Are they HOFers?

This past Sunday the Baseball Hall of Fame honored manager Whitey Herzog, umpire Doug Harvey and outfielder Andre Dawson in its 2010 induction ceremony.  Over the next few seasons, many more key players will come up for election. 

Many different baseball "experts" have different feelings about candidates.  There are you more traditional people who stick by the old number standbys such as 3,000 hits or 500 home runs (for the most part nowadays).  There are your new-age Sabermetric people who have many more in-depth methods and pick apart each little aspect of a player's career.  Then you have people like myself who are "eyeballists."  I take into account statistics to some degree, but I think your eye can tell you more who is a true HOFer than any other way.  Another way to term it is to "go with your gut." 

At this point, I have seen the whole career of most of these players and a handful of them I have seen the large majority of their careers.  I will say that I believe the Hall of Fame should be restrictive.  Not as restrictive as only the Babe Ruths and Ty Cobbs, but guys like Phil Rizzuto and Bill Mazeroski are not HOFers to me.

So I'm going to take a look at the players who are eligible for the next few HOF classes.  This does not include managers or executives who now have a different process for election, the HOF announced this week.

My HOFers below are in BOLD.

First the 2011 nominees, which I'll include the holdovers from last year's election.  Here's the results of the 2010 vote with those who got under 5% removed since they are no longer eligible:

Bert Blyleven 400 (74.2%) -- I know Blyleven won a lot of games for some terrible teams and is one of the best strikeout pitchers of all-time. I am on the fence with him and could be talked into it because he was one of the guys who I did not see the majority of his career.  However, the fact he has been on the ballot for so long and those who did watch him have yet to vote him in makes me think "no."

Roberto Alomar 397 (73.7%) -- To me, a no-brainer.  Probably the best 2B of the '90s.

Jack Morris 282 (52.3%) -- I'd vote for Morris.  The guy won more games than any other pitcher in the '80s, was a bonafide ace, led three teams (Tigers, Blue Jays and Twins) to World Series titles and is one of the first candidates who spent his whole career in a five-man rotation so it is tough comparing his numbers.  Many sight his relatively high ERA, but Morris pitched to the score and he was a winner.  His famous Game 7 showdown of the 1991 World Series vs. John Smoltz and the Braves showed the type of competitor and winner he was.

Barry Larkin 278 (51.6%) -- I've heard the arguments for Larkin, but for me he was an all-star caliber player who missed too many games due to injury.  Close, but a no.

Lee Smith 255 (47.3%) -- No

Edgar Martinez 195 (36.2%) -- A tremendous hitter, one of the best right-handed hitters of a generation.  However, I can't get over the fact his career is primarily as a DH.  I grew up an American League guy and later worked for a National League team for a decade and I think that playing in the field is part of the game that can't be overlooked.

Tim Raines 164 (30.4%) -- An absolute yes.  I think Raines is continually overlooked because he was the same type of player as Ricky Henderson at the same time as Henderson but with the majority of his career played in the obscure Montreal.  Raines was a dynamic threat at the plate and on the basepaths and his low vote total last year is shocking.

Tim Raines had his career overshadowed by Henderson, but he's a HOFer.

Mark McGwire 128 (23.7%) -- Nope.  Not only does he have the PED issue, but he was a one-dimensional player.  Yes, it was quite a dimension, but when you throw in the PEDs too, it diminishes his career.

Alan Trammell 121 (22.4%) -- Nope.  A certain all-star, but not a HOFer.

Fred McGriff 116 (21.5%) -- No

Don Mattingly 87 (16.1%) -- No.  He was on his way, but his back shut him down.

Dave Parker 82 (15.2%) -- Parker gets overlooked often.  I don't think he's a HOFer, but is definitely a guy who history often misses.

Dale Murphy 63 (11.7%) -- A tough call given a review of his career without looking through the glasses of the PEDs.  A two-time MVP, a top-notch outfielder and one of the top players in the NL of the '80s for a generally terrible team.  The thing that hurts Murph and why I barely fall on the side of no too is how quickly his career fell off at the end.  His peak just wasn't long enough.

Harold Baines 33 (6.1%). -- Nope.  Too much DH.

Now the new players who will appear on the 2011 ballot:

Rafael Palmeiro -- Despite the 3,000 hits and the 569 HRs, I just can't do it.  Not only does he have the PED aspect on his record, but he was never a guy who I thought was a HOFer while playing.  Rarely, he was the best player on his own team and he was a dangerous hitter but not one who struck fear into you like so many others.

"I am not a Hall of Famer, period."

Jeff Bagwell -- This will be a tight vote amongst the electorate, but I'm going with a no.  Bagwell was a dangerous hitter and one of the leaders of the Astros for a long time. He is widely considered a great guy and led the Astros to the playoffs several times but what stands out to me is that they did not win a playoff series until he was no longer in his prime when they had Carlos Beltran, Lance Berkman, Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte. 

Juan Gonzalez -- Nope.  I believe he was a big PED guy.

John Olerud -- No.

Larry Walker -- I would love to see what Walker's career would have been like without playing in Colorado or there with the humidor.  He did win five Gold Gloves too, but barely misses my cut.  If you could define the Colorado numbers better, maybe.

Tino Martinez -- No.

John Franco -- No.

On to the 2012 first-timers:

Bernie Williams, Tim Salmon, Brad Radke, Vinny Castilla, Ruben Sierra and Jeromy Burnitz -- all nice players, but none did enough for me.  You can make a case for Williams with all of his postseason success, but he's still not a HOFer for me.

The 2013 first-timers are a tough class to call:

Barry Bonds: Wow, what do you say about this guy.  He clearly was involved with PEDs later in his career and by all accounts that began in 2001.  He was probably a HOFer if his career ended then, so should he get in based on that time?  What about, despite his PED use, he was still the most dangerous hitter among all hitters whether they were cheating or not?  I'm going to go with yes here based on the early work, but you may have to ask me again in three years when this vote happens.


Roger Clemens: Sigh...another tough case.  When did he start his PED use?  Did he slack his last few years in Boston and then turn it to another gear in Toronto or did he have help doing so?  That was in 1997 and 1998, so were PEDs prevelant then?  Or was his use just later in his career with the Yankees and Astros.  His body of work, taken strictly on numbers and dominance, definitely make him a HOFer.  However, I'm going to go with no.  His time in Boston would make him a borderline candidate, but I'm just too suspicious of the time after that.  Whereas Bonds could have been a HOFer if his career ended after 2000 or 2001, depending on when you believe he started doping.

Sammy Sosa: No way.  The poster boy for PED use.  His career is based on it and he even cheated on the field with the corked bat.

Craig Biggio: For a long time I was a no on Biggio, but I came around to him near the end of his career so he is a yes for me.  Not only did he get 3,000 hits, but he did it moving from catcher to second base to the outfield and back to second base again and did it all with skill, including four Gold Gloves at 2B and one of his Silver Sluggers as a catcher in 1989.

Mike Piazza: People have always rumored PED use for Piazza, but nothing near the "where there's smoke there's fire" of a Clemens, Palmeiro or Sosa.  He's the all-time HR leader as a catcher and he absolutely passes the eye test for me.  He scared the crap out of me when he would face the Braves because not only could he hit homers, but he could hit pitchers' pitches out of the park.  He'd hack balls down the right-field line or clobber them in the left-center gap.  A HOF for me.

Curt Schilling:  He is a controversial candidate for many.  He had a mouth and attitude that turned many off, including me, during his career.  His career got off to a slow start, but from 1992 on he was one of baseball's most feared pitchers.  I am also someone who puts stock into postseason performances and he was one of the best of a generation, not just with Boston, but also with Arizona and Philadelphia.  His 216 regular-season wins may not do it for some, but those plus his playoffs make him a HOFer for me.
 
Kenny Lofton: Say what you want about Kenny, but he was probably the best leadoff hitter from the mid-'90s to the mid-'00s.  When he played well his teams won and when he played well he was tough to beat.  Those great Indians teams fed off of Lofton.  In his prime, he played like a HOFer.  However, I don't think his prime was long enough.  A star player, but not a HOFer.
 
David Wells: He is a no for me.  Wells was a dependable horse who played on some great teams, but I never felt he was dominant or someone you had to play around in a series. 
 
Finally, the 2014 nominees:
 
Greg Maddux: Um...yes.  I don't think I even need to explain.


Tom Glavine: Another no-brainer.

Jeff Kent: NO!  I can't stand people who only mention that he is the all-time HR leader at second base.  Yes, that is a credit, but he also did it in the era of the home run in the smaller parks, tighter balls and watered-down pitching from expansion. He was a good player, sure, but Kent never really scared you.  Look at his numbers sometime and look how he did with and without Barry Bonds.  Night and day.  Bonds should have won the MVP award Kent won, but people were tired of voting for Bonds, especially because he  wasn't well liked.  Kent also was a clubhouse jerk and not well liked among the media and teammates.  Guess how many times he was an all-star or even in the top 20 when not playing with Bonds?  Just twice.  You can argue he was the best player on his own team only once or twice his whole career and those were losing teams.
Frank Thomas: The Big Hurt gets in on my board.  A highly-feared hitter and one of the best of the '90s.

Mike Mussina: I wasn't in Mussina's corner for a long time, but I came around on him like I did with Biggio.  He was the ace of many staffs in Baltimore and some in New York and he did it in the AL during the steroid era.  The fact he came back and ended his career on such a high note says something in my book.

Moises Alou:  A nice, all-star career, but no. 
 
I'm not going to get into the 2015 guys, but if they don't pitch again I hope to see Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz together in the HOF.
 

Kent owes the best years of his career to Bonds.

Thoughts on LeBron James...

There isn't much I can add to what has already been written all over the internet by writers much better than myself.  Of course, as a native of northeast Ohio, I share many of the sentiments of those who have been negatively affected by LeBron James' decision to go to Miami.

Having worked in professional sports and been behind the scenes for a long time, I sometimes think my viewpoint is a little different than most fans.  I have a better understanding of how front offices work and I am a little more grounded.  So, in this case too, I am not as "fired up" as many Cavaliers' fans.  However, that doesn't mean I am happy about the situation.

As far as I'm concerned, James was free to go wherever he wanted.  It has been long stated what each of his suitors had to offer, whether that was location, a better immediate roster or the comforts of home with the chance at more money.  Obviously, I wish he stayed in Cleveland but if he wants to go play with his buddies in Miami, so be it.

Some thoughts though:

1. I'm not sure James fully understood the ramifications of his decision and how it would impact northeast Ohio and how the fans would react.  Whether that was his own failing or that of his friends and agent, many of whom are from the area, I don't know but someone dropped the ball here.  If James did know, then shame on him for how he handled the situation and he is going to have to live the rest of his life knowing that the circumstances surrounding any potential return to the area are of his own doing.

2. James probably could not have handled the situation any worse.  This is the area where many fans went from bummed-out and disappointed to angry.  To call ESPN for an hour-long special to announce his decision was pompous to begin with.  It was the first big decision of LeBron's career where his image started to tarnish.  Many thought there was no way he could call a nationally-televised special only to break Cleveland's heart, but as soon as I heard about the charity aspect and then later when I heard it wouldn't take place in Ohio, I knew the outcome would be a departure of some sort.

The charity aspect was a charade.  Sure, I'm glad that the Boys and Girls Clubs of America will get $2.5 million from the show, but I knew that was just to mitigate the pomposity of calling the special and to dull some of the pain he was about to inflict.

Then came the spectacle of the special itself.  Digging up Jim Gray from sports' no-man's land, for whom LeBron's people paid for the show, was just the humorous part of the episode.  ESPN and Gray dragged it out for 27 minutes after promising the announcement would come in the first 10.  Then LeBron handled the actual announcement

Like I said, he could have said whatever he wanted, but there was a way it should have been done, which is where James blew it.  Never in the course of the special while making the announcement or in the 30 minutes to follow did LeBron throw the people of northeast Ohio a bone.  He didn't need to cry and get emotional, but he needed to address the fans directly one way or another.  Thanking them for their support or explaining why he left home or showing some degree of sympathy for an area of the country that is the most damaged in its sports fanhood and more recently by the economic situation that anywhere else. 

Akron may be where James is from but it will never be the same again for him

He knew this.  He knew how much the city was struggling and how the town just wants more than anything else, to be called a champion.  To handle it as coldly as he did and on national television, well that was too low of a blow for many.  Even fans in Miami have expressed, despite their excitement over his decision, that they felt bad for Cleveland and worse for the way the whole episode went down.

LeBron James will never be the same.  His image has taken a major hit, but it will improve to some degree if NBA titles follow.  However, he'll never have the sterling image he once had and he'll never be confused with Michael Jordan or even Kobe Bryant because he left and couldn't do it in his own city as the leader of the team.  I know he wants a handful of titles to compete with Bryant's five and Jordan's six, but how many reach that?  If he does reach it, but with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade's help, then do they mean as much as the ones the other guys won?

On the flip side, one title with the Cavaliers would have defined him forever.  He would be given credit by everyone that he brought Cleveland the title it so desperately wanted and needed after close to a 50-year drought.  The country would identify with what he did and give him credit for it, much more credit than he will get now if Miami wins multiple titles.

Finally, I gave some thought to when LeBron's career is long over.  Jordan had a fall-out with the Chicago Bulls and is no longer a presence in that city.  However, that isn't home for him, which is North Carolina where he is the Charlotte owner now.  James may own a franchise one day when his career is done, but it won't be in his hometown. 

Jim Brown only played nine seasons for the Browns, but because he never shunned his Cleveland ties even after going "hollywood," he has been able to make a career and life long after his playing days ended.  Willie Mays has his long-standing ties with the Giants and Hank Aaron does with the Braves.  Dominique Wilkins is a Hawks announcer and Austin Carr and many others still relish their ties with their former clubs.  James will be a vagabond wherever he winds up.  He'll never have those ties to home he once said he cherished so much and when he sits back and looks at the meaningfulness in his life I believe he'll regret "The Decision."

After Jim Brown went "Hollywood" he still held to his Cleveland ties

Omar Infante...all-star??

With today's announcement of the MLB All-Star squads, you knew there would be the typical snubs.  Sometimes this is because the manager selects players from his team, with all things being somewhat close to equal, and sometimes is has to do with the antiquated rule that each team must have at least one all-star.

So imagine my surprise, and from what I am reading on the internet I am not alone, to see Atlanta Braves' utility man Omar Infante on the National League team.  I know there is a new rule this year that allows one player to re-enter the game so that teams don't run out of players and Infante can play many positions.  Still, you have got to be kidding me.  What is NL manager Charlie Manuel thinking?  Just because Omar has done well against the Phillies this year?

NL All-Star manager Charlie Manuel made quite a reach in Infante's case

I think Infante is a good player.  He hits for a decent average, is pretty clutch and can play all over the field.  He is also a good guy.  He's a little quiet around the English-speaking media and doesn't cause trouble and you can get a sense of his real personality from when he interacts with his Spanish-speaking teammates and coaches.  You want to root for a guy like him and I am happy he made the all-star team, but Omar is no all-star.

Players like Cincinnati's Joey Votto, who could be a legitimate MVP candidate, or Washington's stud third baseman Ryan Zimmerman are having to hope they get voted in by the fans online.  These guys are the guts of their teams in the heart of their teams lineups everyday.  Infante has started just 42 of the Braves 81 games this season and is only ninth on the team in at-bats.  He does have a solid .311 average, but with just nine walks he has an OBP of just .343.  It isn't like his numbers blow you out of the water.

To reinforce this, when Atlanta's GM Frank Wren called Infante this morning, Infante thought he was calling because he was being traded!  He then thought that he was the victim of a joke!

Like I said, good for Omar and good for the Braves, who have been one of baseball's best stories of the first half.  However, one of this year's NL snubs feels a lot worse than normal.

Omar is a good guy, but he doesn't deserve this honor

LeBron and the fate of the Cavs

So Thursday begins the NBA free agency period, one that will shape the face of the league for years to come.  Big names like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire, Joe Johnson and Dirk Nowitzki are all out to be had along with some lesser, but still important players like David Lee and Carlos Boozer.  Obviously, unless you have been living under a rock for the past two years, you know the real story is the future of LeBron James. 
James' fate will determine where the rest of the dominoes will fall.  Teams like the New York Knicks basically sandbagged the last two seasons, even pretty much admitting as much to its fans, in an effort to clear salary cap space for James.

All of that has been well documented.  The only real question left is, "where he will wind up?"

LeBron's destination is the biggest question in sports

This week's news has surrounded rumors LeBron is destined for Miami or Chicago, both of which have created significant space under the cap with trades.  In Miami, he could team up with Wade and possibly Bosh to form a fearsome trio.  If he goes to Chicago, Bosh may join along and they could team up with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah on an up-and-coming squad.

New Jersey, New York, the L.A. Clippers and Dallas all can make up scenarios that could intrigue James, but I don't think any are the threat to his resigning in Cleveland that Miami and Chicago provide.

In my heart, as a northeast Ohio native, I would love to see him come back.  Cleveland can offer him more money than any city and northeast Ohio is his home.  He has strong roots in the area, which include a large number of friends, his ties to the University of Akron and the community that helped raise him.  He is a product of a young, single mother and as a result many others helped him get to where he is today. 

LeBron knows if he leaves things will never be the same at home again.  He won't be Art Modell, but he will have caused some serious ill will and will have lost the fan support of the area.  Many outsiders don't understand his ties to home.  Most of the pundits are from big cities or fans from places where they can't understand what draw Cleveland would have for him.  I understand Cleveland isn't the most glamorous place.  I understand how it looks to outsiders, but to folks from there it is a different ball of wax.  Home means more for anyone, no matter where it is.  I believe LeBron has some serious conflictions and considerations with this decision.

Cleveland will never be the same if LeBron leaves

Can Cleveland give him the best chance to win immediately?  Probably not unless it pulls off a sign-and-trade for one of the max-caliber players and pulls off some trades to clear cap space.  That said, if he comes back, with the remaining players they still are a top-three team in the Eastern Conference and contenders, just maybe not the high-end, flashy contenders he could have in Miami or Chicago.  He has seen that owner Dan Gilbert is willing to spend and do whatever LeBron wants, but he has also seen coaching changes and franchise that is in a tough spot.

In the end, it's his call, but a tough one with an emotional element that can't be ignored.  I do believe he hasn't made up his mind yet, but I am also not blind to what's out there.  In the end, I think he'll turn to his chances to win multiple titles with the other max players and consider his legacy in the game as the key to his decision.  He won't want to turn his back on home, but he'll do so for his own future and hope people can understand.  So, ultimately I believe he'll take the Chicago or Miami route and Cleveland will be left in a tough place.

Dan Gilbert has tried his best to keep LeBron happy

Without LeBron, I am not sure Cleveland will ever win a title.  Only the 2004 Detroit Pistons have won a NBA title in the last 30 years without a superstar and that team had multiple all-stars.  No free agent is going to sign with the Cavs unless another star is there and the only way another star winds up in Cleveland is by draft.  Then the chances that star will be of LeBron's caliber is unlikely and the chance they are from northeast Ohio is just about zero.  So, if that guy ever does turn up he won't resign even the first time like LeBron did and the Cavs will be in NBA purgatory again. 

We'll see what LeBron chooses.  Only the future of Cleveland basketball success lies with his decision.

Dwyane Wade is looking for fellow superstar LeBron to join him in Miami

The looming NFL lockout will cast a shadow on 2010

In a recent SI.com article, DeMaurice Smith, president of the NFL Players' Association, said, "Chad Ochocinco asked me at the draft, on a scale of 1 to 10 where do you see the possibility of a lockout? I'd put it at about a 14."

This is not the first comment from Smith or many others closely tied to the new collective bargaining discussions to convey such pessimism.  It looks like 2011 may be unlike any the NFL has seen since 1987 when strike-replacement players were taking the field.  Since then, the NFL has flourished and become an empire in almost every aspect from merchandising to television and media coverage to fan interest.  From the outside fan looking in, this standoff doesn't make any sense.  They see the billionaires vs. the millionaires.

NFLPA president DeMaurice Smith knows his union is in a no-win situation (photo: AP).

Obviously the issues are more complicated than that.  The players are willing to extend the past contract while trying to work something out in the meantime, but the owners are steadfast in their refusal to do so.  They say the climate has changed and the recently-completed CBA has to change to go forward.  The owners want the players to contribute from their share of the revenue split toward new stadiums and capital improvements.  The players claim that no other sport asks players to do this and they shouldn't have to in this case.  That is just one of the many key issues on the table.

I think we all know in the end how this will turn out.  In most CBA disputes in major professional American sports, the owners hold the upper hand.  The NBA crushed its union in the 1999 standoff and the NHL locked out an entire season while defeating its players' union.  Even in baseball, where the players have made more inroads than any of the others, the owners still have come out on top.

In the NFL, the owners are going to win.  There is no realistic alternative option for the players to make a living unless they flood the Canadian Football League and that isn't going to happen.  The owners have planned for this years ago.  The current television deal will pay them almost $4 billion if they don't play this season, allowing them to build a war chest the players cannot compete with.  The owners have already aligned assistant coaching contracts with the lockout in mind. 

Smith said they advised the players last year to hold back 25 percent of their salaries in 2009 and 2010 for this exact situation, but too many players live paycheck-to-paycheck whether that is to maintain their current lifestyle or to deal with off-field issues such as alimony and child support.

So here we sit in the small gap before training camps kick off in earnest and the 2010 season will be right around the corner.  For the most part, these issues will not be noticed other than articles in the media and occasional television commentaries, but those who follow the league will feel it casting a shadow all season long.  The uncertainty of what lies ahead is uncomfortable for all involved. 

For example, look at my beloved Cleveland Browns.  I know they won't be making their first trip to the Super Bowl in 2011, but the hope of the fanbase is with the new leadership group led by Mike Holmgren and the optimism from the way the 2009 season ended with four consecutive wins that this team is finally pointed in the right direction.  With the lockout looming, everything is on hold.  Teams don't want to commit money and sign deals involving 2011.  Coach Eric Mangini may be a lame-duck coach, but no one knows yet.  Veteran players won't get deals for much, if any, money for that season and many long-time veterans across the league will be out of jobs.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones knows the owners hold all the cards in the CBA negotiations.

For other teams who are reaching their windows for a championship run, they may have the plug pulled on their chances.  Teams like New Orleans, Arizona, Green Bay and the New York Jets all will be a year older, a year with more rust on their bodies and offseason uncertainty regarding coaches and contracts will loom.

I am not sure what the players can do.  The fans may scream that they won't follow or support the NFL anymore, but that simply isn't true.  If they can come back in the other sports that don't have the fan support of the NFL, they will come back to football too.  The owners know this.  People LOVE the NFL and will always be there.  A non-descript regular-season Sunday game has ratings higher than playoff games of most other sports and the owners will use this knowledge to get what they want.

So, for an argument with only one real possible outcome, that of an owners' victory, it is frustrating that an entire season could potentially be impacted.  Yes, the players have some issues the owners can address such as the health insurance and coverage of current and former players and I am sure the draft will be tweeked too, but overall they are fighting tanks with sticks and rocks.  I think the NFLPA leaders know this deep-down, but would never admit it.  My hope is they take that understanding into negotiations and get something done before America's favorite game is missing next fall.

Floyd Landis and why I think Lance Armstrong cheated

Just a thought on a news item of note this week...

Floyd Landis/Lance Armstrong -- I am not condoning Floyd Landis' lying and his behavior.  He is a cheater, ethically bankrupt and his name will forever be associated with everything that is wrong in sports.  To summarize, Landis won the 2006 Tour de France before having his title removed for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.  He then entered a crusade against the anti-doping and cycling governing bodies while shouting his innocence from the top of his lungs.  He even wrote a book comically named "Positively False."

This week Landis finally came out admitted he cheated his whole career.  This didn't exactly come as a shock, but it did destroy all credibility he may have had left. However, he could just stop there.  Whether it was jealousy, revenge or just being a bitter soul, he decided to implicate many others as his ship was sinking.  Most notably, seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was included in those allegations.

Landis knew this moment at the 2006 Tour de France was a complete fraud

Here's the kicker...I believe him.  I am among those who has thought Armstrong has cheated for a long time.  Yes, he hasn't failed any tests, but in this current PED climate I can no longer take his word on it because logic isn't on his side. 

Armstrong has been accused several times of using illegal methods such as EPO, steroids and blood doping.  Governing bodies and fellow riders are among his accusers.  The problem is nothing sticks.  Part of that is the lack of any positive tests, but the other part is not discussed much publicly. 

Armstrong has a long history of law suits and threats of lawsuits or alternative actions against his individual accusers that has resulted in the loss of people's jobs and threatened their livelihoods.  He has a stable of lawyers and money on his side and he badgers and bullies people into keeping quiet and dropping lawsuits.  Even fellow American cycling legend Greg LeMond has accused Armstrong of cheating and bullying.

As I said before, logic fails me when it comes to Armstrong's side.  I am supposed to believe this man, who had testicular cancer that metastasized to his brains and lungs and had an grim prognosis, not only survived but became the greatest cyclist of all-time? 

Keep in mind, EVERY other top rider during Armstrong's prime tested positive for cheating one way or another.  These riders were the best in the sport and in peak condition who never went through such arduous cancer treatments as Armstrong, yet they still couldn't beat him even while cheating!  This man went from almost dying to the cream of the crop in one of the most physically-demanding sports and beat all of his cheating competition...and we are supposed to believe that in this day and age with the revelations across all sports over the last few years?

Maybe he is a complete miracle.  I give the guy all the credit in the world for his fight against his cancer and the incredible effort he has undertaken trying to fight cancer worldwide.  Maybe he did make himself into the best cyclist of all time without PEDs or cheating, but my brain won't let me wrap my head around it.  It is a comment on the sad state of sports and PEDs.

Armstrong won the Tour de France seven times, but I think he was using more than champagne to get by.

The Cavs: The Day After

As I sat down to write something about last night's unexpected premature end to the Cleveland Cavaliers season, I realize that I am one of the lucky ones among Cleveland sports fans.

It isn't that I was able to leave the area to move to Atlanta, but it was my relationship with sports that makes me so fortunate. To some people that may sound a little crazy since the only 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team has won a title from the teams closest to my heart.

However, the perspective gained from being a Cleveland sports fan, when added to my background beneath the fans-only surface of sports, allows me to take a different view than many. I have seen what goes on behind the scenes and I have seen how players, coaches and front offices work.

I have also seen how fans react and how sometimes they don't have the big picture or a true handle on what is going on. Fans are fans for a reason. They are passionate and driven to support and love their teams. This is great, but it exposes many to emotions and feelings that sometimes get the best of them or become too much.

It is a fine line. Part of what makes sports so great is that passion and love, but for those with such a tough history with so much unfulfilled promise as Cleveland sports fans it actually can turn in to a type of illness that spreads through a community.

I am not "freaking out" today. I am not crying or reading everything I can find on the internet about what went wrong and where LeBron is headed next. The season is over and they didn't get it done.

There is not much more to add to that. It does no good to look back and nitpick about the coaching, lack of chemistry or the inconsistent and sometimes baffling play on the court. That is for Danny Ferry, Dan Gilbert and LeBron James to decide, not me.

In the coming weeks with LeBron's free-agency decision looming, much will be written and said. The two Dans need to figure out what they plan to do whether James returns or not. In either case, these are not my decisions. I have no impact on these men and whatever decisions they come to I will have to live with. They may not be the ones I would have made, but I refuse to let myself get caught up in the fray.

I think that is an important perspective for many angst-ridden Clevelanders. Let it play out, take a deep breath and it will be what it will be. Getting too caught up in it makes no sense.

For instance, let's take dying. We have no control over the fact one day all of us will have our time end on this planet. Worrying and fixating on this will do nothing but make cause sadness, anger, frustration and many other feelings across the board. So what do we do? We live our lives, knowing in the back of our head that looms but not letting it handicap our ability to live and be happy. These basketball decisions are not to the level of dying, unless you count the possible death of basketball in Cleveland, but the point is the same. We can't worry about it and what it will be, it will be.

LeBron won't be a free agent until July 1 and over the next six weeks the talk will be insufferable. Keep in mind, however, that nothing can happen until then. So, sit back and take a deep breath because the answers will come soon enough and there is no sense in yelling to the highest mountain (or loudest sports-talk radio mouth).

Am I bummed the Cavaliers season finished as it did? Absolutely, but these feelings aren't new. My sincere hope is all of these disappointments over the years will make that first title since 1964 mean that much more.

I just hope I'm around to live it.

My hope is one day a Cleveland title will mean even more after so many photos like this.

The Cavaliers and LeBron James...

I am a little too caught up in the recent events to put my thoughts down without my emotions getting the best of me, but check back tomorrow and I will have a post about the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, Mike Brown, etc.

Browns thoughts for Terry Pluto

Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto recently posed questions to his readers about the Browns for an upcoming book.  I thought I would take the opportunity to answer his questions and send them off, but I also wanted to run them here:

Dear Browns Fans:


In conjunction with The Plain Dealer and Gray Publishing, I'm writing a book with the working title of What I've Learned From Watching the Browns.

I need your input. Here are some of the topics:

A) The scars from the move.

In many ways my entire life has revolved around sports. From an early age, I knew it was my interest and passion. So as I grew from the fan as a child and became a sports-industry professional as an adult, many of the feelings and ways I view sports changed. I no longer hero worship and I no longer let things in sports eat away at my insides.

However, the scars from the move still linger. The Cleveland Browns mean so much to the historically-rich football area of northeast Ohio that it was particularly painful when they were taken. The only comparison may be if the Packers were moved from Green Bay. The Indians and Cavaliers are loved, but the Browns leaving was a dagger to the soul of the city.

Even at that point, the city’s championship drought was over 45 years old, but even those terrible Browns teams got the people of Cleveland through the cold, gray winters. There was something so special about a Browns’ NFL Sunday. I used to look forward to the next game five minutes after the previous one ended.

As for me personally, it was at college at Ohio University. The final season came my freshman year and for the next three years I was in fan purgatory. The knowledge that Cleveland would again be getting a team helped, but being located about halfway between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh meant those teams on locally every Sunday. For the first time in my life, I found myself going to the library and doing schoolwork on Sundays.

We all were excited when the Browns came back, but due to the tough expansion situation and bad front office decisions they have not been successful. In fact, they have been awful. I still pull for them, but being in the new anti-septic stadium with a poor track record has definitely made the aura and feel of this team different from the past Browns. It is a feeling I hope one day returns because it was the best feeling in the world.

The city was betrayed by Art Modell (photo: waitingfornextyear.com).

B) Why fans love Bernie Kosar.

Fans love Bernie Kosar because he reminds them of themselves. He was not the best athlete. He was not the GQ cover boy. He was a kid from northeast Ohio (Youngstown) who WANTED to be a Brown.

There are a few things that will endear someone to Cleveland sports fans and wanting to be there and playing hard are at the top of the list. Kosar had both traits. Add that to the most successful run of the franchise since the Jim Brown days, and he became beloved by fans and the city.

Kosar wanted to be a Brown, making him beloved (photo: SI).

C) Why I keep watching this mess.

I keep watching this mess because I am a born-and-raised Cleveland sports fan. As such, there is no team more tied and loved by fans than the Browns. Maybe it is the hope that one day I will finally get to see that Super Bowl title and the unbridled joy of a city that has long deserved it? Maybe it is because I can say I am not a fair-weather fan? It is probably a combination of the two. The pride I would feel for the area along with the response I would receive from friends and family who know how much they mean to me would make it all worth it. I hope.

D) What NFL draft day means to me.

The NFL Draft means different things to me because it varies about how much it means to the Browns. If they are in a key draft position with intriguing players and trade possibilities, I am more likely to be tuned into the details of that year’s selections. However, if they are drafting near the bottom of the rounds or do not have a first-round selection, I do not focus on it as much.

I have the draft on every year if I can, but it is usually in the background and I switch over for the Cleveland picks and analytical breakdown. I do read about the picks from the online talent evaluators, but I also realize the nature of the draft and that patience is required.

Florida cornerback Joe Haden comes to Cleveland with big expectations as the 7th overall pick.

E) My best/worst day at Browns stadium was ...

My highlights:

Oct. 23, 1989: Browns beat the Bears 27-7 on Monday Night Football. Kosar had two 90+-yard completions to Webster Slaughter and the Browns won a big primetime game.

Oct. 27, 1991: I sat in the Dawg Pound for the first time in a big game against the Steelers. The atmosphere was electric and I still recall the different characters and personalities out there that afternoon. Cleveland won on a fluke tipped touchdown reception and Gary Anderson, who was almost automatic from a short distance, hit the post for a 17-14 Browns’ win.

1994 Playoffs: This was the last playoff win for the franchise with Bill Belichick leading the Browns to a 20-13 win against his future employer, New England. A friend and I bought tickets the day before the game and got good seats, which is amazing nowadays. There was not much as far as expectations with that team, but they had a great day from the start and I remember the festive atmosphere of the old stadium made the moment magic.

Oct. 31, 1999: I was visiting a friend at Tulane Law School and we planned the Halloween weekend around the “new” Browns visit to New Orleans. Cleveland entered the game 0-8 in its return season and we were just hoping for a competitive game against the Ricky Williams-led Saints. What we were treated to is one of the best moments of the “new” Browns.

Williams fumbled three times and with no time remaining Tim Couch hit Kevin Johnson on a “Hail Mary” to give Cleveland its first win in over four years. I will never forget the unbridled joy among the handful of Browns fans at the game. My buddy and I were hugging strangers and jumping up and down like little kids. I remember heading down the escalators on the way out and high-fiving Browns’ fans heading the other way and seeing the sadness on the faces of the Saints’ fans. I have to say, it gave me a tinge of pride that the Browns gave them those long faces.

My lowlights:

Nov. 18, 1989: This was a lowlight because it was the only tie game I attended. If memory serves, it was a very cold, lake-effect day on the lake. The Browns and Chiefs tied 10-10 and I just remember the uncomfortable and empty feeling walking out of the stadium.

Nov. 15, 1992: In a snow-swirling, freezing day at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the Browns led the San Diego Chargers 13-7 late in the game when Stan Humphries hit Anthony Miller with a bomb with two minutes left and Eric Metcalf fumbled in Charger territory on the final drive.

One of the few Belichick bright spots was the playoff win over New England in 1994 (photo: espn).

F) What the Browns mean to my family.

I am a sports fan, let alone Browns fan, because of my family. We used sports as a time to come together and speak a common language, no matter how old we were or where our lives were taking us. Some of my fondest family moments include rushing home from Sunday school, throwing off my nice clothes and running downstairs to get in place for the last few moments before kickoff. We regularly ordered Chinese food and would sit around television tables in the family room while watching, shouting and cheering at the happenings on the screen.

This extended to my other relatives too. Part of my family had company tickets to Browns games and when they had an extra ticket, I was the one who got the call. Sometimes it was at the last minute, but it was the most exciting call to get. Not only would I be going to the game that day, but my parents would let me miss Sunday school because they knew how much it meant to me.

G) Favorite Browns: Jim Brown, Brian Sipe, Sam Rutigliano, Joshua Cribbs, Brian Brennan, etc.

I am not old enough to have seen some of the great legends of the franchise, such as Otto Graham, Marion Motley, Lou Groza and Jim Brown. For me, I grew up with the Brian Sipe and Bernie Kosar teams. As a little kid, my favorites were Sipe, Mike Pruitt, Ozzie Newsome and Eddie Johnson.

As I got older, my fanhood has changed and I no longer have favorites the same way. Of the “new” Browns, I really enjoy Joe Thomas and Joshua Cribbs most. Probably for the same reasons Kosar was so loved—they play hard and want to play in Cleveland.

H) Meeting Browns players.

I would like to share this story because of all the things I have done in sports and all the people I have had the chance to meet, nothing was a more impactful moment for me and my future.

I was eight years old and our family was flying to Los Angeles on vacation to see relatives. When we got to the airport, we found that our seats had been separated. My five-year-old sister and my mother went toward the back of the plane and my father had the middle seat and I had the aisle seat in a row with a graying-haired man by the window.

During the flight, I noticed the man was wearing a 1980 Oakland Raiders Super Bowl ring. So, being the uninhibited kid, I asked the man about his ring. At first, he was quite surprised that this little eight-year-old kid recognized the ring, but then he mentioned he was the running backs coach on that Raiders team and was the current Browns running backs coach. His name was Joe Scannella and he was on his way to California to visit his daughter.

We talked football during the long flight and Joe was so impressed with me that he wrote me a nice note about being a fan and invited me to a Browns’ practice during training camp. I was so excited, but little did I know my expectations were about to be exceeded.

My parents got in touch with Joe and we went to Berea for practice. At some point during the practice, Joe came by and told me they were going to take me back to the locker room! I will never forget the look on my dad’s face, and the grin on mine, as the golf cart headed for the locker room and they were shutting him out behind the chain-link fence.

Inside the locker room I had the chance to meet many of my heroes. I had a small pad of paper with “Adam” printed on the top and the guys went around signing my pad for me and saying hello. At one point, I was sitting on Ozzie Newsome’s lap and talking with him as players came by. Now, more than 25 years later, I can still close my eyes and picture myself in his lap and seeing that scene.

I was hooked. The Browns had me before and now they had me for life. I was also officially hooked on sports and decided right then that I would work in the industry. I think of this day every now and then and I always smile and remember why I love what I do and why sports are so important to so many people.

Ozzie Newsome is a Hall of Fame tight end and a Hall of Famer in my sports life.

I) To make the team better, I wish the Browns would ...

…stay the course and pick an identity. All of the good NFL teams start with an identity. With all of the front office changes, obviously the philosophies and plans have been in constant flux.

Look at some of the better teams. Pittsburgh and Baltimore started with a defensive identity and made that part of their team championship caliber. Only then did they get the pieces to fill in the offenses. Teams like Indianapolis and New Orleans went with offense first. The Browns need to decide what they want to be, build that up to a championship level and then advance.

Jair Jurrjens visits the Toy Department!

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens is one of the game's best young starters.  Last season, he went 14-10 with a 2.60 ERA but he could have had several more wins if the Braves decided to score during some of his first-half starts.  "JJ" has a 30-21 career record with 3.21 ERA. 

As long as he stays healthy, he has had some shoulder tightness this spring but his MRI was good, he should be in for a big season.  I first met JJ when he was just 22, but he seems like an older spirit and his grasp of the game is one of a seasoned veteran.

Jair Jurrjens gives his thoughts on some fun topics below (photo: Atlanta Braves)

Below, JJ gives his quick answers in a segment I'm calling "The Quick Hit."

1. What teammate(s) taught you the most?
JJ: Javier Vazquez and Mike Gonzalez


2. Favorite MLB road stadium?
JJ: Coors Field (Colorado)

3. Video game you are just about unbeatable in (and format)? And what was your favorite video game growing up?
JJ: MLB The Show for unbeatable. Mario Bros. was my favorite growing up.

4. Opposing hitter who seems to have your number or you know you’re in for a big battle?
JJ: Willie Harris of the Nationals

5. Highlight game/moment so far in your MLB career?
JJ: My first career win (8/21/07 in a 2-1 at Cleveland while with Detroit).

6. Best teammate(s) to hang out with on the bench when not starting?
JJ: Martin Prado, Javier Vazquez, Ruben Gotay

7. What will happen first, you’ll steal a base or hit a home run?
JJ: Steal a base

8. Best road crowd at taunting?
JJ: New York Mets

9. Favorite snack food?
JJ: White Chocolate

10. You’re single, so…: blondes, red heads or brunettes?
JJ: I like 'em all!

Jurrjens is one of baseball's best young starters (photo: Atlanta Braves)

I'm a curling junkie and other thoughts...

So sorry for the delay in posts.  I have been caught up in the odd hours of the NBA.com life I'm leading, but I'll try to be more on the ball.  Below are some thoughts...

Olympic Curling -- This may be the single greatest thing that ever happened to folks out of work due to the economy.  Instead of another day filled with episodes of Maury and Judge Judy, Olympic Curling has been starting at noon and practically lasting all day.  It is hypnotic.  I have watched so many hours this week, that not only do I now understand the rules and strategy, I get upset when one of the American curlers makes a terrible shot!  Heck, I bet I'd recognize half of the curlers in this Olympics if I saw them on the street.  That isn't even addressing the added bonus of some of these women's teams having some attractive ladies and MILFs...

Anyway, I know it looks like anyone could curl.  I supposed folks can, the same way anyone can bowl.  But just like bowling, not everyone can step in and do it at the elite level.  All that said, I still think it may be the most obtainable Olympic sport for the common person.  Half the other Winter Games events are daring and youth-based.  The snowboarding and the downhill can not just be picked up by the regular fan.  I thank NBC for their scheduling of curling to fill out their broadcasting lineup.  It has made the last two weeks a much richer experience!

Cheryl Bernard and Team Canada will be in my head for months

Spring Training -- This being the first Spring Training in 10 years I am missing, I am finding the stories coming from the camps wildly entertaining.  I love the optimism everyone has right now and how every team has a plan and it is falling into place.  Of course, once the season starts that's all crazy talk but for now life is good.  No one has a hitting slump and no pitcher has allowed a five-run inning.  There's all these stories about guys with new physiques and new attitudes and feature stories on just about everyone on the team because the writers need a new angle to cover so many days.

This is the best time of the spring.  The last week before games start.  Everyone is in a good mood and looking forward to the exhibition games to see what everyone has and to do something other than practice.  Also, they aren't sick and tired of being at Spring Training just yet.  Wait until they get to the last 10 days or so.  Everyone can't wait to go and the teams are just praying no one gets hurt at that point.  That time is only used to figure out the last roster spot or two anyway.

Even at runown Winter Haven, the Indians would have Spring Training optimism

  
Cavs' Jamison/Ilgauskas trade -- I am a big fan of this deal for the long-term goals of this season, but not the short-term.  The Cavs were playing so well and many questioned whether to mess with the chemistry to make a deal like this one.  A valid concern.  However, I think that Antawn Jamison's ability to stretch the defense at the PF position will be a key for the Cavs in the playoffs.  I do think it will take several games to get everyone up to speed again, so don't be surprised if the Cavs are up and down for now.  Flow on the offensive end and picking up defensive assignments will be the sign they have overcome the new period.

I hope the Cavs can resign Big Zydrunas Ilgauskas now that the Washington Wizards have bought out his contract.  I know he may have better financial opportunities elsewhere (and he did have to pay $1.5 million out of his own pocket, since the Cavs paid him up front, to get the buyout), but the chance to win a title may not be better anywhere else and he has the huge fan support in Cleveland.  His home and family are there too and where else after all those years of struggles would he want to win more?

This is just awful and a little sad that it wasn't made in 1996

OSU's Evan Turner -- Many players have come through Ohio State's hoops program have won Big 10 and other awards.  Jim Jackson, Michael Redd, Greg Oden, etc.  Evan Turner will continue the legacy this season, but he may be the best player at Ohio State since Jackson and maybe since John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas.  Turner can do it all.  Handle, shoot (he needs a little work on his three-pointers), pass, rebound and defend and do it all at 6'7".  His number have him in the top two in the Big 10 in scoring, rebounds and assists.  That's never been done before.  John Wall, the amazing point guard at Kentucky, is Turner's main competition for national player of the year.  Wall's career may be better and he may have a better top end, but Turner is probably the better college basketball player.

I had decent expectations for this Buckeye team.  I knew Turner would be there and David Lighty would be healthy after missing most of last season.  William Buford was last season's Big 10 freshman of the year and Jon Diebler, who is Ohio's high school all-time leading scorer, can shoot the lights out.  I have been pleasantly surprised by Dallas Lauderdale.  He is letting the game come to him and leads the conference in blocked shots.  He knows his role and does it well.  The problem with guys in his position is foul trouble, and he does struggle with that at times.

If Purdue falls to Michigan State on today, OSU will tie those teams for the regular-season Big 10 title and will claim the top seed in the conference tournament. It is a solid, but not a deep, team.  The can do some serious damage in the NCAA tournament with a player like Turner and three other players who defend with length and can score.  It should be interesting, but they have a realistic chance at a Final Four appearance with a favorable draw.

Evan Turner is a Buckeye great and may be the national player of the year

NCAA Tournament Expansion -- Speaking of the tournament, there is a push from some coaches and other people to expand the teams from 65 to 96.  The real reason, of course, is money.  The NCAA wants to opt out of the remaining three years and $2.131 billion left on its contract with CBS because it thinks it can make MORE money than that by adding 31 teams and 31 games.  The bidding would open for the tournament an the expanded round reportedly between ESPN, FOX, CBS and Turner too may be involved.

The supporters claim the more teams that get a shot, the better.  More teams would be rewarded and have the NCAA tournament experience and more mid-majors would get their shot.  They also site there would be more upsets and unexpectedness with more teams. 

Now, I am totally against this whole plan, but I understand how money talks and that this probably will be a reality soon.  This idea will kill the regular season.  I know some worthy teams get left out of the tournament each year, but that's part of the fun and challenge of the season.  To add another 31 teams would basically be like adding the entire NIT field.  That means 2009 NIT teams like Washington State (17-15) and Northwestern (17-13) would make the Big Dance.  Should seasons like that be so richly rewarded?  I know some of the smaller teams would get a chance, but even if they pull one upset they are a long way away from the Sweet 16 or really making a run at the Final Four like George Mason. 

Also, in this plan some top seeds would get byes.  The tournament brackets, which honestly where 99% of the people get their fun out of this, would be a mess.  It won't be so easy for the common non-follower or casual follower to just pick up the brackets on the Monday and make it out.  That woman in accounting who is participating for the fun of it may be a bit overwhelmed.  Plus, I think the current setup is almost perfect.  I haven't heard complaints about it over the years other than a team or two missing out on a birth, but those teams don't really have a true shot anyway. 

It looks like this is going to happen, but I also think down the road I'll sound like an old fogey talking about the "good ol' days."

Less Cinderella teams would go deep in the tournament if it expands

Not such a hot pick...

I guess my Super Bowl pick was not quite accurate.  I admit it.  Picking the NFL nowadays is not easy.  It isn't like in the mid-80s when you just knew who were the better teams and which teams had no shot at the upsets.

Congrats to the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees.  Yet another team off both the "never won a Super Bowl" and never "been to a Super Bowl" lists that my Browns still are a member.  Sigh...

More to come tomorrow...

Super Bowl prediction and thoughts

Super Bowl XLIV -- So it is upon us, finally!  No more hearing about Dwight Freeney's ankle or Drew Brees being next to Tim Tebow as the most amazing person on this planet.  Phew...I can't stand all the Super Bowl coverage.  Everyone follows the season so closely that when you get down to just one game, most of us know the storylines and eventual stories by the time the AFC and NFC Championship games end.

On to the game and prediction...

Both teams are capable of winning this game, which is nice because there are some years when you just know one team is happy or lucky to be there only to face a monster team.  There were some big blowouts in the '80s and '90s that reflect that.  The last of those games was the Indianapolis Colts over the Chicago Bears three seasons ago.  The score may not have reflected a huge blowout, but before and during the game you knew the Colts would be in control. 

Lovie Smith's Bears had no real shot vs. the Colts. (photo: thestartingfive.wordpress)

Obviously, all the talk is about the quarterbacks and the offense.  Makes sense, of course.  Both are amazing and among the best of their generation.  The problem for the Saints is that they are running into Peyton Manning at the peak of his powers.  It's like running into Michael Jordan or Joe Montana at their peaks.  You may be great yourself, but they are all-timers.  That's what I sense here.  Brees is Clyde Drexler or John Elway or Karl Malone.  It doesn't mean he isn't terrific, but it may be the wrong timing.  He may very well win a Super Bowl one day like Drexler or Elway, but I don't think it is this Sunday.

I just think this picture is fantastically awesome. (photo: about.com)

Manning is a surgeon and will figure out the Saints defense eventually.  There's only so much you can do on a football field and Manning has seen it all by this point.  Even if the Saints initially get pressure, the Colts will adjust and get it done.  Whichever team doesn't have to settle with field goals will win, and I just see the Colts being that team.  I know Freeney is hurt, but I think it won't be the big deal many are making it.

The pick: Indianapolis 34, New Orleans 24

More topics on the brain...

Curt Schilling -- Is anyone else tired of hearing what Curt Schilling thinks about...anything?  The way the media handles him and the way he behaves is the epitome of what's wrong with the way sports stars are revered and how celebrity has blown up in America today. 

This guy is a pitcher in a game.  He throws hard.  He was a really good pitcher too.  That said, why does the media report all of his thoughts on politics just because he is the one who said them?  If he wants to comment about steroids or changes needed in the game, fine.  However, until he actually does something in politics then I don't want to hear it.  He's a loudmouth who thinks he knows more about things than he does and he has always been a good quote so the media runs his comments and he has become a "go-to" guy.

If Schilling runs for office or actually becomes a politician, that is a different story.  He's not alone either!  I don't condone actors or pseudo celebrities having their opinions reported on either.

This photo makes me sick to my stomach (photo from crooksandliars.com)

Announcer Gripe: Jim Nantz  -- First, let me say I think Jim Nantz does his homework and is prepared.  My issue with him is his delivery while doing football.  For golf and tennis, his voice is the perfect tempo and volume and works holding viewer interest.  However, while doing football on CBS' #1 team with Phil Simms, he seems like a fish out of water.

Nantz reminds me of Pat Summerall (who was propped up like "Weekend at Bernie's" at the Cotton Bowl) in terms of his enthusiasm and dynamic personality.  For Summerall, it worked because he balanced out John Madden's over-the-top personality and volume.  Simms knows his stuff, but isn't that type of personality to balance the lame Nantz.  Maybe a different partner pairing would make me feel different about him, but I think CBS could still keep him in some capacity just not on the #1 team.  They won't do that, of course, because he is one of their headliner sportscasters.  He is better during basketball with Clark Kellogg because Special K is loud and excitable.  It has made a difference for Nantz since the departure of the grumpy Billy Packer.

Please stick to golf, Jim, and leave the NFL alone (photo from CBS)

NFL Championship Weekend Picks

AFC: INDIANAPOLIS over New York  -- Look, the Jets are a great story and they have put together quite a run.  They run the ball well, play solid defense and have a bit of attitude to go with it.  History is on their side lately as the last several Super Bowls have featured first-round teams that caught some momentum like the Cardinals last year. 

I just think the run ends here.  Cincinnati gave up in Week 17 to prevent injuries and then showed why they played so poorly in the second half of the season.  Carson Palmer's passing has disappeared and Cincy has no stretch-the-field WR to balance Chad Ocho Cinco's route running.  As a result, the Jets could put Darrelle Revis on Ocho Cinco and play aggressive, attacking defense.  Ballgame.  Last week, San Diego plain choked.  If Nate Kaeding hits the two makeable field goals it may have been completely different.  Also, the Chargers are a team with a history of playoff failures.  The Colts and Peyton Manning have overcome that part of their past.

Manning is the most dependable player in the NFL.  A coach on the field.  There isn't much the Jets can throw out there he hasn't seen or prepared for.  You can't shut down the Colts' offense completely and I think they get a few touchdowns in the first half and make the Jets have to go to the air to try and stay with them.  That is not Jets football.  Colts 27, Jets 17

This guy may be the best QB in NFL history & not the guy you want to face this Sunday.

NFC:  NEW ORLEANS over Minnesota -- This game is harder to pick because the two teams are very even.  It comes down to which team can pressure the quarterback the best.  Both have many offensive weapons, so it is the ability to disrupt their rhythm and put them tough down-and-distance situations that will make the difference.  The Vikings' pass rush last week vs. Dallas was very impressive, but there was some mitigating circumstances that helped aid that.  I just see Drew Brees as the more dependable of the two QBs in this game, and a lot like Manning, will make the right quick reads to get around the tough pass rush and expose the Minnesota CBs.

Brett Favre has had his best season in years, but all it takes is one mediocre game for the season to be over.  With an offense like the Saints out there, Minnesota needs to get off to a fast track or risk falling behind, which would limit their impressive running attack.  If Favre plays great, the Vikings will win.  I think he plays good, which may not be enough in the road atmosphere of the Superdome, which is hosting its first-ever NFC title game. Saints 30, Vikings 27.

2011 NFL Labor Issues -- The focus right now is on the 2010 season that will be uncapped, but the possibility of a lockout of the 2011 season is real and right now, probable.  Brace for it, folks.  The owners can't agree among themselves how to divide revenue.  Teams like Dallas don't think it is fair they have to split the Pepsi revenue and stadium-naming revenue in the same pool with other teams that don't market themselves well or try as hard and still get the same share of the pot.  Also, teams like Dallas and others that privately finance stadiums take more of a financial hit for doing so.  Until the owners agree on the new revenue issues, they can't realistically bang out the other side with the players.

Both sides will agree to reforms on draft picks, pension and alumni plans but the owners want the current 51-49 revenue split that is in favor of the players to be 60-40 in favor of the owners.  The owners think the money they have put into new stadiums and the changes that were expected in the last CBA that didn't happen need to be factored in and they are refusing to go forward with the current NFL economic structure.  The players gladly would.  Heck they are an $8 billion industry, I hope they can figure something out before it is too late.  Most pundits are seeing a grim future.

Jerry Jones in his Palace in Dallas. His Cowboys rake in the $ compared to others. (from thesportingblog.com)

All-White Basketball League -- I saw this on Deadspin earlier in the week.  And it is for real!  Don "Moose" Lewis is starting up the All-American Basketball Alliance (AABA) and this guy and the concept are half in the looney bin.  According to the Augusta Chronicle, where the league is attempting to place one of its 12 single-entity owned teams, the league put out a statement that said, "only players that are natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league."  Ok then...


From the Augusta Chronicle:

"There's nothing hatred about what we're doing," Lewis said. "I don't hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here's a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like."

Lewis said he wants to emphasize fundamental basketball instead of "street-ball" played by "people of color." He pointed out recent incidents in the NBA, including Gilbert Arenas' indefinite suspension after bringing guns into the Washington Wizards locker room, as examples of fans' dissatisfaction with the way current professional sports are run.

"Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch?" he said. "That's the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction."

Ok, Moose...some questions.  What does flipping someone off, grabbing one's crotch, attacking people in the stands and Arenas' gun incident have to do with "fundamental basketball?"  These are non-playing style issues and speak toward the racist undertones he is striving to bury.  He sounds like Mark McGwire saying steroids didn't help his performance, when we all really knew that was the elephant in the room.  I'm sure the "street-ball" he is referencing is so awful that the NBA brings in billions of dollars and fans of all colors and cultures.  Yep, sure looks like the billions in China that like that type of basketball just fine. 

If you want fundamentals, go watch the WNBA.  If you want to see white guys playing "fundamental basketball," then go to the church picnic, YMCA or Jewish Center.  There's a reason why there has not been an outcry for the formation of a league like this.  Guess where the league is based?  Georgia, of course.  The same place that was having a rally for the state flag for the old Stars & Bars aspect because it had to do with southern heritage, but then people were all wearing and selling John Rocker t-shirts...which go right back to the racist undertones, thereby completely undermining their point.

Obviously, the reason for this league is racist based.  I like how he says because "white, American-born citizens" are in the minority now, that they should make a league so they play the way they want to.  Absurd.  Why isn't there a Mexican soccer league in the US now?  Or a cricket league for English-born Americans?  I can't wait for this to fail.  Anyone involved with the league or goes to watch a game should have the government keep their information on file.  I think Timothy McVeigh would like these games.

Looks like the AABA has its uniforms picked out already.