Dave's Sports Views

2007-08-08T20:28:00.000-05:00

I've come Off the DL, with a new blog and a new, befitting name. Check me out at http://offthedl.blogspot.com.

Dave J

2007-04-01T17:12:00.001-05:00

2007 Baseball Predictions

AL East

1) New York – Especially if they can get Clemens at midseason.

2) Boston – Too much reliance on brittle players – Drew, Papelbon, Schilling – and unproven ones – Matsuzaka, Lugo on a contending team

3) Toronto – Still trying to find a way to leapfrog the Big Two

4) Tampa Bay – A good young nucleus but not in this division

5) Baltimore – Not in any division

AL Central

1) Detroit – Feel like a one-year wonder, but the pitching is just too good to pick anyone else

2) Chicago – If they don’t make the playoffs, Ozzie Guillen’s head will explode

3) Minnesota – I’d like Garza, Slowey and Perkins in the rotation rather than Silva, Ponson and Ortiz

4) Cleveland – Not sure why this team is such a chic pick. I don’t see it.

5) Kansas City – Needs to channel the ghost of Buck O’Neil to contend.

AL West

1) Los Angeles – Best pitching in the division if Bartolo Colon comes back healthy, but the lineup is shaky.

2) Texas – Ron Washington makes the difference here.

3) Oakland – Losing Zito, Thomas and Kotsay is too much to overcome.

4) Seattle – Mike Hargrove is first manager fired.

NL East

1) Atlanta – Rebuilt bullpen returns Braves to the top.

2) New York – Could make a late run if Pedro returns in midseason.

3) Philadelphia – Garcia’s poor spring is an ominous sign for a team with high expectations.

4) Florida – Fredi Gonzalez inherits great young talent.

5) Washington – Start thinking about the new stadium in 2009.

NL Central

1) Cincinnati – Everyone has to take a risk, and here’s mine.

2) Milwaukee – Ben Sheets’ health is the key to the season.

3) St. Louis – Are the Cards driving Tony LaRussa to drink?

4) Chicago – Money for Soriano was well spent; money for Lilly and Marquis was wasted.

5) Houston – A team caught in transition shouldn’t have spent $100 million on Carlos Lee.

6) Pittsburgh – The only team that can’t win this division.

NL West

1) Los Angeles – Lineup is weak but the pitching is stellar.

2) San Diego – Greg Maddux tutors Jake Peavy and Chris Young to greatness.

3) San Francisco – The top three teams might have baseball’s three best rotations.

4) Arizona – Love the new red hats, though.

5) Colorado – A team in continual rebuilding mode.

AL MVP – Mark Teixeira – Big Tex keeps Rangers in contention.

AL Cy Young – Johan Santana – He has to be the favorite every year.

AL Rookie of the Year – Delmon Young – Just don’t throw any bats at umpires.

NL MVP – Albert Pujols – See Johan Santana comment above.

NL Cy Young – Jake Peavy – Learning from a master.

NL Rookie of the Year – Kevin Kouzmanoff – Indians should have kept him.

AL Playoffs – Yankees over White Sox, Tigers over Angels; Tigers over Yankees.

NL Playoffs – Dodgers over Reds, Padres over Braves; Dodgers over Padres.

World Series – Dodgers over Tigers.

2007-03-24T15:30:00.000-05:00

Elite Eight Picks

With a few minutes to go before the first game, I can only hope the rest of the weekend's games are as good as the Division II Final (Barton defeating defending champion Winona State at the buzzer) and the recently completed women's game (Rutgers upsetting No. 1 Duke by one).

Ohio State over Memphis: It's time for Greg Oden to help carry his team instead of the other way around. In big games this year, Mike Conley has been the best freshman on the Buckeyes. This is a chance for Oden to shine. Memphis has the quickness to match up with Ohio State but the Tigers have no answer for Oden. The Buckeyes, who have played with a rabbit's foot in their pocket over the past two games, don't let this one go down to the wire.

Kansas over UCLA: It's a hot pick to take the defensive-minded Bruins, but Kansas has guards to handle the UCLA pressure, and athletic wings Brandon Rush and Julian Wright can attack the Bruins' defense much like Florida did in the championship game. Kansas can play a little defense as well, and they'll march on to Atlanta.

Florida over Oregon: While the Gators have needed to work two shake off two pesky squads from Indiana (Purdue and Butler), they are still the best team in the tournament. They will put it all together against a Ducks team that, amazingly, is the lowest remaining seed at No. 9 overall. Not exactly the type of Cinderella we were all expecting.

Georgetown over North Carolina: I'm questioning this pick more and more, but I picked the Hoyas to win it all at the beginning of the tournament, so I need to stick with that. In reality, North Carolina has better guards, including the hiccup-quick Ty Lawson, to disrupt Georgetown and wear them down as the Tar Heels did with USC. While there's no precedent for the chalk all advancing to the Final Four, this could be the year to make history.

It's often said that teams that win the national championship survive a scare early on. If that's the case, all eight teams can consider themselves in the running. While the favorites have largely moved on, they've been tested, and in passing those tests they deserve to be where they are.

Enjoy the games.

DJ

2007-02-01T20:03:00.000-06:00

Super Bowl pick

Chicago vs. Indianapolis -- The more I look at this week's matchup, the more I have a hard time justifying the Colts' status as a seven-point favorite. Much of it probably has to do with the AFC's dominance in recent years, with Indy's victory over New England coming in a game that certainly had the feel of something more than a semifinal round.

But while most coverage of the Bears has focused on the on-again, off-again season of quarterback Rex Grossman, Chicago possesses a deep and talented team and can match up well with the Colts in several areas:
1) The Bears have a pair of talented running backs who can attack Indy's defense. (Did you notice I didn't follow that sentence up with the phrase, "which is soft against the run."?)
2) Chicago has a premier kick returner in Devin Hester, and Colts made New England return man Ellis Hobbs look like the second coming of Billy "White Shoes" Johnson.
3) The Bears have two of the best linebackers in the game, Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, each of whom can cover the Colts' tight end Dallas Clark one-on-one. Clark has been Peyton Manning's favorite target through much of the playoffs, particularly late in the game.
4) Indianapolis' cover-two defense can be had in the middle of the field, and the Bears have a great possession receiver in Muhsin Muhammad and a tight end, Desmond Clark, that is also effective on crossing routes.
5) Because of its running game and controlled passing attack (when Grossman is on), Chicago can chew up the clock, which limits Manning's possessions. And that's the best defense against the Colts. While New England moved the ball effectively in the AFC Championship game, they were almost too effective, scoring so quickly that Manning was able to maintain his rhythm when he returned to the field.

So a Bears win wouldn't surprise me at all. Still, I have to go with the Colts. Part of it is just a gut reaction. This seems like Indy's year, just as last year seemed to line up perfectly for Pittsburgh. Even when the Steelers didn't play well in the Super Bowl, they got the breaks when they needed them and Seattle couldn't seem to make a play that would have kept the momentum going. I can see the same thing happening Sunday.

And part of my decision to pick Indy has to do with the quarterbacks. Grossman should be OK. While he was certainly no marksman in the NFC Championship, he made most of the throws he had to make, and he was content to throw the ball away when nothing was there. He didn't force the ball into coverage and he didn't turn it over. I expect a similar performance Sunday.

I expect a great performance from Manning. This is the game he has waited his whole life to play, like Steve Young in Super Bowl XXIX. If he was going to wilt under pressure, it would have come in his last game, with the weight of the home crowd around him and his arch-nemesis on the opposite sideline. Instead, Manning took it to another level. I see a game where Grossman surprises everyone with solid play, but he and his team just can't match Manning, who drives his team to a score nearly every time the Colts have the ball.

Finally, I think this is the game where the Bears really miss Tommie Harris and Mike Brown. Seattle wasn't explosive enough and New Orleans not consistent enough to exploit their absences. Indianapolis will be both. Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes can pound the middle of the Bears' defense usually occupied by Harris, and Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Clark can stretch it past the center field usually manned so capably by Brown. Lovie Smith is a great defensive mind, but this one goes to his friend and mentor, Tony Dungy.

Colts 33, Bears 27

DJ

2007-01-18T21:01:00.000-06:00

Conference Championship Picks

A busy week, so I'll make these short and sweet. Last year was the eighth consecutive year in which the conference championship games split, with one home team winning and one visitor winning. Both road teams won in 1998, and both home teams won in 1997. Not sure what that all means, but my picks have the trend continuing.

New Orleans at Chicago -- The Bears' defense isn't the same without Tommie Harris, and Seattle exploited that by using Shaun Alexander to pound the ball straight up the middle. New Orleans has a similar weapon in Deuce McAllister. He wore the Eagles down with his power running and that helped make the sweeps of Reggie Bush and the passing of Drew Brees that much more effective. I think Chicago will be ready for that. The Bears corners can handle the Saints' stretch passing game, and that will allow the linebackers to key on the run. Chicago is one of the few teams that has the speed up front to keep Bush out of the secondary. On offense, Rex Grossman can't let the game get too big for him. He needs to use the dependable Thomas Jones and the resurgent Cedric Benson out of the backfield and take advantage of an older New Orleans secondary. There's certainly a chance that Grossman will completely melt down, but I'm betting that the cold weather disrupts the Saints' offense more than the big stage disrupts Rex. Bears 26, Saints 17

New England at Indianapolis -- Both teams won in unorthodox fashion on the road last week. Indy won for the second consecutive week with a strong defensive performance, to offset another shaky outing from Peyton Manning. Tom Brady was inconsistent and looked rattled at times, but when the Patriots needed a big throw, he provided it. I'm sure the Colts wish they could be facing a team other than their playoff nemesis, but given the choice of playing at home for the chance to go to the Super Bowl or taking to the road, I would imagine they'll take their chances in a loud RCA Dome. They have a few things going for them: their previous losses to the Patriots in the playoffs have been on the road, Indianapolis isn't facing the same high expectations as in past years, and the Colts have Adam Vinatieri on their side this time. Unfortunately, Vinatieri has only been the second-most-valuable Patriot in playoffs past. Brady still plays for New England, and he presents challenges Indy hasn't had to face yet with Trent Green and Steve McNair lined up under the opposing center. The Pats abandoned the run early against San Diego, but against a cover-two defense, you have to stick with a running game, and New England will. That will keep the Colts honest enough for Brady to have a big day. After last week, I can't pick against him. Patriots 34, Colts 31

DJ

2007-01-11T18:26:00.000-06:00

Divisional Playoff picks

After being a dropped Tony Romo hold away from a perfect 4-0 week in the Wild Card round, I'm back for more punishment this week

Indianpolis at Baltimore -- One thing is for sure: The Ravens will have much more variety in their offense than Kansas City displayed last week, when the Chiefs made the Colts defense look like the 1985 Bears. Kansas City was so predictable in running on first and second down that Indianapolis could sell out and stop the run. Brian Billick is a far more creative offensive mind than Herman Edwards, and he'll do things to mix it up on Indy's defense. Peyton Manning struggled last week against the Chiefs, and he faces a far better defense this week. Think about this: Ray Lewis may now be the third-best linebacker on his own team, behind All-Pro Adalius Thomas and the emerging Bart Scott. Manning rarely has two bad games in a row, but a Baltimore defensive touchdown makes the difference here. Ravens 27, Colts 20

Philadelphia at New Orleans -- Who could have imagined when the season started the Saints hosting a second-round playoff game? Who could have imagined seven weeks ago the Eagles playing a second-round playoff game? These are two great stories and two teams that most football fans can't help rooting for. I can't get past the thought of New Orleans coming out tight. The Saints haven't played a meaningful game in three weeks, and this is one place where the boisterous home crowd might actually work against its team and make them a bit too eager. At the beginning of the week, I thought cornerback Lito Sheppard's injury might be the death knell for the Eagles, but if Philadelphia can run the ball like it did late in the year, they'll keep the Saints offense off the field enough to mitigate Sheppard's absence. Eagles 26, Saints 23

Seattle at Chicago -- What a passion play the Bears season has become. Will Rex Grossman get it done? Can the Chicago defense overcome the losses of Tommie Harris and Mike Brown? In all honesty, those things shouldn't matter in this game. The Bears are much better than the Seahawks, who pulled a rabbit's foot out of their pockets last week. Grossman, with a good group of offensive weapons, can pick apart a depleted Seattle secondary, and the Bears have enough talent on defense to exploit a Seahawks offensive line that has also been injury-prone this year. The weather will be cold, the Bears running game will be solid, and the fans can sleep well -- for one week, at least. Bears 27, Seahawks 10

New England at San Diego -- This could very well be the best matchup of the entire playoffs. Everyone wants to focus on the coaches here, with Bill Belichick's record of postseason success and Marty Schottenheimer's history of postseason heartbreak. But let's face it: calling this a matchup of coaches doesn't do justice to the teams they bring in. What we have here is a game between the Patriots, led by the NFL's best quarterback, and the Chargers, led by the league's best running back. Tom Brady has lifted an average offense into one of the league's best, and LaDainian Tomlinson took a team with a first-year quarterback and produced a 14-2 season. Both had a lot of help from their defense along the way. Belichick has made a lot of young quarterbacks look silly in the postseason, and it's likely he'll show Philip Rivers a few things the Chargers signal-caller has never seen. But the only chance of having success that way is by New England stopping Tomlinson. Here they're missing a key component in Rodney Harrison. The safety's injury takes a big bite out of the Patriots' run defense and makes tight end Antonio Gates that much more dangerous. Marty-Ball, which is designed to limit quarterback mistakes by using runs and short passes, might be just the right formula this time. Chargers 28, Patriots 24

2007-01-03T19:55:00.000-06:00

Wild Card picks

It's hard to believe we've reached the end of another NFL season, and a wild one it was. This looks like one of the weakest playoff fields in years, particularly in the NFC. But someone has to win, so let's start the picks.

Kansas City at Indianapolis -- The NFL's worst rush defense faces a superior runner in Larry Johnson, a nightmare matchup for a team that's trying to shed its label as a playoff underachiever. Despite the hand-wringing that must be going on in Indy, sometimes it takes low expectations to get a team to relax and play its game (see: Pittsburgh, 2006). The Colts are at home, and there's clearly nothing wrong with their offense, which is potent with both the run and pass. Trent Green hasn't been the same quarterback since coming back from his nasty concussion. Colts 34, Chiefs 17

Dallas at Seattle -- Bill Parcells looks and sounds like a man who's just waiting for the season to end, but he might have to wait another week. Despite how wretched the Cowboys have looked in the past four weeks, particularly on defense, they face a Seattle team with a depleted secondary. And Tony Romo isn't the kind of quarterback who you can expect to beat with just a pass rush. He's mobile and creative, and he has great targets in Terry Glenn, Jason Witten, and that other guy who tries so hard to stay out of the spotlight, I'm going to respect his wishes by keeping his name off my blog (but if you scroll down to the next post you might get a hint). While Seattle has a reputation of being tough at home, they lost at home in this round to St. Louis two years ago, and they were just 5-3 at Qwest Field this year. Dallas was in synch as recently as four weeks ago, while Seattle hasn't really put it all together yet this year. Cowboys 27, Seahawks 24

New York at New England -- The dream coaching matchup of the playoffs, with the mentor and playoff master Bill Belichick facing protege and this year's regular season wunderkind Eric Mangini. Wesleyan University might never get this kind of mainstream press again. God bless Mangini for getting 10 wins out of a Jets team that people wrote off even before the year began. (Memo to those tabbing Sean Payton as Coach of the Year: Mangini didn't import the likes of Drew Brees and Reggie Bush to upgrade his team, and that's no disrespect meant to Payton) You have to like experience here. The Jets will fight and keep it close, but as long as Tom Brady's wearing a helmet and Belichick a hoodie, their team gets the edge. Patriots 13, Jets 10

New York at Philadelphia -- Like the Cowboys, the Giants have the opportunity to forget the past month and focus anew on the playoffs by going on the road. But this matchup isn't nearly as favorable to them as what the Cowboys face. There's always the chance that Jeff Garcia's miracle ride will come to an abrupt end, but he's not being asked to do all that much to help the Eagles win. The offensive line has become one of the two or three best in football. Brian Westbrook is, if not a classic runner, a fearsome threat out of the backfield. And the defense has come on strong and has the potential to make a game-changing play at any time. Meanwhile, the Giants aren't even in this discussion unless Tiki Barber has a monster game against Washington. But this pick isn't about what the Giants aren't; it's about what the Eagles are. Right now, they're playing like the NFC's most complete team. Eagles 24, Giants 10

2006-10-06T10:55:00.000-05:00

Introducing Little T

In what might be the all-time winner of the "You Can't Make This Up" award, Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens announced that he's starting a line of children's books. Here's the link to the story in The Dallas Morning News.

The main character will be a boy named Little T, who seems like a thinly veiled representation of Owens himself. Here's a guess that Owens doesn't do for parenting what Dr. Benjamin Spock did in the 60s and 70s.

The series' first three titles:
Little T Learns to Share
Little T Learns What Not to Say
Little T Learns to Say I'm Sorry

Herewith some of my suggested upcoming titles:
Little T Learns Pain-Killers and Supplements Don't Mix
Little T Learns to Respect Opposing Team's Logos
Little T Learns to Turn Off His Gay-Dar
Little T Learns to Choose a Competent Publicist

Just when you think you've seen everything.

DJ

2006-05-08T10:19:00.000-05:00

Where has this guy been?

In watching Barry Bonds' press conference following his 713th career home run Sunday night, I began to wonder: Where did Barry Bonds go?

The guy who was peppered by the media in Philadelphia didn't appear to be the same guy who has feuded with reporters, teammates, managers, and fans throughout his major league career.

This guy patiently answered questions ranging from the steroids investigation (he dodged those, but not in a confrontational way) to the impact of potentially passing Babe Ruth to a chat he had with his mother, Pat, which "helped me get my head straight."

At times, Bonds was humorous (asked if he thought of himself as a home run hitter, he said it was hard to avoid when you have 713 home runs) and complimentary (he praised young Phillies hitter Ryan Howard). He also made a strong statement regarding Philadelphia's unforgiving and often abusive fans, saying that many of them had brought their kids to the game, and they'd have to deal with the consequences should their children be so impressionable. (Let's hope Bonds is doing the same thing.)

But while he did get a little testy when reporters tried to slip in steroid questions ("Are we have a baseball discussion or a steroid discussion?"), for the large part, he came across as human and affable. Exhibiting these traits, which Bonds seemingly his misplaced throughout his career, are likely the result of PR advisers trying to help him put on the best face as he approaches Ruth and Hank Aaron. But he showed that he can pull off such an act convincingly. Which leads one to wonder why he couldn't do the same thing in the past.

There's no excusing Bonds' steroid use, and any records he has achieved or will achieve always come with a caveat. But he has to know that maybe the public outcry against him would not be so strong if only he had made some effort to meet people halfway, to show the side of himself that was on display last night. This backlash is something that he brought on himself, in more ways than one.

DJ

2006-05-02T21:12:00.000-05:00

Book review: The Mess at BALCO

Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams' book, "Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports," paints a seamy picture of the sports world. Based on their reporting and research of BALCO, the Bay Area company that dealt in the steroid business, Game of Shadows tells of the mixture of a businessman hell-bent on making money and athletes equally intent on success in their sports.

The authors introduce Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO, and tell how he evolved the business from one that dealt in nutritional supplements and pioneered study in determining athletes' mineral deficiencies into a drug racket. They also weave into the story the athletes and the co-conspirators who helped bring Conte his famous clients. Chief among these, obviously, is Barry Bonds and his trainer, Greg Anderson.

The story is engrossing, as the authors present their evidence toward those who have already confessed or failed drug tests (such as Jason Giambi and Tim Montgomery) and those for whom the evidence is purely based on the investigation's findings or on Conte's own admissions (Bonds, Marion Jones).

And the story is much more about the demons within us than about our better angels. Consider all of these entities and their likely legacies as they relate to the BALCO case:

Conte -- Not only is the BALCO founder portrayed as a huckster and a hanger-on, he flaunts much of his malfeasance, including a self-serving interview with 20/20 that led his own attorney to resign because Conte was determined to tell the world his story.
Bonds -- Portrayed as exceptionally vain, motivated by his own insecurity and need for attention. Bonds seemed to play his best, the authors argued, when he felt as if the whole world was against him. Being accused of juicing is probably the best thing that happened to his baseball career, next to the actual juicing, of course.
Sports -- Most, particularly baseball, turned a blind eye to much of the drug abuse, because it would have robbed them of stars and storylines. Bud Selig and Giants owner Peter Magowan come across as particularly spineless. You can count the U.S. Olympic Committee among the guilty, as they railed over the years about doping by athletes from East Germany and Russia while ignoring many of the situations involving their own athletes.
The Government -- Yes, they took the lead on bringing the BALCO case to light, led by agent Jim Novitzky, who personally visited BALCO's offices late at night and picked through their trash looking for evidence. But a cynic can look at the case's ascendance to the Justice Department as one in which a group of baseball fans, including Attorney General John Ashcroft, tried to preserve the sport's sacred records. And when the government had a chance to force the case, by identifying the accused -- putting real names and faces behind the misbehavior and elevating the crisis in sports -- they backed off and worked a plea-bargain deal. As nefarious as Bonds and Conte come across, the person I am most disappointed with in reading the book is Kevin Ryan, the San Francisco-based U.S. Attorney who initiated the plea bargain, likely to help bolster the case for his own ascendance to the federal bench.
The Media -- A classic group of followers. When Mark McGwire was caught with Androstenedione during his record-breaking 70-homer season of 1998, AP reporter Steve Wilstein became a virtual pariah. But aside from the authors, SI's Tom Verducci, and the Boston Herald's Howard Bryant, most reporters were way behind the steroids in baseball story, either out of laziness, ignorance, or misguided sanctity toward the sport. Let's put it this way: Had the likes of Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco not come clean and defined the widespread drug problems in baseball, we might never have seen Selig take action against steroid and amphetamine abuse.
Fans -- Yep, that's right. We're partly to blame. What do we want from sports? Entertainment and success. We want to enjoy the games, and we want our teams to win. How do they achieve that? Well, we're not quite as demanding about those methods. Fans all over the country loved the McGwire-Sosa duel. Now we're shocked (SHOCKED!) that they might have used steroids to produce it. And we feel -- pardon the pun -- cheated.

Game of Shadows is meaty, concise, compelling and readable. It's not exceptionally written: the reporters write for newspapers and have a bit of trouble with book-length format. Every chapter ends with some sort of a teaser sentence, as if they're begging you to read on, when the material and narrative flow should take care of that. And despite the title and the cover photo, this is not a Bonds book. His motives are addressed, but not detailed, and there's only cursory biographical information. I suppose I should read Jeff Pearlman's new biography of Bonds for more of that, and I will.

But first, I need to take a shower and cleanse myself of the material in Game of Shadows, and maybe first read Clemente, David Maraniss' new biography of a much more admirable sports star.

DJ

2006-05-01T15:05:00.000-05:00

Draft recap

After being out of town for a few days, here are some thoughts on the draft. I'll try not to repeat too much that's already been said in the reams of postmortems.

Good drafts

New York Jets -- They got two of the very best offensive linemen in the first round in D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold and could have corraled a sleeper quarterback in Kellen Clemens in the second round.

San Francisco -- Vernon Davis and Manny Lawson made a great tandem in the first round. Brandon Williams is a versatile player and it will be interesting to see what they do with Michael Robinson.

Denver -- Jay Cutler has to be thrilled to partner with Mike Shanahan. A great move to trade up since it seemed like Denver was a quarterback away from the Super Bowl last year. The Broncos got Javon Walker in a trade and picked up two potential steals late in Elvis Dumervil and Greg Eslinger.

Philadelphia -- Andy Reid loves drafting linemen early, and he picked up Brodrick Bunkley in the first round and Winston Justice (a probable first-round pick if not for off-the-field problems) in the second.

Green Bay/Cleveland -- The Packers and Browns need warm bodies and they pulled off trades to end up with 12 and 10 picks, respectively. And they scored at the top with A.J. Hawk and Kamerion Wimbley.

Bad drafts

Buffalo -- Two first-round picks that were real reaches at their spot, in Donte Whitner and John McCargo.

Washington -- Maybe the Redskins should just sit out the draft every year. Daniel Snyder only seems to be happy if he's throwing around millions at free agents. The 'Skins had one pick before the fifth round.

Miami -- The trend continues for the Dolphins who move picks as if they have bird flu. They got decent talent in Jason Allen and Derek Hagan on the first day, but had only six picks -- half of them in the final round.

New York Giants -- They waited too long to add defensive backs, a big need. They drafted one in the fifth round and one in the seventh.

San Diego -- Antonio Cromartie was a gamble, but probably one worth taking. I don't really get the Charlie Whitehurst pick in the third round as it sends mixed signals to Philip Rivers.

Etc.

Based on my analysis last week of the draft positions that had produced the most talent, things look good for Haloti Ngata, Wimbley, Allen, Cromartie, Davin Joseph and Joseph Addai. The underachieving positions means things don't bode as well for Lawson, Santonio Holmes and Mangold. Not the way I would predict it, as I think Lawson, Holmes and Mangold were all solid picks. The players I'd be most worried about being busts in the first round are Bobby Carpenter, Cromartie, Laurence Maroney, McCargo, and Mathias Kiwanuka.
Pick that everyone's lauding that I don't like -- Maroney. If anyone can keep him straight, it's Bill Belichick, but, while he didn't have any real problems at Minnesota, he often seemed disinterested. Also, he wasn't an every-down back at any point in his career there.
Pick that everyone's questions but I like -- Tamba Hali to Kansas City. I always have a bias toward players that make plays in big games. Hali was a fierce player last year and he has the personal history that leads me to believe he's never going to take the game for granted. Maybe another Neil Smith in the making in K.C.
The quarterback situation: Vince Young to Tennessee was a bit of surprise, especially with Steve McNair on the outs. Young could use a veteran who also likes to run as a mentor for a year or two, but Norm Chow should be able to devise an offense that plays to Young's strengths. Matt Leinart walks into a wonderful situation in Arizona, with no pressure to take the helm this year, three terrific offensive weapons around him and a good offensive mind in Denny Green. Cutler, as discussed earlier, has to be pinching himself. He probably couldn't walk into a better situation, and could have the same fate as Ben Roethlisberger, the 11th pick two years ago.
As for the top pick, I was stunned when I woke up Saturday and heard that the Texans had reached a deal to draft Mario Williams. Even though they have more needs than another running back, Bush is hard to pass up and, as Tom Jackson nailed on draft day, Williams' career will always be viewed side-by-side with Bush's to determine if Houston made the right pick. This is one of the gutsiest moves I've seen a team make at the top of the draft; whether it was the smartest remains to be seen. For Bush, it could be something that motivates him even more toward greatness. No. 1 overall running backs in the past 30 years have had injury-plagued careers, while Tony Dorsett, Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk were all drafted No. 2. (So was Blair Thomas.) My bet is that Bush becomes an instant star, and he sounds genuinely excited to play a role off the field in New Orleans, too.

2006-04-28T09:13:00.000-05:00

Thanks, Keith Jackson

I grew up watching college football and listening to Keith Jackson and Frank Broyles -- possibly the best announcing tandem I've ever heard. And I'm glad that I was able to hear him for many years narrate college football games from places ranging from Auburn to Ann Arbor.

I'll always remember the expressions he came up with, seemingly on a whim, that really didn't make sense, but when translated to the game, made perfect sense.

Some of my favorites:

Once when a wide receiver got nailed by a defensive back going over the middle, Jackson said, "That'll make him a little shy the next time he goes to the cereal bowl."
About a punt returner who tried to spin away from the defense and was quickly snowed under, "You can't be toe dancin' or they'll put you in a tutu."
Commenting on one of the great Wisconsin offensive lines of the Barry Alvarez era, "If you're facin' Wisconsin, you bring yourselves a picnic lunch because you'll be there all afternoon."
When the Minnesota-Michigan (aka, the Little Brown Jug game) flashed across the screen, Jackson mused, "There's nothin' like a little brown jug on a cold winter's night in Michigan," then pausing, "or Minnesota."
And by far my favorite was when a Kansas State score flashed across, Jackson asked broadcast partner Bob Griese if he'd ever been to Manhattan, Kansas. When Griese said no, Jackson replied, "Well, if you ever go, you better put the rocks in your pocket because the wind'll be a blowin'."

Whatever those sayings really mean, they were classic Jackson -- the country boy from Georgia with the unforgettable voice. Unlike Dan Rather, whose bizarre expressions seemed to almost mock his newsreading, Jackson's sayings always fit into the flow of the game. After all, it was about college football, where traditions mean more than in any other sport.

In more recent years, Jackson's quality had slipped. The 2003 Fiesta Bowl between Miami and Ohio State was a terrific game, but Jackson made numerous errors in identifying players and spotting the ball. But he recovered nicely and called a great game in the Rose Bowl this year, blending right in with the quality of the game.

I remember thinking that I hoped he would retire now, as that game would be the perfect one to remember him by. I'm glad he has decided to do so, but I'll still miss him. That's why we have ESPN Classic.

2006-04-26T20:33:00.000-05:00

Best and Worst in the First Round

It won’t be a surprise to see which teams have been the best and worst in making first-round draft picks (1995-2005). Each team, save one, listed in the “best” group either won a Super Bowl or led its conference in wins at least once during the period. The “worst” teams have been some of the weakest teams in recent memory, and only one got to a Super Bowl during the period.

The first round is both overrated and underrated in the draft. True, a team’s success often can hinge on finding players late in the draft – Terrell Davis and Tom Brady were both sixth-rounders and can honestly say they’re the reason their teams won a combined five Super Bowls. But first-rounders are the guys you have to pay big money. If you pick well, they’ll pay for themselves. If you pick poorly, even with the ability to release players quickly, you’re going to be on the hook for them for at least a while.

And teams will do anything to prove they didn’t make a big mistake with a high pick, so they’ll likely hang on to a first-rounder longer than necessary, often in vain. Tying up salary in a player who doesn’t pan out is the surest path to mediocrity in the NFL. Here are the teams that have done the best and worst with what they’ve had to work with in the first round.

Best First-Round Drafters

Baltimore – Ray Lewis, Peter Boulware, Duane Starks and Chris McAlister came in consecutive first rounds and formed a nucleus for one of the best defenses in NFL history. They’ve also picked up Jonathan Ogden, Jamal Lewis, Todd Heap, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs. If Kyle Boller can turn it around, they might have the nucleus of another Super Bowl team.

Indianapolis – A virtual Pro Bowl team can be made from their first-round selections: Peyton Manning at QB, Edgerrin James at RB, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne at WR, Dallas Clark at TE, Tarik Glenn at OT, and Dwight Freeney at DE. And until James left for Arizona a month ago, each one was still with the Colts. Nevertheless, the abundance of offensive talent reflects the team’s neglect of defense, which is why they haven’t won a championship.

Seattle – The Seahawks drafted many of the key cogs in their Super Bowl team in the first round: Walter Jones, Shaun Alexander, Steve Hutchinson, Jerramy Stevens, Marcus Trufant and Marcus Tubbs. Two of their biggest busts – Chris McIntosh and Koren Robinson – came in years when they had two first-round picks, and they got Alexander and Hutchinson with the others. They also drafted Joey Galloway in 1995 and Pete Kendall in 1996.

New York Jets– The Jets may be the only team to not have a legendary bust during this period. Check out this group: Kyle Brady, Hugh Douglas, Keyshawn Johnson, James Farrior, Shaun Ellis, John Abraham, Chad Pennington, Anthony Becht, Santana Moss, Bryan Thomas, Dewayne Robertson and Jonathan Vilma. Their faults are taking some of these players a little too high (Brady, Johnson, Robertson) and letting a few (Douglas, Farrior, Moss) get away.

Jacksonville – They nearly got to the Super Bowl with Tony Boselli, James Stewart, Kevin Hardy, Fred Taylor and Donovan Darius. They went 12-4 last year with Taylor, Darius, Marcus Stroud, John Henderson, and Byron Leftwich. Time will tell about 2004 and 2005 draftees Reggie Williams and Matt Jones.

Pittsburgh – A team that has drafted low in most first rounds but has landed Mark Bruener, Alan Faneca, Casey Hampton, Kendall Simmons, Troy Polamalu and Heath Miller. And then there was that quarterback they took with the 11^th pick in 2004. If only the Steelers would stay away from wide receivers (Troy Edwards in 1999, Plaxico Burress in 2000).

Tampa Bay – A franchise that once made a laughingstock of the draft has actually righted itself nicely in the past 10 years, getting Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks in the same first round, then picking up Warrick Dunn and Anthony McFarland in later drafts. They also scored Rookie of the Year Cadillac Williams in the first round last year.

Denver – They haven’t been perfect (Marcus Nash, Willie Middlebrooks) and often have drafted near the bottom of the first round, but all three linebackers from last season (John Mobley, Al Wilson and D.J. Williams) were first-rounders, as well as offensive starters Ashley Lelie and George Foster.

Worst First-Round Drafters

Cleveland – They had the No. 1 pick in back-to-back years and misfired bigtime on both – Tim Couch and Courtney Brown. Then there’s Gerard Warren, William Green and Kellen Winslow. All of these have come since 1999, which explains why Romeo Crennel has his work cut out for him.

Miami – The Dolphins haven’t had many first-rounders (only seven in 11 years) and used four of them on Billy Milner, Yatil Green, John Avery and Jamar Fletcher. Daryl Gardener was nothing special and Vernon Carey is just becoming a starter. There’s hope for Ronnie Brown to start a new era.

Chicago – They’ve improved in recent years, if Rex Grossman can stay healthy. But that doesn’t undo some legendary misses, including Rashaan Salaam, Curtis Enis, Cade McNown, David Terrell and Marc Colombo. Brian Urlacher is clearly the gem in this group.

Arizona – Some memorable busts, including Tom Knight, Andre Wadsworth, Wendell Bryant and Bryant Johnson. The jury is still out on Antrel Rolle. Simeon Rice and Thomas Jones have done better elsewhere. Leonard Davis hasn’t lived up to a No. 2 pick.

San Francisco – Aside from Julian Peterson in 2000, you're looking at the likes of J.J. Stokes, R.W. McQuarters, Reggie McGrew, Ahmed Plummer, Andre Carter, Mike Rumph and Rashaun Woods. Let's hope for the Niners sake that Alex Smith pans out.

Oakland – The Raiders’ sin has often been to reach for players too high, such as Rickey Dudley and Sebastian Janikowski. There was the late Darrell Russell at No. 2 in 1997 and forgettable first-rounders in Napoleon Kaufman, Matt Stinchcomb, Phillip Buchanon and Nnamdi Asomugha. One exception: 1998, when the Raiders drafted Charles Woodson and Mo Collins.

Detroit – Oh, those receivers. Roy Williams has been OK. Mike Williams was a nonfactor last year. Charles Rogers has been injured. Then you have the quarterback who was trying to get them the ball, Joey Harrington (No. 3 in 2002). Aaron Gibson was a big bust, in more ways than one. Terry Fair was fair at best and Bryant Westbrook wasn’t much better. We’ll let them off the hook for Reggie Brown, whose career was cut short by a neck injury.

Cincinnati – If this study went back further, the Bengals might be the runaway winners, er, losers, thanks to Alfred Williams, David Klingler, and Dan Wilkinson, among others. But here the Bengals only have to pay for Ki-Jana Carter, Akili Smith, and Peter Warrick, and they’ve balanced it somewhat with Willie Anderson, Takeo Spikes, Levi Jones and Carson Palmer.

2006-04-25T20:11:00.000-05:00

Drafting by the numbers

The NFL Draft is four days away, and everyone is busy with their mock drafts. This prompted me to look back at the first rounds of years past and see what number pick in the first round has produced the worthiest crop of players, relative of course to where they were picked. In other words, a No. 25 pick who becomes a regular All-Pro is better value than someone picked No. 1 who goes on to similar honors. I went through the drafts since 1995, which was the first year in which at least 30 players were drafted in Round 1.

#1 overall pick
Best picks: Orlando Pace, Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer
Worst picks: Ki-Jana Carter, Tim Couch, Courtney Brown

#2 overall pick
Best picks: Tony Boselli, Donovan McNabb, Julius Peppers
Worst picks: Darrell Russell, Ryan Leaf, Charles Rogers

#3 overall pick
Best picks: Steve McNair, Simeon Rice, Larry Fitzgerald
Worst picks: Andre Wadsworth, Akili Smith, Gerard Warren, Joey Harrington

#4 overall pick
Best picks: Jonathan Ogden, Charles Woodson, Edgerrin James
Worst picks: Justin Smith, Mike Williams

#5 overall pick
Best picks: Jamal Lewis, LaDainian Tomlinson, Sean Taylor
Worst picks: Cedric Jones, Curtis Enis, Quentin Jammer

#6 overall pick
Best picks: Walter Jones, Grant Wistrom, Torry Holt, Richard Seymour
Worst picks: Lawrence Phillips, Ryan Sims, Kellen Winslow, Pacman Jones

#7 overall pick
Best picks: Terry Glenn, Champ Bailey, Byron Leftwich
Worst picks: Mike Mamula, Andre Carter, Troy Williamson

#8 overall pick
Best picks: Joey Galloway, James Farrior, Roy Williams (Dallas S), Jordan Gross
Worst picks: Tim Biakabutuka, David Terrell

#9 overall pick
Best picks: Fred Taylor, Brian Urlacher, Kevin Williams
Worst picks: Tommy Knight, Koren Robinson

#10 overall pick
Best picks: Willie Anderson, Chris McAlister
Worst picks: Travis Taylor, Jamal Reynolds

#11 overall pick
Best picks: Tra Thomas, Daunte Culpepper, Dwight Freeney, Ben Roethlisberger
Worst picks: Derrick Alexander (Minnesota DE), Michael Booker, Ron Dayne

#12 overall pick
Best picks: Warren Sapp, Warrick Dunn, Keith Brooking, Shaun Ellis, Jonathan Vilma, Shawne Merriman
Worst picks: Cade McNown, Damione Lewis, Wendell Bryant

#13 overall pick
Best picks: Tony Gonzalez, Takeo Spikes, John Abraham
Worst pick: Troy Edwards

#14 overall pick
Best picks: Eddie George, Bubba Franks
Worst picks: Jason Peter, Michael Haynes

#15 overall pick
Best picks: John Mobley, Anthony McFarland
Worst picks: Yatil Green, Rod Gardner, Jerome McDougle

#16 overall pick
Best picks: Hugh Douglas, Kevin Dyson, Jevon Kearse, Julian Peterson, Santana Moss, Troy Polamalu
Worst picks: Duane Clemons, Reidel Anthony, William Green

#17 overall pick
Best picks: Brian Simmons, Steve Hutchinson, D.J. Williams
Worst picks: Tyrone Wheatley, Sebastian Janikowski, Philip Buchanon

#18 overall pick
Best pick: Chad Pennington
Worst picks: Napoleon Kaufman, Robert Edwards, Calvin Pace

#19 overall pick
Best picks: Marvin Harrison, Tarik Glenn, Shaun Alexander, Casey Hampton
Worst pick: James Stewart, Kyle Boller

#20 overall pick
Best picks: Javon Walker, Marcus Spears
Worst picks: Dwayne Rudd, Terry Fair, Ebenezer Ekuban

#21 overall pick
Best picks: Randy Moss, Nate Clements,
Worst picks: Rashaan Salaam, Sylvester Morris

#22 overall pick
Best picks: Tyrone Poole, Bryan Thomas
Worst picks: Marcus Jones, Lamar King, Chris McIntosh

#23 overall pick
Best picks: Ty Law, Jeff Hartings, Antoine Winfield, Deuce McAllister
Worst picks: Rashard Anderson

#24 overall pick
Best picks: Eric Moulds, Ed Reed
Worst picks: Reggie McGrew, Willie Middlebrooks

#25 overall pick
Best picks: Donovan Darius, Chris Hovan
Worst picks: Billy Milner, Jon Harris, Antuan Edwards, Freddie Mitchell

#26 overall pick
Best picks: Ray Lewis, Alan Faneca
Worst picks: Jim Druckenmiller, Erik Flowers, Jamar Fletcher

#27 overall pick
Best pick: Larry Johnson
Worst picks: John Michels, Rae Carruth, Mike Rumph

#28 overall pick
Best picks: Derrick Brooks, Trevor Pryce, Chris Gamble
Worst picks: Andy Katzenmoyer

#29 overall pick
Best pick: Ryan Pickett
Worst picks: Jamain Stephens, John Avery, Dimitrius Underwood, R. Jay Soward

#30 overall pick
Best picks: Keith Bulluck, Reggie Wayne, Kevin Jones, Heath Miller
Worst picks: Craig Powell, Marcus Nash

So where have been the best and worst for the value?
Looking deep in the draft, #19 looks especially fruitful with Alexander and Harrison, two perennial MVP candidates. #16 and #23 have produced some solid players and few outright busts. And #30 has been promising in recent years with Wayne, Jones and Miller. On the flip side, picks 22, 25 and 29 haven't produced a real gem and have had their share of busts.

Near the top, it's more of a mixed bag. For every truly great player there is an equally big bust, with picks 12 and 13 having the best overall performance. Nothing in the top 10 has been especially fertile.

That speaks to two things: 1) The top 10 often includes several "workout warriors," who put on a great show at the scouting combines but don't have the ability to translate skills to the field; and 2) Teams have reached for need high in the draft, particularly when there are a multitude of good players at one position. That has been proven with the likes of Tom Knight, Travis Taylor, Troy Edwards and Jamal Reynolds, all of whom were in a pack of several players at the same position drafted high.

We'll see what happens this year.

DJ

2006-04-25T11:24:00.000-05:00

Best and worst mascots

Sports Illustrated recently posted their list of the 10 worst mascots in college sports. I have to agree with many of them, such as that ugly Stanford tree and the shock of wheat that Wichita State uses (boy, THAT'S intimidating).

Here are my favorite college mascots (not including live animals):
1) The St. Joe's Hawk -- That thing just keeps flapping its wings, so how can you not keep cheering?
2) Big Red, the Western Kentucky mascot -- For the wonder of trying to figure out what that thing really is.
3) Bucky Badger -- The toughest-looking rodent in the Midwest.
4) Albert the Gator -- We have to find room for a mascot that's done time on the SportsCenter commercials.
5) Brutus the Buckeye -- Extra points for making a nut into a cool mascot.

DJ

2006-04-20T19:10:00.000-05:00

Can a QB fall again?

Before the Super Bowl, I wrote a post about the "fall" of Ben Roethlisberger to the Steelers at the No. 11 spot in the 2004 draft. Two years later, Roethlisberger helped Pittsburgh win the Super Bowl, while most of the teams that picked above the Steelers hadn't improved much.

The point was that, in drafting a quarterback with a high first-round pick, and committing the money that the position and high draft status demand, a team that already has a young quarterback in place is hesitant to take another. Plus, everyone remembers Rick Mirer, Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch and Akili Smith, among others, and knows that they were all drafted within one place of Drew Bledsoe, Peyton Manning, or Donovan McNabb. The downside of taking the wrong guy is immense.

Pittsburgh got lucky that two other highly rated quarterbacks (Eli Manning and Philip Rivers) were rated ahead of Big Ben on the board, and only two other teams were ready to take the risk of drafting a quarterback high. It wasn't the first time something like that had happened. In 1983, the Dolphins watched Dan Marino fall to them at the 27th pick, after five other quarterbacks had gone before him. One can say that Aaron Rodgers' fall to the Packers at the 24th pick last year was even more dramatic, and reminiscent of the same trend. But until we see what Rodgers can do, we can't know if that will pay off for Green Bay.

This year the draft, like in 2004, features three quarterbacks jockeying for position high in the first round -- Matt Leinart, considered the safest and most pro-ready pick of the three; Jay Cutler, a scout's darling who excelled in pre-draft workouts; and Vince Young, who made everyone's mouth drop in the Rose Bowl, went through every critic's wringer, and now seems to have comfortably settled in as a guy who needs some work but has too much upside to pass up.

Can one of these three fall this year? Let's look at the draft order and what teams might do. I'm going to stretch the scenario a little bit, but hear me out:

1) Houston -- The Texans will take Reggie Bush if they keep the pick. But if some team (the Jets?) covets Bush, they might be able to put together a package that provokes the Texans to trade down. Houston has a solid running back in Domanick Davis, and while Bush has greatness written all over him, running backs have among the shortest shelf lives in the league. The Texans desperately need help at more positions than quarterback and running back. Regardless, they're not taking a quarterback, and it's doubtful anyone would trade up to No. 1 and take someone other than Bush.
2) New Orleans -- They signed Drew Brees to a huge contract. They will either trade down or keep the pick. If they keep it, they're not taking a quarterback. If they trade it, likely a team will be drafting one of the Big Three. But, for argument's sake, let's say the Saints keep the pick and take someone like Mario Williams.
3) Tennessee -- The Titans probably will take a quarterback. Steve McNair is persona non grata at the team's practice facility, and Billy Volek isn't a long-term answer. A reunion between Leinart and Norm Chow is a virtual certainty if the USC quarterback is available. So, in this scenario, let's say one of the three quarterbacks is off the board.
4) N.Y. Jets -- Again, stay with me on this: Let's say the Jets trade up and take Bush. Houston moves down and they're probably taking D'Brickashaw Ferguson. If they don't, David Carr will officially sue the franchise for criminal negligence. If the Jets stayed at the fourth pick, a second quarterback would probably go. Again, I'm going to stretch this and say the Jets move up, Houston takes Ferguson, and two quarterbacks are still left.
5) Green Bay -- Brett Favre might or might not be back. He might or might not have lunch tomorrow either, and I sure hope he calls a press conference to tell us his decision. Regardless, the Packers now have Rodgers pegged to be their quarterback of the future, and they need help at other positions more than they need another quarterback controversy.
6) San Francisco -- Alex Smith looked lost at times as a rookie, but he was the No. 1 overall pick last year. So the Niners, who were so many levels of bad last year, have to look at other positions.
7) Oakland -- The Raiders' nature would be to take a guy like Young, though they just signed Aaron Brooks in the offseason. Al Davis loves to do things people don't expect, so could it be possible that he passes on Young and takes a player like Young's college teammate, the hard-hitting safety Michael Huff -- who fills a greater need for Oakland. Again, pushing the envelope, I'll play this out that the Raiders do so and leave two quarterbacks on the board.
8) Buffalo -- J.P. Losman is too young to give up on, having gone late in the first round in 2004. The Bills have bigger needs, like a long-term stadium deal.
9) Detroit -- Matt Millen has needed a quarterback for so long, but instead waited out Joey Harrington. Now he has signed Jon Kitna and Josh McCown, so it's hard to believe he'll cloud the issue with another quarterback. The long treadmill ride continues for Lions fans.
10) Arizona -- The Cardinals have Kurt Warner, who will likely be the starter this year as the team tries to make a run at the playoffs. Arizona means business, signing Edgerrin James in the offseason. Denny Green has always been one to take the best player available, and if both Cutler and Young are still here, he'll be hard-pressed not to take one. I'll say that he does, and this will help cover me if Oakland takes a quarterback and the Cardinals pass. Two off the board, one to go.
11) St. Louis -- The 11th pick, just where Roethlisberger went. St. Louis has a decent, but erratic and injury-prone, starting quarterback in Marc Bulger. They have a new coach in Scott Linehan who made Daunte Culpepper look great in Minnesota and Gus Frerotte credible in Miami. While the Rams have other needs, it's doubtful that Linehan would pass up a chance to draft the team's quarterback of the future. A combination of Cutler and Linehan (if Oakland took Young, for example) would give Rams fans visions of the Greatest Show on Turf again.

So I'll predict all three quarterbacks are off the board by pick #11. It's conceivable, however, that one could still be left at this point. In that case ...
12) Cleveland -- Not taking a quarterback -- Charlie Frye emerged last year and coach Romeo Crennel is a defense-minded guy.
13) Baltimore -- As long as Brian Billick still has faith in Kyle Boller, he'll keep giving him chances. They're not taking a quarterback.
14) Philadelphia -- Donovan McNabb will be healthy, and the Eagles have far greater needs.
15) Denver -- Like Linehan, Mike Shanahan would love a chance to develop a young quarterback, but my guess is that player would probably come later in the draft. Jake Plummer is likely the starter again.
16) Miami -- The Dolphins just traded for Culpepper. They're out of the quarterback picture.
17) Minnesota -- I can't see one of the top three quarterbacks falling past here. Minnesota is counting on Brad Johnson, who will be 38 in September, for this year. They need someone for the long term. If either Cutler or Young is there, Minnesota probably has to take him and keep him off Lake Minnetonka.

The draft is the ultimate gamble, as often is the case in gambling, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. We'll see if any of these quarterbacks turns out to be another Roethlisberger -- or another Mirer or Couch.

DJ

2006-04-18T19:43:00.000-05:00

Today's edition of the police blotter

It's a busy day in the hard news world that is sports:

Two Duke University lacrosse players were charged with first-degree rape, sexual offense and kidnapping in an incident that allegedly occurred at an off-campus party on March 13. The two players are free on bond as their attorneys rail at the local authorities and proclaim their clients' innocence.
Stan Conte, athletic trainer for the San Francisco Giants, was subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury investigating whether Barry Bonds lied about his possible role during the BALCO steroids investigation.
Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden was charged with DUI after he ran a stop sign in Miami Beach. His girlfriend was charged with battery and resisting arrest stemming from an incident that night as well.
Penn State fined women's basketball coach Rene Portland $10,000 for violation of the school's nondiscrimination policy for her treatment of a player who wasn't feminine enough for the team.
Arizona minor league pitcher Angel Rocha was suspended 100 games for a second violation of baseball's steroid policy. Four other minor leaguers got 50-game bans for first offenses.

None of this stuff is sudden -- the mid-April sports lull has just pushed these stories more to the forefront. At least once a day it seems we get another tale of bad behavior from the sports world.

What's the common thread among these stories? Entitlement. Sports fans are shocked (SHOCKED!) to hear that these incidents occur. But do we ever think about what we do to perpetuate them?

We plead for winning teams and winning players, we form the audience for whom sports has evolved into a billion-dollar industry. We can't be surprised at the collateral damage caused by this phenomenon. Coaches push their players to the limits. Players push their bodies to the limits. Both groups -- and others associated with sports -- find ways to blow off steam, not always the right ways. We rarely pay attention to these things that go on behind the scenes, until they blow up into headlines.

Then after we've run our heroes through the wringer, we grant them forgiveness and root for them all over again.

This is not to say that all athletes make the misguided decisions those mentioned above might have made, nor is it to excuse any of them if they did make those decisions. It's not to say all sports fans are without ethics and soul. Hell, I'm probably the biggest hypocrite of all, sitting at my computer writing this blog because I care about sports and I have enough ego to think others might care what I have to say about them.

But we all make a bit of a Faustian bargain to be sports fans, especially in this day and age. Today was a good day for the devil.

DJ

2006-04-17T20:22:00.000-05:00

Book Review: Dave Kindred on Ali and Cosell

The praise given Dave Kindred's book "Sound and Fury: Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship" on its back cover doesn't even begin to do it justice. This "tri-biography" of Muhammad Ali, Howard Cosell, and the partnership between the two, is a wonderful book and a novel concept that only a few had the knowledge, connections and talent to write. Thankfully for all of us, Kindred has.

Two books on Ali stand out for me -- Thomas Hauser's defining "Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times," an oral history that Kindred rightly cites as generating relevance for Ali more than 10 years after his retirement, and David Remnick's majestic "King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero," which chronicles Ali's rise in the context of the often-frightening period during which it occurred. In his acknowledgements, Kindred admits that he had wanted to do an Ali biography but was overwhelmed by all the current work, so he offered to do one on Cosell. His agent suggested a biography of both. "Great agent," is the author's comment on that suggestion.

Kindred, a longtime sportswriter for The Washington Post, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and The Sporting News, among other publications, knew both men well. How well? In his introduction, he describes a scene in which he crawls into bed with a naked Ali in order to get a list of the names in the fighter's entourage, then segues to a scene at Cosell's house on Long Island in which the broadcaster emerges from his bedroom in his underwear, sans toupee, and flexes his muscles to show off to the author. Kindred has a genuine appreciation for both men, but his book is far more than an homage to their greatness.

The author paints a balanced portrait of both as flawed human beings, who rose to fame together in the turbulent 1960s, both minorities who dealt with persecution and rose above it. Despite their most obvious differences -- age, race, religion, marital history, and looks -- they had a great deal in common.

First, they were both driven by their own insecurity. Ali (then Cassius Clay) was driven to the Black Muslims by the sense of belonging they gave him, even as the group was undergoing a philosophical split that would result in Malcolm X's murder. His proclamations of his greatness before the cameras were driven by self-motivation as much as showmanship. Cosell was a perfectionist who feared the worst before almost every broadcast but managed to deliver every time. His selection for "Monday Night Football," the gig that cemented his celebrity, came only after a series of calls to badger creator Roone Arledge, which finally drew a return call and this hilarious ensuing exchange:

Arledge: "Get over here as soon as you can. There's something I need to talk to you about."
Cosell: "Ahhhh, from the desperation of your tone, I can only conclude that the bon vivant who is Roone Pinckney Arledge is beseeching me to rescue the trifle he's devised for Monday evenings. Am I not correct?"
Arledge: "As always, Howard."
Cosell: "And you no doubt expect me to shoulder this Stygian burden without additional compensation."
Arledge: "Yes, Howard, I do."
Cosell: "I accept."

Yet for all their haughty speech and insecurity, both worked to get where they were. Ali fought his way out of the Jim Crow South, took out perhaps the most feared champion of all-time in Sonny Liston, took on the government over the Vietnam War, regained the heavyweight title twice more, and retired with five career losses -- three of which came in his final four fights, when his body had already begun deteriorating and he was going for the paycheck. He is one of the most beloved men in the world. Cosell put himself through law school, joined the Army during World War II, directed his own early work, jumped to television at precisely the moment it was taking off in the national consciousness, and had a sixth sense of where to be when a major story was breaking so that his was the first voice you heard when you needed information. Followers have called him one of the "three C's of television:" Carson, Cronkite and Cosell.

So often Cosell's path intertwined with Ali's. A political liberal, Cosell defended Ali's right to take an anti-war stance (though Cosell was careful not to adopt the same public stance himself). He read the fighter's on-air statement announcing that he had refused to enter the service. Cosell was the first to reach the new champion upon his miraculous dispatch of Liston. He attended every Ali fight thereafter except the former champ's career-ending loss to Trevor Berbick, and shared numerous interviews along the way, probing Ali's thoughts and intentions. Their exchanges were often playful, occasionally serious, always memorable.

Both fell from glory at roughly the same time. Ali's final fights were money grabs to support himself after divorces, the Black Muslims and hangers-on who had taken advantage of Ali's good nature, had drained much of the champ's bank account. He refused to train seriously and was beaten soundly by Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes and Berbick. Cosell, who helped establish "Monday Night Football" as an American tradition, left it bitter with his broadcast partners and done in by a scandal in which he had, ironically, called Washington Redskins receiver Alvin Garrett a "little monkey." The man who did as much for racial equality than anyone in sports was wrongly labelled a racist, but no one could overlook his increasingly boorish treatment of his broadcast partners and his self-serving rants directed toward the hypocrisy he now saw in sports.

Heroes are the people we wish ourselves to be, at least for a little while. And at their best, both Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell filled the bill. We wish to see the Ali who danced around the ring as a youth, who outran Liston, outsmarted George Foreman and outlasted Joe Frazier. We wish to see Cosell on the television describing the boxer he knew best, or uncovering the story behind Tommie Smith and John Carlos' Olympic protest, or opining on Reggie Jackson's dramatic homers or Lynn Swann's acrobatic catches.

Most of all, we want to hear them. For both were masters of language. Ali's street poetry and off-kilter proclamations that somehow became reality made him more intriguing than any athlete of our lifetimes. Cosell's polysyllabic hyperbole couldn't obscure the truth or conviction from the words he spoke and brought him at least a grudging respect. We want to hear them again, at the top of their profession, perhaps together in a boxing ring or a TV studio.

But Cosell has been dead nearly 11 years, and Ali is stricken by Parkinson's disease that has rendered him mute. It has taken another man with a gift for language, Dave Kindred, to restore them to us.

DJ

2006-04-12T20:16:00.000-05:00

The Case for MVP

The NBA regular season often takes on an air of inconsequence, but this year has produced one of the most compelling MVP races in recent memory. Given that many of the usual suspects have suffered through injuries (Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady), or bad seasons by their teams (Kevin Garnett), or just haven't lived up to their usual lofty standard (Tim Duncan), the battle for MVP is wide open and as many as 10 players belong in the discussion.

The philosophical issue around this award is whether it goes to the best player in the league or the one who simply is the most critical to his teams success. In sorting through the candidates, I've come to the conclusion that the player who meets both criteria is one and the same.

My top five, in reverse order:

5) Chauncey Billups, Detroit: One of the game's most underrated players for a long time now has a Finals MVP to his credit from 2004 and was in the upper echelon of this discussion when the Pistons got out of the gate quickly. His 19 points and nearly nine assists per game are five points and four assists better than his career highs. But ultimately the Pistons thrive because of how well their players complement one another. Billups is the best of the bunch and the glue, but he has more help than anyone in the league except possibly Duncan.
4) Dwyane Wade, Miami: With O'Neal limited to 57 games so far this year, Wade has become the Heat's unquestioned star. He's fifth in the NBA scoring and also ranks in the top 10 in steals and assists. But Miami has added balance and depth that was missing last year, and ultimately, Pat Riley will get the credit for molding it into the second-best team in the East. Wade's negatives are his weak 3-point shooting (.171) and the team's 11 1/2 game deficit to Detroit in the East.
3) Steve Nash, Phoenix: Last year's winner has to be in the hunt again, after taking a team that's been without three starters from last season's Western Conference finalist squad. After the trade of Quentin Richardson, the free-agent loss of Joe Johnson and the injury to Amare Stoudemire, Nash has led a Suns squad and turned players such as Raja Bell and Boris Diaw into stars. He has increased his scoring to more than 19 points a game and leads the league in assists. But the Suns have taken a back seat to the Spurs and Mavericks in the West, so the award has to go elsewhere this year.
2) Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas: Nowitzki will never be a great defender, but his leadership and willingness to expend the effort to learn coach Avery Johnson's scrappier style of play has inspired the Mavericks to nearly the best record in the West. What Nowitzki will always be is a great shooter, perhaps the game's best and certainly one of its most clutch. There's also the nine rebounds per game that his 7-foot frame affords him and his stellar free-throw percentage (.897, which is sixth in the league but only third among the people on this top-five list). He only loses out because of the caliber of the man in front of him.
1) LeBron James, Cleveland: There just aren't enough superlatives to describe this man's ascendance into basketball legend. Just three years ago James was in high school and the Cavaliers were a franchise on life support. Now the kid from nearby Akron has taken Cleveland to 47 wins (fourth in the East) and averages nearly 32 points per game. He adds seven rebounds and seven assists a game, making him a candidate for a triple-double every game, and he's doing it with the help of a solid, but certainly not imposing cast around him. He is unafraid to take -- and make -- the big shot, evidenced by his 19-for-29 shooting performance in the last two minutes of a one-possession game. James might wear out in the playoffs (averaging 43 minutes per game), but somewhere along the way he should pick up his first of what should be many MVP awards.

Not in my top five is Kobe Bryant, who leads the league in scoring and had the second-most points in a game in NBA history with 81. Along with LeBron, he's the most likely player in the sport to take a last-second shot when his team needs it. But for those who want to make the argument that without Kobe, the Lakers would be one of the league's worst teams, I rebutt with this: Without Kobe, the Lakers probably have O'Neal, and they'd be no worse off at all.

DJ

2006-04-11T12:49:00.000-05:00

A Blast from the Past

While I've always been and always will be a fan of the great game of Strat-O-Matic Baseball, I spent the better part of two college years playing RBI Baseball, in its Nintendo and Arcade form.

You might remember RBI, a rudimentary video baseball game that had 16 players (eight starters, four bench players and four pitchers) per team. In particular, the arcade game was fun because the 10 teams were all-time rosters for each of 10 franchises. (They couldn't do any better for the Braves at shortstop than Rafael Ramirez.) Pitchers could throw fast and slow and make the ball curve, loosely based on their real abilities. Batters had power and speed proportional to their own in real-life. Defense was controllable, but not based on the actual caliber of the player, so there were no worries about defensive substitutions.

If you check Deadspin, you've seen this recently, but someone was able to recreate the sixth game of the 1986 World Series using the Mets and Red Sox teams from RBI Baseball and Vin Scully's play-by-play of the real game. I especially like the part where they congratulate Marty Barrett for being the player of the game with one out to go.

Lovers of RBI should also check out a great site that has reviews of all the teams from both the Nintendo and Arcade versions.

DJ

2006-04-08T11:36:00.000-05:00

Break 'em up

The first week of the baseball season always provides the sort of surprises that breed overreaction, so with that in mind:

Get ready for the Tigers-Brewers World Series!

Detroit and Milwaukee are the only teams yet to lose this year. Granted, they have gone 4-0 against less than overwhelming competition. The Tigers beat the lowly Royals twice and then teed off on the weak Rangers pitching staff. The Brewers swept Pittsburgh and then beat Arizona.

But nevertheless, two teams that haven't been competitive for nearly 15 years are winning games that they should. That's the first step toward climbing out of mediocrity.

The Brewers are everyone's sleeper pick this year after finishing 81-81 last year (their first .500 season since Paul Molitor left in 1992). I chose them to finish third, because it's never a baseball season in Milwaukee without major injuries. But the front office has built this team smartly. GM Doug Melvin is one of the finest in the game, and Milwaukee has a crop of young talent in Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart and many others. The Brewers' farm system was once a wasteland but now has the depth of talent to carry the team for many years -- critical in a market that can't afford a high-payroll team.

And here's an example of how good a GM Melvin is: Last winter he traded Brewers closer Dan Kolb, probably overvalued after posting 39 saves in 2004, to Atlanta for Jose Capellan, a young prospect with a great arm. After Kolb flamed out as the Braves' closer, he's back in Milwaukee this year setting up Derrick Turnbow. If starter Ben Sheets can recover quickly from a back injury, Milwaukee certainly will be in the hunt for the wild card in the weak National League.

Detroit is a different story, but the Tigers are benefiting from the adage about a rising tide lifting all boats. The AL Central had previously been the sport's worst division, but the three-year division run by the pitching-rich Twins, followed by the White Sox title and the Indians' emergence, have made it one of baseball's best divisions.

Now Detroit, after a year of bringing in veterans like Pudge Rodriguez, Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco and talented but injury-prone Magglio Ordonez, has a team that can show up without getting laughed out of visiting stadiums. Case in point: The Twins can basically thank the Tigers for their three division titles, winning 41 of 56 meetings between the two teams. Last year, Detroit won eight of the 19 meetings and was only four games under .500 until collapsing with an 8-24 record beginning September 1.

But Detroit is quietly assembling young talent as well, in pitchers Jeremy Bonderman, Fernando Rodney and Justin Verlander, outfielder Curtis Granderson and first baseman Chris Shelton, who is hitting a cool .688 with five homers so far this year.

Both Detroit and Milwaukee opened new stadiums in this decade to sparse crowds who preferred winning to hope. Now, though the season is far too early to draw conclusions, both cities may finally be cashing in.

2006-04-07T09:39:00.000-05:00

Best of the Rest

With the Masters underway in Augusta, Ga., so kicks off a season of many secondary events that are popular with certain sports fans but not all. They don't have the national cachet of baseball, football, basketball, or NASCAR, but they often provide for compelling entertainment, and many true fans wouldn't miss them.

Here are my five favorite events in the "non-major" sports:

5) The Frozen Four -- I have to admit hockey wasn't even on my radar screen when I was young. A great season by the Flyers might catch my attention but otherwise I was watching basketball instead of hockey. But going to college at Bowdoin and graduate school at the University of Minnesota turned me on to college hockey. The Frozen Four has produced some classic games -- my two favorites were the 1989 and 1991 championship games, both held in St. Paul, Minn. Harvard beat Minnesota in overtime in 1989, and Northern Michigan won an unbelievable 8-7 triple overtime game against Boston University in 1991.

4) Wimbledon -- I've heard people group golf and tennis into one column in terms of following sports, and I have to admit it's true for me. When I was younger and played a lot of tennis, I wouldn't miss one of the Grand Slams. As I've gotten older and play a little bit of golf, I appreciate that sport more. But I still make some time for Wimbledon. It doesn't get much better than waking up early on a Sunday morning in July to catch the ladies' or men's final. The points are sometimes painfully short, but the fast grass keeps the tempo of the match going and puts an advantage on the server that makes service breaks truly rare.

3) The U.S. Open (golf) -- The Masters certainly has a lure, but most of all, I appreciate watching the world's greatest golfers enduring the tough conditions on USGA courses. It makes me, for once, feel a little better about my own (bad) game. And while Augusta is probably the nation's most revered course, it's fun to see new courses every year and learn about the USGA "Openizes" them. As I mentioned with Wimbledon and service breaks, birdies at the U.S. Open are so precious that a 10-footer puts you in the edge of your seat.

2) The World Cup -- Can you see a trend developing here? Service breaks at Wimbledon: rare. Birdies at the U.S. Open: rare. Goals at the World Cup: really rare. There's a reason why Andres Cantor goes nuts about each one. While the Olympics has become an overcommercialized mess, the World Cup is now the premier international sporting event for its displays of nationalism and pride. Though soccer has risen in popularity in the United States, it will never become anything close to the national sport that it is in most countries. And by that measure, the World Cup gives us a chance to look inside other cultures and feel their own heartbeat for a while.

1) The Kentucky Derby -- The first one I ever watched came in 1977, when Seattle Slew raced to victory and then went on to win the Triple Crown. Affirmed and Alydar staged their classic battle the next year, and carried it through for two more big races. I figured winning the Triple Crown was easy. No one has won since. In '79, Spectacular Bid almost made it three straight but lost to Coastal in the Belmont Stakes. Pleasant Colony, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Charismatic, War Emblem, Funny Cide and Smarty Jones couldn't finish the deal. But on Derby Sunday, we wait in anticipation for the next possible Crown winner to emerge. While there's nothing better than a Belmont Stakes when a Triple Crown is at stake, the Derby is the only of the three races where you can truly root for any horse, because they all technically have a shot at the Crown.

Those are my favorites; I'd love to hear yours.

DJ

2006-04-05T14:16:00.000-05:00

Why wait until next year?

If you're already suffering from college basketball withdrawal, and who doesn't after the buildup of March Madness, here's a look at ESPN's top 10 for next year. They also have posted their 11-25, and a mock bracket for next year's tournament. Are you kidding me?

In case you're in the mood for traveling, the Final Four in 2007 will be in Atlanta, the regionals in East Rutherford, St. Louis, San Antonio and San Jose. First-round sites include Buffalo; Winston-Salem; Lexington, Ky.; New Orleans; Columbus; Chicago; Spokane, Wash.; and Sacramento.

DJ

2006-04-04T08:37:00.000-05:00

Gators have bite

Not much to be said about the NCAA championship game last night, as Florida easily handled UCLA 73-57. This completed one of the most dominant runs in NCAA tournament history, certainly since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Only Georgetown challenged the Gators, falling 57-53 in the Sweet 16. Florida won its final three games by 13, 15 and 16 points. The last champ to win its final three games by double digits was Duke in 2001, but that's deceiving because the Blue Devils won by 10, 11 and 10, coming back from an early 22-point deficit in their semifinal win over Maryland and pulling away from Arizona late in the final. Florida's last three games weren't that close.

The Gators have remarkable poise for such a young team. Their play makes sense given the pedigree that Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Taurean Green have as sons of professional athletes. All three of them, as well as their teammates, play as if they've been there before. Billy Packer talked about "basketball IQ" a lot last night, and it's rare that you'll see that kind of praise heaped on sophomores (or by Packer in general). Perhaps Billy Donovan, as a young coach who played in a Final Four 19 years ago, can relate the game pressure to his players better than many coaches. Whatever the reason, Florida never let the game get too big for them.

Jim Nantz had the stat of the game last night when he mentioned that Florida was one of only two teams in Division I to have all five starters with more assists than turnovers. South Carolina (which beat the Gators twice and nearly a third time) was the other. That trait put the Gators over the top last night. Against one of the most suffocating defenses in recent tournament memory, Florida turned the ball over only six times (with 21 assists).

While the Monday night title game didn't have the cachet of last year's final between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country, it did feature the two best teams in the tournament. And there's no question the best team won. Congratulations to the Gators.

DJ

2006-04-02T17:47:00.000-05:00

Book Review: Feinstein on the Final Four

With a long plane ride this weekend, I devoured John Feinstein's latest book: "Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four." While the author takes some criticism for churning out books in rapid fire, often repeating topics and anecdotes, I have to say this is one of his better efforts of late. That's simply because the man loves college basketball, he's well connected in the game, and he can spin a great story even when he's on autopilot.

"Last Dance" is really a series of vignettes about people associated with the event. From Billy Packer and Dick Vitale on television, to long-time reporters Bill Brill, Dick Weiss and Jim O'Connell, to NCAA director of officiating Hank Nichols, to his favorite subjects -- the coaches, Feinstein tells the stories behind the crowning moment of the college basketball season. Yes, it's a little bit redundant; yes, it gets a little sloppy at times (in Mike Krzyzewski's introduction, he refers to Scott May's broken leg prior to the 1975 tournament, when it was a broken arm). But it still lures you in and makes you turn the page.

Feinstein is close with a number of great coaches, and he has significant material from each of the past five winners: Krzyzewski, Gary Williams, Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun and Roy Williams. He also sits down with two of the best ever: Dean Smith and John Wooden, to get their take on the event and the march to get there. He goes behind the scenes for the selection of the teams and the officials, particularly criticizing the team selection committee for its secrecy and its pandering to the power conferences by creating the play-in game in 2001.

Ideally, if the author simply wrote about basketball and golf, which the majority of his books are about, he'd produce enough to keep me entertained, and the paperback edition of this book should be interesting, since Feinstein usually writes a new afterword on events since the publication of the hardback edition, and he has a great story in this year's tournament with George Mason. Feinstein has demonstrated a knowledge and appreciation for the little guy in his work, and he's as well qualified to write about the Patriots' run as any journalist.

I've read the majority of Feinstein's nonfiction -- exceptions being "Play Ball," "Open" and "Let Me Tell You a Story." Here are my five favorites of his work:

5) The Punch -- These are my favorite kinds of books, where an author can take a single event and tell the stories surrounding it. Feinstein worked closely with the two main characters in an ugly NBA fight in 1977 -- Kermit Washington and Rudy Tomjanovich -- to tell the story of the incident (in which Tomjanovich suffered serious face and head injuries from a brutal Washington right-hand punch), how it changed both men's lives, and how it affected basketball.

4) A Civil War -- Most of Feinstein's work consists of his chronicle of a year in the life of some sports team, league, or group of individuals, which he is able to write by gaining complete access to his subject. Here Feinstein spends a year with the Army and Navy football teams, describing their season, the stories of the players' backgrounds, and the pageantry and challenges of playing for a service academy. This is where Feinstein shows his appreciation for all who play sports, not just the stars. Nearly all of the players featured would be more likely to fight in a war than play a down in the NFL.

3) A March to Madness -- The last three all come from Feinstein's two preferred sports -- college hoops and golf. He's done several books of going inside the college basketball season, and this one is better than "A Season Inside" or "The Last Amateurs." Feinstein, a Duke grad, had ties to the ACC and many of its coaches, and gained access to seven of the nine programs at the time (all but North Carolina and NC State). He followed the 1997 season, Dean Smith's final one at UNC and a year that also featured Mike Krzyzewski struggling to return to health at Duke, Gary Williams leading the Maryland program back from the dead, and the emergence of Clemson's Rick Barnes as a big-time coach.

2) A Good Walk Spoiled -- This book seemed to come out of nowhere in 1995 and is still the best presentation of the unique pressures of the PGA Tour. The golfers that Feinstein selects to follow run the gamut from elites like Davis Love and Greg Norman, to an aging Tom Watson, to Q-schoolers Mike Donald and Brian Henninger, to Senior PGA star-in-waiting Bruce Fleisher, to courageous Paul Azinger during his cancer fight. He explains the intensity of the major championships (perhaps better than in "The Majors", but more so he shows how difficult it is to get the chance to play on the Tour, how easily a career can rise or fall, and how golfers live with the weekly grind of having to play two solid rounds just to earn a paycheck. This is both a heart-breaking and uplifting book.

1) A Season on the Brink -- The book that launched the author's career, picking anything other than this for Feinstein's best would be saying something besides the Sistine Chapel ceiling is Michelangelo's best paint job. Feinstein got total access to Bob Knight's Indiana program, and produced a work that changed sportswriting by showing the context behind the headlines at a major college basketball program. Knight didn't speak to Feinstein for years after the book came out, but agreed to talk to him when Feinstein wrote his recent book on Knight idol Red Auerbach. That's just, because though Knight doesn't come across like a saint in "A Season on the Brink," he does come across as a man in full -- a great teacher and leader of young men with hypercompetitive instincts and stubbornness that often push he and his team over the edge. Not merely a great sports book, this is one of best nonfiction works ever.

DJ