US Open Preview by the numbers

Woods (9/2) Mickelson (5/1)

Tiger is the slight favorite in NBC's dream final pairing for Father's Day Sunday. There are two ways to look at Tiger's odds; Tiger supporters will tell you he is a great value anytime he is over 4/1 (true) while non-supporters will tell you that as long as he is in the field he will get action (never gets old) and has to be made the favorite (also true). His on course game has been inconsistent at best and he is coming off injury concerns and swing issues. Mickelson has been much better on the course and is even using the Tiger-like line of using regular PGA tournaments to peak for the majors. Tiger lost his intimidation factor on the field last November and has been unable to put four good rounds of golf together since. That task will be more difficult at this event, and it is easier to see Mickelson stringing together four rounds needed to win.

Westwood (11/1) McIlroy (14/1) Harrington (14/1) Els (18/1)

Els doesn't have a top ten in the US Open in 6 years, but he is having a bounce back year and it would not be a surprise to see him contend. Harrington has missed three of the last five cuts in this event and is surely not a lock. McIlroy is coming off a T-10 last year and has the game to win, but will have to avoid the one bad round he is known for. Westwood has earned his world ranking with three thirds and one second in the last eight majors, but even supporters at this price are going to be worried if he needs clutch shots on Sunday to break through in a major.

(30/1) Donald, Furyk, Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Mahan, Poulter, Goosen, Casey, Villegas

Plenty of options at this advantageous price, former champs Goosen and Furyk are US Open stalwarts with minor questions this year as Goosen is recovering from injury and Furyk has never played well at Pebble. Donald and Poulter are in their prime, but have their worst career major results at the US Open and more suprisingly Stricker and Casey have only one top ten each at an event they should be annual contenders in. Mahan has three T-20's in his last three US Opens and Villegas has been consistently between 9th and 50th in this last four US Opens. Both can be expected to contend this year. Dustin Johnson's back to back wins at Pebble and his all around game should lead to an eventual major and this price reflects that even if he hasn't had major success up to this point.

(35/1) Clark, Scott, Watney, Ogilivy (45/1) Schwartzel, Kaymer, Allenby, O'Hair, Choi, Zack Johnson

The US Open has proved difficult for Allenby who has one T-10 in eleven starts, Choi who has been cut three of the last four, and Johnson who has been cut four of the last five. Clark and Scott have surprising wins this year and Schwartzel and Kaymer are interesting players who have the games to contend with short major resumes. Watney and O'Hair need a Lucas Glover like tourney to validate their prices. Ogilivy is very interestingly priced in this group as a proven world class player who is currently enduring a rocky stretch, but could turn out to be the value of the tournament.

(50/1) Cabrera, Van Pelt (60/1) Garcia, Glover, McDowell, Stenson, Yang (66/1) Cink, Karlsson

The 07' US Open and 09' Masters champion is the same price as a guy who has one career win on tour in Milwaukee, but based on their play this year Van Pelt looks to be the better bet. Tons of potential and unfilled expectations with the majorless Garcia and Stenson coupled with surprise 09' major winners Glover and Yang and the underrated McDowell who had the best cumulative major finish in 09'. Cink and Karlsson both combine excellent ball striking with shaky putting at this number, both will be common picks for people looking for dark horses.

(70/1) Kuchar (75/1) Weir, Singh (80/1) Moore, Slocum

A mix of veteran major winners who might have one more major week left in them and three solid players with six wins between them, the biggest being a Fed Ex playoff event. While Kuchar, Moore, and Slocum have had little US Open or major success in general, Singh and Weir have four combined majors and numerous T-5's. Weir has finished T-10 in six of the last seven US Opens and Singh has finished T-20 in six of the last ten and has had success at Pebble. Both are made much more interesting at this price.

(90/1) Toms, Campbell, Curtis, Perry, Fisher, Jimenez, Davies, F. Molinari

Sets up for a decent mini Ryder Cup with these eight at this price. The four Americans have the experience of major contention and a couple wins, but all are better bets at one of the other majors. Molinari and Davies would like some of that experience to go with their games. Fisher is interesting at this number he had T-30's in all of the 09' majors with a fifth last year in this event. He seems undervalued at this number and could be a better bet than some of this countrymen at a third of the price.

(110/1) Leonard, Duval, Couples, Quiros, Ishikawa

More options here with some of the biggest odds on the board. The US Open is the only major that Leonard has not registered a top ten and unlike the Masters Couples has only three T-10's in 31 starts in this event. Duval played incredibly well last year and came from longer odds than this year to tie for second. Like Naughty by Nature, Quiros and Ishikawa may be worthy of a flyer to make it big while seemingly being too young. Quiros can hit it a mile and has showed well in Europe and the few World Golf Championships he has played and Ishikawa shot 59 this year on the Japanese tour and fared well in the WGC match play in February.

Top ten NBA jerseys of all time

As the NBA finals head back to LA with the Lakers looking to re-group after Boston showed that even one of the best all time offensive displays can be overcome by a team effort. Kobe was unreal and if you have ever shot a basketball in your life you had to realize you were watching a historical performance as he scored 23 straight for LA and 19 in ten minutes of the third quarter. The points were impressive but the more impressive feat was the types of shots he was hitting against good Celtic defense. He had Dale Ellis range on his jump shot and was willing in wrong foot fade-aways and runners like it was a video game. Ultimately a balanced Celtic approach on offense and the inability of any other Laker to contribute (the Artest signing looks like a mistake the size of the deal Columbia gave to Alicia Silverstone after Clueless) has the Celts one game away from another NBA title. Can KG, Pierce, and the Celts bench mob bring their A games to LA and can the other Laker 11 put something together at home? Interesting questions heading into Game 6 along with can the NBA change this to a best of 13 for pure entertainment value? During a series like this it is a good time to list my top ten NBA jerseys of all time. For my money NBA jerseys are the best of all the major sports due to the ability to identify the players and the style infusion after the ABA merger. Honorable mention goes out to the jerseys of the Nique led 80's Hawks and the original dinosaur logo of the Toronto Raptors who just missed the cut.
#10) San Diego Clippers (1978-1984): The powdered blue is truly a Diego trait, but the red trim really makes these pop. In their inaugural year the Clipps finished over .500 for the only time in their Diego existence. In 79' they gave up most of the teams core for Bill Walton who was never able to regain his top form due to crippling injuries. The clubs downward spiral excellerated when the team was sold to Donald Sterling in 1981 and he changed the colors and moved them to LA. He continues the franchise's spiral by refusing to sell even though this roster with any other owner would complement Lebron perfectly.

#9) Oklahoma City Thunder (2008 to present): A great decision by the franchise in 08' with the decision to go with the UCLA like retro home white jerseys with block lettering. It is all very classy for the best young team in basketball and puts Oklahoma City on the pro sports map. They claim they had Durant ahead of Oden on their draft board and with jersey decision I can believe the Durant decision as well.

#8) Orlando Magic (90's): The pinstripes are a popular look but they never looked better on an NBA team than on this expansion team turned quick contender. One of the most important lottery wins in 92' brought them Shaq and an immediate turnaround. Unbelievably they won the lottery the next year as well and made an odd decision to trade Webber for Hardaway. Bringing two of the Blue Chips stars together got them a trip to the Finals, but like Nick Nolte they collapsed and Magic fans still have to kick themselves when thinking of the possibilities of Shaq with a perimeter skilled rebounding power forward like Webber.

#7) New York Knicks: They have kept the jerseys fairly consistent and recently that is about all they have had going for them. We could spend 2,000 words on their basketball decisions but that is for another day. The blue, orange and white color combination is often imitated but never duplicated and it helps that is was worn by Clyde Frazier and Charles Oakley. Those two along with Burt Reynolds make up three of the coolest guys on the planet. Burt Reynolds once kissed a baby's right arm and that baby was Stephen Strasburg.

#6) Seattle Supersonics (Late 80's early 90's): The green and gold is a truly underrated color combination as shown by this team. They got back to their late 70's success when they drafted Kemp in 89' and Payton in 90'. They made a consisitent one two punch in a highly competitive Western conference highlighted by a 64 win year in 96' and got the unfortunate luck of having to play the 72 win Bulls. Seattle's bad breaks continued as they lost their franchise to OK City and are now stuck with the Mariners and Pete Carroll. This great jersey and the mention in Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day" are the lasting memories of this squad.

#5) New Jersey Nets (ABA 1967 to 1976): The first thing that should be on new owner Mikhail Prokhorov's list of things to do while he and Avery Johnson are shooting the "Twins" remake is to go back to this classic jersey. It would allow this team and their fans a chance to associate with the legend of Dr. J even if they had to sell him when they joined the NBA to pay the invasion rights fee to the Knicks.

#4) Washington Bullets (1970's): Red, white, and blue should be mandatory colors for all teams residing in the nation's capital and none beat this jersey. It looked good on Wes Unseld and I am sure John Wall would love a chance to wear this jersey. Unless they are going to wear capes, the nickname change to Wizards doesn't outdate these beauties. It might even bring back some of the good karma from the days when a 44-38 Washington team got hot in the playoffs and won the title.

#3) Denver Nuggets (1983-1993): The Atari like city-scape with the Rocky Mountains as a background is truly one of the best jerseys ever made. This jersey was introduced while Asteroids and Centipede were dominating the gaming circuit and the Nuggets were setting a record for points scored in a game with Alex English. The present day Nuggets like those teams have never committed to defense and in honor of that tradition the Rainbow jerseys need to be unleashed. Carmelo could never leave a team rolling with this look.

#2) Utah Jazz (1979-1996): The most mind boggling nickname to follow a team from an old city, but two of the best jerseys. The Jazz was a perfect nickname for the Pistol Pete led New Orleans team, but Jazz in Utah is about as likely as Polar Bears in Hawaii. The angry Mormons would be a better nickname, but the purple and green with the music note jerseys can not be given up and should be the only jerseys used for this team.

#1) San Francisco Warriors (1962-1971): This franchise has spanned from Philadelphia to Oakland but this jersey from this time period can not be matched by any sports franchise. "The City" was cool then and continues to dominate now, but the best feature has to be the street car with the number on the back instead of names. They immediately become sought after when recent editions of the Warriors broke them out and not only are they eye catching but wearing one of these leads to a history lesson of the NBA and questions about why Dwight Howard doesn't borrow Rick Barry's free throw shooting technique. This team also played in the Cow Palace in San Jose where Keith Moon once passed out from horse tranquilizers and a fan jumped in to finish the set.

Pete Carroll - Genius or Slime Ball?

On the heels of a 4-year NCAA investigation, the USC athletic community was dealt a great blow for an array of rules violations stemming from "a lack of institutional control" from 2004-2009. Most notably the investigation focused on the financial gains of Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo while they still had amateur status as student-athletes.

While the Men's basketball and Women's tennis teams also face sanctions, the greatest impact of the investigation landed on the shoulders of the football team.

USC football will face the following penalties:

4-year probation
2-year Postseason Bowl ban
Loss of 2004 BCS National Championship
Loss of 30 scholarships over 3 years
Loss of 14 victories from December 2004 through the 2005 season
All titles won during ineligible games must be vacated and trophies and banners must be removed
Reggie Bush's statistics must be removed from record books
Reggie Bush must be disassociated with USC athletics

No word yet if Bush will have to give back his 2005 Heisman, but it appears that the Heisman committee does not want to go down that path.

The Trojans, however, will likely keep their 2004 AP National Title. AP sports editor Terry Taylor said, ""The 2004 poll stands, the poll is intended to measure on-field performance. If teams are allowed to play, they're allowed to be ranked and USC certainly played in 2004."

She continued by saying, "It would be impractical to, It's been six years. Memories have faded and the poll board from that year is no longer intact."

Personally I don't see what any of that AP nonsense means. OK it has been six years, so what. The team has had to forfeit all of the games in a time period where the program was deemed ineligible. I get that they were on the field and playing the game, but if they have no wins to show for it, then how can they be the champions. Also in an age of pretty much limitless technology, how is the poll board no longer intact. I bet you I can Google 2004 AP final poll and within .000284 seconds I can find that board.

Anyways that was just a short summation of what has gone on for USC the past couple days.

The real focus of this post is set on Pete Carroll. In his 9 seasons at the helm of USC football Carroll produced a record of 97-19 with 2 National Championships, 7 PAC-10 titles, 3 Heisman winners and turned USC into the top destination for the nation's top high school football talent.



I'm sure that didn't hurt either.


In early January, shortly after the Trojans defeat of BC in the Emerald Bowl, Carroll jumped ship and left LA for to become the President and Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks. He signed a 5-year deal believed to be worth $7 million per year.

Even in January, I thought that this move seemed a little fishy. USC was under heavy investigation, the team had just completed a sub-par season and he just basically up and left the team. His players weren't even told that he was leaving. They didn't find out until the public announcement was made that he would be taking the Seattle job.

This is all from the same Pete Carroll who is supposed to be the ultimate player's coach. The guy who would walk through the fires of hell to help his players succeed. A guy who was down to earth and tried to connect to his guys on personal levels.

Why was he in such a hurry to get out of Dodge? What was so urgent that he couldn't find the time to even tell his players. And to top it off, he was going to Seattle. Not exactly the cream of the NFL crop.

I guess if I knew I had the opportunity to coach Julius Jones and Matt Hasselbeck, I would run at a full sprint and not stop until I reached the Pacific Northwest too.

So to me, yes, something seemed a little off.

In January, when asked if his move to the NFL was pressured by the on-going investigation, Carroll said, "Not in any way. Because I know where we stand. It's just a process we have to go through. We know we've fought hard to do it right."

Sure you did Pete.

Everything was just so fine and dandy in LALA land, that you found it essential to high tail it out of town at the drop of a hat.

Of course you played by the rules, I mean your campus is located right in the epicenter of all that epitomizes American materialism, so there in no way the corrupt Hollywood world could infiltrate your program or USC athletics.

Come on Pete. You claim to be the ultimate player's coach. You have developed strong personal bonds with these kids, but you never noticed any red flags that could hurt your program.

That 19-year old who comes from nothing, but is seem driving around on campus in a new Hummer. Nothing? No red flag?

Or that kid who is out partying with celebrities, getting access to all of the hot night spots, showing up in gossip magazines, and wining and dining Hollywood's leading ladies.



Well maybe not leading ladies, but definately favorites of the paparazzi.

So Pete, you're trying to tell us that in a town of wealth and excess, you had no inkling of an idea that something corrupt had leaked into your program? No idea that USC football would be crumbling down? No idea that you're best option would be to jump to the NFL for a boat load of money, no matter how bad the franchise is?

But to Pete's credit, he continued to hide behind his Surprised Sally mask after the NCAA released its punishment on the program. Carroll said, "I am absoluetly shocked and disappointed in the findings of the NCAA." He continued by saying that he never though the facts that the NCAA found supported any of the sanctions bestowed on USC.

So here is the question:

Is Pete Carroll a genius for getting out of L.A. when he did, cashing in on a very lucrative contract and distancing himself from the mess at USC?

OR

Is Pete Carroll a slime ball for leaving USC in complete shambles, denying any knowledge of all wrongdoings and basically looking out for #1, when all of the players "he cared so deeply about" will be suffering for years from the sanctions brought upon by his regime at USC?

To make matters worse, with the reconstruction of the conferences in the NCAA, the PAC-10, or whatever it will be called, is going to be greatly if it can land national front-runners Texas and Oklahoma. USC was always a great recruiter, could draw the top talent in the nation, and owned the westcoast, but with the loss of 30 scholarships and being ineligible for bowl games, how can USC possibly match up with those former Big-12 powerhouses.

The once mighty have fallen, and Lane Kiffin will feel the wrath first hand. Couldn't have happened to a better guy. Ask Tennessee.

Fresh Meat II Finale

Tonight we will be experimenting with a running commentary of the greatly anticipated finale of Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat II.

The finale will begin with Noor and Jenn facing off against Ryan and Theresa in each team's first exile. The winner will be joining the 3 remaining teams in the final challenge.

The winning team will share 200K, second place will get 60K, and third place gets 40K

3 teams will go home with money, 1 will leave British Columbia empty handed.

Who will it be?

Let's find out.


10:03 T.J. explains the Weight for Me exile. Each team needs to climb the mountain while carrying 150 pounds of weight from the ox yokes.

10:04 The horn sounds and the final exile is under way. Theresa and Ryan are the first to finish the opening puzzle.

10:04 Theresa and Ryan have trouble figuring out how to divide the weight, and allow Jenn and Noor to catch up and eventually take the lead. Noor collapses within 10 yards of the starting line and allow Theresa and Ryan to retake the lead.

10:06 Upon arriving at the first puzzle Theresa displays her vast vocabulary by using the word "Thingamahopper." While Theresa and Ryan searched for adjectives, Jenn and Noor blow through the puzzle, drop 30 pounds from their buckets and headed toward the next checkpoint.

10:08 Both teams are dead tired and rest. They are in view of each other but neither has the energy to gain ground while their opponent rests.

10:12 Jenn and Noor reach the final check point first and drop all of their weight and head towards the finish.

10:13 Jenn and Noor win the exile and earn a spot in the finals.

10:13 Because the exile is a night and he isn't Corey Hart, T.J., sans sunglasses, proudly displays his "high" eyes.



10:15 Theresa makes the understatement of the Challenge by saying she made stupid mistakes.

10:17 The ever self-promoter Kenny declares himself the "King of Sting" and tells his competition to "Suck my ass"

There is only one King of Sting



10:22 The teams arrive to the final challenge.

10:22 T.J. after a wake and bake explains that the final challenge will be an endurance race to the top of the mountain. Along the way their will be 4 checkpoints. The first phase will be a canoeing venture across a lake.

10:24 The horn blows and the race begins. Obligatory commercial break.

10:27 Teams begin their canoe trip.

10:30 Landon and Carley finish the canoe stage first earning a 2 minute head start for the next stage. Kenny and Laurel finish second, followed by Pete and Jillian, and Noor and Jenn pull up the rear.

10:31 Helicopters swoop in and carry the teams off to the next phase of the challenge. Only MTV would employ helicopters. I'm half expecting Mitch Buchannon to hop out and perform a water rescue on the lake.




10:32 Phase 2 begins with a Sudoku puzzle which gives way to a mountain bike challenge.

10:33 Landon reveals that he is an elite mountain biker and competes competitively. However, a rope is tied in between the bikes, so he will only be able to go as fast as Carley permits.

10:34 Kenny and Laural are in second, Pete and Jillian third, Noor and Jenn fourth.

10:34 Upon mounting the bike, Jenn immediately falls off. Jill also falls off of her bike and says that she can't ride it. Her and Pete push it up the hill.

10:37 Carley can't continue on the bike, dismounts and grabs onto Landon's backpack while he drags her up a mountain.

10:38 Kenny diagnoses Laurel with a Chinese disease: Dragon Ass...get it... Laurel was draggin' ass.




10:39 Landon and Carley are the first to arrive at the second puzzle. Teams are expected to carry logs to basically form a Twister board. There is more wood than a group of middle school boys participating in their first coed Twister game.




10:40 For the third stage the teams need to carry an 80 pound bag up the mountain.

10:47 The fourth and final stage has the teams climbing up a snow covered mountain face. In order to make this challenge feel even more like Rocky IV, MTV cuts to a barn where we see Evelyn preparing for the next challenge by doing situps from a hay loft.




10:52 The drama is being built by MTV as they show Carley laying down on the mountain while Kenny furiously urges Laurel to catch up and erase the team's deficit.

10:53 Jenn one-ups Theresa and makes the understatement of the Challenge, "I can't think."

10:54 Landon actually puts his head in between Carley's butt cheeks and pushes her up the mountain. Pretty much if she farts we will see him tumbling down the hill.

10:55 Landon with Carley, the last female pick in the Fresh Meat Draft, finish first and win 200K. Landon cements his place as one of, if not the best player in Challenge history.

10:56 Kenny and Laurel finish second and earn 60K. Pete and Jillian earn 40K for their third place finish.

10:57 T.J. hands the teams giant novelty checks and immediately informs MTV that he only wants to be paid in giant checks.




11:07 Patrick Kane beats Michael Leighton in overtime to win the Stanley Cup. Jonathan Toews wins the Conn Smythe. Philadelphia fans stay classy and boo the champion Blackhawks. Richards, Hartnell, and Pronger still are scum. Congratulations Hossa.

World Cup Preview

The world's biggest sporting event starts on Friday and here is a different type of preview. Comparisons to other teams in other sports based on each team's strengths, weaknesses, style and overall grouping in this tournament.

Group A

South Africa: Every host country has advanced past the group stage, a tall order for this squad. The country impressively built ten stadiums and will have a ton of emotion in every contest. If that carries them out of the group stage I will have to load up on 2011 NCAA basketball tournament host Rice next year.

Uruguay: Odds on favorite to be the the team that most resembles the Raiders and leads the tournament in fouls and cards. Winners of the first ever World Cup held in 1930 and won their second cup in 1950 by beating Brazil in Rio de Janerio. That sounds as impressive as beating the Russell led Celts in the Finals in the Garden.

France: One of the oddsmakers favorites at (12/1) who will be relying on past success and a veteran connection of Ribery and Henry. It is still hard to believe Ribery was suspended for the Champions league final. What are the odds of the NBA suspending Kobe or Rando for a finals game? I doubt this team will get much support from any Irish pubs and they have the coach most likely to pull a Mike Brown.

Mexico: A fairly nice draw for the OK City Thunder like team with their nucleus of talented young guys. (70/1) seems like great value for a team that will be in the conversation for the next few cups and might be naive enough to make a long run in this one.

Group B

South Korea: The most shocking host country to advance with wins over Italy and Spain in 02'. Seems like the same type of challenge in this group and venue.

Greece: Soccer will be a nice change of topic for a country that badly needs it. The Euro 04' champs will try to implement the same strategy as the 04' Heisman winner Matt Leinart this year in the desert; manage the game and minimize mistakes.

Nigeria: A talented long shot (90/1) that has reinvented itself as a defense first squad with most of their talent on the back end. The roster looks like Bama on defense without a Mark Ingram to carry the offense.

Argentina: With the best player on the planet in his prime and (7/1) odds they are going to be a major story. No comparisons exist to a team that hires its greatest player ever to become coach when he has no experience and no relationship with the star player. Major boom or bust potential like a NBA team changing 2-3 of its starting five at the trade deadline.

Group C

Algeria: This team will be without its best player for the first game and goaltender for the first two games due to carry over red cards. That could be enough to put them behind in a competitive group. Threat to Uruguay in the fouls and cards total bet.

Slovenia: A real upset threat as they allowed only 4 goals in 10 qualifiers. Plays a strategy like a mid major hoop team that wants to shorten the game and hopes you get frustrated. Also one of my favorite countries to visit on House Hunters.

USA: Athletic enough to set the bar at advancing past the group stage while testing the bend but don't break defensive strategy. In a sport that relies on possession they have been fairly successful without it, like the Canadians winning without shots on goal for long periods of the game.

England: A starting ten even with injuries and WAG issues that is hard to match in this tourney, with goaltending as the major question mark (sounds like the scouting report for the Washington Caps). Rooney plays the Ovechkin role with his scoring and temperament. Hired an Italian as the national coach, which would be like the Russian hockey team hiring Lindy Ruff for the 14' Olympics.

Group D

Australia: Longest shot in the group at (90/1) shows the depth of this group. With a solid back line and goalie they play from the net out and hope to have a better tournament than the Calgary Flames had season with the same philosophy.

Ghana: A team that seemed to be coming together at the right time in the right place until an injury to their central midfielder and glue guy. Just as the Coyotes were able to band together for a few games without Shane Doan the Black Stars' will need the Patrick Ewing theory to carry them out of group play.

Serbia: Deep and experienced team who opened a lot of eyes with the way they played in a tough qualifying group. The win over France showed they are peaking and confident and it reminds me of the Rays win over the Sox to get to the series in 08'.

Germany: Consistency of the Utah Jazz from the Stockton/Malone era to the Williams/Boozer and Williams/Millsap era's. (12/1) seems like a great value bet for a team that will continue to roll with youth now that Michael Ballard is injured. As always Germany will be in the hunt for their first unified title.

Group E

Japan: A team oriented approach led them through a weak qualifying group on Asian soil. They seem headed for the same fate as a 7/8 seed in the Eastern conference of the NBA playoffs who sneaks in with a .500 record and has a short playoff stay.

Denmark: Methodical, defensively responsible, chemistry, experience: Words used to describe the Danes and would anyone be surprised if their coach turned out to be Jacques Lemaire.

Cameroon: Have taken big strides over the last few international competitions and have a Chicago Blackhawk like core and guys who know their roles. African soil might help this team more than any other, especially if Italy is their opponent in bracket play.

Netherlands: A ton of talent and therefore expectations on the big stage. The Dutch come to S. Africa with (11/1) odds and a style, resume, and roster that invites comparisons to the San Jose Sharks. Ultimately they will be judged by how they compete and finish in bracket play.

Group F

New Zealand: They have the highest odds in the field (500/1), the nickname "All Whites" and cancelled practice yesterday due to the smell of the field. These factors combine to make them the ultimate long shot #16 seed in the tourney.

Slovakia: An all out attacking style and nationalistic pride led to a win over the Czech's and a ticket to the World Cup. They are led by a 5' 6" striker who has more moves than a belly dancer and they are not known for their defense. Looking forward to watching the Suns on grass.

Paraguay: A tough minded team that is listed as (60/1) even though their top scorer in qualifying was shot in the head in a Mexico City nightclub and is lucky to be alive. List of active players that if you read that last line about them would not make you flinch; Artest, TO, Captain Jack, Jamal Tinsley, Tank Johnson, Roethlisberger.

Italy: Defending champions with veterans throughout the rooster. There has never been a repeat champion and this well balanced opportunistic Red Wing like team will look to change that this year.

Group G

North Korea: A dangerous team in the group of death that only employs 1 forward while keeping 9 guys packed in the defensive zone like a Boeheim zone. Interesting style of play clashes with the other three offensively creative teams in this group.

Ivory Coast: Was the African favorite at (23/1) before theLebron like Drogba was injured in a friendly and had to have surgery on his broken arm. He has the physical skills to dominate on both ends and will do whatever it takes to get back, but in this group one missed game might be one too many.

Portugal: Struggled to qualify and played some truly head scratching games recently like the Patriots the last couple of years. As the Pats are always going to be tough with Brady Portugal is the same way with Ronaldo who has won 3 Premier League and 1 Champions League title.

Brazil: The second pick on the board at (4/1) but though the uniforms are the same the style of play might not be that recognizable. Looking for more discipline and defense they have tightened up on that end and are not attacking as much as past teams. What if Florida switched from the spread to the wishbone would they still have the athletes to win or would they turn out like the Suns when they tried to play half court with Shaq?

Group H

Honduras: Along with the Kiwi's at (500/1) they are the tournament long shots, but like an Arena league team or the Knicks they should be entertaining for a few games.

Switzerland: Their coach is nicknamed the General and just as Bob Knight immediately improved Texas Tech to a tourney team this general has done the same for the Swiss. Like the Red Raiders they could get to the sweet 16 but don't have the talent to truly contend.

Chile: Western PA produces quarterbacks and New York City point guards, Chile produces lethal strikers and this team is no different from past cup rosters. They will be as entertaining as watching an ABA dunk contest.

Spain: The favorites at (3.5/1) with their Yank like All Star at every position lineup. Also a favorable draw and the confidence that comes with the 08' Euro title will have the Spanish mindset focused on a soccer dynasty in the making.

My group order prediction is in reverse order above. No team has ever repeated as World Cup Champions and only one team (Brazil) has gone out of their hemisphere to win a cup. Sticking what those thoughts I like Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Spain to make up the final four with Argentina led by Messi and Tevez making Maradona the most unlikely coach to win an international tournament since Herb Brooks.

Gear Up

Continuing with the Top-10 jersey list, I will be looking at the best duds in NFL history.

Nothing is better than walking into a Fantasy Football draft with an obscure NFL throwback. Whether it be a random team, player, or style, a jersey can instantly give you credibility when it comes to your football knowledge.

Sure everyone can find a Peyton Manning #18 Colts jersey at their local Champs, but not everyone has the creativity to find and don a Rodney Peete, husband of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper's Vanessa Russell, #8 Detroit Lions throwback.



The best individual player jerseys can be saved for a later post, today we will just focus on the look and design of my 10 favorite uniforms.



10. Oakland Raiders



As I said with the L.A. Kings, you simply can't go wrong with a black and silver theme. The Raiders' uniform is very simple and clean, no fancy designs or lines, its just the basic silver and black combo that has been associated with the team since its inception.

Also associated with the Raiders:

Compton
Black Hole
Road Warrior knock-offs
Losing
JaMarcus Russell
Howie Long's flattop
The Crypt Keeper





9. Denver Broncos



Anytime you can be associated with Orange Crush that is a plus. Truthfully, I'm more partial to the blue helmets, but the orange jerseys are pretty nice. Much better than the crap they wear now.

Plus it makes me think of being a kid at McDonald's and ordering the orange drink. Hell, I could go for some orange right now.


Who Loves Orange Soda?


8. Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving




There's not too much not to like about these uniforms as a whole. The white helmets are great, the solid blue star is clutch and the jersey is just a great piece of threadmanship.

The Cowboys don't over use these uniforms, they are saved for Thanksgiving, so once a year we are treated to a day of turducken and these jerseys.

It's nice that the Cowboys are somewhat relevant again, it was a struggle having to spend a whole day with family, knowing you have to go through the same same question and answer process, same conversations, and same awkwardness a month later, and knowing that you had no choice but to watch two defunct teams, Cowboys and Lions, each year.

Atleast now the Boys are entertaining, have a ton of fantasy players on the squad, and break up the dullness of after dinner family talk.


7. Philadelphia Eagles



Can't really find the words to say anything nice about the Eagles, or Philadelphia in general, so we will leave it with a list of all the best things to come out of Philly.

Cheesesteaks
Rocky
National Treasure 1
Always Sunny




6. Atlanta Falcons





Look at Neon Deion's Jheri Curl. What kind of wet mark do you think it made on the wall?

Other classic Gheri Curls:

Jules Winnfield








A.C. Slater











Chappelle's Prince











Pedro Martinez











Michael Jackson











Lionel Ritchie













5. San Diego Chargers



This particular jersey is from a couple years ago before the Chargers made the Powder Blues their official home uniform. Just like the Cowboys' Thanksgiving jersey, it was nice to see the Bolts break out the powder's every once in a while and have Chris Berman salivate all over Tom Jackson's suit.

This older design is very similar to the current jersey, but it is "blockier" in the lettering, still has the numbers on the helmets, and is over all a better representation of the Powder Blue tradition of Lance Alworth's Chargers.


4. Detroit Lions Thanksgiving



Now that's a funny picture.

These uniforms, however, are not funny, they are awesome. The solid silver helmets, solid blue jerseys with silver numbers, just classy.

Too bad the team is worse than a straight to DVD Romantic Comedy starring Paul Walker, Mariah Carey, and Bam Margera.



3. St. Louis Rams



The Greatest Show on Turf is the third greatest jersey of all-time.

The yellow and blue go perfect together.

In fact, the blue is the actual color of Dick Vermeil's tears.

The ram horns are classic.


In honor of Brenda Warner here are some classic flat tops:








Howie Long












Ivan Drago












Patrick Ewing













Cast of House Party












Chris Mullin












Simon Cowell












Frankenstein










2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers




Initially when I was creating my rankings, I had the Bucs pegged at number 1, then I came across another team from yester year that snaked past Vinny's Bucs and took top honors. I have always liked these jerseys and was actually thrilled to see them brought back as a third-jersey last season.

Some people may think this uniform is a candidate for ugliest of all-time but this is my blog and my rankings and I say that it goes at number 2.

People who hate these jerseys obviously have never enjoyed the euphoria of biting into a Creamsicle or the joy of guzzling down a Stewart's Orange and Cream soda.





Two staples of childhood bliss.

The orange isn't as flashy as some people remember it as. It is actually quite subtle and goes nicely with the white and red outlines.

Throw in the suave, debonair, gentleman pirate and we have a winner.



The team may have sucked, but atleast they were losing in style.


1. Houston Oilers



As I mentioned before, I had the Bucs penciled into the top spot, until I came across these classic sky blue masterpieces.

For some reason, these just aesthetically please me. I don't know how they decided to go with the red piping to go with that blue, but it was just genius.

For me the socks put these uniforms over the top. Just clutch.

These Oiler uniforms represent the nostalgia surrounding the now extinct team, although the franchise rests in the hands of the Tennessee Titans.

They take me back to the days when the Steelers had to battle the Oilers in the AFC Central. Back to the days when the only worry in life was deciding what Starter jacket to buy. And like the taste of a Creamsicle on a warm summer evening, or the view from the passenger seat as your mom pulls up to a McDonald's drive-thru and hands you that heaping cup of Orange, all the best memories come from our childhoods, when times were simpler, gas was cheaper and jheri curls stained couches across America.