4th and Fail

Fact Errors Happen to Even the Best Writers

2010-05-13T02:11:00.007-04:00

Through my stint at the University of Florida thus far, there has been one class that has stood out among the rest, and not necessarily for the best reasons. That class -- within the school of journalism -- was reporting. It was a nightmarish class that was meant to weed out the students who didn't really have a future in journalism, or public relations, or whatever other major required the class as a core course.

Week-in and week-out, students struggle with the class because of its strict grading policy on assigned articles. Five points off for every spelling and grammatical error -- and probably more if you made multiple ones, I don't completely recall, to be honest.

But there is one grading policy I will always remember. And I'm sure every student who took that class, whether it was one time or multiple times, remembers that policy: 50 points off for a factual error.

Everyone dreaded making fact errors, whether they were simple misspellings of a proper noun, or a number off on a phone number or address, and of course, the far more serious ones. Regardless, it was all the same in the end, a fact error meant a failing grade.

It was done to ingrain into the students' minds just how important getting the facts right was in journalism. And it is important, a lesson that all reporters and writers should know. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't still happen to the best of us.

And that is exactly what happened with Dan LeBatard, someone whose work I grew up reading in Miami, in his latest column for the Miami Herald.

In it, he discusses LeBron James' poor performance in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Celtics and the scrutiny LeBron has faced in the day or so since that game.

LeBatard opens with this lede:

"A very important player in a very important basketball game once went 3 for 18. He took eight three-pointers and missed every one of them. His team lost by 35 points. History does not remember him as a choker or afraid or not quite ready for the throne, even though he had this game on the largest stage -- in the NBA Finals. No, history remembers him as Michael Jordan."

Except the thing is, LeBatard later admitted via his radio show's Twitter account, those MJ game stats were wrong. He was duped by a false Wikipedia entry.

A fact error! So does this mean LeBatard's column, as a whole, should fail like it would in that reporting class? No. I mean, it would fail, by the class standards. But in reality, the message LeBatard is trying to get across in his column shouldn't be lost in the misled lead.

Sure, there is a lesson to be learned here -- for one, it's probably not best to depend on Wikipedia entries without verifying with a second source, but we've all been guilty of using Wikipedia in the same manner. I know I have.

On the other hand, there's also something to be said of the Herald's copy desk for letting such an egregious error -- in the first paragraph, no less -- go unchecked. I understand he's arguably your best sports writer, and you assume he knows what he's saying all the time, but the facts still need to be checked.

Regardless, it's a mistake and it got into the paper.

Still, LeBatard's overall message in the column is on point, and despite the error, that message is what you should take away after reading his piece -- LeBron had a bad game on a big stage, and many will speculate it's because he lacks any of a number of "winning qualities."

At the end of the day, though, no one really knows why he had such a poor performance. LeBron simply had a bad game, and there doesn't have to be a reason behind it. It just happened. And it does happen, even to the best of them, just ask Dan LeBatard.

Best. Week. Ever.

2010-04-16T19:48:00.003-04:00

It was a great week for South Florida sports fans.

The Florida Marlins optioned Emilio Bonifacio down to AAA New Orleans to, "get regular at bats." That's code for "because he sucks and offers nothing for us at the big league level." Also, relief pitcher Jose Veras was waived. Veras, in his brief stint performed at a level somewhere between volatile Renyel Pinto and abominable Jorge Julio. Thank God he wasn't afforded as much time as Julio. The only downside is that nobody claimed him and he is back with the Marlins organization at AAA New Orleans.

The Miami Heat finished up the regular season with a laughably awful double-overtime win over the Nets which gave them a 47-35 record and a 5-seed for the playoffs. They will face the Boston ~~Old Clowns~~ Celtics. The real good news came on Friday as commissioner David Stern said the projected salary cap for next season is $56.1 million. This is higher than the $53 million that has been reported before and offers the Heat even more room to sign free agents. One Eastern Conference executive said, "Miami can re-sign Wade, add a max player and another $9-10 million guy. They control free agency." Sweet!

Amazingly all of that was topped by the number one team down here, the Miami Dolphins. On Wednesday they completed a trade for pro bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall. I could gush about it him for another 500 words, but you've probably read enough and know his credentials. I'll just say this move was much needed and is seemingly great. If that wasn't enough, on Friday they found a buyer for Ted Ginn, the San Francisco 49ers. Terrific. I was fine with just letting him go and perpetually hating Cam Cameron. But instead, we got a draft pick and some mild cap relief for the next couple years! Also it fueled endless Ted Ginn jokes on the internet. You can see all of mine by clicking here.

Florida Panthers? Well that joke of a franchise had their season end on Sunday. That's about the best news you can ever expect from them.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Marlins Pick Up Where They Left Off

2010-04-05T20:12:00.004-04:00

Whoa... what is this place? Sorry again for the HUGE lack of posting in recent months, but with baseball season starting up again today, I'll try to make this a more regular thing.

The Florida Marlins started off their 2010 World Series campaign today, and frankly, they picked up right where they left off last season by stranding a small village on the basepaths today against the Mets.

Last season, we noted the troubles the Marlins -- particularly Jeremy Hermida -- had at times with leaving runners on base when innings ended. Well, the Marlins got rid of Hermida in the offseason, however, in their season-opening 7-1 loss to the Mets, the Marlins still managed to leave seven men on base.

Josh Johnson didn't seem to have it today, as he labored through five innings of work, giving up four earned runs and struggling with a tight strike-zone compared to the one Johan Santana was afforded, but I won't get into that too much because the Marlins defense didn't help JJ's cause much, committing three errors on Monday afternoon.

But let us not approach the ledge just yet... after all, it was just the season-opener, and guys are still adjusting to from spring training. Let's just hope we don't have to bring back this image from last season, you know, except with someone other than Hermida.

Oh yeah, one more note before I leave you: since we noted the Marlins' struggles with stranding runners last season, but were too lazy to actually tally the totals each game and keep some sort of data -- that, and it was already mid-season by the time we noted those troubles -- we are going to attempt to keep track of the number of players the Marlins leave on the bases each game. Yes, it will be tedious, and could get difficult on the days where I am unable to watch the game due to other priorities, but I'm going to give it a shot.

International Week!

2010-02-27T16:18:00.010-05:00

This week is the first FIFA international fixture date of 2010, meaning all the club teams will take a break so the best players in the world can train with their home country. It's also basically the beginning of the final preparations for all the teams participating in this summer's World Cup. Normally we'd see the top teams playing some easy tuneups, but this week there is an unexpectedly high count of marquee matchups. Here are five of them:

home teams listed first, all times eastern

TUESDAY

Ireland vs Brazil, 3:05pm: This is very intriguing. Brazil is currently #2 in the world and has been practically unbeatable since its defeat in the quarterfinals of 2006. Ireland though, was the darling of the European section of qualifying. It went undefeated in ten group games, including two draws with Italy, then nearly defeated mighty France in a playoff. While not being a true European power, this is still a good test for Brazil to see how well it can break down a disciplined team.

WEDNESDAY

Switzerland vs Uruguay, 2:15pm: Not the biggest names from either continent but any South America vs Europe battle is interesting to see. Who will win out between the attacking flare and the disciplined tactical battle?

Germany vs Argentina, 2:45pm, GolTV: Now here is a South America-Europe battle with the big stars. Not only that but it's a rematch of the thrilling 2006 World Cup quarterfinal, in which Ze Germans advanced by a shootout. Argentina had a rough qualifying campaign though and is in a state of flux. If Diego Maradona's side struggled to break down mid-level South American teams, how will they do when they face probably the most tactically disciplined team in the world?

Netherlands vs United States, 2:45pm, ESPN2: This is an enormous test for the United States. Unfortunately for them, they are still without three of their first choice players due to injury, not to mention they are still in the process of figuring out who should be some of the first choice players. Still though, the USA has shown to step it up a bit when facing top teams and the players will surely want to impress. As for the Dutch, I'm not quite sure why they accepted this game, as none of their group stage opponents are from North or South America. I suppose it's still a good test since the USA has consistently been in the top-20 of the FIFA rankings, and will punish you (maybe) if you under-perform. I hope to have a USA-themed recap of this game after it's complete.

France vs Spain, 3:00pm: Wow, what a matchup. They met in the 2006 World Cup round of 16, and France prevailed 3-1. Different story now though. France just barely made it into the tournament (controversially) and Spain has a European title under their belt and are ranked #1 in the world. We'll see if Les Bleus have made any improvements since their underwhelming qualifying campaign.

There's a whole host of other games, including

The first look at England post John Terry-Wayne Bridge soap opera. They host Egypt
USA's other two group stage opponents for the World Cup, Algeria and Slovenia, take on Serbia and Qatar respectively
North American rival Mexico plays New Zealand at the Rose Bowl
World Cup title holder Italy plays Cameroon

Stay tuned to the scoreboards and read some match reports. It should be a great slate of matches.

Charles Barkley was the Highlight of All-Star Saturday

2010-02-15T18:31:00.005-05:00

Let me start off by apologizing for the lack of content around these parts lately. As most of you know, I now have an actual writing gig, covering the UF gymnastics beat for The Independent Florida Alligator, so that's kept me pretty busy lately. I'm also working on another blog that's strictly college basketball -- Beadlemaniacs -- for those who don't already know, so you can find my musings over there, too. But rest assured, 4th and Fail is still alive and kicking.

So, this weekend was NBA All-Star weekend, and the Saturday portion of the event was rather lackluster, namely, the dunk contest, which is supposed to be the marquee event of the day. I'm not going to tell you what can be done to fix the dunk contest, because that's what everyone else is writing. Instead, I will present you with the real highlights from All-Star Saturday night: Charles Barkley.

I don't want to say Charles Barkley was under the influence of anything, but there was something that made his commentary even more exquisite and on-point than usual. As the folk on Twitter put it: Chuck was killing it, Saturday night. You can find a sampling of his best from the weekend here, but I'll toss you some of my favorites; you can thank me later:

"You ever notice Gatorade don't work for players who suck."
"You wanna take Ernie (Johnson)'s job? All you gotta do is cut your forehead back 7-8 inches."
"It'd be impressive if he was taller than one of them," - on Nate Robinson bringing the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders out on the court before one of his dunks.
And of course: "Maybe no one will win it." - before Cheryl Miller announced the winner of the contest.

Among the other topics the future governor of Alabama took a shot at: the Heat's Daequan Cook, Spike Lee for wearing Knicks gear, the Cubs (saying all Cubs gear should be burned), Paul Pierce's merits as a shooter and of course, Kenny "The Jet" Smith's hairdo. And for the record, the Cook and Cubs comments were back-to-back. Oh, and he called Kings' rookie Omri Casspi (who competed in the H-O-R-S-E competition) "Omar." Never change, Chuck. Never change.

So there you have your highlights from All-Star Saturday, and further reason that Charles Barkley should be given his own late night talk show, uncensored, for an hour -- minimum -- each night.

Comparison: Mark Sanchez and Other Rookie QBs of the 2000s

2010-01-24T01:13:00.004-05:00

Ed Note: This post is a bit lengthy, so bear with me.

I'm a Dolphins fan, I don't hide that. So needless to say, I hate seeing the Jets in this season's AFC title game. I am also not a fan of this love affair with rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. Nor am I a fan of people insisting that he is a good quarterback.

What really made me consider writing this post was this piece by The Big Lead, "debunking the myths" surrounding Sanchez. Among those "debunked" is the "myhth that the Jets win in spite of Sanchez. Now, I know why TBL used that myth, because the day prior he asked on Twitter why everyone hated Sanchez, and my response was that the team won in spite of him.

"In spite of" may not have been the best word choice. However, he is not winning the team games, and his performances certainly don't warrant the praise he has received. I likened the Jets winning with Sanchez to the Bears making the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman. That comparison was a bit of a stretch.

See, Grossman had the ability to both win games for Chicago, and seriously blow them, yet the Bears still won. Sanchez, on the other hand, has not really proven he can come through and win the games, nor has he shown he can completely blow them (though his three-interception performance against the Falcons could be said to have lost that game for the Jets). But like the Bears with Grossman, the team is winning (for the most part) regardless of his performance. Bottom line, the Jets are winning because of the team's "vaunted" defense and superb running game, and not because of Sanchez.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to the meat and potatoes of this post. In the TBL piece, he mocked Football Outsiders for comparing the rookie season of Sanchez, statistically, to that of JaMarcus Russell, and said the similarities meant nothing. But then, he compared Sanchez to other rookie QBs in the playoffs.

Comparing him to one, but saying the other is irrelevant is absurd. So I've decided to come up with fair comparisons. In the last decade, 26 quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round, yet only six of those 26 (about a quarter of them) have started the first game of the season in their rookie years: Sanchez, Matthew Stafford (2009), Matt Ryan (2008), Joe Flacco (2008), David Carr (2002) and Kyle Boller (2003). So I thought it would be fair to compare Sanchez to his fellow rookies in their first seasons.

First, let's take a look at Sanchez's stats from this season:

Mark Sanchez:
Sanchez started 15 regular season games for the Jets, who went 9-7 in 2008. He completed 53.8% of his passes while throwing for 2444 yards and 12 TDs and 20 interceptions. Sanchez also had a passer rating of 63.

And now for the other rookie QBs:

Matthew Stafford:
In his first year for the Lions (who drafted Stafford after going winless in 2008) Stafford only played in 10 games. He threw for 2267 yards, 13 TDs and 20 interceptions while completing 53.3% of his passes with a passer rating of 61.0. Numbers all comparable to Sanchez's, in fewer games, playing for a team that was exponentially worse than the Jets were in 2008.

Matt Ryan:
Ryan was drafted by the Falcons in 2008, a year after the team went 4-12. In his rookie season he started all 16 regular season games. Ryan completed 61.1% of his passes for 3440 yards, 16 TDs and 11 interceptions that resulted in a passer rating of 87.7. Oh, and his team improved to 11-5 (seven more wins than the previous season), and made the playoffs.

Joe Flacco:
Flacco was drafted by the Ravens in 2008, a season after the team went 5-11. As a rookie, Flacco started all 16 games for the Ravens and the team improved to 11-5. He threw for 2971 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while completing 60 % of his passes and finishing the year with a passer rating of 80.3.

David Carr:
Carr was drafted first overall in 2002 by the expansion Houston Texans. He started all 16 games, going 4-12. Keep in mind, they were an expansion team in their first year. Carr threw for 2592 yards, 9 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He completed 52.5% of his passes and compiled a passer rating of 62.8.

Kyle Boller:
In 2002, the Ravens went 7-9. They drafted Boller 19th overall in 2003, and he started 9 games that season. He connected on 51.8% of his passes, threw for 1260 yards, 7 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Throughout the year, he compiled a passer rating of 62.4 and the Ravens finished at 10-6 and won their division.

Now that we've looked at each rookie QB to open the season starting for his team this past decade, let's put Sanchez in the proper place. First off, every other quarterback on this list was drafted by a team that was below .500 when it drafted him. Sanchez was drafted by a 9-7 team that missed out on the playoffs. It's fair to say that his team, which finished 9-7 again this year, wasn't nearly as bad as the teams that these other guys inherited.

That being said, it's still far-fetched for Jets fans to praise Sanchez as a great quarterback, and dub him The Sanchize, etc. Sanchez didn't improve the Jets in the win column in the regular season, while every other quarterback on this list was good for at least two additional wins for his team in his rookie season.

Statistically speaking, Sanchez best measures up with Carr. Both threw for about 2500 yards, completed roughly 53% of their passes and had touchdown-to-interception ratios of 3:5 with ratings of (again, roughly) 63.

Again, Sanchez started for a playoff-caliber team while Carr started for an expansion team. Had Carr not played for an expansion team, would he have been lauded like Sanchez has? Doubtful.

Bottom line, people need to stop sipping the Mark Sanchez Kool-Aid. He is not a great quarterback, nor is he necessarily a good quarterback (yet). He is par for the course in terms of a true rookie starting quarterback, at least for the last decade. He has just been fortunate to be drafted by a team that already had a good defense and superior rushing game, unlike his fellow quarterbacks on this list, all of whom played for teams who weren't all that good the year before.

Chandler Parsons Does It Again

2010-01-24T00:16:00.004-05:00

To say Florida's basketball team has struggled shooting the ball this season -- especially from beyond the arc -- would be an understatement. The team currently ranks 272nd in the nation (and second-to-last in the SEC) in 3-point percentage at 31.3 percent.

Those shooting woes seem to go down the drain when the ball is in Chandler Parsons' hands with the game on the line in the closing seconds. First there was his three-quarters court shot against NC State earlier this season. Then, on Saturday night in the O'Connell Center, after South Carolina went ahead 56-55 with 5.1 seconds left, Parsons drilled his second game-winner of the season.

I'd explain it further, but instead, I'll just let the video speak for itself:

USF Head Coaching Speculation: Tony Dungy?

2010-01-11T19:48:00.004-05:00

The biggest storylines so far this college football offseason have involved head coaches. Urban Meyer, Mike Leach, Mark Mangino and of course, Jim Leavitt.

Monday, Leavitt held a press conference with his lawyers, saying that he will fight his firing and try to reclaim his job. I find it very doubtful that this actually works out in Leavitt's favor, especially considering the list of player-witnesses that corroborate the story against him.

Instead, Leavitt, who built the USF football program from the ground up and turned it into what it is today, will be forced to move on. So too, will South Florida.

But just where do the Bulls go from here? They are a young program, in the heart of one of -- if not THE -- richest states, talent-wise.

Today, ESPN's Joe Schad reported that Tony Dungy was at USF on Monday to talk to the players, and the athletic director. Could Dungy be on USF's wishlist for a new head coach? Possibly. Will it actually happen? Unlikely.

Dungy makes perfect sense for USF. He already has ties to the area, and his family lives in the area as well. The job would give him the opportunity to influence young minds -- and help mentor them, in a way similar to what he has done for Michael Vick. And his name would do wonders for the program in terms of recruiting.

But does a return to coaching necessarily make sense for Dungy? When he retired as the coach of the Colts, he said he was ready to become a full-time dad and community volunteer. A return to coaching would take that away from Dungy -- the immense number of hours a head coach puts into the job are well-documented.

But would it really take being a dad and community volunteer away from Dungy? Not when you look at it this way. As I mentioned before -- and as others have discussed with me -- a return to coaching, this time in the college ranks, would give Dungy that opportunity to help mentor and influence impressionable young men. Add in that USF has been recruiting Dungy's son, Eric, to play football. If Eric were to choose USF, and Dungy were to want the job, then it would give him ample opportunity to be actively involved in his son's life, both on and off the field.

When you look at it, Tony Dungy to USF could be a match made in heaven. But I wouldn't hold my breath on it actually happening. Should it occur, though, it would be a huge statement for USF as a football program, and help them make that case for turning the "Big 3" in the state into the "Big 4."

Chandler Parsons Lifts Florida Over NC State

2010-01-03T21:08:00.006-05:00

Chandler Parsons ended the Gators' recent woes by nailing a three-quarters court shot in OT, trailing by 2 against NC State.

I think it's a safe bet to nominate this as an early shot of the season in college basketball.

2009 Miami Dolphins In Retrospect, Briefly.

2010-01-03T20:24:00.003-05:00

What an up and down season for the Dolphins. It ended much like it started: with a three-game losing streak. However, there was a 7-3 run sandwiched in the middle, there. But this team was better than the sub-.500 record would indicate.

Think about it. Before the season, Vegas had them finishing the year 7-9. Then take this into consideration: the Dolphins lost their starting quarterback, Chad Pennington, three games into the season. The same QB that led them to an 11-5 record and an AFC East title in 2008. Then, Chad Henne, essentially a rookie, was thrust into the line of fire, and came out with a 7-6 record as a starter, despite battling many growing pains throughout the season.

Then, the team's MVP, Ronnie Brown went to the IR with an injury, and the aging (yet remarkably young) Ricky Williams became the team's workhorse and rushed for over 1,000 yards, putting the team on his back at times.

The combination of those two key losses caused the team to alter its offensive mindset, as the WildCat was almost scrapped completely.

Add in the fact that this team is still devoid of a No. 1 receiver, as Ted Ginn clearly is not the answer, nor are Davone Bess or Brian Hartline (though, those two do make solid second or third options at the position).

Despite all of those setbacks, the Dolphins were still in playoff contention at the end of the season, and they still finished with a record that was expected of them (from the "experts") coming into the year. The team still has a lot of growing to do, and their are obvious voids that need to be addressed through the draft and such. But this team is not as bad as the sub-.500 record indicated. They are closer to being a playoff team, than being a complete and utter mess, and with Bill Parcells running the show, I have full confidence that this team's playoff absence won't last very long.

Top 10 Moments of the Decade in SoFla Sports

2009-12-29T17:20:00.005-05:00

With the end of the year quickly approaching, and with it the end of the decade, we here at Fourth and Fail are taking a look back at the decade that was. Today, we take a look at the Top 10 moments in South Florida sports from the aughts.

10. 2003 NBA Draft. The season following a 25-57 record for the Heat, they were blessed with the fifth overall pick in the draft. Fortunately for the Heat, they drafted Dwyane Wade, who has, needless to say, panned out to be one of the best players in the league.

9. Wildcat Unleashed. September 21, 2008. Miami Dolphins 38, New England Patriots 13. The Dolphins came into Gillette Stadium and introduced the Patriots (and the league) to their new Wildcat offense. Ronnie Brown rushed for 117 yards and 4 touchdowns out of the formation, while throwing for another. The game marked the beginning of the Wildcat craze that has swept the league, though no team has perfected it like the Dolphins have. Oh yeah, it also ended New England's 21-game regular season winning streak, as well as the team's 12-game home winning streak.

8. Marlins Play Spoiler. This one was bittersweet for Marlins fans. The Marlins missed the playoffs in both 2007 and 2008. However, both years they closed out the season with a series against the Mets, and both times the Marlins managed to play spoiler and knock the hated-rivals out of playoff contention during the last series of the regular season.

7. Orange Jersey Monday Night Magic. In 2004, the Dolphins got off to a 1-8 start before the Wannstache resigned. Going into Week 15, with a 2-11 record, the Dolphins hosted the 12-1, defending champion Patriots on Monday Night Football. The Fins broke out the orange jerseys, and upset the Patriots, 29-28. It was arguable one of the biggest upsets in the NFL this decade.

6. Anibal's No-no. On September 6, 2006, in just the 13th start of his career, rookie Anibal Sanchez threw the fourth no-hitter in Marlins history. Against the Diamondbacks, Sanchez tossed the no-no -- the first since Randy Johnson's perfect game in 2004 -- by striking out six and walking four on 103 pitches. The moment perfectly encapsulated the Marlins unlikely 2006 season: the rookie-stacked team exceeding most expectations and remained in Wild Card contention into September. Highlights can be viewed here.

5. Camarillo to the Rescue. Week 15. December 16, 2007. The Dolphins were 0-13, and in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens. That's when Greg Camarillo came to the rescue. The undrafted WR out of Stanford made the play of his young career by being on the receiving end of a 64-yard touchdown thrown by Cleo Lemon. The touchdown was the longest offensive play for the Dolphins in 2007, and it was also the team's only win. Camarillo kept the Dolphins out of the (futility) record book, as they finished the season 1-15.

4. One GIANT Loss. If Camarillo's heroics kept the Dolphins out of the record books, then the New York Giants' upset over the then-18-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl kept the Dolphins in the record books. Because New York was able to unseat the Patriots, the '72 Dolphins were able to remain as the only undefeated and untied team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl. While some may not care about a 30-plus-year-old record, it still remains a symbol of pride to many South Florida sports fans.

3. 2002 Rose Bowl. This game, in which the Canes dismantled Nebraska and Heisman winner* Eric Crouch, was the culmination of a magical undefeated season -- capped off by a BCS title -- for UM. The team consisted of many future NFL stars, including Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee and Frank Gore (and that's just at running back), and is always in the class photo when the debates come around for the greatest college football team of all time.

*Heisman should have gone to Rex Grossman, but I digress.

2. 2003 Marlins run through the playoffs. Where do I start with this one? 2003 was a magical trip through the playoffs for the Marlins en route to the team's second World Series title. In the divisional round, the Fish knocked off the defending-NL Champion San Francisco Giants in four games. The decisive game ended with a signature play, as Mr. Marlin himself, Jeff Conine threw out JT Snow -- who tried to truck Pudge Rodriguez -- at home. Pudge held on to the ball through the contact, and the stadium erupted. It marked the first time a series ended with the potential tying run being thrown out at home.

In the NLCS, the Marlins took on the Cubs. Up 3 games to 1, with the series heading back to Wrigley, the Cubs looked to be primed for a trip to the Fall Classic. That is, until Bartman happened. One of the most infamous moments of the decade. It's tough to actually blame Bartman for what happened, especially when the team on the field unraveled (including botched ground balls). The Marlins went on to win the pennant.

In the World Series, the Marlins squared off against the Yankees, and Josh Beckett put on a performance for the ages in Game 6, with the Marlins up 3 games to 2. Beckett pitched a complete game, shutting out the Yankees and recording the final out by tagging out Jorge Posada on a soft grounder. It was quite a title run by the Marlins, and only topped by one moment in South Florida this decade.

1. 2006 NBA Finals. Facing a potential 3-0 deficit and down 13 points with six and a half minutes remaining in Game 3, the outcome didn't look bright for the Heat. A year after falling short in the Eastern Conference Finals, it appeared the team would come away empty handed in the franchise's first trip to the NBA Finals. The Mavs had a victory parade already planned... but that's when Dwyane Wade decided to throw a wrench in those plans. Wade went off, leading the Heat to a comeback victory in Game 3, 98-96. The Heat didn't lose another game in the series, and Wade went on to finish with one of the most memorable performances in Finals history while leading the franchise to its first ever NBA title.

We're sure there are plenty of other moments that deserve consideration as one of the best of the decade -- especially seeing as how we know of other moments that we discussed with each other that just missed the cut. If you have any qualms with our list, or just want to contribute your two cents to the conversation, feel free to do so in the comments.

Miami Heat All-Decade Team

2009-12-28T17:53:00.004-05:00

Apologies for the lack of posting recently. It's been winter break, and I've been enjoying some down time to unwind. But this week we will be bringing you a few end-of-the-decade posts to reflect on the aughts. Today, we present to you the Miami Heat All-Decade Team.

Starting Lineup:

PG - Tim Hardaway. Hardaway hardly played for the Heat this decade, though he did lead the team into the new millennium, and stayed on through the 2000-01 season, where he averaged 15 points and over 6 assists per game. After the 2001 season, he bounced around with a few teams before calling it a career. At the beginning of this season, the Heat honored Hardaway by retiring his No. 10 jersey -- making him only the second Heat player to receive the honor.

SG - Dwyane Wade. Do I really need to explain why he makes the first team? Simply put, since being drafted in 2003, Wade has become the face of the franchise, as well as one of the top three players in the world, alongside Kobe and LeBron. He's also become a perennial MVP candidate. Hopefully, he will remain in a Heat uniform into the next decade.

SF - Eddie Jones. Love him or hate him, Eddie Jones was one of the best players this franchise had playing for it this decade. Though his true position is at guard, for the purpose of this list, we moved him to small forward. Over his Heat career, he averaged nearly 17 points a game, while serving as a veteran leader.

PF - Udonis Haslem. Haslem's stats might not always be eye-popping, but since going undrafted out of Florida, Haslem has made a name for himself, spending his whole career thus far in Miami. He does all of the dirty work for the team: rebounding, taking charges and all-around hustle. Not to mention he has mastered the mid-range jumper. He is practically a walking double-double, and his desire to put the team first was epitomized by his willingness to come off the bench this season. He's a fan-favorite, and it would be a travesty to leave him off this list.

C - Alonzo Mourning. The bicep rounds out the starting lineup at center. Though his halcyon days were with the Heat in the 90s, he makes the starting lineup on principle. His intensity on the court was matched only by his charity off of it, and combined, it has made him one of the most loved athletes in South Florida sports history. He was also the first Heat player to have his number retired by the organization.

Coach: Pat Riley. Riley was the mastermind behind nearly all the Heat teams this past decade, and while he wasn't always the one on the bench making the calls (Stan Van Gundy and Erik Spoelstra both have had shots), Riley has been the man associated with the Heat more so than any other coach. He coached the team to its first and only league title in 2006 (after he took over for SVG -- but that whole ordeal will not be talked about here).

Bench:

PG - Jason Williams. White Chocolate spent three years with the Heat, averaging about 10 points and 5 assists in his stint on Biscayne Boulevard. He also happened to be the PG at the helm during that fateful 2006 title run, which gives him plenty of credentials, along with the stability, to come off the bench at PG for this all-decade squad.

SG - Caron Butler. The Heat's first round draft pick from 2002 only spent two seasons with the Heat before being traded to the Lakers. But during his rookie season, he averaged 15 points a game, which was second on the team. Since his trade, he has developed into a respectable player, who consistently scores 20 points a game.

SF - Lamar Odom. Odom only spent one season with the Heat before being shipped to LA along with Butler, however, that one season was still good enough to land him on the bench of our all-decade team (17 points, 10 boards and 4 assists per game, while helping to lead the team to the playoffs a season after finishing 25-57).

PF - Brian Grant. I wanted to make an argument for Grant to make the first team at PF, but it was tough between him and Haslem. "The General" was a great leader for the Heat for four years, and like Haslem, his stats weren't flashy, but he did what the team needed him to do -- including playing out of position at center. His best season came in 2001, when he averaged 15 points and 9 boards. He was shipped to the Lakers with Butler and Odom before retiring and later being diagnosed with Parkinson's.

C - Shaquille O'Neal. Statistically speaking, Shaq made a good argument for the first team. His first season in Miami, he had an MVP-caliber season, averaging 23 points and over 10 rebounds a game in leading the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals. The following season, he would help lead the team to its only NBA title. And while Shaq parted with the team on a bitter note, his contributions to the franchise still made him worthy of the all-decade team.

Poorly Timed Advertisement In Wake Of Chris Henry's Death

2009-12-17T17:17:00.005-05:00

Chris Henry, the 24-year-old Cincinnati Bengals WR, passed away early Thursday morning after suffering ultimately-fatal injuries after a domestic dispute with his fiancee.

Henry, who was out for the season after breaking his forearm, was turning his life around following legal issues in his first few years in the league. But then Wednesday, he fell from the bed of a pickup truck and suffered injuries that ultimately took his life.

His passing is tragic, and untimely, and our thoughts go out to his family, both on and off the field.

Like many of you, I woke up this morning to the news of Henry's passing. I went to SI.com for the story, and much to my dismay, there was a poorly-timed advertisement banner above the story, and to the right of it:

That's right, after Henry passed from injuries that he sustained after falling out of the bed of a truck in Charlotte, North Carolina, this ad for Chevy Silverado pops up alongside the story of Henry's death.

Who Will Replace Charlie Strong?

2009-12-09T14:35:00.000-05:00

When you become one of the best college football programs in the nation, other programs are bound to start picking off your coaching staff. It started last season, when Mississippi State snatched up Gators offensive coordinator Dan Mullen as its new head coach. Today, Louisville swooped in and will be naming Florida's defensive coordinator, Charlie Strong, the Cardinals' new head coach.

After Mullen left last season, I made an attempt at trying to name a few candidates that Florida could have pursued to replace him. Missing from that list? Steve Addazio. Which either means I had no business trying to make a guess at the replacement, or that Florida had no business promoting Addazio to the offensive coordinator position.

Since Strong will be gone this afternoon, I figured that I'd give this replacement thing a shot again, so here, I give you who I think Florida should get to replace Charlie Strong.

Dan McCarney. He's the current defensive line coach for the Gators, and this was only his second season working with Urban Meyer. He is a fiery coach, and my friends who have watched team practices are huge fans of him and his approach to coaching. Before he came to Florida, he spent a year as the d-line coach at USF, and before that, was the head coach at Iowa State for 12 seasons, taking them to five bowl games. He's the most likely choice, should Meyer and athletic director Jeremy Foley decide to keep the job in-house.

Chuck Heater. Another logical choice if the job were to stay within the current coaching staff. Heater, who is the current coach of the safeties and assistant defensive coordinator, has been coaching for over three decades, and is one of Meyer's favorite assistants. If you want to see the rest of his lengthy resume, click here.

Dick Bumpas. This one is a stretch, and was actually brought up in conversation twice yesterday in discussing this very topic. For those of you who don't know, Bumpas is currently the defensive coordinator for the TCU Horned Frogs. He is responsible for the team having the No. 1 total defense in the nation this season, the sixth best scoring defense, third best rushing defense and fourth best pass defense. Here's the rest of his resume. As I said, Bumpas is a stretch, but why not strike while the iron is hot and bring him in to a big time school where if he has a dominant defense, he won't be relegated to a BCS game against another mid-major team?

Those are just a few names that have come to mind in the last 24 hours, but I'm sure there are some other possibly deserving and qualified candidates out there that I have failed to mention. If you have any ideas, or candidates that you feel deserve the opportunity, feel free to discuss it in the comments section.

Charlie Strong Gets What's Owed To Him

2009-12-09T14:00:00.000-05:00

The University of Louisville is set to name Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong as the school's knew head coach this afternoon. The school is holding a 4 p.m. press conference to introduce Strong as the Cardinals head coach, and I, for one, could not be happier for Strong.

As most of you know, I do some college football work over at College Game Balls. A few weeks ago, I wrote a post where I made a case for Strong to get a head coaching position. In it, I made a nifty little table of Strong's defenses at Florida over the last five years, which were overall pretty elite units. Check for yourself:

Now mind you, the 2009 rankings were as of mid-November, so they don't include the Alabama debacle. But Strong was putting out a consistently dominant product during his tenure at Florida. He has also widely been considered one of the best recruiters around, which I'm sure will only help him succeed at Louisville.

In that same piece, I argued that Strong should get his first head coaching shot at a BCS school, where he actually has a chance to do big things. Which is just another reason why I am thrilled for him that Louisville is making the hire. It's great to see that his race -- or his wife's race -- didn't matter to a school, especially after it's been thought for years now that that's the reason why Strong was never hired as a head coach before.

But Louisville was able to look past his skin, and his interracial marriage, and will be hiring one of the hardest working coaches in college football. The bottom line is that Louisville is making a great hire in Strong. Yet while part of me, as a Florida fan, is sad to see Strong leave after turning Florida's defenses into some of the best in the nation over most of the last decade, the rest of me couldn't be happier for him.

Why? Because Charlie Strong is finally getting what has been owed to him, and it's long overdue.

2009 SEC Championship Game... Yeah, That Happened.

2009-12-06T18:29:00.004-05:00

I don't really know how to go about writing this post, because it's something completely new to me as a blogger. See, I started this blog in October of 2008, shortly after the Gators lost to Ole Miss. Since then, they had reeled off 22 consecutive victories and I have not once had to comment about a loss. But then yesterday happened, and I've been trying to figure out the proper words to describe such a thorough beat down... and I'm fairly confident thorough beat down is an accurate term to describe the game.

As a fan, when your team loses, you try to come up with excuses and scapegoats to try and explain the loss. Some people may try and blame Carlos Dunlap, for his DUI and the suspension and distraction that resulted from it. Others will try and place blame on all of the talk swirling of defensive coordinator Charlie Strong becoming the next head coach at Louisville. Others will find some other excuse to help themselves sleep easier at night following a loss like that. But excuses can only take you so far and explain so much.

But to put it simply, Alabama dominated this game from virtually every facet. They doubled up Florida in terms of time of possession (about 40 minutes to UF's 20). Mark Ingram, by himself, out-rushed the Gators 113-88, and had twice as many rushes (28) as UF as a team (14). It's never good when the best rushing offense in the nation only rushes the ball 14 times, ten of which were with Tim Tebow. It also didn't help that the offense didn't have the ball long enough to establish the rush early on.

I'd bore you all with more stats, but by now, I'm sure we're all familiar with the numbers. It was the most yards allowed by UF under Urban Meyer. It was also the worst game plan of Meyer's tenure. Florida got beat Saturday in the Georgia Dome. They got outplayed. They got out-coached. But most importantly, they got out-hungered.

Nick Saban has his team hungrier for this SEC title than Florida was. Alabama had a bitter taste in its mouth after last year's game, and that team played like that memory was fresh in the players' minds. Yes, Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes came back for their senior year to win another SEC title and to have a shot at another BCS title, but if you want to win a title, you need to play like a champion. That's just what Alabama did.

Truth be told, I had a bad feeling about the game all week, even before the Dunlap fiasco. This Florida team this year was good. They ran their regular season schedule. But they weren't last season's team. Ted put it best when he tweeted to me last night that in order to repeat, a team has to be better than they were the year before. It's a valid point, and despite a better regular season record, Florida was not better than last year's team. Losing Percy Harvin will do that to a team.

But as disappointing and as devastating as this SEC title game loss was, there's something to be said about this season. A 22-game win streak is nothing to scoff at. Nor is a 12-1 season. But as a friend -- a Gator hater, for what it's worth -- put it into perspective last night: when a 12-1 season and a BCS bowl berth is considered a failure, your team is doing something right.

And he's right. Any other season -- while team's should always strive for a national title -- a Sugar Bowl berth would be great. But not this season. This was supposed to be Florida's year. This is what Tebow and Spikes came back for. This is what this team worked for all year. Yet, it wasn't meant to be.

Instead, Tebow and Spikes will have to settle for a bittersweet Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati to close out their careers, and close out what was a once-promising season. Pasadena was intended to be the final destination for this team, but Alabama re-routed Florida's itinerary on Saturday evening, and now Florida's final destination will be the Big Easy, where it might not be so easy against an undefeated Cincinnati team.

Another Year, Another Irrelevant ACC Championship Game

2009-12-05T14:55:00.001-05:00

This year, I've tried defending the ACC and their reputation and legitimacy as a BCS automatic qualifier. As expected, it got tougher as the year went on and now that it's the end of the college football regular season, I'm pretty much back at square one. The title of this post is the main reason why.

It started out so promising though. Over the first month of the season, there were several games that would seem to suggest progress in the conference.

Virginia Tech hung with Alabama and played a very competitive game before losing the Kickoff Classic. Compare that with the previous year, where Alabama handled Clemson in convincing fashion.
Miami and Florida State played a thriller in front of a national audience that caused people to debate whether each program was "back," and had most pundits saying, "yes" or "probably."
Both schools followed up with beatdown wins over top-15 opponents. Miami took down Georgia Tech 33-17 in front of national television again while Florida State went to Provo and beat BYU 54-28.
Virginia Tech beat the now top-10 Miami team in soggy Blacksburg, which suggested that those two teams plus Georgia Tech was a trio of powers that may play out like the Big 12 South from a year ago.

Unfortunately for the ACC, the rest of the season played out similar to how it's been in the last few years. On the Atlantic side, each team beat each other up and seemingly had three conference losses by November, while no teams were ranked and relevant in the national picture. Florida State was especially disappointing, losing a non-conference battle to South Florida before racking up three more ACC losses.

On the other hand the Coastal division looked good for a while. As I mentioned, the trio of GT, VT, and Miami appeared to be solid top-15 teams. But the second half of the season proved otherwise. The Hokies lost at home to North Carolina, who also tripped up Miami later after they had already been bit by surging Clemson.

Still, there was hope of a worthy BCS representative and a top-5 finish in the polls for Georgia Tech who was sitting at 10-1. All they had to do was take down an inferior Georgia team in a game they should have no problem getting up for, considering its a rivalry and it was Senior Night at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Wrong. The Bulldogs ran the ball 44 times for 339 yards and Tech coach Paul Johnson, triple option genius, called four straight passes on the final drive, the last of which being a flat out drop by Demaryius Thomas that even Ted Ginn thinks was embarrassing.

Not to be outdone, the surging Clemson I mentioned earlier went to their in-state rivals South Carolina, who had lost three in a row, and got housed. Fraudelent Heisman candidate CJ Spiller started the game with a kickoff return for a touchdown but it was all downhill after that. It was 24-7 South Carolina by the half, and it ended up 34-17 in the Gamecocks favor. It wasn't as close as that score would indicate.

So yet again we have a BCS Consolation Game in effect for the ACC title. This the fifth year of the ACC Championship Game and of all the ten teams that participated, only two were even ranked in the top-10 (VT in 2005 & 2007). Obviously that means no game has even had the smallest of impact on the National Championship Game selections.

That is what the ACC needs.The past couple years, the ACC hasn't been as bad people would think. There is good depth, and as recently as a couple weeks ago, it was the conference with the most teams in the top-25. But, that doesn't mean much in the court of public opinion. The SEC has shown us in the last 5-10 years that if you have teams playing for and winning national titles, it makes the whole conference look better.

So, in another hour or so, I'm going to turn on the SEC Championship Game, a de-facto National Semifinal (Playoff? What a novel idea!) and keep dreaming that the ACC will someday reach this level. Cheers!

In Which We Discuss The World Cup Draw

2009-12-04T17:24:00.001-05:00

The eight groups in South Africa have finally been set (Sorry Ireland). You can find the draw here Here’s a group-by-group analysis of each group:

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, and France

This group can be considered to be the Group of [mediocrity] death (Everyone knows what the real Group of Death is, and it’ll be covered). France’s luck continues to go their way, and they are still good enough to advance out of this group. I will not automatically hand them this group, but they can surely finagle their way out. Mexico and Uruguay will be a great game that could undoubtedly determine who is going to be the other team advancing with France. However, if you were watching in 2002, then you should know that the host team should never be counted out.

Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, and Greece

This group is a very difficult group, and it could very well be a trap group for the Argentines. If Argentina plays in the same form that they have been showing then I would suspect that they will be that big name team that fails to get through. Nigeria would love to take another shot at Argentina after the Olympic finals loss, and don’t be surprised if everyone starts shouting ODEMWINGIE! The other team that will give Argentina problems is Greece. Every soccer fan knows that Greece loves to stack a good nine players on defense, and then counter on rare occasions. Greece is looking to win 1-0 if not draw, and that will give Argentina fits. I don’t see South Korea surviving this round, but they could get a point from Greece. Greece and Nigeria advance unless Argentina gets it together, and Maradona is booted out the door.

Group C: England, USA, Algeria, and Slovenia

Uncle Sam’s Army has no excuses to not be in the top 2 of this group. England will be a great test to see how the US team is going to perform in the South African edition of the World Cup. England and the USA are the clear 1 and 2 teams in this group. Algeria will not fare well at all, and I think the USA has enough to take care of business with Slovenia. Here’s hoping to a speedy recovery for Gooch and Davies.

Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, and Ghana

The #2 spot is up for grabs in this year, but I just can’t imagine Germany not advancing out of this group. By no means will it be easy for them, but they are a great TEAM looking to forget about the Euro Cup Finals. The “Socceroos” are hoping that they do not get robbed like they were against Italy the last time around. Serbia is a better team than many people may think, and they may be able to have a say in this group before it is all said and done. However, I see the African champs of Ghana prove that the last time around was no fluke, and they squeak by the other two teams behind Germany.

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

This group will all depend on how much Eto’o and company have left in the tank. The Dutch will come out with another offensive blitzkrieg like they did in the Euros, and I fully expect them to take this group. Japan will be a welcome mat worth three points for whatever team faces them. The Danes match up against Cameroon will go a long way in deciding who takes the 2nd spot in this group. I would recommend both team pouring it on Japan to boost their goal differential in the case that they draw in their tussle.

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

Lucky break for the aging defending champs here. Italy will have no problems winning this group, and they could very well do so in nine point fashion. I do not see the “Kiwis” causing any problems in this group. Slovakia and Paraguay will square off for the 2nd spot in this group, and I think the Slovakians will be able to pull out a win here.

Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal

Ladies and gentlemen, without further adieu I give you all the dreaded Group of Death. Kim Jong Irr, keep focusing on your nucrear program because your soccer team has no chance. How great does Kaka vs. Drogba sound? How about Drogba vs. Ronaldo? Still not good enough? That’s cool, because we’re also going to see Kaka vs. Ronaldo in an always intense showdown between Portugal and Brazil. This group is going to be very exciting, and also very difficult. I personally think Brazil will fight it out and earn the one seed. CR9 is may favorite player, but he has never really played the same way for Portugal that he has for his clubs. Portugal is too old and their form is not great right now. Therefore, Drogba gets the Ivory Coast out of the first round and keeps his World Cup hopes alive. I am hoping I am wrong about this, but I am trying to assess this as well as I can. One of these powerful teams will not be making it to the Round of 16, but that’s the way of the draw.

Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Loyal readers, we are looking at a new Spain. This version of “La Furia Roja” no longer play as individuals stars. Instead, this Spanish team has finally learned the meaning of the word “team.” I do not expect this team to choke in the early goings this year, and they will be able to advance out of the group stage with ease. The 2nd spot is once again up for grabs between these teams. I have decided that, for kicks, I am going to be the guy that sees Honduras through because if there is a nation that is in dire need of something to believe in…it’s Honduras.

I will go over the round of eliminations in a later post as we get closer and closer to the World Cup.

We Now Return You To Your Regularly Scheduled Programming

2009-12-04T17:16:00.004-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, things have been kind of umm, dead around here the last two weeks or so. For that, we apologize, but it was one of those times where all the stars aligned and I had to buckle down to finish off the semester. That, combined with a about a week of family-related activities around Thanksgiving, and you have my excuse for not delivering some quality work.

But rest assured, folks, I am back and (maybe) better than ever. We've got a few things on tap for you in the coming days, including a look at the World Cup draws. I'm sure we'll also delve into all the college football championship game happenings this weekend and all that good stuff. So stay tuned, and welcome back.

What the New LA Stadium Means for the Jaguars

2009-11-16T18:09:00.003-05:00

Los Angeles has been trying to bring the NFL back to their city. I, like many football fans, believe that the NFL would only get better by installing a franchise in one of the top markets in the country, let alone the world. Information on the stadium can be found at this si te.

Feel free to check it out and provide feedback on it if you would like. This story is not about the intricacies of the stadium, but more so about the professional franchise that would inhabit it. Will a new group come together and form an expansion team? Possibly, but another possibility would be the re-location of a franchise that already exists. Leading candidate for relocation: The Jacksonville Jaguars

Wayne Weaver's franchise has had a very hard time making revenue over the past decade. The team's games are constantly being blacked out in an effort to try and sell more tickets, but people still are not filling the stands. Jersey sales are not exactly going as fast as say a divisional rival Colts jersey. The team is not even as bad as the state-rival Bucs. When you stop and actually look at what is going on in Jacksonville...they boast the state of Florida's best record at 5-4!

Despite all of this, the franchise is still having a terribly difficult time thriving in Jacksonville that the powers-that-be must start asking themselves "Is Jacksonville really the best place for our franchise?" We will know a lot more in the coming years as this stadium is built. I Believe that the Jacksonville Jaguars have one last stand plotted out to give the actual die-hard Jags fan some hope that their team will not leave them. Who/What is their last hope? I think everyone already knows the answer to that.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have already come out and said that they are interested in using their first round draft pick to draft Florida Gator Quarterback Tim Tebow. Now, I am among those that believe that Tebow does not have the ability to hack it as an NFL quarterback, but this is the smartest move that the Jaguars organization can make at this juncture.

Let's face it, Tebow was born and raised in Jacksonville - making him a local hero to many. Tebow would be drafted to put some more Jags fans in the stands, and it wouldn't end there. Tebow's Jaguar jersey would definitely be a hot sell, and that would help bring in jersey revenue that MJD is trying to bring in all by himself.

The final part of this trifecta would be that the media, as we all know, loves Tebow. Therefore, Jacksonville would definitely get a lot more coverage than it is used to, and the attention could also make some people in the Jacksonville area notice what they have.

If Operation Tebow fails in Jacksonville then there is obviously no hope for an NFL franchise to be successful in that city. Weaver won't have to pack it all in though...there's a nice stadium waiting for him in a fantastic market that is craving an NFL franchise.

The Week 11 "4th and Fail" College Football Top 10

2009-11-16T16:09:00.004-05:00

Each writer for this blog, weekly, will compile their own top ten college football ballot. For each ballot, first place gets ten points, second place gets nine, and so on. We will then add together the totals and bring to you our collective poll. With that said, I present to you the Week 11 "4th and Fail" College Football Poll.

Here's last week's poll for a reference point.

Final Ballot (with Total Points in parentheses)

1. Alabama (38)
T-2. Florida (35)
T-2. Texas (35)
4. TCU (27)
5. Cincinnati (25)
T-6. Georgia Tech (18)
T-6. Boise State (18)
8. Pittsburgh (12)
9. LSU (5)
10. Ohio State (4).

The voting breakdown is as follows, with brief explanations from each writer:

-TV's ballot.

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Cincinnati
5. TCU
6. Georgia Tech
7. Boise State
8. Pittsburgh
9. Ohio State
10. LSU

Explanation: The top three have not changed, nor will they until one of them loses, and Cincinnati keeps getting it done -- now with both Collaros and Pike. TCU was impressive in its thrashing of Utah, and Georgia Tech booked its trip to Jacksonville for the ACC title game. Boise is still lingering and undefeated, despite a less-than-impressive schedule. Ohio State clinched the Big Ten with a win over Iowa, so they get some love in this poll, and LSU is still the best two-loss team.

-Ted's ballot

1. Alabama
2. Texas
3. Florida
4. TCU
5. Cincinnati
6. Boise St.
7. Georgia Tech
8. Pittsburgh
9. LSU
10. Ohio St. FML

Explanation: To help me with my ballot this week, I consulted with the Jeff Sagarin computer rankings. I mainly tried to get a better sense of the schedule each team has faced. The other factor in some of my poll shuffling this week is that I like a team that makes a statement. The two biggest statements this weekend were TCU and Alabama. That's why they each bumped up a spot. This week also features the unfortunate return of Ohio St. I don't know how I should feel about them making a BCS bowl again. I'm really tired of them, and don't wish them any success, ever. But, they will face a Pac-10 team (Probably Oregon or Stanford) who should steamroll them. Another humiliating loss on the national stage would be gratifying at least.

- Wooj's ballot

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. TCU
5. Cincy
6. Boise St.
7. Georgia Tech
8. Pitt
9. Oregon
10. Ohio St.

Explanation: The top 3 stay unscatched and on their respective collision courses. Cincy's Friday night struggle and TCU's convincing win over Utah has prompted be to switch their positions on my list. Boise State remains at 6 for once again not playing a meaningful schedule. Georgia Tech comes in at #7 as the top 1 loss team. The Wannstaches of Pittsburgh U come in at #8 this week after most likely nailing the proverbial coffin of Charlie Weis' coaching career at ND. Oregon comes in at #9 as the top 2 win team and the likely winners of the Pac-10 Conference. Finally, as much as I hate them, the Buckeyes of Ohio State did win the Big 10 through a tiebreaker with Iowa and they will be heading to the Rose Bowl. Therefore, I must give them some credit and stick them at #10 on my list.

We also have a guest ballot this week coming from a friend of the site, Chucker. He did a favor for us the other day, and this is how we reciprocate that favor.

- Guest ballot: Chucker.

1. Alabama
2. Texas
3. Florida
4. TCU
5. Cincinnati
6. Georgia Tech
7. Boise State
8. Pittsburgh
9. LSU
10. Oregon

Explanation: Good to be here folks, hope I’m not a “one-hit wonder”. Bama gets the top nod here after easily taking care of a Mississippi State team that Florida struggled to put away. Texas seemed to finally hit their stride and look to cruise on into Pasadena. TCU edges out Cincy for the 4th spot after the Bearcats squeaked out a W against West Virginia. Georgia Tech (and their nauseating offense) remains the best one-loss team after clinching a birth in the ACC title game (good luck selling that one out) and undefeated Boise continues to hang around following their manhandling of the Vandals. The great “Wannstache” and his Panthers come in at number 8 while the Tigers and Ducks round out the top 10. Couldn’t bring myself to put Ohio St. in the top 10 well…because it’s Ohio St, and because it’s the Big Ten.

Chris Coghlan, We Salute You

2009-11-16T15:41:00.004-05:00

I know what a lot of you (including my brother) are thinking: Baseball? In late-November? C'mon man. Well tough luck, because we're talking baseball this post.

The 2009 National League Rookie of the Year was named today -- as was the American League's, but we don't care too much about that -- and the winner of this year's award, as voted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, is the Marlins' LF Chris Coghlan. Coghlan won the award in a close vote over Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ, making him the third Marlins player to win the award, joining Dontrelle Willis and Hanley Ramirez.

For the season, Coghlan batted .321 for the Marlins as the team's lead-off hitter once Emilio Bonifacio was taken out of that role. He also hit nine home runs and batted in 47 runs, while scoring 84. Coghlan was called up in May, but after the All-Star break he had 113 hits, which is the most by any NL hitter -- rookie or veteran -- in the last 45 years.

It's an eye-popping stat when you think about it. Then, add in that Coghlan led all NL rookies in batting average, runs, hits, total bases and OBP (.390) and it's pretty clear that Coghlan was deserving of the award.

I guess all that campaigning that Tommy Hutton and Rich Waltz did for Cogs in the booth at the end of the season really helped out.

Heat - Cavs: LeBron Adds to the Rumors

2009-11-13T11:04:00.006-05:00

The Heat and Cavs played last night on national television, and as expected, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James did not disappoint. The two combined for 70 points (36 from Wade and 34 from LeBron) and several highlight-worthy plays, including this abusive dunk by Wade on ~~Sideshow Bob~~ Anderson Varejao:

Yeah, that was just a filthy dunk. Notice how Varejao bounces off the ground and into the basket's support.

Anyways, the Cavs wound up winning, and the Heat dropped to 6-2 on the season. But the most intriguing part of all of this goes back to the rumors of LeBron joining Wade in Miami next season.

Yes, it is still probably far-fetched, but where there is smoke, there is fire. It dawned on me the other day that if LeBron were to join the Heat, he would have to change his number from 23 because the Heat retired that number when Michael Jordan retired (for the final time) due to the mutual respect between Jordan and Pat Riley.

So LeBron would have to wear wear something other than 23. Then this happened after the game: he spoke about how he thinks no one should wear MJ's no. 23 at all in the league, and suggested that he will change his own number next season to 6 -- his Olympic number.

This can only add fuel to the fire that is the ruminations that people think LeBron will join Wade in Miami in 2010 and beyond.

UM's Nike Pro Combat Uniforms

2009-11-12T15:20:00.007-05:00

Nike has decided to let 10 other schools get the chance to be the Oregon Ducks for one game this season. The Pro Combat Jerseys are labeled as the “the next generation” of jerseys. The 10 schools that will be getting the chance to be among the first to test-drive the Pro Combats will be: Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, TCU, FSU, Ohio State, Mizzou, LSU, VT, and Miami. My colleague Tom will be reviewing the jersey for his beloved Gators, but now it is time for me to critique “the future.”

I can try and try all I want to try and say that these jerseys are cool because I love "The U," but that would be like trying and trying to convince myself that "Spiderman 3" was a quality movie all over again. The jersey just looks downright tacky. The white jersey, pants, AND BELTS?! I know this is Miami, but I didn’t know that Nike wanted the Canes to endorse the Santeria following in Hispanic South Florida. Also, what’s up with the two color tones on the number? [Ed. note: CGB points this out as the "my first Photoshop effect" gradient in his VT Pro Combat uniform review]

Did the people at Nike actually think that this was aesthetically pleasing to the eyes of football fans everywhere? Really, Nike?

…REALLY?!

The only thing I can hang my hat on is that we don’t look like a glorified arena football team and Atlanta Falcon’s love child (DAG GUMMIT!). I can also proudly say that this jersey still at least looks like a Miami Hurricanes jersey (Go Bayou Huskies?).

I will agree with the majority of fans out there that believe that the gloves are a redeeming quality of these jerseys. I am a fan of how the gloves say “The U” on the Velcro straps for Miami’s jersey, and the camouflage is a fun coincidence. I love how "The U" logo is formed on the palms of the gloves, though.
However, the gloves are not redeeming enough, and therefore I will not be endorsing “the future.” I am glad that the Canes will only be forced to wear these things for one game. Hopefully Jacory Harris can be creative and think of something to add appeal to Miami’s Pro Combat edition. The new jersey is trash, and for once I’m not talking about the state.

Byron Scott Fired: That Was Fast

2009-11-12T14:55:00.003-05:00

We are just two weeks into the NBA season and we already have the first coaching casualty of the 2009-10. Byron Scott, (now former) coach of the New Orleans Hornets was canned after a 3-6 start -- and after being throttled by the Suns on Wednesday night.

His replacement for the time being will be Hornets GM Jeff Bower. Scott was just a season and nine game removed from being named the NBA Coach of the Year in 2008, and coaching the Hornets to the the Western Conference semifinals.

Now, do I think the Scott firing is a bit brash? Indeed. I mean, seriously, we are only nine games into the NBA season and it's not like the Hornets don't have the talent to compete. They have a roster that includes arguably the best point guard in the game in Chris Paul, and the likes of Emeka Okafor, Peja Stojakovic, David West and the supposed X-Factor of the 2006 and 2007 NBA playoffs: James Posey.

Given more time, I think the Hornets could turn it around with Scott at the helm, if not, at least give him the chance to do so because being fired just two weeks into the NBA season is a tad absurd.

Nu'Keese's Troubles and The Irony of It All

2009-11-12T14:19:00.006-05:00

For those who didn't already hear -- and even for those who did -- three Tennessee Vols football players were arrested early Thursday morning and charged with attempted armed robbery. Among the three arrested was Nu'Keese Richardson. Yes, that same Nu'Keese Richardson who spurned the Gators and Coach Urban Meyer at the last minute to sign with Lane Kiffin and the Vols.

While I always hate seeing athletes who are given every chance to succeed go and do something so asinine to blow the opportunities granted to them, I can't help but laugh at the details of this heist.

Nu'Keese, and the other two players (Janzen Jackson and Mike Edwards), attempted to rob someone outside of a Pilot on the Knoxville Strip. Funny fact number one: the Pilot is apparently owned by a UT alum, and former football player that is a big athletic booster for the university.

After attempting to rob a vehicle at gunpoint -- with a pellet gun (that's funny fact number two)-- the three left with no valuables. Later, the car that was described at the scene was pulled over on campus. The escape vehicle: a Toyota Prius. Yes, this was an Eco-friendly robbery attempt. You might want to mark that as funny fact number three. After searching the vehicle, police found drug paraphernalia and a bag of marijuana (bonehead/funny fact number four).

Seriously people, you can't make this stuff up. It's almost on par with the Delonte West arrest this summer (but nothing compares to the hilarity of his arrest).

The cherry on top of this story, especially if you are a Gator fan (which I clearly am), is that on Wednesday, Lane Kiffin was boasting about how the Vols' football program had recorded zero arrests in the 11 months since he was hired. Oh, the irony. The timing of it all makes it that much more comical.

The only thing I'm waiting for in this story is the part where Kiffin reminds the media that Meyer also tried to recruit Richardson (because he can never resist trying to take a shot at the Gators).

As for the punishments for these players? Well, we will have to wait and see what happens.

Thoughts On LeBron's Comments

2009-11-10T18:28:00.004-05:00

LeBron James wants to win championships; it's no secret to anyone. He wanted everyone to know that winning those championships is more important than getting a max contract when the off-season rolls around.

Does this mean LeBron doesn't want a maximum contract for 2010 and beyond? Of course not. It just means that he would be willing to take a lesser contract if it meant winning championships, because, "winning is more important to me than money at the end of the day," LeBron said.

Now what does this mean for eager basketball fans such as myself? It means that there are legs to any pipe dreams that I -- and other Heat fans -- may have about the possibility of LeBron and Dwyane Wade calling the AAA their home next season.

Just think: if there's one person who could convince LeBron and/or Wade to take a less-than-max contract during free agency, who would it be? Probably Pat Riley. My eyes widen in wonderment at the mere idea of LeBron and Wade on the same team, even if it's just conjecture at this point. But if it could, in fact happen, LeBron would certainly get those championships he dreams of, and Wade would add more hardware to his collection.

Now that is an image I can get used to.

Just imagine a team anchored by two of the best players in the world, and surrounded by a supporting cast that could include Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem, among others.

And while I realize the unlikeliness of such an occurrence actually happening... a fan base can dream, right?

Five Things We Think We Think We Might Know: Week 10

2009-11-09T14:02:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I flaked on this post last week, and I apologize. But rest assured, loyal readers, I'm back with a fresh five things we think we think we might know.

1. When Notre Dame loses, America wins. I quipped about this on Saturday, but I'll go at it again. Everyone hates Notre Dame, it's no secret. So when Notre Dame loses, America wins. And since this weekend, Notre Dame lost to Navy -- a branch of America's armed forces -- America won twice! Also, the loss means we don't have to see Notre Dame back its way into a BCS bowl.

2. Iowa got the Dennis Dixon treatment. The Hawkeyes were undefeated heading into the weekend, and then against Northwestern, Ricky Stanzi went down with a leg injury. Much like 2007 when Dennis Dixon went down for Oregon, and they dropped from No. 2 in the BCS to playing in the Sun Bowl. Hopefully Stanzi's injury won't have that drastic of an effect on this Iowa team, as they still control their own destiny in the Big 10.

3. Boise State is going to get screwed this season. If things shape out the way we think they will, Boise State is going to be left out of a BCS bowl. TCU, also undefeated, also non-BCS conference, jumped to fourth in the BCS poll this week. So Boise will end up playing somewhere other than Pasadena, Glendale, Miami or New Orleans come bowl season. But things rarely shape up as we expect them to in college football.

4. Jahvid Best is lucky to be walking. That fall he had on Saturday was blood-curdling, and beyond scary. It's usually never a good sign to see a player motionless on the ground (after landing on his back/neck) and then get carted off the field on a stretcher and being pumped oxygen. Fortunately for Best, he only suffered a concussion and has movement in all of his extremities.

5. Arguably the best QB in the nation is ~~likely~~ out for the rest of the season. No, not Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy or Case Keenum. Christian Ponder, FSU's star QB separated his shoulder in Saturday's loss to Clemson. It's a shame, because Ponder has been putting up ridiculous numbers and would probably be contending for a Heisman if it wasn't for FSU's Swiss cheese defense.

The Week 10 "4th and Fail" College Football Top 10

2009-11-09T10:36:00.002-05:00

1. Texas

2. Alabama

3. Florida

4. Cincinnati

5. TCU

6. Boise St.

7. Georgia Tech

8. Pittsburgh

9. Utah

10. LSU

Explanation: The top six shapes up pretty easily. It really doesn't matter where Texas, Florida, and Alabama are, they all control their own destiny to the National Campionship game. I think Texas has the best and most complete team as of right now. Both the Gators and Crimson Tide offenses are still a bit underwhelming. Georgia Tech is now the best one-loss team in the mix and has a chance to finish with a mighty-strong resume (rivalry game vs Georgia and ACC title game left to play). By no means do I think Pittsburgh and Utah are the 8th and 9th best teams in the country, but by default they have moved up. They do have nice resumes, but both have a game against a top five opponenet coming up. I'm keeeping LSU in the ten spot because they're the best two-loss team by a distance, although Ohio State is lurking, FML.

- Wooj's ballot

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Cincinnati
5. TCU
6. Boise St.
7. Georgia Tech
8. Iowa
9. Oregon
10. Pitt.

Explanation: The top 3 remain as is for surviving the week unscathed. Cincinnati barely escaped an inspired UCONN effort, and they also edge out the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian for the #4 spot. Boise St. comes in at number 6 even though they needed all 4 quarters to earn a W against more weak opponents. Georgia Tech comes in at #7 after Wake Forest broke my Miami Hurricane-biased heart and let Georgia Tech remain as the class of the ACC Coastal Division. Iowa lost Stanzi and their undefeated season this past weekend, but seeing as they are a one-loss team in a decent conference they still deserve a spot in the top 10. I choose to show Oregon some love because there is no way that USC should be ahead of them after only one removed from the shellacking in Eugene. Finally, the Pitt. Panthers come in at the 10 spot in this week's poll until further notice.

The Fins Should Have Signed Chris Chambers

2009-11-08T17:54:00.003-05:00

Former Dolphins WR Chris Chambers was released by the Chargers last week, and subsequently picked up off of waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs. Some people, myself included, thought it would have been awesome for the Dolphins to re-sign the WR they traded a couple of years back. And today's performance only adds to the argument that the team should have done so.

Today, in his first game with the Chiefs, Chambers caught three passes for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns. Thus, I present you with three reasons the Dolphins should have signed Chris Chambers when they had the chance:

Ted Ginn Jr. is not a No. 1 receiver.
Brian Hartline is not one either.
Nor is Davone Bess.

In other news, the Fins lost to the Patriots today, and Ginn and Hartline (both out of Ohio State) dropped very catch-able passes on the team's final drive. It was the Dolphins first loss in the division, and dropps them to 3-5 on the season.

In Honor of No. 27: 27 Reasons to Hate the Yankees

2009-11-05T13:31:00.001-05:00

First off, congratulations to the New York Yankees for buy--er winning the 2009 World Series. To commemorate the franchise's 27th World Series title, I present to you my list of 27 reasons why I hate the Yankees.

1. They are a New York team, and as a South Floridian, it is my natural duty to hate teams from New York.

2. They bought themselves this title. You can argue that they have some "homegrown" talent on that team, but combine the contracts of A-Rod, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and AJ Burnett, and you have well over a half billion spent on bringing guys in.

3. HGH. Andy Pettitte did admit to using it, people. How soon people are willing to forget that because he won a title this year.

4. A-Roid. Hey, look! Another guy who took banned substances... and lied about it in a nationally aired interview.

5. Derek Jeter's "clutchness." I respect that Jeter has been the captain of this team for years now, but I, like many others, am sick of his alleged ability to be clutch. It's overplayed.

6. This title "christened" the New Yankee Stadium "the right way," and this makes me sick.

7. Jorge Posada's incessant need to have a conference with his pitcher at the mound. Seriously, it's like after every pitch. Isn't that what the signs are supposed to be for?

8. Yankees bandwagon fans. This happens when any team wins a title, but the Yankees ones suck even more, because the franchise bought these fans when they spent half a billion on players.

9. Actual Yankees fans... because they are Yankees fans. Chanting "Twenty-Seven," really?

10. Joe Girardi. I have mixed feelings on him because yes, he did take everyone by surprise with the Marlins when he won Manager of the Year. However, he also overused his young pitchers (Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez needed Tommy John surgery).

11. Did I mention they are the Yankees?

12. Johnny Damon. I admit, I liked him when he was with the Red Sox (mostly because I used the Red Sox in MVP Baseball 2004, and because he was on the team that beat the Yankees after being down 0-3 in the ALCS). But, to win a World Series with Boston, then to go on over to that teams most hated rivals. That's not cool.

13. Yankees fans. They are a step above Philadelphia fans... maybe. Not sure. It's a close call.

14. Centaurs. A-Rod has a self-portrait of himself as a centaur in his bedroom. That's funny, but it makes me hate him and the Yankees even more.

15. Those ridiculous boating rope necklaces that AJ Burnett and Joba Chamberlain wear around their necks.

16. The absurd pricing of seats at the New Yankees Stadium. In general, it's expensive enough for families to attend sporting events, but the Yankees make you put a down-payment of your first-born child to afford tickets... or something like that. Point is, it's way too expensive.

17. They are the Evil Empire. This point does not need to be elaborated.

18. The "Aura and Mystique." The Yankees are not Rick James, they do not emanate a mystical aura, and neither does their stadium.

19. They got rid of one of the best monuments in sports, Yankee Stadium, for a new stadium that looks essentially the same as the old one... minus the history.

20. Have I mentioned the fans? I did? Well they deserve another mention.

21. They are in the largest market in sports, so they are forced down our throats on the regular.

22. They invade the state of Florida every spring for spring training.

23. The ownership and management. Seriously, the Steinbrenner's and Brian Cashman make headlines more than some lesser MLB teams.

24. The arrogance. They have won more than any other franchise, and they know it... so they often feel it is their right to win a World Series.

25. Have I mentioned that they buy their championships? (Just for reference, this Yankees team spent $192 millions this season, while the 2003 World Series Champion Marlins spent just $54 million.)

26. They are the New York Yankees and I hate them because they faced the Marlins in the 2003 World Series. Even though the Marlins won, it furthered my hatred for the Yankees.

27. THEY MADE ME ROOT FOR THE PHILLIES! Now I feel dirty, and need to have my soul purged.

An Interesting AJ Burnett Factoid

2009-11-05T01:22:00.005-05:00

So I was trying to think -- which can be dangerous -- and was thinking of Yankees on this World Series team to win titles with other teams. There are some, including Johnny Damon and Eric Hinske, both of whom won World Series titles with the Red Sox (Damon in 2003 and Hinske in 2007).

However, one name stands out when I think about guys on this team that have won a title elsewhere: AJ Burnett.

The pitcher that the Yankees spent $82.5 million on started two games in this World Series, going 1-1. Burnett's other World Series win? Well that would be with the 2003 Florida Marlins. And who did the Marlins play in the 2003 World Series? That's right, the Yankees.

I believe that makes AJ Burnett the only player on this Yankees roster to win a World Series with the Yankees, and one against the Yankees.

The Week 9 "4th and Fail" College Football Top 10

2009-11-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

1. Texas

2. Florida

3. Alabama

4. Cincinnati

5. Iowa

6. Oregon

7. LSU

8. Georgia Tech

9. TCU

10. Boise St.

Explanation: Texas has been the best team over the last several weeks and did something that Florida and Alabama have not. They went to top 15 team's house and won soundly. I hate to penalize teams that were idle, like Alabama was, but Florida and Texas were too impressive not to move up. Iowa probably deserves to be lower but so long as they have zero losses, they aren't falling. As for Boise St and TCU, they remain undefeated, but Oregon, LSU, and Georgia Tech have much better resumes and have played multiple tough games. TCU and Boise St. are essentially in a competition between each other for an automatic BCS spot. It will most likely come down to TCU's game against Utah, who at the moment is still ranked. The Horned Frogs have a chance for another big game while the Broncos don't.

- Wooj's ballot

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Iowa
5. Oregon
6. Cincinnati
7. TCU
8. Boise St.
9. LSU
10. Georgia Tech

Explanation: I’m not about to push Alabama out of the top 3 like the BCS has just because they had a bye. I also will not push Texas ahead of Florida because Florida decided to look like the #2 team in this week’s poll. Texas had a big win, and they still do not need to worry as long as they just win out. Iowa stays at #4 because even though Indiana gave them more of a scare than necessary – they are still the undefeated Big 10 (Little 11) frontrunners. Oregon stays in at #5 for winning the aforementioned match in which the winner would stay ahead of the Bearcats (Who come in at #6 because I don’t think being undefeated in the Big East is very impressive at all). TCU stays ahead of Boise St. as they fill in the 7 and 8 spots. Although I still believe that LSU is completely overrated they have been given the #9 spot because they are still a 1-loss SEC team that “controls their own fate.” Georgia Tech stays at #10 for having problems with Vandy.

On the cusp: Penn St. and Pitt.

In Which I Apologize to Ted Ginn Jr.

2009-11-01T17:58:00.001-05:00

After last week's demoralizing loss, I finally jumped off the Ted Ginn Jr. bandwagon, and, like the rest of Miami, I ripped him for his poor performance. I said it was the last straw for me as a believer in Ginn's ability.

And then he went and did what he did today against the oh-so-hated Jets. Ginn had 299 return yards, and two kickoffs returned for touchdowns of at least 100 yards each.

I'm not about to go and recant everything I said about Ginn, or jump back on his bandwagon. However, I feel an apology is due. So here it is: I apologize for saying there is no spot for you on this Dolphins roster, Ted Ginn. Let's face it, the truth is that you do have a spot on this team... just not as the no. 1 receiver.

After today's performance against the Jets, it is quite clear that you are the threat on kick returns that the franchise expected you to be, and probably a career slot receiver.

And while I will not jump back on the bandwagon that I once seemingly piloted, I will not show the disdain for you that I felt after last weekend. I will settle for indifference. But please, Ted Ginn, do keep up the good work, because this team needs everything it can get.

Your 2009 Miami Heat Season Preview

2009-10-28T10:28:00.004-04:00

The Miami Heat open their season tonight against the oh-so-hated New York Knicks. Here's what you need to know about the team this year, and what to expect from them.

Oh, 2006, you seem like such a distant memory...

The Basics:
- 2008 Record: 43-39, 5th seed in the East, lost in 1st round of playoffs to the Atlanta Hawks
- Coach: Erik Spoelstra, second season.
- Opening Night Starting Five: PG Mario Chalmers, SG Dwyane Wade, SF Quentin Richardson, PF Michael Beasley, C Jermaine O'Neal.
- Key Additions: SF Quentin Richardson, PG Carlos Arroyo
- Key Losses: SF Jamario Moon

The Analysis: The Miami Heat’s 2008-2009 season ended in the first round of the NBA playoffs in a seventh and decisive game against the Atlanta Hawks. The Heat did not really make any power moves, and this is because the organization ~~failed in trying to bring Lamar Odom or Carlos Boozer to town~~ is trying to have as much salary cap space as possible for the very much hyped summer of 2010. As it stands now, the Heat will have the most cap space in what is sure to be a legendary summer of free agent signings. That’s right, they will even have more than the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets. Another perk that goes in the Heat’s favor is that they can pay Dwyane Wade more than any other team can. The Heat would also have enough money to bring in another, or maybe even two, superstars!

…wait, we still have to get through the 2009 NBA regular season? Oh, okay. Sorry about that loyal failures (because you are readers of our blog not because you are inept in life), where was I? Oh right, let’s get back on track shall we?

The Miami Heat didn’t make any major changes, but there were plenty of subtle ones. Jamario Moon left the Heat to sign with the Cleveland Lebrons in hopes of winning a title this season. The South Florida franchise parted ways with Mark Blount and traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Luther Head decided to sign with the Pacers as a free agent. Don’t get the wrong idea though - the Heat did manage to sign some role players as well. The Heat’s biggest move was the addition of Quentin Richardson in the aforementioned Blount trade, and it looks as though Q-Rich will finally being staying put after a surely hectic offseason. Q-Rich will be starting at the 3 spot for the Heat come tonight against the hated Knicks, and his 3-point shooting ability will definitely be a big help (35.4% from Eric Reid Kaboom-land in his career). The Heat also signed Shavlik Randolph, a forward in his fourth year out of Duke. I don’t really see this player doing much for the Heat this season, but he’s 6-10 236 so I won’t say no. Finally, the Miami Heat signed FIU product Carlos Arroyo (he of Puerto Rican Olympic basketball fame) only two short weeks ago. I think Arroyo will see a solid amount of time backing up Mario Chalmers with Chris Quinn. I wouldn’t doubt it if he’s in games late to ice them with his career 80% from the FT line. Now, let’s talk about the returning pieces of the puzzle.

Let’s start with the bench players and work our way up into the role players, shall we? Dorell Wright, five years later and we still don’t know what to say about this kid. He undoubtedly has potential, but he has never been able to tap into it and become the star we have been hoping for. Maybe this year could be that year that Dorell steps it up, but prior history would say that he will remain with limited minutes in a limited role. The Heat used Jamaal Magloire for his presence on defense as well as to be able to be the player to commit fouls when necessary, and I do not see his role expanding from that this year either. The Miami native, James Jones, will continue to have somewhat of a role as a shooting specialist this season, but I would not be surprised if we saw more of him. Yahkouba Diawara will continue to have his role on the court for his length, so expect Coach Spo’ to put him in for specialized defensive situations. The same role can also be attributed to Joel Anthony, who will be seeing time as Jermaine O’Neal’s back up. Joel Anthony’s role on the team could be expanded very easily due to the major question mark that is O’Neal’s health (knock on wood). Quinn will still get substantial time as a back up to Super Mario this season, and I will allow it due to his heart and hustle [Ed. Note: some would say he’s scrappy!]. Daequan Cook will be seeing a lot of time this season in a more expanded version of James Jones role on the team. Cook has shown clutch ability and can easily sink the shot from downtown. He is one Ohio State Buckeye in a Miami franchise that I CAN stomach from night-to-night (I’m looking at you, Ted Ginn). The sixth man on the team, along with the starters, will get a more in-depth look.

The Heat made a kind of surprising move in putting their captain, Udonis Haslem, on the bench. Both the Sun-Sentinel and the Miami Herald have reported that the coaching staff of the Heat has elected to start their young investment, Michael Beasley, over the Heat’s blue-collar veteran captain. This came as a surprise to me because I had heard that Beasley was going to be moved to the 3 spot this season, and that he would be playing behind Richardson. However, we now know that that is not the case. This move will undoubtedly show the character of Haslem, and every true Heat fan knows that the Heat’s great leader is always willing to do what the franchise thinks is best. Haslem will still see plenty of time this season, and he will only end up working even harder without having to worry about fatigue as much.

The Heat will have the former-Kansas Jayhawk icon, Mario Chalmers, starting at the point this year; and I am very curious to see how much this 2nd year player has improved over his first professional offseason. There are two things I will be looking for in Chalmers this year. First, I would like to see how he has developed as a point guard in the facet of making the right decisions. I am interested to see if Erik Spoelstra and company have been able to get Chalmers to act more like a floor general instead of just a pure scorer like he once was. If Chalmers, can balance being a floor general and still maintain his ability to put points on the board then it would be safe to say that the Heat have found their point guard for the future. He can solidify his spot as being the Heat’s point guard moving forward if he has improved in my other quandary about him - has his defense improved? Chalmers was among the best in the league in steals per game, and if he has gotten even better at position defense then he could very well be one of the top defensive point guards in the league as soon as this season.

Q-Rich was already touched on slightly, but I still have a few things I would like to see. I would simply like to see how quickly and how well he can fit in with the rest of his new teammates in Miami. If he struggles early, I would not be surprised if Coach Spo' decided to go forward with moving Beasley to the 3, and thus returning Udonis Haslem to the starting line-up at the 4. We know the guy can score, but we just don’t know how he will fit into the Miami Heat system just yet.

Jermaine O’Neal claims that he is 100% and feeling like an all-star once again. O’Neal claims to be playing with a chip on his shoulder to prove all of his doubters wrong, sort of like how D-Wade had to last season. Anytime that O’Neal even limps people will be skeptical about his health, but that is to be expected. O’Neal will have questions about his health surrounding him in every pre- and post-game conference, and he will simply have to do what he feels he is able to do this season. I personally like to see this fire out of the Heat’s big man, and I wouldn’t mind seeing that Pacers player that always seemed to dominate the Heat only a few years ago.

To me, Beasley will be the biggest X-factor of the Heat’s season this year. Dwyane Wade will continue to be Dwyane Wade, but as we saw last year, that can only take the Heat so far. I am interested in seeing how Beasley bounces back this season. I have heard nothing but good news about his development as a basketball player. Everyone around the organization has said that he has gotten stronger and improved on his skill set. However, like Jermaine O’Neal, there will be questions surrounding Beasley all season. This, of course, is due to Beasley’s stint in rehab over the summer that was related to drug and alcohol problems. Beasley has said that he is now sober, and the team has supported him the whole way through this ordeal. I think the Heat will continue to support him because they have invested so much in him, and I think that he could be up for the Most Improved Player award by season’s end. If Beasley can become that 20-10 (pts-rebs) player that some people are suggesting he could be this season then I would have to say that the Heat could do some damage past the regular season.

The Heat went 43-39 last year with this new team together for the first time. Many members of that team have returned, and there is undoubtedly more chemistry between them due to having one year under their belt. Dwyane Wade will continue to be a stud and MVP candidate, but that only got them their record from last year. I think that if Jermaine can stay healthy, Chalmers can impress me on both of my aforementioned fronts, and if Beasley can be that stud people are saying he could be as soon as this season then it would be hard to say that the Heat would not improve. I personally don’t think Chalmers and Beasley will accomplish what I’m looking for them to accomplish immediately, but the Heat will definitely be a better team after the All-Star break.

The Prediction: 48-34 (five-win improvement over last season), which I think translates to the 5-seed in the East. Yes, a 5-seed. I think the East improves somewhat this season. The real question will be whether or not this record will be enough to convince Wade to stay in Miami beyond this season. Only time will tell.

2009 NBA Preview: From A to Z

2009-10-27T18:34:00.000-04:00

We did this last year, and try to do it for most professional sports seasons. It might be insightful, and maybe even a bit comical. So here it goes: your 2009 NBA preview, from A to Z.

A is for Artest... again. Last year, we started with the same thing for A, because Artest was new to Houston and we wondered what impact he would have on a Rockets team with Yao and Tracy McGrady. This season, he joins Kobe, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and the defending champion Lakers. Does his addition put them over the top, again?

B is for Boston's Big Four. With the addition of Rasheed Wallace, Boston has a scary (and old) starting five, including their big four of Wallace, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and emerging point guard Rajon Rondo. It's going to be curious to see how Wallace's addition will change this team: will it be for the better, or will they be too old... "not for this earth, but for this club."

C is for The Curse of the Clippers. The ugly stepchild of the Lakers had their No. 1 overall pick, Blake Griffin, just go down for six weeks with a stress fracture. This franchise gets no luck, and as J.A. Adande pointed out on Twitter, the Clippers' three No. 1 overall draft picks have been Griffin (this injury), Danny Manning (torl ACL) and Michael Olowokandi (he suffered from being Michael Olowokandi). Brutal.

D is for DE-TROIT BASKET-BALL. That always annoys me, but whatever. The Pistons added Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon in the offseason, while losing Allen Iverson, Sheed and Antonio McDyess. It's obvious they are trying to get younger, and rebuild, but I still think they can improve on their 39-43 record from last season.

E is for El Mariachi. And by El Mariachi, I mean Delonte West. This offseason, West was arrested on some incredibly awesome charges. This has nothing to do with the season, I just wanted to bring it up again.

F is for Frequent Flier Miles. Because Quentin Richardson has got lots of 'em after this offseason. Let's recap it: he was traded from New York, to Memphis, to the Clippers, to Minnesota and then finally to Miami, where he is now the starting small forward for the Heat.

G is for GM Sir Charles Barkley. Well, he's not a GM yet... but he did say that he's seen all of these other guys fail at it, and think he deserves his own chance to fail at being a GM. And as you all know, we endorse anything that would involve the Round Mound of Rebound. He wouldn't be that turrrible, would he?

H is for Howard, as in Dwight Howard. He's a beast of a player, and yet he's probably only 20-30% of the player he could be. If he can finally develop into the complete (and completely dominant) player he's meant to be, the Magic will be making many trips deep into the playoffs for years to come.

I is for Inevitable. Because the media is already hyping a Kobe-LeBron finals, as if it's inevitable, before a single game has been played. But I would not count out San Antonio, Boston and Orlando with 82 games left to be played.

J is for Joe Johnson and the Hawks. There are clearly three elite teams in the East: Cleveland, Boston and Orlando. Are the Johnson-led Hawks the best of the rest?

K is for Kobe. He finally got his ring without Shaq, and he still has a loaded team... so we know he won't be satisfied with just that fourth ring, and his mission this year will be to get one for the thumb.

L is for... who else, but Lebron. Last year, during All-Star weekend, he "preliminarily" threw his name into the ring for the 2010 dunk contest. I hope he keeps his word, because it is sure to be entertaining (though he would probably win regardless of the degree of difficulty of his dunks).

M is for MVP. This is where I give you my MVP prediction. While I'm always tempted to go with the hometown guy, Dwyane Wade (he's Wooj's pick for MVP, as usual), I'm going to throw a curve ball and go with Dwight Howard.

N is for the New guys, as in the rookies. Since I've already got something planned for R, my rookie of the year pick will go here. I'm going to go with DeJuan Blair of the Spurs. He put up some monster numbers this preseason, and while he probably doesn't start, he will be a vital contributor of the bench in the Spurs quest for a fourth ring in eight years.

O is for Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder won't be great this year, nor will they make the playoffs in the West. However, they will be lots of fun to watch, and we think Kevin Durant is going to have a huge season. He's really going to break out.

P is for Prenups! Holler, "we want prenups!" Lamar Odom got a prenup with Khloe Kardashian before they "tied the knot." As a result, I'm setting the over/under on how long this marriage lasts for the All-Star break.

Q is for Question. Will Tracy McGrady make it out of the first round of the playoffs? His team did it last year, but he was injured. Hell, will the Rockets even make the playoffs with Yao trying to return from injury, and no Artest?

R is for Repeat. Each time Phil Jackson has won a title with a team (after a different team won the previous year), his team has repeated as champion. Will that streak come to an end this season?

S is for the Summer of 2010. Yes, after this season is the much-hyped Summer of 2010, where the likes of LeBron, D-Wade, et al become free agents. Expect monster seasons from them, and much speculation as to where they will end up... because that's probably all we will hear about until July 1, 2010.

T is for The Turkish Michael Jordan. Hedo Turkoglu bounced out of Orlando and headed north of the border to Toronto, where he joins Chris Bosh. Can the two create some much needed chemistry and improve the Raptors after a 33-49 record last year? And more importantly, will the addition of Turkoglu be enough to keep Bosh satisfied in Toronto so that Bosh re-signs in the offseason?

U is for Useless. Which is exactly what the addition of Shaq will be for the Cavs. I don't think he has enough left in his tank to do for LeBron the same thing he did for Kobe and Wade. And if this season doesn't end in a ring, then the addition of Shaq will have been useless.

V is for Vinsanity. The Magic lost the Turkish MJ, but acquired Vince Carter to add to a team that has a great point guard in Jameer Nelson, and a great big man in Howard. This is the most talented team Carter has played for, and I see this ending very well for the Magic.

W is for Winners. Who we got winning it all this season? Like I said, I like the addition of Carter for the Magic, and if the core of that team can stay healthy, I like them to walk away with the franchise's first championship. For what it's worth, I like the Spurs to come out of the West.

X is for X-factor. This one is a a curve ball: Michael Beasley. He went to rehab this offseason for some drug issues, and as a result, I think his head will be in the right place this season. He put up good numbers as a rookie, but his improvement this season could be a huge factor in the Heat's success.

Y is for the division winners (Y). Here are my predictions for which teams will win each division this season: Boston, Cleveland, Orlando in the East and San Antonio, the Lakers and Portland in the West.

Z is for Zebras. This preseason, we were stuck with replacement officials, but the real officials finally came to terms with the league and will be back in action for the opener. The scrub referees made us realize how good actual officials are, and we are glad they are back.

And since the officials are back, that means we can officially tip-off the NBA season tonight. So enjoy it. Feel free to leave any predictions of your own in the comments. Tomorrow, Wooj will treat you all with a Miami Heat season preview.

Tim Hardaway and Zo Will be Reunited on Wednesday

2009-10-26T21:27:00.000-04:00

The first two jerseys to hang in the rafters at the American Airlines Arena in Miami did not belong to Heat players, but the next two that have been enshrined belong to the greats. On Wednesday, before the Heat's season opener at home against the (hated) New York Knicks, the franchise will retire Tim Hardaway's No. 10 jersey.

Hardaway, who played point guard for the Heat for five seasons from 1996-2001, took the Heat from middle-of-the-pack, to the class of the Atlantic division, by playing alongside Alonzo Mourning. With Wednesday's pregame ceremony, the two will be reunited, as Mourning's No. 33 is the other Heat jersey in the rafters.

Hardaway, while with the Heat, was another fan favorite, and over the course of his stint in Miami he became the franchise's all-time leader in assists, and three-point field goals. He also ranks fifth in points and steals, as well as tenth in games played.

What Heat fans will remember Hardaway most for was making opponents look silly on a regular basis with his killer crossover, affectionately referred to as the "UTEP Two-Step."

But Hardaway was more than just endless crossovers in a Heat uniform; he was the floor general that the franchise needed. In 1996-97, he was an MVP candidate, while leading the Heat to a franchise-best record.

Of course, there was also his role on the 2000 USA basketball team in the Sydney Olympics, which ended in a gold medal. Since then, he has played for a couple of other teams, but still resides in Miami, and sits a few rows behind the visiting bench during Heat home games, remaining as a presence in the city where has had so many highlights

But for all the high-points in Hardaway's career with the Heat, there were also some lows. He suffered many injuries with the Heat, and as a result, missed significant time during the playoffs for the Heat. Heat fans can only imagine what could have been had Hardaway remained healthy.

While the injuries were hardly anything Hardaway could do about, there was one dent in his image that could have been prevented. In 2007, Hardaway made his infamous homophobic remarks where he, among other things, said he hated gay people.

Hardaway has since issued multiple apologies for the incident, and while it is something that most fans will not forget, it is something that has been put in the past.

And while I don't agree with some of the things he has said and done outside of the confinements of a basketball arena, as a fan of the game of basketball, and a long-time fan of the Miami Heat, I congratulate him for having his jersey retired.

Fortunately for Hardaway, his enshrinement into Heat immortality on Wednesday is for his accomplishments on the court, and for what he meant to the team in a Heat uniform. And for those reasons, I will gladly show due respect to Hardaway the point guard.

Five Things We Think We Think We Might Know: Week 8

2009-10-26T17:00:00.000-04:00

We are now eight weeks through the college football season. What that means? Who knows, because one week can change everything in college football. I do know that it means I have five more things we think we think we might know.

1. The ACC Coastal division is Georgia Tech's to lose. With UM's overtime loss to Clemson on Saturday, it left Georgia Tech tied with Virginia Tech for first in the division. Gt does own the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Hokies though, and with just two ACC games left (against Duke and Wake Forest), GT could very well be booking their hotel for Jacksonville... they just have to handle their business.

2. Terrence Cody is a large man, and an even larger difference maker. The 6-foot-5, 365-pound defensive lineman for Alabama came up huge for the Tide on Saturday, blocking two kicks. The blocks sealed Bama's 12-10 win over Tennessee, and kept the Tide undefeated.

Speaking of that Alabama game....

3. Alabama's win on Saturday reminded me of Florida's win against South Carolina in 2006. Yes, I am drawing a parallel between this season's Alabama team and the 2006 national champion Gators. Aside from both teams having a dominant defense as a focal point, in 2006, Florida's win at home against South Carolina became a signature moment for that title run. If you recall, Florida won that game, narrowly (17-16), after defensive lineman Jarvis Moss blocked an extra point, and two field goals, including a potential game-winner. Oddly similar to Alabama's win this weekend, no? Only time will tell if it is considered a focal point in Alabama's season.

4. We might see multiple undefeated teams this season, and at least one of them will feel left out. We know Florida or Alabama will have at least one loss. Texas seems to be clear on its way to a Big 12 title. Cincy plays in the Big East, and has a pretty tolerable schedule ahead. But this point mostly has to do with TCU and Boise State. Both could very well finish the season undefeated, and by BCS rules, only one will be guaranteed a BCS berth... which means one of them might be left out in the cold.

5. Florida's redzone offense, for a lack of better words, sucks. I know this is a third thing that deals with the SEC, and I apologize. But really, Florida's redzone offense has been abysmal this season. Many are quick to blame new offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, but keep in mind that wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales is the man responsible for calling the redzone plays. The play-calling has been unimaginative and uninspiring, to say the least, and it doesn't help when Tebow makes poor decision, or when the offensive line collapses around him. Something needs to be done to improve this Gators offense once they are inside the 20, because kicking field goals will not lead to another national title.

The Real Losers from the Past Week In Sports...

2009-10-26T11:30:00.001-04:00

... are South Florida sports fans. It was a terrible week for South Florida sports fans. Let's give it a rundown, shall we?

- The Phillies (one of the Marlins' most-hated rivals) won the pennant in the NL.
- The Yankees won the AL pennant, and as we all know, fans of Miami teams have a natural instinct to hate any and all teams from New York.

Of course, the combination of the first two things means that one of those teams will win the World Series. And as I've said before in the past week: as a person from Miami, I hate teams from New York; as a Marlins fan, I hate the Phillies; and as a decent human being, I hate Philadelphians.

- The Dolphins lost to the Saints despite a dominating first half where they, at one point, led 24-3 against arguably the best team in the league. It all went down hill from there, and the Saints scored the final 22 points of the game.

- The Hurricanes lost, painfully, in overtime to Clemson in football. While I personally took joy in this, I know most South Floridians are fans of the Hurricanes, and this was a crushing loss for them.

- There's also the egg that USF laid against the Pittsburgh Wannstaches, and of course, Florida's underwhelming offensive performance against Mississippi State.

Collectively, South Floridians are the real losers in sports this weekend, and it was about the equivalent of a medicine ball to the groin area.

Now, let's end this awful weekend for sports, South Floridians. And let's hope that this next week of sports turns around, and another win against the Jets would be a great way to do so.

In Which I No Longer Defend Ted Ginn Jr.

2009-10-26T11:01:00.001-04:00

I've tried to be both reasonable and optimistic about Ted Ginn Jr. as a Miami Dolphins wide receiver. I've tried to convince myself time and time again that he wasn't a bust, or a reach, after the Dolphins drafted him ninth overall in the 2007 draft. But Sunday was the breaking point for me as an optimist.

Back in the preseason, I wrote this about Ted Ginn possibly becoming the go-to receiver for the Dolphins. Well, Sunday has made me take it all back.

Now, don't get me wrong, Ginn, like many other underachieving athletes, has had his share of instances where he has shown signs of legitimacy, and even brilliance. Take the Jets game a couple of weeks ago, where Ginn, who was being covered by Darelle Revis (arguably the best cover-corner in the NFL). In previous games this season, Revis shut down both Randy Moss and Andre Johnson; but Ginn made him look foolish on a bomb from Chad Henne that resulted in a touchdown.

But then, of course, there are days like Sunday, where Ginn makes you forget about anything beneficial he may have ever done for the team, and instead, those flashes of brilliance from him that sit in the back of my mind turn into rage, and hatred, for him as a player.

There are the drops, where Ginn should easily have the catch, but instead focuses on trying to run after the catch and looks upfield, rather than looking the ball into his grip. And, of course, there's the play where he bobbles a nice throw from Henne, and practically hands it to two defensive backs, and it results in a pick six for the Saints.

After Ginn's big game against the Jets, I also went out on a limb and said that Henne could be the best thing to happen to Ginn as a receiver. Hell, that could still be true, but I don't care anymore.

While it would be wrong of me to place the blame for Sunday's devastating loss solely on your (and your family's!) shoulders, Ginn; you certainly didn't help your team's effort to try to win the game.

When it gets to the point where my mom texts me and tells me that you're not very good, then you've really proven yourself as a failure, because, keep in mind, my mom was the same person that kind of defended the Marlins' Emilio Bonifacio (at least from me talking bad about him for a month).

So that's it, Ted Ginn, you may have just lost the last person within the Dolphins fan base (that's not in your family) that believed in you. You have deceived me, and other fans, long enough. I no longer feel you are welcomed on this Dolphins roster, and I would have much rather the team drafted Hakeem Nicks in this past year's first round. Good day, sir, I will defend you no more.

The Week 8 "4th and Fail" College Football Top 10

2009-10-26T09:30:00.003-04:00

1. Alabama

2. Florida

3. Texas

4. Iowa

5. Cincinnati

6. USC

7. LSU

8. Georgia Tech

9. Boise St.

10. Oregon

Explanation: DIAF Ted Ginn. Seriously. [Ed. Note: Okay, this isn't exactly an explanation, but Ted didn't have time to write one, but he did say those words about Ginn. I guess someone had something on his mind while filling out his ballot this week.]

- Wooj's ballot

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Iowa
5. Oregon
6. USC
7. Cincinnati
8. TCU
9. Boise State
10. Georgia Tech

Explanation: Alabama remains on top because Florida was not impressive in their win. Texas closed the gap between them and the top 2, but not enough to crack the top 2. However, with the “play-in game” known as the SEC title game looking more and more likely to be #1 against #2, I’d have to say they are sitting pretty. Iowa’s last second touchdown grab has given them the #4 spot in my poll this week. I have Oregon and USC at 5 and 6 (and ahead of Cincy) because they will have a showdown this week in which one will emerge as the cream of the crop in the Pac-10, and Oregon keeps on impressing me more every week. Therefore, the winner will end up ahead of Cincy in next weeks poll, and the other below so I’m setting up the match right now. TCU comes in at 8 and jumps fellow non-BCS team Boise State simply because TCU has played a more difficult schedule than the Broncos. Georgia Tech was impressive in their win this week, and with the Hurricanes of Miami falling out the ten, GT is now the top shelf bottle of the ACC.

No Cinderellas In This Pumpkin Month: Baseball Got It Right

2009-10-26T00:26:00.006-04:00

Sorry baseball fans, the clock has struck midnight and the World Series will be played between the two top teams in baseball. We will not see Joe Torre’s Dodgers play the Yankees this year.

The Angels will not play for the title of World Series Champions in honor of the fallen Nick Adenhart.

The Cardinals will not meet the Yankees in a battle of the first and second most successful franchises in baseball (in terms of World Series victories).

No, there will be none of this baseball fans. Instead, we will see the defending World Series Champions play the most dominant team in the AL this season. We will get to see Ryan Howard vs. A-Rod in a battle of power hitters, and we will also get to see the Phillies pitchers duel with the Yankees (Cliff Lee vs. CC Sabathia in Game 1 sounds like a lot of fun). This series, like any series, will try to muster up some sort of storyline such as Pedro Martinez pitching against the Yankees once again, but fans should look forward to the two top teams slugging it out for the right to be called champion.

It seems this year, that the playoffs got it right, and we will get to see the two teams that deserve to be playing for a World Series. Some might try and hype it as potentially the greatest World Series of all-time (probably hyperbole) ... instead, I will hype it as the Anti-Mets Series

So let's play ball, gents, and find out who truly is the best team this season.

Channing Crowder Speaks His Mind

2009-10-23T15:57:00.005-04:00

Channing Crowder is a linebacker for the Dolphins, as I'm sure most of you know. He also happened to go to UF and was one of my favorite players during his stint in Gainesville. He's been known to be a bit... umm... eccentric? Yeah, I'll go with eccentric. Among some of his hobbies: wrestling razorbacks (no, that's not a euphemism of any sort), and speaking his mind.

The first we really heard Crowder speak his mind this year, was in an ongoing battle with Jets rookie head coach, Rex Ryan. The history of that feud can be found here.

Then, yesterday, I stumbled upon an awesome tidbit of information courtesy of The Miami Herald's David J. Neal, who covers the Dolphins and the NFL, for the paper. On Twitter, Neal tweeted this quote that came from Crowder, regarding the Saints, the Dolphins' opponent this weekend. Enjoy.This quote is pretty hilarious, and that's about all there is to say about it. But come Sunday, Dolphins fans hope that Crowder can back up his mouth, and help the team hand New Orleans its first loss of the season. And if the Dolphins hope to do so, you can expect to see a heavy dosage of the Wildcat, to help control the clock and keep the Saints' incendiary offense off the field for as long as possible.

Marc Curles and His Crew Won't Be Blowing Calls for a Few Weeks

2009-10-21T19:16:00.005-04:00

The good commissioner giveth, and the good commissioner taketh away. At least, that's the case with SEC commissioner Mike Slive today after he suspended Marc Curles (that's him over to the left) and his officiating crew.

The suspension comes after Curles and his crew blew a couple of calls late in the Florida-Arkansas game this past Saturday, in which the Gators eked out a 23-20 victory. The officiating crew also called a questionable excessive celebration penalty on Georgia's AJ Green a couple of weeks prior that may have directly effected the outcome of the game, which Georgia lost to LSU.

Slive suspended the crew until November 14, citing that the crew has not met the standards expected of them in calling games.

I believe this is the right move; however, why just suspend them a few games? They have shown
that they are not fit to properly officiate games, having impacted the outcome of two highly-touted SEC games in recent weeks. Yes, they are humans and calls are based on their judgment, but clearly this crew's judgment has been clouded this season.

As I mentioned, Curles and his crew return from suspension on November 14. That weekend, Florida visits South Carolina (both are currently ranked), No. 1 Alabama visits Mississippi State and Auburn and Georgia also face off, among other games. Don't expect that crew to be assigned to any of those high-profile games. Instead, I'm sure we will probably see them at the Kentucky-Vanderbilt game in Nashville, or maybe even in Fayetteville for the Troy-Arkansas game.

At least in those games, if the crew makes any mistakes, it won't have any implications on the national picture.

Five Things We Think We Think We Might Know: Week 7

2009-10-19T18:28:00.002-04:00

Are we really seven weeks into the college football season already? Wow. This weekend taught us a few things... we think. There are still five undefeated teams remaining in the six BCS conferences, but I'm sure that will change in the weeks to come. Anyways, here's what we think we think we might know after seven weeks of college football.

1. Mark Ingram might be the Heisman front-runner at the moment. Against South Carolina on Saturday, Ingram ran for 246 yards on 24 carries. He has 905 yards and 8 scores so far this season. While the big names that everyone thought would contend for the award this season have not distanced themselves from the pack, Ingram is slowly coming out of nowhere and getting some Heisman love.

2. It looks like we might need this to solve the ACC again this year. Georgia Tech's win over Virginia Tech puts a three-way tie (for second at the moment) between those teams in the ACC Coastal division. Things could get wacky again... though I think the wackiest part is that Virginia is currently the leader in the ACC clubhouse.

3. Sam Bradford should have taken the money and run. He re-aggravated his shoulder on Saturday on the second drive against Texas in the Red River Rivalry. He probably should have gone pro after winning the Heisman and almost a BCS title last season, but what's done is done. Let's just hope the kid doesn't further injure himself and cost himself millions of dollars in draft stock.

4. Defense wins games (and championships). See: Florida Gators. Simple as that. UF's defense kept them in the game despite the offense turning the ball over four times. They kept the Razorbacks' offense in check long enough for Tim Tebow and company to claw their way back and escape with a three-point victory on homecoming weekend for the Gators.

5. Marc Curles and his officiating crew aren't good at their job. The same SEC officiating crew that called an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Georgia's AJ Green a couple of weeks ago against LSU, also officiated the UF-Arkansas game. The SEC said today that the crew blew a couple of calls down the stretch of the game, that may have cost Arkansas the upset. I can't comment on the calls myself, as I was in the stands and didn't have the advantage of seeing them on replay multiple times. But seriously, this crew needs to stop blowing games, and let the players decide the outcome.

The Week 7 "4th and Fail" College Football Top 10

2009-10-19T13:38:00.003-04:00

[Editor's Note: sorry for the recent lack of posts the past week, we should have some more pieces going up this week since school is slowing down a bit for me this week.]

Each writer for this blog, weekly, will compile their own top ten college football ballot. For each ballot, first place gets ten points, second place gets nine, and so on. We will then add together the totals and bring to you our collective poll. With that said, I present to you the Week 7 "4th and Fail" College Football Poll.

Here's last week's poll, as a reference point for you.

Final Ballot (with Total Points in parentheses)

1. Alabama (30)
2. Florida (27)
3. Texas (24)
4. Cincinnati (20)
T-5. Iowa (16)
T-5. USC (16)
7. Boise State (13)
8. Miami (10)
9. Oregon (6)
T-10. LSU, Georgia Tech and TCU (1 vote each).

The voting breakdown is as follows, with brief explanations from each writer:

-TV's ballot.

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Cincinnati
5. Iowa
6. Boise State
7. USC
8. Miami
9. Oregon
10. LSU

Explanation: I don't have much to say after witnessing this week's UF game in the Swamp. Alabama looks like the best team still, despite Greg McElroy regressing some in recent weeks. Florida, Texas, Cincy and Iowa are all undefeated BCS teams, so they will out the top 5. VT and OSU drop out following losses and Oregon and LSU sneak back into my top 10, for now. Oh, and I've got USC ahead of UM because, despite USC having the worse of the two losses between the two schools, I think they are still more talented right now. GT is just outside of my top 10 after a big win against VT.

- Ted's ballot.

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Cincinnati
5. Iowa
6. USC
7. Miami
8. Boise St.
9. Oregon
10. Georgia Tech

Explanation: Last week, I said the following:

"Ohio St has started doing it's thing again though, and pretty soon they will be back in the hunt for the BCS Championship Game."

Well my job here is done. Moving on, not too much change in my poll this week with the exception of Virginia Tech dropping out. I was going to have Cincinnati jump them even before they lost after the Bearcats solid win in Tampa. I bumped Iowa up because they have an impressive resume now. They are 7-0 with five wins over BCS conference teams. I tried to justify getting TCU in the poll, but the schedule is still weak and Boise St. still has that win over Oregon. The ten spot was truly up for grabs after losses by Kansas and Nebraska. I thought about giving it to LSU but decided to reward the Yellow Jackets instead. They have bounced back very nicely after a bad defeat in Miami a few weeks ago.

- Wooj's ballot.

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Cincy
6. Boise St.
7. Iowa
8. Miami
9. Oregon
10. TCU
Teams knocking on the door: GT

Explanation: Bama's been the most impressive. Florida is still winning, as is Texas. USC is rolling following that loss to Washington. Cincy had a big win AT USF. Boise is still winning, and Iowa jumps up two spots after improving to 7-0. Miami didn't do much against UCF except win. Oregon and TCU move in because VT and OSU dropped out.

Celebrating a Year of Awesomeness

2009-10-13T17:51:00.008-04:00

Note: This post is a bit lengthy, link-heavy and a tad nostalgic.

Today, this fine web site turns one year old. That's right, folks, I've been supplying you all with quality work for 365 days now. It's a milestone that I'm quite proud of, considering the humble beginnings of this blog.

It all began with a rather mundane post following the Dolphins loss to the Texans last season. Well, that was the inaugural post for this blog. It really began a week or so before that, when I came up with the idea for this site. I had been an avid reader of several other blogs, and have been studying journalism in college, and knew I wanted to go into sports writing. That's when it clicked and I decided I wanted to start a sports blog.

Now that the idea was there, I had to come up with a name. I tossed around some ideas in my head before finally settling on "Fourth and Fail." Now I'm sure you are all curious as to the origins of the name. It's a reason I've always known about since this blog's inception, but have told few other people about. The reasoning behind the name can be traced back to Florida's game against Ole Miss last season. You know, the lone loss en route to another national title for the Gators. That game, Florida failed on a fourth down conversion late in the game that sealed the victory for the Rebels. I went with it because it was fresh in my mind, and well, it was kind of catchy. Unbeknownst to me, that moment became the turning point in Florida's title run.

Coming into this experience, I didn't know what to expect. I wanted to provide sports commentary, and focus on Florida sports because well, that's my territory and what I'm surrounded by every day. I wasn't necessarily looking for recognition, but would gladly take any that came along during the ride.

Shortly after that first post, I got my first taste of recognition when other sites linked to my post (complete with photoshopping!) with college football coaches as character's on HBO's Entourage.

Since then, I continued with a variety of posts, some introspective, some comedic (or a failed attempt at being comedic), and certainly more than my fair share of lists. I wrote posts that would have gotten me drawn and quartered if I tried to make my case in a public forum, such as my argument for why college football needs the BCS. That same month, I offered up an open letter to Roger Goodell to adopt the college football overtime system following a tie between the Eagles and Bengals, and I even suggested a way to crown a champion in the cluttered ACC.

As time went by, I worked on refining my writing approach and creating my own editorial voice. When Alonzo Mourning retired, a penned a tribute to his illustrious career with the Heat. That same month, I wrote about another South Florida basketball legend: Edwin Rios, except this was the story of his fall from grace.

Again, I kept working to better myself as a writer... and of course, compiled more lists. I celebrated March Madness, shared my (failed) brackets. And of course, I celebrated the biggest holiday in March: Shawn Bradley's birthday.

I witnessed UF freshman Preston Tucker belt 2 grand slams and a three-run jack... in three innings. I took an alphabetic approach to previewing the NBA, MLB and NFL. Then this summer, things got real.

I was fortunate to interview two of my favorite sports writers, Stewart Mandel of SI and Israel Gutierrez of the Miami Herald, within a two-week span of each other. It was almost a surreal experience, getting to pick the brains of two guys who's work I read on a regular basis.

I saluted Mark Buerhle's perfect game, and attempted to rank each of the MLB's 18 perfect games. While we're on the topic of incredible baseball feats, I reviewed Rickey Henderson's much-anticipated Hall of Fame speech, which was, surprisingly, not Rickey talking about Rickey.

Over the last year, I've made some neat connections with other bloggers, including the guys over at Marlins Die-Hards, The Arena, Souvenir City, and several others. It introduced me to many other like-minded individuals and a myriad of other opinions and voices.

Then, last month, I got into the business of "aggressive expansion" and added two staff writers to the non-existent payroll around these parts. Shortly after that, I began contributing my services over at College Game Balls, where I exclusively write about college football (my favorite sport).

And that brings me to where I am now. It's been a great first year maintaining this site, and I hope to continue it for another year, and even further into the future. It's been a fun first year, and the fact that I've been able to do it my way has been great. I haven't resorted to gratuitous swearing, or the obligatory photos of attractive women that some blogs are noted for (though there's nothing wrong with either of those things). I enjoy reading those posts, but writing them has just not been my style, at least on this site. I like to try to keep it somewhat journalistic, because at the end of the day, I am a journalism major. Still, it's been an enjoyable run to date.

I hope you all have enjoyed at least one post that has been published here over the last 365 days, because if you did, then I have achieved my goal of trying to provide you with my insightful, and at times comedic, view into the world of sports. Thank you again for reading me on a (semi-?)regular basis, and hope I can keep pumping out quality work for you all to enjoy.

That being said, let's blow out the candle, eat some cake, cue up the barbecue, bring out the booze and enjoy the bounce house! That's what kids do on their first birthday, right?

Blame It On The Henne

2009-10-13T00:18:00.003-04:00

The Miami Dolphins won an epic Monday night thriller against the Jets, 31-27. This game was truly a great one in the heated rivalry between the two division opponents. Really, it had everything. Let's recap, shall we?

It had Ronnie Brown eating live babies en route to 74 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He even completed a 21-yard pass, and of course, he scored the game-winner with six seconds left on the clock.

It had Chad Henne in his coming out party as a starting quarterback in the second start of his young career. Henne competed with deadly efficiency, going 20 of 26 for 241 yards and two touchdown passes. He led a last-minute game-winning drive, and played with NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE!

There were five lead changes in the fourth quarter, and Braylon Edwards was actually catching passes for his new team, instead of dropping them left and right.

Hell, there was even a Ted Ginn sighting! Not only was there a sighting, but he burnt the best "shutdown" corner in the league, Darrelle Revis. How Revis managed to shutdown Randy Moss and Andre Johnson, but Ginn made him look silly is beyond comprehension at this time. I do know this, however tough it may be to say: Chad Pennington's season-ending injury could be the best thing to happen to Ginn as a wide receiver. It gives him a quarterback who can throw the deep ball, and if there's one thing Ginn is good at, it's out-running people. Pennington's injury might actually make Ginn a legitimate deep-threat receiver, as evidenced tonight.

In all seriousness, this was a big win for the Dolphins. It was a confidence-builder for Henne, and for his teammates' confidence in him as a leader. He was composed and executed with incredible accuracy all night. This game, while still early to tell, feels like it might be the beginning of something special in Miami: a real quarterback to finally fill the void Dan Marino left in the team when he retired. No more stop-gaps, because Henne could be the franchise quarterback this team has been looking for.

And while Brown scored the game-winning touchdown, and took a lot of snaps from the Wildcat, I don't think it would be too far-fetched to go ahead and "blame it on the Henne."

Five Things We Think We Think We Might Know: Week 6

2009-10-12T10:45:00.000-04:00

Six weeks into the season means the contenders are starting to separate themselves from the frauds... or something like that. I know it means that college football is awesome, that's for sure. It's so awesome that it makes me serve you guys up a list of five things we think we think we might know.

1. UF might have the best college defense since Miami in 2001. It's still kind of early in the season, but this UF defense is for real. We all know they returned the entire 2-deep roster from last year's national championship defense, but what they have done thus far this season has been impressive. Yes, it's a lofty comparison, as half of UM's defense from that year have multiple Pro Bowl appearances, but this UF defense has a lot of first-round talent... and they are dominating opposing offenses, allowing just 6.4 points per game and 202.4 total yards per game. If they keep this up, they could go down as one of the best defenses ever.

2. Virginia Tech can contend if the offense keeps it up. There's not much more to that point, except that VT is putting up 34.2 points per game. Take that, and factor in special teams play that they are noted for, and you've got a legitimate contender. If the keep it up, they might seriously make a run at a title this season.

3. This Thursday is a big night for the Big East. USF and Cincinnati face off on Thursday night. They are currently the only two Big East teams that are ranked, and both are undefeated. This game could be a big factor in deciding who will win the conference. Did I mention it's a Thursday night game, because that's where upsets happen, so things could get interesting... but more on that later this week, I promise.

4. Washington might have the play of the season so far. For those that missed it, it's embedded below. Down 33-28 with just under three minutes left in the game, Mason Foster picked off a pass that caromed off the Arizona wide receiver's foot, and returned it for the game-winning score. Most impressive play of the season so far? Possibly. Keep in mind, Washington also has arguably the biggest upset win of the year, too, in their triumph over USC earlier this season.

5. Sam Bradford's shoulder seems to be just fine, thank you. He missed a month's worth of games, and the Sooners lost two without him. But he returned to the helm of the offense for Oklahoma on Saturday, and his numbers were as follows: 27/49 for 389 yards, 1 touchdown and no interceptions. Yeah, that shoulder seems to have healed up quite nicely.

BONUS! Texas Tech's quarterbacks are definitely a product of the system they play in. The Red Raiders' backup quarterback, Steven Sheffield, threw for 490 yards and 7 scores. That gives him 780 yards and 11 touchdowns in essentially one and a half games. Taylor Potts, owner of the greatest mustache in college football, put up similar monster numbers in his stint taking snaps this season, and we all recall Graham Harrell's numbers last season: more than 5,000 yards and 45 touchdowns. As CGB pointed out in his Saturday observations, he could probably lead Texas Tech to a score... or seven.

The Week 6 "4th and Fail" College Football Top 10

2009-10-12T09:29:00.000-04:00

Each writer for this blog, weekly, will compile their own top ten college football ballot. For each ballot, first place gets ten points, second place gets nine, and so on. We will then add together the totals and bring to you our collective poll. With that said, I present to you the Week 6 "4th and Fail" College Football Poll.

Here's last week's poll, as a reference point for you.

Final Ballot (with Total Points in parentheses)

1. Alabama (29)
2. Florida (28)
3. Texas (24)
4. Virginia Tech (21)
5. Cincinnati (17)
6. USC (13)
7. Boise State (11)
8. Miami (10)
9. Iowa (9)
10. Ohio State (2)
Others receiving votes: Oregon (1)

The voting breakdown is as follows, with brief explanations from each writer:

-TV's ballot.

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Virginia Tech
5. Cincinnati
6. Iowa
7. Boise State
8. Miami
9. USC
10. Ohio State

Explanation: This week, I swapped UF up to the number one spot, if only temporarily. Flat out, the defense dominated LSU, and the game was never really in doubt, despite running a dumb-downed offense. Plus they ended that absurd Saturday night win streak in Death Valley. I'm not trying to take away from 'Bama, because they've still been the most impressive team to date, just wanted to show UF love for the win at LSU. VT moves up to fourth after a thrashing of BC. Cincinnati has a huge game with USF on Thursday, so they could be dropped soon, or have potential to rise. Iowa jumps to sixth after a big win against Michigan to remain undefeated. Still have to respect Boise State as an undefeated team, despite not being in a BCS conference, followed by one-loss teams Miami and USC. Ohio State cracks my top ten this week to round it out.

- Ted's ballot.

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Virginia Tech
5. Cincinnati
6. USC
7 Miami
8. Boise St.
9. Iowa
10. Oregon

Explanation: The Tide and the Gators are in a dead heat. I almost put Florida in the top spot, but Alabama's resume is still a bit better for now. They both have consecutive road wins against SEC teams but Alabama also has the neutral site win over Virginia Tech which is looking better by the week. The only jump I made was the aforementioned Hokies leaping Cincinnati, because of another landslide victory and their close win against Nebraska from a few weeks ago is looking even better now. Filling out the last two spots which were vacated by LSU and Auburn both losing are Iowa and Oregon. Iowa because they are undefeated and even though the schedule isn't tough, 6-0 is impressive. Oregon got the nod over Ohio St because they lost on the road and it was week one. Ohio St has started doing it's thing again though, and pretty soon they will be back in the hunt for the BCS Championship Game.
/vomits

- Wooj's ballot.

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. VT
5. USC
6. Cincy
7. Boise St.
8. Miami
9. Iowa
10. Ohio St.
Teams knocking on the door: USF, TCU, Oregon

Explanation: After some more deliberation I decided to shake up my top 10 a bit. Alabama continues to impress every week by handling their respective opponents. Therefore, I decided to put them ahead of a Florida team who has not impressed me yet. However, there is no reason to kick Florida out of the top 2 for still winning games. Texas comes in at #3 as they set up for the Red River Shootout against an OU team that is once again led by Sam Bradford. VT got the monkey off of their back by defeating BC in the regular season quite handily, and therefore moving up to #4. USC comes in at #5 after their bye week, and they will be clashing with long-time rival ND this weekend. Undefeated Cincy comes in at #6, and their top 10 status will be on the line on Thursday Night as one of the teams knocking on my list’s door, USF, will take on them for the privilege to be on my list. Boise St. was jumped by USC and Cincy because they are a large mystery with a lack of schedule strength, but the Broncos will continue to look good as long as Oregon continues to shine. The Miami Hurricanes come in at #8 after their thrashing of Florida A&M, and they will be in action against UCF this weekend. The Iowa Hawkeyes crack the top 10 after their win against Tool Forcier and the Michigan Wolverines. The Ohio St. Buckeyes have made my list after handily beating the Badgers of Wisconsin 31-13…LSU showing their true colors also helped.

Tebow Cleared, But Should He Play?

2009-10-10T15:13:00.002-04:00

The Gainesville Sun reported this afternoon that doctors have cleared Tim Tebow to play tonight against the fourth-ranked LSU Tigers. Tebow was medically cleared two weeks after suffering a concussion against Kentucky. Urban Meyer this morning, in a short interview with ESPN's Tom Rinaldi said that if Tebow was cleared by doctors, that he would play tonight.

The questions now remain how much should Tebow play, and should he even be playing at all. Let's address the latter one first. Should he be playing today, just two weeks removed from the impact? The answer, in the writer's humble opinion, is no, he probably shouldn't be playing. We've all heard the facts over the last couple of weeks: Tebow is three to six times more likely to suffer another concussion, etc. It's probably best that he sit out one more week and fully recover, because as we're all well-aware, a concussion is a brain injury. You can't wrap it up, you can't ice it down or anything. With amateur athletes (and even the face of college football), health should be priority one, and the last thing any real college football fan wants to see is Tebow taking another such hit and doing more damage to himself. But if he is cleared to play, then he is cleared to play, and the doctors feel he is good to go.

As for the other question: how much should he play? I think he'll probably get the start, since reports are that he practiced all Thursday with the first-team offense. That being said, don't be surprised if we still see a healthy dosage of John Brantley, much like the 2006 offense with Tebow and Chris Leak sharing time. Also, I doubt we see Tebow trying to take on defenders with a full head of steam, so expect Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey and Emmanuel Moody to get their fill of touches tonight.

Tebow is a gamer, and will want to try to do what he can to help the team win tonight, but should he struggle, or take another shot, I have confidence that Brantley can manage the offense well enough to lead the Gators to a win in Baton Rouge.

Again, I don't think he should play, but if the doctors say he's set, then you know he's going to come out and give it a shot, and try to inspire his team, and come out of Death Valley with a signature W.

Marlins Keeping Fredi Gonzalez

2009-10-07T08:27:00.002-04:00

I know this is a day late, but I was pretty busy most of yesterday when the news broke. Earlier in the week, there were talks that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was considering firing manager Fredi Gonzalez.

Loria was apparently upset with Gonzalez for not making the playoffs again this season, despite having the lowest payroll in the league. Yes, Gonzalez does have an MVP-caliber player in Hanley Ramirez, a Cy Young-quality arm in Josh Johnson, a breakout rookie in Chris Coghlan, and a great young core for the team, so it would be reasonable to expect him to guide the team to the playoffs.

Gonzalez, in lieu of getting the Marlins to the postseason, has managed the team to its two best seasons that have not ended in a World Series title. That's saying something about Gonzalez, considering that historically, the franchise hasn't spent on players and has traded off rising stars left and right.

But Gonzalez has managed to string together to very good seasons, with a good core of young players, and given a couple more pieces, could lead the Marlins to a place they've only been twice before: the playoffs.

While not making the playoffs this year was tough, especially after contending into the last week of the season, it doesn't mean that Loria should subtract Gonzalez from the equation; he should add other parts (like a closer). Fortunately for the team, and the fans, someone was able to talk some sense into Loria and keep Gonzalez on for next season... for now, because showing him the door would have been a bad idea.

Five Things We Think We Think We Might Know

2009-10-05T10:30:00.000-04:00

We're five weeks into the college football season, and teams are getting into the meat of their schedules. It also means things are starting to get a lot more clear in the college football landscape. So let's see what we think we think we might know this week.

1. Virginia Tech is a legitimate team. They are the cream of the one-loss crop. They have wins over a ranked Nebraska and a ranked UM team, the same UM team that has defeated three (at the time) ranked teams in four games. VT's one loss is to arguably the best team in the country, Alabama, on an (almost) neutral site. If they can get solid play out of Tyrod Taylor, I like VT's chances to win the ACC.

2. ESPN has a very unhealthy obsessions with Greg Paulus. Flashback to earlier this year, when former-Duke point guard Greg Paulus decided he wanted to play a year of college quarterback, despite not playing football since high school. ESPN was all over the story: "Oh look! A scrappy, decent basketball player at a high profile basketball school wants to play football for a horrible team for a year." Yeah, it got old fast, and it's even worse considering his play on the field. On Saturday, against USF, Paulus threw five interceptions (or as the kids say, he pulled a Delhomme). If it weren't for the media's attention for Paulus, would anyone care about Syracuse football? That's what I thought.

3. UM still isn't back, but the program has made significant strides over the last two seasons. This is the last time I'm going to argue this point for a while, so calm down UM fans (that includes you: Ted and Wooj). Personally, I'd like to wait for a whole season to play out, instead of four game, to anoint UM as being 'back.' But keep in mind, they just finished a gauntlet four-game streak against four ranked teams, losing only to VT. The U's win against FSU is looking less impressive by the week, as FSU seems to be in a tailspin right now, at 2-3, with one of those wins against a non-FBS school. But Miami beat Oklahoma on Saturday night, and while Oklahoma was without Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham, remember that Miami is just two seasons removed from losing to Oklahoma 51-13. Now, UM, try not to get ahead of yourselves and lose to a lesser opponent (or do, I'm totally fine with that).

4. Boise State gets no love from the pollsters. Last week, in the AP poll, Boise State was ranked fifth. This past weekend, they won again, improving to 5-0... and they were jumped by a one-loss Virginia Tech team in this week's poll that was released Sunday. Granted, Virginia Tech is legit (see above), if this happens to Boise State now, what happens towards the end of the season if they're still undefeated, but a couple of major BCS teams have one loss?

5. At some point, referees need to just swallow the whistle. Prime example being in Saturday's LSU-Georgia game. Georgia's AJ Green (who is a freak of nature at wide receiver, for the record) caught a go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes of the game. He was then mobbed by his teammates in all the commotion and emotion. He was then flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for excessive celebration, for something that was hardly excessive, or unsportsmanlike. It cost Georgia 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff, and instead of having to go maybe 60 or 70 yards in minimal time, LSU only had to go 43 yards for the game-winning score. It was a call that impacted the outcome of the game, and while the refs did make up for it with the same call after LSU's touchdown, it doesn't make either call right. The kids are caught up in the emotion of the moment, let them embrace with their teammates (like Green did), and don't penalize them for it.

The Week 5 "4th and Fail" College Football Top 10

2009-10-05T09:30:00.001-04:00

Another new feature around here. This one we decided to wheel out of storage several weeks into the college football season. Each writer for this blog, weekly, will compile their own top ten college football ballot. For each ballot, first place gets ten points, second place gets nine, and so on. We will then add together the totals and bring to you our collective poll. With that said, I present to you the Week 5 "4th and Fail" College Football Poll.

Final Ballot (with Total Points in parentheses)

1. Alabama (29)
2. Florida (27)
3. Texas (23)
4. LSU (21)
5. Virginia Tech (18)
6. Cincinnati (14)
7. Boise State (10)
8. USC (9)
9. Miami (8)
10. Auburn (4)
T-11.* Iowa and TCU (1 point each)

The voting breakdown is as follows, with brief explanations from each writer:

- TV's Ballot.
1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Virginia Tech
5. Cincinnati
6. LSU
7. Boise State
8. Miami
9. USC
10. Iowa

Explanation: From what I've seen to date, Alabama is the best team in the country... right now. Florida hasn't faced much of a challenge yet, but that changes in Death Valley this Saturday. As for LSU, they've impressed me the least, and could have easily lost the last two games against Miss. St. and Georgia. I've got VT at four because their one loss is to the (arguably) best team in the nation, and one of their wins is against the team with the toughest schedule so far (Miami), who is 3-1. I've got UM ahead of USC because Miami has beat three (at the time) ranked teams in four games, and UM's loss (at VT) isn't as bad as USC's (at Washington). I've got Iowa at ten, over teams like Auburn, Oregon and Ohio State because they are undefeated (though unimpressive against two non-D1 teams), plus they beat PSU in Happy Valley, so that gives them points in my book.

- Ted's Ballot.
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Florida
4. Texas
5. Cincinnati
6. Virginia Tech
7. Auburn
8. USC
9. Miami
10. Boise State

Others considered: Iowa, Ohio State, Oregon, TCU.

Explanation: I am trying to make my rankings based purely on each team's resume, although if it's close I will do some shuffling based on who I actually think is better and would win on the field right now. At this time it will still seem a bit off because of the disparity in schedules. I am no huge fan of the SEC but right now the four teams I have there all deserve it. Soon enough teams will start losing though and drop off. The team I had the most hard time placing this week was Iowa. Originally, I placed them with the other unbeatens in BCS conferences and had them #5. But, there only significant win was against an overrated Penn State team and in their other wins they haven't exactly played like a top ten team. The Big 10 is a bit better than most people think though, so if they keep winning, they will move up in my poll accordingly.

- Wooj's Ballot.
1. Florida
2. 'Bama
3. Texas
4. LSU
5. Virginia Tech
6. Boise State
7. USC
8. Miami
9. Cincy
10. TCU

Explanation: Ohio State doesn't belong in the top ten, and the only reason I have LSU so high is because they are undefeated.

Florida Court Rules FSU Hearing Records Open to Public

2009-10-01T14:42:00.005-04:00

The 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee decided that the NCAA records that were used by attorneys for FSU in handling FSU's appeal of the NCAA ruling are public record and the media is entitled to them.

Basically, this means that the media has the right to the transcripts of the hearing in front of the Committee on Infractions, as well as the Committee's response to the hearing. It has been ruled to be public record despite the fact that the FSU lawyers signed a confidentiality agreement to try to keep the records from the public. However, such an agreement does not give them the right to keep the documents from the public record, due to the very strict public record statutes in the state of Florida.

The hearing stemmed from the academic dishonesty scandal that was uncovered by FSU last year, and concerns the NCAA's plan to strip victories from several different FSU athletic teams, including coach Bobby Bowden, who can lose 14 wins. The stripping of the wins would in all likelihood cost Bowden the all-time coaching wins record that he and Penn State coach Joe Paterno have been jockeying in and out of first place for seasons.

For those interested, the full ruling can be found here: http://opinions.1dca.org/written and click on the .pdf for case no. 09-4385

Ricky Nolasco Saves His Best For Last

2009-09-30T21:58:00.003-04:00

Tuesday night, the Marlins were eliminated from playoff contention, despite defeating the Braves, because the Rockies won their game, putting the Wild Card out of reach. Fortunately for Marlins fans, Ricky Nolasco gave us a reason to stay tuned for the final few games of the season.

Wednesday night, Nolasco struck out a career and franchise record 16 batters, including nine consecutive at one point, in 7.2 innings of work. He gave up two runs, both unearned. The 16 fanned batters was the highest in the MLB this season, and the most since Johan Santana was with the Twins and K'd 17 in August of 2007.

It's great to see Nolasco end his season on a high-note, after being demoted earlier in the season after some struggles. But on the other hand, it would have been nice for him to perform like this when the playoffs were on the line. I don't want to get into that right now, though. Instead, I would like to tip my cap to Nolasco, who certainly had a career night while notching his 13th win of the season.

It was quite a way to finish the year for Nolasco, who started on opening day for the Marlins this season, and recorded wins on the bookends of his season, despite a speed bump at the end of May. Nolasco again proved what an asset he can be to this team when he is firing on all cylinders, and that he has the potential to be an ace on this pitching staff with Josh Johnson.

Hopefully, he will be able to carry any type of momentum he got from tonight into next season, because starting pitching has been a concern for the Marlins all season. Outside of Johnson, no Marlins starter has been very reliable throughout the year.

Speaking of concerns for the Marlins, Leo Nunez nearly blew another game after allowing two runs in the ninth, before being relieved for Brendan Donnelly who recorded the save. Nunez's failure on the mound nearly cost Nolasco a decision, and the closer role is something the Marlins will definitely need to assess this offseason, because Nunez is not the answer.

In other statistical anomaly news, Donnelly's save tonight was quite the feat, as well. He recorded the save, despite throwing only one pitch: a ball, that happened to get away from catcher Ronnie Paulino. Paulino lost the ball momentarily, then gathered it, gunned it to third base where Matt Diaz was tagged out to end the game 5-4.

The loss eliminated the Braves from a shot at the NL East crown, which is something the Marlins can take solace in. Similar to playing spoiler to the Mets playoff aspirations last season, the Fish are doing their best to keep the Braves out of the postseason. So once again, hats off to you, Ricky Nolasco, for your workhorse performance to end the year.

Enter Thigpen

2009-09-29T21:14:00.003-04:00

Miami fans are going to have to hold off their talk about it being “Henne time!” The Dolphins went out and traded for Kansas City second string quarterback Tyler Thigpen on Tuesday.

The team acquired him in exchange for an undisclosed draft pick. Thigpen is in his third professional year out of Coastal Carolina, and he did not have the dreaded “sophomore slump” last year. However, the Chiefs saw what Matt Cassel did for the New England Patriots and decided to lock him up as their franchise quarterback…understandable, the man was impressive.

DolPhans should not mark this guy off to be just another failure that will never measure up to Dan Marino (c’mon, be reasonable). The offense will undoubtedly be different without Chad Pennington (who fans should praise for what he did last season for the tam in leading them to a division crown), but that does not necessarily mean that we are going to go the way of the Rams under Thigpen.

Thigpen was able to muster up 2,608 yards through the air by going 230/420 – good for a completion percentage of 54.8 (again, not Pennington, but the Chad is statistically the greatest of all time in that category). He had a favorable 3:2 TD to INT ratio (18 to 12 for the non-mathletes out there). And his stats show some sign of mobility as he ran for 386 yards on 62 carries for an average of 6.2 yards per carry. The main emphasis on all of these stats is that he did them with the Kansas City offensive line, and that line is undoubtedly worse than that of the Dolphins. I’m almost certain that George Selvie and Co. from USF could take care of that professional offensive line! However, let’s get back to the main storyline.

Dolfans need to give this guy a chance. I personally think that the man has potential to do something good for our franchise. Just because his name fits his roots of Winnsboro, SC, does not mean we should write him off as a failure. Hell, Ric Flair came out of South Carolina, and that has to mean something right? I am not a fan of packing it in after three weeks and competing with the Rams, Bucs, and Lions for the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. The Fins need to keep fighting, and this move shows that they are not ready to pack it in either.

Five Things We Think We Think We Might Know

2009-09-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

This is a new feature we're going to give a try around here. It will appear every Monday for the rest of the college football season, maybe. No promises, yet, so let's just see how this goes.

1. If you want to win, you need to run the ball well. As our friend over at The Sporting Blog pointed out, FSU was held to 19 rushing yards against USF, UM held to 59 in Blacksburg, Cal's Jahvid Best could only muster 55 yards against Oregon, and UNC put up a whopping 17 rushing yards on Saturday. The common denominator of all of those: a loss.

2. BJ Daniels made me look brilliant. Very rarely am I spot on with predictions and analysis before something happens. Daniels, USF's redshirt freshman who made his first start at FSU this weekend, is responsible for one of these rare occurrences. I will bask in my awesomeness for the time being, as Daniels (and USF's defense) led the team to a victory in Doak Campbell stadium, despite making a couple of rookie mistakes. While Matt Grothe was the face of that team the past few years, Daniels is the future, and the future of that program appears to be in good hands, as Daniels will only improve with experience.

3. Iowa's defense is pretty good. They held the at-the-time number five team in the nation to 10 points (only 3 in the final 58 minutes of the game), and forced four turnovers (three interceptions and a fumble) and also blocked a punt. As SI's Stewart Mandel points out, Iowa's defense is for real, and will be vital in their bid for a Big Ten title.

4. Miami still isn't back. I wrote about it a couple of times this season already. They're not back, and it showed in a beatdown at the hands of the Hokies in Blacksburg. I still think they're on the right track, but Virginia Tech handled business and "swagga-jacked" the 'Canes. It should put to rest the "the U is back" talk for now... and the Jacory Harris for Heisman ruminations.

5. Concussions are serious business. People joke about the situation that occurred with the Gators' Tim Tebow on Saturday night in Lexington, making biblical allusion jokes to him "rising," etc. But in all seriousness, concussions are serious injuries that can only heal with time (trust me, I've had one. It's not fun.). Florida has a bye week this week, and then travels to Death Valley for a matchup with LSU in two weeks. Perhaps Tebow will be healthy by then, but I wouldn't be surprised to see John Brantley starting for the Gators in Louisiana. I will undoubtedly go more in-depth with this issue as the LSU game approaches in two weeks, but it's certainly something that all of the college football media will be entranced with over the next couple of weeks.

USF Still Not in Florida's "Big Three"

2009-09-27T19:10:00.000-04:00

Before I get to the crux of this piece let me first give a sincere congratulations to the South Florida Bulls football team for an impressive win over the Florida State Seminoles, and to the editor of this site for making the world (read: blogosphere) aware of BJ Daniels last week. It can not be understated how great the growth of the USF football program has been. Though it may seem like they have been around for some time now, they are still truly in their infant stages of being a football school. Saturday they took another huge step forward by beating one of the Big Three Florida schools for the first time (Their only other meeting was a 2005 loss to Miami).

With all of that said, let's not get ahead of ourselves and proclaim South Florida to be a part of a proverbial "Big Three" or "Big Four." This is actually not the first time that arguments have been made to include South Florida; several times over the last few years, with Florida State and Miami struggling, and USF starting to emerge as a contender in the Big East conference, some people have made the assertion that they are the second best team in the state. While their may be times when the Bulls have been ranked higher and performed better than FSU or Miami, there are several reasons why they still rest firmly behind those three prestigious schools.

First of all, what really signified the dominance of the Big Three schools during their peak was that each team dominated their conference. Year in year out the three were winning conference titles, playing in big bowl games and finishing the year in the top ten in the national polls. While USF now has a few "signature wins," they still fail to have a "signature season." Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel [Ed. Note: one-time interviewee of this site! Yeah, I met my weekly name-drop quota there] summed it up nicely in a message he wrote via Twitter:

"USF pulls off its annual early-season "time to take us seriously" upset. Maybe this year not lose to Rutgers."

It's true. If we just take a look at their resume since joining the Big East before the 2005 season, there is not much to suggest they are an elite program. In those four years, they have never finished a season with fewer than four losses, and have always had at least three losses in the Big East, which many regard as the worst of the six BCS automatic qualifiers. Bowl Games? There are obviously no BCS bowls, or even New Year's Day games. Instead they have the Meineke Car Care, Papajohns.com, Sun and the (inaugural) St. Petersburg bowls, in which they have gone 2-2 in. To my knowledge, they have not finished a season ranked in the top 25, although I may be mistaken. If they were, it certainly was not the top 10.

I know the counterargument would be that FSU and Miami have had similar or worse results in the last four years. There is no denying that. Both of those schools have had down periods which have angered fan bases. But, they have enough history and prestige to bear with it, while they make the appropriate changes to improve. It would appear they both are on their way back, despite the awful performances Saturday by both squads. I'm not saying national titles are in their immediate future, but they are back in the discussion as the class of their conference (The ACC, I know that's not saying much).

The point is, while USF has scored yet another impressive, program-building win, they still have a ways to go to be considered a part of the class that is the Gators, Hurricanes and Seminoles. I would second Mandel's suggestion that they should not lose to Rutgers this year, and try to win the Big East. If you can go to Doak Campbell Stadium and beat the Seminoles (who I still think will be ranked at the end of the year), then you ought to be able to navigate a Big East schedule. Cincinnati is the only test, but USF will be at home on Thursday night, which has proven to be the graveyard of highly ranked teams.

FSU - USF Preview: Both Teams Looking For Respect For Different Reasons

2009-09-25T15:45:00.004-04:00

[Editor's note: Wooj goes to USF, and will be in Tallahassee for this weekend's USF-FSU game. We figured he should do a little preview for it, so here it is.]

The artists formerly known as the Brahman Bulls will be taking on the Florida State Seminoles in a noon game at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday. The Bulls are looking to be traveling in herds (see what I did there?) from what I can muster, and there will be an estimated 12,000 fans wearing green inside of Doak. The rest of the stadium will most likely be filled in by FSU fans wearing white as the school as called for a white-out a la Penn State [ed note. PSU does it better, sadly]. Pick your side loyal fans…let’s do battle.

USF is looking to earn respect in the state of Florida and join the Big Three of FSU, UF, and Miami. Coach Leavitt believes that the only door into the Big Three is to beat one of the Big Three. Their last chance to do it was in 2005 when they fell short of knocking off the Miami Hurricanes. USF will be led by redshirt freshman quarterback BJ Daniels in his first collegiate start due to Matt Grothe’s ACL tear that ended his college career. This game will also be a homecoming for Daniels as he played his high school football at Tallahassee's Lincoln High.

FSU is out to show that they are indeed a high-caliber team. They want to attest to college football fans that they are the team that shellacked BYU in their own stadium, and not the team that did not play up to their potential against Jacksonville State (FSU had a short week, and that DOES make a huge difference folks). Many people are putting the 'Noles on upset alert, and they want to try and set the record straight.

There are many storylines leading up to this game, but the dyslexic battle itself is all that matters. One team will move positively towards the respect that they feel they deserve, and the other will simply be left wanting.

Prediction: FSU 27 - USF 13.

Marlins Matching Game (Since Their Playoff Hopes are Almost Shot)

2009-09-23T00:59:00.004-04:00

Let’s play a game, shall we?

I will give you guys two stat lines of two Marlins starting pitchers who pitched in Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Phillies at Land Shark Stadium. Then I will give you two pitchers to choose from, and you try to match the statistics to the pitcher. Sound good? Good.

The first line looks something like this:

5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 10 K – 91 pitches, and a loss.

The second line is as follows:

8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K – 110 pitches, and a win.

Now, the pitchers you get to choose from to matchup with these lines are Anibal Sanchez and Josh Johnson. I’ll even give you guys their season stats to make it a little easier on you.

Sanchez, for the season, is 3-7 with a 4.01 ERA.

Johnson, for the year, is 15-5 with a 3.12 ERA.

Alright, now make your guesses, folks, I’ll wait. And remember, no cheating.

Okay, times up, put your pencils down and pass your answers forward.

/collects answers.

//sorts through answers.

Hmm, that’s interesting, 93 percent of you (why 93 percent? Because that’s the number I made up for the purpose of this post) chose Josh Johnson to be responsible for that first pitching line. Well congratulations, you 93 percent would be absolutely correct wrong.

Shockingly, Johnson didn’t have a typical Johnson start in Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader, and it resulted in a 9-3 Marlins loss. Instead, in Game 2, Sanchez had the dominant performance, which resulted in a 3-0 win for the team. I was as shocked as all of you were, and given the same choice, I would assume that Johnson had the eight-inning performance.

As a side note, with ten games left in the season, the Marlins currently have a less-than-.10 percent chance of winning the NL East and a .60 percent chance at taking the Wild Card. As they said in Galaxy Quest: Never give up! Never surrender! Basically, what it will take for the Marlins to make the postseason now is a Mets-esque meltdown from the Phillies, or Rockies and Giants.

What Was That, Miami?

2009-09-22T02:20:00.003-04:00

It's truly difficult to find words to adequately describe the feeling, as a fan, after a jarring loss like the one Miami suffered in Monday night's game against the Colts.

The Dolphins lost, 27-23, despite controlling the ball for just over 45 minutes. They lost, despite executing the Wildcat to perfection for most of the night. Ronnie Brown had his 14th career 100-yard rushing game, and two touchdowns. Yet still, the Dolphins lost.

There's a plethora of reasons that fans and "experts" can come up with as to why the Dolphins lost. Some will argue that it was Ted Ginn's fault, for failing to come up with catches in the end zone on two occasions, including one in the final minute of play. Others will say that it was on the Dolphins offense, which despite meticulously executing a great game plan all night, failed mercilessly at attempting to run a two-minute offense at the end of the game. There are those who will simply claim that Peyton Manning is just that good, insanely efficient and cold-blooded, even though he spent most of the game wearing a hat instead of a helmet.

Then of course, there is the most glaring reason for the Dolphins loss: poor defense. Even though the defense was "well-rested" after waiting on the sideline for more than three-quarters of the ballgame, they couldn't wrap up for tackles, they blew assignments and most importantly, couldn't stop 18 when they needed to. The Dolphins defense gave up three touchdown drives to the Colts in three minutes and 43 seconds of gametime.

While the defensive meltdown is inexcusable in every sense of the word, it was obviously a culmination of all of those aforementioned reasons that resulted in the loss Monday night, and now the Dolphins sit at 0-2 with a trip to San Diego in store for them in Week 3. The defending AFC East champs have a lot to work on between now and then if they want to avoid an 0-3 hole to start the season, but this was still a tough loss to swallow. The Dolphins are going to have to step up their pass defense, particularly since they will be going up against pass-happy San Diego, with Phillip Rivers, Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates and Chris Chambers on Sunday.

DolPhans shouldn't panic quite yet, though. Remember, last year the Dolphins started 0-2 before traveling to Gillette Stadium to take on the Patriots in Week 3. We all remember what happened: Brown ran wild(cat) all over Foxboro, and the Dolphins righted the ship and avoided an 0-3 start. Let's see how they bounce back from this year's 0-2 start before we begin to panic.

Links to Take You Into the Weekend

2009-09-18T18:59:00.004-04:00

We had a productive day in our little corner of the internet, with a lot of football talk. If you guys can't tell, I've got football on the mind. Here's a few (in the most minimal sense of the word) football-related links to take you into the weekend, because I guarantee I won't be posting anything Saturday, as it's the Florida - Tennessee game.

Speaking of that game, I wrote a couple of pieces for other sites about the big rivalry. Here are those links, as promised:

- The guys over at Souvenir City asked me to preview the game for them.

- While over at College Game Balls, I addressed the Urban Meyer - Lane Kiffin saga, and what people should expect in terms of retaliation on Meyer's end.

As a side note, I will be contributing over at CGB often throughout the season, so check me out over there, too.

Other links:

- Brandon Spikes is the County Assessor (and weekend picks) from the genius that is EDSBS.

- Because we didn't mention UM enough today, apparently. GT's Steven Sylvester gets Futch'd up.

This last link isn't football-related, but it was just too good to pass up:

- Delonte West was arrested while carrying three firearms. On a three-wheeled motorcyle. It gets better. (Major League Jerk)

That's all I've really got for you guys today. Enjoy the weekend.

Putting The Early "Jacory Harris for Heisman" Talk to Rest

2009-09-18T13:00:00.008-04:00

I stole this pic from Souvenir City, who got it from PostStar.com // Harris shouldn't strike that pose yet.

I'm a Gator, and as TD pointed out in his introduction Wednesday, I'm currently outnumbered by Canes in my own blog. So you know I had to come along and put them in their place.

The 'Canes are 2-0, after sneaking out of Doak Campbell with a win on Labor Day and by throttling "top 15-ranked" Georgia Tech. While I'll have something else about that later on, probably tomorrow, this post is about Jacory Harris.

The sophomore out of Miami Northwestern has been, for lack of better words, brilliant in his first two games of the season. What makes it even more impressive is that he has done it in just his third and fourth career starts. Through those two games he has completed 41/61 passes for 656 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. But above all, he has ice running through his veins when he stands in the pocket.

Stemming from these two starts has been early ruminations of a Jacory Harris for Heisman campaign, most of which has been hype from the Miami fanbase. Of course, that talk has only been fueled by two games on national television (with no other games on at the time), and commentators referencing an interview Harris did on Dan LeBatard's radio show where Harris said if he made it to New York for the Heisman, he would wear a beautiful pink suit with a diamond-studded pimp cup.

But let's pump the breaks here, folks. While Harris has performed superbly in two nationally televised games, the early Heisman talks are a bit out of line. First off, I'd suggest you guys visit Heisman Pundit and check out the "Ten Heismandments." But I'll save you guys the time and tell you myself why Harris won't win the Heisman this season.

Harris is a sophomore. Only two sophomores in history have won the bronzed stiff-arm: Tim Tebow in 2007 and Sam Bradford last season (with Bradford being a redshirt sophomore). For Harris to win, it would mean that three consecutive sophomores will have won the award, and the first three ever to do so. I don't see that happening.

Then there's this: the Heisman has historically been linked to the national title. It's not a rule, but more of a tradition that the Heisman winner usually vies for the national title. Miami would have to run the table, and a few of the big teams in front of them would have to drop a game or two along the way for that to happen.

But wait, didn't Tebow win the Heisman in '07 for a four-loss team? Why yes, yes he did. But that year was special, as most people will tell you. Tebow put up other-wordly numbers, and there was no clear-cut candidate ahead of him, let alone one on a national title contending squad.

So Harris would have to put up record-setting numbers if "The U" doesn't make a run at the BCS title game if any of us want to see that beautiful pink suit. Know what else would have to happen for Harris to win it? The guys that are already "ahead of him" in the minds of voters, you know, the guys who have been there before and established a name for themselves (like Tebow, Colt McCoy, Jahvid Best, etc.) would all have to struggle and fall by the wayside while Harris simultaneously explodes for a monster season.

It's not happening, Miami fans. Not this year at least. I'll tell you one thing though, Harris will be a great quarterback, and he might just be setting himself up for a run at the Heisman... in 2010.

Let's Try This Again: The U Is Not "Back" Yet

2009-09-18T10:45:00.003-04:00

It's amazing what two wins could do for a programs fanbase. Really, it is. We are just three weeks into the college football season and UM fans are already declaring that "The U" is back, that they've got their "swagga" back and that they're God's gift to football again. I said it after the UM-FSU Labor Day matchup, and I'll say it again: "The U" is not back, yet.

Like I said before, the team is certainly on the right track, and they've got talent all over the field, especially at quarterback. But UM still has a ways to go before they can claim they are back. Honestly, have fans ever been so easily convinced of something after just two games? Probably, since these are college football fans we are dealing with.

Coming into the season, UM's opening four-game stretch was considered a murderer's row with a ranked FSU, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma, led by the reigning Heisman winner. But three weeks and two games into that schedule, it's not looking as difficult as once thought. Sure, FSU played one hell of a game on Labor Day, but last weekend they trailed in the fourth quarter, and needed a couple of late scores to eke past 1-AA Jacksonville State. This weekend, the Seminoles take on top-ten ranked BYU, and could easily start the season 1-2, with many unanswered questions. Hardly the team some expected them to be.

Then there's the Georgia Tech team that UM throttled on Thursday night. As TD pointed out to me, Tech will probably finish with eight-to-ten wins, but are ahrdly a top-15 caliber team. I tend to agree with that. GT's offense is truly something special. When executed properly, it is fascinating to watch it click. But once a team remains disciplined, stops that option (as Miami did) and forces GT to rely on Josh Nesbitt to make passes down field, they are done for. Nesbitt is hardly a quarterback, despite playing the position.

I don't want to take too much away from Miami fans, because these were two big wins. But I do want to give those fans a reality check. The reality of it is that Miami, while on paper having a demanding opening schedule, actually has some favorable scheduling so far. It's week three of the season and the Canes just finished their second game. They had ten days to prepare for Paul Johnson's triple-option offense, while the Yellow Jackets on the other hand, just had their third game in 12 days. The fatigue showed, and it showed early, as Tech's players were clearly winded after the first quarter. Now the Canes have another nine days to prepare for a trip to Blacksburg to take on the Hokies. After that, they get an Oklahoma team that will be without TE Jermaine Gresham, and possibly without Heisman winner Sam Bradford.

A 4-0 start would still be impressive, but it certainly wouldn't mean what everyone thought it would mean coming into the season. It would mean that yes, the Canes are relevant again, which is a great thing for college football. It would mean that the program is in good hands, and is on it's way back to where it was less than a decade ago. But we need to relax with all of this talk of "The U" being back. After all, it's only been two games.

Sweet Revenge: Thoughts on UM - GT from a Canes Fan

2009-09-18T09:20:00.004-04:00

I told the captain of this ship, Tomas Verde, that the Hurricanes would not allow the Yellow Jackets to gain over 200 yards of rushing offense. I felt confident in that notion before the game, but now I sort of feel soft for looking so conservative.

The U only allowed Paul Johnson’s prolific triple option offense to amass 95 yards of total rushing! I told anyone that was willing to listen that Miami would dominate tonight’s game, and they surely did not let me down. Jacory Harris made the bold statement of saying that what is slowly becoming referred to as “Whipple Ball” could not be stopped. The Miami Hurricanes offense was able to support J12’s theory by gaining a very respectable 454 yards of total offense. Harris played another fantastic game via a 20/25 outing that was good for 270 yards and three glorious touchdowns to Laron Byrd[man], Dedrick Epps, and Miami fan-favorite JIMMY GRAHAM!

The only complaint that I have for this otherwise perfect team performance was that they let up in the fourth quarter a bit. I’m not an advocate for running up the score a la Steve Spurrier (kudos to Randy Shannon for not going for it out of respect for Paul Johnson), but the Canes looked a little lackadaisical for a few minutes. The Miami secondary allowed Josh Nesbitt to connect with Demaryius Thomas for a 56-yard touchdown. Matt Bosher, a Groza hopeful, missed his first two career field goals from inside of 40 yards. If you missed it like Bosher did, then all you had to do was see the look on Shannon’s face as he gave the 2008 Canes MVP a piercing stare. Bosher will undoubtedly be able to get back on track.

The Canes tentative performance to put away the opposition will surely be critiqued by the Miami coaching staff, and I think it will help the Canes in the long run. Miami will know how to take the opposition out of a game if given the opportunity next weekend in Blacksburg. The baby Canes are still learning, but they are looking a lot more dangerous every time we see them take the field.

Today, We Talk College Football. A Lot.

2009-09-18T08:40:00.001-04:00

We're going to have a pretty decent amount of posts (by our standards) coming in today, all of them are scheduled to be about college football. I'm sure none of you have any complaints about that, since college football rules the world from September until early-January. Agreed? Agreed.

Here's what we've got on deck for you all today:

-Three... yes THREE posts that discuss the Canes. What kind of bizarro world is this? See what happens when I add Canes to my staff? Wait, you mean to tell me that I wrote two of the posts? Well then... this should be interesting.

- We also plan to throw up a college football link dump, for everything college football that you need to know for this weekend.

- I personally will also have a couple of posts that I am doing for College Game Balls and Souvenir City that I will link to. It will be glorious.

That is all for now, we hope you enjoy our Friday offerings, because we know you don't want to accomplish anything on Friday because you're too busy thinking about the weekend, and college football, of course.

The Curious Case of the Florida Marlins

2009-09-17T15:08:00.003-04:00

We've nearly made it through the entire 2009 season, yet I still don't know what to make of these Florida Marlins. Some days, they surprise you and take two of three from the Cardinals, in St. Louis, including one against Cy Young candidate Adam Wainwright. Then there are the days where the Marlins surprise you, in the bad way. Those are the days that they lose two of three to the Nationals.

Really, we are 16 games away from the end of the regular season and all we know for sure about this team is that Hanley Ramirez is one of the best position players in baseball, Josh Johnson is a stud (or as Josh Q. Public put it, he's the "most unsung pitcher in baseball."), and that the team has covered the Vegas over of 76.5 wins that was set at the beginning of the season.

With 16 games left in the season, the Marlins sit 4.5 games back of the Wild Card, and 7 games back of the Phillies for the division. According to coolstandings.com, the Marlins still have a 4.8 percent chance of making the playoffs (as of today). Yes, that is a slim chance, but they're not mathematically eliminated. Yet.

Unfortunately for the Marlins, zero of those 16 remaining games come against the Rockies or Giants, the two teams ahead of them in the Wild Card race. Fortunately, 12 of those 16 come against division opponents, including six against the Phillies. That means the Fish have a better chance at catching the Phillies, despite mathematically having a better shot at winning the Wild Card, if that can somehow make sense.

If the Marlins want to sniff the postseason this year, the team will likely have to sweep those six games from Philadelphia, or at the very least, win five of those. The Fish will probably have to finish on a 13-3 run (and that's being generous) if they want a shot at a third World Series title.

But that's the difficult thing about this team: it's hard to gauge how they will finish the season. Starting pitching outside of JJ has had its ups and downs. The bats have been hot, and they've been lukewarm, too. And the bullpen has had issues of its own, as well (I'm looking at you, Leo Nunez).

This has been a team that somehow has managed to overachieve while simultaneously underacheiving. It's a curious case, that's for sure, and these last few weeks of the season could shape up to be interesting if the Marlins play like they do when they surprise fans, in the good way, of course.

Call It, "Agressive Expansion." Or Don't. Whatever.

2009-09-16T21:49:00.005-04:00

Editor's Note: Yesterday I introduced you all to my first official staff writer here at 4th and Fail. Today, I introduce to you another addition to the 4th and Fail team. Call it, "agressive expansion." Or don't, it's your call, so whatever. The point is, this blog's staff just tripled in the last 48 hours. Take that! I was going to introduce you to our newest contributor (I guess that's the title I'll go with for now), but I figured since I let the last guy introduce himself, I should let this guy do the same:

Hey everyone and allow me to introduce myself, the new third wheel at 4th and Fail. My name is Ted Hill and it's such a short and sweet name that I don't need a stage name (Editor's Note: Forget that, you get a stage name, too. I hear it's all the rage in the blogosphere. We shall call you TD).

I hail from Miami since birth and would classify myself as a dedicated fan of all the local teams, including the 'Canes. Currently there are more 'Canes writing for this blog than Gators. I can't imagine Sr. Verde will let that go on much longer. I've been blogging for a little bit but expect to use this avenue for in-depth pieces that don't fall under the umbrella of the two blogs I contribute to (Dolphins & Marlins) (Editor's Note: Woohoo! Shameless plugs!). I'm not quite sure if my works will be more humorous or insightful, or some failed combination of the two, but hopefully you'll want to continue reading. I'm also a soccer/football/futbol fanatic so you may see thoughts on that. I look forward to being a contributor to this little community.

- Ted

The New Guy Presents: The Biggest Choke-Failures in Sports AKA The Bills List

2009-09-16T14:03:00.004-04:00

I was inspired Monday night by a certain football game to create my inaugural address to the sports blogosphere via 4th and Fail. I did not look at the success of Tom Brady and the Pats, but instead I looked upon the sheer failure that was displayed on the field by the Bills. So, without further ado, I would like to give my top 10 list of futility as a whole in sports. This doesn’t mean that I am going based on one performance (unless that performance was that much of a cringing failure). I will not judge based on an isolated incident. Instead, I will judge on the individual/team’s entire legacy [of FAIL].

10. Sergio Garcia - Let’s congratulate the man for he is a constant variable in the Law of Fail. The guy just can’t seem to ever win the big one. Whenever he has been in position to win one of golf’s coveted majors he just falls by the wayside. Honestly, it’s become a bit predictable at this point. Garcia’s consistent, but not completely epic failure lands him the 10 spot.

9. Florida State Seminoles Football - I hate to do this because I have the utmost respect for the program and the legendary Bobby Bowden, but c’mon Noles you’re better than that! Tuck your shirts in! Go run a lap or something! Wide Right I,II, and III along with a Wide Left just for good measure?! They managed to blow another game even with a phantom pass interference call (as a Canes fan, those phantom calls are the bane of my existence) on Labor Day! Five shots at glory and you couldn’t punch it in? Really?...REALLY?!?! The peculiar thing about FSU’s brand of fail is that it always seems to happen against Miami. The Ponyboys of Florida State often manage to stay [garnett and] gold (Ahem! GT fumble! Ahem!), but their rising toll of fail against “the U” lands them the 9 spot. DAG GUMMIT!

8. Michigan Wolverines Fab Five - Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson were all top 100 prospects as they entered the maize and blue. The team was so highly touted, and it is for that reason that they fail. They managed to get to the end of March Madness as freshman in 1992, but they got a whooping at the hands of the Duke Blue Devils (71-51). Alright, they were all just a bunch of kids, but I’m sure they’ll run the NCAA circuit next year, right? WRONG. This 1992 game was just a mere appetizer for the magnificent fail that would ensue in the ’93 NCAA Championship game against the Tarheels of UNC. The Wolverines went on to lose that game 77-71 in what turned out to be an epic fail culminated by a very aware Webber timeout…

7. Houston Oilers - The Houston Oilers punch-in at 7 simply because they were on the wrong end of what we now know as “The Comeback.” This game was a 1993 AFC Wild Card game between said Houston Oilers and the Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills were without eventual Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, and instead had to look to their back-up, Frank Reich, to help them advance to the next round. The Houston Oilers did what they were supposed to do, and they held a commanding 35-3 lead in the 3rd quarter. Suddenly, the poster-boys for futility staged the ultimate comeback, and they eventually won the game 41-38 in OT! Are you kidding me?! The Houston Oilers took the loss so bad that they moved to Tennessee and became the Titans (where they fell short of winning the Super Bowl…literally). I guess I would be ashamed of myself if I blew a 32 point lead against the Bills too…

6. Ohio St. Buckeyes Football – These guys just haven’t been able to win a big game in a long time. The only two games they won were against an obviously overrated Michigan team in 2006, and a very controversial call by Terry Porter in 2003. They were mangled and embarrassed by two SEC teams, Florida and LSU, in the 2006 and 2007 BCS National Championship Games. They were blown up by the USC Trojans in 2008 in the Coliseum by means of a 35-3 man-handling. Ohio State has recently been competitive in games, but now they are just choking at the end. The 2009 Fiesta Bowl against Texas and their most recent fail against the Trojans can attest to that. Therefore, for constantly choking on the big stage for close to a decade now, the Buckeyes check in at number 6.

5. Greg Norman – The Great White Choke himself garners the five-spot on this list. Why, you ask? Simple: The 1996 Masters. Norman went into the final round with an incredible six-stroke lead! The Shark with the golden everything also shot a golden 63 in the first round, and that 63 was good enough to be an Augusta course record. Norman ended up losing the tournament to Nick Faldo…by five strokes. Five strokes?! How’d that happen? Well readers, Norman shot an inglorious 78, and Faldo played a great round with a score of 67. Readers, you must comprehend that it’s not even like he choked by one stroke! This, my friends, was a complete meltdown that Jean Van de Velde could only truly appreciate.

4. 2004 New York Yankees/Boston Red Sox pre-2004 - Eat it up Yankees and Bo Sox fans; I just associated the two of you together (Editor's Note: My mind just exploded). The 2004 Yankees make the four-spot because of their ALCS debacle after holding a 3-0 lead on their most hated rival. No one in MLB history had ever come back from a 3-0 deficit. Therefore, it is an automatic fail when you are the first team to accomplish that “feat.” The Red Sox had been failing for a long time prior to this miracle run by “The Idiots.” The most notable Red Sox fail is obviously Bill Buckner’s error in the 1986 World Series against the Metropolitans of New York. The Red Sox have righted their ship in the new millennium, and I can’t say that the Yankees are complete choke artists because they have 26 rings in their name. However, there are some 9 year olds who have yet to see the Bronx Bombers win a World Series because of the Diamondbacks in 2001, my beloved Florida Marlins in 2003, and aforementioned Boston Red Sox of 2004. If that magnanimous payroll doesn’t step up then I will have no choice but to start calling the Yankees the 21st Century Boston Red Sox.

3. Chicago Cubs – Neither of the teams mentioned above have failed quite like the Chicago Cubs have, and it hurts to say this because there are some Cubbies in my family. The Cubs have now suffered over 100 years of fail. They’re like watching a gory horror film, sometimes it just gets so ugly but you just can’t take your eyes off of the screen. The Cubs have “suffered” from the “Curse of the Billy Goat in 1945,” the Black Cat in 1969, and the Marlins’ MVP Steve Bartman. The Red Sox would at least get to the World Series from time to time, but these Cubbies haven’t even won the Pennant since the Billy Goat incident! The Cubs just haven’t been able to get it done, but the story will be different in 2015. The Florida Marlins will turn into a team from Miami in 2012, and Back to the Future calls for the Cubs to defeat the Miami team in the World Series by means of a sweep…Oh wait, the Marlins are in the NL with the Cubs you say? Sorry, McFly.

2. Jean Van De Velde - Jean Van De Velde’s epic one-hole fail surpasses the Shark’s in this writer’s humble opinion. Van De Velde knew that he could hit a double-bogey and still come away victorious in the 1999 British Open…queue the misery. Van De Velde’s first shot almost went swimming, and his second shot looked like Albert Pujols was lifting off again on Shaq Vs. because it went right at the grandstand! His shots weren’t even on target, and it was apparent that the man was collapsing. Van De Velde eventually hit a triple bogey to send the Open to a playoff against Paul Lawrie. Lawrie went on to take complete advantage of the situation, as a true one-and-done opportunist, and won the 1999 British Open. Jean Van De Velde thus earns the number 2 spot, and everyone knows who the consensus number one FAIL of a person/team has to be at this point…

1. Buffalo Bills - Please hold your applause for the champions of futility! The zenith of the fail! The apex of ineptitude! THE BUFFALO BILLS! The Yankees may have lost four games, but it was only for one ALCS. The Buffalo Bills, on the other hand, managed to successfully get to 4 straight Super Bowls and lose them ALL. Honestly, there is no one individual or team that can prove to be as consistently miserable at the highest level of fail that there is: Championship choking! Whether they got blown out or just missed a kick those Bills couldn’t even pay the referees off and win due to the fact that they would somehow blow the game. Their choking does not only occur in the Super Bowl though. We just saw the Bills cough up an 11 point lead to the New England Patriots in the 4th quarter to blow the game. In 2005, the Bills managed to cough up a 23-3 fourth quarter lead at the expense of the Sage Rosenfels-led Miami Dolphins! (Editor's Note: SEE, Vikings fans, he could be the answer). The Bills continue to blow game after game, but should we really be surprised about any of this? No, because that would be the same as being surprised by how much of a tool Kanye West can be.

Honorable Failures: These squads/people had miserable failures that were on the cusp of cracking this top 10.

-Mike Vanderjagt - This kicker was never the same after he blew that late field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2005 AFC Division Playoff game. Those same Pittsburgh Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl.

-1980 Soviet Hockey - One country’s fail is another’s treasure! The Soviet team were amazing favorites to take the gold at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics in 1980. They beat down the US team in an exhibition just before the Olympics, and this all set the stage for perhaps the greatest game of all time: The Miracle on Ice. The USA hockey team went on to defeat the Russians 4-3 en route to their gold medal triumph over Finland.

-John Terry – The captain of the Chelsea FC walked up to take the game-winning penalty kick against the Manchester United Red Devils in the classic 2008 Champions League Final held in Moscow. The conditions were very slippery due to rain, and the captain slipped on his attempt as the ball hit off of the right post. Man U did not let their second life go to waste as they went on to take the CL title.

-Atlanta Braves – This is pretty simple arithmetic: 14 straight division titles from 1991-2005 = 1 WS title… I call that a choke. Especially when you see that the Marlins are yet to win a division title, but managed to make the playoffs twice as a wild card during the Braves very impressive regular season run. So, in numerical terms: 0 division titles = 2WS titles. Hey, don’t get the wrong idea…I’ll take the Marlins deal in a heartbeat.

-New York Mets – The Mets suffered from two consecutive years of late season chokes in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, the Mets held a very considerable 7 game lead on the Philadelphia Phillies, and there were only 17 games left to go. The Mets ended up going 5-12 over there last 17 games, and they lost their playoff spot on the last day due to an 8-1 thrashing at the hands of the Florida Marlins. The next year, those same Mets had a 3.5 game lead on the Phillies with 17 games to go. Needless to say, the Mets went 7-10 in an encore to their collapse of the previous season. The Mets once again missed the playoffs on the last day of the season due to a 4-2 loss at the hands of the Florida Marlins.

Thanks for reading everyone, hope you enjoyed. Here are the fails for you’re viewing pleasure:

Introducing 4th and Fail's First Official Staff Writer

2009-09-15T23:49:00.003-04:00

Editor's note: I'd like to introduce to you, my loyal readers, the newest addition here at 4th and Fail. He's the first of what may one day become a small stable of writers in our little corner of the internet and I hope you guys enjoy his work. So I guess that legitimately makes me the Editor/Boss man around here, so that's cool, too. But I'll stop rambling now, and let him introduce himself.

Please allow me to introduce myself to all of you fellow sports fanatics. My name is Ed. Note[REDACTED], but I am better known by the name of Wooj. Don’t ask questions, just run with it and it will be a journey you will not regret.

I am writing out of Miami/Tampa, Florida. The Miami Hurricanes are the real premiere team in Florida (Although my ~~colleague~~ (Ed note: BOSS) would respectfully, or most likely disrespectfully, disagree with me). My role in this blog will be to offer a sometimes varying opinion. As we all know, for every Michael Wilbon there is a Tony Kornheiser. There will undoubtedly be things that both of us will agree on, but we usually find ourselves in arguments about a plethora of sports-related issues so it should be fun to read. I would like to thank all of the readers in advance for supporting 4th and Fail, and I hope that I can fulfill all of your [sports-related] needs.

The Bills Are the Best at Choking. EVER.

2009-09-14T23:13:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks back, I got into a conversation with some other bloggers, including a couple of the writers at Souvenir City, and Andy Hutchins. The discussion was sparked after Hutchins wrote this post, and then later on asked if there is anyone that does one thing better than Usain Bolt does his one thing: sprinting. Several possible answers to that question were brought up, including Michael Phelps at swimming, Tiger Woods at golf, Roger Federer at tennis, and so on.

After watching the Bills-Patriots Monday Night Football game, I have a new nominee for this discussion. I bring to the table: the Buffalo Bills franchise. The Bills are arguably the best at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They choke like no other team or athlete has choked before. Monday night was just further proof.

Monday night, the Bills managed to blow a 24-13 4th quarter lead against the Patriots, allowing the Patriots to score two touchdowns in the waning minutes, including the game-winner following a Leodis McKelvin fumble on a kickoff return that set the Patriots up at the Bills' 30-yard line.

Shortly after the fumble, I received this text from my brother: "Buffalo doing what Buffalo does. The vomit on those nice white Bills jerseys looks so lifelike in HD."

Well put.

In allowing the Pats to score 12 points in under a minute and a half, the Bills further padded their resume for best chokers EVAR. Let's take a look at the samplings on that resume, shall we?

- Four straight Super Bowl losses in the 1990's, from 1991-94, including Scott Norwood's infamous wide-right FG attempt with eight seconds left in Super Bowl XXV.

- December 4, 2005 at the Miami Dolphins, the Bills blew a 23-3 lead heading into the 4th quarter, as the Dolphins scored 21 unanswered points to cap the comeback. (A game that I attended with my brother, and reveled in the disappointment of Bills fans after perpetual taunting from them through three quarters).

-Monday night's fiasco against the Patriots.

Simply put, the Bills are better than any one individual or team, ever, at choking.

*Ed. Note: On a related note, Tuesday I will be introducing my first staff writer here at 4th and Fail, and his first post will continue with the theme of this one. Get excited, people.

So How Bad Does the State of Utah Feel Today?

2009-09-11T12:02:00.000-04:00

Seriously how bad do they feel? I mean, it's bad enough that they live in Utah, but today is supposed to be a great day for them.

Why is that, you ask? Well it's because two of the greatest names ever associated with the Utah Jazz are being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame tonight. Jerry Sloan, he of 1,137 wins as a head coach, and most wins as a coach for a single franchise; and John Stockton, the NBA's career leader for both steals and assists, will both me immortalized tonight in Springfield, Mass. But you wouldn't know that from watching ESPN today.

That's because Michael Jordan, his Airness, is also being enshrined today. I mean, it was bad enough for Utah when Jordan came out of retirement in the mid-90's only to prevent the Jazz from winning NBA titles in 1997 and 1998 (and add a fifth and sixth ring for himself), but now he's overshadowing two Utah greats on the day they get inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Talk about bad timing for the Stockton and Sloan... again, over a decade later, running into the Greatest of All Time. They'll get their moment in the spotlight, and rightfully so, but to most of the sports world, today is Jordan's day, and the other enshrinees are just along for the ride.

I'll leave you all with this, Jordan's final shot with the Bulls. Plus it throws salt on the Utah wound.

2009 NFL Preview from A-Z

2009-09-10T13:06:00.000-04:00

I'm back with another one of these A-to-Z season previews. I dropped the ball and missed out on the NCAA Football preview last week, but school has been keeping me pretty busy. But I've got time today! Therefore, I give you this year's NFL preview from A-to-Z. Keep in mind it may be slightly more Dolphins-centric, since, you know, that's my team. But for the most part, it will cover the entire league, or at least what I deem worthy.

A is for Arbitrary. As in Roger Goodell's arbitrary suspensions. Just curious to see how many players will receive some of those arbitrary suspensions this season. My bet is that Shawne Merriman has one coming his way.

B is for Brady. As in Tom Brady, and Brady Quinn, too. How will Tom Brady come back from his multiple knee surgeries in the last year? Many suspect the Patriots' offense will be just as potent as it was in 2007, when they finished 18-1. Brady Quinn, on the other hand, was just named the starter for the Browns. I'm curious to see how he fares, if for no other reason than to be flustered with Cam Cameron again for passing on him in the 2007 draft.

C is for Cutler. As in Jay Cutler, who has a new home in Chicago, and a fresh start. Did the Broncos really trade him for KYLE ORTON? C'mon now, we all know who got the better end of that deal, not let's see Cutler prove to everyone that he is an elite QB in this league. If Rex Grossman could "lead" the Bears to the Super Bowl, then the possibilities are limitless for someone like Cutler.

D is for Defense. Because it wins championships. As cliche as they might be, it is also true. Just look at the list of Super Bowl winners of recent years and find a team that didn't have a great defense. While the NFL is loaded with talented defenses, I'm curious to see which defense will step it up to championship level this year. You'll see which team's defense I predict will do that further down this list.

E is for Excellent. The word I believe will describe the hiring ot Jon Gruden to the booth for Monday Night Football. In the preseason, when news broke of Mike Vick's signing with the Eagles, he already gave us a gem when he said Vick would sell more number 7 jerseys than Jaws did with his time in Philadelphia. On-screen gold, and I look forward to his commentary this season.

F is for F*vre. Everyone's "favorite," and I use that term loosely, F-word. It'll be interesting to see how he fares in Minnesota, if for no other reason than that offense could be potent if he plays well with Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin. Also, I'm sure the whole world will tune in to watch him take on the Packers, especially when they play at Lambeau.

G is for Go routes. As in, the only route that Darrius Heyward-Bay will be effective when running in Oakland, since that's what he was good at while he was in Maryland, and since he has blazing 4.3 speed. Honestly, the Raiders definitely reached when they took him that early in the first round of this year's draft.

H is for HAKEEM NICKS! I don't think there's much to say here, except HOW DID HE DROP THIS FAR INTO THE FIRST ROUND?!? In all seriousness, I think he's going to fill that void left by Plaxico Burress, who will be catching Giants games from his prison cell for the next couple of seasons.

I is for Imperfect no longer. The 2008 Detroit Lions became the only team to go winless in an NFL season. With a new head coach, new quarterback, and of course Megatron to throw to, there's no way they go imperfect again, right? Right?!?

J is for Jerry Jones. Or "Jerruh" as some like to refer to him. What was he thinking in making that monstrous scoreboard hang that low over the field? One, it makes it difficult for fans in the nosebleeds to see the action on the field, because who goes to a football game to watch it on the big screen? Two, we all saw what happens when a punter boots the ball and it bounces off the scoreboard. It's only going to end up being a hassle for everyone involved, since it'll be a replay of down. I also wonder how long it will be before a desperate QB launches a ball of the scoreboard just to get a replay of down, and whether or not that will become an issue this season.

K is for Keeping OT the same. Okay, I admit this letter was a stretch, but it's the only place I had left to make this point. Last season, we saw a tie in an NFL game. That's not cool. I penned this open letter to Goodell urging him to adopt the college overtime system, but apparently he didn't get the memo, and thus, kept the overtime system the same.

L is for LIGHTS OUT! As in lights out for Shawne Merriman's time in San Diego after this season. Unless he truly has a monster season, the Chargers will likely let him become a free agent at season's end, in which case, he will be a very valuable addition to any defense next year.

M is for Marhsall. As in Brandon Marshall. He threw a memorable hissy-fit in the preseason, and apparently is now in contract negotiations with the Broncos. That can only be a good thing for that team because a happy wide receiver is a productive wide receiver, and Kyle Orton will need all the help he can get in his first year with the Broncos, trying to satisfy the fanbase.

N is for Neckbeard. Because it's both glorious, and awful at the same time. I just needed an excuse to link to Kyle Orton's, especially because he'll need it for the Denver winter. It will also be interesting to see how he performs there after being traded in the offseason

O is for Ochocinco. The outspoken Bengals WR said via Twitter that he was going to give the NFL "hell" this season. Hilarity is sure to ensue.

P is for Playoffs?!? Mostly because this clip of Jim Mora never gets old, but also because it's the main difference between college and the NFL. While bowl season in college is awesome, it doesn't compare to the NFL playoffs in magnitude.

Q is for Quickie von Quick Quick. You know those Nike SPARQ commercials with LT holding a press conference, and it has a bunch of other athletes bragging about their speed. Well LT says his quick smells like french toast. I don't know what that means, but I wonder if he will actually rebound from a down season and return to the LT that made opposing Fantasy Football owners nervous every weekend. If he does, the Chargers have a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl, because they are talented.

R is for Rookies. Mainly here, I'm talking about Matt Stafford. He was named the Lions starting QB, and (un)lucky him, he gets to open the season on the road, in New Orleans against a good Saints team. Also lucky for him, anything is an improvement for that team after last season's debacle, so he can only improve them. Other impact rookies to look out for: Percy Harvin in Minnesota, Mark Sanchez, who will also be starting at QB as a rookie for the Jets. Also keep an eye on Aaron Curry of the Seahawks, Jeremy Maclin of the Eagles and a sleeper alert on Sean Smith of the Dolphins, who had a huge preseason, and could turn into a stud defensive back.

S is for Super Bowl. So I guess this will be my preseason Super Bowl prediction. I really like the Chargers in the AFC, with Phillip Rivers, Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates and a rejuvenated LT, plus that defense of theirs. In the NFC, I have a feeling the Packers have what it takes, because Aaron Rodgers has looked great in the preseason, and their defense has looked good, too. But what do I know?

T is for Ted Ginn, Jr. I went in-depth on this topic in the preseason, but I'll say it again: I think this is the year that Ginn becomes the go-to receiver that the Dolphins expected him to be when they drafted him.

U is for Unsigned hype. Because that's all that 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree is at this point. It's just days before the 49ers kickoff their season, and Crabtree is sill unsigned. The kid has all the talent in the world for his position, but that talent is useless to the team when you're not signed with them.

V is for Vick. Just a few weeks into the season, we will get to see Michael Vick's first regular season game in the NFL since 2006. He's a backup now, but the Eagles will make him the most significant backup QB in the league when they use him in a "wildcat" package, and anytime they play him and Donovan McNabb together, it should be interesting. Though, I'm sure if McNabb struggles at any point, Philly fans will be calling for Vick to take over as starter.

W is for Wildcat. One season after the Dolphins unleashed the Wildcat offense on the New England Patrios, it seems everyone wants a piece of it. The 'Phins drafted Pat White as a wildcat quarterback, the Vikings will probably do the same with Harvin and Peterson at some point, and we know what the Eagles have planned with Vick and McNabb.

X is for the Wild Card winners. You know, since they're denoted by an X in the standings. In the AFC, I'll take the Ravens and the Dolphins (because I'm a homer), but if not the Dolphins, then a South division team, like the Titans. In the NFC, I'm going with the Eagles and the Bears.

Y is for the division winners. They're denoted by a Y in the standings, so I'll give my predictions. AFC East: Patriots. North: Steelers. South: Colts. West: Chargers. NFC East: Giants. North: Packers. South: Saints. West: Cardinals.

Z is for Zorn. As in Jim Zorn, the head coach for the Redskins. Mostly because it's hard to come up with something that begins with the letter Z, but also because he was 8-8 last year in his first year with Washington. Vegas has them at over/under 8 wins. This season, I'll take the under on that, because they're division is deep. I think they'll finish 7-9.

Delayed Reaction: FSU - UM. Are They Back?

2009-09-08T18:16:00.000-04:00

So I meant to write this much earlier, but I was working on a 1,500 word profile for my magazine and feature writing class due today that I had to finish. I might post that profile some other time though, because I thought it was interesting. So here are my thoughts on last nights FSU - UM game. Enjoy.

First and foremost, man what a barn-burner that game was. FSU and Miami finally give us a thrilling game again on Labor Day, and it is arguably one of the best games in the series' history. As many also noted, it was a fitting end to a solid opening weekend for college football that escalated from South Carolina-NC State up to this game.

While the game was great though, I have one big issue with it. As Twitter blew up just before midnight with tweets from UM fans, as well as some media members, about The U's "return." Yes, they did crack the Top 25 this week, coming in at 20, but I think it's a bold statement to assert that The U has returned to relevance.

My biggest question about that claim is this: If this same game played out on a Saturday, with a noon kickoff with dozens of other games going on at the same time, instead of at primetime on ESPN on Labor Day, with no other games competing for viewers, would people be making the same assumptions? Is it only because of the time-slot and mass viewership for the game, that people are saying that UM is back?

Now don't get me wrong, both teams look considerably improved, and Jacory Harris (who was a trending topic on Twitter) is one cool cat, and will be a special player, but both teams also have a lot of concerns to address before they are "back" to their elite level of play from the 1990's. Scoring was at a premium last night not because the offenses are that great, but because the secondaries last night were suspect, at best.

Sure, there were a few great plays in the secondary, but receivers were perpetually open down field for both teams. At one point, Harris was averaging 20 yards per attempt. At the end of the day though, last night's game, while great in its own right, was equal parts good offense and bad defense that produced such a high scoring affair that came down to the last play.

So my response to everyone's quesiton of whether or not UM (and FSU) are back to their old selves, is a no. Not yet, at least. Both teams have definitely improved from the looks of it, and are on the right track (as hard as it is for me to say that at a UF student and fan). The most telling sign that the two teams are not yet back to prominence comes from Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post, as last night he tweeted that there was "Zero national media presence in the pressbox."

Now I openly admit that I get joy out of Miami and FSU's struggles, but the fact is, as many people I've spoken with agree, having all three big schools in Florida playing at an elite level is what's best for not just fans of those schools, but college football as a whole. That elite level of play won't be for another year or two, but at least UM and FSU are heading on the right track.

Ed Note: You have no idea how difficult it was to write this without trashing either school too much, and at the same time praising them to an extent. I now feel dirty, and will be taking a long shower to cleanse myself from such filth.

Oregon Won't Be Starting a LeGarrette Blount for Heisman Campaign Anytime Soon (UPDATED!)

2009-09-04T14:37:00.000-04:00

Last night ~~punch~~ kicked off the college football season with a couple of games aired nationally on ESPN. There was South Carolina and NC State as the primetime game, followed by the first game between two ranked teams this season: Oregon at Boise State on the smurf turf.

The late game itself wasn't all that compelling, but the postgame really sparked some converstaions all over the place today. In case you missed it, Broncos' LB Byron Hout smacked Ducks' RB LeGarrette Blount on the shoulder after the game and said something to him. Blount, who was held to -5 yards on 8 carries, didn't take to kindly to Hout's words and went all Mickey O'Neil on him and landed a haymaker for the one-punch knockout. Blount then channelled his inner-Ron Artest and tried going after some fans in the stands, but was restrained by coaches and security personnel.

Blount definitely deserves a suspension, at least a one game, probably longer. Some may scoff at a one game suspension for landing a haymaker on an unsuspecting opponent, but let's flash back to 2006, when UM and FIU broke out into a brawl on the field. 31 players were suspended: 13 from UM and 18 from FIU. Of those 31, most received an initial one-game suspension. Then FIU dismissed two of the players from the team and suspended all 16 remaining players indefinitely. UM suspended 12 of its players for one game, and suspended Anthony Reddick indefinitely for using his helmet as a weapon during the brawl. That suspension wound up being four games.

So how long should Blount be suspended for? If it was only the one punch, I would say one game, minimum. But he also tried going after fans after that, so he should get a few games. Also keep in mind that he didn't try to use anything (like a helmet) as a weapon to cause even more damage to Hout, only his fist. So he probably shouldn't be kicked off the team or receive an indefinite suspension. I think a fair sentence for Blount would land him anywhere from three games to maybe half the season. Anything less would be too light, and I think an indefinite suspension would be a bit harsh. Either way, I doubt we will see Oregon launchin a Joey Harrington-esque Heisman campaign for Blount anytime in the near future.

Regardless, there is no place in athletics for what Blount did Thursday night, and trust me, I've been a part of something like that before. When I was in my sophomore year of high school, a brawl broke out after we finished one of our basketball games. It was hectic, and many punches were landed by both sides. It took a while to be broken up. In the end, none of us were suspended because the administration, "didn't see anyone actually land a hit," which was total b.s. Even though the other team started the melee, it was still something that none of my team was proud to have partaken in, nor should it have happened in the setting of a sporting event.

UPDATE: So it was announced Friday afternoon that Blount has been suspended for the season, but will remain with the team. Like I said, I think that's a bit harsh, and as NickJ from Souvenir City pointed out, "if it weren't the first game of the season on National TV and the media hadn't jumped all over it would have been 1 game."

Fantasy Football Draft: Last One, I Swear

2009-09-03T21:27:00.000-04:00

Tonight was the draft for my third and final fantasy football league. This league consists of fellow South Florida sports bloggers, as well as one of my older brothers, who is a regular commenter around these parts. The league is only eight teams, so each team should be pretty deep, which should make for higher scoring games, and hopefully more competitive games. Hopefully.

So without further ado, I present to you my third and final fantasy team for the 2009 NFL season:

QB: Matt Ryan (Atl) and Eli Manning (NYG)
RB: Mike Turner (Atl), Marion Barber (Dal), Derrick Ward (TB) and Darren McFadden (Oak)
WR: Andre Johnson (Hou), Vincent Jackson (SD), Eddie Royal (Den), Lee Evans (Buf) and HAKEEM NICKS! (NYG)
TE: Greg Olsen (Chi) and Zach Miller (Oak)
K: John Kasay (Car)
D/ST: Dallas

First things first, I have Hakeem Nicks, which means I will automatically run away with this league title. Other than that, I must say, it's amazing how well I can draft when Yahoo actually lets me enter the draft room and DRAFT MY OWN TEAM. My team is pretty deep at wide receiver and running back, but as I said, it's only an eight person league, so each team should be pretty deep. Regardless, I still plan on running away with this thing, just like my other two leagues.

Thoughts, comments, just want to talk trash about my team? Feel free to give your opinion below.

Another Fantasy Football Draft in the Books

2009-09-01T22:16:00.000-04:00

I told you guys the other day that I was doing two (at the time) fantasy football leagues. Well now that number is up to three, with a South Florida sports bloggers league drafting on Thursday night.

Tonight was the Souvenir City league draft, aka the Kevin Duckworth Memorial League, and yours truly had the number one overall pick. Unfortunately for me, Yahoo sucks and I couldn't load the draft room. I tried on my computer, my roommate's and a friend's. It didn't load on any of them. So my team, at my dismay, wound up being auto-drafted.

It's safe to say I was infuriated at this turn of events, and at the same time, I prayed that the auto-drafting program would not screw me over too bad. It could have been a lot worse than it wound up being, but I'll let you all be the judge of that.

QB: Carson Palmer (Cin) and Jake Delhomme (Car).
RB: Adrian Peterson (Min), Marion Barber (Dal), Thomas Jones (NYJ), Ricky Williams (Mia).
WR: Steve Smith (Car), Brandon Marshall (Den), Donnie Avery (StL), Jericho Cotchery (NYJ).
TE: Owen Daniels (Hou), Vernon Davis (SF).
K: Stephen Gostkowski (NE)
D/ST: Philadelphia and Dallas.

Assesment: My biggest issue with this team is that I have a starting QB who hasn't been completely healthy since 2006 (Palmer) and a WR who is currently suspended by his team for being a crybaby. Great. At least I got Peterson with the first pick. Barber should have another huge year for Dallas, and Jones is good, even though I hate the Jets. At least I got the kicker I wanted...

Feel free to leave your thoughts on my team, and if you're in the league, feel free to talk trash about how awful my auto-drafted team is compared to your far superior team. For the record, I still plan on winning this league.

*Also, once football season begins, I promise to be back with more relevant sports posts.

Let's Not Count Out the Marlins Just Yet

2009-08-31T18:15:00.000-04:00

The Marlins lost three games in a row, one to the Mets and two to the Padres, Thursday through Saturday, before finally taking a game from the Padres on Sunday.

After that third consecutive loss to a sub-.500 team, it seemed like doomsday for the Fish. But a quick glance at the NL Wild Card standings this morning had me admittedly surprised. Despite those three consecutive losses, and seven of 11 overall, the Marlins manage to sit just 3.5 games back in the Wild Card standings.

This is, in large part, thanks to the Giants sweeping the Rockies this weekend, and the Rockies dropping five straight games overall.

Yet somehow, despite that three game skid where the Fish got a total of 10.2 innings combined from their starters ( including a 1.2 inning outing from Chris Volstad and a 3.2 inning effort from Anibal Sanchez on consecutive days), this team is still vying for a playoff spot.

The Marlins kickoff a huge, and I cannot emphasize that enough, four game series tonight against the Braves, who they are tied with in the standings. This series could legitimately decide whether the Marlins will contend for the Wild Card in September, or fade into oblivion as the season winds down.

I for one, am willing to remain optimistic, and (likely foolishly) hang on to my preseason prediction/dreams/aspirations for this team, at least until this series with Atlanta is over.

Fantasy Football 2009

2009-08-29T16:49:00.001-04:00

Sorry about minimal posting this past week, school just started again and I've just been trying to get back into the swing of things. On the bright side, it is FIVE DAYS until the first college football game, and one week until the first one here at UF (cue the uncontrollable excitement).

Since football is right around the corner, you know what that means: fantasy football time.

This year I'm doing two leagues, one with some college buddies and one with some other sports bloggers. The blog league draft is Tuesday night, and the college league draft was earlier this afternoon. I'll probably keep you readers posted about the progress of my teams, probably just for the hell of it, but also to boast about my awesomeness.

Anyways, I drafted eighth today (out of 12 teams), and I'm pretty pleased with my team:

QB: Drew Brees (NO) and "Matty Ice" Ryan (Atl).
RB: Steven Jackson (StL), Derrick Ward (TB), Kevin Smith (Det) and Jamaal Charles (KC)
WR: Vincent Jackson (SD), Lee Evans (Buf), Eddie Royal (Den) and Hakeem Nicks (NYG).
TE: Anthony Fasano (Mia) and Bo Scaife (Ten).
K: Jason Elam (Atl) and Dan "the" Carpenter (Mia).
D/ST: New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

So that's my first team. I look forward to my Tuesday draft with the other bloggers, should be an entertaining league. Both leagues, for the record, I will dominate... because that's just how I roll.

Teddy Dupay: Another Example of a Flawed Legal System?

2009-08-25T17:17:00.000-04:00

By a show of hands, who here remembers Teddy Dupay?
/Looks around for a show of hands.

Well, for those who don't, Dupay was a member of Florida's 2000 NCAA tournament runner-up team and started at shooting guard for the team. Since then, Dupay has been kicked off the team prior to his senior season for gambling issues, bounced around lesser basketball leagues, then finally settling for a desk job in Utah.

Oh, and earlier this summer he was charged with felony counts of rape, aggrevated kidnapping and sexual assault on his then-girlfriend at a lodge in Utah.

Dupay was sentenced on Monday... to 30 days in jail, followed by three years of probation and 100 hours of community service.

Yeah, he did plead down to a third-degree felony charge, instead of a first-degree, but getting only 30 days for some pretty serious charges such as rape, kidnapping and sexual assault?

That means Dupay will be serving less time in jail (if Utah law is different than Florida law) for his charges than Donte' Stallworth served for killing a man.

Is it just me, or does this legal system seem flawed to anyone else?

Michael Beasley Goes to Rehab

2009-08-24T20:31:00.000-04:00

I was pretty shocked when I found out early Monday from Yahoo Sports that the Heat's Michael Beasley was admitted into a Houston-area rehabilitation clinic. I knew about the controvery that sparked when he posted this photo of his new tattoo on Twitter, and how everyone speculated about the contents of a plastic bag on the table in the background.

Beasley has had issues like this before, like when this photo surfaced prior to his rookie season with Mario Chalmers smoking what was also suspected to be marijuana. Then there was also the incident at the league's rookie symposium where he was fined $50K.

So it's understandable that Beasley would want to (or be forced to) go to rehab for drug abuse. The part that caught me by surprise even more was the fact that he was also going in to battle a bout with depression. This one I should have caught, because I saw the tweets that Beasley posted a few days back (there's a screen grab below of the them, courtesy of the Detroit Free Press)

This is what should be more alarming, and should be the media's focus when writing about Beasley in the near future. Plenty of athletes use drugs (I'm looking at you, Ricky Williams), it's no surprise to any one, really. However, when an athlete is battling depression like this, to the point where he feels "like it's not worth livin," that should have everybody taken aback.

It's understandable that he would feel a little depressed, coming off a rocky rookie season, in which many jumped at the opportunities to call him a bust (already?). One in which he was fined multiple times by the Heat for minor infractions. One in which there was speculation that the Heat had given up on him and were looking to trade him. It's a lot to handle, mentally and emotionally, for someone who is still a kid.

Beasley, similar to my post about former-UM point guard Edwin Rios, has been given every chance to succeed at basketball in his life, and it would really be a shame to see that wasted. Before the draft, there was talk that Beasley still had maturing to do, as he had attended at least five different high schools in four years.

Obviously, he still has some maturing he needs to do and some issues that he needs to work out before he can succeed at the NBA level. Let's just hope that Beasley can work out those issues, because he is a very talented kid with a long career ahead of him if he can get his head on straight.

Jermaine O'Neal Chooses Words Poorly

2009-08-20T01:26:00.000-04:00

He didn't really do anything "wrong," but Heat big-man Jermaine O'Neal might want to reconsider his use of words when using his Twitter, especially when 8,173 (at last count) people might see what he says.

What is it that he said, you might ask? Check the below image for the answer.

Like I just said, O'Neal didn't do anything wrong, but he did use a poor choice of word in his tweet to teammate Dwyane Wade. The issue I have with O'Neal's choice of wording is obvious: he's a public figure that used a racial slur in a medium that is seen by thousands of people, even if he was just trying to say what's up to a friend.

I understand that many black people, and many people in general, use the term loosely as a term of endearment and rappers openly use the word in their music. However, athletes are in a different boat than everyone else, fair or not. Commissioners of the major sports leagues are trying to run family-friendly businesses, and nearly every aspect of the public image of their employees (professional athletes) is carefully watched over in the form of things such as league dress codes and other policies that help keep that family-friendly label.

Just last year, Dallas Cowboys backup tight end Martellus Bennett was fined $22K by the team for using similar derogatory terms in a YouTube video he posted on his aptly-named Marty B TV.

Like Bennett, O'Neal's public perception is bigger than just himself, because he also represents the Miami Heat, and beyond that, the NBA. This probably won't become a big issue, nor should it be blown out of proportion.

All I'm saying is that perhaps next time, when using a public social networking medium to have a personal conversation with a friend, O'Neal should try to use a more careful choice of words, such as "man," "bro," or if he wants to stick with the slang, "homey," and leave the derogatory slang at home, to be used away from the public spotlight.

A Statistical Comparison of Tim Tebow and Charlie Ward

2009-08-18T14:49:00.000-04:00

This post was inspired by something that the Orlando Sentinel reported earlier today:

“People keep asking me about Tebow,” Bowden said. “You know, is he the best ever? I don’t know if he’s better than Charlie. I don’t think he runs better than Charlie. I don’t think he throws better than Charlie. And Charlie only played [quarterback] two years for us.”

So it got me to thinking about whether Charlie Ward was, in fact, better than Tim Tebow. I tried to dig up all of Ward's career statistics at FSU but all I could find, on his Wikipedia entry no less, was his basic passing statistics, so I'll have to settle this debate with what I have in front of me.

Since Ward only played quarterback for the Seminoles for two seasons (1993-94) and Tebow has been starting for the Gators for two full seasons coming into this one, I'll compare them based on those years.

Let's start with each quarterback's first season as a starter, shall we?

In 1992, Ward completed 204 of his 365 pass attempts (that's 55.9% completion rate) for 2,647 yards, 22 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

In 2007, Tebow's first season at the helm, he completed 234 of 350 passes (66.9% completion rate) for 3,286 yards, 32 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.

So let's get this straight, Tebow completed more passes, in fewer attempts, for more yards and more touchdowns, while throwing fewer interceptions than Ward did in each player's first full season as a starter? Not to mention Tebow also ran for 895 yards and 23 touchdowns that season, en route to becoming the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy.

I believe Tebow takes gets the nod for each player's first season as a starter.

Now, let's take a look at each player's second season as a starter:

In 1993, Ward completed 264 of 380 passes (69.5% completion) for 3,032 yards, 27 touchdowns and 4 interceptions en route to winning the Heisman and leading FSU to the school's first National Championship in football.

Last season for the Gators, Tebow completed 192 of 298 passes (64.4%) for 2,746 yards, 30 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while leading Florida to the team's second title in three years. Add in the fact that he also rushed for 673 yards and 12 touchdowns, and that's another great season that resulted in being named a finalist for the Heisman again.

It's tough to argue which player had a better season out of those two, because both were phenomenal. It's also tough to adequately compare them without being able to find Ward's complete college statistics. But based solely on their passing numbers, I'd have to say that Tebow gets the edge.

If you want to compare each player based on win-loss record, Ward compiled a 23-2 record in his two seasons at FSU while Tebow has accumulated a 35-6 record in three seasons, including a 22-5 record as a starting quarterback. So in that sense, Ward would get a slight edge over Tebow.

One must also take into account Tebow's superb leadership, which is interesting, because Bobby Bowden was once quoted saying this:

"...Tebow’s the best leader I’ve ever seen. I mean, he is a leader. Charlie did it for us like follow him. Charlie did it on the field. This kid does too. But he jacks those guys up if they aren’t doing what he wants them to. You can see him in their face. Charlie would never do that. (Chris) Weinke might have. But not Charlie.”

So when Bowden said this week that Ward was a better player than Tebow, was he right?

In short, yes, Charlie Ward is better than Tim Tebow... at basketball, and probably tennis and maybe even baseball. But when it comes to football, I take exception to Bowden's comments, because Tebow is a better player than Ward, and he's still got this season to go.

Ted Ginn: Becoming the Go-to WR?

2009-08-17T23:26:00.000-04:00

Tedd Ginn is who the 'Phins thought he was!

Let's flashback a couple of years to the 2007 NFL Draft, when the Dolphins held the ninth overall pick. Remember that day? Brady Quinn was free-falling from the top of draft boards and seemingly into the laps of the Dolphins, who had been in desperate search of a franchise quarterback since Dan Marino hung up his pads. Everything seemed to fall into place for the Dolphins at that point. Then, as a shock to the world, it was announced that the team had drafted Ted Ginn, Jr. with the ninth overall pick.

The pick was heavily booed by fans at the Dolphins' official draft party, and questioned by nearly everybody, especially after then-Dolphins coach Cam Cameron assured fans that the team didn't just draft Ted Ginn, but his family, as well. That would have been great and all, if his family could run a pro-style offense or lead block.

I admit, I was just as dumbfounded as everyone else when it happened, but I wanted to give Ginn a shot to prove himself before I judged him completely. Then the 2007 season happened. Ginn had 34 receptions for 420 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those numbers weren't great for what was supposed to be the team's next big scoring threat. It also didn't help matters any that the team finished the season 1-15.

There was even more outrage over Ginn's selection, and fans wanted to label him a bust (I'm guilty of that, too, for the record). Then the 2008 season came around. The Dolphins had a legitimate quarterback taking snaps: Chad Pennington. Surely, Ginn would become the elite receiver the Dolphins expected him to be when the team drafted him. He did, sort of. He gained 790 yards receiving in his second season, and caught 2 more touchdowns. Still, not amazing.

However, there were a few instances when he showed signs of being the Dolphins go-to receiver. He had a career-high 175 receiving yards against the Bills in week 8. He also came up big in week 17 against the Jets with the division title on the line: 2 receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.

He was still just a glorified return man trying to make his way as the team's deep threat receiver.

This offseason, coach Tony Sparano spoke highly of Ginn's improvement on the field:

"I've seen in some situations him be pretty dominant. The offense has started to slow down for him. I really have seen him be, in some situations, pretty dominant. You can see his confidence really is at a high level right now. He's running better, playing a little bit stronger and really understands what's going on around him"

That could have easily been accepted as a head coach talking up his player, but then the Dolphins' first preseason game rolled around Monday night, and I have to say, Ginn looked impressive in his minimal playing time.

Ginn had 2 receptions for 26 yards, and both were for first down conversions. His route-running was on-point, he showed a good display of soft hands and he even drew a pass interference call on the Jaguars for another first down on a ball that should have been a 98-yard touchdown reception had the ball been thrown better (speculation, I know, but I like to think it's true). Ginn also had a 14-yard rush on an end-around, for another first down. In other words, he touched the ball four times, and each time resulted in a first down for the Dolphins, who eventually won the game 12-9.

I realize it's only the preseason, so I probably shouldn't read too much into Ginn's performance, because hey, even the Lions went undefeated in the preseason last year, and we all know how that ended. Regardless, Ginn looks poised for a breakout season, and a chance to prove to all the DolFans and media out there that he was not a reach with the ninth overall pick in 2007, that he isn't a draft bust, and most importantly, that he can be that go-to receiver the Dolphins will turn to when they need a play.

BREAKING NEWS (That Everyone Already Knows)

2009-08-13T21:04:00.000-04:00

So Chris Mortensen of ESPN broke the news tonight during ESPN's preseason football broadcast that Mike Vick has found a team. That team being the Philadelphia Eagles.

It's a two year contract, sort of. Vick will make $1.6 million this season, with a second year coming as a team option. If the Eagles pick it up, he'll make $5.2 million in 2010. (I wish I could make that much money a few months after serving a two-year jail sentence...).

What this all means for Donovan McNabb is beyond me, but I'm guessing he died a little bit inside when he heard the news. He'll certainly be looking over his shoulder any time he screws up, because we all know how impatient(?), and understanding Philadelphia fans are.

Still don't know how good of a move this is for the Eagles, but it certainly leaves open the option for a killer wildcat option (if Vick is half the player he was before going to jail) with Vick, Brian Westbrook, DeSean Jackson and McNabb in the backfield.

Anyways, I'm sure this isn't the last I'll post about this, but that's all for now.