Counterargument #2

No! Don't tell Marc Ecko to do with his own ball!

First of all, I like Gilbert Arenas. Great player, good guy, entertaining personality and a blogger to boot. We need more Gilbert Arenas's. Hope he rehabbed well.

You know what else I hope? That Marc Ecko ignores Agent Zero (and you, Kane) and does whatever he wants with the ball. It's his. He paid $752,467 for it. I doubt he's gonna turn around and sell it back to you, Gilbert, or else he wouldn't have bought it in the first place. Do I think that Barry Bonds cheated? I strongly assume that he did. Do I think homerun ball 756 should be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Hall, to be displayed for generations of young baseball fans to see for the rest of time? No, I don't. I think that's ridiculous. He hasn't been proven guilty.

But I also didn't spend three-quarters of a million dollars on a baseball, so it's not really my choice. Marc Ecko bought the baseball. He paid much money for it. He decided that he didn't want to keep it, only to have the fans decide it's fate. The fans voted to send it to the Hall of Fame with an asterisk on it. Cooperstown will accept.

Kane, do I tell you what to do with your property? No. You have the very first Sports Illustrated issue. A very important piece of sports memorabilia. I've never told you to give it to me, have I? Aight den. So you can't tell Marc Ecko what to do with his baseball. And Gilbert, you can't have it.

Oh, and one more thing: Kane, how do you know that Ecko couldn't launch the ball into space? Do you have proof of that? You don't know what Marc Ecko is capable of! He's Marc Ecko! Also, he's associated with Fiddy Cent. You better stop talking bad about Marc Ecko, for the benefit of your own health.

Argument #2

Give the ball to Arenas!

Please read:

Mark Ecko, I Have an Offer for You

I normally don’t get into conversations like this, but this kind of hit a nerve in my body as an athlete. This whole Mark Ecko buying the Barry Bonds ball to put an asterisk over it:

I just think it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of.

Who are you as a person to take away somebody’s legacy because you don’t like him as a person? Forget that he is Barry Bonds and forget his records. He was “alleged” of doing steroids. This is America, just because you’re “alleged” of doing something doesn’t mean he actually did it and until he is proven guilty, you shouldn’t have the right to be the judge and jury.

Just because you have the money don’t go buying up people’s history to destroy it. If you’re going to get Barry Bonds’ ball, why don’t you go get Mark McGwire’s homerun balls that got put into the Hall of Fame and Sammy Sosa’s corked bat too?

He was “alleged” of doing steroids. I don’t think as a fan of sports that you have the right to taint this man’s legacy.

This man has a kid. When his kid grows up he’s going to hate you as a person because you decided to be this super, superhero to go put an asterisk sign over his dad’s legacy.
I just felt appalled by it because, what if somebody decides to ban the hyperbaric chambers tomorrow? Everybody knows that I used the hyperbaric tent last year and I scored 60 points against the Lakers during the season I was using the tent. Now, the Hall of Fame has my shoes from that game. What if somebody decides to take my shoes and put an asterisk sign on them now?

I think it’s just drawing graffiti on somebody else’s legacy. Before you go and destroy another man’s career, I’d rather buy the ball back from you and give it to somebody who really, truly wants the ball for what it is.

So, Mark Ecko, I want the ball to give it to a real fan. As a human, you should be ashamed of yourself for outbidding somebody just to do wrong to somebody’s property.
If people don’t understand what I’m talking about, this is the easiest way I can explain it. Anybody out there that has ever taken Creatine, that’s a popular substance, if they all of the sudden consider Creatine to be a steroid that means all you guys that took it are dirty so if you ever do anything in life, you’re tainted. Anything you do in life you’re going to have somebody like Mark Ecko wanting to buy whatever you do in life to put an asterisk sign by it. So if you get a promotion and he decides he wants this guy fired because he did Creatine back in 2001, that’s how you should feel.

Just because he is one of the most hated guys in the world because of “allegedly” doing steroids, I don’t think you should take away his legacy.

The day he broke the record, he wasn’t on steroids. That’s how I look at it. People say that he’s dirty, but the last time I checked anything out I saw that corked bats, spitting on balls, Vaseline on balls and stealing signals, that’s all cheating too.

If they’re doing steroids, I mean there have been plenty of players who I thought have done steroids, but I’m not going to buy their stuff up just to put an asterisk on it. I think it’s giving the wrong idea to people. The fans that voted for the asterisk, I think they’re representing sports wrong because at the time that he broke these records, he wasn’t on steroids.

If you want to buy some records that were broken by somebody who was accused of steroids and admitted to using steroids, go buy Arnold Schwarzenegger’s. Go buy back his trophies and medals and put asterisks on them. That’s a man who actually admitted to using steroids.
I just think it’s wrong. In sports, what people don’t realize is, you’re trying to do everything you can to get that extra advantage. By me using the hyperbaric chamber, I’m using it as an advantage. If they ban it tomorrow, will people be looking at me as a dirty player?
I’m not saying steroids are good or bad here. I mean, I think it’s a cowardly way to enhance your performance don’t get me wrong, but my issue is that if the guy hasn’t been proven guilty, you shouldn’t taint him.

You’re not Superman. You can’t go around trying to save the world from this ball. Give me a break. What if I buy your company and throw it in the trash because I say it's tainted? How stupid would you feel?

And for people who still aren’t feeling me; What if a kid comes and graffiti’s your house. How would you feel?

You worked your butt off to live in the place you live in and some not-so-smart people come and graffiti your house. How would you feel? That’s what I feel about that ball. You’re just tagging it up.

Let a fan, somebody who appreciates the game still, no matter what, accept that ball.
I’ll buy the ball from you Ecko for $800,000. If Barry Bonds is found guilty, I’ll give it back to you. I’m not going to let you go around like some little superhero.

I’ll put it in my hall of fame. The Gilbert Hall of Fame for Athletes no matter what you did.
I know I got off on a little tangent, but Mark, who are you to discredit Barry Bonds' legacy? He is a man first before being a seven-time MVP. Mark, what if someone tried to take away what you did in this world as a fashion pioneer? How would that make you feel as a man?
I would love to buy the ball away from you before you destroy history. I'm a collector of basketball jerseys and I would be honored to have the 756 ball in my personal hall of fame and I know there are real fans out there who both are and aren't Barry Bonds supporters who don't want to see history getting marked up.

I'm not defending steroids users by any means. I defending sports in history.

(From Gilbert Arenas' blog)

After reading that, I have to agree with Gilbert Arenas. The guy is right, the whole voting for Marc Ecko and the fate of Barry Bonds' 756 baseball was dumb. If they voted to send it to space, Ecko would not have shot it up to the moon, 'cause he can't. First dumb reason. Second off, why would you brand the ball with an asterisk? (The results determined Marc Ecko should brand the ball with an asterisk) I just do not agree with sending some manipulated artifact of history to be displayed in front of generations to see.

The reason why it took Arenas to speak before I did, was because and athlete is pointing out the obvious, no matter what, it is history. Bonds' has not be tested for steroids, so the is no reason for the branding. Arenas even stated that if Bonds is ever proved to have taken steroids, he would gladly give it back to Ecko. But he still states that Bonds did nothing wrong, and I agree. Do not do anything dumb like branding to a piece of history based on allegations, rumors, and scandal.

So here is what you do Marc:

1. Give it to Gilbert Arenas.
2. Do not brand it.

Don't mess with history, even though you think you should.

(To see that voting thing, go to vote 756.com)

To be continued...

Counterargument #1

The NFL's greatest dynasty.

Whoa, Big Daddy Kane, busting out the big guns for our initial debate, huh? Kicking things off with an argument I can't win? With an argument that can't be won. I see how it is, and I will return the favor. As for now? Here goes nothing...

You think those rings are tainted? Don't respect the Pats anymore? Why not? Doesn't "Cameragate" go in line with everything else we've seen from Belichick's 21st century dynasty? I mean, they do everything better than everyone else. Just look at the way he manages money, players, and team morale. Notice how the Patriots, after narrowly losing to Indy in the AFC title game last year, were still far enough under the cap that they were able to add Donte' Stallworth, Wes Welker, and Adalius Thomas this past offseason. The way he's been able to eschew great players who were key to the reign like Vinatieri, McGinest, Milloy, and Law and still remain in the mix. Look at the way he's built an environment of selflessness and dedication to the team goal, convincing his players to forget individual incentives and instead focus, entirely and wholeheartedly, on hoisting the Lombardi each February. In New England, that is the ultimate reward; not money, not commercials, not Pro Bowl spots. Those who won't stay with the program, like former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch, get shipped out. They still go 12-4. Other than You-Know-Who, no one is indispensible in Boston, only interchangable. When you have a 53-man roster in which there are no below-average players, it's like that.

And the prospect of winning is what drove a career loser like Corey Dillon to New England and. It's what got Randy Moss to agree to a $6 million paycut. He wanted to catch passes from Tom Brady, an extension of Belichick who agreed to take less money than he was worth so that more could be used on the team. At the time he signed his last contract, he had three more Super Bowl rings than Peyton Manning and two more Big Game MVP's; he still took $4 million less per year. To hell with the check; he wants the jewelry. When your leader on the field takes on that attitude, it spreads to the rest of the club.

As far as coaching goes, just know that Belicheck won two Super Bowls as Tuna defensive coordinator in New York, and that they finished 6th in points allowed in 2001, 1st in 2003, and 2nd in 2004. And that as far as we know, they don't steal offensive signs. This is and has been a great defensive football team. Also, they beat Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII, but didn't play them during the regular season that year; ditto for Philly in XXXIX. So we can't say they knew they're signals coming in. They simply were better than their opponents in performing in intense, high-pressure situation.

And that last fact, not the one that they used video technology to steal offensive signals, is what we should remember thirty years from now when we think of the greatest dynasty in pro football history.

*Takes huge sigh of relief* I'm glad that's over with. That was even harder than I thought it would be. I wonder if anybody's actually gonna buy this nonsense?

(Post-post correction: I sincerely apologize for spelling Belichick "Belicheck" and leaving it like that for eight hours. I have righted this wrong.)

(Post-post clarification: I didn't make this clear: The point I was trying to make is that we shouldn't be surprised that the Patriots were able to get away with the spying for so long. They're more efficient than the other 31 teams at every other aspect of the business; cheating is just one more area. Of course, that's a B.S. argument, but we've already established that there's no defending the Pats on this issue. Oh, well, vote for me anyway!)

Argument #1

Who are the real Patriots?

After the recent cheating scandal, I have come to a conclusion...

The Patriots are not a good team. They do not deserve those victories.

How do we know they were not cheating during their "dynasty years"? I never liked them from the start, and now I know why. So Anthony, I just can never pick them to win it all, ever. There is just something about them that makes me think that they are all that. Well their not.

Their genius coach is arrogant and apparently a cheater. The Patriots should lose more than draft picks. they should lose wins as well. Now many have said that this isn't a big dead. So I assume cheating is not a big deal anymore.

Do not get me wrong, the Patriots have tremendous talent, but now their true talent is now in question. The NFL should request for a league official to follow the Patriots staff every move. This is a big deal because of their three rings. If they did not have those rings, no one would care, but they are a championship team... that cheats.

No amount of stats can change my mind that the Patriots are cheaters and deserve no credit for what they are doing. I can't wait to hear about their new method today versus the Chargers after the game.

To be continued...

Shady Brady and Bill Belicheat

Just brilliant.

Argumentative Warfare

It is not 50 Cent versus Kanye West...

It is Dinsay versus Wilson

Well here is something new to stir up every one. Wilson and I have agreed to disagree in front of our beloved readers and fans. Beginning this weekend, I will begin with my opening argument, and Wilson will respond.

Who wins? It is up to you.

You the readers vote!

After both arguments are posted, add a comment telling us who had the better argument.

This epic starts this weekend, so watch for my opening argument.

To be continued...

Good thing you didn't stay in school, Greg

Don't hurt yourself, Greg.

Greg Oden out for the season.

I had just been on the internet at school, AOL Fanhouse, arguing the merits of Greg Oden on one of their "Biggest Cornerstones" message boards. My comment didn't post, for some reason. Basically, I stated my opinion that other than LeBron, Oden is the one guy in the league right now that I'd pick to build a franchise around. I had already heard yesterday that they were going to be conducting an exploratory knee surgery on him, and I watched the ATH and PTI guys talk about it on ESPN. Tony and Mike drew the obvious comparisons to Bill Walton and Sam Bowie, Portland's two other injury-prone big men, but I felt that they were jumping the gun a little. Honestly, I didn't expect anything to come of it. Stories in the sports world get blown up all of the time only for nothing to come of it. For whatever reason, I thought this was gonna end up being one of those stories. And with that in mind, I made my case for Oden. Franchise big man. The next Duncan. The Can't-Miss Kid.

So I get home, click on the tube, and ESPN is already on. It's Romey and the boys, chatting it up in The Forum. The TV was muted, but the headline for the current topic read something like this: Oden: Bad News For the NBA. Now, Tony and Mike had taken a similar tone the day before, and I thought nothing of it. Everybody just needs to calm down; nothing's happened yet. This time, though, it was different. Like something had gone wrong. I hit up ESPNEWS, and the "Breaking News" signal has been activated at the bottom right hand corner of my screen. Inside the box, a shocking turn of events had been revealed.

Greg Oden out for the season.

You can imagine how surprised I was. Couldn't believe it. As it turns out, I didn't take the warning signs with Oden seriously enough. Broken wrist. One leg longer than the other. Tonsillectomy. Just found out today from Simmons that he pulled out of the Team USA practices because of exhaustion (at 19). The red flags were there, I just ignored them.

So where do we go from here? Well, Oden had microfracture surgery today. It's supposed to help restore knee cartilage. Books still open on it; it's still relativley new, and it's only worked to varying degrees in the past. Let's look at some of the more high-profile patients who have gone under it's knife:

Jason Kidd. Kidd had the surgery in 2004, the year he would turn 31. He's not as fast as he used to be, but that may have as much to do with age as any surgery he had. Anyways, at 34, he's still one of the game's premiere point guards. Averaged a triple-double (14.6, 10.9, 10.9) in 12 playoff games last year. Success

John Stockton. It says on Wikipedia that John Stockton had microfracture surgery. I don't remember this. If he did, there was nothing the surgery could have taken from him, physically; he was always slow and he could never jump. Stock got by on brains and guns. He's not relevant in this discussion.

Zach Randolph. Z-Bo has girth and an excellent low-post game. He's not a great athlete, never has been. Irrelevant

Antonio McDyess. Dice hurt his knee early in the 2001-02 season. He was just entering his prime. Coming off a career year. He was never the same. A role player ever since. Failure

Chris Webber. I remember when Webb hurt his knee. 2003 West Semis, Game 2, in Dallas, coming off a blowout win in Game 1, with Sacto considered the favorite by some to win the whole damn thing. As a Lakers fan, I was legitimately worried by this Kings team; L.A. was in the middle of a series against the Spurs, which I just knew they had in the bag. The Lakers used to own the Spurs. Sacto was the only team I was worried about. I know this sounds bad, but when I saw Webb go down and limp off that court on TNT that evening, I was positively giddy. We had it in the bag.

And then, the Lakers got blown off the court by the Spurs in Game 6 at Staples and were sent fishin'. Serves me right.

Anyways, when Webb came back, he was no longer the MVP candidate that he was before the injury. His hops and explosiveness were gone. Still a very good player whom I gained respect for the way he changed his game and learned to play on the ground. But not the same.

He was 30 at the time of the injury, so his athleticism was already about to start declining, but the surgery didn't stop the injury from accelerating the process. Failure

The surgery did nothing to help Allan Houston, Jamal Mashburn, or Terrell Brandon, and they were forced to retire. Penny Hardaway had the surgery in 2000, but it's possible there was nothing that could've saved him. He was just a guy with chronically bad knees.

Kenyon Martin only played two games last year. Jury's still out.

Amare Stoudemire...a ha, finally a definitive yes. Amare had the surgery in the summer of 2005, missed all but three games in 2006, then returned last year and made first-team All-NBA. He's come all the way back, and he's the template we'd like to use for Oden: a young, athletic big man, a verifiable freak of nature, who had knee troubles, took a season off, then returned to wreak havoc on the league.

I hope that's what happens to Oden; he seems like a really good guy and we need as many great big men who play like big men as we can get. They are a dying breed. Oden has a chance to be the next dominant center and an all-timer. But I can't say that I'm overly optimistic; I'm starting to get a bad vibe about Oden, all of this stuff happening so close together, in the past year or so. As Tony said today, maybe Oden is just one of those unlucky guys who can't stay healthy. It's starting to feel that way. If it happens once, it's an accident. If it happens twice, it's a trend. If it happens three times, it's evidence. (If it happens four times, I stole that saying from Chris Berman and Tom Jackson.) Greg Oden appears to be an injury-prone guy, and I have a terrible gut feeling that he may end up being the next Walton or Sampson, a potential legend who couldn't stay on the court and thus never got the oppurtunity to maximize his vast potential. This is bad for Oden, this is bad for the Blazers, and this is bad for the NBA.

And it's bad for Kevin Pritchard, the guy that made the pick. Kevin and I were on the same boat: the writing was on the wall, but neither one of us could read it.

Mulligan

So I log onto YouTube and check out one of my favorite videos: USC highlights from their thrashing of Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange, to capture their second consecutive national title. College football trash talk was abound on the message boards, and I chimed in politely that I consider the featured Trojans club to be the best of my lifetime.

My initial post:

Greatest college football team of my lifetime. I think everybody gives 2001 Miami the nod over this SC team because of all of the future NFL stars on their roster that year, but it's not like they were all playing at the same time. USC had a better coach and beat a MUCH better team in their BCS title game than Miami did.

To which jasonth13 responded:

You are a f-----g idiot. Look at the rest of the season, not just the bowl game.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, big fella. Relax. Now usually, I;d just let this slide. It's really stupid. There's nothing worse than an internet gangster. But talking about sports...that's what I do. And I wasn't about to just sit up and let that foo' play me like dat, talk to me like I'm some kinda sucka or somethin', ya feel me? Cause I ain't no punk, ya dig? I don't play dat. I'm a soldier, B. I'm down for whatever, dun.

(Just wanted to give you a little example of what a YouTube gangster talks like, in case you weren't familiar with their kind.)

So I had to come back on him. Here goes the rest of our debate, including a couple of comments from GaToRGaL1224, who joined in on the backend of things:

bigantho1 (that's me):

I still think if they were to play each other in a college football game, USC would win. When they were in college, you would rather have had Leinart, Bush and White, Smith and Jarrett, and Dominique Byrd on offense than Dorsey, Portis and Gore, Andre Johnson and Kevin Beard and Jeremy Shockey. Also, USC had four first-team All Americans on defense that year, Miami only had one. And you're a f-----g idiot for calling me a f-----g idiot. Everybody's just giving their opinion.

jasonth13:

Michigan had four first-team AAs in 2004, and that team lost three games. Talk about the play on the field. That Miami defense throttled everyone it faced. USC's defense, while excellent, did not. USC also played many more close games than 2001 Miami. They simply weren't as dominant. Your opinion sucks.

bigantho1:

For one, you have to realize that the quality of the teams and level of competition from year to year is not consistent. College football was better in 2004 than it was in 2001, no question. USC faced more impressive opponents in 2004 than Miami did in 2001, no question. I don't know about you, but I remember. College football was weaker in 2001 than it was in 2004; the teams weren't as good, dummy.

bigantho1:

You have to consider all of the factors when discussing something like this.

jasonth13:

You really are a blithering dumbf--k. USC eeked out wins against horrible Stanford and UCLA teams. A Cal team that got destroyed in its bowl game more than doubled USC up in yardage.

There's a reason that hardly anyone but USC homers shares your opinion. It's an idiotic opinion.

bigantho1:

This from the man who once said that you should look at the whole season and not just the bowl game. Cal went 10-2 that year. Miami was the only great team in 2001; there really were no challengers to their throne.

GaToRGaL1224:

clinton portis, ed reed, shawn taylor who didn't even start, johnathan vilma, frank gore, jeremy shockey, andre johnson, willis mcgahee yeah usc in 2004 was way better than them, not to mention vince wilfork, dj williams, first round draft pick after first round draft pick miami was soo good that year larry coker couldn't even screw it up he just had to stay out of the way, miami didn't struggle to beat rugters like usc did with stanford

GaToRGaL1224:

from 2001 to 2004 is that 3 years or thirty years miami in 01 dominated nebraska in 95 dominated, all time great teams shouldn't have to rally to beat stanford, or need a goal line stand to be cal when cal dominated the game, all everyone remembers with sc that year was the bowl game which was really impressive but you have to look at the season to

bigantho1:

For one, you kind of made my point. Sean Taylor, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Kellen Winslow...not starters. Backups. Forget about them. We didn't even know who they were then. You would rather have Leinart, Bush, White, Jarrett, Smith, their defense that year than what Miami had. USC's players were better in college. Forget about the NFL.

bigantho1:

And three years is enough time for the landscape of a sport to change. The NBA is completely different in 2007 than it was in 2004. Miami was the only team of it's kind in 2001; by 2004, the best teams were faster and had more athletic gamebreakers than in 2001. Texas, SC, Florida, LSU and so on, the recruiting of speed by the top contenders continues to advance.

bigantho1:

For Jasonth13, to follow up, in 2004 we had an unbeaten Auburn team that had two running backs, playing at the same time, who would be top 5 picks that April. We had an unbeaten Utah team with a QB who would be the no. 1 pick that April. We had a one-loss Texas team led by Vince Young.

Now...I'm a man. And I'm man enough to admit that I was wrong, and I'm man enough to admit when I lost an argument. And I lost this argument. As I'm beginning to realize, I really have become a USC homer over the past several years. I'd always considered myself to be more of an admirer than a real fan. From where I sit, that really wouldn't make them any different from the Patriots, another team I appreciate for their excellence - expect from the fact that the SC campus is about 20 minutes from my house. At night, when they're playing home games at the Coliseum, I can stand in my backyard and hear the stadium announcer from over the loudspeaker. The early stages of my jumping onto the bandwagon probably came during the 2006 Rose Bowl versus Texas, when the Trojans lost their 34-game win streak and bid for an unprecedented third straigt title at the hands of the great Vince Young. I was affected. Sad even. Didn't realize it then, but I had become a fan.

We don't have a pro football team in Los Angeles, and USC has served as such. As good as they've been over the past several years (they're 60-6 since 2002, Pete Carroll's second year here, losing those games by a grand total of 22 points), we've almost forgotten that we don't have one. I don't know how long it's gonna last; definitely as long as Carroll stays around, but after last offseason and the meetings with Wayne Huizenga and what not, that may not be for much longer. He seems to be genuinely intrigued by the NFL. But I do know that I'll never forget what it's been like here for the past five or so years. The Matt/Reggie teams transcended college football. They attracted unheard of media attention for a college football team. With the Lakers down, they owned the city. This current group, led by John David Booty, doesn't have quite the same effect: they aren't as explosive or electrifying or awe-inspiring, and they don't make you feel like you're watching anything special, that you may never see again. But because of their ridiculous depth, Carroll believes that this has the potential to be the best team he's had. They don't rebuild, they reload. Winning has breeded all of this, and the USC football program of this 21st century has won about as often as possible and more than anyone has in a long time.

And that appreciation and respect and that I've garnered for Carroll's empire was on my mind when I was making my argument. Since there's no way to suit them up in a fantasy game, I've always believed that when comparing champions from different years, you have to judge them based on their dominance in respect to the year that they won. And with that in mind, there is no way that I can say that USC was more dominant in 2004 than Miami was in 2001. Miami had a bigger margin of victory and only won one game by more less than 10 points. USC, by contrast, played three such games. Miami averaged more points (42.6 to 38.2) and allowed fewer (9.8 to 13.0). They beat two more ranked teams. Their opponents had a higher overall win percentage, so overall, I can't say that USC played a harder schedule. I made those comments before actually doing the math. My bad.

And the stuff about the landscape of college football changing from 2001 to 2004? Nonsense. And when I said that there were better teams in 2004, what I really meant to say was that USC and Miami were clearly the best teams those two years...but the other top teams in 2004, the best of the rest (Auburn, Utah, Oklahoma, Texas) were better than their 2001 counterpoints (Oregon, Florida, Tennessee, Texas). (At least, that's what I wish I would have said.) That's just based on watching the games and the quality of the teams I saw play. Regardless, it's irrelevant in this conversation, as there are no playoffs in college football.

Do I still think that USC would beat that Miami team in a college football game? Yes, I do. I think their team speed would have matched Miami's. I think they had a comparable defense. I think they had better playmakers on offense. I think USC beat three teams in 2004 (Oklahoma, Cal, and Virginia Tech) that were better than anyone Miami beat in 2001. They had a better coaching staff, led by the defensive-minded Carroll, who in his tenure here has contained pretty much every offense he has faced that didn't have Vince Young on it.

But you can't look at it that way, because we don't live in a fantasy world and that game cannot and will not ever be played. So there's no way to really know. But if the argument is which team was more dominant in the year that they won, 2001 Miami or 2004 USC? It's Miami in 2001. And I should have never made an argument stating otherwise.

Victory!

"Fast" Willie Parker was the MVP of my 2006 FFL team.

I'll have my fantasy football draft post up in the next couple days. My draft is actually happening right now, as I type this. I had the No. 1 pick; I'm sure you can guess who I picked. But again, that's a work in progress (literally). For now, let's take a look back to 2006 and the great group of gridiron warriors who helped me take home the title in my rookie FFB season. I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about them.

(P.S. Goddamnit, I just missed a pick trying to do two things at once. The autopick drafted Fred Taylor's old, fragile ass. Wait a minute...now it took Lamont Jordan and Tatum Bell. Hold on, who the f**k turned on the autopilot? What the hell? I didn't turn on that damn autopilot. This is ridiculous.)

My First Fantasy Football Team
By Anthony Wilson
Sunday, August 20, 2006

Every year around this time, with the start of the regular season looming around the corner, there’s a ton of hoopla surrounding the start of fantasy football. Everyone’s excited, big magazines like SI and ESPN send out issues dedicated to it (ESPN even has it’s own fantasy football preview special), advising fans on who to take and who to avoid, etc., etc. There are hundreds of leagues to play in, with prizes offered in some of them, just good ol’ bragging rights the reward in others. And it’s a big deal. Really, you can’t get away from it. And it seems like fun. So this year, I decided to join in on the festivities.

As an ESPN Insider, I get special news and tips on this stuff all the time, but I don’t need it. I f you like football and follow it on a consistent basis, putting together a good fantasy football team is easy. Even if you don’t get your first choice, there are a ton capable players available; use a little bit of foresight and common sense, and pick the one’s you think will perform the best.

(Of course, there’s also a little bit of luck involved, because football is a very physical and dangerous sport and anyone can get hurt, no matter how injury-free they’ve been in the past. So you’re taking a risk every time you draft someone. All you can do in that regard is try and pick the guys who have been the most durable throughout their careers, and that’s what I did. But no one’s a sure thing. No one).

(Note: My league has 10 teams and the draft is 16 rounds long, with each team getting 90 seconds to make a selection. I had the seventh pick overall. The starting lineups in my league consist of a quarterback, your choice of either two running backs and two wide receivers or one running back and three wide receivers, a tight end, a defense/special teams, and a kicker. You can compose your bench of whatever combination you want, and you can juggle your lineup as much as you want. You can also drop and add players at your own peril and can make trades too, but if a trade is too lopsided and deemed unfair by other members of your league, all it takes is four votes for it to be vetoed. The whole draft process was pretty tedious, with the only thing that kept it from being completely boring was that I got to chat live with the other team leaders about football while the picks were being made. Other than that, it sucked).

Without further ado:

League Name: Tampa Bay 238844

Team Name: Team WILSON

Roster:

QB Eli Manning, Giants (my 4th pick, 34th pick overall): I like Eli a lot: he’s got a strong arm, smarts, and a lot of weapons. Plaxico Burress is a big-time target, plus he’s got Amani Toomer and Jeremy Shockey, a top five tight end, at his disposal. And he has Tiki Barber in the backfield, coming off a career year, so defenses must respect the running game, giving the passing game room to breath. Most important, though: it’s in his genes. He’s Archie’s son and Peyton’s brother, he was the number one pick in the draft, and he improved last year. We know he’s gonna be great. It’s only a matter of time before he breaks out. Why not this year? I expect a Carson Palmer like third-year emergence to elite status.

RB Clinton Portis, Redskins (1st, 7th): Actually, Portis was chosen for me by the Autopick; I dropped the ball on this one, not realizing that it was my turn to draft and having the clock run out on me. It’s not a bad pick at all, considering he’s healthy. But that’s a big IF, after he messed up his shoulder last week on a freaking tackle (damn preseason). Oh, well, all I can do now is hope he’s all right for week one.

RB/WR Willie Parker, Steelers (5th, 47th): 1,202 yards, 4.7 yards per carry last year, plus he’ll be getting Jerome Bettis’ goal-line touches this year, which should at least double his TD’s (he had 4 last year). His nickname is “Fast Willie,” so you know he’ll break some long runs (like that 75-yarder in the Super Bowl), important in my league. And yes, I think he can carry the full load with Bettis gone.

WR Torry Holt, Rams (2nd, 14th): When people talk about the best receivers in the league, you always hear names like Steve Smith, Chad Johnson, Randy Moss, TO, and the great Marvin Harrison. And rightfully so. All those guys deserve the recognition they receive. It just befuddles me why Holt always seems to be flying under the radar, why his name never seems to be brought up in that discussion. Few players at any position have been as consistently productive since the start of the new millennium as Torry Holt has been at wide receiver. He’s only missed two games his whole career (last year), and over the last six seasons, these are his averages: 95 catches, 1450 yards, 8 touchdowns. And he’s in his prime. We’re watching a future Hall-of-Famer, folks. I just wish more people realized it.

WR Eddie Kennison, Chiefs (6th, 54th): He’s been good the last two seasons, and I had to pick somebody. Should approach 1,000 yards again.

D/ST Ravens (8th, 74th): Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are healthy and ready to go. The last time that happened, in 2004, they were the two best players at their positions in the league, two first-team All-Pro’s who, between them, won two consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards (Ray in ’03, Ed in ’04). They added Trevor Pryce thru free agency and drafted Haloti Ngata in the first round, a huge defensive tackle who’ll eat up blockers. They’ll also be playing a lot more 4-3 this year, as opposed to the 3-4 they played last season. Those last two sentences make Ray Ray very happy. That’s another plus.

K Jeff Wilkins, Rams (12th, 101st): Made 87% of his field goals last year, 82% for his career. A safe choice.

Now, a very quick summary of my bench:

Marc Bulger, QB, Rams (7th, 67th): If he’s healthy, he’ll put up nice numbers. We know this.

Mushin Muhammad, WR, Bears (9th, 87th): Had a huge year in 2004, then slipped last year, but I think Rex Grossman (who I think will be a good pro quarterback, starting this year), can bring him back to life.

Reggie Brown, WR, Eagles (10th, 94th): McNasty is out for revenge this year, and Brown will be his primary target. He could be this year’s breakout receiver.

Ahman Green, RB, Packers (11th, 107th): We’ll see what happens, with him coming off of an injury and the Packers having that shaky offensive line. But if he’s healthy, he’ll rush for at least 1,000, no matter who’s blocking for him.

Ben Watson, TE, Patriots (13th, 114th): I have a feeling this guy is about to bust out and have a breakout year as Tom Brady’s security blanket. Just a feeling.

Deion Branch, WR, Patriots (14th, 121st): He’ll be back for week one. I promise.

Eagles, D/ST (15th, 134th): These guys are always good.

Mark Clayton, WR, Ravens (16th, 141st): He’ll improve on his rookie numbers with the natural progression from year one to year two and a real quarterback in Steve McNair throwing to him.

I like my team. A couple of question marks, but a nice bunch overall, if I do say so myself. I think I’m gonna have a good rookie year of fantasy football.

Team USA in the Olympics

Team USA has the bond they didn't have before. Time for 2008.

(Photo made by Romy Dinsay)

A Recap:

The Roster:

G- Jason Kidd
G- Kobe Bryant
F- Carmelo Anthony
F- LeBron James
C- Amare Stoudemire


G- Michael Redd
G- Deron Williams
G- Chauncey Billups
G- Mike Miller
F- Tayshaun Prince
C- Tyson Chandler
C- Dwight Howard

Scores:

Aug. 22
USA- 112 Venezuela- 69
Aug. 23
USA- 123 Virgin Islands - 59
August 25
USA- 113 Canada- 63

Second Round

August 26
USA- 113 Brazil- 76
August 27
USA- 127 Mexico- 100
August 28
USA- 117 Puerto Rico- 78
August 29
USA- 118 Uraguay- 79
August 30
USA- 91 Argentina- 76

Semifinals

September 1
USA- 135 Puerto Rico- 91
September 2
USA- 118 Argentina- 81

Final Standings

USA 10-0 Gold Medal
Argentina 8-2 Silver Medal
Puerto Rico 5-5 Bronze Medal

With an Olympic Berth next year, here are things Team USA has to remember:

Team USA dominated the tournament. Don't get it in your head. The 2003 team did the same thing (10-0 in the tournament), and ended up with a Bronze Medal in the 04 Olympics. Keep working hard.

Do not lose that chemistry. The reason why they worked so well is because they were able to communicate and know where everyone was. Whether it was on the fast break, or switching and shifting on defense. Their unity was key.

Defense wins games. Relying on offense alone will not suffice.

Represent the country. That should be motivation enough.

FIBA Championship Gold sounds okay. Olympic Gold sounds better.

To be continued...

2007 NFL Preview

They can start the designs on another one of these babies for the Pats.

On Wednesday, Sports Illustrated released it's annual NFL preview issue. You know football season is here when that baby comes out. Peter King also took time to rank the 500 best players in the game, with a little one-liner for the top 300. A very good read.

You know what that means, right? Well, it doesn't mean that I'll be making a list of 500 football players, but it does mean that I will be bringing to you my first ever NFL preview column. I've decided that our two season forecasts should coincide with each other. Of course, there really isn't much to preview. The Patriots are a virtual lock. If Brady stays healthy, they will win. This is all a waste of time.

But I suppose if you're actually sitting down and reading this right now, you don't have anything but time on your hands. So here goes:

NFC

East:

Cowboys 10-6: If Tony Romo is for real, if last year was no fluke, they'll challenge for the NFC crown. If not, they'll go nowhere. I think Romo's for real. I don't think last year was a fluke.

Eagles 8-8: When McNabb is healthy, they invariably challenge for a spot in the Big Game. But at this point, you can't count on him staying upright for a full 16.

Giants 6-10: Nor can you count on this Giants team for anything, period. They are totally unpredictable. But they went 8-8 last year, they're still dysfunctional, don't know what's up with Eli or Coughlin and they lost Tiki.

(And speaking of Tiki...what a scumbag. You don't trash your former team like that. First Coughlin, now Eli. This man will do anything to draw attention to his stupid little radio show. Great player, but what a jerk.)

Redskins 5-11: Sorry D.C., but I believe in Jason Campbell about as much as I believe in Santa Claus. He deserves a chance, but I don't expect much from him. I just don't see it.

North:

Bears 12-4: Losing Thomas "The Hitman" Jones hurts, but with that D, they're still the class of the conference.

Lions 8-8: The Lions will take a huge step forward...and finish .500.

Packers 6-10: Seriously, it's time to move on from the Favre era. It's over. The magic is gone.

Vikings 6-10: I believe in Tarvaris Jackson about as much as I believe in the Easter Bunny.

South:

Saints 12-4: 2,000 total yards from scrimmage for Reggie Bush this year. 1,200 on the ground, 800 in the air. You can mark it down now. And Brees will have an ever better 2007 than 2006.

Panthers 11-5: Put me in the minority: I still like Jake Delhomme. What's wrong with Jake Delhomme? I don't get it. You can do a WHOLE lot worse than having Jake Delhomme as your starting quarterback. A WHOLE lot worse.

Bucaneers 6-10: This may be the Chuckster's last stand in Tampa.

Falcons 2-14: This could get ugly.

West:

Seahawks 9-7: Hassleback's gonna be more familiar with Branch, so that's good, but Alexander's 30 now and that O-line just ain't what it used to be without Steve Hutchinson, as we saw last year. They'll sneak into the playoffs, but don't expect much from them once they get there.

49ers 9-7: They'll be the NFL's version of the this past season's Orlando Magic: They keep getting better, they're headed in the right direction, they'll even sneak into the playoffs...but they're not ready yet. Nice start,
though.

(Just don't go giving Donte Stallworth Randy Moss-money this summer. Orlando took two steps back by giving Rashard Lewis $118 million this summer. That was ridiculous. You should get two Rashard Lewis' for that type of cash.)

Rams 8-8: Don't see them getting any better this year.

Cardinals 7-9: Soon, but not yet.

AFC

East:

Patriots 15-1: Most loaded team since the '98 Broncos. I heard somebody bring up their aging linebackers as a possible cause for concern, but that's really no problem at all: Belichick's linebackers don't get older, they just get cagier.

Jets 9-7: Loved the Thomas Jones signing, but it won't be enough this year.

Bills 7-9: Marshawn Lynch will be this year's Mo-Drew. I like what they're doing in Buffalo. They're taking steps forward, even if they're still baby steps at this point.

Dolphins 5-11: Does Trent have anything left? Based on last year, no.

North:

Ravens 12-4: McNair should be used as nothing more than a game-manager these days; at 34, he's not the man he used to be. And they lost Adelius Thomas. But they picked up McGahee, who's poised for a breakout year, and even without Adelius, the defense remains STRONG.

Steelers 11-5: Bounceback year for Big Ben. Last year was an abberation for Pittsburgh.

Bengals 9-7: Still question that defense.

Browns 4-12: The Browns just suck. Although I believe Brady Quinn is a team-changing quarterback. One day, we'll look back and wonder how he fell to No. 22 in the draft.

South:

Colts 12-4: I keep hearing about how many players Indianapolis lost this offseason. Um, isn't Peyton Manning still on this roster? Isn't he one of the five best quarterbacks in the history of the game? Isn't he in his prime? Peyton Manning is what Brett Favre used to be. The Colts will be fine.

Titans 10-6: Tennessee will win a Super Bowl within the next three years. Vince Young is like a more athletic John Elway. You're watching the early stages of a future legend. Witness as he takes on the Madden Curse this year and kicks it's ass.

Jaguars 8-8: Five years ago, they may have been able to get away with having a shaky QB and average-at-best receivers, because their defense and running games are so sound. But this isn't five years ago. This is five years later. Too many good teams in the AFC right now.

Texans 5-11: Andre Johnson is excellent, but Matt Schaub may struggle behind an offensive line that still sucks, and I don't know how much Ahman Green has left in the tank. I hate to rub it in but...they should've drafted Reggie Bush.

West:

Chargers 14-2: Not much to dislike about this team at all. Philip Rivers' natural progression from first-year starter to second-year starter will make up for the lack of a true No. 1 receiver. He's special. These guys are all set; all Norv has to do is stay out of the way.

Broncos 10-6: 1,500 yards for Travis Henry.

Raiders 8-8: A healthy Daunte Culpepper leads Oakland back to respectability.

Chiefs 4-12: Herm is always fun to have around, and LJ and Tony Gonzalez are great players and absolute gamers. Other than that...not so good. I enjoy watching their antics on HBO, but K.C. fans will not enjoy watching the Chiefs play football this season.

So, it's gonna look like this:

AFC:

1. Patriots 15-1
2. Chargers 14-2
3. Colts 12-4
4. Ravens 12-4
5. Steelers 11-5*
6. Broncos 10-6*

NFC

1. Bears 12-4
2. Saints 12-4
3. Cowboys 10-6
4. Seahawks 9-7
5. Panthers 11-5*
6. 49ers 9-7*

*indicates wild-card team

Wild-card round

AFC:

(3) Colts over (6) Broncos
(4) Ravens over (5) Steelers

NFC:

(3) Cowboys over (6) 49ers
(5) Panthers over (4) Seahawks

Divisional Playoff

AFC:

(1) Patriots over Ravens
(2) Chargers over Colts

NFC:

(1) Bears over Panthers
(2) Saints over Cowboys

Conference Championship

AFC:

Patriots over Chargers

NFC:

Bears over Saints

SUPER BOWL XLII:

Patriots over Bears

Mixed Emotions for Vick

Michael Vick has a twisted road ahead.

(Photo made my Romy Dinsay)

With Michael Vick's guilty plea, there is a sense of disappointment in me. As a fan of Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons, I feel that he has been a role model for many. As I hear his statements from his press conference, I realize how great stars can fall as fast as anything out there in the world.

It is hard to see that a man well respected for his game on the football field my many is somewhat "erased" from websites, online stores, and company websites.

This is where I feel sorry for the man. Vick will be forever perceived as a killer, a sick person, and a loser. Look through the NFL online store, Nike.com, atlantafalcons.com (jersey), and so much more that had his name, is no longer there.

So what next for Michael Vick? Jail is the next step, but hopefully he comes out a changed man. Will his life ever be the same? Will he return to the field? What will be the public opinion on him?

Michael Vick, good luck on your future. Let's hope you find your way.

To be continued...

Great Minds Think Alike

Right now, as I write the loose-leaf version of the internet blog post you are now reading, ESPN Classic is showing the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, circa 1974 in Zaire. And I've already set a reminder on my tube for five o'clock this evening, as they will be broadcasting Mike Jordan's unforgettable "Sick Game," Game 5 of the '97 Finals between Chicago and Utah in Salt Lake City. Two of the three greatest athletes ever in two of the signature performances of their careers, for our viewing pleasures. Those three hours alone make for a great day of television.

And I don't know why I'm just noticing, because they replay this stuff over and over again, and why I've never read or heard anyone else talk about this, but these telecasts demonstrate similarities in the way these two legends managed to prolong their greatness and remain on top despite diminishing physical traits. Completely different sports, but the same mentality. Most athletes accept their mortality and take a back seat to the younger generation when the time comes; not MJ or Ali. Not surprisingly considering the level of success they achieved, Jordan and Ali refused to just bow out. They were too stubborn for that.

Ali was 32 at the time of the Foreman bout, and past his prime in terms of speed, quickness, lateral movement and all of the other things that made him such a unique heavyweight. He didn't fight for three-and-a-half years after having his license stripped for refusing to represent the US in the Vietnam War, and the time off had a negative effect on his legs. Jordan was 34, in his second full season back after a seventeen retirement, and while he may have been fresh at the very beginning of the comeback, by this time fatigue had caught up to him as well. Neither one of them was the same man he once was, athletically speaking, but their smarts and will to be the best never declined. They only got expanded. And they had to, in order to remain effective.

In the Foreman match, Ali fought and won with his head and not much else. Foreman was younger, bigger, stronger, and considered unbeatable. He became heavyweight champ after stopping Joe Frazier with six knockdowns in two rounds. He was 40-0, with 37 wins coming by way of knockout, and a 24 straight knockout streak. No opponent had even lasted more than two rounds against him in three years. Even Howard Cossell, Ali's loyal friend and supporter, looked into the camera and gave Muhammad what amounted to a eulogy during a pre-fight show. No one gave him a chance.

But Ali came in with a plan. He would lie on the ropes for most of the night (the "Rope-A-Dope"), taking Big George's hardest punches but also baiting him into wearing himself out. (And boy, did George fall for it. I mean, what an idiot. He just kept flailing away. He's obviously smart, or else he wouldn't have been able to make all the money he's made from the grills and what not, but back then, on that night, he fought like a complete and total moron. Give credit to Ali for knowing his opponent.) And all the while, he was in his ear - "Is that all you got George?" - and in his head, wearing him down mentally. And waiting for the perfect time to strike.

And then it happened. Swiftly, unexpectedly, and (to the untrained eye) out of nowhere, Ali unloaded a five-punch combination that sent Foreman to the canvas for the fight. He had regained his title. It was beautiful and brilliant.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The '96-'98 MJ will always be my favorite version of His Airness, and "The Sick Game" shows him in his purest form. Drained and damn near out on his feet due to the old "flu-like symptoms," and already having lost a good portion of his natural abilities (hops, hangtime, explosiveness, etc.), to age, he was stripped down to his skills and saavy. His core. And that was more than enough. That was all he needed.

To make up for what he no longer had, MJ transformed into what Mark Heisler once described as a "Larry Bird-level shotmaker," improving his three-point shooting and converting himself into perhaps the most accurate mid-range shooter in the game's history. He had perfected his patented fadeaway, unblockable and virtually automatic, one of the deadliest signature shots in NBA history; put it below Kareem's skyhook but ahead of Gervin's finger roll, Duncan's bank shot and anything else you can thing of. Also, the muscle he had added over the years helped make him the premiere non-big man post player in the league. He could still get off his shot whenever he wanted, and he could still get whatever shot he wanted. Pull-ups. Turnarounds off the mid and low block. Catch-and-shoots. Off of contact. Dribble-drive stop-and-fadeaway. Going left. Going right. Straight away. Falling out of bounds along the baseline. Stutter step, head-and-shoulder fake, look you dead in the eye and drain it in your face...he had it all and used it all. Plus, he was as fundamentally sound as it got, his footwork exemplary, and he could still get to the hoop and finish as well as anybody, albeit less frequently and not as spectacularly.

He would pick and choose his spots on defense, conserving his energy for the other end but still being sound enough to remain a first-team all-league defender. Not many guys are intelligent enough to change their games as they get older in order to maximize their potential and maintain their dominance. Jordan was one of the clever ones.

The result was a player whom many deemed to be better than ever before. He was certainly never more polished. And he shined on that night two years ago, showing the same champion's heart in beating the Jazz that Ali had shown more than thirty years ago in toppling Foreman.

Of course, heart and courage only get you so far. Ali and Jordan would both continue to compete well after these nights, and they would both hold on too long. In the end, all the know-how in the world can't overcome Father Time. Ali would fight until the age of 39, and it took losing to Trevor Berbick for him to realize it was over. Jordan would make another comeback at 38, and after failing to even make the playoffs with the Wizards in two seasons, he decided to call it a career for the final time.

Another similarity, I guess.

Tiger Tiger Tiger Woods, Ya'll

Tiger Woods holds up his most recent major championship trophy.

Originally, in the wake of yet another Tiger Woods triumph yesterday, I was gonna use this space to talk about his place in the synagogue of non-team sport athletes. I was gonna make a list. Had my ten finalists narrowed down and ready to blog.

Couldn't do it. Over the last couple years, I've tried hard to convince myself that golf is a sport, so that I could jump on the bandwagon with everybody else and talk about Tiger's place in the athletic landscape, both currently (I was gonna discuss that in my own variation of "Who's Now?" weeks back) and historically (as I was going to touch on today). Wasn't in me. Just as I was about to get started on the countdown, something hit me, and I woke up out of my coma: "Golf ain't no damn sport and you know it. What the hell is wrong with you? Snap out of it, fool." Sorry, Eldrick, but I just don't see it. I just don't. I mean, let's be real here: golfer's don't have to run. They don't have to get physical with each other. The crowd must remain completely silent and avoid distracting them in any way so that they can concentrate fully on their next shot. They have little flunkies who carry their heavy equipment bags around for them, so that they won't have any extra strain on their bodies that will tire them out or make them weak as they WALK across the course.

That's a sport? Really? By what criteria? What's athletic about it? Could a guy like John Daly win two major titles in tennis? Could I? Come on. People play golf to relax. It's an activity. It's a game. It requires skill and technique and smarts, but it's not a sport. I know mainstream media has accepted it as such, but, well, to hell with mainstream media. This is my post.

But I'm no hater, and the purpose of this post is not for me to hate on Tiger, but to show him love. To show love for his greatness. He's unbelievable. Yesterday, he held off two guys to won major champiopnship no. 13, putting him only five behind Jack Nicklaus, and two ahead of him at the same point in their careers. I don't mention the names of those two guys because their names don't matter. There's Tiger and there's everybody else. All of his opponents are the same, when it comes right down to it: just a bunch if faces who can't keep up with him. Can't get on his level. And honestly, if we could transplant the in-their-primes versions of Jack or Arnie or Ben or Lord Byron out there with him, they wouldn't be able to f--- with him either. Tiger Woods>the field. Always.

You have to admire the way he carries himself, the way he never shows any sign of anything other than confidence. The way he never looks rattled. The fact that other grown men are completely terrified of him on a golf course. The way he ripped Rory Sabbatini to shreds (first with that slick comeback about Rory's lack of success, then by kicking his ass at Bridgestone two weeks ago). His big shot ability. That immortal Nike commercial that shows his incredible chip shot at the 2005 Masters. The fact that he is Mr. Nike. The fact that he singlehandedly took golf to a whole new level in terms of popularity. The fact that you don't change the channel anytime you see Tiger Woods with a club in his hand on a Sunday afternoon. You can't change it. You might miss something.

And so now, I bestow upon him the greatest compliment I can in recognition of his talents: Tiger Woods plays golf as well as any other person ever did any other thing. The same statement has been made about Michael Jordan, but it applies to Eldrick as well. He's that great.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with a hypnotist: Golf is a sport, Anthony. When you wake up, you wil consider golf to be a sport like any other.

756*

Barry, you brought stuff like this on yourself.

When Barry Bonds connected on that Mike Bacsik fastball last night, raised his arms in elation and relief that he had finally done it and proceeded on his record-breaking jog around the bases, America's Pastime reached the point of no return. Well, at least for a few years, anyway. You-Know-Who will soon come knocking on Bonds' door, looking to recreate last night for himself, but until that time comes, baseball has reached a new era. An era in which Barry Lamar Bonds is the all-time home run king. Hammering Hank, the hero, has been unseated. And he's been unseated by an accused cheater. The Record is tainted. And a lot of people have a problem with that.

I don't. Is the record tainted because of Bonds' suspected steroid use? Well, from 1986-1998, ages 22-34 of Bonds' life, he hit a home run in every 16.1 at-bats. From ages 35 to now, he hit one in every 9.2 at-bats. Each individual can take that bit of information and do with it what they wish. I know some people who go by the "He's never been tested for anything" theory, but I, personally, look at that data - which illustrates a player nearly doubling his home run rate at a time in his career when most athletes fall off - and get more than a little suspicious. Call me crazy.

But I don't really care that baseball's most hallowed mark now has a giant asterisk next to it. Alex Rodriguez is going to come along and break this record in six years tops, and everyone will be happy again. If there's anything I'll regret from this mess, it's how Bonds - perhaps as gifted a player as baseball has seen since Wille Mays - has tarnished what could've been a golden legacy in the sport's history for no real reason. Unnecessarily and by his own foolish doing.

Barry's father, Bobby, was a three-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder from 1968-1981, primarily for the San Francisco Giants. Combining power and speed at the leadoff spot, Bobby was a 30-30 guy five times, flirted with becoming the first 40-40 guy twice (39 bombs and 43 stolen bases in '73, 37 and 41 in '77), and finished up with 332 jacks and 461 bags. His godfather is the great Willie Mays, widely hailed as the best all-around player ever. He had the genes and learned the game from two great players. Bonds couldn't miss.

And he didn't. Bonds began his career in Pittsburgh, where he won two MVP's in seven seasons. He then moved to San Francisco, where he added another MVP in his first season there, maintaining his speed, bumping his average and adding a little power as he hit his prime. He was also a Gold Glove left fielder, winning eight of them, the most ever at the position.

No red flags yet. And this is where the first part of Barry Bonds' career ends, after the 1998 season. Act 1: The Clean Years. 441 homers, 445 steals, a .290 average, eight gold glovers. Griffey had more power, Barry had more speed; overall, you'd probably have to give a slight edge to Barry as the best player of the nineties. An obvious Hall-of-Famer. Could've easily accepted his inevitable fate, the sometimes rapid, sometimes gradual decline that even the greatest athletes undergo. He still would have retired with almost 600 jacks, still the first ever 500-500 guy, one of the five most complete players that ever lived. End of story.

But, of course, that wasn't enough.

According to Jeff Pearlman's book, "Love Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero," Bonds became jealous of the attention Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were receiving for their home run conquests, assumed that they were juicing up and decided to get on a cycle himself, to start using some "hardcore stuff." And when he did, allegedly folowing the 1998 season, he went, as Bob Costas described it - in full TV mode - this morning on "Mike and Mike," "from a truly great player to a superhuman player."

After an injury plagued 1999, in which he hit 34 homers in 102 games, Bonds hit a career-high 49 in 2000 - at age 36. Then a record 73 in 2001 - at 37. 46, 45, and 45 in 403, 390, and 373 at-bats, respectively, over the next three years. The extra homers padded his average, as he hit between .328 and .370 from '01-04, a period in which he won four consecutive MVP's. Prior to this stretch, Bonds had only hit above .312 once in 15 seasons. He became the most feared hitter ever, setting the single season walks record three seperate times - in 2001, 2002, and 2004. His slugging percentage went over .600 in 2004, for the first time in the game's history.

And suddenly, he had risen to a whole 'nother level: from obvious Hall-of-Famer, one of the very best players ever, to the best player ever. Seven-time Most Valuable Player, with all the other stuff on top of it. Better than Mays, better than Aaron, better than Ruth. The Greatest.

But soon, suspicion found it's way to Bonds, as the walls began to crumble around the game and a cloud of dust formed over "The Steroids Era." And Bonds became the posterchild of it. Another book, "Game of Shadows," was written detailing his rampant drug abuse. His hometown newspaper released his testimony to a federal grand jury in which he stated that he had unknowingly used undetectable steroids known as "the cream" and "the clear", given to him by his personal strength trainer, Greg Anderson, who spent four months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute steroids and money laundering. Opinions were formed and a consensus was reached: Barry Bonds is a cheater.

And it didn't have to be that way. Bonds should have left this game without controversy, without jokes about the size of his forehead, without a reputation as a dirty player who ripped the prestige out of the home run record. It was in his hands. Sadly, at least to me, he chose the dark side.

And that, more than anything else, is what I'll think of first whenever I recall the night that Barry Bonds hit 756.

756

Barry Bonds is now at the top.

Barry Bonds just hit his record breaking home run in the 5th inning of Mike Bacsik of the Washington Nationals. After a video recorded message from Hank Aaron, and an emotional speech from Bonds, I hope he is at ease. Selig should not be. Going to a meeting instead of watching history? What a supportive commissioner.

I am so relieved that it is over. Despite allegations, boos, and hatred towards Barry Bonds, I am still a Barry Bonds fan. I grew up loving Barry Bonds and I still do. He has my support through it all.

Nothing else to say but congrats and keep on swinging.

To be continued...

Thanks to Romy Dinsay for the great Barry Bonds banner.

Pro Sports' Hall's of Shame

Pictures like this are the reason Michael Irvin had to wait a couple years to get the call from the Hall.

Michael Irvin became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2005, and he was very deserving. One-third of the famed Triplets. Won three Super Bowls. Led the league in receiving and set a record with 11 100-plus yard games in 1995. Finished his career with nearly 12,000 yard receiving and 65 touchdowns in twelve seasons when he was forced to retire at the age of 33 due to a spinal cord injury. Second most productive playoff receiver ever. The first big, strong, physical receiver, Irvin was rough with opposing cornerbacks, shoving them aside with such ease that the league was forced to create the "offensive pass interference" rule in order to give hope to overmatched defensive backs. "The Michael Irvin Rule." The prototype for Anquan Boldin. The template for Keyshawn Johnson. The original Terrell Owens. The Playmaker.

So why did he just make his induction speech yesterday? Because the Hall of Fame selection process is retarded, that's why. The voters have too much power. They're dumb. Common sense and logic is thrown by the wayside. It's just one big mess, when you think about it.

These are the rules each year: you need at least eighty percent of the vote to get in. If no one gets the minimum percentage, the three with the highest number are elected. If more than six get the eighty percent, the six with the highest percentage
are selected. You follow me?

Aight den.

Now, I don't know how many times either of these scenario's have actually come into play, especially the latter one. It's hard to imagine there ever being more than six no-brainers up for induction at the same time. And that certainly wasn't the case in Irvin's first two years of eligibilty. Here were the 2005 enshrinees: Benny Friedman, Dan Marino, Fritz Pollard, and Steve Young. The 2006 inductees: Troy Aikman, Reggie White, Harry Carson, John Madden, Warren Moon, and Rayfield Wright.

And herein lies our first problem. Marino, Young, Aikman, White, and Moon all made it on their first try. But the others? The first NFL Hall of Fame class was inducted in 1963. Players must be retired five years before they become eligible. Coaches must be retired. Well, Pollard, the first black NFL head coach, worked his last job in 1928. Friedman, an ancient quarterback, quit in 1934. Madden, enshrined as a coach, retired following the 1978 season. Wright...1979. Carson...1988. Did you do that mental math yet? What made Wright a HoFer in 2005 that didn't make him one twenty years earlier? He didn't add anymore Pro Bowls to his resume during that span, did he? Did Carson record any more tackles in the period he was left out? What about Madden, did he win anymore games, or get the Raiders to another Super Bowl? Friedman was such an important player in the game's history that his name didn't even come up in discussions until the last decade - more than sixty years after he retired, more than thirty years after the Hall's inception, and more than 15 years after he died. I mean, this guy played so long ago that they don't even have definitive stats from his era. He might have led the league in touchdown passes during his career...and he might not have. We don't know for sure. It was too long ago. He was selected by the Veterans Commitee, who elect players who have not been selected after twenty years on the ballot. What a stupid idea. Um, there's a reason they didn't get in after all those years. If you're on the ballot for two decades and you can't garner enough votes to get in after all that time, you're not a Hall of Famer. Period. Case closed. I can't even believe I have to think about something so ridiculous. Is anybody with me? Helloooooooo? Am I the only person perplexed by this nonsense? Why do I feel like I'm the only one? Why do I feel like I'm alone? My goodness. I'm starting to get a headache.

Anyways, Irvin should have gone in in 2005 as the third most deserving candidate behind Marino and Young. It's not even an argument. Which brings us to another problem: the saintly voters. Irvin was one of the most troubled athletes - off the field - ever, and when he came up, the Selection Commitee sat atop their high horses, looked down on him, and decided that they were going to punish him for not living up to their ethical standards. Mike indulged himself in cocaine and women in his free time and the voters didn't approve, so they took it upon themselves to make an example out of him. You can call it the 88th Commandment: If thou engages in drug-driven sex orgies and the wearing of full-length mink coats to court appearances, thee will be penalized by Us, the Holy Electors, regardless of how game thou was on Sunday. These jerks shouldn't have the authority to make these kinds of moral judgments. They're mere mortals like everyone else. More than that, it just ain't about the righteousness - or lack thereof - that someone exhibits in his personal life; it's about on-field performance and nothing else. Or at least it should be. Aikman, the good guy, goes in on the first ballot, and Irvin, better at his position and just as important to those great Cowboy teams of the nineties, doesn't. B.S.

And the beat goes on. Roger Wehrli, Mike's 2007 classmate, gets in on his twenthieth try. Derrick Thomas still isn't in, for reasons unknown to man. And it's not just football, either. James Worthy had to wait five years. Bernard King, one of the best and most admired players of the mid-eighties and a legend to true basketball fans, still ain't in. Andre Dawson continues to be denied. Numbers mean more than anything now, especially in baseball. That's not what has kept Dawson out (you can blame that on pure stupidity), but it is what might keep David Ortiz out. Big Papi got a late start on stardom, and probably won't finish his career with the kind of numbers that would be deemed Hall worthy today, let alone fifteen years from now. He won't have 3,000 hits, or 500 homeruns, plus he was a DH, and the voters will likely look at that and decide that he doesn't deserve to go down as an all-time greats, instead of focusing on what really mattered: that he was the most beloved and respected player of his era, a playoff hero and Boston legend on par with Larry Bird, the guy from this generation you'll remember most 30 years from now, for all his clutch hits and the way he tossed his helmet rounding third after a walkoff bomb. Would you bet against them doing this? I sure wouldn't.

And when they do, will you any longer have any reverance for the Hall of Fame? I won't. I barely do now.

Got a Hold on Hank

Well, nothing much to say, Bonds hit his 755th home run, tying Hank Aaron for the most all time. In the second inning, on a 2-1 count, Clay Hemsley threw the pitch and Bonds hit it.

Embracing his son at home plate, and showing love to his family, the sounds of cheers and boos were recognized from the field. The game is not over, but I wish he does not hit 756 there.

I wish Bonds hits 756 in San Fransisco. I hope he plays no more road games, so history is made at home. After he does, I hope he retires the day of the home run. Let all the Bonds haters feel an itch inside their body that they can't scratch. They would not be able to do a darn thing about it.

That would be sweet. Barry, hit it soon. It will all be over.

Oh and by the way, congrats to my man A-Rod. 500 baby.

Anymore milestones today? Good. I am going to watch some Law And Order.

To be continued...

Kevin Garnett is walking through that door!

Kevin Garnett won't have to work himself to exhaustion anymore.

Let's skip the small talk, get right to it:

KG to Boston is official. For Big Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, and two first round picks.

I love this trade for Minny. Big Al is ony 22 and came on strong last year - 16 and 11 on 51 percent shooting, and he may have more upside than Dwight Howard. He's The Man now. I've always liked Gerald Green - he hasn't done much, but I remember watching him once in summer league and seeing a little Tracy McGrady. He's not as big or as long, but I really think he could be a great scorer in this league for a long time. He's gonna breakout big-time next season. Bassy's garbage, and Theo Ratliff is a mummy at this point, but he's got an expiring contract that comes off the books after next year. Throw in Corey Brewer - a future star himself - and Randy Foye and you've got yourself a contender down the road.

(Post-post annex: Green did double his scoring average from his rookie to sophomore season, I just realized that. Bill Simmons' dislike for him must've been clouding my thoughts. And Gomes is a nice role player. Just wanted to add that.)

As far as Boston goes...they better win the East next year, and they should be able to compete with San Antonio and Phoenix. One future Hall-of-Famer, one seven-time All-Star who doubles as one of the greatest shooters of all-time, and another five-time All-Star who's one of the best pure scorers in basketball, all in the primes of their careers. And they're all warriors. There's no excuse for them not to win 55 games next year and make a run at the chip.

On the other hand, their window is short, and they just sold their future. In three years, Pierce will be 33, Ticket will be 34, and Jesus S. will be 35, and they'll be looking to clean house and start over again. By that time, Al will be throwing up a 24-12 every night, and G-Double will be good for 25 a night himself. So Boston looks better right now, but Minny will look better in the long run.

Mayweather-Hatton is on. December 8th. In case you didn't know, Hatton is the 43-0 (with 31 wins coming by way of knockout) junior welterweight champion from Manchester, England, considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. He beat Kostya Tszyu in June of 2005 and Jose Luis Castillo last month.

You should be a little more familiar with Floyd. He beat Oscar de la Hoya on Cinco de Mayo. He humiliated Phillip Ndou, Diego Corrales and Arturo Gatti; he easily outpointed Zab Judah and completely outclassed Carlos Baldomir; and he defeated Oscar in a split decision that should have been unanimous. He has a perfect record of 38-0 with only one debatable victory: a unanimous decision win over Castillo in 2002, and he won the rematch without controversy. He is the sport's most gifted athlete, with world class hand and foot speed and catlike reflexes. He is a pinpoint puncher and one of the two best defensive fighters in the world (along with Winky Wright). He has won titles in five weight classes and is the undisputed P4P king.

And he'll be facing off against Hatton in a litle more than five months at 147 lbs, for his WBC Welterweight belt. This is a huge fight, two undefeated champs going toe-to-toe. Something's gotta give. How can boxing be dead when fights like this are still taking place? The heavyweight division is dead, but the little guys are alive and well: Floyd, Hatton, Judah, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Manny Pacquiano, Jermain Taylor, Paul Williams...only Floyd has even turned 30 yet. Now, the Hatton-Mayweather fight in particular may not be that good of a fight - Hatton is moving up to welterwight, where he struggled in his only fight there against Luis Collazo last year. He really hasn't done much in this country, and he's facing the best boxer alive in his absolute prime. I predict that Hatton steps into that ring on December 8th and realizes he's not up to that level of competition, and that Floyd will get an easy points victory. But you never know. That's why you need to pay your $49.95 (+fees/taxes) and tune in to find out.

Soon I'll be posting my reaction to Bonds breaking the record, as well as my fantast football and NFL preview columns. So that's on deck.

And finally, the great Bill Walsh passed away yesterday at the age of 75 after a long battle with leukemia. The most influential football coach since Vince Lombardi, Walsh laid the blueprint for the NFL we see today: the scripting of the first fifteen plays to start a game and the discovery that you could run an offense based on skill, finesse, and precision are both credited to him. 29 head coaches came from his lineage, and between them they appeared in 17 Super Bowl's with 8 victories. He and his famed West Coast Offense will live on forever through them. He was classy and sophisticated and he built the 49er organization in his image. He won three Super Bowl's in ten seasons and was a genius at evaluating talent. Bill Walsh, gone but never to be forgotten.

Just a few things on my mind

Hey! It has been a while. I have a few thoughts in my head and I plan for you to read it. Starting with, Barry Bonds.

• I am one of those guys watching televised games of San Fransisco Giants games. It is very interesting waiting for this guy to beat the greatest record in baseball. I can see him doing it in Los Angeles, and I hope Dodger fans see it. Wouldn't that be a big slice of ice cream cake for Barry Bonds? If he does it there, (and I believe he has the motivation to do it there) he will be happy and retire at the end of the year.

• Who has it worst? Selig with steroids and Bonds? Stern with the ironically numbered 21 gambling referee? Or Goodell's issue with Vick? I think Stern has the most troubles. Selig can't do anything about steroids. Goodell just has to suspend Vick. Stern has to trace back all of the games in the past couple years that #21 officiated, and many teams should be upset.

• KG is supposed to be traded within the next 48 hours to the Boston Celtics according to reports by foxsports.com. Delonte West, Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, and possibly an expiring contract from Theo Ratliff. If I was KG, I would do it. Think about it. You have the chance to play with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. The Celtics would be at the top of the weak Eastern Conference with the Pistons, Bulls, Cavaliers, and possibly Miami Heat. KG, if the Lakers are not going to get you, go to Boston.

• Is anybody watching The Kill Point? It is a new crime drama on Spike TV with Donnie Wahlberg and John Leguizamo. It is a story in which former US soldiers are forced to start a hostage situation in a bank after a failed robbery. Please I beg you all to watch. Try to catch up with the first two episodes somehow. Read the show schedule. The third episode premieres this Sunday at 9 on Spike. Look for previous episodes (encore presentations).

• Smush Parker signed with Miami. Miami said his size, scoring, and defense will help the team. They said his defense. Wow. The Heat are in for a surprise.

• D-Fish is back with the Lakers, and everyone should be happy. With dumped Smush, and got a great veteran and friend. Go Lakers.

To be continued...