No longer Blue

By now endless columns and commentaries have been written hashing out the year in sports, 2007 style. It was another year to remember. From a historic Super Bowl to scandals (NBA referee Tim Donaghy, Tour de France, MLB Mitchell findings), legal troubles of Michael Vick, and fans watching helplessly as a hallow record was tarnished; the year was filled with drama.

However, 2007 was also a year for the little sports. Between racket dominance on Centre Court, an arrogant golfer running his mouth (sorry Rory), a surprising U.S. upset on the world stage and more Americans paid attention to football...I mean soccer than ever. This year certainly ran the gamut.

Rather than rambling on about some profound thoughts about 2007, the year of Blue (and Orange) is coming to close, thank goodness. To celebrate turning a new leaf here are the Most Surprising Athletes of 2007 picked by the FPS staff of one. In no particular order…

RB Adrian Peterson Minnesota – Quietly became an NFL athlete getting passed over by six teams when he was selected seventh overall. Peterson had those other teams shaking their heads throughout his electrifying year. On the field, Peterson set the NFL single-game rushing record (296 yards) and finished second in the NFC with 1,341 yards.

P Fausto Carmona Cleveland – Carmona came out of the shadows, helping the Indians win the AL Central. In 2006, the flamethrower went 1-10 with a 5.42 ERA. One year later, Carmona was a Cy Young contender finishing with a 19-8 record, 3.01 ERA with two complete games.

SG Brandon Roy Portland – The most complete player in the 2006 NBA Draft wasn’t taken until the sixth pick. After a Draft night trade shipped Roy to Portland, the guard wasted no time becoming Rookie of Year and has the Blazers poised for great 2008.

QB Dennis Dixon Oregon – Dixon entered the season under a microscope after playing baseball over the summer. Aside from running a fake Statue of Liberty play, Dixon guided the Ducks and their potent offense (averaging 42.3 ppg) to No. 2 spot in the BCS. Dixon’s true value was only realized after his season ending injury; the Ducks averaged two touchdowns less a game.

SS Troy Tulowitzki Colorado – It’s hard to believe Tulowitzki didn’t win Rookie of Year honors. The shortstop and defensive stalwart was instrumental during the Rockies charge to the World Series. On the season Tulowitzki hit .291 with 24 home runs and 99 RBIs with 11 errors in 155 games.

C Dwight Howard Orlando – Howard has come into his own in his third year as a profession. Howard is a ferocious dunker and his dominating the paint averaging a double-double. People knew he’d be good, but Howard has matured quickly and could easily become great.

M David Beckham LA Galaxy – It was really surprising that Beckham actually came to America. Unfortunately, Alexi Lalas bilked fans into thinking the star was a goal scorer. MLS games were sold out everywhere Beckham went and when the midfielder played he did what he does best, set up his teammates.

Bowl week equals beauty

Today marks the start of the best season of the year. This is the time when you can sit down and catch meaningless college football bowl games every night for the next three weeks.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but people don’t care about the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl unless you're from either of the schools playing. With that said, I love watching these games. It’s the culmination of a “successful” season and the games are just old fashioned fun. And no, having a 6-6 record doesn’t count as being successful.

Probably the hardest thing about bowl week is keeping up with the ever-changing names and sponsors of the games. At some point the Peach Bowl morphed into the Chick-fil-A Bowl, and Humanitarian Bowl in Boise changed to some dumb computer bowl and then changed back to the Humanitarian Bowl.

So, today we start off with the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl and finish up on Jan. 7 with the Allstate BCS National Championship. In between we have a few of my personal favorites. They include the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, which has the funniest name; the Rose Bowl presented by Citi just screams we aren’t selling out to commercialism (but we really are); and the PetroSun Independence Bowl, because nothing says independence better than the search for some good ole’ fossil fuels.

Good luck keeping track of everything and most importantly enjoy the games. Now here are the FPS Fearless Predictions…

Poinsettia: Utah – Navy is missing their admiral, Utes all the way. Bowl update
New Orleans: Memphis – I still can’t believe FAU made a bowl game. Bowl update
Papajohns.com: Cincinnati – Bowl update
New Mexico: New Mexico – Can’t pick against the home team. Bowl update
Las Vegas: BYU – Cougs are rolling and will win the early season rematch. Bowl update
Hawaii: Boise State – Just can’t pick against the Broncos in December (as much as it pains me). Bowl update
Motor City: Purdue – Boilermakers cap off disappointing season crushing CMU again. Bowl update
Holiday: Arizona State. Bowl update
Champs Sports: Boston College – Is this even going to be a game? Bowl update
Emerald: Oregon State – Picking the West coast in this West coast bowl. Bowl update
Texas: TCU. Bowl update
Meineke: Wake Forest – Deacs follow up magic from ’06 with more magic. Bowl update
Liberty: UCF. Bowl update
Alamo: Penn State. Bowl update
Independence: Colorado – Saban will enter the off-season on a hot seat. Bowl update
Armed Forces: Air Force – Duh. Bowl update
Sun: South Florida – Injuries slow an Oregon team that should be playing elsewhere. Bowl update
Humanitarian: Fresno State – This is the punishment game for ACC teams, Georgia Tech doesn’t show up. Bowl update
Music City: Kentucky – Cats beat what’s left of Noles. Bowl update
Insight: Oklahoma State. Bowl update
Chick-fil-A: Auburn – Ten wins in a season remains elusive for Clemson. Bowl update
Outback: Tennessee. Bowl update
Cotton: Missouri – Tigers got slighted and will take it out on the Hogs. Bowl update
Capital One: Michigan – Heisman winners don’t fair well in their next game, Michigan’s seniors get one last win. Bowl update
Gator: Texas Tech – Offense beats defense in bowl games. Tech's got plenty of offense. Bowl update
Rose: Illinois – Illini pull off a shocker and prove they belong. Bowl update
Sugar: Hawaii – The newest BCS buster will make its mark too. Bowl update
Fiesta: Oklahoma – Probably playing the best football at the end of the year, Sooners are too good. Bowl update
Orange: Virginia Tech – Hokies win a wild one and cap off an emotional season. Bowl update
International: Rutgers. Bowl update
GMAC: Tulsa. Bowl update
National Championship: Ohio State – Buckeyes win another title, redeem last year's team and show Michigan why they didn’t really want Les Miles. Bowl update

Blogger’s Note: Throughout Bowl Week I kept track of my predictions and ESPN’s expert analysts. I picked the guys from College Gameday and Pat Forde. Had I opted to check my man at the door, I could have won the unofficial competition. However, I’ll have to settle for third place. At least I’m not the first loser. Final Results: 1. Lee Corso 20-10 (.667), 2. Pat Forde 21-11 (.656), 3. FPS 20-12 (. 625), 4. Kirk Herbstreit 14-14 (.500)

Jordan's legacy grows

Michael Jordan's status as a player remains; he is a legend, one of the NBA's all-time greats.

But as an executive, Jordan is proving to be mediocre at best.

During his first exec stint, he drafted Kwame Brown with the first overall pick in the 2001 draft. That’s the same Kwame Brown who currently sits third on the LA Lakers depth chart. The 2001 class happened to include All-Stars Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson, Tony Parker, current Wizard Gilbert Arenas and Mehmet Okur, not to mention Richard Jefferson and Jason Richardson.

Now in his second stint as an NBA executive (Jordan joined the Bobcats in June 2006) the results of his decisions remain mixed.

Picking Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison third overall isn't looking like a brilliant selection, especially considering the play of Portland's Brandon Roy. Morrison's numbers weren't terrible for a rookie averaging over 11 points a game, but his 37 percent shooting was heinous.

Jordan gave up UNC star Brandan Wright to Golden State during the '07 draft for a veteran in Jason Richardson. A move widely criticized by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith; however Richardson is proving his worth and helped get the Bobcats off to the best start in their brief history.

However, Jordan’s most recent move is another questionable one.

Jordan traded Primoz Brezec and Walter Herrmann to the Detroit Pistons for center Nazr Mohammed, adding about $19.6 million to their payroll over the next three years. Mohammed is less than stellar averaging just 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks for his career and played his best NBA season nearly five years ago.

SI.com’s Marty Burns wrote the move seemed reasonable, but the Bobcats are truly hoping Nazr can provide an inside presence. Dumping Brezec who’s imploded this year is fine, but letting Herrmann was stupid. Herrmann looks like a solid role player and consistent bench scorer for the future, which Jordan and Bobcats should start planning for.

The NBA legend who rewrote the league’s record book, is forging a new legacy that depends on winning games. Unfortunately for Jordan, he can’t take the shots.

Kings of the Mountain

APP. STATE WINS THIRD STRAIGHT TITLE

After a controversial goal line stand by the Appalachian State defense, Mountaineers sophomore Devon Moore essentially ended the I-AA (also known as FCS) championship game by breaking off a 46-yard touchdown. The score capped a five play 99-yard drive which extended Appalachian State's lead to 14-0.

Fresh off his record setting performance, QB Armanti Edwards threw for 198 yards passing with three touchdowns and 89 yards rushing as the Mountaineers routed Delaware 49-21 to claim their third straight national championship.

The Friday before, during the semifinals, Edwards set an NCAA Division I record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 313. Edward's truly epic performance also included four rushing touchdowns and a 14-of-16 passing day for 182 yards and three TDs.

In fact, SI.com's Stewart Mandel says Tim Tebow should watch out and that fleet-footed Edwards is a new competitor for the 2008 Heisman. Mandel may just be right.

So the season that began with a monumental upset in the Big House, ends by making history by winning three titles in a row.

But were the Mountaineers truly the best I-AA team in the championship? Arguably not.

That's the problem with any tournament. Sure the Mountaineers won the four-game playoff, but there's another story.

App. State definitely won their second two games, crushing both Richmond and Delaware. But, the Mountaineers were gift-wrapped two games, played three of the four games at home and they never faced one of the top four seeds (Northern Iowa, McNeese State, Montana, So. Illinois). Hardly a tarnished title by any means, but nothing truly amazing either.

Mountaineer fans are quickly becoming insufferable. That obnoxiousness could certainly grow as Edwards, only a sophomore, will have two more chances to lead the Mountaineers to other championships.

The Ugly

MITCHELL REPORT IMPLICATES GAME'S ELITE

From Cy Young winners to MVP recipients, past and present, Major League Baseball was rocked by the publication of the Mitchell Report.

The report concluded a 20-month investigation by former Senator George Mitchell, and identified 85 players who took performance enhancing substances to differing degrees during MLB’s Steroid Era.

The players who allegedly used steroids included Cy Young winners Roger Clemens and Eric Gagne, Clemens’ workout partner Andy Pettitte, MVP winners Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada and Mo Vaughn. Not to mention the plethora of All-Stars including Brian Roberts, Paul Lo Duca and Kevin Brown to name a few. Clemens is vehemently denying the allegations.

While the report is not comprehensive, commissioner Bud Selig, who promised to take action, must take action. After all Selig’s entire legacy is just as tarnished and warped as the players.

However, I doubt Selig and his baseball cronies will do anything substantial.

What MLB should do first is adopt a zero tolerance policy toward future substance abuse. The new steroid policy should mirror its Minor League counterpart. Being a believer in second chances, upon the first positive steroid test the player should earn an 82-game suspension without pay. Upon a second positive test, the player should receive a lifetime ban.

The record books must also be addressed. I believe it would be impossible to re-write the records; therefore records by named players should not be erased. Baseball should include a permanent footnote, saying between the mid-1980s and 2007 steroid usage was rampant in baseball and some individual numbers are inflated. This must be included for future generations.

Finally, to denounce the past use of steroids, MLB should strip known users of their MVP and Cy Young awards. Take Roger Clemens for instance. Former strength and conditioning coach Brian McNamee said he gave steroids to Clemens in 2002, therefore Clemens 2004 Cy Young should be forfeited.

Fallout from the Mitchell Report is pending, but I hope 2008 will bring drastic changes to baseball.

For other commentary and analysis on the Mitchell Report check out these columns...

ESPN.com
Jerry Crasnick: Clemens' Hall of Fame chances?
Jayson Stark: Indelible impact on the game
Gene Wojciechowski: Thaw needed in cold war
Howard Bryant: Mitchell report flat without feds
Mark Fainaru-Wada: Report sheds light on Bonds

Yahoo Sports
Josh Peter: Mitchell's findings
Jeff Passan: Gossip, not solutions
Dan Wetzel: Clemens like Bonds
Tim Brown: 3 men and a bombshell
Jonathan Littman: It's a whitewash

Fox Sports
Mark Kriegel: What Selig didn't say
Ken Rosenthal: Report misses mark

One hit wonder?

CAPTAIN JACK AND WARRIORS ARE BACK

Entering the seventh game of the season, the Golden State Warriors were 0-6 and looking like a joke. Could they really have gone from last season’s surprise to this year’s disappointment during the off-season?

Golden State was missing something, more like someone. Warriors’ coach Don Nelson insanely named forward Stephen Jackson team captain. He was missing from the team.

Saying Jackson is troubled, is an understatement. The forward was serving a seven-game suspension for shooting a gun outside a strip club.

However, the Warriors finally cracked the win column in their seventh game, defeating the LA Clippers 122-105. Golden State center Al Harrington said, “Now we get Captain Jack back, and hopefully start to make some noise.”

That’s exactly what Golden State has done. Since Jackson’s return, the Warriors have won 11 of 14 games, including handing San Antonio just its fourth loss tonight. With Golden State’s turn-around, ESPN’s John Hollinger predicts the Warriors will return to the NBA playoffs.

Jackson is proving to be a good choice, as he’s leading this young team. His presence improved the defensive effort of all players. Golden State allowed 109.3 points per game and 49.6 percent shooting without Jackson, compared to 102.2 points and 44.2 percent shooting since Captain Jack return.

Most importantly teammates, fans and sports writers are embracing him.

At least for now Jackson is coming up big on the court, where he is averaging 21.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

ANOTHER NOTE: While Golden State surges above the .500 mark, the NBA’s other blue and orange team got a slight reprieve.

The New York Knicks are a joke, but fans in Madison Square Garden let up momentarily yesterday. Mets pitchers John Maine and Oliver Perez, members of the team that had an epic September collapse, were booed when they were shown on the overhead scoreboard during the third quarter.

New Yorkers sharing the love for all sports teams.

Heisman hoopla

On the eve the Heisman Trophy presentation, Yahoo Sports reported about a potential Heisman Trophy controversy.

Nearly two years after Reggie Bush won the Heisman, a book detailing improper benefits he allegedly received while playing for USC, “Tarnished Heisman,” could damage his chances of keeping the most prestigious award in college sports.

Bush’s alleged improprieties only added to the Heisman hoopla surrounding this year’s award, which is guaranteed a first.

Running back Darren McFadden of Arkansas and quarterbacks Colt Brennan of Hawaii and Chase Daniel of Missouri could all become the first player from their respective school to win the Heisman. And quarterback Tim Tebow of Florida, a sophomore, would be the first underclassman to win the award.

Bruce Feldman of ESPN The Magazine gives a decent, quick look at the four finalists.

However, there’s been a heated debate in the build up to today’s trophy announcement. What is a “system” quarterback?

ESPN.com’s Ivan Maisel reported Hawaii coach June Jones said Tebow is more of a system quarterback than Brennan.

"My quarterback [Brennan] has been labeled a 'system quarterback' for three years," Jones said Monday, according to a transcription on the school's Web site. "He is the best passer in college history. He is. There is no question about it. Tim Tebow is in a system. … Colt Brennan plays in an NFL passing game. You can dial it up and see that it is not a system. Tim Tebow's system is a college system."

Here’s the deal June Jones is dead on. Tim Tebow’s 20-20 touchdown numbers are courtesy of a quarterback happy system. That’s why Tebow led the team in carries and had 92 more carries than the second leading rusher.

If you examine the statistics between Urban Meyer’s 2007 Florida spread-option offense and Meyer’s 2004 Utah spread-option offense, you’ll find eerie similarities.

The top three rushers for the Utes accounted for 2,087 yards, for the Gators 2,008 yards. Utah’s QB Alex Smith completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 2,952 yards and 32 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Florida’s Tebow completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 3,132 yards and 29 touchdowns with six interceptions.

I’m not saying Tebow is not good, because he is. But his ‘amazing numbers’ are thanks to Meyer’s system. Tebow’s accounted for more of the total offense than former No. 1 pick Smith, but that shouldn't equal a Heisman Trophy.

Everyone has his or her Heisman favorite. C. Brennan of USA Today likes, well, C. Brennan of Hawaii. And Robert Husseman, sports copy editor for the Oregon Daily Emerald, may be biased but thinks Ducks QB Dennis Dixon is still Heisman worthy.

I’m disappointed Dixon didn’t get an invite, especially since he ran a fake “Statue of Liberty” play successfully (watch it here). Dixon is college football’s MVP; Oregon went 8-1 and was in the national championship hunt when he was healthy and stumbled, 0-3, after his knee injury.

Who do I think should win this year’s Heisman?

Arkansas’ Darren McFadden, no doubt about it.

McFadden scored 15 rushing touchdowns, ran for 1,725 yards in the SEC on a one-dimensional team (better numbers than last season) and went 6-for-11 passing for 123 yards and four touchdowns. That’s a 268.5 QB rating (top that Tebow!). Plus, McFadden single-handedly kept Arkansas in the game during the Hogs upset of No. 1 LSU, which he spent roughly 40 percent of the game playing quarterback.

But who do I think will win?

Unfortunately, all indicators point to the ultimate "system" guy, Tim Tebow.

Another BCS fiasco

Two days after the Bowl Championship Series announced the pairings, and well, sports writers have a lot to talk about.

Why did Arizona State and Missouri get left out? Why did Illinois and Kansas get in? Are the most deserving teams really playing for the national championship, come on, Ohio State-LSU?

SI.com’s Stewart Mandel writes that an unappealing BCS slate should prompt change. ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski writes that chaos doesn't legitimize the stupidity of flawed BCS system. CBS Sportline columnist Ray Ratto writes the BCS system hides the fact that nothing could solve this season, or sort out the best four, eight or even 16 teams.

In 2005, I argued in a For Pete’s Sake column that it was crazy that Division I college football was the only sport that didn’t have a playoff. The BCS was too inconsistent in picking the top two teams for a one-game championship year-after-year.

In 2006, I changed my opinion (partly to play devil’s advocate) and said a playoff system would harm the student-athletes especially in light of the physically brutal Auburn-LSU game that Auburn won 7-3. For weeks following that game neither team looked like they’d fully recovered.

A two-game playoff would be the best of both worlds. Here’s my idea on how you fix the BCS, because the series will not go away.

The BCS needs to shake up its schedule and add a sixth bowl game; the Cotton or Gator Bowl would both be adequate. The sixth game ensures that mid-major schools (Hawaii, Utah, Boise State, etc.) have continued access to compete.

But the national championship would take the top four teams and have them play the first round of a plus-one playoff around eight to 10 days before the championship game. The Rose Bowl can keep its traditional match-up on Jan. 1, but host the title game in a five-year cycle. Universities can keep the 12-game season, to earn their extra money, and conferences can keep their precious title games, for their extra bucks.

If the plus-one system were in play this year would see No. 1 Ohio State play No. 4 Oklahoma in say the Fiesta Bowl and No. 2 LSU play No. 3 Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 28, the two winners would play each other in New Orleans on Jan. 7.

This is probably too simple, but an eight or 16 team is never going to happen; there are $15 million pay-offs at stake.

BIGGEST BCS BEEF: LSU, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech all had compelling cases to play in the national championship game, but Missouri got snubbed the most this year. After being ranked No. 1 in the BCS with one week to go the Tigers were trounced by Oklahoma, fell to No. 6 in the final standings and were left out of all BCS bowls. Missouri’s body of work is better than conference rival Kansas, whom they defeated on a neutral field. But the Jayhawks will be playing in the Orange Bowl. It’s all the about the green and Kansas fans will travel.

The Carr may be broken

BUT CAROLINA'S PROBLEMS RUN DEEPER THAN QB

There's been an awful finger-pointing occurring in Panthers camp these days.

Charlotte's weather last Monday following a 31-6 home defeat matched the mood of Carolina fans perfectly: foggy and gloomy.

The team had stumbled and bumbled its way to a 4-7 record and Charlotte Observer columnist Tom Sorensen wrote the Panthers “don't have the worst record in the NFC, but they have the worst team.” Sorensen also wrote he wanted a reason to watch the Panthers.

Well, the Panthers finally gave the fans something to cheer about on Sunday dismantling the San Francisco 49ers 31-14.

While, that victory may be enough to appease the fans, the Panthers problems run deep. A lot deeper than the target of most of their finger pointing: QB David Carr.

During Carolina’s 31-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the fans that remained in a nearly empty Bank of America Stadium erupted with the chant “We want Moore.” That would be rookie QB Matt Moore (Oregon State), who saw playing time in the fourth quarter. The following day, Columnist Scott Fowler wrote “for the rest of the season, [coach John] Fox's quarterback decision should be as easy as ABC [Anybody But Carr].”

This is a short-sided viewpoint that many fans have taken. David Carr is a problem. Carr’s had development issues since joining the league in 2002. But he’s only one problem in a slew that’s crippling Carolina.

First of all, the Panther defense has been soft. The “D” struggled all season and can’t get pressure on the opposing teams quarterbacks. The Panthers have a meager 15 sacks on the season; six sacks came against San Fran. The secondary hasn’t helped much either, gathering just 12 interceptions this year, half of those also coming against the Niners.

On offense, the O-line has been bipolar with porous pass protection one week and great protection the next. Running backs DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams have only two 100-yard plus rushing games all season, albeit the backs are splitting carries. And wide receivers Steve Smith and Keary Colbert, No. 1 and 2 on the depth cart, are accountable for a dozen drops on the year. That’s something a quarterback can do nothing about.

Fowler and company have gotten their wish. It appears the Panthers will play the remainder of the season without Carr. However, things are going to get worse before they get better for Carolina team that’s lost its identity. The Panthers have a brutish stretch run starting with Jacksonville and containing Seattle, Dallas and Tampa Bay.

The Panthers’ long season is about to get longer.

Williams finished for year

NEWS: Multiple sources have confirmed that Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams will miss the rest of the season with a torn chest muscle.

Williams' latest comeback lasted two quarters. The running back was hurt Monday night at Pittsburgh, when he played in his first game in nearly two years.

Williams return following a 1 1/2-year suspension for his latest violation of the NFL drug policy. According to his agent, Leigh Steinberg, Williams' arm will be in a sling from four to six weeks and the rehab will take five months. Steinberg said Williams expects to be ready for next season.

The former Heisman Trophy winner rushed for 15 yards on six carries and lost a fumble.

(complied from AP story)

ANALYSIS: Ricky Williams has become another storyline for a pathetic Dolphins team. While Williams’ injury certainly looked intentional, it might be time the running back considers hanging up the pads.

I’m not sure what’s worse, that Williams keeps shafting the team – with his early “retirement” and then with a drug suspension – or that the Dolphins and their fan base keeps welcoming him back.

The storyline on Williams is he never lived up to his potential coming out of college. After the Saints mortgaged their future to get the Heisman winner, he never matured into that special player. Williams’ self-centered attitude has hampered his judgment and overshadowed his raw talent. One good season shouldn’t be enough to let Williams back on the field. The Dolphins should have made him earn his spot back, but that is a moot point now.

In closing, I find it ironic that while the ’07 Patriots are chasing ’72 Dolphins, the ’07 ‘Williams-less’ Dolphins are chasing their own piece of history…hoping to avoid a 0-16 year.

Boise is still unproven

AND OTHER RANTS FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL

A dose of reality was served over the weekend, let me explain.

Recently, I uncovered one of my original For Pete’s Sake columns, which appeared in my college newspaper. The column trashed Boise State football for being unproven and questioned their top 25 ranking after two weak wins to begin the 2004 season.

Well not much has changed since then. I still believe Boise State has a fraudulent football program, and the Hawaii Warriors proved it this time.

The Warriors’ victory Friday night clinched the first outright WAC title for Hawaii in school history. More importantly it dropped a fraud, Boise, from BCS bowl contention.

Breakdown the numbers for the Broncos in the past five regular seasons and you’ll find a team that’s just 0-3 versus top 25 teams and 2-4 against teams from BCS conferences. Both the BCS wins came at home against Oregon State. The Broncos must go on the road and beat big-time teams, playing a schedule that's not the 118th easiest, if they want to be anything but small potatoes in college football.

Why I’m on the topic of easy schedules, Kansas finally played a real team in Missouri and lost. Sure you can’t blame them for getting an easy Big 12 schedule (minus Texas, Oklahoma or Texas Tech), but they didn’t try to play anybody out of conference, home games against Central Michigan, Division I-AA Southeastern Louisiana, Toledo and winless Florida International.

Kansas' loss means the double standard between the two previous unbeatens, Hawaii and Kansas, is dead. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach pointed out that the Warriors were being penalized for their easy schedule, but Kansas was not. However, as Schlabach writes the real story is Hawaii tried to schedule a big-time game. Michigan passed over Hawaii and decided infamously to open the season with I-AA Appalachian State, Michigan State paid $250,000 to Hawaii to cancel their game and the USC Trojans passed over the Warriors as well. If Hawaii beats Washington Saturday, they'll finally get that big-time opponent in a BCS bowl.

Anyway, here's the newest FPS top five...

1. West Virginia | Last week No. 2 – I was not impressed by Rich Rodriguez’s decision to run up the score Saturday. However, Pat White and the offensive are playing lights out.

2. Ohio State | Last week No. 3 – The Buckeyes are quietly moving up the polls after dismantling Michigan.

3. Missouri | Last week No. 5 – The Tigers’ defense was very impressive in shutting down Kansas, helping book a trip to San Antonio.

4. Georgia | Last week unranked – The Bulldogs won’t play for the SEC title, but are sitting pretty for a BCS bid after winning their sixth-in-a-row.

5. Oklahoma | Last week unranked – The Sooners smacked Oklahoma State and are one win away from getting their chance for BCS redemption.

Close to the Top

Kansas | Last week No. 4 – The Jayhawks finally played a real opponent and lost. Eleven wins this year is amazing.

LSU | Last week No. 1 – Saw their national title hopes fade away during a Heisman-esque performance from Arkansas RB Darren McFadden.

Virginia Tech | Last week unranked – The offense has finally caught up to the defense as the Hokies get a second shot at BC and Matt Ryan.

Being thankful for rivalries

Thanksgiving is mere hours away, which means eating until you’re as stuffed as that turkey and watching football. While watching games on Thanksgiving is awesome, the best action starts the day after. College football rivalries heat up and the passion is unleashed. In honor of that most scared Turkey Day tradition, a touchdown and successful extra point, here’s a look at the FPS top 7 college football rivalries.

7. Pitt – West Virginia: Both teams share the same colors, the game has been going on for 100-years and the schools are only separated by 70-miles. “The Backyard Brawl” is intense.

6. Oregon – Oregon State: "The Civil War" is the best western rivalry. Dating back to 1894, it’s the seventh oldest rivalry game in the nation. These fans hate each other despite the friendly nature of the Pacific Northwest.

5. Florida – Florida State: The Gators and Noles meant everything in the 1990s, when both teams finished in the Top 5 every year and played for national championships. The luster has faded in recent years, but it's still fierce.

4. Oklahoma – Texas: “The Red River Shootout” always seems to shape the national championship picture. Either Oklahoma or Texas has played for the conference championship each of the past eight seasons. Plus the true neutral site nature of this game adds to its allure.

3. Army – Navy: The pageantry of the Army-Navy Game tops all. Sure, the game hasn’t meant anything since the 1960s, but that doesn’t take away from this event. Army-Navy is still an end of the year treat.

2. Ohio State – Michigan: This border battle serves as a bowl game in November and as the conference game of the year. Again this year the importance of Ohio State-Michigan held true. Both teams have won or tied for the Big Ten title 32 times in the past 39 seasons.

1. Alabama – Auburn: You don’t just watch the Alabama-Auburn game, you live it. “The Iron Bowl” is the nastiest college football rivalry both on and off the field. Living in the shadow of Bear Bryant, this game takes the cake and eats it too!

Honorable Mention…

BYU – Utah: The Cougs and Utes play for an authentic pioneer boot, cool huh? Don't let the religious overtones of "the Holy War" fool you; this rivalry isn't nice, it's pretty nasty and important in deciding conference champions.

Clemson – South Carolina: There are no pro sport distractions in South Carolina, so everyone has been focused on this game since 1896. Clemson holds a distinctive advantage in wins, but not punches, looking back at the 2004 fight.

Cal – Stanford: "The band is out on the field!" No rivalry game can ever match the craziness of "The Play" from The Big Game. To this day, Stanford still doesn't recognize the 25-20 outcome from that 1982 classic.

Texas – Texas A&M: This rivalry heats up the week before Thanksgiving and comes with a 40-foot bon fire. There's no love-loss between the Horns and the Aggies.

Rivalries Near & Dear to My Heart

Idaho – Boise State: The Broncos just took a two-game series advantage, smashing Idaho again. Boise State’s big win is just more payback for the Vandals dominating the rivalry for 12 consecutive years (1982-1993). The origins date back to 1971 and maybe in a few more years it will be fun again to watch. If you spend time in Moscow, Idaho this one just gets you.

Washington – Washington State: Living in the shadow of the “Apple Cup” for ten-plus-years, I both love it and hate it, almost as much as the Huskies hate the snow. Speaking of which, Cougar fans haven’t had much to cheer about, but Drew Bledsoe’s performance in the snow was one of the greats.

Lehigh – Lafayette: I don’t follow this game and don’t know much about either of these eastern Pennsylvania brain factories. However, Lehigh-Lafayette is the rivalry to start all others. Dating back to 1884, much respect is owed.

OKCu later Seattle

SONICS OWNER HOLDING TEAM HOSTAGE

The oldest professional franchise in the Pacific Northwest is poised to head for the Midwest. How soon the Seattle SuperSonics will move, is being determined in the courts.

Owner Clay Bennett is resolved to move this team and won’t consider selling it. His resolve was uncovered after a local group of Seattle businessmen headed by Dennis Daugs, a former Sonics minority owner, made an offer to buy the franchise on Nov. 2.

"I was troubled. I understand the connection the team has to the community, the history. There are some very passionate, loyal fans and friends of the organization, people who have worked hard for us," Bennett said to the AP. Way to sell the bull to the media Clay, but I’m not buying it!

Bennett may have to wait until 2010 to take his prized possession home to Oklahoma City, and if Bennett succeeds it will be the biggest sports coup since Art Modell.

Just examine what he did in the off-season. With the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft he selected Kevin Durant, great move. Minutes later Bennett lets aging All-Star Ray Allen leave via a trade to Boston and then refuses to resign forward Rashard Lewis. Lewis landed in Orlando completing a sign-and-trade deal that could land Seattle a conditional second-round pick.

What Bennett left didn’t resemble much of a team. The Sonics are among the in the league, with an average age of 24.9-years-old. The franchise is being built for future success, mortgaging the present and giving Bennett an easy formulaic out. Losing team equals no fans and no fans equal a reason to move.

But Mike Kahn of FoxSports.com pointed out there are other options, such as a team that already has a connection to Oklahoma City, the New Orleans Hornets.

Kahn writes that through the first five games upon the triumphant return to New Orleans, the Hornets average attendance in the New Orleans Arena is more than 5,000 below capacity. While the Hornets are playing unbelievable basketball, they will inevitably swoon.

Why not permit a franchise swap? Let Bennett snatch New Orleans, a city that cannot keep a team long-term, and allow the local Seattle-based group to buy the Sonics. It almost makes too much sense.

The NBA needs basketball to stay in the Northwest, if for no other reason than to balance the juggernauts of Boston, New York, Philadelphia and the LA Lakers.

Commissioner David Stern needs to step in and keep the Sonics in Seattle. The league can’t afford to lose a fan base that’s supported a team for 41 years.

Eye-to-eye…hardly

STORM V. SMELSER: WHY OHIO STATE WILL WIN

I presented the idea of writing opposing columns about Ohio State-Michigan to fellow blogger Colin Storm. He was stoked and obviously took to defending the Wolverines. Since I have no problem with Ohio State (see Goodbye Buckeyes?) I accepted. So let’s get to it.

How do you make Wolverine cookies?

You put them in a big bowl and beat them for three hours.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist. However, Michigan won’t be in a big bowl, because they won’t get past the Buckeyes tomorrow. Here's why.

First, Ohio State will win due to the “Tressel factor.” Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was hired in 2001, won his first game against Michigan and has won the past three. The man can flat out coach against the Wolverines.

Second, it’s all about defense and the Buckeyes are better on that side of the ball. Michigan’s offensive line is good, but has been mediocre at pass protection. That’s not good for the boys in blue, because Ohio State’s defensive front is playing terrific.

Third, Michigan is a fraudulent team and can’t beat quality opponents like Oregon or Wisconsin. Sorry but the Wolverines senior trio of QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart and O-lineman Jake Long will go winless versus the Buckeyes.

Ohio State’s schedule spells “yawn” (Youngstown State, Akron, Washington, Northwestern), but at least the Buckeyes didn’t lose to Appalachian State. Which reminds me, what type of battery is needed to charge a Wolverine?

A one double AA.

Despite tomorrow’s outcome, Michigan will never outlive that one.

Check out Colin’s perspective on the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry at his blog, Eye of the Storm.

Goodbye Buckeyes?

WAIT, OHIO STATE STILL HAS BACKDOOR TO CHAMPIONSHIP

After No. 1 Ohio State suffered an embarrassing home loss to unranked Illinois, columnists everywhere eliminated the Buckeyes from the National Championship picture.

Rich Cirminiello of Fox Sports said LSU, Oregon, Kansas and Oklahoma were the only championship contenders. Mark Schlabach of ESPN said in his “On the Mark” column “at least we won’t have to hear about a 50-day layoff before the Jan. 7 BCS National Championship Game.” Even Ivan Maisel wrote Ohio State off.

Brad Edwards’ column, a special to ESPN.com, made the most sense. Although he claimed the national championship race is down to five teams, Edwards also said last Saturday assured that there won’t be a berth in the BCS clinched on Nov. 17.

Why all the hate toward Ohio State?

I have two theories. First, Ohio State usually is not a glamour team. They win games with smash mouth defense and with a “three yards and a cloud of dust” mentality. Fans get bored watching them grind out wins.

Second, the Buckeyes had a glamour team last season. But they teased, in hindsight. Ranked No. 1 all season, the Buckeyes were guaranteed another championship only to get blown out by Florida in the BCS title game. You just can’t forgive them after a 41-14 thrashing.

However, an honest assessment of the BCS picture shows the Buckeyes aren’t finished, not yet. And if they win on Saturday against rival Michigan, which is not a gimme, Ohio State would finish the season 11-1 before any other top team completes their season.

The teams ranked in front of the Buckeyes, LSU, Oregon, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and West Virginia, have 11 regular season games remaining split among them. That’s a lot of season left, discounting conference championship games.

With Oregon falling apart in the desert, the number of one loss team’s just dropped. It’s a definite long shot for Ohio State to play in New Orleans for the title, but the back door is still open.

If I’ve learned anything watching college football this year, it’s that rankings mean nothing, and you must expect the unexpected.

Hottest stove in Chicago

FOR SALE: An endearing home on Chicago's North Side complete with ivy covered brick. All sales come with golden opportunities for improvements.

Intriguing, huh? Maybe that’s how Sam Zell and the Tribune Company should market their best and worst asset, the Chicago Cubs.

Whoever the next owner is, they will inherit a team with lots of baggage.

The 104-year-old franchise has not won the World Series since 1908 and has only made five postseason appearances since 1945, which is also their last World Series appearance. Tack on three major meltdowns and three curses -- you've got a forsaken franchise.

A few of the Cubs meltdowns coincide with their curses. The most important curse dates back to 1945. During Game 4 of the World Series, William Sianis brought his pet goat to the game. Sianis, owner of the famous Billy Goat Tavern, had purchased two tickets but was escorted out of the stadium due to the goat's foul odor. Sianis supposedly placed a curse on the team and the Cubs haven't returned to the Fall Classic finale since.

Jump ahead to 1969, when the "Black Cat" walks in front of Cubs third baseman Ron Santo at Shea Stadium. The Cubs held a 9 1/2 game lead in mid-August, only to have the Amazin' Mets fly by.

Skip to 2003, when one man altered the course of history. The Cubbies led the Florida Marlins 3-1 in the NLCS and held a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning of Game 6. Five outs away from the World Series when Walkman-wearing Steve Bartman made history. Bartman's infamous fan interference set off a hissy-fit by then leftfielder Moises Alou and a chain of comical errors, handing Florida the game. The Marlins would win the next night too.

In 2004, the Cubs melted down again. Holding a 1 1/2 game Wild Card lead, they fell apart in the final week, losing three of four at home to the Cincinnati Reds, missing the playoffs.

That doesn't even get close to the current group of pre madonnas. Just look at the soap-like month of June.

On June 1, the Cubs were taking swings at each other, instead of the fences. Pitcher Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett start a scuffle in the dugout. The next day the Cubs dropped their season-high sixth straight game as manager "Sweet" Lou Piniella was anything but. In a fit of rage Piniella threw his cap, got nose to nose and kicked dirt on third base umpire Mark Wegner's shoes. An ejection followed.

Jump ahead to the 11th, starter Ted Lilly blisters a 0-2 fastball inside hitting Atlanta shortstop Edgar Renteria. Benches empty...chaos ensues, and to Lilly's surprise he's ejected after 10 pitches.

On the 16th, the gloves come off again after Padres pitcher Chris Young and Derrek Lee traded whiffed punches. Barrett was back in the headlines in a trade to San Diego on the 20th. Sammy "my bat is not corked" Sosa belts home run number 600 to lift his new team, Texas, to a 7-3 victory. Skip a few more days, with Zambrano tying his career high in strike outs (12) and a suicide squeeze to beat the ChiSox, well, are you getting the picture?

In order to make it back to the promised land, the Cubs need to cut their pre madonna stuff, be patient at the plate and develop more pitching. Look at the 1908 pitching staff. Lead by Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown the '08 Cubs produced the lowest ERA in baseball history.

As the free agent market gets started the hottest item might be the Chicago Cubs, the loveable loser in the midst of a 100-year rebuilding project.

The Hub of the Universe

BOSTON'S TRINITY DOMINATING NEWS

Watch any major sport nowadays and one thing is certainly clear: A Boston ‘love-fest’ is occurring.

From ESPN to Fox Sports to Sports Illustrated, Boston’s trinity (Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics) are racking up minutes of airtime and dominating the pages of magazines and newspapers.

I'm confused how Boston became the "Hub of the Universe."

Thank goodness Boston College, No. 2 in the BCS two-weeks-ago, has all but disappeared from the national spotlight. The Eagles downward plummet continued yesterday losing to unranked Maryland 35-42 as their ability to choke in late-season games remains unmatched.

If the Eagles were still undefeated, life would be intolerable. But as it stands, with the incessant hype surrounding the Celtics and the Patriots, life is still intolerable. It’s enough to make me gag. I mean things are going so well in Boston, even the Bruins are winning!

The sports universe shouldn’t stop with all-things Boston. The bigger story in the NFL than undefeated New England, is that preseason favorites San Diego and New Orleans are struggling. They are both big teases. Just when they look like the teams we thought they were, something happens. The Chargers blew a game to the hapless Vikings and the Saints lost at home to a previously win-less St. Louis squad.

The Red Sox won the World Series, great let's move on. They aren’t guaranteed a title next year, so as MLB’s hot stove heats up the coverage should follow. The Philadelphia Phillies made the first move the off-season and gave Brad Lidge a fresh start. Plus, it’s always entertaining to hear about the A-Rod circus.

While Red Sox Nation celebrates a second World Series title in four years, the Pats look unstoppable and the Celtics are off to their best start in 30 years, the national coverage of ESPN and others shouldn’t just focus on Boston. Boston teams represent just 3 percent of all pro sports, but they continue to dominate coverage.

Is Boston, the Hub of the ‘sports’ Universe? Hardly. And it’s high-time for media coverage to start reflecting that.

The streak is over!

The Navy Midshipmen snapped a NCAA-record 43-game losing streak against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Navy's defense sealed the 46-44 victory in the third overtime.

On the first play to open the third overtime, Navy QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada completed a 25-yard strike to Reggie Campbell in the corner of the end zone. The next play, Kaheaku-Enhada went back to Campbell on the 2-point conversion, putting Navy up for good.

The Irish cut their deficit to two on a 5-yard touchdown run by RB Travis Thomas. Following a 'bail-out' pass interference call on Notre Dame's first 2-point conversion try, the Midshipmen defense held firm against as lineman Michael Walsh and linebacker Irv Spencer stopping Travis Thomas in the backfield on the second conversion try.

Notre Dame falls to 1-8 on the season. Navy, now 5-4, beat Notre Dame for the first time since 1963 when Roger Staubach was quarterback for the Midshipmen.
(Also see Navy sinks Notre Dame)

FPS ANALYSIS: Earlier in the season when Notre Dame was struggling, comedian Jay Leno joked that the Roman Catholic church had recognized another miracle, “Charlie Weis still has a job.”

That joke is closer to reality today following the Irish loss to Navy that officially puts the “offensive genius” Weis on the hot seat.

Fans and admins alike cannot discount the questionable call Weis made in the closing moments of the game.

After the Irish drove the ball to the Navy 24, Weis decided to go for it on fourth-and-eight rather than attempt a 40-yard field goal. Irish QB Evan Sharpley was sacked with 45 seconds remaining, the fourth sack for Navy, which entered the game with only five.

Come on Charlie! You’re playing at home, at least try for the win! The fourth down call was despicable and for that, Notre Dame deserved to lose.

At this rate the comparisons between Weis and former coach Ty Willingham will never end. Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News unveiled a detailed comparison a little over a week ago.

Through 33 games, the two coaches had identical 20-13 records. Willingham had one more win over Michigan (2 total) and was 7-8 versus rated opponents, while Weis was 4-8 against ranked opponents. Overall, Weis has more to his resume including two BCS bowl appearances, a seven-game streak, the worst ND start ever (0-5) and the worst home loss in 51 years (38-0 to USC).

The two BCS appearances and Weis’ mega-contract are the only things that will keep him around for a fourth season.

Not only have the Irish been punched below the belt in almost every game, they’re getting kicked by everybody too.

It’s a sad day and season to cheer for the ‘Fighting Lucky Charmers.’ Even the closet fans seem to be staying quiet.

The Yankees strike back, "no chance"

The surprise announcement that came in the middle of Game 4 of the World Series was carefully calculated, driven by ego and should serve as a red flag for potential suitors.

The ‘greatest thing that’s happened to baseball,’ third baseman Alex Rodriguez, has opted-out of his contract with the New York Yankees, forfeiting a guaranteed $72 million over the next three years.

The announcement should be a red flag as A-Rod and his agent Scott Boras show they have no respect for the game of baseball as Boras was trying to upstage the World Series finale through the announcement. Obviously, Rodriguez only cares about money and his individual assault on the record books.

Boras let the Yankees organization know of his client’s decision by leaving a voice mail for general manager Brian Cashman. The excuse given for that spineless act was Boras happened to be traveling.

Boras said during a telephone interview with the AP that Rodriguez made his choice because he was uncertain whether other Yankee free agents would return to play for New York, including pitchers Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte and catcher Jorge Posada. Boras said it became clear that the others wouldn't make a decision by Rodriguez's deadline to opt out – 10 days after the World Series.

That’s a bogus claim and you’d have to stupid to believe it, sorry Scott. The other unknown Yankee contracts probably didn't have any impact, because A-Rod would not have left $70 million plus on the table unless he thought he could get more.

Everything that has transpired amounts to a few more reasons to hate both A-Fraud and his greedy agent, Boras.

UPDATE: As for where Rodriguez will land, the speculation has begun (see Not worth it). But one thing is certain, the Yankees are out.

New York, which failed to make it to the World Series in all of Rodriguez’s seasons, maintained Monday they will not attempt to re-sign A-Rod. Hank Steinbrenner, son of owner George, said there was “no chance.”

The Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday the Toledo Mud Hens, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tigers, would make an offer to Rodriguez after Hank Steinbrenner told the NY Times “Does [A-Rod] want to go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee, or a Toledo Mud Hen?” The Mud Hens reportedly prepared a letter they plan to mail to Boras including a contract offer with incentives if Rodriguez hits 75 home runs per season and leads Toledo to 10 consecutive Governors’ Cup titles.

Justin Rogers reported on his MLive blog that ESPN radio analyst Jayson Stark keeps coming back to the Mets and Tigers as potential suitors for Rodriguez. Stark says there are major obstacles that could prevent A-Rod from signing with the Angels, Dodgers, Cubs, White Sox or World Champion Red Sox.

The Mercury News reported that Giants GM Brian Sabean said he plans to "kick the tires" on mega free-agent Alex Rodriguez but reiterated that next year's club would be built around pitching and defense.
(Updated 11/03/07)

Blogger's Note: Buyer beware...Alex Rodriguez's great regular season numbers tail off during the playoffs. A-Rod is batting .279 in the playoffs with 7 home runs, 17 RBIs and 38 strikeouts in 39 playoff games. Photo courtesy of AP Photo - Chris O'Meara.

World Series Wrap

The day after the World Series and I’m a bit bitter. After watching Colorado’s incredible run of 21 wins in 22 games, I jumped on the bandwagon hoping they could tap the Rockies for a little more magic. And they got swept hard, getting outscored 29-10 during the four game series. Here are some parting thoughts on the 2007 World Series:

The best team won, period. I read a report that concluded the American League was treating its National counterpart like a minor league (see AL treating NL like minor league). That’s plain garbage. Sure, the AL has collected a staggering 291 wins in interleague play the past two years and won 10 consecutive All-star games. But that hasn’t helped with World Series titles, almost a dead heat. This year the Boston Red Sox were the best team all season, finishing with 96 wins, and they capped their great season yesterday with a title.

Boston needs to grow up. Boston won in ’04, but throughout this postseason the Red Sox acted like the curse hadn’t been broken. Between Manny’s incessant helmet flips, David Ortiz putting victory goggles on in the 8th inning of the ALCS finale and Jonathan Papelbon’s chicken dance the Sox were exceptionally immature. It’s time for Boston to start acting like the champions they are. Clean it up, Boston!

MLB must fix the playoff layoff problem. Colorado was crippled by their eight day layoff. Last year, the Detroit Tigers endured a six day layoff between the Championship and World Series before they lost to St. Louis in five games. It may be a touch disrespectful to use the layoff as an excuse, but nowhere else during the 162 game season does a team sit for so long. MLB needs to trim the off-days during the postseason, so they don’t have to play into November.

Fox’s television coverage was deplorable. I’m not even going to touch the television start times, which were rancid. But Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Jeanne Zelasko formed the perfect storm of bad commentators. Buck ought to think about sticking to football, after showing he doesn’t understand baseball by continually talking about bunting down the first base line. McCarver just needs to be retired for being stupid (No, I still haven’t forgiven him: see In Remembrance...). And Zelasko should probably be hosting TMZ not Fox Sports pregame.

The postseason was mostly enjoyable and while the Red Sox seem poised to become the new Yankees, anything can happen next year.

UPDATE: The numbers are in and Fox's coverage of the Boston Red Sox's four-game World Series sweep finished with an average rating of 10.6 percent of TV households, according to USA Today. The four games average was the second-lowest ever, ahead of only the 10.1 average in 2006 for the St. Louis Cardinals' five-game win over the Detroit Tigers. In fact, Fox's NFL coverage of Washington-New England outdrew Game 4 with a 14.5 rating. Not shocking news at all. (10/30/07)

US Soccer | Ryan gets the boot

NEWS: SEARCH BEGINS FOR NEW COACH

Greg Ryan is finished as the U.S. women's soccer coach.

U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said on Monday that Ryan's contract will not be renewed when it expires at the end of the year.

"I'm not going to point to any one factor or one individual decision," Gulati said. "Obviously, coaches' decisions impact games. All that was weighed in."

Gulati, U.S. Soccer secretary general Dan Flynn and retired star Mia Hamm will form the search committee. Gulati expects to a hire Ryan’s replacement in the next month-and-half.

The squad will not play any more matches in 2007 and is set to resume training in January, with the 2008 Beijing Olympics on the horizon.

Ryan was 45-1-9 since taking over in early 2005, but that one loss — in his only major tournament — overshadowed the rest of his tenure.
(Compiled from AP and Chicago Trib reports)

FPS ANALYSIS: Greg Ryan’s problem was that his only loss as head coach was not only on the World stage, but was memorable. The Americans were favored to with their third World Cup and had advanced to the semifinals. Then things went awry for Ryan.

Before their match with Brazil, Ryan decided to make a change in goal, replacing Hope Solo with veteran Briana Scurry. Solo had a shutout string of nearly 300 minutes going, Scurry had previous successes against Brazil but hadn’t played a full match in three months. The rest is history. The Americans had to settle for third place.

U.S. soccer is making the right move. FPS said this should have happened after the semifinal match. Now, if Scurry and the U.S. team won the Brazil match, Ryan would not be in this position. Instead of looking like a genius, the coach looked like a bonehead. There’s no room for mistakes in a sport that has one big event every four years. Justice has been served.

Blogger’s Note: United States women's national soccer team coach Greg Ryan answers questions during a press conference in this Sept. 28, 2007 file photo from Shanghai, China. Ryan is out as the U.S. women's soccer coach. Photo courtesy of AP Photo – Julie Jacobson

Top Gator Bruised

NEWS: FLORIDA QB TEBOW LIMITED IN PRACTICE

Florida coach Urban Meyer has talked the talk all season, now Meyer will need to walk the walk and limit the number of carries for star quarterback Tim Tebow.

Tebow sustained a bruised right (non-throwing) shoulder injury in the second-half of the Gators' 45-37 win at Kentucky on Saturday. Tebow played through the pain and sealed the victory for Florida with a late 2-yard touchdown run.

Meyer announced Tebow wouldn’t have any contact in practice this week.

Limiting Tebow would be an adjustment for the Gators considering the quarterback has accounted for 73 percent of their offense. Tebow is the leading rusher for Florida accounting for 578 yards and 10 touchdowns on 125 carriers, and leads the nation in passer rating (177.5).

Against Kentucky, Tebow carried the ball 20 times for 78 yards and a touchdown. However, only ten of those carries were designed runs according to Meyer.
(Compiled from Gator Sports and AP reports)

FPS ANALYSIS: I’m surprised that Tim Tebow has not broken down sooner. Coach Urban Meyer’s unique spread-option attack relies on a mobile quarterback. Tebow fits the bill and has carried the load so far this season. He is really a fullback, who happens to be able to pass. But carrying the ball 125 times in the SEC will take a tool on any player.

This could impact Florida’s game plan heading into their showdown with rival Georgia. A bruised non-throwing shoulder isn’t a big deal and I really don’t expect the injury to slow Tebow down. It certainly won’t impact his ridiculous looking and patented fake-run jump-flick foward pass in goal line situations.

Real men play Rugby

Over the weekend, England’s little known World Cup defense ended as South Africa claimed the rugby’s biggest prize for the second time.

The Springboks ended England’s remarkable defense of their world-title glory by landing the Webb Ellis Trophy for a second time in 12 years with a 15-6 victory in the tournament final.

England was given 80-1 odds in the match after losing 36-0 to South Africa in the pool stages 36 days earlier. The English made the Springboks fight every inch of the way.

South Africa’s full-back Percy Montgomery kicked four penalties, while
England’s Jonny Wilkinson booted a double for his sqad.

South Africa’s renowned power game surfaced as half-time approached and they laid siege to England’s line. The defending champions epitomized the collective spirit of the sport as they came up short.

To honor the end of sports least watched tournament and the real men who don those short-shorts and clobber each other, here's a rugby haiku:

Head to head, ruck, scrum
Eighty mintues, run, pass, win
The better football.

The Bane of Baseball

MLB's revenue is catching up to the NFL's. With a record 79.5 million fans attending games this year, hundreds of millions of dollars coming due to television and radio broadcasts and MLB's Internet division generating income above expectations, the game is doing business like never before.

Commissioner Bud Selig said the MLB's revenues are expected to be more than $6 billion this year.

"Imagine that," Selig said. "When you think back to where we were 10, 15 years ago, it's stunning.”

Stunning indeed that MLB revenue has grown so rapidly that the sport is on the verge of catching the NFL, which is expected to gross about $6.3 billion in 2007-08.

"Make no mistake about it. Our sport is more popular than ever and it is still the national pastime," Selig said.

But that’s where I disagree. The evidence shows that baseball is thriving. For only the second time in major league history, the season ended with no club playing .600 ball or better and no team with lower than a .400 winning percentage.* Some call it parity others call it mediocrity, but in any case the league is doing well.

However, to make baseball matter again they league must deal with two problems: terrible television start times, evident during the playoffs, and inconsistent umpiring.

Roughly 40 percent of the U.S. population lives in the Eastern Time Zone. When MLB starts games at 8:30 p.m. ET and it takes 3 hours 30 minutes plus to finish a game, it’s Midnight or later in the East. Only diehard fans are going to stay up and watch the whole game. Baseball is not building the next-generation of fans, because they can’t stay up and watch. It’s a trap and baseball has fallen into it.

Inconsistent umpiring can undo some of baseball gains and the Commissioner’s office needs to step up.

Take Game 6 of the ALCS. Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona struggled through two official innings of work. Of Carmona’s 63 pitches only half got over the plate as strikes.

On the other side Boston’s Curt Schilling, known as a big game pitcher, went seven strong innings striking out five and walking none. Of Schilling’s 90 pitches nearly two-thirds were strikes. I watched the game and Schilling got his marginal pitches called strikes and Carmona did not.

The Strike Zone is clearly defined in MLB’s rules. Selig and his office must monitor how umpires call balls and strikes. Umpires who are inconsistent or who do not use the entire strike zone should be relieved from their home plate duties. Bad officiating drives average fans away from any sport and baseball umpires do a lot more than most other officials.

It’s great that Major League Baseball is making gains. But the league has a way to go to regain its status as the national pastime.

*Blogger’s Note: Boston and Cleveland tied at the top with a .593 winning-percentage and Tampa Bay had the lowest winning percentage at .407. The 600-400 winning percentage spread also occurred in 2000.

The Strike Zone is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap. The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter’s stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball. (from MLB Rule 2.00 -- Definitions of Terms)

In Remembrance…

Oct. 14 is a black day in Pittsburgh sports history. On this day in 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates were on the brink of winning the National League pennant. The Pirates had lost the 1990 NLCS in six games to Cincinnati and held a 3-2 series lead in the 1991 NLCS before Atlanta shut them out twice.

But 1992 looked like the Pirates’ year. After forcing Game 7 by whipping the Braves 13-4, the Pirates held one run lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Manager Bobby Cox called to his bench and rest is history.

The oft-used infielder Francisco Cabrera, who only 10 at-bats in the regular season, came to the plate as a pinch hitter and singled into left field off Pirates’ closer Stan Belinda. Atlanta’s David Justice scored easily from third base and the sluggish Sid Bream hobbled home from second beating out the throw from Pirates’ leftfielder Barry Bonds. The Braves won and the Pirates have never been the same.

As a franchise the Pirates have suffered 15-consecutive losing seasons since 1992. They haven’t had more than 79 wins in a season. The Braves went on to become the team of the 1990s winning five NL pennants and one World Series.

As a Pittsburgh-native it’s still hard to listen to announcer Sean McDonough who called the 1992 NLCS. However, McDonough’s become more palatable since switching to doing play-by-play for college sports. Color commentator Tim McCarver and Barry Bonds remain unforgiven for being terrible during the 1992 NLCS and since.

Today is a black day.

First round flops

While we wait for MLB Championship Series’ to begin, here is a look at the five biggest flops from the Divisional Round.

5. Derek Jeter | NY Yankees – Jeter, Captain Clutch himself, was anything but clutch in the 2007 playoffs. Jeter grounded into three double plays in the last two games while batting a measly .176 with one RBI and no extra base hits.

4. Vladimir Guerrero | LA Angels – Although he was not 100-percent healthy, Guerrero failed to deliver in the postseason again. In the 2005 ALCS, Vlad was just 1-for-20. In this year’s ALDS he went 2-for-10 with zero RBIs in the sweep by the Red Sox.

3. Alfonso Soriano | Cubs – Chicago won the free agent sweepstakes last year when they landed Soriano. The leftfielder belted 14 home runs and 25 extra-base hits in September. Soriano, who was terrible against Arizona this season (just 1-for-11), continued to struggle as he went 2-for-14 with four Ks and zero extra-base hits as the Cubs were swept.

2. Philadelphia | Phillies – Philly flopped hard in the NLDS, as they failed to win against Colorado. Chase Utley, the All-Star second baseman, went 2-for-11 with five strikeouts, no home runs and zero RBIs. Outfielder Aaron Rowand went 1-for-12 with one solo home run after hitting a career-high 27 home runs and batting .309 in the regular season. And first baseman Ryan Howard faired only slightly better batting 3-for-12 with one home run, but also striking out seven times.

1. Alex Rodriguez | NY Yankees – A-Rod stopped his postseason hitless streak at 18 at-bats with a second-inning single in Game 3. Then in Game 4, Rodriguez drove in his first postseason run since 2004 with a meaningless seventh inning solo home run. A-Rod went just 4-for-15 and failed to help the Yankees win a playoff series, again.

FPS: MLB Awards 2007

NL MVP
Matt Holliday | Rockies – The leftfielder was unconscious in September belting 12 home runs, 30 RBIs and batting with a .367 average. Holliday claimed the NL batting crown outright (.340) and his two RBIs in the Rockies one-game playoff made him the NL RBI-leader as well with 137. To go along with his 36 home runs, Holliday led the NL in doubles (50) and finished sixth in OBP (.405). The fact that Holliday plays at Coors Field, with a large outfield and thin air, certainly detracts from his numbers. But you can’t take away the fact that the man can hit. Finally, Holliday’s aura was dramatically increased when he scored the controversial winning run to slide the Rocks into the playoffs.

Runner-up: Jimmy Rollins | Phillies – Rollins blew away the modern NL record for runs scored (139) and extra-base hits (88) by a shortstop. On the final day of the season he became the first NL shortstop in 34 years to start all 162 games and his triple in the sixth inning of the same game made him a member of the 20-20-20-20 Club (home runs, triples, doubles, stolen bases).

AL MVP
Magglio Ordonez | Tigers – Some of you might be in shock that FPS is crowning Magglio the AL MVP. But Ordonez had a season worthy of the title, including winning the batting title by 12 points, becoming just the second Tiger to win the batting title since 1961. As you break down the numbers Ordonez had a huge year: first in the majors in batting (.363), second in the league in RBIs (139) and hits (216), tied for second in the league in OBP (.434), fifth in the AL in runs scored (117) and seventh in the AL in home runs (28). When you consider that Gary Sheffield, Placido Polanco and Ivan Rodriguez all missed substantial time for Detroit, Ordonez really carried his team. The same can't be said for the runner-up.

Runner-up: Alex Rodriguez | Yankees – Only two players in the history of the American League have had this many homers (54), RBIs (156) and runs scored (143) in a season -- and they are both baseball legends, Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx. So how can you possibly justify passing A-Rod up on the MVP award? Simply put, when the Yankees made their late season charge almost everyone's bat was hot, with one exception: Rodriguez. A-Rod was 1-for-18 in a five game stretch when New York won all five games. Plus his average was good not great, OBP was second best on his team and he struck out 120 times. A-Rod will win the real MVP award, but here he's the first loser.

NL CY YOUNG
Jake Peavy | Padres – This is the most slam-dunk case for any of the awards. Peavy won the National League's pitching Triple Crown, which means he led the league in wins, strikeouts and ERA. Here's the thing with Peavy, he pitched better than his 2.36 ERA and 19-6 record shows. While Peavy was in the game he had zero or one run scored for him in nine different starts. Could he have won 25 games? Maybe, but he will win some new hardware.

Runner-up: Not worth mentioning

AL CY YOUNG
C.C. Sabathia | Indians – Sabathia was clutch for the Indians all year. He finished fifth in the AL in ERA (3.21) and strikeouts (209), tied-for-second in wins (19) and pitched the most innings in the league with 241. Plus the Indians-ace had the best strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.65) by any left-handed pitcher in AL history. Here’s the kicker, when you compare Sabathia to the other AL Cy Young contenders Josh Beckett of Boston and John Lackey of the LA Angels, Sabathia is light outs the top pitcher. In both starts of seven innings-plus and starts allowing no more than two earned runs in six-plus innings, Sabathia is tops.

Runner-up: Josh Beckett | Red Sox – It’s hard to deny the Red Sox ace who was the majors only 20-game winner and was an instrumental in Boston’s division title. Despite Beckett’s 20 wins, he was just sixth in the AL in ERA and seventh in strikeouts. Plus Beckett trailed Sabathia by 40 innings pitched. The numbers are there, but all the stats put Beckett in oh-so-close second place.

WORST-BEST AWARD*
Ryan Howard | Phillies – The reigning NL MVP was supposed to have another monster season. And in a way Howard did. Howard batted .268 considerably worse than his .313 average in 2006. But he cracked 47 home runs and 136 RBIs, good enough for second in the NL in both categories. So why does Howard win the FPS Worst-Best award? Because of his strikeout numbers. The Phillies slugger broke the MLB record with his 196th strikeout of the season and added three more before the end of the year. In his 529 at-bats, Howard sat down 199 times due to Ks, a remarkable 37 percent of the time.

Runner-up: Matt Cain | Giants – The Giants righty was the leading contender for the Worst-Best award all year, but got bumped to the runner-up spot. While Cain improved his ERA, lowering it from 4.15 to 3.65, he never lived up to the pre-season hype. Cain’s strikeout total dropped by 16 and his 7-16 record was dramatically worse. San Francisco did not help Cain’s cause by scoring zero runs in four of his starts and averaging an anemic 2.8 runs/game if you discount their May 13th 15-run outburst.

Blogger’s Note: *An FPS award given to the player who's good but did something amazingly bad. Photos – TOP: Detroit Tigers' Magglio Ordonez hits a two-run home run against the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 25. The homer was one of Ordonez’s 28 during a monster year for Detroit. Photo courtesy of AP Photo - Duane Burleson. BOTTOM: Ryan Howard argues with homeplate umpire Dale Scott after striking out during Game One of the NLDS on Oct. 3. Howard struck out seven times in the playoffs to go with his 199 Ks in the regular season. Photo courtesy of Getty Images – Drew Hallowell.

Why they kick it off...

AN NCAA FOOTBALL GUT CHECK

Autumn officially started Sept. 23 and top 25 teams responded by dropping like leaves.

In the first full weekend of fall football, half of the top 10 was upset and another four top 25 teams were defeated. The most shocking tumbles occurred to No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 4 Florida and No. 7 Texas.

During this unbelievably topsy-turvy season and anything can happen. So as today’s action gets started including the Gators trying to avoid back-to-back loses, No. 5 Wisconsin playing as an underdog against unranked Illinois, the Red River “fallout” and Notre Dame hoping to avoid an 0-6 start, here’s a look at a few of the story lines so far this season.

BCS-busters BUSTED – Sept. 8 was not a good Saturday potential BCS-busters. Boise State, BYU, Southern Miss and TCU all lost. The only non-BCS team that might still have an outside chance is Hawaii, which needed overtime to sneak past Louisiana Tech an didn’t look great against Idaho last week. One potential excuse for Hawaii’s poor performance against Tech is that they had to travel 4,050 miles to get to Ruston, La., the longest road trip for any NCAA team this season. However, the Warriors better start pounding on teams to impress the pollsters. Hawaii better hang on to their Haka (Maori war chant), the rest of the season.

The best team in the Big East is South Florida!?! – The Big East was supposed to be a two-team race between West Virginia and Louisville, with Rutgers possibly in the mix. Louisville’s out of the picture because they can’t stop opposing teams and Rutgers is fading quickly. That leaves the South Florida Bulls as the team to beat in the Big East. In front of a record crowd, USF defeated No. 5 West Virginia for the second time in two-years. For a program that has only existed for 11 seasons, South Florida could be heading toward unprecedented heights.

The clouds are lifting over Seattle – The Washington Huskies were a premier program in the 1990s, but recently U-Dub has fallen on hard times. The Huskies were a combined 21-38 over the past five seasons. But, third-year coach Tyrone Willingham has another Pac-10 program on the rise. Washington took No. 1 USC to the wire this past week and snapped Boise State’s 14-game winning streak. Washington is still a couple years away from competing for conference titles, but it may be a consolation for Willingham that the Huskies will finish with more wins than the team in South Bend who bounced him.

The Big Ten conference is terrible – Everyone has been dogging on the Big Ten this year, probably because of last year's BCS debacle. But the conference is better than you think. Sure Michigan fell hard at the beginning of the season, but they are probably going to win their fourth straight game since getting skunked by Oregon. Ohio State, Wisconsin and Purdue are all undefeated entering today. Watch out this conference has a chip of its collective-shoulder.

Defense is determining the Heisman race – That’s right; the Heisman race is being decided by ugly defenses. Take Louisville QB Brian Brohm, who is having a Heisman-type season. Through six games, Brohm has tossed the ball for 2,415 yards (2nd in the NCAA) and 20 touchdowns (also 2nd in the NCAA) with only four interceptions. Unfortunately, Brohm is playing on a .500-team that can’t stop the opposition when they have the ball. Louisville’s defense gave up 465 yards in a loss to Syracuse, a 36 ½ point underdog and 582 yards last night in a loss to Utah. For an award that goes to the MVP of the best team in college, Brohm and talented Arkansas back Darren McFadden might be on the outside come trophy time.

The Shame of the Golden Dome – Notre Dame football has literally become the laughing stock of the nation. Jay Leno has continued his nightly bashing of Irish football including this joke from the past week, the Roman Catholic church has recognized another miracle: “Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis still has a job.” The offense is horrible and Notre Dame is off to its worst start in history, 0-5. They haven’t even looked competitive. Things could get worse before they get better as the Irish play UCLA tonight, then host No. 6 Boston College and No. 1 USC.

Blogger's Note: Photos - TOP LEFT: USF's Jesse Hester catches the game-winning 14-yard touchdown pass to lift the Bulls to a 26-23 overtime win over No. 17 Auburn, Sept. 8. Photo courtesy of AP Photo - Dave Martin. BOTTOM RIGHT: QB Brian Brohm of Louisville celebrates during the second half against NC State Sept. 29. Brohm probably won't be celebrating when awards are passed out, due to Louisville's porous defense. Photo courtesy of Getty Images - Kevin Cox.

Does anybody care?

NHL SEASON BEGINS, BUT NOBODY IS WATCHING

During the opening evening of the 2007-08 NHL season three of the four games went to overtime, one of the overtime games was decided in a shootout and the fourth “most boring” game witnessed a hat trick.

If you were an NHL executive you couldn’t ask for a better start to the season. But in early-October, did anyone really notice?

Hockey used to be one of the big four professional sports until the 2004-05 lockout. Unfortunately, the NHL has given way to more popular spectator sports like NASCAR.

Let’s be honest here, no one is paying attention to hockey right now. Major League Baseball just reached the postseason, pro football is beginning the second quarter of its season, college football is going full-throttle and heaven forbid I mention it, NASCAR is in its playoff the “Chase for the Cup.”

The NHL would be better suited if started its season in November. Usually November temperatures are colder, more like winter, which is fundamentally hockey. This is the sport of ice and snow after all.

The potential down side for franchises in cutting out the first month of the season is lost revenue. But an NHL season that went from November to March would be more than adequate. If those ten-or-so games are too precious, the league could easily spread them out throughout the remainder of the season.

It’s great the hockey is back, but I won’t be watching for a while.