to punish the players of the past and the future, by allowing the cheaters to benefit from their cheating.

A-rod, while not exactly universally liked, was supposed to be the clean player who could reclaim the most hallowed of records from the reviled Barry Bonds, but now it appears that record will remain tarnished for the foreseeable future. For ten more years A-rod will serve as a striking reminder of a time that baseball needs to distance itself from, and if the list of names continues to slowly leak to the press baseball may never be able to separate itself from this scandal.

A-rod is not the first, or the only player to cheat, and I do believe its somewhat unfair that he is facing this alone while 102 other players (I'm assuming Bonds is on the list) remain anonymous, but the fact of the matter is this...until there is true transparency, by the league, by the teams, and by the players baseball will never get away from the steroids era and it could lead to the detriment of the sport in the future.

So much anger....

Hello all. This morning I messaged my buddy, Johnny Biscuits, of scaleofonetogusjohnson.com, and ranted, just a little about my latest fixation. The subsequent reproduced conversation is the result. Thought I'd post this and let you guys enjoy the humor. While I enjoyed reading this, I hoe you don't forget about the disturbing Brett Favre problem that is afflicting our nation. Enjoy and check back tomorrow for my NFL playoffs musings.
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This morning, PedrioaTheDestroyah and I had a little debate via email. It all started with a simple question, "why do people like Brett Favre?" We've seen the Sports Guy post similar online conversations on the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network website, so we thought it would be fun to post ours on our websites. Enjoy…or don't, really doesn't matter.

PtD: Why do people like Brett Favre? Packer fans shouldn't anymore, and god knows Jets fans shouldn't. I guess Dolphins fans have a reason, though.

JB: Who likes Brett Favre?

PtD: The media, and apparently middle America. Someone must like him or he wouldn't be on TV all the damn time.

JB: Just because he's a story doesn't necessarily mean people like him. I think people used to like him, I know I used to love watching him play. I'm sort of ambivalent towards him now. But, he's still one of the greatest QB's ever, so he's news.

PtD: Yeah, but the story is that he is now terrible, but people keep saying he is good. People say he started the season strong, but that's not really true. He was never playing very well. For instance, his first touchdown of the year may as well have been a punt. He literally just threw it straight in the air with no idea what jet might catch it.

The Jets played well at times, only that was when he wasn't allowed to throw like a jackass because Mangina said he needed to work within the offense. Then they got to 8-3, and Favre decided he could do whatever he wanted, and then their season went to hell.

JB: I'm sensing you have strong feelings about this.

PtD: Oh yes, this summer Brett became my most hated of all athletes...and he took it to a new level on Sunday. No one (except Steven A. Smith, preach on) calls this loser out.

JB: Ok, I look at it like this. Brett Favre is like George Carlin at the end of his career. Back in the day, Carlin was one of the funniest comedians around, a transcendent talent. But, once he got older, he stopped being funny. Only no one acknowledged this. People kept buying his CD's, going to his shows, and laughing at his "jokes". But, it wasn't because he was funny, it was because he was George Carlin. He kept trading on the Carlin name that he had built up earlier. That's the stage that Favre's at in his career. He's not a quarterback anymore, he's Brett Favre.

PtD: I'm fine with there being idiots who continue to like him, there will always be those idiots. My problem is that every time Jaws is asked about Brett Favre he should say the following..."Brett Favre is not capable of being a quarterback in the National Football League."

JB: Really? Not capable? He may not be capable of being an elite QB, or even a good one for that matter. But, I think Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen, Dan Orlovsky, Ken Dorsey, and J.T O'Shaun-Hill all started several games this year.

I think that's one of the big myths about NFL QBs. There really aren't that many good ones. Anytime Tony Romo is anywhere near a discussion of who the best QBs in the league are, you're in trouble.

PtD: Oh, I completely agree (although Thigpen actually looked promising at the end of the year), I just don't think Favre can get a team in the playoffs. And it's not just that Brett gets credited as being good, but he's considered one of the best. He's made the Pro Bowl! Do you know how crazy that is? I get the feeling Brett is going to fake an injury and not go, but he should get up in front of all those cameras and say…hey, I had a very bad season, and therefore I cannot accept an invitation to the Pro Bowl.

And it's inexcusable that ESPN didn't bash the Favre pick. This kid gloves shit needs to stop. The guy is still playing, he's not a retired legend yet. At one point on Sunday, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms were blaming an interception on an injury that occurred after the pick had happened. And I'm sure Brett came out with this shoulder thing to the media knowing full well there was a good chance he would lose...and this way its the arms fault. I want to punch him.

JB: I think you're being a little overdramatic. Plus, he has a torn muscle.

PtD: Meh, it's partially torn. Big Ben and Tom Brady have both won Super Bowls with separated throwing shoulders. What I'm saying is...throwing a two yard pass directly to a 300 pound D lineman is not caused by an injury, it's caused by being terrible. And, that was honestly the worst TAINT I've seen in years.

JB: Or maybe the best? That was a hell of a run by the big guy. Plus, those kinds of int's on screens happen all the time. I think Jarrett Lee (LSU's QB) threw 2 of them this year.

PtD: 1. The LSU QB is a joke. 2. Brett stared down that lineman, then threw it to him. The lineman didn't step in front, he was standing there. Brett threw it right to the Dolphin player.

JB: I don't think that's true. Favre faked the screen to the left, then whipped around and threw the ball. He probably could have avoided the throw, but I wouldn't say he stared the receiver down. You're way too emotional about this.

PtD: Best case, he threw the ball without looking. My view may be extreme, but my conclusion that the media and the Jets should hate him more than they do is very accurate. The Jets came out yesterday and said they would give Brett as long as he needed to decide if he wants to play next year. Why in the hell would they want him? Brett sucked down the stretch…what was it, 1 TD and 9 ints his last 4? But he's a gunslinger. Apparently, gunslinger also means terrible quarterback.

JB: I'm not even sure what we're arguing about anymore.

PtD: That the Jets are crazy to want him back, and Brett Favre needs to be ridiculed in public by members of the media.

JB: Ha, that's never going to happen, he's a legend. It's like when Jerry Rice was at the end of his career but wouldn't stop playing. He was awful, but everyone still talked about him like he was Jerry Rice. I guess nobody really noticed though because he didn't have the ball every play.

PtD: I agree with you on that, I'm just saying it's wrong, it's always wrong.

JB: Cool, I just like comparing things. So far I've compared Favre to George Carlin and Jerry Rice.

PtD: And I've compared Favre to a terrible quarterback. If more people did that, I'd be happy. I must once again give props to Steven A., though. On Sports Reporters this Sunday, he called Favre "an interception waiting to happen." I liked that.

JB: Ha, you like Steven A. Smith.

What Would Jesus Watch?

So as Christmas morning ends and gives way to the realization that the day we have all waited so long for is almost over i find myself far more excited by the Lakers-Celtics match up later today than I am at looking at any of the shiny new toys I got today. As we near the end of 2008 I have begun to look back at the year that was in sports and I have decided on what my 10 favorite events were. These are events, that whether or not I was happy with the outcome, lived up to, or vastly surpassed the hype. So here they are, my top ten moments in sports for 2008.

#11 (Honorable Mention) - Euro Cup 2008

Yes, i know...soccer. But if you aren't a fan and didn't watch this tournament, then you simply can't understand. If soccer always looked like this, not only would it more popular in America, it'd be considered one of the major sports. Spain's offensive explosion, along with the cardiac Turks NUMEROUS miraculous comeback's and some truly amazing endings made this, quite possibly the best soccer tournament I have ever seen played. I know most of my readers will look at this and think I've lost my mind, but I'm telling you, right through the final and Spain's beautiful game against the hated Germans, this tournament was sport at its finest. Here's to hoping the 2010 World Cup can be as good.

#10 - Sharks v. Stars - Game 6 -2007/08 Stanley Cup Playoffs

I had to put hockey in here. I had to. God I hope hockey makes a comeback. The league has two rising stars in Crosby and Ovechkin, it is by far the best game to see live and the playoffs show a level of intensity rarely achieved in any other sport. This game proved the last of those points beautifully. I rarely watch hockey anymore and only watched this game because the NBA was off entirely on this particular night, but boy am I glad that I did. The sharks faced elimination against a stars team that was not expected to give them much trouble. The game was a see-saw affair and was tied at the end of regulation. There are few things more exciting than playoff hockey. Even fewer more exciting than a potential elimination game, but when it goes to sudden death overtime, then you have seen what hockey is all about. One overtime wasn't enough for these teams though. I watched this game until well past 3 A.M. when finally in the 4th overtime Dallas scored to win the game and the series. Over the course of this overtime there were incredible saves, slapshots that I still don't know how they were not game winners and some of the best, fast paced hockey I've seen since Devils and Rangers in 94. Nobody, unfortunately, seems to have seen this game though, and so the NHL continues to languish on the brink of extinction. This spring and summer, when playoff hockey is in full swing, make sure you catch some games. I promise you will not be disappointed.

#9 - Superbowl XLII

This one hurts just to think about. My beloved patriots were mere minutes away from a perfect 19-0 season, that would cement them as one of the greatest franchises in league history, and would finally free all football fans from the menace that is Mercury Morris. Unfortunately it was not meant to be. This game made the list less for the quality of the game itself, and more for the build up and sheer shock that came from its outcome. I would be surprised if even the entire Giants team thought they had a chance in this game. They played a masterful defensive game and out executed the Pats across the board. Even after what seemed like patented last second magic by Brady, "My Brother" Eli marched the Giants down the field and took the ring with less than a minute to play. I think we will always remember the image of David Tyree dragging down that ball, and the first thought we all had....David Tyree?? In the end, as painful as it was for me, I must admit this was one for the ages.

#8 - John Lester's No Hitter

Yes, it was early in the season. Yes, it was against the lowly Royals. Yes, I'm a total homer. But all this aside, this very much belongs on the list. Not just because throwing a no hitter is no small feat. Not only because John Lester went on to prove he is an elite pitcher this year. The reason this makes the list is because this 24 year old man overcame cancer just a year and half earlier. Since coming back from cancer John Lester has won the deciding game of a world series and thrown a no hitter. Maybe I'm alone, but I find that incredibly inspiring. Since battling Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma John Lester has not only come back to form as a pitcher but he has worked with and served as an inspiration to cancer patients and survivors in New England and throughout the country. His triumph over such a horrible disease serves as a reminder that hope is not lost and great things can be accomplished. So, maybe I'm a homer, but you go ahead and argue this isn't one of the best moments someone could have playing a game.

#7- Rafael Nadal v. Roger Federer - 2008 Wimbledon Final

This my friends, is why tennis is on TV. This was, without a doubt, the greatest tennis match I have ever seen. And from what I hear it may have been the greatest ever played. 5 Sets, tiebreakers, rain delays, and most importantly, the two best players in the world. By the time they finished it was nearly too dark to play, but finally Rafa made it over the mountain and seized his first Wimbledon. This match was amazing beginning to end, and the delays and darkness only added to the suspense. Most importantly, these two men are the BEST in the world at what they do and they were at their BEST that day. This was what tennis should look like.

#6 - Memphis v. Kansas - 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game

This game was terrific. Tons of stars and lottery picks. A back and forth struggle. A late comeback. A couple buzzer beating shots and an overtime in a national championship game. This game lived up to the hype and was a perfect microcosm of what is great about march madness. Terrfically entertaining from the opening whitsle to the final buzzer and, perhaps more importantly, they were the two teams I predicted in the finals....had Kansas winning too. I know, I'm a genius.

#5 - USA Basketball - 2008 Olympic Games

FINALLY, The US has come back to basketball. How refreshing was it to see our Olympic team filled with stars finally live up to their billing. It truly had a feel almost akin to the 92 Dream team. You expected a 30 point win, and you almost always got it. While I still believe the 92 team was the greatest ever assembled, a strong argument could be made that the 08 team achieved a greater accomplishment as the level of talent on the opposing teams has risen so significantly in the last 16 years. Regardless, this team, Coached by Coach K, was a thrill to watch. And we got an early showing of the return of Dwayne Wade. Cap it all off with some gold and once again, all is right in the basketball world.

#4 - Texas v. Texas Tech

#1 team, on the road, gets behind by a bunch early, then comes all the way back...only to lose on a last second touchdown by the best college football player in the country. Tell me it gets any better than that. This was a great game. After Tech got up by several scores in the first half at home it seemed they would turn this game into a blowout...like seemingly every big time college football game ends up being. Instead they failed to go for the jugular and Texas slowly climbed their way back in and took the lead late in the 4th Quarter with only a few minutes left to play. Texas Tech took an amazingly long time to move up the field and it appeared their efforts would be too little too late, but then, Michael Crabtree showed everyone in the nation what all the fuss was about. Amazing route, great throw, better catch, and then the power to stay on his feet and find the end zone. Game, Set, Match. AWESOME.

#3 - Tiger Woods v. Rocco Mediate - 2008 US Open of Golf

72 holes wasn't enough to decide this one. Through the first three rounds Tiger made some simply unbelievable shots just to stay near the top and then struggled through Sunday needing a final putt to force another round. Of course, with the pressure on, Tiger nailed a very long putt (complete with signature fist pump) to force the US Open to fifth round. There he would face Rocco Mediate who was surprisingly game. Even 18 extra holes wasn't enough. It was not until the 19th hole of the day, and the 91st of the tournament that Tiger was finally able to claim the championship.

As amazing as the tournament was on its face it is what we learned shortly afterwards that makes this moment so high on the list. Not only had Tiger turned in a great performance...he had done it on one leg. After the Open Tiger underwent a serious knee surgery and has not played since. He was in excruciating pain for all 91 holes and still managed to beat the best golfers the world has to offer. What seemed like just another Tiger victory may well have been the greatest and gutsiest performance in the history of golf.

#2 - Celtics v. Lakers - 2007/08 NBA Finals

The rivalry is renewed. OH how bad the Celtcs had been. 15 wins, are you serious. Danny Ainge not fired? Really? Doc Rivers is getting another year? Come on! Oh how quickly things change. Trade for Ray Allen and get a gift of KG from an old friend and suddenly your team finds itself with 66 wins.

Across the country an offseason rife with controversey and trade demands gave way to a terrific start. And after a gift from an old friend from Memphis the Lakers found themselves as the #1 seed in the West.

We all hoped (except those with another horse in the race, of course) that Boston and LA would meet, but few really thought it would happen. Especially after Boston's struggles against the Hawks in round one, and the hated Spurs still alive in the West. But lo and behold there we were. The two greatest franchises in the league's history meeting once more with a championship at stake. Six games later Boston's defense had allowed them to once again claim their throne as the ruling monarchy of the NBA. Now with the finals behind us the rivalry is reaching fever pitch and everyone is hoping to see a rematch in this year's finals. It's great for Boston, great for LA and frankly great for the NBA. Here's to hoping the latest iteration of this rivalry can last for a few good years.

#1 - Michael Phelps - 2008 Olympic Games

8 Events, 8 Golds....I'm gonna let that sink in for a second. We all talk about Jordan and Tiger dominating their sports. They don't have anything on Michael Phelps in terms of dominance. This man beats everyone in every discipline. He is a physical freak and workout monster. Going in we all wondered whether he could possibly have the stamina to make it through all 8 events. We wondered how he could get every single one with such a huge bull's eye on his back. And we wondered if he would get the help he needed from his teammates in the relays. All of these questions were answered with a resounding "YES!". Early on Phelps gold hopes were kept alive when Jason Lezak swam the leg of his life and snatched victory away from the trash talking French. Then Phelps captured his seventh gold by out reaching Serbia's Milorad Cavic to win the 100-meter butterfly by an astonishing .01 seconds. Phelps' quest for 8 golds was rife with excitement and was simply amazing to watch as the sheer dominance of his performance became apparent. Say what you will about whether or not Mark Spitz was a better swimmer, what Michael Phelps did at the Olympics in 2008 (and 2004 for that matter) is one of the most amazing feats I've seen in my 25 years on this Earth. There is no doubt its the top moment, of 2008.

The AFC East Wasn't Bad Last Year...The Pats Were Just That Good!

On the advice of one of my many fans I've decided to take a moment to muse on the roller coaster that has been the AFC East. A division where the Miami Dolphins, a year removed from a 1-15 season control their own destiny in their pursuit of a division crown. Where the defending conference champs lost their big gun in week one and a virtual unknown has led them to a 10-5 start and has them on the cusp of post season play. And where the Jets have reminded us yet again, why, before last year everyone knew that it was time for Brett Favre to hang it up.

I'm gonna break it down team by team. So here we go.

Nobody Circles The Wagons Like The Buffalo Bills

Unfortunately for the Bills, wagon circling is not particularly helpful when trying to win football games. Everyone was all about this team early on, and I will admit their 4-0 start almost had me believing the hype, but then we were all reminded of the 1 undeniable truth in the NFL. If you don't have at least a decent quarterback you are not a good team....PERIOD. The Bills have two halves of a QB, and they will not ever get better until they find a better option. I will give Trent Edwards one more year before I say he can't cut it, but the window is closing. J.P. Losman on the other hand is terrible, and should probably retire following his showing last week against the Jets....take the sack you idiot. In short, the Bills need to realize they have a decent defense and a great young running back. Find a QB, get rid of Dick Jaron (that play against NY alone is grounds for dismissal) and give Lynch the ball on every play and hope like hell you can get to 9 wins. Better luck next year Buffalo, but probably the same result.

J-E-T-S SUCK, SUCK, SUCK!

God I love writing that. Here's the thing. The Jets D has some serious talent, but even with the great seasons turned in by Kris Jenkins and Derelle Revis they have been inconsistent. Speaking of inconsistent, why does Brett Favre want to make us all forget about when he was good. His election to the probowl is a joke, and from watching yesterday's game its obvious that he is not giving his team a chance to win. Worse than that, there is a good chance that if he comes back next year that he will get Eric Mangini fired. You could tell yesterday as he shook his head on the sideline after another interception this is not how he wants to run his offense. The experiment has failed, and will not get better. Of course, now that I say this they will find a way into the playoffs and win a couple games.

They're Mammals, Not Fish.

I want to make fun of the Dolphins, I really do. I wanna tell you how the weakling at QB has been lucky and its just a matter of time till he is exposed. I wanna tell you how their coach is more like Bill Parcells' lapdog than an NFL coach and I want to make a joke about how its only a matter of time before Bill Parcels calls Ted Ginn Jr. a girl. But I can't, bravo Miami, one hell of a turn around. Maybe someday you will even challenge for a Superbowl ring. Not likely, but maybe.

Matt Cassell, Shopping For Homes in Detroit.

The New England Patriots season has been a very strange to say the least. Coming off an 18-1 year and losing the best QB in the NFL in quarter 1 is the end of the season right? Apparently not, as Matt Cassell has stepped in and led this team potentially into January football. Now I've already weighed in on how I believe people are giving Matt just a little too much credit, but it would be unfair to say that taking this team to 10-5 is not one hell of an accomplishment. They don't quite control their own destiny, but just to have a chance at the post season in week 17 is a heck of thing for a team that is led by a QB who hadn't started a game since the mid nineties...in high school.

What Does It All Mean?

So what should we take from this year in the AFC East. Well several things. One, parity means you don't need to be very good to be a playoff team. Two, Bill Parcells knows what he is doing. Three, the AFC is falling off. Four, the Patriots have more talent on offense than most teams have in their entire organization and Five, Brett Favre is done...

In the end, i think the Pats come out on top, if only because they have been there before and the Bills suck. In any event it should be a fun end to the season and hopefully this is just the start of a real competitive division.