Koufax = Crosby?

I expressed my trepidation when Crosby returned to the ice after an 11 month battle with concussion like symptoms and my worst fears were realized when it was announced yesterday that Crosby will be out indefinitely with concussion like symptoms after playing a handful of games this season. The long term effects of concussions are the scariest ailment to hit sports since the advent of helmets and even with some effects uncertain we know two things, living daily with the symptoms is unbearable, and the long term effects can make a life after sports impossible. Crosby continues to be optimistic about a return to the ice even as the odds seem to get larger by the day and the setback. Crosby's career and legacy seem to be mirroring another legend from a different time and a different sport, Sandy Koufax.

Koufax is a pitcher who is spoken about with the upmost respect; he is a common answer to the question asking "who would you want on the mound in a life and death game?" During the prime of his career no pitcher shined brighter even if like a comet his prime was too short. Koufax debuted in the majors in 1955 due to his contract as a "bonus baby", but did not begin to start for Dodgers until 1961. In that year he broke the NL record with 269 K's, a mark he would surpass 3 times in the next 5 seasons. During his 6 year prime from '61 to '66, Koufax set a modern day standard for pitching greatness with consecutive ERA/K seasons of:

'61 (2.51 ERA, 269 K's)

'62 (2.54 ERA, 219 K's)

'63 (1.88 ERA, 306 K's)

'64 (1.74 ERA, 240 K's)

'65 (2.04 ERA, 382 K's)

'66 (1.73 ERA< 317 K's)

Koufax became the first three time Cy Young winner, winning the award in 63, 65, and 66 all in unanimous votes while also wining the pitching triple crown in all three seasons. He led the Dodgers to World Series titles in 63 and 65 and was named Series MVP both times. After pitching hurt through the entire 66 season, Koufax retired with an arthritic pitching elbow at the age of 31. The pain in his arm was too great to even attempt a comeback; he was inducted in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, the youngest ever member at the age of 37. Koufax guarded his privacy as fiercely as his ERA and his legend has only grown as he has stayed out of the spotlight.

Like Koufax, Crosby has had an unmatched 6 year career; he entered the league as an 18 year old and is a lock Hall of Famer before his 26^th birthday. Below are his numbers for these 6 seasons.

'05/06 (39 G, 63 A, 102 pts)

'06/07 (36 G, 84 A, 120 pts)

'07/08 (24 G, 48 A, 72 pts in 53 games played)

'08/09 (33 G, 70 A, 103 pts)

'09/10 (51 G, 58 A, 109 pts)

'10/11 (32 G, 34 A, 66 pts in 44 games played)

Crosby is the youngest player and only teenager to lead a North American sports league in scoring as he did in 06/07 when he won the Art Ross (leading scorer) and Hart trophies (league MVP). He recovered from a high ankle sprain in 07/08 to lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup finals and become the youngest captain to win hockey's biggest prize when the Penguins beat Detroit in the 08/09 Cup finals. The following winter he scored the "golden goal" as Team Canada's captain when they won the Gold at the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver. Crosby seemed headed for a career that would leave fans debating his accomplishments with the Great One until his concussion problems surfaced during the '10/11 season.

Unlike Koufax, who knew his injury were career ending, Crosby is holding out hope for a return, but the more society learns about brain injuries the more of a possibility it becomes that Crosby becomes the first player to be inducted in the Hall of Fame before his 30^th birthday. Crosby is all Canadian and he also guards his privacy closely, I don't think it would be a stretch to see him retire to Nova Scotia with only Koufax like memories of greatness that shined so bright for too short of a time period for all sports fans.

Crosby's Return

Sidney Crosby returned to the ice Monday night and he didn't waste any time getting back to his high standard of play with 2 goals and 2 assists, in a 5-0 Penguins win over the hapless Islanders. This was Crosby's first game since January when he was sidelined with the most debated case of post concussion syndrome in the history of sports or the New England Journal of Medicine. Since Crosby began skating in training camp this season there was much speculation on when he would return, but true to his word he returned when he was ready and clearly looked the part. Crosby played almost 7 minutes in the first period and looked in game shape, he played an integral part in the power play, and looked good in the hard areas of ice, but every time he took a hit I felt myself grimacing not only for the his safety and the Penguins, but also for the fate of the NHL.

It was a great night the Penguins as a healthy Crosby makes the Pens the best team in the NHL, for that matter adding Crosby to a dozen teams in the NHL makes that team the best in the NHL. I can make a compelling case for the Nashville Predators as champs with a healthy Crosby centering Patrick Hornquist and Craig Smith. With Crosby in the lineup the Penguins are balanced at center and allow Malkin and Staal to go against the other teams' 2^nd and 3^rd D pairings. The Penguins added James Neal and Steve Sullivan in the off-season and Neal could potentially score 50 flanked to Crosby's right, and a mediocre power play should improve dramatically once Crosby, Malkin, Neal, and Letang get comfortable working together in game situations.

It was even a better night for the NHL, yes even for Pittsburgh's biggest rivals Philly and Washington, since a high tide lifts all boats and Crosby is the NHL's biggest wave. Die hard hockey fans are incredibly loyal and will watch anything involving a puck, but the casual sports fan, especially in this country wants stars. Crosby is that star, he is the best player since Wayne Gretzky and whether people are tuning in to cheer him, boo him, or just to see something special that is a major win for the NHL because the game itself has a way of pulling you in even if you didn't mean for it to happen. As for Philly and Washington, nothing improves ratings like a rivalry and both are natural rivals due to the history, proximity, and the fact that they are the best teams in the conference. Something else was very clearly evident when Crosby was hurt; Ovechkin has not been the same player without Crosby. Whether it is his lack of concern for his own end, or his inability to improve his natural talents, Ovechkin has not picked up the mantle of best player while Crosby was out. Hopefully for the league's sake Ovechkin will pick up his game now that Crosby has returned.

The major concern with Crosby's return is that one hard hit to the head will once again shelf hockey's best player in a generation for good. Crosby is only 24, but he seems much older, maybe it is because he entered the league as an 18 year old, or that he has already won a Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold medal. With his future uncertain he could easily go down as the second best player in hockey or the modern day Sandy Koufax and the fact that we are still in the early stages of understanding brain injuries make the future that much cloudier. For Crosby's sake and the sake of the Penguins I hope in 15 years I can think back to his return night and laugh at the uncertainty I felt for the future, but more importantly as a hockey fan I hope the league can do the same.

When winning isn't enough

I was going to write a NFL power poll this week, mid November seemed right to start to get a grip on the playoff race, any rankings done before week 10 are worthless, just ask any Buffalo Bills fan. On my way to compiling information for this poll, the Denver Broncos beat the Jets on Thursday to even both teams' records at 5-5 and the conversation once again became Tim Tebow. I said in this space before that it was criminal to have Tebow on the bench since we knew what the Broncos were with Kyle Orton under center, the answer is awful, and they needed to find out what they had in Tebow.

What we have found is that Tebow is a sub-par NFL thrower, dynamic runner, great leader, winner, and someone who angers so-called "analysts" and former players to no end. The NFL dominates the American sports landscape and culture, this leads to a sport that is talked about too much on all forms of communication. ESPN's weekly preview show "NFL Countdown" needs to be 3 hours long like we needed two weeks of lead up coverage to the Royal Weeding, but with this constant forum, former players and analysts have made it their mission to not allow Tebow to threaten the "sanctity" of the National Football League.

When I make the mistake of listening to these so called "analysts" the one thought that keeps coming to my mind is, "Are they talking about a game or the preservation of society?" Let's be honest they are football snobs who can't imagine that someone has the gall to try to play their game without being the cardboard cut-out quarterback. In their mind football is played by extraordinary human beings and the quarterback is a big man with a big arm who can make all the throws in a controlled 7 on 7 environment. Whether that same person is a competitor, leader, or winner is of no concern to these football snobs. Out one side of their mouth they talk about how hard it is to win in the NFL and out the other side of their mouth they dismiss Tebow for winning. Why do higher draft pick quarterbacks like Sam Bradford and Blaine Gabbert get time to improve and validate their salaries and high pick when they are the exact opposite of winners? Both are big with big arms and make all the throws in shorts, but in game situations they constantly make the wrong play. I watched Gabbert and Bradford stand in the pocket this past weekend and refuse to do anything out of the ordinary as they lost games both should have won. Where is the outrage about these two along with a host of others (Sanchez, Rivers, McCoy, Kolb, Jackson)? It goes to show you that the outrage is about Tebow playing the position differently than normal, no matter the consequences.

To make Tebow's situation even more hilarious is the fact that his own coach (John Fox) and GM (John Elway) would rather see him fail. They begrudgingly started him when the team was 1-4 and looked to be in a fight for the #1 overall pick in next year's draft. The only reason he even was allowed to start is because both Fox and Elway wanted to show the fans that he wasn't a viable future option at quarterback. Fox was forced to start Tebow in Miami after Tebow nearly completed a double digit comeback in the second half in the previous week vs. San Diego. After a historic comeback vs. Miami, Tebow and the Broncos were beaten soundly at home vs. Detroit in a game Tebow played very poorly. Unlike other young quarterbacks Tebow was not given a mulligan, the game became a sure sign that he wasn't QB material. On a side-note, watching the Detroit defense mock Tebow's religious beliefs was disgusting and shows where our country is currently that not an eye was batted when Christianity was mocked, can you imagine the outrage and Roger Goodell issued apologies if a player mocked a Muslim or Jewish players beliefs? Fox has continued to cut Tebow's offensive playbook and tell the media that he is the man behind the Bronco's success because he isn't allowing Tebow to do too much, but in reality anyone who watched the Broncos beat the division leading Raiders in Oakland knows that Tebow was successful dropping back to pass 30 times. Elway, who seems to be following the Michael Jordan post career failure playbook very closely, went even so far as to say Monday on a Denver radio station that "Tim is doing everything we thought he would when we started him." Really John, if you expected him to go 4-1 as a starter with comeback wins over the Phins, Raiders, and Jets, then why did Orton start the first 5 games. The fact is that Tebow is winning despite Elway and Fox, the least those two could do is admit as much.

It is easy to point out Tebow's flaws as a pocket quarterback and he has many, but I believe he will improve since throwing the football is a learned skill and he should have as much time as every other first round qb draft pick. His biggest skill as a passer is his ability to stay away from turnovers; the Broncos have only turned the ball over 5 times in his 5 starts (with only 1 INT) whereas they turned it over 12 times in Orton's 5 games. As much as stats head want you to believe that interceptions are random, other than tipped balls and receivers falling down, valuing the ball is a valuable skill for a quarterback (can I get a second from all Chargers fans). It is also easy to see that he is dynamic runner who has an innate ability to know when and where to run and quite frankly defensive backs want no part in trying to tackle him as Octo-dad (Cromartie) and Revis (my defensive player of the year doesn't avoid contact with a QB) showed Thursday night. What is harder to see is the effect Tebow has on his Bronco teammates. His teammates to a man say how much he inspires them, and it has been pointed out by the "experts" how much better the Broncos defense has been with Tebow starting. When asked about this point Pro Bowl Broncos defenders Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins gave Tebow credit as a leader and inspirational force for their unit. Unlike in other sports, you need to be emotionally invested in playing football and it is pretty clear that Tebow leads his teammates in this regard, and I will take Bailey and Dawkins' word over any outsider on ESPN radio (the closest second to former players who are angered by Tebow's success and how it affects their arrogant view of the NFL) giving their opinion. Broncos WR Eric Decker made the same points as Bailey and Dawkins and you could see the joy in all the Broncos players when Tebow scored to beat the Jets on Thursday. That game was a great example of what leadership and clutch play looks like and that can't be determined in shorts, during a 7 on 7, or at the scouting combine.

Tebow himself summed it up best after Thursday's win over the Jets when he said that he approaches football as a game and does his best to compete and improve daily. Games are supposed to fun and it is incredibly fun watching Tebow play and it is just an added bonus that he infuriates the NFL snobs so much in the process.

Early Season NHL observations

With the NBA heading for a "nuclear winter" with no games this year (at least Lebron will go another year without a title Cleveland fans) and a lot of court dates and press conferences where each side blames each other for this gigantic mess, sports fans looking for an alternative can always turn to the NHL. My advice for new fans is to start with small doses of "NHL Live" and "On the Fly" on the NHL network where Kevin Weeks (best dressed and most astute analyst) and company will explain the nuances of the game with a spotlight on goals and game defining plays. As we are nearing the quarter mark of the season, I thought this would be an ideal time to check on some of the bigger stories in the NHL this season.

The Stanley Cup Hangover is real: The subjectivity of what winning the cup does to your attitude and mindset for next season is debatable, but what is not debatable is how playing the most physically demanding game in sports (Stanley Cup playoffs) into June affects the next season beginning in October. Both Boston (8-7, 16 points) and Vancouver (9-8-1, 19 points) are experiencing the roller coaster ride this early season that comes with playing a game 7 for the cup the previous year. Both teams are capable of rebounding and contending come playoff time, but the early hole they are putting themselves in this season will only make the climb that much more difficult. For Boston, an anemic power play and scoring outside of Seguin (11G, 9A, league leading +14) and Lucic are concerns for a team in the best division in hockey. While in Vancouver, the loss of depth on the blue line and the inconsistent nature of Luongo (7-5-1, 2.97 GAA, .896 Save %) leave them in the bottom half of the Western conference playoff bracket in mid November.

The Blackhawks are once again the best team in hockey: Speaking of the Cup hangover, Chicago to a man admitted they were victims of it last season. Duncan Keith said it was hard to focus mentally and the team cited the physical drain of the year before as the primary reason they squeaked into the playoffs last season as the #8 seed. After a long summer break the Hawks are back to being the best team in the game behind 5 superstars and a new and improved set of grinders and glue guys. Goaltender Corey Crawford (8-4-2, 2.72 GAA, .905 Save %) has emerged as the steady influence the team needs in net after the failed Mary Turco (now on NHL network) experiment last season. The Captain, Toews leads the team in goals with 9 and is a +7 which is the lowest among the core group; Kane (6 G, 13 A, +11), Hossa (8, 10, +13), Sharp (5, 12, +10), Keith (2, 8, +8). With solid role players like Montador, Mayers, Carcillo, Stalberg, and Bolland anything less than a return trip to the Cup finals will be a disappointment for this team.

After Chicago is where the surprises start in the West, starting with Dallas: The Stars are 11-5-0 after completing the toughest 3 game road trip in hockey (Wash, Pittsburgh, Detroit) and are currently second in the West. Even more impressive is the fact that this team lost its best player over the summer when Brad Richards left via free agency from the money in New York City. The line of best GM's in hockey has to start behind Hall of Famer Joe Nieuwendyk, who traded for Kari Lehtonen (11-2, 2.20 GAA, .934 Save %) last season and watched him develop into one of the best in the game. Nieuwendyk struck gold again this summer when he took a low risk high reward chance on Sheldon Souray (4G, 9A, +9), who has proven that he is still capable of playing major minutes at the NHL level. If you want to win a bet with someone who knows the NHL, just ask them who the coach of the Stars is? The answer is Glenn Gulutzan, who is carrying out Nieuwendyk's plan on the ice. An "all for one" theme has allowed the Stars to replace Richards in house and it helps when you have the best line in hockey with the Eriksson (9,8, +10), Benn (5,14, +7), Ryder (6,5, +8) trio. Solid goaltending and depth will allow the Stars to contend all season; it is just a shame they have to play in front of a half empty arena at home.

And Minnesota: The Wild are 3^rd in the West with a 9-5-3 record behind a new bench boss that Pittsburgh Penguins fans know well, Mike Yeo. Yeo was an assistant and power play coordinator for the Pens when they went to two straight Cup finals. He coached Minnesota's AHL team in Houston last season before being named coach of the Wild this summer. He has implemented a puck possession system that has the Wild atop of their division with balanced scoring that has seen 7 players score between 7 and 11 points through 17 games. Maybe more importantly all 7 of the Wild leading scorers are plus players and goalies, Backstrom (5-4-2, 2.14 GAA, .927 Save %) and Harding (4-1-1, 1.78 GAA, .948 Save %) have been the team's best defenders. Heatley (5G, 6A, +2) and Setoguchi (4G, 4A, +1) have delivered what was expected when Minnesota traded for them this summer and their winning ways along with Yeo's have this team primed for a playoff run, much needed news for Minnesota sports fans after watching the Vikes @ GB last night.

It is not just the kids in Oil City: Edmonton is 9-6-2 and currently sits behind Minnesota in 4^th place in the West, even after a 2-4 recently concluded road trip. The rebuilding effort in Edmonton was supposed to take years, but the Oilers are more than frisky this season behind future stars Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (7G, 7A, +1), Taylor Hall (3, 7, -), and Jordan Eberle (4, 9, -). The key to this year's fast start has been the great play provided by veterans Ryan Smyth (10G, 7A, +2) and Khabibulin (7-2-2, 1.78 GAA, .948 Save %). The team sold high on Dustin Penner last year at the trade deadline and is in position to do the same with Sam Gagner this season and maybe even Ryan Whitney (4 games played) and Ales Hemsky (6 games played) if they prove healthy in the interim. Cam Barker is proving why you never give up on the 3^rd overall pick in a draft by playing over 20 mins/game and quarterbacking the power play. Who knows if the Oilers youth will catch up with them over the long season, but the future is bright and the present is fun.

The Leafs are the biggest surprise in the East: Chalk is reigning more in the East than West, but Toronto is in the upper half of Eastern playoff picture and most surprisingly they are doing it with a 3^rd string goaltender. James Reimer was undefeated in regulation (4-0-1, 2.58 GAA, .912 Save %) before he suffered a concussion, with the effects of that injury continuing to sideline him. Jonas Gustavsson (2-2, 3.21 GAA, .893 Save %) and Ben Scrivens (4-4, 3.78 GAA, .878 Save %) have been mediocre at best and the Leafs will have to continue to outscore opponents as long as they are between the pipes. Scoring hasn't been a problem so far with the league's leading scorer, Phil Kessel (12G, 12 A, +9) and linemate Lupol (9G, 10A, +7). Kessel and Lupol have developed great chemistry at even strength and on the power play. Grabovski (5,5 +2) anchors one of the best complimentary lines in the game and continues the Leafs theme of speed throughout all four forward lines. Phaneuf (2,10, +12) is back to his Norris trophy form of a few years back and his recent play makes Calgary's firing of Daryl Sutter seem almost too kind after that robbery of a trade for the Leafs. It will be interesting to see if the Leafs can continue to score, but let's hope Reimer gets healthy to see what this team's true ceiling is.

Speaking of injuries and more specifically concussions: Sidney Crosby hasn't played this season, it currently has been over 300 calendar days since he last played in a game. The Pen's (10-4-3) continue to win without Crosby over the long haul and Malkin, Staal, and Letang for shorter time periods. Fluery (9-2-1, 1.87 GAA, .932 Save %) and James Neal (11G, 6A) have been outstanding while coach, Dan Bylsma continues to show he is among the best in the business with the injuries that hover over Pittsburgh. No injury hangs over a team or a sport more than Crosby's concussion hangs over the Pens and the NHL. Rules have been changed and the spotlight is shining brightly on the issue, but the NHL is still without a transcendent player and the biggest personality to grow the game. Crosby continues to practice and claims he will return, but only when healthy, but the more time that passes makes the parallels to other sports greats who had to retire early due to injuries (Koufax and Sayers) all the more relevant.

Brendan Shanahan > Colin Campbell: Colin Campbell did not get it and was never going to get the new NHL, his last few years were embarrassing as his personal bias against teams and players were revealed. His league mandated decisions on player discipline were a joke at best and mercifully he was forced into retirement last year as the mandate on concussions was issued. On the other end of the spectrum is Brendan Shanahan, who has been a revelation as the league's hammer on player discipline this season. The biggest change for the better on Shanahan's watch is that the league is open about why players were suspended or not suspended and Shanahan communicates with players through phone calls and video on a regular basis. All decisions are not going to be unanimous, I disagree with the league's decision to not suspend Lucic after he barrel rolled Ryan Miller Saturday night and gave him a concussion, but at least Shanahan was proactive about why the decision was made. Points can be argued on both sides, but at least under Shanahan as opposed to Campbell, there is dialogue and the curtain has been removed on player discipline.

It is not all roses for the league, paging Gary Bettman: Even though Winnipeg is 6-9-3 and last in the Southeast division, they have been a rousing success because of where they play. Last night the atmosphere was electric as Winnipeg welcomed the Cup contending Lightning to town and that has been commonplace for every Jets game this season. Hockey teams need to play in front of hockey fans and the fact that the Dallas Stars, Phoenix Coyotes, New York Islanders, and Florida Panthers are all on life support while the NHL and specifically Bettman "try to make it work" in their current cities while hockey fans in Canada are without teams is a travesty. Bettman's goal should be to get hockey teams to passionate cities and fan bases and with Quebec, Hamilton, Toronto, and Barrie all expressing interest in teams the Winnipeg example should be the driving force for Bettman to get the moving vans started.

So far, so good for the experiment in Philly: I said in my preseason preview that Philly was the most interesting team in the league after their controversial summer overhaul and they are well on their way to proving they were right. They are tied atop the Eastern standings at 10-4-3, but how they got there is the interesting part. I thought they would ride goaltending and defense while their forward lines came together, but it has been the forwards who are leading this team with the goaltending and D being dragged along. Claude Giroux (11G, 10A, +3) has emerged as one of the best 2 way forwards in the league and Jaromir Jagr (6,11, +6) has been a contributing veteran presence, much to my surprise. Briere (5,8, +3) and Van Riemsdyk (6,7, -) provide scoring depth and while everyone was counting on Braydon Scheen, it has been '11 first round pick, Sean Couturier (3,5, +8) who has been the impact rookie. Bryzgalov (8-4, 2.85 GAA, .899 Save %) has been mediocre in net, but a revelation with the media. His candidness and the language barrier has made his media sessions a blast and the Philly brass has tried to restrict the media access to him after games, but he just can't stay away from the mic's. Pronger has missed significant time on the blue line and only Timonen is more than a plus 3 player on the back end, but the team's fast start has been impressive even if the heavy playoff lifting will be the better judge of this overhaul.

3 days too late

A few days ago I wrote that it was a sad day to be a Penn State alum, well today is a better day to be a Penn State graduate. The board of trustee's made the correct decision to fire PSU President Graham Spanier and football coach Joe Paterno, yes the decision was about 3 days too late, but the board of trustee's finally showed that football program and the President's decision to protect this program was not bigger than the University itself. Paterno did not deserve the right to have a final day in the sun, which is what Saturday's final home game of the season would have turned into; he deserved to be fired via phone call and not be in charge of when he retires. When you are the head of an organization that failed as badly as Penn State (PSU football in particular) did in this instance you lose all rights to determine your fate. One hypothetical question, if it was a 10 year old boy you were related to or knew that was allegedly raped in that shower by Sandusky, would you want Paterno to go out in front of a cheering crowd of over 100,000 people when all he did was pass this information on to his superior?

Sandusky will get his day in court and hopefully an 8 by 8 prison cell for the rest of his life and though Paterno will escape the legal system he is very guilty of moral failure in this situation, which just happens to involve one of the worst crimes imaginable. As more victims come out of the woodwork, you can only hope that it becomes harder and harder for Paterno, McQueary, Curley, and Spanier to look at themselves in the mirror since they allowed Sandusky to contain on his way after he was caught in the act in their football complex way back in 2002. Paterno clearly didn't get it, he promised to "serve the university for his remaining days on this earth" in his final prepared statement, really? How about the innocent victims who have had their lives ruined by Sandusky's actions and Paterno and Co.'s inaction? With the Penn State housecleaning in process McQueary should not be allowed near the field this weekend or any other weekend of Penn State football. If interim coach Tom Bradley or the interim AD won't make this decision then the board of trustee's should. The last few weeks of this season can't end quickly enough and that is shame for the players on this year's team who are caught up in the biggest college sports scandal ever, but it is the truth. Only a full housecleaning of the PSU football program and decision makers and new people making in those positions will allow the University, town, and state to move forward.

As for the "kids" who rioted after the decision to fire Paterno was made, as someone who witnessed a riot in Beaver canyon when the basketball team lost to Temple in the sweet 16 during the '01 tourney, all I can say is that PSU students have always liked the riot more than the reason for it. My advice would be to read the Grand Jury indictment and lay off the Wednesday night happy hours. As more of the victims come forward and reveal their stories they are more pain (emotionally and financial) in store for PSU and anyone associated with the school, but at least the board of trustee's restored order with the much needed firing of Paterno and Spanier.

The End

It is a sad day to be as I am, a Penn State alum, even one who never fully drank the PSU football kool-aid and looked at the program with an eye of skepticism. I graduated from Happy Valley in 2002 while the team was going through one of their worst runs of the Paterno era. Under .500 for three of the four years I was a student and no BCS bowl appearances left Paterno answering questions about his future and his ability to coach at a high level at his advanced age. Since then he has steadied the ship on the field primarily due to a down Big 10 conference, but there has been an underlying feeling among Penn State supporters that only his retirement will allow the team to bring in a coaching staff that will embrace the forward pass and offensive ingenuity. For the past decade as complaints about the way Paterno's teams played offense the general feeling was that it was poor form to question Paterno since he was a legend and the man who put Penn State on the map. He also personally had a hand in building the college with millions of dollars going to libraries and on campus improvements for the general student body. Even if his age was a constant joke, the feeling was he deserved to go out on his own.

That has all changed this week with the revelations that Paterno was made aware of former defensive cordinator Jerry Sandusky's sexual assualt of young boys at the PSU football facility and that he only took this information to his immediate supervisor and not to the police. That would be like the President of the United States saying that he couldn't do anything in DC without getting the mayor's permission. Paterno is Penn State and is bigger than any AD, or college official even the President of the University. Paterno made this fact known when under pressure to resign in the early 2000's he flat out told the PSU President that he and only he would determine when he retired. It was Paterno's human moral obligation to report what he knew not only to the AD and President, but also to the police and he should have been following up with those parties after the fact. He might have done what was necessary by the legal definition, but he passed the buck and let everyone associated with PSU down and most importantly didn't protect the young boys who were being sexually abused by someone he knew well at his football compound under his watch. There is plenty of blame to go around in this vomit inducing incident as all of these men of power choose to protect the image of Penn State and Penn State football and in turn protected a violent sexual predator while hanging out to dry innocent young victims of sexual abuse. Paterno seemed above this, he donated most of his money back to the school, lived in the same small off campus home he had resided in for 50 years, and after a lengthy battle by the media his salary was revealed to be a 1/3rd of what most big time college coaches make, but in the end the ideal of the PSU program blinded his moral compass and allowed this incident to become a first paragraph story of his life and the end of his career at PSU.

As I said previously there is plenty of blame to go around, but it isn't really a surprise that a small town DA refused to follow up on reports about Sandusky in 1998 and that administrators wanted to keep the PSU football money making train going full speed, but Paterno as the face of PSU needed to do more then and explain himself now and his refusal to talk about what happened just adds to the carnage. He should have been in front of the media Monday morning stating what he knew, what he did, and what he didn't do. Instead, he hid behind a statement and cancelled his regular Tuesday press conference no doubt on advice from his legal team as he continued to attend practice.

The nature of this crime is the worst scandal to hit a college program, this is in a different category than selling rings for ink and paying players with cash, parties, and strippers. If an adult was beating a 10 year old in the street with a bat on College Ave. would that get reported to the police? I tend to think it might, yet somehow sexual abuse by a former coach got lost in the endless layers of college sports administration?

A full house cleaning is needed at Penn State beginning with Paterno and the college President and I don't know how anyone not related to a current player can attend Saturday's home game vs. Nebraska. PSU has one of the biggest and most devoted fan base in all of sports, but Saturday is the perfect opportunity to take a stand. Empty seats and protests outside of the stadium should be the minimum required for the PSU community as they express the outrage felt over this scandal. It is time for a new motto for the football program, "Success with honor" seems like a creul joke right now.

Who needs a playoff

Last weekend was the first good college football weekend; yes there were good games and interesting storylines prior to October 21^st, but last Saturday we finally saw some overrated undefeated big conference teams get exposed. Week after week I was stunned by so called "experts" penciling Oklahoma in the BCS title game, I kept asking myself if I was the only person to watch the Ok/FSU game, where Oklahoma struggled to put away an FSU team that made more errors than the Brewers in the NLCS and played the second half with their back-up quarterback? At the time FSU was thought to be a top 5 team, over the past couple of weeks they were proven to not be a top 5 team in the ACC. It was only a matter of time before Oklahoma was exposed and that it came at home to Texas Tech makes their faults even clearer.

Wisconsin took advantage of a terrible out of conference and early Big 10 schedule to look like world beaters until they played their first road game vs. a decent opponent (Mich St.). Was it really shocking to see the Wiscy defense shredded and Russell Wilson come up short? Wilson was a good off-season pick-up (transfer) for a team that desperately needed a QB, but this is the same Wilson that was .500 as a starting QB vs. BCS opponents at NC State.

Even more head scratching then these two results is the fact that the "experts" have now gone on to speculate on who will play the SEC champ in the BCS title game. I keep hearing about OK St, Stanford, Clemson, or even Boise; don't get me wrong I think they are good teams and would love to see the four of them matchup in BCS bowls (Clemson vs. Boise in the Orange and OK St vs. Stanford in the Fiesta), but none of them are in the class of LSU and Alabama.

There is a simple solution to this process that doesn't involve the scariest word for the NCAA, "playoff". The SEC, the most proactive, proud, and a little full of themselves conference should allow these two teams to met in the SEC title game after their regular season meeting November 5^th @ Alabama. They are head and shoulders above the rest of college football so it only makes sense that a rematch on a neutral field will be required after November 5^th. No one wants to see an overmatched sacrificial lamb like South Carolina or Georgia loss by 50 when the second best team in the country is getting ready for the Sugar Bowl. If they split the regular season and conference title game matchups then it only makes sense that the rubber match would be in the BCS title game. I am all for a playoff, but this year there is no need for one, the two best teams are obvious and 3 games featuring LSU/Bama would be great for college football and college football fans. With a dose of truth serum not even David Shaw (yes, that is Stanford's coach, ask 10 sports fans who Stanford's football coach is and I bet not half would say Shaw whereas everyone knows Duke legend Johnny Dawkins is their hoops coach), a man like Mike Gundy, or Dabo Swinney in his Rickie Fowler orange pants would say their teams are better than a one loss LSU or Alabama team. What would Vegas have to make the LSU/Bama winner vs. Stanford, Ok St, or Clemson? My guess is double digits

It happens all the time in other sports, the Cardinals and Brewers just finished the NLCS and the NFC title game last season was the third time Green Bay played Chicago and can't you just see the SEC (with a little push from CBS) upstaging every other conference title game by announcing an amendment to the conference by-laws that allows LSU a rematch with Bama on a neutral field? If LSU were to win that game each team would have one loss and with the human polls and computers (who rightfully love the SEC), they would be the top 2 teams in the BCS standings even with an undefeated ACC or PAC 10 team?

The conference that has won 5 straight BCS titles should have the guile to make this change and let the NCAA handle the complaints from the other conferences. All this conference expansion was supposed to make for better conference champions, but is anyone looking forward to Stanford/ASU, Wiscy/Mich St. (again) or Clemson/V Tech (again)? This answer is clearly no, but LSU/Bama parts 2 and hopefully 3 would be must see sporting events not just college football games.

When it is over

Yes, the NLCS was embarrassing it was a combination of every Brewers fan's biggest nightmare. The biggest concern all year was the inability of the Brewers to defend and that was on full display with the pitching staff's inability to miss any bats in the series. TBS' Ron Darling showed how little he knew about the Brewers when he blamed the defense on "being nervous". Without Carlos Gomez (who manager Ron Roenicke deemed only a defensive replacement against right handers) in CF, catcher Jonathon Lucroy is the only above average defender among the Brewers regulars and Fielder, Weeks, and Bettancourt are among the poorest defenders at their positions in the league.

The blame for the Brewers exit in six games goes beyond defense, only Randy Wolf notched a quality start, while Shawn Marcum set a record for highest ERA in a postseason and manager Ron Roenicke's decision to start Marcum in Game 6 met the qualification of insanity (doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result). The Brewers needed their starters to miss bats which they did consistently in the regular season, but against a powerful lineup like the Cardinals they were overmatched and in turn the defense proved what all Brewers fans knew they were (cue Denny Green).

The Brewers formula for success was power pitching and power hitting, but not only did the power pitching (most notably Gallardo and Greinke) fail to deliver in the NLCS so did the hitting. After a game 1 that saw the Brewers score 12 runs, they were never able to live up even half of that kind of production. The list of culprits is as long as the Brewers order as Corey Hart was essential benched for a game during the series and MVP candidates Braun (0-4 in game 6 and 0-4 in the series vs. Dotel) and Fielder (1-for his last 14 in the series) wilted when it mattered most. Manager Ron Roenicke's loyalty to Marcum put the Brewers in a hole in game 6 and his decision to start Kotsay in CF for game 3 was head scratching as well. I mentioned Roenicke's assessment of Gomez, which I also believe is a decision that will be proved incorrect in the future. Add it all up and it is hard to believe that the Crew was able to win two games in the series and there is no doubt the Cards deserved the trip to WS more than Milwaukee, but it was still a successful Brewers season.

In the offseason and at the deadline the Brewers and GM Doug Melvin made winning moves. As bad as Marcum was in the postseason, he was a key to their regular season division title. Marcum combined with Greinke, Gallardo, Wolf, and Narveson to lead the team to a 22-3 August where they played some of the best baseball the league has seen in years. With Prince Fielder in the final year of his contract, he played like a guy who wants to make 150 million and combined with the best player in the NL (Braun) to form the most potent 1-2 punch in baseball. Nyjer Morgan became a star, Corey Hart slugged from the leadoff spot and they survived a 2 month injury to All Star Rickie Weeks as K-Rod and John Axford anchored one of the top bullpens in the game. For a team that made a lot of changes in the offseason and was pegged as the third choice to win their division; 96 wins, a division title, and win the NL divisional round is a great season. If the Brewers would have lost to a 100 win Phillies team in the NLCS the focus would have been on a great regular season, but since the loss was to a division rival and a team that the Brewers finished 6 games ahead of during the season the focus has shifted to Milwaukee's deficiencies. There is a reason the Brewers haven't won this many games since 1982, winning baseball and Milwaukee don't go together, as time passes this team and season will rightfully be remembered as a success.

What took so long?

Did it really take John Fox and John Elway a day to name Tim Tebow their starting quarterback after Sunday's game? It only took Tebow one half to bring more excitement and hope (one dropped 2 point conversion pass from erasing a 18 point deficit and forcing San Diego to OT) to a franchise that had none under the leadership of the "John's" and Kyle Orton under center. That is right, NFL Hall of Fame QB John Elway and longtime coach John Fox decided to go with Kyle Orton at the beginning of the season over Tebow. Let's review how that worked out, a 1-4 record while Orton led the NFL in interceptions and continued his career long streak of showing as much emotion as a robot. Couldn't John Tesh and John C. Reilly have done a better job at running the Broncos than Elway and Fox? The Broncos organization is lucky the fans just rented a billboard and didn't storm their complex after this decision and the inevitable result.

If the "John's" were running Apple I am sure we would all be back to using typewriters, maybe they liked how Orton looks throwing to WR's in shorts without a defense, or maybe they wanted to show that they were the new bosses and not the guys who drafted Tebow, but either way sticking Tebow on the bench in favor of Orton shows how massive their egos are and how unqualified they are to run a NFL football team. If the idea is to win games, than Orton is about as useful as wings are to Penguins.

No 1^st round QB selection has ever taken as much heat before he even got a chance to play consistently than Tebow has, washed up "nobodies" like Merril Hoge and Mike Golic have been given a platform thanks to ESPN's 24/7 coverage of everything related to the NFL to take shots at a kid who hasn't even had a chance. Next time a talking head like Hoge, Golic, or Cowherd tries to turn football into brain surgery and bashes Tebow in the process remember the source and the fact that they have way too much time to fill and very little going on in their brains. You don't need to review the game tape from Sunday or understand anything about the mechanics of playing quarterback to see what changed for the Broncos when Tebow entered the game. The team began to move the ball against a legit Super Bowl contender in the Chargers and everyone from his teammates to the crowd began to get into the game. No other position in sports is counted on to be the leader of a team like a QB is, and if Hall of Fame player and coach Mike Dikta has never seen a winner or leader like Tebow then who I am to argue.

Maybe Tebow won't come out looking like Tom Brady throwing the ball in his next start, but he will no doubt give the Broncos a better chance to win than Kyle Orton does and he will get a chance to smooth the edges of his game while gaining valuable experience. The spread offense is prominently making its way into the NFL game and few are more capable of running that system than Tebow. Major questions have to be asked if Elway and Fox are the "brain-trust" and I use that term lightly to fully maximize Tebow's talents. I have never seen a winner lose and that is why I am not betting against Tebow, while I think the book is written on Orton and the first chapter is awful bad for Elway and Fox.

NHL preview by the odds

Let's take a look at the odds to win the Stanley Cup and the conference for the contenders. We will discuss each team's chance of coming through and where there is value and some teams that might be a little overvalued.

Vancouver (7/1) (7/2): The Stanley Cup runner ups were the best team in the regular season last year and had the advantage in the Cup finals up until Game 7 vs. Bruins. This season they will continue to be one of the best regular season teams, but losing PP quarterback Christian Ehrhoff will put pressure on Alex Edler or Kevin Bieksa to fill the void and continue to make the Canucks one of the best teams with a man advantage. Ryan Kesler will miss the first couple of months after offseason hip surgery, but should be ready and rested for the playoffs. The playoffs are where this team will be judged, especially Roberto Luongo and the Sedin's. Luongo is still too inconsistent to count on in crunch time and the Sedin's struggle in the playoffs when matched up against shutdown defensive pairs on a nightly basis. There are too many questions and not enough offensive depth and value on either of these lines to get behind the Canucks.

Washington (7/1) (4/1): Another team who dominates the regular season and comes up small in the spring. The Caps have never made it past the second round with this group and surprisingly stuck with Coach Bruce Boudreau after last year's embarrassing loss to the Bolts. The Caps took advantage of a buyers goaltending market to scoop up Tomas Vokoun on the cheap and by doing so addressed a major team weakness. Gritty forwards Troy Brouwer, Joel Ward, and Jeff Halpern were also added for playoff hockey, but the D-men continue to lean too much towards the offensive end and that is not a recipe for playoff success. You would think the Caps have to make it to the conference finals for Boudreau to keep his job, both of which I think are doubtful.

Boston (10/1) (11/2): The defending champs look better at this number than the two previously discussed teams, but history is against them as no team since the lockout has repeated as champs. Motivation is a hard thing to put your finger on, but the short off-season is not, and that will be the biggest challenge for this older team. The Cup winning team comes back virtually intact with only Recchi and Ryder not on the roster this season. I expect Rask to start about 30 games in an effort to keep the 38 year old Thomas as fresh as possible for another playoff run, but even at this number the history is too strong suggest a repeat.

Pittsburgh (10/1) (9/2): There is value at this number, but the giant question mark that hangs over the entire NHL and specifically the Pens is the return of Sidney Crosby after last year's concussion. If you believe Crosby will eventually play this season the Pens are a great value with a solid defense starting in net and multiple young scoring options up front. If Crosby is unable to overcome the concussion symptoms it is hard to see the Pens making a run even with a healthy Malkin and Jordan Staal trying to replace him. Easily the team with the biggest question surrounding the start of their season and in turn the value of their odds.

San Jose (10/1) (11/2): The first team and odds that I feel are undervalued. Like knocking over a soda machine winning in the NHL playoffs takes time and adjustments. The Sharks of the early 2000's were unable to build off their regular season's and lost early in the playoffs, but the last two seasons the Sharks are the only team to make it to the conference finals and beat Detroit in the process both times. Niemi proved to be the answer for San Jose in net last season and this offseason the Sharks traded for a potential franchise defenseman Brent Burns and a proven playoff scorer in Marty Havlat. They did have to give up regular season scoring in both deals losing Devin Setoguchi and Danny Heatley, but the moves were designed to win in the playoffs and I think both will contribute to that end. In 32 playoff games for the Sharks Heatley scored 5 goals, in Havlat's 26 prior postseason games he has scored 12. I like this team's balance, depth, and value.

Philadelphia (11/1) (5/1): In a league where consistency reins, Philadelphia went in the opposite direction and are the most interesting experiment in the league this season. Not many GM's would trade away their two best offensive players after making the Cup finals and second round in consecutive years, but in the process Philly has solved their goaltending problems which has been an issue for my lifetime. Along with Bryzgalov, the Flyers added Simmonds, Voracek, Talbot, Scheen, and Jagr in trades and pickups while losing Carter and team captain Mike Richards. How these offensive parts fit together will be a season long discussion, but the defense is aging and 36 year old Chris Pronger is coming off back and wrist surgeries. I give the Flyers credit for breaking from the mold and trying a new philosophy, but by the time the young offense comes into their own the aging blue line will be breaking down.

Chicago (12/1) (13/2): The second Western conference team I feel is undervalued. The Hawks could teach a class on the Cup hangover, but after a long offseason to re-charge their batteries and more depth a deep run should be in this team's future. With Crosby's future in doubt, Toews assumes the mantle as the best young captain in the game and with a healthy Sharp, Hossa, and Kane surrounding him offense should not be a problem. The biggest issues for the Hawks last season after injuries were a lack of depth and a #1 goaltender. The problems in net were solved by Corey Crawford, who outplayed Luongo in the first round last season, and is signed long term. The Chicago brass also went out and acquired Brunette, Carcillo, Mayers, Montador, and O'Donnell for depth and toughness which was key in the '10 cup winning run. Anything less than the conference finals will be a disappointment for this roster, making them a value at both of these numbers.

Detroit (12/1) (11/2): When you talk about Chicago you also have to mention Detroit, while Chicago is young and adding depth, the Wings are counting even more heavily than usual on a 41 year old Nick Lidstrom after the retirement of Brain Rafalski. Lidstrom winning the Norris trophy last season as a minus player proved that the trophy is a lifetime achievement award and though the Wings are set up front with Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Holmstom, and Cleary, they are aging on the backline and look headed for the middle of the pack in tough Western conference.

Los Angeles (14/1) (6/1): Of all the offseason moves, the Kings made the best move by acquiring Mike Richards for Simmonds, Scheen, and a 1^st round pick. The Kings were already a difficult team to play against, and now with a center trio of Kopitar, Richards, and Stoll they will only be tougher. Their defense is balanced with offensive leaning players like Johnson and Doughty and stay at home types like Mitchell and Scuderi, and Quick and Bernier are as effective a 1-2 punch as any duo in the league. This team has all the makings of a contender and at these numbers have value even in a crowded Western conference.

Buffalo (18/1) (9/1): The first of two Eastern conference teams that I like at the same number. The Sabres have always been a tough grind it out team under Lindy Ruff, but with new owner Terry Pegula they finally have a budget to contend. Buffalo added Ville Leino to center their second line, Christian Ehrhoff to quarterback the power play unit, and in the most underrated move of the offseason they obtained rugged defenseman Robyn Regehr to restore order in their own end. Olympic hero Ryan Miller battled injuries last season, but there is still no one I would rather have in net for a must win game than the still in his prime 31 year old. Buffalo now has 3 offensively capable lines and a defense to help Miller and a trip to the Eastern conference finals is not out of reach making these numbers very appealing.

Tampa Bay (18/1) (9/1): GM Steve Yzerman and coach Guy Boucher proved last year in their first year together that they are formidable duo, so I believe with very little turnover this season they can go a little further than last year's trip to the conference finals. The big question for this team will be if 42 year old Dwayne Roloson can be the mainstay he was after being acquired midseason last year. Yzerman brought in Mathieu Garon as his back up and in Stevie Y I trust. Stamkos/St-Louis are among the best offensive duo's in the league and Vinny Lecavalier has taken to the second center role nicely. This team has the right mix of vets and young guys and with Boucher behind the bench they are worth the play at these numbers.

St. Louis (35/1) (18/1): Every year you need a longshot that has a chance if they get a few breaks and I like the Blues as that team this NHL season. They were on their way to the playoffs last season before the injury bug hit their team harder than any NHL team. The Blues shrewdly obtained Chris Stewart at last year's deadline and he combines with TJ Oshie, Backes, Berglund, McDonald, and Perron to form a versatile and potent top 6. Offseason veteran pickups Arnott and Langenbrunner will steady the third line and be invaluable in the locker room to a young team. The Blues were able to trade former 1^st overall pick Erik Johnson to Colorado for Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk due to the emergence of Alex Piertangelo, and Roman Polak as top flight defensemen who can play both ends of the ice. Jaroslav Halak had an up and down first year in St. Louis, but should benefit from stability and a better more consistent team in front of him this season and we know from his time in Montreal how much he relishes playoff hockey.

October Baseball

We will cover all the bases with this look at October baseball, first we will talk NL and AL MVP's and Cy Young winners and then move on to who is advancing to the LCS'. First, a look back at who should win the NL MVP using some new/old stats and the always popular eye test.

Contenders: Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Justin Upton and Albert Pujols. We are using the words contenders liberally by including Fielder, Upton, and Pujols, but a look at their numbers show how great the seasons of Braun and Kemp were. Kemp leads the league in WAR (10), HR (39), RBI (126), R (115), while hitting .324 (3^rd in the league) and stealing 40 bases while only being caught 11 times (+29). Kemp is clearly the best player in the league using old stats (Avg, HR, RBI, R) as well as new and better stats (WAR, OPS, SB/CS). He also plays on a team where Andre Either and James Loney are his best offensive teammates leading to a team record that hovers around .500, but in the ultimate individual sport disguised as a team sport, should that matter? I say the answer in Kemp's case is clearly no, the guy is having one of the best offensive seasons in recent memory and he is underrated which seems impossible when he plays in LA. More people know about the Dodgers ownership issues from TMZ and Curb, but that shouldn't take away the well deserved spotlight on Kemp and his season. Ryan Braun had a great year in leading the Brewers to the playoffs, he finished ahead of Kemp in average (.332 to .324) and OPS (.994 to .986), but he hit 6 less homers with 2.3 less WAR and even his +27 SB ratio was behind Kemp's and most importantly Braun hit in front of Prince Fielder. Fielder finished the season with a 5.2 WAR, .981 OPS, along with 38 HR and 120 RBI. These numbers put Fielder in the discussion for NL MVP even though I believe he wasn't the most valuable Brewer and they most certainly hurt Braun's case for MVP when comparing his situation to Kemp's.

The Cardinals making the playoffs due to the Braves collapse was surprising, but equally as surprising was the Cards ability to win the Wild Card with Albert Pujols' season. Pujols finished with the lowest WAR among the NL MVP contenders (5.1) and his .906 OPS is miles away from Braun, Kemp and Fielder. His 37 HR's ranked third in the league, but he also failed to hit .300 or drive in 100 runs and added nothing on the bases.

Justin Upton is the Dbacks best player and had a nice season (6.4 WAR, .898 OPS, 31 HR, 88 RBI, +12 on the bases), but the only number that sticks out when discussing his season is his 7.7 UZR. Ultimate Zone Rating is the best way we have to judge a player defensively and Upton's ranking validates what we know when we watch him play. Compared to the other NL contenders (Kemp -4.3, Braun -3.8, Fielder -4.5, and Pujols .1) Upton is by far the most valuable defensively, but it still doesn't make up for his offensive numbers and of all the stats UZR is the most ambiguous.

The AL also has some interesting contenders for MVP, most notably Jose Bautista, Jacoby Ellsbury, Curtis Granderson, Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander. The "should a pitcher win MVP" debate has been brought back to the foreground this season with Verlander. I have no problem with a pitcher winning the award, but this season even though Verlander (21-4, 2.40 ERA, 250 K, 251 IP, .92 WHIP) has been great, I don't think he has the numbers or magical moments to overcome an everyday player. He is also playing with Cabrera who has a 7.1 WAR, OPS of 1.033, 30 HR, 105 RBI, and .344 average. Verlander carried the Tigers through the summer, but they won the division by 10+ games and have one of the top 5 hitters in the AL. Say Verlander had an ERA under 2 and went 5-0 in September to win the division by a game with James Loney as his first baseman, then he should be the slam dunk MVP, but this season he is the slam dunk Cy Young winner, but not MVP.

Just as Kemp was the best player in the NL on a .500 team, Bautista is the best player in the AL also on a .500 team. Bautista leads the league in WAR (8.6), OPS (1.056), and HR (43) and leads the league in power numbers by a wide margin. These are the most important numbers for a hitter and you can't ignore that Bautista is the class of the AL in this department. Ellsbury has had a breakthrough season (7.2 WAR, .928 OPS, 32 HR, +24 SB, astronomical 16.8 UZR) and is the best player on the Sox, which is a very strong statement, but he is still a tier below Bautista and that is even before you consider home/road splits. Speaking of home/road splits and new vs. old school numbers, Curtis Granderson has a lot of HR's (41), RBI's (119), and Runs (136) but they are more of an indication of the support in the Yanks lineup and a favorably home hitting park. Granderson's 7.0 WAR is lower than Bautista, Ellsbury, and Cabrera's and his .916 OPS is well behind those players as well. His -5.1 UZR and +15 SB are both numbers that indicate his more pretender than AL MVP contender.

As we mentioned in the AL MVP discussion, Verlander is the run-away Cy Young winner. The NL is more complicated, but I am going with Clayton Kershaw. He leads the league in wins (21), ERA (2.29), K's (250), and WHIP (.92). Normally those stats would generate a run-away winner, but when you factor in fielding independent of pitching and home parks, Roy Halladay jumps right into the discussion with Kershaw. Halladay does have to overcome voter fatigue, high expectations and being part of a staff with Lee, Hamels, Worley, and Oswalt. I still think Kershaw is the deserving winner, but it is a lot closer than you would expect with Kershaw winning the pitching triple crown.

Now that we have settled the MVP and Cy Young discussions, let's move on to first round matchups.

Tampa vs. Texas: My favorite first round matchup, the ultimate underdog Rays vs. a Texas team that is turning into a powerhouse under Ryan, Daniels and Washington. I love that the Ray's are starting Matt Moore in Game 1 and if he is going well the Rays could have the better rotation in this series. Texas has a better lineup than last year and even though Cliff Lee is a Philly, I like the Rangers in 5.

Detroit vs. NYY: The Tigers aren't just Verlander, though what Verlander does tonight will be a major indication of how this series goes. The Tigers have made a living off of bad AL Central pitching and after CC the Yanks rotation looks an awful lot like the Twins, Royals, and White Sox. I like the Tigers in 4.

Arizona vs. Milwaukee: Both teams played hard to the last day to secure home field in an evenly matched series. Arizona will defend and play small ball, while the Crew will is all power on the mound and at the plate. I like the Brewers formula better for playoff success.

St. Louis vs. Philadelphia: The Cards are in due to decent play down the stretch and the Braves collapse, but are behind the 8 ball in terms of rotation setup and ability. I wouldn't take over on Cards wins in this series if the total was .5.

Attitude is Everything

With the Williams' sisters injured, Andy Roddick in the twilight of his career, and a lack of up and coming young players the state of recent American tennis has been as barren as the trophy case at Wrigley Field. Even so, it was no surprise that the Americans put up their best showing in a major last week on home soil, with Serena Williams and Andy Roddick healthy they made decent showings and there were some mild surprises in the play of John Isner, Donald Young on the men's side and a flash of future hope in the women's draw with decent runs by 19 year old Christina McHale and 18 year old Sloan Stephens. Even though the 2011 US Open was a recent high mark for American tennis, I couldn't help but find myself as a tennis fan who lives in America embarrassed by the behavior of most of the American players.

For Serena it was the same old story as she called the chair umpire an "ugly person on the inside" after the chair umpire made the correct call, which happened to go against her. Her behavior this year continued a pattern that dates back to her threatening to shove a ball down a lineswoman's throat after she again made a correct call that happened to go against Williams in the '09 Open. Maybe even more troubling is that Williams has failed to apologize for either embarrassing incident. Instead of spending time on the fashion circuit or even on the practice courts, I think Williams needs a few episodes of "Curb" where she can learn how to apologize from the master Larry David. Ego and self belief have always been some of Serena Williams' best traits, but by personally attacking officials who make the correct calls that just happen to go against her she has entered an ugly stage of her career that has the possibility to be just as defining as her major titles.

It seems that Roddick has realized not only has his "prime" taken place in the Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic eras, but that father time is now closing in on him and his days of being a top 25 player are numbered. You can have a great debate about whether Roddick's career has been a disappointment or just bad luck (I tend to think 75 to 25 in favor of disappointment), but one thing is certain, Roddick has upped his complaining and antics as his game has slipped. Roddick loves to cite McEnroe's emotion, but the game has changed and instant replay has taken out 99% of the subjectivity involved in officiating a tennis match. When Roddick argues with umpires and attacks the media for being "too hard" on him he comes off as bitter and unlikeable as Jose Canseco.

The need to complain and make an embarrassing scene even seeped into Mardy Fish's game, who by the way was the top seeded American man. In a round of 16 match in Ashe Stadium where Fish had 99% fan support he managed to get into with Tsonga's box (maybe 16 people in a stadium of 23,000). It was no surprise that after Fish let that small percentage of Tsonga fans get to him that he was eliminated by the Frenchman.

Even with these aforementioned incidents, the spoiled brat award goes to American Ryan Harrison. Harrison was labeled as the next star in the men's game, but his attitude and actions became so tiresome that the American crowd booed him during his first round loss. It really takes quit a spectacle to turn the New York crowd against a young American, but Harrison was up to the task with his multiple racket tosses, profanity laced tirades, and overall poor attitude. If he is the future of American's men's tennis all American tennis fans are going to be rooting against the Stars and Stripes.

It is one thing to be unable to win or compete for major titles, but it is quite another to be embarrassment for all American tennis fans and that is the current state of USA tennis.

NFL Week 1

Now that the NFL owners have beat the players like they were the Bills ( because really who wants more revenue when you cut training camp practices from 2 to 1) and ended the lockout and everyone has completed their fantasy drafts it is finally time to move on to the regular season. Thursday night football still seems a bit weird even with a full flegged Kid Rock concert prior to the season opener primarily due to a full day of work still left in the week, so we are skipping that game along with some others and focusing on 5 games I like this weekend and also the totals of those 10 teams.

Tennessee +2.5 @ Jacksonville: Now that Peyton Manning had surgery and will likely miss the regular season the AFC South is wide open. The Titans mercifully ended the Jeff Fisher and Vince Young era this offseason and even though Matt Hassleback doesn't sound like the answer playing behind one of the best O-lines in football and handing the ball the CJ 25 times a game is a solid plan. Jacksonville cutting David Garrard this week and handing the reins to Luke McCown reinforces the point that the Jack Del Rio era has lasted far too long. Both teams season win totals are (6.5) with the Titans over at -125 and the Jags under at -150. Though neither come with a value sign I like both bets as the Titans are a sleeper who should cover the 6.5 with room to spare and I predict Blaine Gabbert will be trying to get win #4 for a Del Rio less Jags squad come January.

Cleveland -7 vs. Cincinnati: Sticking with some of the worst games on the Sunday slate, the battle of Ohio. Can you really blame Carson Palmer for not wanting to endure another year of misery in Cincy? The Bengals drafted AJ Green and jettisoned TO and Ocho-Cinco, but with a weak O-line and Ced Benson facing jail time, Palmer choose to hang it up and the reins were handed to rookie Andy Dalton. Cleveland has second year QB Colt McCoy along with a new coach in year 2 of Holmgreen's re-build by the lake and most of all a truly favorable first 10 games of the schedule. I think Dalton will be a quality QB, but starting on the road with his supporting cast is asking too much. Dick Jauron is a good hire as Defensive Cord. for the Browns and I think he will get the most out of this unit and the switch to the 4-3, like Will Arnet, Jauron is much better as a supporting actor than lead man. The Browns will rely on Hillis early, but I think WR Greg Little will emerge and be a 3rd round or better fantasy pick this time next year. The Browns total is (6.5) with the over at a reasonable -110 and with McCoy in his soph year and with the most favorable first 10 game schedule in the league the over should be buried by Xmas. As for the Bengals the total is (5.5) and the under is again a reasonable -115. Like Carson Palmer I will take the under on this total.

St. Louis +5 vs. Philadelphia: One of the best games of the day features the Dream Team in the dome vs. Bradford and the Rams. The Rams were feisty last season and are poised to take a step forward this season with more depth at the skill positions and a second year for the defense in coach Steve Spagnulo's system. They will make Vick and his O-line's day miserable Sunday and if they don't win they won't lose by more than a field goal. The Eagles deservedly have the most pre-season hype, but questions on the O-line in the defensive front seven will not only hurt them Sunday but will keep them under 10.5 wins with a +120 value. The Rams total sits at (7.5, even money) and not only do I like the over, but I like their +150 division odds as well. Even with a tougher schedule this year they still play 6 games vs. the own division where every team (SF, Sea, and Arz) could be worse than last season.

San Diego -9 vs. Minnesota: Betting on Norv and the Bolts early in the season hasn't been a profitable move, but they have to end that streak this season, right? Opening at home vs. a McNabb led team is as favorable as possible and no team benefits more from the change in kickoff position. The law of averages has to favor the SD special teams this season and this offense should average in 30's all season barring major injury to Rivers. Unless Minny turns to Percy Harvin running the Wildcat next to AP I think they will consistently struggle to score points. Diego's win total (10, -140) is a number I usual stay away from, but with the current state of the AFC West even Norv can't screw this up, right? Minny was 6-10 last season and that seems about right this season, so even a total at (7, even) isn't scaring me away. The overs I like in Minny is QB changes, AP carries, and then AP's holdout next offseason.

Dallas + 5 @ NY Jets: For the first time in years the Cowboys seem to be keeping a low profile and that has to be due to new coach Jason Garrett, whereas there is still a lot of noise coming out of Rex Ryan's Jets camp. This is one of the best games of opening weekend and is better than both Monday night games (NE/Miami, Oak/Den). Romo and Dez Byrant are healthy and the Cowboys have depth at running back, if the other Ryan (Rob) can get the Boys D to play decent they should contend in the NFC East and go over their win total (9 + 105). The defense should get a nice start to the season vs. Mark Sanchez and the Jets conservative game plan Sunday night. Meanwhile, the Jets have lost Ellis and Jenkins on the D-line and will continue to rely heavily on an aging LT and an underperforming Shonn Greene. This is a statement game and I like the understated Garrett and his Cowboys to make the biggest statement. The Jets are a trendy Super Bowl pick so that is reason enough to take under (10) at -110.