Sour Apples

In the state of Washington, college basketball has probably never been welcomed with such open arms.

That's because the 101st installment of the gridiron version of the Apple Cup, between the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars, is being called the worst ever college football matchup.

The media has coined several new monikers for this rivalry including the "Rotten" Apple Cup, the "Crapple Cup" and calling the game "Full of Worms." Best of all Fox Sports has made this year's Apple Cup its national TV game tomorrow.

This season the Cougs and Huskies have a combined 1-20 record and are a pathetic 0-15 in the Pac-10. (The only win was Washington State's 48-9 victory over I-AA Portland State.)

Making this more bizarre is the fact that Wazzu's men hoops team scored 15 more points than in their opener than the football team has combined for in eight Pac-10 games this year.

Washington State's offense has been ugly and the depth became so thin at midseason that first-year coach Paul Wulff held open tryouts. Just look at the numbers. In three of their past four losses, the Cougars football team has been shut out 69-0, 58-0 and 31-0, ending their streak dating back to 1984 where the Cougars had not been shut out.

However, if you think this game doesn't matter, think again. The stakes are high.

SI.com's Stewart Mandel writes "if you're a Washington or Washington State player, you're already doomed to a legacy of having played for the worst team in school history. Beating your archrival would be the one saving grace to keep the season from being a total nightmare."

I couldn't agree more. This is a rivalry game, it matters to the players, coaches and the fans. These games carry even more significance when there hasn't been anything to celebrate.


Here's what other writers have said about this weekend's Apple Cup:

Rivals.com writer David Fox pays tribute to some of the other worst end-of-the-season rivalry games.

In a special to FoxSports.com Billy Witz says in a season of inexperience, injuries and bad breaks nobody's calling this rivalry about bragging rights.

And win or lose in tomorrow's game, Washington State head coach Paul Wulff has a major task ahead to rejuvenate football in Pullman. It's hard to believe how far the program has fallen after going 30-8 at the beginning of the decade, and arguably being the best team in the Pac-10 from 2001-2003. So how will Wulff turn it around? He's got a plan.

Romo's got more than game

For all of the drama, his tabloid relationship and failures in the postseason, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is proving he's a down-to-earth guy with a heart.

Romo first grabbed headlines this year for changing a couple's tire on a roadside as he headed home the night of the season opener. Today, Tony's back in the headlines.

According to a "Dallas Morning News" article, Romo not only shelled $6.70 for homeless man to enjoy a movie, but the $67 million man sat next to this complete stranger sharing a funny film for 90 minutes.

"For me, it was a blessing," Doc said. "It came at just the right time. It gave me some encouragement and faith in mankind."

How cool is that?

Romo's goodwill goes beyond helping his Cowboys tarnished image. In an age of "me first" athletes this act of kindness makes you feel better about all professional athletes.

I'm sure for every story like this that gets reported, dozens of other go unreported. But major props to Tony Romo and other athletes that show heart off the field.

Red River shout out

I should probably save this hot topic for another day, but the airwaves from Bristol, Conn. are already smoldering.

Chris Fowler, Scott Van Pelt and Kirk Herbstreit are leading the debate over who should represent the Big 12 South in the conference title game, if Oklahoma wins out (defeating Texas Tech and Oklahoma State) creating a cluster of one-loss juggernauts.

As it stands the BCS rankings would decide who goes to Kansas City, which means it would essentially be up to the voters. Picking up the cause for the Longhorns, Fowler and company cannot comprehend a scenario where the Sooners would jump Texas, a team OU lost to in early October.

However, if the talking heads stopped pontificating for mere moments and listened to what else they were saying, they would have their answer.

Kirk Herbstreit has been boldly proclaiming that Florida is the best team in the country right now, despite being ranked No. 4 in the most recent BCS standings. And there's the magical answer.

The voters must decide which of the three squads (Texas, Texas Tech or Oklahoma) is the best team, who is playing the best football right now. Sure pollsters should take into account the outcome of the Red River rivalry, but in this 'imminent' scenario they should only keep Texas ahead of Oklahoma if they truly believe the outcome of their October game would be the same in late November.

Of all the top Big 12 teams, Oklahoma has the strongest full season resume right now with quality non-conference wins over TCU and Cincinnati. Texas Tech took down two I-AA (or FBS) schools and Texas ran over four I-A featherweights.

Again, this is just a relative debate right now, all contingent on an if. After all, the pundits have never, ever been wrong about pre-picking an outcome. Think about it, they nailed the 2002, 2005 and 2006 National Championship games.

Shades of 'Carolina' blue

Carolina fans had a bit of a dilemma Saturday. Support the Tar Heels on the gridiron or support the Tar Heels on the hardwood. Both Chapel Hill teams were in action at the same time.

But, this should have been an easy choice. The "true" UNC fans were watched their No. 1 ranked men's basketball team tip-off.

Sadly it's that time of year already. Men's NCAA basketball, one sport in a litany that start too early, has tipped-off.

So, if you need the skinny on man-to-man defense and other hoops trends to get into the basketball mood, SI.com's Luke Winn reports on 50 things he learned about basketball ideology. Including that Nike dominates the college scene with 72 percent of schools wearing the Swoosh.

As for what to expect this season, fellow blogger Colin Storm delivers his annual college basketball thesis.. I mean preview. Check it out at Eye of Storm.

Similarly, SI.com gives the inside scoop with their Top 20 scouting reports.

FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman takes a look at the preseason Top 25 and calls the North Carolina Tar Heels the total package.

And if you want a look at what the experts think the field of 65 will be, ESPN has the projections. Analyst Dick Vitale has his awesome predictions, while Joe Lunardi already has Bracketology revved up.

Enjoy the early season tournaments!

BCS sharpens focus

Barring complete disaster and utter chaos, ESPN college football researcher Brad Edwards says the national championship chase is down to two. Two conferences that is, not two teams.

Three teams from the Big 12 South and two teams from the SEC form the glut atop the BCS standings. So rather than playing what-ifs with four weeks to go in the season (I'll leave that up to ESPN's talking heads), I want to focus on the non automatic-qualifying conferences for a fleeting moment.

An interesting storyline is developing between two previous BCS-crashers, Utah and Boise State. The Utes from the Mountain West Conference stayed perfect with a dramatic last-minute win over TCU. But more importantly, they grabbed command of the one automatic at-large BCS bid for the non-power conferences.

Translated, if Utah wins out they should clinch their second major bowl berth, even if the Broncos also finish with a unblemished record. In that senario the WAC's gem Boise State would have to hope to be selected for another at-large spot. And there's fat chance of that happening with Ohio State eyeing at-large consideration as well.

Boise fans should start feeling as blue as their turf.

So what would an undefeated Boise State BCS snub prove? Only what I've been saying for a long time. That the Broncos are a bunch of frauds and really need to beef up their non-conference schedule.

This year, the Broncos "best" win was a 37-32 upset of then-No. 17 Oregon at Autzen Stadium. The win would be much more impressive had Boise not given up 19 fourth-quarter points with the Ducks playing their 13th string quarterback. Actually, Oregon rotated two sub-third string freshman at QB. Also, it was Boise State's first win ever on the road versus a BCS-conference team, hardly something to cheer wildly about.

Then there's the fact only three of the eight Division I-A (or FBS) teams the Broncos have beaten currently have a winning record.

Unlike ESPN's Bruce Feldman, who projects the Broncos to get a berth in the Sugar Bowl, people in southern Idaho should start sweating. Time to look for something red and black!

The REAL Politicking begins

Now that we've elected our 44th president, we can turn our attention to the real political landscape. The '08 BCS Championship campaign is officially underway.

The most recent successful campaign dates back to 2006, when Flordia's Urban Meyer excessively whined.. I mean lobbied.. his way into the championship game, throttled Ohio State and took home the ultimate prize.

The current battlegrounds are taking shape. In Pennsylvania, things aren't so happy in Happy Valley where Penn State coach Joe Paterno was quick to question the wacky BCS formula.

"Is it the BCS or the BSC? I don't know," Paterno said in a recent press conference. JoePa is launching a sarcastic campaign, but the 81-year-old is probably harboring some resentment from being left out of the championship picture during four undefeated seasons (1968, 1969, 1973 and 1994).

Then yesterday, USC coach Pete Carroll launched his BCS Championship campaign from the perpetually 'blue' LA area. During his weekly press conference Carroll insisted he doesn't understand the BCS system. But then went a little further.

"I think it stinks. I don't think it's the way it should be," Carroll said.

What stinks is USC's performance during games they're heavily favored to win. There's a litany of haunting losses from Oregon State (in '06 & '08) to Stanford last year to UCLA in 2006. What really stinks though is the Trojans' aura in the post-(Reggie) Bush years. Just take care of business Pete.

Concern is growing with how college football crowns its champion, especially with a glut of elite teams in the Top 10. But even if college football had a playoff, coaches would still politic jockeying for position.

There's no cure-all for college football, so lets just tee-it-up and play some games. The dust will settle, just like the real political season that ended this morning.

A refreshing Fall indeed

The 2008 Fall Classic will get underway in mere hours. And it's probably safe to assume no baseball pundit foresaw this match-up back up February.

The media supposition on this World Series is that the average person doesn't care and the match-up is television ratings nightmare. A Phillies-Rays match-up is obviously far less sexy and appealing than say Manny and the L.A. Dodgers heading to play his former team the Boston Red Sox. But the pundits shouldn't necessarily jump to that conclusion.

We're in the midst of an election year where "change" is the mantra, and baseball should reap the benefits of having fresh teams face off.

Look, Philadelphia is the 10th different National League champion in 11 years, with only St. Louis winning more than once in that span. And Tampa Bay is the sixth American League champion in the past seven years, with only Boston claiming multiple pennants.

So are average fans really thinking?

The Washington Post asked its readers if the Rays-Phillies World Series match-up will be a boring or refreshing change? The results as of 5 p.m. yesterday in their informal poll were a resounding 61 percent of the respondents saying it's a refreshing change.

Several reader comments drive home that point...

"The only people who will find [the series] boring are the self-important Yankees/Sox fans who seem to think the success granted by baseball's horribly imbalanced revenue/payroll structure indicates some sort of inherent superiority."

Agreed, and don't even get me started on baseball's economic imbalance.

"Only fans of the Red Sox or Yanks would rather not see the Rays. They think the baseball universe revolves around their rivalry."

Yes, yes and more yes. It's really not that hard to understand why Sox and Yanks fans have that contorted view. An overwhelming amount of the national coverage TV coverage from Fox to TBS and especially ESPN focuses on them.

Finally.. "The definition of boring is watching the same match-up over and over, expecting anything but the same old thing. I am thrilled there are no teams from New York, Boston, Chicago or Los Angeles [in the series]."

It does feel nice, doesn't it?

MLB is in an era of openness. So enjoy the Tampa Bay Rays worst to first story. And enjoy watching the Phillies MVP play of Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard and the MVP-caliber play of Chase Utley in this Fall Classic.

The 2008 World Series has potential to be a great. Seriously, enjoy it!

A fond farewell

The season will likely end without much fanfare, but for one night all eyes were fixated on the Bronx Bombers.

Fittingly, 85 years after Babe Ruth opened Yankee Stadium with a victory, Marino Rivera recorded the final out. What was likely the last home run was the game winning run, a hit by No. 26 Jose Molina matching the number of championship banners brought back to the Bronx.

As the lights were turned off at the old Yankee Stadium, baseball history has once again been darkened in New York. In putting their stamp on the Yankees, the Steinbrenners traded away the richest history in professional sports for cup holders and luxury boxes.

When the new stadium opens next year it will retain the Yankee name and shape, but it be a clean slate. Gone is the storied building where Lou gave the Gettysburg Address of baseball, where Joltin' Joe and the Mick patrolled a vast center field, where Maris' 61st home run was belted and the spot where Don Larsen, David Cone and David Wells were all perfect.

When Yankee Stadium is turned into another Bronx public park, MLB will be left with just two meccas -- Wrigley and Fenway. Baseball's new wave in stadium building is refreshing, gone are the old concrete mausoleums. From coast-to-coast new baseball parks like PNC, Petco and Comerica are characters in themselves. Unfortunately, new parks have no ghosts (or demons like the Black cat).

It will soon be up to aging stars such as Jeter, Rodriguez, Rivera and Posada to write the first new memorable moments. But today, it's time to wish a fond farewell to Yankee Stadium.

For pictures of the last game at Yankee Stadium click here.

Following the letter of the law

ESPN’s talking heads need to get off their soap box.

The talking head's verbally lambasted Pac-10 officiating crew after they assessed a late unsportmanslike conduct penalty to Huskie quarterback Jake Locker during Saturday’s Washington-Brigham Young game.

In the final minutes of the game Locker orchestrated what looked to be a game-tying drive, only to have a yellow flag rain on his touchdown parade. Fifteen-yards later, the Huskies extra point attempt was blocked, sealing a BYU victory. (Watch it here)

Simply put, Rule 9, Section 2, Article 2c says a player can be penalized for an unsportsmanlike act for "throwing the ball high into the air." The rule also prohibits kicking, throwing, spinning or carrying the ball any distance for an official to retrieve it and spiking the ball (as is allowed in the NFL).

ESPN’s Mark May tried to say that Locker just “flipped the ball over his shoulder.” However, most estimates placed its trajectory at about 25 feet. That is one heck of a “flip.”

After the game, Referee Larry Farina had a comment regarding the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

“After scoring the touchdown, the player threw the ball into the air and we are required, by rule, to assess a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty,” Farina said. “It was not a judgement call.”

Farina may have violated the ‘spirit of the rules’ but he was dead on flagging Locker. A rule is a rule. Getting caught up in the moment doesn’t excuse the fact that when any football player reaches the end zones he should act like he’s been there before.

Sorry ESPN, point the finger of blame where it belongs…at a QB who's been there before and should have known better.

NFL '08 Story lines galore

It's football time again. And there are only two story lines entering this NFL season.

Brett Favre and his messy divorce with the Green Bay Packers, and Brett Favre's move to Broadway.

OK, I'm only joking. There have been several other high-profile changes since the NFL's memorable '07 finale. Dominant stars such as Michael Strahan, Warren Sapp and Jonathan Ogden all retired. And Pro Bowl caliber athletes like Jeremy Shockey and Jason Taylor will don new uniforms.

Injury watch is also on. Three of the games biggest stars didn't play a down this preseason. QB's Tom Brady and Peyton Manning and running back LaDainian Tomlinson all start the year nicked up.

So how will it all play? Without further ado here are the Fearless NFL Predictions for 2008.

AFC OUTLOOK

1. San Diego -- The Chargers start the year banged up: LT, Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates and Shawne Merriman all need ice packs. However, the Bolts are the most talented team and should finish tops in the AFC.
2. New England -- The Pats will experience a post-Super Bowl hangover. But the Brady-to-Moss connection is good for at least 12 wins in a weak division.
3. Jacksonville -- This is the year a team breaks through in the South division. If the defense shows up, the Jags are a legit Super Bowl contender.
4. Pittsburgh -- The schedule is brutal (toughest in the NFL), but the Steelers will benefit from a down division and a healthy Troy Polamalu.
5. Indianapolis -- Peyton Manning (infected bursa sac) will be fine as the perpetual MVP candidate will guide the Colts to the playoffs again.
6. Denver -- Jay Culter will prove he was the best quarterback in the '06 Draft as Mike Shanahan & company won't miss the playoffs for a third straight season.
Playoff bubble: Buffalo -- I think the Bills are still a year away, but they are moving in the right direction. Edwards, Lynch and Evans make up a great young offensive trio.
Over-hyped: Cleveland -- Some analysts are picking the Browns to win the AFC North, but their 10-6 record last year was a tease. Cleveland only beat one team that finished with a winning record in 2007.

NFC OUTLOOK

1. Dallas -- The Cowboys have the best collection of stars in the NFL and on paper are the best team in the NFC East. Last season's 13 wins weren't a fluke, the 'Boys will be back.
2. Green Bay -- The Packers are built for another long playoff run. With Aaron Rodgers assuming the helm, Green Bay will prove last year's championship game wasn't just Brett Favre's doing.
3. Seattle -- I'll probably regret this, but the Seahawks look like the most consistent team in the NFC Worst.. I mean west. They should run away with their weak division again.
4. New Orleans -- Will somebody please give Drew Brees an MVP award already! Brees has a plethora of targets to throw to and the Saints should regain their conference championship form.
5. NY Giants -- Losing Osi Umenyiora for the season hurts. But it seems like the Giants can plug anyone into their D-line and get results. This is a scary power football team.
6. Tampa Bay -- The Bucs are going to win their games in the trenches. Both the offensive and defensive lines are great, and the ageless wonder Jeff Garica can still deliver the goods.
Playoff bubble: Arizona -- The Cardinals playoff hopes are contingent on one big if. If Kurt Warner starts at QB in place of Matt Leinart, Arizona should make a playoff run.
Over-hyped: Philadelphia -- The Eagles seem to be a consensus pick for the Wild Card. But Donovan McNabb & company can't stay healthy, which doesn't bode well for making the postseason.

AFC Championship: Chargers over Jaguars

NFC Championship: Giants over Cowboys

Super Bowl: Chargers over Giants

Fearless Predictions: College Style

FPS COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW (Part 3)

Just hours from kickoff of another college football season, which means it's time for some fearless predictions for 2008...

The Georgia Bulldogs may start the season at No. 1, but coach Mark Richt and company won't finish there. With their schedule, I think a three-loss season is within the realm of possibilities. In fact, the Dawgs won't even win their SEC division.

USC's QB Mark Sanchez is an improvement over John David Booty, but a Reggie Bush-less Trojans will still lose two games this year. No championship again for USC.

Football is becoming a game about the quarterbacks. Hence the conference with the best signal callers, the Big 12, will stand as the elite conference in 2008. I'll take Chase Daniel (Missouri), Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Colt McCoy (Texas) over Heisman winner Tim Tebow (Florida), Matt Stafford (Georgia) and John Parker Wilson (Alabama), any day.

Speaking of quarterbacks, the aforementioned Daniels will edge out Tebow to win this year's Heisman Trophy. It's going to take a exceptional season due to the media love-fest over the Florida QB, but Daniels is capable of doing it.

Oklahoma State coach Mike "I'm man, I'm 40!" Gundy won't have another massive meltdown. In fact, the head coach will show a lot more maturity at age 41, and with Zac Robinson running the show the Pokes should win at least eight games.

Rick Neuheisel U (UCLA, Washington, Colorado) will all show improvement on the field, but their records won't reflect it.

The BYU Cougars will be the next BCS buster and might just be able to get to BCS pay dirt with one loss.

This is the year Notre Dame wins eight games. OK, I'll be the first to admit I got bamboozled last year by head coach Charlie Weis. But QB Jimmy Clausen has a year under his belt and the Irish will really benefit from a down schedule.

The Idaho Vandals will beat a Division I opponent this year. (Utah State also a perennial WAC doormat looks like a prime candidate)

BCS BOWL PROJECTIONS

Rose -- USC (Pac-10) v. Missouri (At-Large)
Sugar -- Auburn (SEC) v. BYU (At-Large)
Orange -- South Florida (Big East) v. Clemson (ACC)
Fiesta -- Florida (At-Large) v. Wisconsin (At-Large)

National Championship -- Ohio State (Big Ten) over Oklahoma (Big 12)

Minor distractions: Storylines in 2008

FPS COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW (Part 2)

Every fall campuses across the country come back to life and the attention starts to focus on Saturdays. That's right college football is back in full force.

Unlike its professional counterpart, the college game has richness with a plethora of new storylines each season. This year is no different.

Here's a brief glimpse at what's been going on and what will shape this season's headlines.

"The gold standard of college athletics," the conference that has won the past two BCS National Championships, the Southeastern Conference has inked what appears to be a monster 15-year deal to broadcast football games. Now, can they prove they're worth it? Fox Sport's Randy Hill doesn't think so, and I am hedging that way too.

Love him or hate him, the face of the SEC, Tim Tebow won last year's Heisman trophy. So how does a Heisman winner spend the summer? Not studying football apparently, which could be "Superman's" kryptonite.

Looking out west, the year is off to an itchy start at Southern Cal. A rash of unusual maladies and injuries at USC has struck the perennial national power early. QB Mark Sanchez suffered a freakish knee injury, the single returning starter offensive lineman has Rocky Mountain spotted fever and groin irritation is running rampant. What's next? Try a dorm accident.

Arizona State QB Rudy Carpenter has one season to define his college career. Carpenter has started 31 consecutive games and has three wins against arch rival Arizona, but is reviled by many Sun Devil die-hards. SI.com's Arash Markazi takes an in-depth look at Carpenter's image issues.

In a football season that could be overshadow by political fervor on campus, Cal defensive end Rulon Davis wants to be known for tackles and sacks, not the six months in Iraq he spent as a Marine.

On the Palouse, the Washington State Cougars were making headlines but not for good news. The Cougs lost eight scholarships after failing to meet NCAA Academic Progress standards (which are a big joke in themselves). But then the Seattle Times nailed Wazzu with an expose on the 25 player arrests over the last 18 months. Not a great start for new head coach Paul Wulff and company.

These are a few storylines for this 2008 NCAA football season, but it's really just a scratch on the surface.

Major Impact: Defining games in 2008

FPS COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Hard to believe but the college football season is already upon us.

Last year was one of the most topsy-turvy seasons from start to finish in recent memory. It was a season that witnessed Kansas (yes the Jayhawks!?!) not only play in a BCS game but win. A season in which South Florida achieved a No. 2 ranking only to be one of six teams ranked in that spot victimized by unranked opponents. And of course, it was another year with championship melodrama.

So while the pundits didn’t expect the Stanford-USC or Appalachian State-Michigan games to have any meaning, here’s a quick look at five (or so) games that will impact the 2008 season…

5) BYU at Utah, Nov. 22 – The “Holy War,” as its nicknamed, may have no higher stakes than this year. Both teams have BCS-busting aspirations, as the Cougars are 22-4 over the past two seasons and the Utes were red hot winning eight of their last nine games a year ago. This should be the non-BCS conference game of the year.

4) Florida vs. Georgia, Nov. 1 – When the Dawgs challenge the Gators it’s one giant cocktail party. This year, the national hype surrounding the game will probably be off the charts. While Florida has won 15 of the past 18 years, someone’s national championship hopes will be gashed.

3) SEC “Armageddon” Day, Sept. 20 – Can Georgia survive a trip to Arizona (State) and the desert heat? What happens when Florida and Tennessee clash again in a battle of orange? And you can’t forget about the Tiger-Tiger match up? It’s the biggest day of reckoning for the SEC. LSU at Auburn is probably the most important conference game, the winner of that match up has gone on to claim the West Division title in six of the past eight seasons.

2) Oklahoma vs. Texas, Oct. 11 – The Red River Shootout should live up to the name this year, although the game probably means more to Oklahoma and their title-race ambitions. Whoever wins will have the inside track to another Big 12 championship (as five of the past six crowns have been split by ‘Horns and Sooners).

1) Ohio State at USC, Sept. 13 – Some think this game could be a preview of the national title bout. But it’s safer to say the game is about credibility. USC wants to show the nation it’s the preeminent power in college football, while the Buckeyes want to show they belong after being run off the field in big games. No matter who wins we’ll see a lot of those players again, on Sundays.

Olympics gone in a blink and a Bolt

The 17-day run that was the Beijing Games came to end with another spectacular party in the Bird’s Nest. What a fitting end to an Olympics that witnessed a second week of competition equal to that of the first week.

Michael Phelps, and his eight gold medals, passed the baton off to Jamaica’s Usain Bolt who fittingly sped into the spotlight. Bolt was electrifying in a double-gold performance in the 100 and 200 meters sprints. The Jamaican erased world records and proved to be the fastest man on earth. Who knows had Bolt not thumped his chest in triumph the last few meters during the 100m, his 9.69 second mark could have been untouchable.

Where Bolt and the Jamaicans flourished, the U.S. Track teams floundered. Both the men’s and women’s 4x100 teams dropped the baton in the preliminaries. The men’s team won only four gold medals and big name athletes like Tyson Gay and Jeremy Wariner failed to defend their titles from 2007 world championships. Still the Americans took home 23 medals from Beijing – most of any country on the track.

However, the most crushing blow on the track came when China's Liu Xiang dejectedly walked away from 110m hurdles due to a leg injury. Liu was the most popular athlete in the country and his failure to compete clouded the second week of the Games for the Chinese fans.

Story lines away from the track included U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo getting redemption. Solo carried her squad, bailing out her teammates again and again as the U.S. topped Brazil 1-0 to claim the gold medal in women’s soccer for a third time. This victory came a little over a year after Solo was ostracized by her team for comments she made following a sound U.S. defeat by Brazil in the women’s World Cup.

Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor were golden again becoming the first pair, male or female, to repeat as Olympic champions in beach volleyball. And the American men’s indoor volleyball team downed Brazil in an emotional capstone match, after the father-in-law of U.S. coach Hugh McCutcheon was stabbed to death in Beijing at the start of the Games.

The U.S. leaves Beijing with 110 medals in the overall medal count, surpassing the previous record from the Barcelona Games (108). However, the Chinese dominated the gold-medal tally with 51. The U.S. gold medal total, 36, matched the American count from Athens in 2004 and included a resounding gold in men's basketball.

A notable gold medal that the U.S. team did not capture was in softball. Team USA was stunned 3-1 by Japan in the sport’s last appearance in the Olympics for at least eight years – maybe forever. Why softball is being dropped as an Olympic sport, but glorified ribbon twirling (aka rhythmic gymnastics) remains, is just mind boggling!

The Beijing Olympics were stunning, and I can’t wait for Vancouver in 2010 and what lies beyond.

Gymnast age controversy not a big deal

Jessica E. Davis is a guest columnist to For Pete's Sake Online. She recently returned from five months aboard in Asia, including more than one month in China. She is a reporter for City News Service in San Diego, Calif.

The girls on China's gymnastics team may not be as young as you think.

Two media sources and one hacker have apparently discovered discrepancies in the reporting of the girls' ages on the Internet:

• A New York Times article three weeks ago raised initial suspicions about the underage gymnasts. The Times reported that even though He Kexin and Jiang Yuyuan are listed as 16 on their passports other sources state otherwise.
• The Associated Press also found evidence on a Chinese state media Web site identifying He as 13 only nine months before the games.
• A blogger apparently discovered on a Chinese sponsored state Web site Wednesday that several of the Chinese gymnasts are under the Olympic age limit.

Two points I would like make:

• The criticism has mainly come from western media.
• The proof has come from online sources.

The United States may be making an embarrassing mistake; the same mistake I made four months ago.

I often questioned the ages of women I saw in China while I studied abroad in Asia for five months at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

When I first arrived in Hong Kong, I often mistook my classmates as high school or grade school students. I believe Asian women hide their age better than Caucasian women.

I traveled to Shantou in Southern China to teach English in March. I knew I was supposed to teach high school students, but they seemed like eight year olds instead of 16 and 17 year olds.

I asked one young girl, "How old are you?" She thought for a moment and said, "18." I had thought she was closer to 10.

The more time I spent in China, the more I realized that Chinese women show age differently, mainly on their necks and hands.

Before U.S. media condemn the Chinese, maybe they should step back and make sure they are not making the same mistake I did.

You can read more about Jessica's travels in Asia in her blog at http://reportingfromasia.blogspot.com.

Questions? Comments? E-mail Jessica at jdavis08@gmail.com.

Golden moment for Federer

Roger Federer is leaving Beijing with gold.

It wasn’t the gold medal that was expected of the most dominant tennis player in the world, but in the midst of a frustrating year it’s an important milestone.

“Sort of a dream-come-true moment,” Federer said. “Maybe it comes around once in a lifetime. It’s almost disbelief, to some degree.”

Disbelief has set in now that Federer’s Grand Slam total is stalled at 12 and his 4½-year reign atop the ATP Tour rankings just ended. French champion, Wimbledon champion and now Olympic champion Rafael Nadal completed his ascension to the world No. 1 ranking.

After all, Nadal showed an unrelenting determination in July stopping Federer from winning a sixth straight Wimbledon title, ending his 40-match winning streak at the All England Club. Soon after, many columnists started to question what’s wrong with Roger, questions that reemerged with fervor after his Olympic quarterfinal loss.

Federer has been venerable this year, no doubt about it. But, SI’s Jon Wertheim brought up a good point; a lot of players ranked No. 2 still win majors. There's still one major left and Roger is showing championship mettle.

Finally in 2008, Federer was able to celebrate a big victory. He had some help from countryman Stanislas Wawrinka in toppling Simon Aspelin and Tomas Johansson of Sweden 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3.

But for the first time in three Olympics, Federer is a medalist, standing atop the podium.

That’s something for the Swiss to smile about.

NBC wins the gold

One week into the 2008 Summer Olympics and the biggest winner out the water may be NBC Universal.

After paying $900 million for the rights to broadcast the summer games, NBC’s primetime ratings have been huge and the online coverage just as strong. Nearly 25 million people have visited NBCOlympics.com, viewing 456 million pages. After the amazing U.S. comeback in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, people watched the video replay 1.7 million times.

Part of NBC’s primetime success can be attributed to the Phelps-effect. That’s right U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps has been the story of the Beijing games. What else can be said about him, Phelps is a human-performance machine.

The quest for golden history nearly ended in Phelps' second race, but teammate Jason Lezak turned in an epic performance to edge the French. Then chasing Mark Spitz’s record seven golds Phelps delivered in a legendary way.

While Phelps has been so dominant in the water, the U.S. women’s team was anything but. Katie Hoff had high Olympic hopes and was expected to pull in six medals (most ever for a female swimmer). Instead of achieving greatness, Hoff earned just three medals – one silver and two bronze.

After watching her swim, I think there was something wrong with Hoff. She faded down the stretch of nearly every race and ended up huffing for air after hitting the wall. On top of that she did not look surprised by her results. Swimming slower than her personal bests in four of five individual events, Hoff was a disappointment. Speaking of pool disappointments, what happened to Athens gold medalist Amanda Beard?

Yahoo’s Fourth-Place Medal Blog has been tackling the many mysteries of the Olympics. Staying in the Water Cube, they addressed one of the most perplexing aspects of diving. Why do divers head to the showers right after completing a dive? Fascinating answer, and it’s not to wash off the chlorine. Fourth-Place Medal also uncovered the identity of the gorgeous athlete from Paraguay, among other Olympic mysteries.

And with gorgeous mostly young athletes in top physical shape, the close quarters of the Olympic Village appears to be full of love. Olympic organizers are providing 100,000 condoms for these games, as they have distributed condoms since Barcelona in 1992. Greg Boeck examines if there’s any harm in that.

One final thought about the starlet of the Opening Ceremony, Lin Miaoke. If you actually thought the Chinese government would let a 7-year-old sing “Ode to the Motherland” live in front of 91,000 people and a worldwide TV audience, you’re a fool. It comes as no surprise here, that Lin lip-synched the song. I feel sorry for Yang Peiyi who’s crooked teeth disqualified her. But the Olympics are part of China’s coming out party, they are striving for perfection be it taped or not.

Enjoy the games!

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Let the games begin!

The world witnessed stunning precision, size, scale and profuse color as China opened the 29th Olympics games. An epic display covering 6,000-years of history demonstrated that the new China intends to be a global player.

The Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics tend to drag on and can border on bizarre like Yoko Ono singing in Torino or monster trucks showing up in Atlanta. But, Beijing’s show was a thrilling artistic display incorporating a human pyramid, synchronized drummers, levitating dancers and an athlete running on air to light the Olympic torch.

Plus the firework display was phenomenal. It’s fitting that a Chinese invention would be celebrated throughout the evening, filling the skies of Beijing. As the golden footprints marched toward the Bird’s Nest, this Olympiad is undeniably China’s.

This should be a spectacular show.

Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images. And for more images from the Opening Ceremonies head to NBCOlympics.com.

A 'Wie' little mistake

We’ve reached another weekend of golf and there’s no sign of phenom Michelle Wie.

Wie failed for the eighth time to advance past the opening rounds of a PGA Tour event at the Legends Reno Tahoe-Open Friday. She shot a second round 80, which included a quintuple-bogey 9, missing the cut with a 9-over par 153.

This latest tourney letdown came days after Wie had to deal with an embarrassing disqualification at the LPGA State Farm Classic. Just one shot off the lead, LPGA officials discovered she had left the scoring area without signing her card garnering an automatic dismissal.

Michelle has the raw skill to compete at a championship level, but there’s another more important aspect of her game that’s lacking. Wie’s mental makeup is disparaging.

She continues to make poor choice after poor choice on the golf course. If that continues, Wie won’t crack into the top tier of LPGA Tour.

Wie often says she’s a “work in progress” and maintains an optimism that she can turn things around.

“I think if I played a couple (PGA events) in a row, it would be a different story,” Wie said. “It’s just hard to play one and then one maybe a year later. I think if I played eight in a row and I missed all eight, that would be a different story.”

The benefit of the doubt for Wie is quickly fading. Soon the only story about Michelle Wie will be that she is a non-story.

Just stay home Brett

The Brett Favre-Green Bay Packers soap opera continues with new daily updates and 24/7 coverage. Today, details are emerging that the Packers are offering Favre around $20 million to stay retired.

The smartest decision for Brett is to take the money and stay in Mississippi. The reason can be summarized by two words: Madden Curse.

That’s right; No. 4 is this year’s cover athlete for EA Sports Madden NFL ’09 video game. Favre is a good choice coming off one of his best years statistically. In a record setting year he threw for 28 touchdowns, 4,155 yards with his highest completion percentage ever (66.5).

However, Brett just needs to examine what’s happened to other Madden cover athletes to see a dark omen.

In 2003, quarterback Michael Vick broke his leg just one day after the Madden game hit store shelves.

Two years later, another quarterback Donovan McNabb, suffered a sports hernia in the opening week and ended up throwing nine interceptions in nine games (one more than the previous season). Not to mention, there was all that drama with Terrell Owens that split Philadelphia apart.

Even league MVP’s have fallen to the curse. Running back Shaun Alexander had a monster 2005 season, rushing for a record 27 touchdowns and 1,880 yards. After gracing the Madden cover, Alexander broke his foot missing six games in ‘06 and then last year cracked his wrist and averaged a career low 3.5 yards per carry.

If the Packers are being serious with their million dollar offer, Favre should take the opportunity to preserve his legacy and move on with life.

There’s no doubt about it

Two-thirds of the way through the 2008 MLB season and home teams have the highest winning figures in 30 years. That’s right if they don’t win this year, it is a shame.

Entering today’s games the team donning those home whites had a 870-659 record, which translates to winning 57 percent of games (.569). This advantage would be more evident without interleague play, because National League clubs went just 56-70 against their American League counterparts at home.

Look at some of these numbers: Boston is 36-11 at Fenway, the Cubs are 38-12 playing in the ivy confines of Wrigley and the Tampa Bay Rays are a terrific 40-16 at home. Three teams playing above .700 at home.

On the flip side there are only four teams with winning road records, the LA Angels, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Consequently all those teams are in the early pennant hunt.

So what’s going on here? Is this just an abnormality or is it a growing trend?

LA Angels manager Mike Scioscia took a shot at answering that question when he said “..you’re trying to play 81 games in the same ballpark, you certainly want to pay attention to the little nuances of your park and the type of offensive club you have to bring onto the field.”

Scioscia certainly strikes a chord. There are more quirks and unique features in today’s ballparks than in old stadiums of the last 20 years. So the types of players on the field matter.

The bigger factor here is the way teams manage close games at home versus when they’re on the road. If a game enters the ninth inning in a tie, the home team usually turns to their best bullpen player to pitch, the closer. The home team gets the last at bat, which typically comes against the second or third best bullpen player from the opposing team. That matters when one run determines the game.

It’s way too early to say this is a trend, but it is something to watch the rest of this year and into next season.

Perfect storm sinks M's

Closing in on the last third of the MLB season and the biggest disappointment in 2008 is none other than the Seattle Mariners. Picked by many ESPN experts to win their division the M’s are floundering with the worst record in the American League, just fractions ahead of having the worst record in all of baseball.

How bad have things gotten in Seattle? Their prospects of doing anything this season sailed away in June after being swept at home by the Washington Nationals. Now, the Mariners and their $117 million payroll (ninth highest in the majors) are left simply hoping to avoid 100-plus losses.

Former GM Bill Bavasi bears the brunt of responsibility for this Northwest mess. Bavasi blew millions on questionable free agent signings, chiefly on Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre. But there are also the pitchers he inked including Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista, Carlos Silva and inexplicably Jeff Weaver.

Sexson, the biggest financial drain, was inept in all facets of the game from hitting to defense to baserunning. When the M’s recently released their first baseman, despite owning him the rest of his monster $14 million salary, there’s a glimmer of hope the organization is trying to right the ship.

The question begs though, what took so long?

A perfect storm of mismanagement, untimely injuries and overall poor play sunk the Mariners. With the influx of young talent into the AL West it may be years before we hear from them again.

All-Star madness

MLB commissioner Bud Selig’s blunder was nearly on full display Tuesday night, well, make that Wednesday morning.

Texas shortstop Michael Young and exhausted Pilly closer Bard Lidge spared Selig some embarrassment.

Young’s sacrifice fly in the 15th inning, gave the American League a 4-3 win, a mere 4-hours and 50-minutes after it started. For Lidge the sac fly was the end of insanity that saw him warm up and sit down about a half-dozen times.

The headache for both managers during this epic game was due to the fact that somebody had to win and they were both out of pitchers.

Talk about absurdity, a glorified exhibition game between a hodgepodge of stars determines who gets an advantage in October!?! What happened to the other 162 games that each team plays? They don’t really count anymore.

“This time it counts” dates back to 2003 when a terrible two-year experiment began awarding home-field advantage to the All-Star winning league. This Dr. Frankenstein-esque mistake came after Selig called the 2002 All-Star Game a tie. In part, MLB was to looking to help boost sagging TV ratings.

But it’s just more hype. If baseball were truly looking to really boost TV viewership they could try throwing out the first pitch before 8:45 ET. Isn’t All-Star weekend a great chance to attract young fans?

Baseball ought to give up on this madness. They need to follow all the other professional sports and award home-field advantage in the World Series to the team with the better regular season record.

I can’t say this would have been Selig’s biggest gaffe, but could you imagine Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew or Mets third baseman David Wright on the mound deciding which league gets home-field advantage?

We were almost there yesterday, and it’s a ridiculous prospect.

Fans selections are far from perfect

We've reached the unofficial mid-point of the 2008 MLB season, which means it's time for break. Looking at this year's All-Star game rosters, one thing is crystal clear, fans aren't perfect.

Seven now eight Cubs will grace the National League bench. The predominant hat for the American League has a distinctive “B” on it, as seven players from Beantown will soil Yankee Stadium’s final season.

This is ridiculous, nearly one-quarter of this year’s All-Stars are from two teams. If fans wanted to see a Cubs-Red Sox match-up so bad, MLB should have just played an Interleague game between the teams at Fenway Park. Anyway, let’s get down to specifics mistakes here.

The most egregious fan mistake on the AL roster was voting Boston’s Dustin Pedroia a starter. This barely squeaks over voting fellow Red Sox Kevin Youkilis a starter. Honestly, fans picked Pedroia over a guy who’s putting MVP caliber numbers right now, Texas Ranger Ian Kinsler. Pedroia is having a very good year, just not a great year. Kinsler’s 84 runs scored dwarf Pedroia’s 67, plus the Rangers’ budding star has a higher batting average, more homers (by 5) and RBIs (by 11).

On the NL roster, the most outrageous fan mistake was selecting Chicago Cub Kosuke Fukudome a starter. Fukudome’s .279 average, with a measly 7 home runs and 36 RBIs is just plain sad. Voting Fukudome in was like voting Braves infielder Kelly Johson in (.272 BA, 10 HR, 38 RBIs). Why didn’t Kelly get any love?

And the least, least deserving All-star is Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. How in the world did he make the roster? Varitek’s batting average is rotten, .218, and he has 17 more strikeouts than hits this season. It’s a ridiculous selection.

Finally, if you’re a fan of baseball in Pennsylvania you have every right to feel abused. The Pittsburgh Pirates outfield, arguably the most productive in the majors, received one All-Star selection. Deservedly, Nate McLouth is going to the Big Apple, but what about Jason Bay, Xavier Nady or Philly’s Pat Burrell? Bay ranks ninth in the majors in runs, Nady in the top 10 in batting average and Burrell fourth in homers. Any of them would have made great All-Star picks. There’s always next year, but probably not.

Enjoy the game!

Conspiracies, expansion and other awesome stuff

For Pete’s Sake has been lacking in awesomeness (and posts) recently, mostly due to massive writer’s block. So while I go on a mini-sabbatical to recharge here are some links to other sports articles and blogs that you need check out…

In case you need any more evidence that owner Clay Bennett is a lying scum, SuperSonicSoul gives a chilling estimate of the “real” dollar amount it would have taken to keep an NBA team in Seattle.

Staying with basketball, Darren Rovell of CNBC's Sports Biz takes a look at a possible Olympic conspiracy. This potential plot has nothing to do with doping, it has to do with logo and player placement in Team USA’s photo.

Meanwhile, Fox Sports senior baseball writer Ken Rosenthal examines how the CC Sabathia trade is ushering in a new-world order and reshaping baseball’s maligned economic system.

And if you’re getting that early football itch, there were some wild rumors circulating around about the Pac-10 Conference expanding to 12 teams. In a special report to Fox Sports, Greg Welch identifies the best expansion schools for the Pac-10.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times responds to the expansion idea, posing the question why the conference should expand? I’m wondering what the conference would call itself if it added more teams. The just Pac-12 doesn’t have a good ring.

Finally, the Bleacher Report tries to rank “The 10 Most Disliked Programs of the Past 25 Years,” also the most successful programs of the past 25 years.

NBA sends booming message

FANS FORGOTTEN AS SONICS DEPART

“The NBA should be banned from using the phrase ‘NBA cares’ in any future public service announcement.” That’s how ESPN columnist J.A. Adande opened his remarks about the sad conclusion to the Seattle SuperSonics saga.

Hours before a federal judge was about to hand down a decision whether a lease would require the Sonics to play two more seasons in the Emerald City, Seattle officials waved the white flag.

The city agreed to let the team immediately pack up and move to Oklahoma City, Okla. in return for $45 million guaranteed and Seattle’s retention of the SuperSonics name, logos, colors and history.

I was disappointed that a ruling wasn’t handed out, because it would have carried some impact as legal precedent for future lease disputes.

Though I rarely rooted for Sonics, watching this franchise get yanked from its home just hurts. Seattle fans had no legal rights as their team got uprooted, although they were central to this business for 41 years. That’s the real travesty. It was the fans’ passion and loyalty that was trampled by owner Clay Bennett, a “man possessed,” for few million dollars of play money.

Commissioner David Stern's inaction speaks volumes for the future of the NBA. The league needs Seattle more than Seattle needs the NBA. Instead of serving the fans, Stern showed he was more interested in helping his buddy (Bennett) and establishing his own precedent and leverage to hold other NBA cities hostage over arena deals.

Seattle P-I columnist Art Thiel summed upped the mess in Northwest well when he wrote “Bennett is still a liar, Stern is still unconscionably remorseless, and the Sonics are gone.”

That’s right, today, basketball fans in Seattle are hoopless and have been left relatively hopeless. This should serve as warning to NBA fans everywhere, watch out, your team could be next.

Old school baseball chastised

Yankees pitching ace Chien-Ming Wang is on the shelf for up to 10 weeks, prompting team co-chair Hank Steinbrenner to lambaste the entire National League.

“My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century. They need to grow up and join the 21st century,” Steinbrenner said.

What caused this angry tirade?

Well, it certainly wasn’t caused by the fact that Wang couldn’t complete the seemingly simple athletic task of the running the bases. No, the cause for yet another Steinbrenner tirade is that the N.L. is playing with a cryptic “rule from the 1800s,” that makes pitchers bat.

“This is always a concern of American League teams when their pitchers have to run the bases and they’re not used to doing it,” Steinbrenner added.

Wait a second? Not used to running? Come on Hank, please.

Not delving into details, making pitchers bear bats in the N.L. adds richness to the strategy of the game. Strategy is lost when overweight defensive liabilities get three to four whacks from the plate per game.

Sorry Hank, the N.L. doesn’t need to adopt the designated hitter rule. You should make sure your pitchers can run.

Finally, on the prowl?

ESPN Researcher Mark Simon recently wrote that the Detroit Tigers are back on track. They swept the LA Dodgers over the weekend, giving them six straight wins and moving them within six games of the AL Central division leading Chicago White Sox. Simon writes “quite simply, the Tigers are now hitting the ball as they expected -- as everyone expected -– coming into the season.”

The Tigers are getting consistent hitting during this win streak (.345 team BA, 8 HRs, 5.8 avg. runs/g), however there’s another more important factor to their recent turnaround. Detroit is finally getting good efforts from the mound.

Looking at numbers from their last seven games (which includes a disastrous start from Dontrelle Willis) the Tigers pitching staff improved in nearly statistical category expect strikeouts. We’re talking team ERA, batting average against and walks. The most important being walks.

Detroit’s pitchers issued the third fewest number of base on balls during the past seven games, subtract Willis’ five walk effort and the Tigers have only given up seven walks in six games. If Detroit can keep up this kind of effort from the pitching rubber, they will make a run in AL Central.

Sportsmanships True Colors

For everything that’s wrong in sports, from steroids and greed in baseball to collegiate amateurism constantly in question and ridiculous rookie contracts in pro football, moments occur that remind us how great sports can be. The story that follows is one of those moments.

(As seen on ESPN SportsCenter)

Slugging Bonds and beyond

As painful as it is to admit sometimes, I am a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. I grew up with the Pirates memorizing their starting lineups, numbers and positions included.

My favorite Pirate as a kid was center fielder Andy Van Slyke. Andy was hard-nosed 'average Joe' who often sold out to make incredible and ridiculous catches. Today, Cleveland’s Grady Sizemore plays with a similar recklessness that mirrors Van Slyke in his prime, although Sizemore’s got a better stick.

Recently, Van Slyke has reappeared on the baseball landscape teaming up again with manager Jim Leyland and coaching first base for the Detroit Tigers. Yahoo Sport’s David Brown caught up with Andy, who can still spew out quotes like a machine.

If you're looking to kill a few minutes then check this awesome interview with Andy, the man who had the audacity to punch Barry Bonds.

***

Q: There's an urban legend in Pittsburgh that, from center field, you tried to wave Barry in to play more shallow in left before Francisco Cabrera's famous game-winning hit in the 1992 NLCS.

AVS: That's not a legend, that is not a rumor, that is an absolute, 100-percent, truth that I did. (Continue reading)

Power Rankings Return

One month into the MLB season and the dust is starting to settle. Early favorites of Detroit, Seattle and New York (Mets and Yankees both) are struggling. The LA Dodgers, underachieving thus far, but are making a little run, and don’t look but Tampa Bay and Baltimore are both living above the .500 mark.

While it’s way too early to say how things are going to turn out, it is time now to unveil the first FPS MLB Power Rankings:

1. Diamondbacks 20-9 – Arizona boasts the best record in the game. The bats are producing and Brandon Webb has been untouchable. The D-Backs look poised early to win back-to-back division crowns.

2. LA Angels 18-13 – No Lackey, no Escobar, no problem. The Angels are getting key performances from young guns Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana and are establishing themselves at the AL West front runner.

3. Cardinals 19-11 – Ludwick, Schumaker, these aren’t the Cards of old. However, Albert Pujols (.364 Avg, 5 HR, 20 RBI) is still the anchor in St. Lou and has found base in every game so far.

4. Cubs 17-12 – Catcher Geovany Soto is batting with .333 with five home runs, second baseman Ronny Cedeno has a 1.059 OBP as the Cubs are getting production for unexpected sources. If Alfonso Soriano comes around the NL should watch out.

5. Athletics 18-13 – Billy Beane is at it again. After trading away more top talent the A’s are again the best team in the Bay Area. It also helps when relievers Santiago Casilla and Andrew Brown combine for 30 1/3 scoreless innings.

6. Rays 16-13 – You’re not going crazy; the Tampa Bay Rays make this original list. Winners of eight of the last 10, including a sweep of the Red Sox, the young Rays are rolling.

In the Chase: Brewers 16-13 – Still awaiting for outfielder Ryan Braun to start producing with power, but the Brew Crew and Ben Sheets are looking to contend again.

Red Sox 18-13 – Although the defending champs are leading the AL East, their play lately has been anything but stellar. Manny Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis are swinging the bats, David Oritz has yet to show up.

Look for updated FPS MLB Power rankings throughout the summer.

A-Fraud Watch ‘08

One month into the new baseball season, and means its check-up time on baseball’s million dollar man, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

After last season’s prolific offense assault, Rodriguez opted out of his monstrous $252 million, 10-year deal. Of course that opt-out announcement came obnoxiously from agent Scott Boras during game 4 of the World Series. Unfortunately after giving an ultimatum the Yankees came groveling back.

Jump ahead to 2008 and A-Rod’s boosted salary in the Bronx stands at $28 million. That’s more than the his entire hometown team, the Florida Marlins who’s opening-day 33 man roster had a payroll of just $21.8 million.

So is that extra money paying off?

The Marlins have a two-game advantage over the Yankees thus far, and the men in pinstripes are sitting fourth in the AL East behind Tampa Bay and Boston.

It’s still too early to tell, but I’d say it looks like A-Fraud is making a return. Rodriguez is batting just .286, with 4 homers and a meager 11 RBIs. Oh, and he has a golden sombrero to his credit, coming against Kansas City. That stellar offensive production won’t improve any time soon with A-Rod’s sitting on the DL nursing a strained quadriceps.

Things might get worse before they get better in New York.

Raise the Age Limit

The draft declaration for the NBA is not a celebrated sports holiday, mainly due to people watching their alma mater college rosters crumble as players defect to the pros chasing millions of dollars.

This year’s deadline just passed and the group is no different. High profile entries include K-State’s Michael Beasley, Memphis’ Derrick Rose, USC’s O.J. Mayo, Stanford’s Lopez twins and D.J Augustin of Texas.

However, if it were up to Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban all of these athletes wouldn't have a chance to be drafted this year. Cuban wants to raise the age limit to enter the NBA to 22 or when a respective player’s class graduates from college.

Cuban takes this simplistic approach. He writes “If a kid is NBA ready to play at 18 or 19, he will be NBA ready at 22. They don't forget how to play basketball and they don't get worse. What does change considerably between the ages of 18 and 22 is the maturity level of the kids.”

I haven’t agreed with Cuban on a lot recently, especially the Mavs trade for Jason Kidd. But on this topic Cuban just makes sense.

Fundamentals in NBA have been slowly declining for a number of years, although things are slightly improving. That’s in part to the reduction of early entries in the NBA draft from high school. At 6 feet, 8 inches playing basketball in high school athletes don’t need great skills. But fundamentals set winners and losers apart when comparable athletic ability is paired.

To maintain the integrity of the game, the NBA should adopt Cuban’s age philosophy with a twist. Increasing the age limit moderately to 20-years and using the NBA Developmental League as a minor league system would dramatically improve the quality of rookies at the highest level.

NBA franchises should be allowed to draft the rights to kids coming straight out of high school, but those athletes could not join their pro team until they spent two years in the “minors.” The other option is let students go to college as amateurs for two years and then think about coming out.

Looking at baseball as a model, the minor league system works. The NBA should follow Cuban’s lead and raise its minimum age limit yet again.

Reverse Curse is coming

The attempt was admirable. But a conniving Boston fan’s hard work to bury a Red Sox jersey under the new Yankee Stadium and jinx the Bronx Bombers was foiled.

The shirt was planted in a service corridor behind what will be a restaurant in the new stadium, and over the weekend construction crews dug the David Ortiz shirt up.

Yankees President Randy Levine said the team first considered leaving the shirt, but they just couldn’t let it happen. Unfortunately for Levine and the Yankees, owner George Steinbrenner is committing a more atrocious act, one that will bring a jinx to his beloved franchise.

Steinbrenner is tearing down the “House That Ruth Built,” replacing it with a $1.3 billion monstrosity that’s more than double the size. After snatching The Sultan of Swat, Babe Ruth, from the Red Sox for $125,000 New York changed the landscape of baseball. Ask Boston about those 86 lean years.

In 1923, when Yankee Stadium opened it favored lefthanded power with the right-field foul pole only 295-feet from home plate. Poised to be replaced, Steinbrenner is unknowingly bringing about a Reverse Curse. You don’t tear down the Ruth’s House without penalty.

Next year when the new Yankee Stadium opens, New York will begin a 34-year drought. Why 34 years? Not only does Sox Slugger David Ortiz don 34 on a daily basis, but if you take the Yankee legends Ruth and Lou Gehrig and put their number back-to-back, 3-4, well, you get the picture.

The Reverse Curse is upon you, New York. Watch out.

It’s over for Detroit?

Hang on a minute.

We’re just over a week into the new Major League Baseball season and one of the pre-season favorites, the Detroit Tigers, are flat on their face. Boasting the worst record in baseball, the Tigers heinous record stands at 1-8, five games behind first place Kansas City.

First place Kansas City!?! And the pundits on ESPN are burying the Tigers? Listen pennants are not won in April, they are won in August; baseball is the ultimate marathon.

If last year proved anything, you can’t eliminate any team until mid-August. Look three-quarters of last season’s National League playoff teams stumbled out of the block.

The Philadelphia Phillies started 3-10, but pulled even by mid-May and finished the season on a 13-4 as the New York Mets fell to pieces. The Chicago Cubs lost sixth straight games and were struggling in early June, before turning on the burners winning 35 of 53 and making up a 7 ½ game deficit to clinch the division.

And Colorado was 18-27 in late May, in last place in the NL West. That’s right the eventual League Champs were dead last in their division in May!

Let's not forget the 1998 Yankees, 2002 Angels and 2003 Marlins were all slow starters and all won World Series titles.

Should the Tigers be worried? Yes, they should be. They team bullpen is shoddy and bats aren't piecing hits together. But is Detroit out playoff contention? Ask me again in August.

Mario's miracle the exception

After a tournament of blow outs and a general lack of drama, the national championship game delivered. We were certainly due, and finally after weeks of mediocre games we got our just dessert.

Memphis' epic collapse was capped off by Mario Chalmers miracle 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining in regulation. Kansas pulled away in overtime, cruising to a 75-68 victory and their first championship title since Danny his bunch of Miracles won 20 years ago. It was a fitting finale for sure.

So as everyone offers up their opinions on this day after, here’s my take on this year's Final Four.

First, for all his psycho-babble Memphis coach John Calipari was flat out wrong, free-throws matter. The Tigers were ranked 339th of the country's 341 teams in free-throw shooting during the regular season. That proved to be their Achilles heel. It was ironic that Memphis crashed with two of their best shooters, Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts, making only one of five from the charity stripe over the last 1:12. Or maybe it was poetic justice since the Tigers had made 50 of their last 59 foul shots entering Monday's final. It sure was not a clutch performance.

Another hot topic today is consideration that Memphis should have fouled Kansas guard Sherron Collins before he could have dished the ball. Those were the apparent instructions from Coach Calipari, but the Memphis players did not execute. Personally, I think the Tigers choose the best strategy. I’m a huge fan of making players take and make the big shots; plus putting a Jayhawk on the line with a stopped clock may have yielded the same result.

Finally, there's been a lot of discussion about UNC coach Roy Williams' 'wardrobe malfunction.' Williams after all wore a big Jayhawk sticker in broad view Monday night. That's after Kansas manhandled his Tar Heels during the semifinals, Jayhawks by 18. SI.com' Ted Keith (a UNC alum) wrote "[Williams] first priority should be to UNC, not Kansas, and there was a way to show his divided loyalty that would have been appropriate. He chose to do it in and with inappropriate fashion." I find the whole situation both humorous and stupid. Come on Roy; don’t wear paraphernalia of a team that just stomped you into oblivion. I would still put this below LeBron (Mr. Cleveland) James’ when he wore a Yankees hat to New York-Cleveland playoff game.

In summary this year's tournament just lacked something. No, the tourney wasn't lacking Arizona State, albeit a whopping majority (three of four) voters in my FPS poll thought they deserved a chance to dance. Villanova proved they belonged. The David verse Goliath drama was lacking. Sure, the slipper fit Davidson, who made a Gonzaga-esque run after knocking the Zags out in round one. But with just three memorable games out of 65, this year’s March wasn’t mad enough.

Out of the Box

The original team (Cincinnati Reds) has throw out its first pitch, thus I can now officially welcome back baseball.

The Washington Nationals had a great night as they christened their new stadium in dramatic fashion. The Nats played another pointless pre-Opening day game with Ryan Zimmerman providing the fireworks with a walk-off bomb for the home team. Earlier, Zimmerman had the task handing a ball to President Bush for the ceremonial first pitch. The crowd’s reaction as Bush strode to the mound was a near-mixture of equal cheers and boos. This was a tasteless gesture toward a man who will be out of politics within a year. While Americans have the right to boo our President, I’d expect that in Philly not D.C., and not when the fans are supposed to be celebrating their franchise’s new crowed jewel (a 40,000-plus seat stadium).



Now to the most fascinating storylines entering the 2008 MLB season. Last year was a year of milestones with Barry Bonds chase headlining, but this year shaping into a different beast. In the Big Apple, can Johan Santana fix the woes in Queens and how will A-Rod fare after signing another ridiculous contract? Also, there’s the Tigers vaunted, revamped offense, and of course the next step with steroids in baseball. However, the ultimate storyline for 2008, is can the Chicago Cubs finally end 100-years of futility and frustration?

With all that as serving as a backdrop, here are the FPS Fearless MLB Picks…

American League
NY Yankees (East) – Playing their last season playing in the House that Ruth built, how could the Yanks miss the playoffs?

Indians (Central) – Cleveland returns a great one-two punch at the top of the rotation, and the bullpen will close out tight games.

LA Angels (West) – The edition of Torii Hunter upgrades the outfield and adds leadership to a youthful Angels team. Plus the Angels aren't Seattle.

Tigers (Wild Card) – Detroit has big bats top to bottom in their lineup, if Zumaya and Rodney return mid-season, the bullpen will be formidable for a late season push.

National League
Phillies (East) – Philadelphia really has three MVPs in their infield (Howard, Rollins winners, and Utley) as well as a total mental edge over their rivals to the north.

Cubs (Central) – Easy pick in a weak division. The Cubs will make trades if they need a late season boost, something Milwaukee won’t do.

Diamondbacks (West) – Arizona’s youth is more mature due to last year’s playoff time. The addition of Dan Haren makes the D-backs rotation among the NL’s best.

Padres (Wild Card) – San Diego was three outs away from the playoffs twice last year. Peavy is an elite starter and if Adrian Gonzalez can carry the offense watch out.

World Series: Tigers over Diamondbacks

If you have any predictions for the season you'd like to share, please do so by commenting on this post.

Desperate in Dallas

Never mind the fact that forward Dirk Nowitzki may be finished for the season after crumpling to the floor with a high ankle sprain. Never mind the fact the Mavs can’t seem to buy a win against teams with a .500 record or better, Dallas has bigger problems.

First, owner Mark Cuban mortgaged their future to bring in aging-star Jason Kidd in a keeping up with the Joneses West Conference deadline deal. More vital to the team’s success is getting Kidd and teammate Josh Howard on the same page. Since the trade the two have looked like characters in separate novels.

The team chemistry between the future Hall of Famer and the slashing small forward doesn't exist. In their first 11 games together, Howard has averaged nearly 15.5 points per game, roughly four points under his season average and has been shooting over 6 percent worse from the floor.

Their two respective styles should have meshed. Kidd has superior court vision and a knack for passing while Howard is at his best heading toward the hoop. Coach Avery Johnson has not shown much concern saying the two will click.

But for Dallas fans and for Johnson’s sake, they better click quickly or the Mavericks could be watching the playoffs from home, an unfathomable thought at the start of the season.

Unofficial Opening Day

A frenzied crowd and a late-inning blast got the 2008 Major League Baseball season off to a great start. The Boston Red Sox were triumphant as they began their title defense and Manny Ramirez delivered another late-inning clutch hit.

The only problem, no one was watching.

Sure a crowd of 44,628 welcomed back America’s pastime in Tokyo, but the first pitch was tossed around 6:10 a.m. Eastern. While this isn’t the first Opening Series played in Japan, 2000 saw the Cubs and Mets play and 2004 witnessed the Yankees and Devil Rays, I sure hope it’s the last.

Not only do these games in Japan detract from the ‘real’ Opening Day (March 31), but MLB is alienating fans in Oakland and Boston. Don’t me wrong, the fans will still be waiting to cheer for the Sox and A’s when they return, but asking people to wake up at 3 a.m. to watch baseball is crossing a line.

MLB continues to fail to develop the next generation of fans and this is more proof. The actual game was great, so cheers to the “Unofficial” Official Opening Day.

Northwest hoops hysteria

It’s great a time to be a hoops fan in the Northwest.

On Monday night, Gonzaga thumped Santa Clara clinching their eighth consecutive West Coast Conference title. In the opening five minutes GU harassed Santa Clara and jumped out to a 12-0 lead. It only got uglier from there. The Zags continued an unprecedented string of dominance, now having won 10 of the past 11 WCC titles. Holding rankings in both top 25 polls, the Zags are getting primed for yet another NCAA tournament run.

Just 90 miles south in Pullman, typical Pac-10 doormat Washington State is almost a lock for its second-consecutive NCAA bid. The Cougars hit a rough patch in late January dropping four of five games, but bounced back winning four in a row. A disappointing loss at No. 8 Stanford over the weekend wasn’t a bad thing. Guards Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low will lead the stingy Cougs into March again. It’s a surprise, considering the recruiting mecca the Palouse is.

And yes, even Idaho Vandal fans have reason to smile. Not only has the men’s team doubled its win total from a year ago (four to eight), but the team boasts a two-game win streak heading into their regular season finale. Also, former Vandal women’s star Leilani Mitchell is thriving in her new home in Salt Lake. Mitchell transferred to Utah after her high school and Idaho assistant and her two high school teammates left. The 5-foot-5 guard is fifth in the nation in assists per game (7.2) and paces the No. 15 Utes. Mitchell is garnering national attention, first by SI’s Kelli Anderson and then by ESPN’s Graham Hays. Great to see her playing well and getting credit where credit is do.

Unfortunately, there’s little solace to be found in Seattle. However, ESPN’s Bill Simmons did a fantastic job accumulated nearly 15,000 words of anguished e-mails from Sonics fans finally giving a voice and national publicity to the pending departure of Seattle’s beloved NBA franchise.

Simmons writes “…This isn't a case that you can say, ‘You know, I kind of understand both sides here.’ There is only one side. An NBA team is getting hijacked and there's no way of sugarcoating it, defending it or justifying it. Again, if it happens to the Sonics, it could happen to your team. That’s why you should care.” And that’s why you should read on.

Now, Simmons published a sequel to his "Save The Sonics" piece, including a possible solution David Stern could facilitate – “assuming he cares at all about not murdering the Sonics in Seattle.” That is eerily familiar to another solution brought to light here.

In parting, ESPN’s Jim Caple takes a humorous shot at David Stern and his passive approach to keep Seattle a viable NBA market in this biting piece, which I highly recommend.

Blogger’s Note: How could I leave out my Alma mater. That’s right the Whitworth men’s basketball team, champions of the Northwest Conference, earned a first round bye in the NCAA Division III Tournament. That was a truly shocking development, due to a recent number of snubs by the NCAA for past brilliance. Can someone say make-up call? Anyway, the best of luck to them, go Pirates!

On the Bubble: The Rest of the Pac

Tucked away in an oft-forgotten time zone, the Pac-10 is quietly one of best basketball conferences again. Perennial power UCLA is back in form, Stanford has another great team and freshman sensations have taken over in the desert. So does the Pac-10 stand in terms of NCAA bids?

Punched Ticket Already…

UCLA (26-3, 14-2) – Ben Howland’s Bruins are again the best team in the West. Lead by freshman Kevin Love, UCLA has deep bench with a plethora of past tournament experience. Guards Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook form a solid backcourt-duo. The worst of their three losses was on the road at Washington. Projected Seed: 1 (or 2 if they lose to Stanford)

Stanford (24-4, 13-3) – Hard to imagine this team lost to Siena at the beginning of the year. Twin 7-footers Brook and Robin Lopez have matured to become the emotional leaders for the Cardinal. But they’re backing that emotion up, Brook leads the team in scoring (19.3 ppg) while Robin leads the team in blocks (63). A win at UCLA would give even more credibility. Projected Seed: 2 or 3

Washington State (22-7, 10-7) – The Cougars were exposed in January, but have since corrected the ship winning six of eight. Wazzu’s win total (22) and weekend split in northern California assured them a NCAA nod. The senior laden team could make a splash in March, but probably lack the scoring to make a big push. Projected Seed: 5 or 6

On the Bubble…

USC (18-10, 9-7) – The Trojans are in great shape to make the tournament after another weekend split. USC is assured to finish at least .500 in league play. Season-opening loss to Mercer hurts, but four-point losses Kansas and Memphis look good. Freshman guard O.J. Mayo is one of the most talented in the country and leads the team in scoring. Verdict: USC gets in as a 7 or 8 seed

Arizona (17-12, 7-9) – The Wildcats boast top 25 RPI and the nation’s top SOS. Two home losses to the So Cal schools hurt. Now they probably must win at least one game in the Pac-10 tourney to feel remotely at ease. Arizona will probably be rewarded with a tournament slot, but they can’t close the season with eight losses in 12 games. Verdict: Zona is the fifth Pac-10 in

Oregon (16-12, 7-9) – Ernie Kent’s squad is on knife’s edge. Their season-ending road trip to Arizona will determine their fate. Nonconference wins over Kansas State and Utah look good, the loss to Oakland is just painful. Although the Ducks have a sub-500 conference record, they own a better RPI and stronger SOS than the Sun Devils. Verdict: TBD, win and the Ducks are in period

Arizona State (18-10, 8-8) – The Sun Devils 14-point victory over USC kept hope alive in the Valley of the Sun. ASU scored a big win over Xavier in December, but RPI and SOS both remain in the 60s. The Sun Devils must douse Oregon’s at-large chances to remain in contention. Verdict: TBD, but could be the sixth team from the Pac-10

A Pittsburgh Original

Pittsburgh Steeler fans everywhere are mourning the loss of legend Myron Cope. Cope passed away yesterday at the age of 79.

The screechy-voiced color commentator spent 35 seasons in the broadcast booth, the longest run in NFL history for a broadcaster with a single team. Cope’s long run lead to his eventual induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

The life of Myron will live on, his catchphrases such as “Double Yoi” and “Dumbkopf” ring loud in Steelers fan. Even more so to his credit Cope’s Terrible Towel, one of the more enduring sports symbols, will live on.

Myron will be missed, but certainly not forgotten. He was a Pittsburgh Original.

UPDATE: Cope fans say 'Bye, now' in towel-twirling tribute

Saturday, March 01, 2008
The man who is synonymous with the official flag of Steelers Nation was given a send off by its citizens yesterday in a ceremony that could only be characterized as Terrible.

A Terrible Towel twirling tribute seemed a fitting farewell for Myron Cope, the famed Steelers broadcaster and sports journalist who died Wednesday. (Read More)

On the Bubble: The Lumbering Big’s

Big men undoubtedly dominate the professional ranks, but in the “Big” conferences (Big East, XII, and 10) they are vital. The bashers, the bruisers get filthy points and scrap for the shards off the glass. Names like Hunter and Butch share the post; there is no Love in this paint. The epitome of the “Big’s” big man is Hoya Roy Hibbert. A towering 7’2”, the awkward center lumbers, feet cemented to the court. One question remains, where do these teams whose style of basketball resembles the gridiron-play stand? Here’s the FPS breakdown.

Punched Ticket Already: Big East – Georgetown, Louisville, Norte Dame, Marquette, UConn Big 10 – Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue, Michigan State Big 12 – Kansas, Texas

Pretty Much In: Big East – Pittsburgh

On the Bubble…

Kansas State (18-9, 8-5) [Big 12] – K-State is guided by prodigy Michael Beasley, who now holds the school record for most games with 30 points or more (11). Beasley wasn’t a one man wrecking crew against Texas, but the Wildcats are sitting pretty for now. They could still use a marquee win, but nonconference losses to George Mason, Notre Dame, Oregon and Xavier aren’t bad. Verdict: K-State needs their dancing shoes shined, they’ll be in

West Virginia (18-8, 8-6) [Big East] – The Mountaineers are currently sixth in the Big East, which appears in position to get at least seven bids. RPI and SOS look decent (both in top 50). WVU best nonconference game was a two-point loss to Tennessee, nothing special. Verdict: WVU doesn’t get Pittsnogled; Huggins turns in another 20 win season with a tourney bid

Oklahoma (18-9, 6-6) [Big 12] – The Sooners top 30 RPI and top 10 SOS are a great resume starter. Out of the conference, Oklahoma lost to Memphis and USC, but also grabbed neutral court wins over Gonzaga and West Virginia. A disappointing three-game skid isn’t a dagger. Verdict: Make it a solid four from the Big XII, Sooners get in

Texas A&M (20-7, 6-6) [Big 12] – The Aggies are mired in a giant mess. After starting the year 15-1, A&M has dropped three straight. Nonconference wins over UTEP, Washington, Alabama and LSU are a collective meh. Boasting top 50 RPI helps, SOS isn’t spectacular. Verdict: Aggies have the inside track; make it five for the Big 12

Syracuse (17-11, 7-8) [Big East] – The Cuse are America’s perpetual bubble team. Again the Orange have strong RPI and SOS rankings, but didn’t do much with a mediocre nonconference slate. Home losses to UMass and Rhode Island are troubling with both teams also in the bubble puzzle. Verdict: TBD, I’m not going to definitively say, until the Orange lose in the Garden

Baylor (18-8, 6-6) [Big 12] – The Bears were in great position to earn a bid a month ago, but then dropped six of seven league games. Right now, they are still in decent position. Wins over Notre Dame and Winthrop are great, their loss to Arkansas, RPI and SOS are on just above par. Verdict: Looks like that five overtime win will be Baylor’s season highlight, tentatively out

Villanova (17-10, 7-8) [Big East] – The Cats have a soft schedule to end Big East play, but are below .500 in the league. RPI and SOS aren’t bad, but Nova’s true stand out games were both controversial losses. Questionable calls didn’t go their way against NC State and Georgetown. Verdict: It’s not the Wildcats year, can someone say NIT?

Ohio State (17-11, 8-7) [Big 10] – The Buckeyes are clearly the fifth best team in the Big 10. Unfortunately, there’s an immense gap between teams four and five. The Buckeyes fell to Indiana, which drops their record to 1-9 against teams in the RPI top 50. Wins over Syracuse and Florida are good for the soul, but not much else. Verdict: Last year’s National runner-up gets left out