2009-10 NBA Predictions - The Real Picks

Thanks for everyone giving me flack for not posting this earlier, due to the World Series, College and Pro Football, and uh...other stuff, I got behind. Sue me. Anyway, this might be one of the most exciting NBA seasons we've had in a long time. Lets get into it.

Rookie Of The Year: Blake Griffin, LA Clippers - Easiest choice in the world, except for one thing...he plays for the Clippers. What does that mean? Well, he hasn't even played in his first game yet and he has a hairline fracture in his kneecap. Yeah...good luck Blake. I do think he'll overcome this and evidence of this in the preseason has shown me that his game will translate into an NBA-ready game. A beast. There's nothing else to say about "No Emotions" Griffin. That's his new name by the way, "No Emotions" because he could dunk on you or break his kneecap and have the same blank gaze into nothingness. Just for safety purposes, if Blake's unable to return this season, my alternate choice for Rookie of the Year is Tyreke Evans in Sacramento. You've got no other options at the PG, its his show. If he wants it, but he can get it.

Defensive Player Of The Year: Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics - I know that the obvious and probably logical choice for DPOY is Dwight Howard, but I'm sorry what is the true definition of defense? Jumping up and swatting shots into the 5th row? Ok, well then Dwight isn't the only person qualified for this award. LeBron and Dwyane Wade both fit this bill. To be perfectly honestly, the folks who vote for these awards are lazy, they look up and see some electrifying blocks on SportsCenter and see Dwight flex and think, "Ooooh, he's got to be the best defender in the league" and its just not the case. Evidence? Pau Gasol was taking him to school in the finals, Gasol was doing anything he wanted. Now, I'm not knocking Gasol because he's really good...but if you are that type of athlete and have been dubbed as DPOY then you've got to at least SLOW DOWN Gasol, hell I think Gasol's best numbers were in the finals. My choice for DPOY is Rondo, dude has become a lockdown defender for all PG's in the league and is an absolute beast in reading passing lanes. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Jason Kidd all struggle mightily against the Celtics, and Rondo's the reason. He's only 23 and actually putting on some weight, dude weighs like 155 pounds soaking wet in a wet jean suit with timbalands and a bottle of Grey Goose in his back pocket.

Most Improved Player: Michael Beasley, Miami Heat - I was THIS close in choosing Anthony Randolph from GState for this award, but I just don't trust what's going on in Oakland right now especially with Don Nelson coaching over there. Lets not forget how nice Beasley was in college, basically taking aim (and taking some down) at Kevin Durant's record set the year previous. I've got to believe that with the team Miami has right now, Beasley's going to have EVERY SINGLE OPPORTUNITY in the world to make an impact for the Heat. Dwyane Wade is in his final year of his contract, and he's playing for his freedom trying to get paid. If the Miami Heat have any chance of keeping Wade in South Beach, Beasley's got to step up and prove that he can be a cornerstone member of the franchise.

Sixth Man Of The Year: Rasheed Wallace, Boston Celtics - I already know that the media's love affair with Manu Ginobili will hand this award to him as long as he plays the full season. If not him, Jason Terry should get the award. However, if you ask who is the most vital, most impactful 6th man in the league, its got to be Rasheed Wallace. Rasheed Wallace is not only a major insurance policy for KG, but there is not a more dynamic bench player in the NBA that can do more than Rasheed. Now we all know that this mofo is crazy, but guess what? He's on a team with SuperCrazy KG! It becomes a balance. I bet they randomly just get into slapboxing matches for fun. If Rasheed can give them a full 82 + 16...the C's just might...wait, I'll save that till the end.

Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics - I honestly believe that you will see the difference between the 2008-09 Celtics vs. 2009-10 Celtics with the re-installation of Garnett into that team. From an offensive perspective, getting that low-post option threat back on the block and providing space for Jesus and Truth will make things a ton easier for the Gang Green. Defensively...this team will be supremely tough to deal with. Just KG's tribal war cries and menacing scowls will scare 58% of the NBA off jump. It will take a team in Boston who was respected coming into the playoffs to a team that was once feared in 2007-08. If having the ability to strike fear into an opponent isn't valuable, then the award isn't worth making.

Finals Prediction - Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics (Celtics in 6) Nuff said.


THOUGHTS ON THE CHOICES? WHO ARE YOUR PICKS FOR THE SEASON? LET US KNOW!

-Ed.
www.edthesportsfan.com

Cliff Lee Is Related To Adrian Peterson

Earlier this week, Ed wrote the most brilliant post in ETSF history. (Note - Ed isn't so sure, Ken's had a couple of brilliant ones himself. Ed would tell Ken this, but he's a Cowboys fan, so nevermind). I have no shame in saying his post on Monday was originality-personified and comedic genius, which has been recognized by our readers, as well as a shout-out (indirect shout-out, but it’s a start, dammit) on ESPN’s Rome Is Burning. Adrian Peterson is still-at-large, even though he was spotted on a practice field recently in Minnesota. However, he may no longer be number one on the Most Wanted List, after witnessing the World Series, Game One performance of Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, Clifford Lee.

One of our resident bloggers-in-crime, The Reverend Paul Revere, has been preaching the gospel of Cliff Lee all season, and it intensified once he became a Phillie, late in the season. He even proclaimed Lee as the greatest man who’s ever lived. My only evidence of Lee was his work on 1st 48—I mean, on SportsCenter every now and then, so I wasn’t too sure how good he really was, until I sat down for Game One of the World Series last night.

From the very first pitch, it was obvious that The Rev, as well as all the other experts, were correct. Cliff Lee isn’t human at all; he’s a certified serial/mass murderer. The control of his pitches is unreal; his command is off-the-charts. The Evil Empire was left befuddled, bemused, disenchanted, spooked, scared, and shook by the variety of pitches coming at them. He was catching pop-up fly balls with boring ease; he was fielding ground balls behind-the-back style, then tossing it over to Ryan Howard for the out. He was like the lil young dude in Wanted, after he learned how to kill people with Angelina’s training. He made it look too easy. It was one of the most brilliant displays of postseason pitching I have ever seen in my life. On top of that, he did it against the Yankees, a team I love to hate, with no shame whatsoever.

Can the Yanks come back after this display of pitching last night? It won’t get any easier with The Curl coming to the mound tonight, that’s for sure. At least they won’t have to worry about seeing Cliff Lee again; that is, if they able to hang around long enough to do so.

Be easy.

THOUGHTS ON GAME 1? CC PITCHED VERY WELL, CLIFF WAS BETTER...HOW DO YOU INDIANS FANS FEEL? LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!

-K. Masenda
http://www.edthesportsfan.com/

The World Effing Champs Are Here...

**Ed's Note - Today's post is from special guest contributor Reverend Paul Revere of The House That Glanville Built. Its an honor to have him. Also, quick shoutout to all of the new faces I met at the Cincinnati Sports Professionals Network Forum yesterday, it was a pleasure to meet all the new faces. Enjoy the post!**

After a week of being idle, just waiting for their opponent to be finalized for the World Series, the inevitable happened: The Philadelphia Phillies will be heading up to the Bronx to try and defend their World Series crown against the Yankees.

It's a battle between the most storied franchise in baseball history — the Yankees and their 26 world championships — and the losingest franchise in North American professional sports — the Phillies and their 10,000-plus losses. But these ain't your grandfather's Philadelphia Phillies. No, these are the World Fucking Champions, a team that has changed the culture of baseball in Philadelphia, and the only team that, according to Peter Gammons of ESPN, could beat the Yankees in a 7-game series. Here's why:

1B: Ryan Howard. Mark Teixeira is a fine first baseman in his own right, providing pop and gold glove defense for the New York Yankees. But he's no Ryan Howard. Not even close. Don't believe me? Well check out these numbers. Whereas Tex is batting a measly .205 with just one home run and 5 RBI this postseason, Ryan Howard is going bonkers, batting .355 with 2 home runs, 14 RBI, a .462 OBP and .742 slugging percentage. He tied Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive postseason games with an RBI at 8 (something Alex Rodriguez did as well), and Howard is the only player to do it in one postseason. And every single one of those RBIs were clutch, whether it was his emphatic statement against Colorado, telling his teammates, "Get me to the plate, boys," and coming through or dominating the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the NLCS MVP. Where Teixeira wilts under the weight of postseason pressure, Ryan Howard thrives, and I fully expect him to continue that in the World Series.

2B: Chase Utley. If you asked 100 people which second baseman you'd like to have more than any other, 100 of them would say Chase Utley. That is a fact. Utley is the epitome of hustle, and there is no second baseman better at the plate. Sure, Robinson Cano is pretty good, but much like his first baseman, he hasn't exactly come up big when the Yanks have needed him. This postseason, Cano is batting .229 with 5 RBI, a .341 OBP and .371 slugging. Chase Utley, on the other hand, is getting on base at a great clip, with a .439 OBP and .303 average. Yes, he only has 2 RBI, but he's scored 8 runs, getting on base so Howard can drive him in. And when push comes to shove, you know, just know, Chase will come through when you need him. Truthfully, he hasn't even gotten things going yet, and that's a scary thought.

SS: Jimmy Rollins. J-Roll is no Derek Jeter. He isn't as good of a hitter and certainly doesn't have all the playoff experience of the Yankees captain. But what J-Roll does for the Philadelphia Phillies cannot be measured in sheer numbers. For starters, he is hands down the best defensive shortstop in the National League, perhaps in all of baseball. If there's a chance the play can be made, he'll make it. Last time I checked, defense is pretty important this time of year. And even the most diehard Yanks fans would admit that Jeter cannot touch Jimmy Rollins in the field. Well, OK, maybe not. Yankees fans don't ever admit anyone is better at something than Derek Jeter. They're stubborn like that. But defense isn't all Jimmy gives to this team. He is the leader, the man who sets the tone for this loose, confident clubhouse. And no matter how bad he might be swinging the bat, the guy has a flair for the dramatic.


3B: Pedro Feliz. Alex Rodriguez is about 8,000 times better at baseball than Pedro Feliz. There is no disputing that. In fact, third base is the one position that the Yanks have the clear advantage. But Pedro does what he's asked to do for this team very, very well. For starters, he plays incredible defense, vacuuming up everything hit his way and throwing darts. Combined with Jimmy Rollins, you'd be hard pressed to find a better defensive left side of the infield. Add in some clutch hits at the 7th spot in the lineup, and Pedro becomes a valuable, underappreciated asset to this ball club.

C: Carlos Ruiz. Chances are, Carlos Ruiz will never make an All-Star game the way Jorge Posada has, but man, this guy turns it on come playoff time. In 9 postseason games this season, Ruiz is batting .346 with 4 runs and 7 RBIs, with an OBP of .500. That' better numbers across the board than Posada, who is batting .258 with 4 runs, 3 RBIs and a .361 OBP. And defensively, well, Jorge has never been good. Not even a little bit. Ruiz, on the other hand, is an awesome defensive catcher, a guy who has a cannon for an arm, blocks just about everything in the dirt and handles the pitching staff better and better every year. He gives the Phillies stability behind the plate and a tough out in the eight hole. And the guy simply turns it on in the playoffs.

OF: Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth. Quick, name one Yankees outfielder you'd rather have on your team than Ibanez, Victorino or Werth. Can't do it, can you? That's because every last one of the Phillies outfielders is better than anyone the Yanks can throw out there. Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher, Brett Gardner, Jerry Hairston, please. Shit, I'd take Ben Francisco over any of them to be honest. So far, the best of the bunch for New York has been Melky Cabrera, who is batting .314 with 4 runs, 4 RBI, .368 OP and .371 slugging. Damon is batting .238 with 4 runs, 2 home runs, 5 RBI, .273 OBP and .405 slugging, and Swisher has been dreadful, batting .125 with 2 runs, 1 RBI, .222 OBP and .156 slugging. Compare with the Phillies outfielders. Victorino is batting .361 with 8 runs, 3 home runs, 7 RBIs, .439 OBP and .722 slugging in the playoffs. Werth has been nearly as good, batting .281 with 10 runs, 5 home runs 10 RBIs, .395 OBP and .813 slugging. Admittedly, Raul Ibanez has struggled, batting just .226 with a .333 OBP and .387 slugging, but he has scored 6 runs and driven in 11, more than any Yankee outfielder. It's no contest who has the better outfielders, and that goes defensively too. Werth and Victorino are awesome fielders with great arms, and Raul has a good arm himself, if a bit slow. And in New York, Francisco, another excellent fielder, will be roaming left field anyway. Damon is not what he once was, evident by his move to left field, Swisher is not a very good fielder, and Melky is eh. Major advantage Philadelphia.

SP: Cliff Lee. No one has been hotter than CC Sabathia on the mound this postseason: 1.19 ERA, 3 wins in 3 starts, 22.2 innings, just 3 earned runs and one homer with 20 strikeouts and just 3 walks. Well, no one's been hotter than that except Cliff Lee, another lefthander who won a Cy Young in Cleveland. Lee is 2-0 in 3 games started with a 0.74 ERA, one complete game, 24.1 innings, just 2 earned runs surrendered, and 20 strikeouts to just 3 walks, just like CC. Not to mention, the Phils have had plenty of success against CC in the postseason, while Lee has been untouchable.

Beyond the top starter for each team, the rotations are pretty even. Andy Pettite is a money pitcher in the playoffs, and A.J. Burnett has filthy stuff. Here's the thing, the Phils have another former Cy Young winner in Pedro Martinez, who has done nothing but been excellent since becoming a Phillie. And in his only postseason start this year, he threw 7 innings of shutout ball with just 2 hits surrendered. He has all the experience in the world, and he certainly won't be intimidated by this potent Yankees lineup. Then there's Cole Hamels, last season's NLCS and World Series MVP. Yes, Cole's been awful this season and continued to struggle in the playoffs, but he has the credentials no Yankee hurler does. If I had to put my money on Cole having a great series or any of the Yanks pitchers beyond CC, I'd go with Cole. He's done it before.

Of course, the bullpens will be key in this series. Mariano Rivera is simply the greatest closer who ever lived, and I wouldn't want to face him in the postseason. He's clearly better than Brad Lidge, but here's a fact: Mariano has given up more runs this postseason than Brad Lidge, and for all his struggles this season, Lidge has never blown a save in the playoffs for the Phillies. Even Rivera can't say that. The way Lidge is going this postseason, it's simply a matter of which team can get to their closer first.

Add in the way Chan Ho Park, Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre and Chad Durbin have pitched, and suddenly a big question mark for the Phils, their bullpen, has become a strength. Seeing which pen pitches better will be key.

This is not to say the Phillies are necessarily better than the Yankees. But they are the defending champs for a reason. And earlier this season, they went up to New York and took of three from the Yanks, the only loss coming on a blown save by Brad Lidge. These are two evenly matched teams. Two teams that can pound the baseball, play solid defense and throw quality arms out there. These are the best two teams in baseball, and the first one to win four games will be crowned champions.

I'm not saying that team is going to be the Phillies, but as my friend Chase Utley once said, I like our chances. Never underestimate the heart of a champion.

THE TIME IS HERE, WHO YOU GOT? PHILLIES? YANKEES?

Ed's Prediction - Phillies in 7
Kenny's Prediction - Phillies in 7

-The Rev (Paul Revere)
http://www.edthesportsfan.com/

The NBA Season Starts Today...You Ready?

With all the great action of football season, along with the World Series beginning tomorrow, it’s easy to forget that the NBA tips off tonight. There are plenty of angles to look at, and I’ll leave those to other people to take on. For me, there are others that are often overlooked, but are still significant. Today, here are five of my reasons I’m excited the season is starting.

ESPN/ABC play-by-play team and TNT Inside the NBA - For me, there’s no better three-man tandem to call an NBA game than Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy. Honestly, it’s really Van Gundy and Jackson that set it off, while Breen provides the balance the games need. You can tell there’s a genuine chemistry there with these dudes. Action Jackson knows the game (even though he says stuff that pisses me off from time-to-time), and Van Gundy brings coaching insight, keeps it 100, and provides comic relief. Think about it; who else can get away with a line like this: “hey, I had to take the SAT to get into college. Who took yours, Mark Jackson?” As for Inside the NBA, as long as Sir Charles, The Jet, and EJ are there, it will remain the best pre-game and post-game show in basketball.

The Return of Gilbert Arenas - Gilbert Arenas has been left for basketball dead by some folks in basketball circles (I use this term loosely; feel free to look in any basketball forums, comment sections, and the like when his name comes up). It reminds me of when Dwayne Wade was left for dead, pre-Olympics, only to come in and play himself into MVP contention. When healthy, Arenas can score with the best of ‘em. He can also play either point or off-guard, and play them well. I’m staying on the Hibachi bandwagon, and once we see him come out of the gate, and sustain it this season, people will rue the day they didn’t do the same.

Sink or swim: The Denver Nuggets - Last year, the Denver Nuggets were a fourth-quarter collapse in Game Five away from making the NBA Finals. Granted, the series ended in six games, but it was over once their offense went to hell in that final period, in the Staples Center. The Nuggets are a matchup nightmare for any team; they have point guard play, perimeter scoring, inside play, defense, and a solid bench. So why aren’t people saying they are the favorite to keep the Lakers from making their third consecutive NBA Finals, or keeping the Spurs from returning to the Finals? Your guess is as good as mine…

Deron Williams will FINALLY be an All-Star this year - I’ve written about the lack of respect for Deron Williams by the NBA’s coaches (as evidenced by him never making an All-Star team), as well as my opinion that he is the best point guard in the NBA. There’s no way he can get juiced out of an All-Star spot this year. The game is in Dallas, and, if nothing else, he’ll make it due to that. Of course, he’ll continue to give opposing teams all sorts of fits, and make life easy for his teammates, but it helps the game is in the D in 2010. It’ll be bittersweet, because he’s been deserving of a spot well before then.

The Reloaded Boston Celtics - Some people won’t like what I’m about to say, but if KG doesn’t get hurt last year, the Celtics would have won the championship again, and at the time, I was willing to put two weeks pay on it. When they signed KG and Mr. Shuttlesworth in 2007, I gave this team a three-year window of dominance. They won it in their first year together, and we all saw what happened last year. What we also saw was the emergence of Rajon Rondo as a legit top-ten point guard. They added Rasheed Wallace, who has no problem being a bit player on a championship team, as well as Marquis Daniels and Shelden Williams (honestly, if he doesn’t contribute on the court, that’s cool with me. At least Candace Parker will be at the games, Lawd have mercy) to help bring some punch off the bench. The only thing that will stop this team is injury, just like last year. As a matter of fact, I’m ready to crown ‘em now.

One More From Ed...The Year of 2010 & LeBron - You already know the deal.

WHAT'S YOUR MOST EXCITING STORYLINE IN THIS 2009-2010 NBA SEASON? WHO YOU PICKING TO WIN IT ALL? LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!

Be easy.

-K. Masenda
http://www.edthesportsfan.com/

Today's Obituaries - R.I.P. To William Gay

William Gay, 24, passed away on October 25th, 2009. He was born on New Years Day, 1985 in Tallahassee, Florida. William was a cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and formerly of the University of Louisville Cardinals football team. He was chosen by the Steelers with the 170th pick (5th round) of the 2007 NFL Draft. He is survived by his 3 teammates in the secondary, Ike Taylor, Ryan Clark, and Troy Polamalu; and his coaches, Mike Tomlin and Dick LeBeau. A special foundation has been created in William's name, called the "Don't Get Trucked By #28 foundation" for defensive backs who get "ran over" in the line of fire. This foundation was created in lieu of the massacre that took place Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Witnesses say Adrian Peterson, 24, received a dump-off pass from a graybeard accomplice only known as "Favre" and began fleeing the scene. Gay attempted to bring down Mr. Peterson by obstructing his path, yet could not withstand the 12-gauge shotgun headbutt shoulder blast that Peterson unloaded. Troy Polamalu appeared to be "dumbfounded" by what was happening, saying that something like that would never happen to him. Police say that after Peterson blew through Gay's chest, ran over him and stepped into his neck, after rumbling another 15 yards and being brought down, there was a loud primal outcry let out by Peterson after the incident, almost as if he enjoyed annihilating the defensive back and looking thirsty for more. There were several reports of individuals "peeing their pants" and parents covering their children's eyes. No charges have been filed at this point, as apparently there was a football game going on, and the home team (Steelers) won the game.

If you have any clues of the whereabouts of Mr. Peterson, please contact the authorities immediately. Sources say Peterson is fleeing to Green Bay, Wisconsin to look for more oncoming victims. This man is ARMED & DANGEROUS! Please do not attempt to take him down by yourself, please call for help as he's been known to take out 11 people at a time. Please review this undercover video to see if you recognize the man below wearing #28. He has many aliases, "Purple Jesus", "All Day", and "The Next Jim Brown", so be on the lookout. Thank you.


THOUGHTS ON WEEK 7? WAS THAT THE SICKEST PLAY YOU'VE SEEN THIS YEAR? HOW ABOUT THAT SAINTS COMEBACK? LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!

-Ed.
http://www.edthesportsfan.com/

Life Is Like Going Over Middle....

Yeah I said it. I think I had an epiphany last night while doing some reading at 2am while having SportsCenter blaring in the background. From where I currently stand in my life, there's definitely going to be some rocky choices in my life. I'm 26, an upstanding & (somewhat) handsome gentleman, with a gregarious personality and a pure sucker for a Jack & Ginger. Please write me off-line if you need a description of what that is.

Anyway, I realized that there are certain ways to deal with situations, and I'm taking the wide receiver mentaility. Don't get it? Let me explain...Let's think about three instances of three different wide receivers and three signature moments for each of them.

Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts - Peyton Manning's go-to receiver, Reggie Wayne lives over the middle. #87 has been doing it for years, and the reason he can continue to go over the middle is because he picks his fights, get the hell down and don't let Brian Urlacher give you a kill shot. Take 8 yards and live to play another down. Sometimes in life you need to learn when to pick your fights, it can drain you.


Chad Ocho Cinco, Cincinnati Bengals - Lets flashback to the Cincinnati vs. Baltimore and the Bengals driving to win the game. Chad's been killing over the middle, slicing and dicing the Ravens defense (sorry @TheNFLChick) like Vince with the slap chop. Well Ray-Ray's (Lewis) has had enough of that. Chad comes over the middle, Carson sails the pass...and Ray destroys Chad's life. Helmet flies off, hit was clearly late, and Chad popped up like a spring chicken talking sh*t and looking crazy. I loved it. Hell, sometimes you're gonna get smacked in the mouth, that's how life is. Pick yourself up and get back at it again.


Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals - Super Bowl, the new America's team, the Pittsburgh Steelers (yeah I said it Cowboys fans) and the newly prominent Arizona Cardinals. In a game of games with miraculous plays and unforgettable moments, sometimes you've got to take a chance at glory. Now me personally, I can't remember too many times Fitz taking a route over the middle, that's usually Anquan's job. But in the Super Bowl, you go for broke. Larry ran a 15-slant over the middle, and broke it up the middle for glory. Touchdown Cardinals. (Yeah I know that they didn't win the game, that ain't the point right now!) Fact of the matter is, if you don't try then you can't win. YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME! YOU LIVE LIFE TO LIVE IT UP!

Its just how I'm feeling right now, I'm feeling good. How are ya'll feeling this Friday? Think about it when you enjoy the weekend. Easy.

-Ed.
www.edthesportsfan.com

These Phillies Are Off The Chain...

Prediction, if the Yankees and the Phillies meet up in the World Series, the score of the games will look like an NFC East battle between the Giants and Eagles. These boys can hit. The Phillies didn't just beat the Dodgers in 5 games, they slugged their way past the boys in blue. The Phillies outscored the Dodgers 34-15 in their 4 victories. (8.5 runs/game)

The crazy thing is that none of the Fightins' weaknesses showed their head in this series, the bullpen never got put into a precarious situation except for Game 2, which they lost 2-1. Their ace, Cole Hamels, simply has been a dead fish so far on the mound. My boy, and Phillies homer, Reverend Paul Revere said that, "It's no secret that Cole Hamels hasn't quite been himself this season, and he certainly hasn't duplicated his incredible performance last October this time around. Such a feat would be difficult to replicate, but tonight, Cole does have a chance to do what he did last year: Simultaneously send the Phillies to the World Series and the Dodgers home for the winter."

Well, Cole didn't really help the cause, giving up 3 HR's in 4 1/3 innings and I believe that if the Phillies are going to win the World Series, they're going to need a gem from him. Cliff Lee has been superb, and might now be considered the ace of the staff. Pedro looked like he went back to 1998 with the Jheri Curl and was wheeling and dealing for the Phillies. Philly's closer, Brad Lidge hasn't given up a run so far in the postseason but hasn't been tested either. We all remember the meltdown he had against Albert Pujols in the '05 NLCS when he was with Houston...

As an avid Phillies hater (Go Braves) I've got to admit that this team is beasty when they get to the plate. They had 7 players with double-digit home runs and 4 players with 20+ SB over the season, and they are truly loaded from top to bottom. J-Roll's setting the table (and getting random kisses on the field from women, the credits say an "unidentified woman" but I'm hoping that this is his wife lol), Flyin' Hawaiian Shane Victorino is setting the table, and Utley, Howard & Werth are cleaning them up. Ibanez, Feliz, and Ruiz have stayed in their lane and come to play as well. Truly a ferocious group from 1-8.

But the question is, can they win (defeat the Yankees in) the World Series? They've got the lineup to do it? Do they have the pitching? Can the starters be continually great? (Looking at you Cole Hamels) Can the relievers hold up? Like I said, Lidge has not been tested, and in Game 2 they lost the game for Pedro in an epic performance by Martinez. Can Charlie Manuel stay awake to witness all of this happen? I don't know.

But I do know this...if the Yankees do make it to the World Series, I think I'll be rooting for the Fightin' Phillies. To my buddy @IAMLadybug, I'm sorry but...EFF THE YANKEES!

CAN THE PHILLIES WIN IT ALL? HOW WILL THEY MATCHUP WITH THE YANKEES? (OR THE ANGELS, BUT THEY AIN'T COMING BACK) WILL YOU ACTUALLY WATCH THIS SERIES? LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!

-Ed.
www.edthesportsfan.com

The Dallas Cowboys Need Crazy Joe Clark

I was watching one of my favorite movies of all-time the other day: none other than Lean on Me, and anyone who has seen the movie is familiar with one of the greatest men who ever lived, Joe Louis Clark. In the event that some people haven’t seen the movie, here’s a quick snapshot.

Eastside High School was a beacon of light in the late 1960’s, and during that time, Joe Clark was a teacher at the school. He was ushered out of his job by folks who didn’t know a damn thing about teaching and education (sound familiar here???), and he pretty much went into exile, resurfacing years later as a principal at a local elementary school. 20 years later, Eastside High had become a shell of itself; drugs, loss of hope, lack of respect, and overall negativity from all parties pretty much sent the school to hell. The State of New Jersey threatened to take over operations, so Eastside did the unthinkable (at the time): they brought Joe Clark back to right the ship.

The reason it worked, is because he had the support of the people above him to do everything it took to get the school back on track, and establishing the school as a place where students, faculty, parents, and the community could take pride in. He ruffled plenty of feathers along the way, but he wasn’t there to make friends; he had a job to do.

Now I know the Cowboys can’t bring Crazy Joe here, but they need a Crazy Joe type. See, my issues with the Cowboys are all on the coaching staff, as well as the man who calls all the shots. We have all the talent in the world, but no direction at all. Living here makes it even more evident, and you have no choice but to be exposed to this tomfoolery on a daily basis.

Wade Phillips is a nice guy, but he’s not the coach we need. It is obvious Jason Garrett can’t be the coach either, because he can’t even handle being the dadgum Offensive Coordinator. All of our problems are discipline-related (on-the-field discipline), and even though we have a winning record, I’m not stupid. With our collective mindset, we’re not ready to make the next step right now, and it would take a combination of factors for us to make the playoffs, let alone win a playoff game. I truly believe that, and anyone with a set of eyes and half a brain knows the same thing.

Some people think we need a big-name coach to right the ship, but I honestly don’t need or want a big-time coach to come in, simply because I don’t think Owner Jerry will get the hell out of the way, and let him do his job. Plus, if it’s a coach with a low-profile, the expectations may not be as insane as they’ll be, if Cowher, Shanahan, or Holmgren come in. I’d much rather see a low-profile coach come to town (someone with a Super Bowl ring, though), and see if he can fix it. I’d like it to be a Tomlin, Singletary, or a McDaniels-type, but who am I kidding? As long as our owner is here, he’s not ever gonna change, so I may as well end this now…

…but it sure is nice to dream, right?

Be easy.

-K. Masenda
www.edthesportsfan.com

Unsportsmanlike Conduct - Here We Go Again

If you all read ETSF on the regular then you know I don't bring out the Unsportsmanlike Conduct post that often, but this weekend made it all possible. Unsportsmanlike Conduct is an ongoing series in which Ed The Sports Fan brings you the important events, haps, people, and other shenanigans over the past weekend so that you can be thoroughly entertained like when you heard that a young boy named Falcon Heene could captivate and humiliate a nation by flying away in a balloon, hiding in an attic, telling the world on national television his dad "planned" this hoax, and finally throwing up everywhere. LMAO.

#1. Texas 16, Oklahoma 13 - In what might truly be one of the most agonizing seasons in Oklahoma history (and for my heart) the Sooners valiant attempt to "Shock The World" in Dallas this past Saturday went by the wayside as a lack of experience, costly turnovers, and a little luck led Texas to pull of the 16-13 victory in the Cotton Bowl. Let me say a couple of things really quickly, Texas played a hell of a game and the defense made every play they had to. Colt did enough for them to win, gutsy performance especially with the flu bug catching a hold of his larynx. However, I am one to not believe in moral victories. None whatsoever. Yet, the simple fact that that might've been the best defensive performance I've ever seen against an elite team made me really proud as a Sooner fan. There's no doubt in my mind that Oklahoma beats Texas (or BYU and Miami for that matter) if Sam Bradford is in that game. Period. Colt McCoy looked dreadful, Texas couldn't run, Shipley was bottled up, and by in large the offensive line was in shambles. Texas better tighten up their offense for the rest of the season or they will fall sooner rather than later.

#2. USC 34, Notre Dame 27 - See what happened for Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, I could sorta call it a moral victory. However, I can't call what I saw from Notre Dame a moral victory, because like I've said before...if you were ever in life going to beat USC, this had to be the year to do it. True freshman QB, replaced 9 of 11 starters on defense, and have issues on the offensive line. Yet, Ohio State (which suffered an abomination of their own against Purdue) and now Notre Dame both fell short of toppling the Trojans. Matt Barkley right now is already as good as Jimmy Claussen, period. Pete Carroll is a magician as the head ball coach and his defense hasn't missed a beat. USC can't continue to drop games to fledgling Pac-10 foes, but if they stay the course...BCS bowl bid is almost a lock.

#3. Separation Sunday - The performance Drew Brees put on Sunday afternoon against the NFC East powerhouse NY Giants was nothing short of amazing, throwing for 368 yards and 4 TDs. The amazing part was the fact that Brees and the Saints offense made it look so easy and the defense did a great job of stifling the Giants offensive scheme. Eli looked like Eli in '06 when he'd just close his eyes and throw. Brett Favre (AHHHHHHHHHHH) is launching footballs down the field like Mike Vick did back in his old Powerade commercials. Does Brett still have the best arm in the league? Is there any doubt? Man. Oh, and the Patriots officially went back into eff you mode (courtesy Bill Simmons) as they took the Titans behind the woodshed and put up a 59 spot on Tennessee. First off, Brady threw FIVE TDs in 2nd quarter alone, then came back on the field after a 45-0 halftime score and goes and throws a 6th TD. So disrespectful. As we sit here at the end of week 6, can we say that 5 of the 8 division are already locked up barring some unforeseen circumstance? New England's going to win the AFC East, Indy's locked up the AFC South, Denver's about ready to lock up the AFC West. Minnesota's head and shoulders ahead of everyone in the NFC North, and New Orleans is cruising in the NFC South. Off the chain.

#4. UConn DB Jasper Howard dead at 20 - I'm going to say this once more, just because I've said it so many times in the past. All young (black) men in college, stop trying to be hood, thug, hard, goon, etc. in a collegiate setting. The act in itself is an oxymoron. There's nothing hood about college, you can't be a goon and a student, and no one cares about you being thugged out. That ish is played. Now I don't know the particulars of this fight and stabbing but I can figure it out to a degree, and that fight was brought on by 2 forces the football player, Jasper Howard, and his attacker. One could've walked away, but we know that ain't happening. We've got to make better decisions for ourselves, and now his decision is made more tragic because Howard was going to be a father in the coming months. We've got to do better people.

#5. The Yankees and Phillies Are Clubbing Their Way To The World Series - If them boys out west (Dodgers and Angels) don't figure out how to pitch, the series are going to end quickly. A-Rod is either on another cycle or he's locked in. The Phillies are getting run support from the top to the bottom of their lineup and their pitching has been phenomenal. I'm going to say it now that neither series goes 7 games.

#6. Please Fire Jim Zorn - Just put the man to sleep already, why go through this agony? Stripping him of his play-calling duties? WTF...I'd just quit if I were him, I couldn't deal with it.

#7. Florida You Lucky Bastards - If that Arkansas kicker could actually kick worth a damn...it would've been a long night in Gainesville. What do really think about Florida? Are they just struggling because of the ok play of Tebow? How good is Florida's defense? Gave up huge plays against a powerful offense in Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks. Are they vulnerable to a defeat before the SEC Championship? We definitely have more questions than answers with UF right now, we'll see...

#8. The BCS Rankings Are Fraudulent - Ok, after seeing the BCS rankings unveiled for the first time this season, I just have a major problem with a couple of things. #1. How is Boise State ranked higher than Cincinnati or Iowa? How the hell is Florida so drastically ahead of Alabama when Alabama's now ahead of Florida in the ACTUAL voter rankings? Can TCU get any love, they should be higher than Boise too. Man, I hate the BCS lol...


Unsportsmanlike Conduct - Lack of Attention for the true leader of the Heisman Race - Mark Ingram, Alabama. Now, I know I came out a couple of months ago and told you all that Jahvid Best is the best runningback in college football and was an ETSF Preseason All-American. You know what, he still is. However, the best football player in college football by far is Mark Ingram. Dude has been running like he's running for his freedom in Alabama. Nick Saban has shifted his running attack from a stable of 3-4 really good tailbacks to just giving it to one, Ingram. He's now running more plays out of the wildcat formation, and is constantly getting big plays either out of the backfield or on passing routes. Dude is averaging 6.7 yards/carry and has 11 TDs on the season. Alabama is #1 because of #22, and at their current pace...they look like the FAVORITE (yeah I said it) to win the national championship.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHO'S THE MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL? THOUGHTS ON OU/TEXAS? WHO IS REALLY THE BEST QB IN FOOTBALL RIGHT NOW? BREES? MANNING? FAVRE? LET US KNOW AND ENJOY YOUR MONDAY!

-Ed.
www.edthesportsfan.com

We Have Nothing To Lose

Come on now, you really thought that I would let two UT fans talk crazy about Oklahoma and not say anything about it? You all should know me better right now. But I digress...

My emotions in this college football season for Oklahoma have been emotionally draining. I'm not sure that 97% of college football fans really have the same expectation as what Sooner fans had coming into this season. There was only one goal in mind, and my brother Kenny stated it so eloquently a couple of weeks ago. That goal is...

To win the BCS National Championship.

Period. You don't have 3 consensus top-10 projected picks in the 2009 NFL Draft COMEBACK to Norman, Oklahoma to just win 10 games. To just win a Big 12 championship. To just win a BCS Bowl game. No, you don't do that if you are Sam Bradford, Jermain Gresham, and Gerald McCoy. Your eye has to be on the prize, which is going to Pasadena in the Rose Bowl to play for all the marbles.

Sadly, before the first game was over in Dallas, Texas...the season seemed dashed. Gresham was already done before the game, Bradford went down in the 2nd half, and the defense couldn't get one more stop against a very good BYU team. The Miami loss didn't help, but the writing was on the wall prior to that loss...OU was in a no-win situation.

So the season which started in Dallas for BYU, is now at a climax in Dallas...from Texas Stadium to the Cotton Bowl. Their biggest rival sitting there across the field with all the title implications that OU had right in front of their face. The national championship. Texas can taste it, they know if they can beat the Sooners on Saturday at high noon...not only are they almost assured of the Rose Bowl, but probably a Heisman for Colt McCoy, who in my own personal opinion...is a phenomenal QB, period. Texas has everything to play for, Oklahoma doesn't. Sounds like to me all the pressure in the world are on those boys from Austin, and they get to play a team who has nothing to lose, in Oklahoma.

That sounds like a dangerous proposition my friends. Nothing to lose? Do you know how dangerous some folks can be when they have nothing on the line? They can literally do whatever the hell they want to, with no remorse. I truly believe that you'll see Oklahoma come out loose, and firing on all pistons. I truly believe that Mack Brown will realize that he has not faced a defense all season like he will in Oklahoma. I truly believe that if Bob Stoops values his job security and his intent on bringing in the top notch football player into Norman, that he will coach like his hair is on fire Saturday at high noon. I truly believe that Oklahoma has the ultimate chip on their shoulder, and you will see it Saturday at high noon.

I also truly believe, that I will be an emotional train wreck Saturday at high noon. But you know what? That's what football is, highs and lows. What makes folks great is in how you deal with both and learn from it. Has Oklahoma learned anything from the start of this season? Has Texas learned anything about relying on a "tie-breaker"? We'll find out won't we? I'll see you Saturday at high noon.

Oklahoma 38, Texas 34

Boomer Sooner

-Ed.
www.edthesportsfan.com

Two In A Row For Texas

**Ed's note - Sigh...somehow I've been talked into allowing some Texas perspective on ETSF this week in preparation of the Red River Shootout...errr I mean Rivalry. Not sure who decided to change the name, but the term "shootout" is much more appropriate. Today's post is written by maybe one of the most venomous Texas fans I've ever met. Off the chain is a nice way to say it. You may recognize Glenn aka Hookem101709 from some of our comments, and today we let him bless the mic. With no further ado, here's Glenn. Oh, and this ish ends tomorrow, Ed is personally shutting Texas down, thanks.**

Many of you guys don’t know who I am, as I do not frequently comment this site, unless we are talking about college football. The Red River Shootout (NOT Rivalry) to be exact as well as when it comes to talking about the flaws and pitfalls of Ohio State which, in my opinion, is one of the most overrated college football teams around (as well as Oklahoma). We will save the overrated arguments for Ohio State at a later time, say Michigan-OSU weekend?

Right now I just want to address another great rivalry: The 104th renewal of the Red River Shootout. Many past Texas greats have played in this game and succeeded: Earl Campbell, Priest Holmes, Hodges Mitchell, Major Applewhite, Vince Young, and Colt McCoy. The latter, Daniel “Colt” McCoy, will be the reason why Texas will win on Saturday. He has yet to put together highlight tape for his Heisman campaign and what better stage than to do it in the Cotton Bowl against his arch nemesis. I, for one, am elated that Sam Bradford is healthy enough to play. That way there are no excuses.

The reason why this game is so large is due to the possibility that, every year, it seems to take on National Championship implications, and this year should be no different. While this rivalry is has the mutual respect of both teams (due to the friendship of the two respective QB’s …YUCK) it is a hard-hitting affair for three hours that can make or break one’s season. The only exception for that rule was last year’s mess when the BCS and the Big 12 tie-breaker gave the nod to Oklahoma to play in the Big 12 Title game last year over a one-division-loss Texas and a one-division-loss Texas Tech. The result of this showed that Oklahoma could not handle yet another BCS game or National Title game (5th straight BCS loss and 3rd straight National Title loss).

Oklahoma fans, please do not think that we have forgotten about that conundrum that kept us away from our destiny against Florida. In my heart of hearts, I am more than sure that had the BCS didn’t stand for a Bunch of Cock Smack last year and had allowed Texas to play in the Big 12 Title game, and then the National Championship game, that we would have beaten Florida for our second title in four years. Instead this year Colt, Sergio, Buckner, Shipley and the rest of the Longhorn Faithful will leave no doubt on Saturday. My only regret is that Oklahoma is not undefeated and ranked higher.

So all of you Longhorn fans join me…..TEXAS….FIGHT…..TEXAS…..FIGHT!!!!! And all of you CHOKElahoma fans (sorry Ed and Kenny; I waited until the end), see you in Dallas.

-Glenn aka Hookem101709
www.edthesportsfan.com

Should Rush Be Able To Buy The Rams?!?

**Ed's Note - Today's post is brought to you by legendary blogger AverageBro, who I can honestly say inspires me to write more and more by the day. His usual focus on politricks, pop culture, and other shenanigans doesn't lead him to the sports side that often, but when he does...its golden. Even for a Nupe like himself. ('06 bruhs lol) Glad to have him on ETSF for a contribution, please read and enjoy!**

My fantasy football team just fell to 0-5, and the NBA preseason is well under way. In short, I officially have no use for the NFL anymore, so I missed this brewing story on the potential intersection between America's sport and America's most divisive figure not named Barry Bonds Barack Obama.

According to ESPN, the executive director of the NFL players union has written an email to the association's executive committee, detailing his opposition to any purchase of the St. Louis Rams football team by Rush Limbaugh.

NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith wrote, "I've spoken to the Commissioner [Roger Goodell] and I understand that this ownership consideration is in the early stages. But sport in America is at its best when it unifies, gives all of us reason to cheer, and when it transcends. Our sport does exactly that when it overcomes division and rejects discrimination and hatred."

Limbaugh -- a native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri -- first mentioned his interest in owning the NFL team in spring 2009, and has teamed with St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts to submit a bid. ESPN reports that the pair are among six potential bidders.

The St. Louis Business Journal reports that "given the poor state of the economy and the Rams' miserable on-field performance," sources estimate the franchise's entire value at $700 million to $750 million. The team is family owned. Its majority owners are siblings Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez.

The New York Daily News caught up with several players who voiced concern that Limbaugh might soon become an NFL owner. New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said "...if it goes through, I can tell you where I am not going to play."

Apparently two camps of owners are aligning: those who abhor Limbaugh and want no part of him, and those who see their potential payout should the team be sold for %750M. To most of these guys, it's not about black and white, but green.

I'm admittedly on the fence (shocker!) about this one. On one hand, I dislike Rush Limbaugh with a passion and find the man absolutely repulsive. I could dig up any number of his ignorant comments over the years, but why not toss this one out there?


On the other hand: this is a capitalist society, and pro sports owners are hardly the most upstanding of citizens. Anyone who remembers former Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott referring to her players as "my million dollar N*ggers" knows this to be true. So, Rush would prolly fit right in.

That said, I guess the most interesting aspect of this story is whether or not Rush would have a problem with having black players on his team, given his noted issues with Eagles QB Dovovan McNabb. Some have suggested that black players wouldn't want to play for the Rams if Rush was owner. I call "BS" on that. Most of these dudes probably still have no idea who Rush is, and as long as the checks keep comin' in, I seriously doubt any Negro would be brolic enough to refuse a trade to St. Louis. Sorry, that's just me. (Ed disagrees...but for another day lol) Every player ain't Jim Brown or Etan Thomas. Seriously, do you think T.O. or Randy Moss[1] ride around listening to Conservative radio all afternoon? Neither do I.

Question: Do you think the other NFL owners should or would prevent Rush Limbaugh from owning a team? Will black NFL players refuse to play for the Rams if this happens?

Head Of NFL Players Union Writes Email Opposing Rush Limbaugh's Attempt To Buy Rams [HuffPost]

[1] Speaking of which: which of these guys is most likely to combust, go off on their QB and coach, and get dismissed from the team soonest: T.O. or Moss? I say T.O. by Week 10.

-AB aka AverageBro
www.edthesportsfan.com

The Red River Rivalry...From A Longhorn's Perspective

**Ed's note - Readers, don't say that I've never been impartial to certain fan bases after today's post. As you all know, the Red River Rivalry is huge for Kenny and Ed this week as OU and Texas square off for Big 12 supremacy. Today, and maybe today only, we'll have our boy Brandon Lewis aka B-Lew (big time UT fan) give his perspective from a Longhorn fan on the biggest rivalry game of the year (yeah i said it) and a couple of key points. God bless his soul. Thanks for reading!**

First off I would like to thank Ed and Kenny for giving me the opportunity to be apart of this site.

Now down to business…

I have three words for ya: Red River Rivalry!!!

The Texas Longhorns vs. the Oklahoma Sooners

In the beginning of the season, this matchup had all the makings of National Championship playoff, but one unblocked linebacker from BYU dashed any chances of that. Now, it’s more so spoiling the Longhorns chances of a trip back to Pasadena.

Nevertheless, this game has a lot riding on it, and I have five reasons why this matchup will dictate the future of the Texas Longhorns.

1. Texas once again has way more talent than Oklahoma, but if it doesn’t translate to the field, the Horns coaching staff will once again be in question. Mack Brown has been known to recruit the best (Vince Young, Jamaal Charles, Roy Williams, Michael Huff, Corey Redding, Quentin Jammer, Jordan Shipley. I could keep going, but you get my point…) year in and year out, but he only has only one Big 12 title to show for it, while Stoops has six. So this matchup is a stepping stone in getting number two for Mack.

2. Another 10 win year will mean nothing, if a championship doesn’t come at the end of this season. Mack has had eight straight 10-win seasons, but the fans need more. Texas has become a football program where it is a national championship or bust. I believe this game is very crucial for Mack Brown, because this has all the makings of an OU upset of the Texas Longhorns, especially with the way the offense slept through the Colorado game on Saturday.

3. Greg Davis, Horns’ Offensive Coordinator, has to let McCoy be McCoy. I’m tired of seeing these four and five-yard pass routes and shuttle screens. It seems like he is not seeing the QB we seen last year that set a record in completion percentage for the season. I believe you had a guy by the name of Major Applewhite that you coached and is now on the staff and has said that McCoy has similar characteristics as he had when playing. Being conservative this Saturday will get the Horns’ blown out this week. So Greg, let him loose. You have one of the best receiving units in country; take advantage of that. Shipley, Williams, Chiles, Kirkendoll, Goodwin, and Buckner don’t just come around very often. Well, I take that back; you also had Williams, Johnson, and Thomas as well, and we all know how that went. But this is about the future; let’s get back to the topic…

4. This team has the chance to be very special even though it seems like the year of 2005, where they ended that season with the “Crystal Ball.” Reasons being that the Horns’ are going into the game where they are facing somewhat of a depleted OU squad. So this has the makings of another big win for the teams from the 40 acres, but they shouldn’t go in the game thinking that it is already won. OU has a Heisman trophy winner under center so this won’t be easy win, even though he is not 100%.

5. Finally, this one is for all marbles, and when I say marbles I mean “recruiting”. If Texas can when this game, and win convincingly, the power will shift a tad bit going forward. I’m not saying OU will stop recruiting well, but they will take a hit if they were to lose another one in this rivalry. I remember the game in 2003 where OU blasted Texas 65-13, and a guy by the name of Adrian Peterson was in the stands. We all know where he ended up. He also made the comment that the reason why he chose OU over Texas is because they win championships. But we also know when he was there what happened in the Orange Bowl lololol…but that’s for another day. Just playing OU fans. Texas has to have this one, this will make it 4 out of 5, but they have to seal it with a Big 12 title as well.

This should be a good one on Saturday, but I just feel that Texas needs this more than OU.

Especially for the future, WE NEED THIS ONE!!!

AND LIKE BERNIE MAC SAID, “I’M OUT THIS MUTHA-----!!!”

B-Lew
www.edthesportsfan.com

Its All About The Coaching...

What’s in a Name?

Josh McDaniels, Mike Singletary, Rex Ryan, Jim Caldwell.

Mike Tomlin, Ken Whisenhunt, Marvin Lewis, Mike Smith.

The first four are in their first year of coaching their respective teams. Their combined record is 15-3 (at the time of this post, the Colts were playing Tennessee, so it doesn’t reflect last night’s game).

The next four have been in their positions for at least a season. Their combined record is 12-6.

All eight of these coaches are head coaches in the NFL for the first time, yet they are all doing their jobs well, and they are winning games. Tomlin (NPHC Greeks, stand up) and Whisenhunt were the two head coaches in the Super Bowl last year. Plus, I like coaches who show that they care. Look at the highlights of McDaniels running on SportsCenter; he’s going crazy on the field with players, going crazy with the fans after the games, and he’s just live all the time. The same applies to Ryan, Singletary, and Tomlin. Those are the kinda coaches that will always get love from ETSF. Why? Because they act like they give a damn.

This isn’t an accident, people. It seems like the ownership of these teams have the approach to find people who know football, allow them to hire people who also specialize in certain areas (position coaches, special teams, offense, defense), and the owners do what I feel is best: stay out of the way, and let these folks do their job. For the most part, these coaches had an idea of what kind of identity they want to have, and did what was necessary to weed out the crap (McDaniels in Denver, Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati), and they have been able to reap huge rewards. I’m thoroughly convinced, more than ever, that this is the direction the league is going. For one, we’re in a recession, so spending money for a big-name coach simply isn’t the way to go right now. Two, teams seem to simply be going younger. They’re willing to give a coach a chance, especially if they have come from great situations previously, and allow them to build their team to their identity and specification. When you look at it, it’s pretty simple to put together.


As I said earlier, this concept especially works, since they have ownership that lets people do their jobs, and stay the hell out of the way. The opposite is still trying to do it their way, and haven’t gotten anywhere in God-knows-how-long. Of course, I’m talking about the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys. Living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area exposes me to the most foolish of sports banter, whether it’s from fans, media, and whoever else. People think the answer to our problems is to hire a big-name coach. I’ll say this right now: as much as I love Jerry Jones the Owner, I hate Jerry Jones the GM. A big-name coach won’t mean a damn thing (a la, Parcells) if Jerry isn’t willing to change his ways and abandon, what I like to call, the “Look at Me, Muhf***a, Look at Me” Philosophy, as coined by The Late, Great Chad Butler, aka Pimp C. He wants everyone to know he runs stuff, instead of just letting people do their jobs. As for Al Davis, don’t even let me get started. It’s even worse in Oakland. As much as I get disgusted with fandom in Dallas, I actually feel worse for true Raider fans. He’ll never change, which is exactly why Oakland won’t be worth a damn anytime soon.

As a fan, I value a coach with a philosophy, who preaches discipline, hard work, and sticks to what they believe will put their team in the best position to win. It doesn’t have to be someone with a marquee name, and at this point, I’d rather it not be. He simply needs to be a football coach, nothing more.

-K. Masenda
http://www.edthesportsfan.com/

30 for 30 - Kings Ransom

**Ed's Note - To celebrate ESPN’s 30 years of existence, the network, along with featured writer Bill Simmons is launching a series of documentaries about some of the biggest or most compelling or most inspirational or most little known sports stories over the past 30 years. Our featured contributor, Phillip Barnett is truly excited about the project, and has decided to review each film. The documentaries will premier on ESPN every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. EST. Please enjoy today's post.**

“Kings Ransom”
By Peter Berg

“Kings Ransom” tells the compelling story of Wayne Gretzky’s move from hockey powerhouse, Edmonton Oilers, to the lowly Los Angeles Kings, completely shaking, shocking and restructuring the whole hockey universe the summer after the Gretzky and the Oilers won their fourth Stanley Cup Final in five years. Los Angeles received a star who shone brighter than the league who employed, and Edmonton lost its conjectural identity.

What made the story so interesting was Gretzky’s more than obvious struggle with leaving Edmonton, a city he loved but couldn’t afford to pay him his worth, to leave for Los Angeles, a city he loved for different reasons, most of them being lifestyle based. Take that and add in the people of Edmonton, his marriage to his Janet Jones.

What it seemed like was Gretzky got a glimpse of what the Los Angeles lifestyle was like and couldn’t get enough of it. The weather, the celebrities, fast cars – not Janet Jones, what everyone assumed – is what helped push him to go through with the move to the City of Angles. For some who move to Los Angeles from a small town, the city is the worst, you either have to be there to love it, or you have to have money – and Gretzky had a lot of it to go along with his mass appeal.

Watching “Kings Ransom,” I found myself completely intrigued by Gretzky’s level of superstardom, something that I’ve always found fascinating with basketball superstars. I had always known that Gretzky was bigger than the sport, but I had no idea that he had the ability to pull non-hockey fans at the level he did when he was traded to Los Angeles.

It was explained that the Kings were filling up no more than about 6,000-7,000 seats in the Great Western Forum (R.I.P.), which seated over 16,000 spectators. Within the week of the trade, the Kings received around 4,000 requests for season tickets and were averaging over 14,000 fans per game, including the biggest celebrities of the late-‘80s.

What made me realize how big Gretzky was is the amount of pull he had with the people of Los Angeles, something people might not really be able to grasp if not from the area. Los Angeles is a city with many things to do; it takes lots of wins or star power to bring people out to sporting events. If the Dodgers aren’t winning, they can go check out the Angeles. If the USC starts dropping games, there is UCLA. If no teams are playing well, the nightlife is spectacular. For Gretzky to be able to fill up the Great Western Forum in a city that could care less about the sport of hockey, it says so much about his superstardom. Outside of maybe LeBron James going to the Clippers, I can’t think of another athlete in today’s sports world who could generate that kind of vibe to a terrible team in Los Angeles. Think Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers, then multiply that by 12.

Gretzky was the Caucasian Michael Jordan, and there is no other instance in the history of all of sports where an athlete as talented in his prime was traded at the peak of his career. Think Jordan, instead of playing baseball, being traded after the ’93 Finals to the Miami Heat for $15 million, four first round draft picks, Matt Geiger and Bimbo Coles. It was that big within the scope of the hockey world.

The film was amazing, even for someone who has only watched three full hockey games in his lifetime. Berg did a great job showing the behind-the-scenes talks about the trade that some wouldn’t know unless you were closely following hockey at the time. Also, the interview with Gretzky on the golf course about the trade, over 20 years after it happened was fascinating. It’s clear that Gretzky still isn’t completely satisfied with the way things played out during the second half of his career, going on to say that he could have potentially won four more Stanley Cup Finals if he had stayed in Edmonton. If you haven’t seen it yet, as a sports fan, it is a must see.

THOUGHTS ON GRETZKY? MAKES YOU WONDER HOW FOLKS IN GREEN BAY FEEL ABOUT BRETT FAVRE NOW HUH?

-Phillip Barnett aka "I'm So Hideous"
www.edthesportsfan.com

Deion Sanders Is Still Shutting Down Wide Receivers

Deion Sanders is and will always be the gold standard of what a cornerback should be in the NFL. Extremely quick, reactionary, assertive, and possesses cat-like reflexes that cats are actually jealous of. The man was electric, at any point in the game, he could change the outcome without even touching the ball. Lord knows what would happen IF he actually did get the ball on his hands. Fact is, he locked down any wide receiver that lined up across from him on that football field. That man KNEW that if he was lined up on that side, he wasn't catching any footballs, not getting any attention from his quarterback, and would be invisible to all the fans in the stadium and watching around the world.

So why does it not surprise me that two phenom wide receivers, former Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree, and now former Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant, who are looking to enter the NFL are being "shut down" by this all-world cornerback in Mr. Sanders.

Michael Crabtree just yesterday finally signed his deal with the San Francisco 49ers, a full 5 weeks AFTER the season had already started. Crabtree had been "advised" to hold out because he was rated as the #1 WR prospect on the board, and although he wasn't the first WR drafted (that dubious distinction goes to Maryland standout Darrius Heyward-Bey) he was commanding #1 WR money. (Which truth be told, shouldn't Crabtree be elated he didn't get drafted by Oakland? Did you see DHB's face when he got picked? He has ONE CATCH this season! Moving on...) Crabtree's agent, Eugene Parker, has experience in brokering big deals like this, he was the former agent of one...you ready?...Deion Sanders! DING!

Now, news breaks yesterday after Crabtree finally signs with San Fran, that OSU Cowboys' wideout Dez Bryant has been ruled ineligible (not suspended) by the NCAA for unauthorized contact with a "former NFL player" and lied about it to NCAA authorities. Who do you think the "former NFL player" is?

From ESPN's Joe Schad - The NCAA interviewed Bryant before the season and also on Sept. 11, the day before a game against Houston, asking if he had visited Sanders' home, if he had worked out with Sanders and also if he had had any interaction with agents.

Bryant was asked specifically by NCAA investigators if he had ever met agents who have represented Sanders and he told them he hadn't.

It was widely known that Bryant would leave the campus of Stillwater for days at a time to supposedly meet up with Sanders and talk about preparation for the NFL, training, and other advice he could get from the great Deion Sanders. Now, he's probably done for the season and his stock as the #1 WR in the 2010 draft is now supremely in question.

Deion, stop locking down wide receivers that aren't making any money yet. Otherwise, I'm thinking that you got different motives, or that it "Must Be The Money" that's turning you on. Honestly, I know that you probably had great intentions, but you got to take the high road on these situations. They are grown men, and they've got to take their bumps and learn just like everyone else, and you've got to know you can't do what you've been doing with Crabtree and Bryant.

Thanks to you sir, we the fans got cheated on seeing Crab on the field with the Niners, and now we're done looking at Bryant and offensive juggernaut which is Oklahoma State. Go teach these DBs how to lock up, you retired remember? Appreciate it buddy, thanks.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON DEION'S INVOLVEMENT WITH CRABTREE AND BRYANT? DOES THIS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME? SHOULD DEZ BE GONE FOR THE SEASON? LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!

-Ed.
www.edthesportsfan.com

The End of the First Quarter: NFL Edition

The first quarter of the NFL season is complete, and there have been plenty of stories so far. Some teams and players have done what’s been expected, while others have done the complete opposite; some look to be true contenders, while others are doing a terrific job of being pretenders. We’ll take a closer look at some of those right now.

The first team I’ll focus on is the Cincinnati Bengals, who are one freak accident away from being undefeated. Carson Palmer (my dude for life, and the object of reckless hate from Ed) is showing signs of being a Pro Bowler again, Cedric Benson is running like he’s back at Lee High School again, and Chad Ochocinco is back to his All-Pro form. Antwan Odom, someone I never heard of until a couple of weeks ago, is leading the league in sacks, and the rest of their defense has been solid all season. I won’t lie; I called for Marvin Lewis’ head a long time ago, but Cincy obviously knew something I didn’t, because he’s coaching some good football right now.

The most pleasant surprise is the San Francisco 49ers. They’re sitting atop of the NFC West, at 3-1. We’ve had a feature on their head-man-in-charge, Mike Singletary and his effect on the team. They run first, play strong D, and put Shaun Hill in positions to where he can effectively manage the game. Their passing offense sucks, but they’re finding ways to win, and that’s all that matters. Patrick Willis is a grown-ass man, and Nate Clements is looking like the $80-million-man he was signed to be. The rest of their supporting cast is playing solid ball, and as long as they continue to do so, I see no reason why they can’t take the division and more. (Ed's note: This article was written prior to the breaking news of Michael Crabtree signing with the 49ers. The Niners might have just struck it gold again with this team of young talent. Thoughts?)

Another team that’s handling business is the New Orleans Saints. We all know about the play of Drew Brees (can he be considered the best quarterback in football? I mean, I’m just sayin’), and his ability to make sure everybody gets a hold of the rock, but I’ll be damned; it’s their DEFENSE that’s vastly improved. On top of the fact that the NFC South has gone to hell (I’m looking at you Tampa Bay and Carolina), it’s really between them and Atlanta for division supremacy. There are other players who have been pleasant surprises in this young season, including Steve Smith (the USC one), who’s leading the league in receiving yards, Chris Johnson leading the league in rushing, and 85-year-old London Fletcher leading the league in tackles.

For my fall from grace section, I have to point out the Tennessee Titans. It’s safe to say that 13-3 would be tough to duplicate, but they have yet to win a single game this season! Off the top of my head, their only glaring loss from last season’s team is Albert Haynesworth, but his loss can’t be the sole reason for this team going to hell so far. Kerry Collins hasn’t played worth a damn this season, which makes me wonder when Jeff Fisher is gonna send up The Bat Signal for Vince Young. Their division is way too competitive for them to continue to lose games and expect to get back in the race.


The other area of sheer disgust is with the Green Bay Packers offensive line. On Monday night, I watched Aaron Rodgers run for his life against the Minnesota Vikings, and while I know the Vikes have a strong defense, that display was beyond ridiculous. Rodgers has all the tools to be a very good quarterback, but he can’t do that if has to worry about getting killed. The man has been sacked 20 times in four games, and if that keeps up, he won’t make it to the end of the season. Hopefully, they get it together, because they have everything else in place to make a run. They simply gotta keep their quarterback on his feet.

WHO'S BEEN THE BIGGEST SURPRISE THIS SEASON? BRONCOS? JETS? SAINTS? WHAT ABOUT DISAPPOINTMENTS? TITANS? BROWNS? RAMS? THOUGHTS ON THE BRAYLON TRADE? LET US KNOW!

-K. Masenda
http://www.edthesportsfan.com/

The Writing Is On The Wall

This is a tricky one so follow me here, did you have that girlfriend that you and her enjoyed each other and everything seems so grand and pure. That this woman is going to be THE one. You could envision marrying her, having kids, and living the good life with her for the next 50 years. That is the apex. Then you realize that she somehow developed a random smoking habit that she can't seem to shake, or that she's not as willing to "give" as she used to be. Or even though she is still beautiful, she still hasn't shaken that belly all the way. Also, it seems like she always fusses with you on little stuff. You kind of wonder what happened, yet you realize that she's still cooks dinner every night, still works her 8 to 5 job, and generally promotes the long term objective of being a good woman to you.

Yet you just don't feel she's as committed as you want her to be. (To all women reading this post, just replace women with men and rephrase instances to manly duties...)

This is how I feel personally about Oklahoma. For many of you Buckeye fans, I bet this is how you feel about Ohio State. Michigan, Tennessee, and Florida State have all felt the aftermath of letting this state of being content ruin their program. The fact of the matter is this, you are dealing with coaches like Bobby Stoops (I can call him Bobby, you can't) and Senator Tressel who have reached acclaimed success early in their tenure at the universities which employ them.

Take a look at what Stoops has done. Now in his 10th year as head coach of the Sooners, Stoops has a combined record of 109–24–0, the most wins by any D1 Football school and the best record of any BCS school during that stretch. More importantly, he won the national championship in just his 2nd year with about 90% of his players from the previous regime, that being from Coach John Blake.

Same with Tressel, now in his 9th season as head coach of Ohio State, he's amassed a record of 87-20, and also won the national championship in just his 2nd year with about 90% of the players coming from the previous regime, that being from Coach John Cooper.


Stoops and Tressel were able to do the one thing that all great coaches can make their players do, buy into the system. Both programs were always getting great athletes, but their coaching, their schemes, and their preparation is what had let them down under the previous coaching staffs tenure. When Stoops came in, he hired more workout staff, hired more coordinators, and totally revolutionized what was going on at Oklahoma. What did Tressel do? He changed the mindset of Ohio State, that just because they do have a ton of athletes, doesn't mean you can do what the hell you want to. Play the scheme, learn the scheme, and trust it.

Here's the problem, you've got two coaches who won national titles within 24 months of taking the job. The coaches are among the top 5 highest paid in the collegiate world. Have made millions upon millions of dollars from their state's funding. One would think that they know what they are doing, and to say they don't would be blasphemy, right? I'm not so sure. Those two don't coach like they're hungry anymore, and I'm not talking about a gimmick fake FG. I'm talking about coaching like your hair is on fire, and your life is on the line. Its been NINE years for Oklahoma, EIGHT for Ohio State...Oklahoma has played in 3 national championships since then and to put it simply, they were outcoached...period. You go look at what USC did to Oklahoma, they knew EVERYTHING that Oklahoma was going to do that night. Hell, I can tell you Oklahoma's gameplan right now. I know exactly what they're going to do.

They're going to run the spread offense, not a lot of throws past 10-15 yards. Most runs will feature a shotgun read play by the QB who will either keep or hand off to the running back. On defense, Oklahoma's defense is always predicated on getting pressure to the QB. The linebackers will always play downhill. If you max protect, run slip screens, and effectively use play-action, you can beat Oklahoma who leave their secondary in zone coverage and there will be gaping holes in the deep third.

This philosophy of Oklahoma's hasn't changed since Stoops got there. Its really not that hard to stop. Go ask Boise State, go ask West Virginia, go ask Miami. Those three teams weren't better than Oklahoma athletically (yes, even Miami). Texas, USC, LSU and Florida hasn't had a problem with us in years, because their coaching adjusts game-to-game, week-to-week.

Go look at film when Ohio State played Florida...I honestly believe that talent wise, Ohio State was damned good that year, yet Florida put together a better strategy to take down Ohio State. They made it look easy.

The fact is, Stoops and Tressel have a gameplan that they stick to. They don't adjust for anyone, and they recruit players to fit specifically into that system. If you don't fit, then you can't sign here.

Its a death that almost befell Penn State. Joe Paterno is 137 years old, the Nittany Lions were struggling mightily just a couple of years ago. Joe's light bulb didn't just magically turn on, they adjusted the philosophies at Penn State. They got better coordinators, shifted the authority around so that the assistant coaches could do more, while Joe could still lead and be healthy. Florida State has Bobby Bowden in the crosshairs now, because they aren't winning and the assistant coaches for the Seminoles just plain suck.

It happened at Michigan, it happened at Tennessee, it happened to Nebraska, and if Oklahoma and Ohio State isn't careful...it will happen to them too. The writing is on the wall, and either you fall from the upper-echelon or you will adjust and coach like your job is on the line. Because, maybe it is.

-Ed.
www.edthesportsfan.com