10th Grade Rantings

The Curse of Drew Coble

0x NBA/NFL Champion — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:41:27 GMT

Nobody likes to lose. Whatever competition the loss occurs in, it irritates the loser. No matter how competitive of a person you are, how much you care, or how much effort you put in- it doesn't matter. You would rather win than lose.

In professional sports, sore losers are everywhere. There are emotional players like Terrell Owens (and I'm not a fan of his, but you gotta admire that kind of emotion), emotional coaches like Dennis Green (at the end of that, the reporter who asked the question goes "...thanks coach", seriously listen, haha), and of course, there is everyone's favorite emotion-showing QB. But emotion runs deep for fans, as well, and when our favorite teams lose, we like to have excuses.

Or, if you root for teams that play in Minnesota, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania or Ohio, you have a curse. I'm talking about, of course, the cities of Buffalo, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Of these five cities, which one stands out as the most-suffering? You might be surprised. Would you like a run-down?

Chicago- Yes, the Cubs haven't won a World Series in over 100 years, but the White Sox, Bulls, Bears and Blackhawks have all won titles since then.

Buffalo- The Bills and Sabres haven't been the luckiest of teams, but they don't have losing baseball or basketball teams, either.

Philadelphia- They still might be cursed, but the Phillies won a title last year, and might be on their way to another one this year.

That leaves two major markets left.

Cleveland- The Indians, Cavaliers and Browns are notorious for coming up short and are right up there with MSP/STP, but the Indians have won as many titles as FIVE of Minnesota's franchises have combined. They also don't have a fourth major-sport team, and while it might not seem like much, The State of Hockey has had not one but two franchises struggle mightily when it really counts.

Is Minnesota the new sports failure place of America? Yes! You don't believe me, you say? Keep reading, and let the case be presented...

First off, some fun facts!

- Minnesota is the only state (that's all 50 states, people) who have every one of their major sports teams named for the state. There's no suffering of cities, it's the state as a whole.

- Boston/New England fans love to watch the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins win, and they have arguably become the winningest sports city in America. What do Randy Moss, David Ortiz, Kevin Garnett, J.D. Drew, Phil Kessel, Manny Fernandez, Laurence Maroney, Wally Szczerbiak, Bobby Kielty (this guy hit the World Series-winning HR), Doug Mientkiewicz (this guy caught the ball that broke the curse), Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Sam Cassell, Blake Wheeler, and more all have in common? They went from Minnesota to Massachusetts and all played key roles on those stellar teams.

- Go over that list again, how crazy is that? Check out the Facebook group if you don't believe me. Yeah, I know all of those guys didn't win titles, but still.

- Kevin McHale was a Minnesota star in high school. He starred for the University of Minnesota in college. He is a Hall of Famer, and he came back to the Timberwolves to run them into the ground. Seriously, what other hometown hero has returned to ruin a franchise this bad?!

- Since the turn of the century, the NFL draft has become huge. How do the first round picks look for the Vikes? Dimitrius Underwood, Chris Hovan, Michael Bennett, Bryant McKinnie, Kevin Williams, Kenechi Udeze, Troy Williamson, Erasmus James, and then Chad Greenway and Adrian Peterson. That's two good picks, one above-average oucj, an overrated guy who has never lived up to his potential, four huge busts, a decent player who retired early and then Udeze. In an unrelated note, best of luck to him in the future.

- Who's our savior? Brett Favre! This is the same QB who played 16 seasons in our rival state, won a Super Bowl for our rival team, and killed the beloved Vikings for years and years. Cleveland got 18 year-old LeBron James, we got 39 year-old Brett Favre. Awesome.

Who's ready to get started? Let's take a ride on the failure train! Remember that season when your favorite team had it all going? What if I told you that every pro team has had that season in the last 11 years- and they ALL blew it?

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, THE CURSE OF DREW COBLE.

Let's start with the successful team of the state. The Minnesota Twins! The Twins have won two World Series titles, which is easily the most success of any of the four major sports teams. But they haven't won since 1991- 18 years ago. Since that time, they were one of the worst teams in baseball, but also have been to the playoffs four times. How have they done?

A five-game ALDS win against the division-champion Athletics, only to blow home-field advantage and lose in five games to the Angels. The clincher? Adam Kennedy hit 3 home runs- the last coming after he bunted foul and had to swing with two strikes. Kennedy has 67 homers in his career.

Two ALDS losses to the Yankees. Including when Shannon Stewart robbed a home run to save the game at Yankee Stadium- only to see the team blow it at home. Once, a game was lost in extra innings after Torii Hunter hit a go-ahead home run in extra innings to break a tie- only to see Derek Jeter score the winning run on a throw that was cut-off by Matthew LeCroy. Yes, that would be Matthew Lecroy. In another game, Ruben Sierra (guess who was signed by the Twins the next year but was too hurt to contribute?) hit a three-run HR to tie the game at 5-5 for the Yankees; it turned out to be the turning point of the series as the Twins went down that day, as did their season.

2006 was the year for the Twins. They led the division one day all year, the last day of the season. They played Oakland again in the first round, and lost both games at home. Game one was lost when Frank Thomas (who the Twins wanted to sign, but felt his injury wouldn't hold up, he hit 39 HR that year) hit not one, but two home runs. The Twins lost by one run. Game two? That one changed when Mark Kotsay hit a sinking line drive that Torii Hunter went to make a play on. Remember, Torri Hunter is currently on a streak of eight straight Gold Gloves. What happened? He dove. He missed. Inside the parker. Twins lose game two. Twins lose the series.

Or how about last year? The Twins had the better head-to-head record, but a coin flip sent the game to Chiago to play the White Sox, led by Twin-killer Jim Thome. Which of the Twins' four top starters was unable to pitch? Francisco Liriano. Who was the most effective lefty? Liriano. Who came up in the bottom of the eighth inning in a tie game? Game to the Sox. Division to the Sox. Playoffs for the Sox. Long ride home for the Twins.

What do Phil Nevin, Rondell White, Delmon Young, Sierra, Craig Monroe, and Bret Boone all have in common? The one power hitter the Twins needed! Guess how many of them had an impact greater than minimal? Zero!

Who is the player pictured above? Kirby Puckett, the biggest athlete ever to play in Minnesota. He got hit in the eye, which led to the end of his career far too early. Then it came out that he had affairs. After that, he went on trial for assault and sexual misconduct. Kirby died in 2006, at age 45.

The Timberwolves recently celebrated their 20th anniversary. What have they won in those 20 years? One division title. They did, however, lose in the first round of the playoffs seven years in a row. Not everyone can say that. Among every NBA team who has won a playoff game, they have the third-worst winning percentage of all-time in the playoffs.

The Wolves are known for their terrible drafting, led by 1992. Minnesota was supposed to have the first pick, but instead, they fell to third. No big deal, right? First pick? Hall of Famer Shaquille O' Neal. Second pick? Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning. Third pick? Christian Laettner.

How far back do the disappointing first round picks go? To the beginning of the franchise, of course! Starting in 1989, here we go: Pooh Richardson, Felton Spencer, Gerald Glass, Luc Longley, Laettner, Isaiah Rider, Donyell Marshall, Garnett, Allen (traded for Marbury), Paul Grant, Rasho Nesterovic, Szczerbiak, William Avery, Ndubi Ebi, Rashad McCants, Brandon Roy (traded for Randy Foye), Corey Brewer, O.J. Mayo (traded for Kevin Love), and then this year.

That's 16 picks and KG. Wally was a good pick, though, right? Taken after him, in order: Richard Hamilton, Andre Miller, Shawn Marion, Corey Maggette, Ron Artest, Andrei Kirilenko and Manu Ginobili (although he doesn't really count). Not so incredible anymore.

2004 was the year for the Timberwolves. They had the number one seed, the MVP, and an All-Star PG in Sam Cassell. They beat Denver in the first round, and took out Sacramento in the second round. In the 2004 Western Conference Finals, Cassell got hurt, and the PG spot was forced to be manned by Darrick Martin. Yes, Darrick Martin, on a 10-day contract, no less. And they still took the Laker dynasty to six games. How did game six go? Kobe Bryant was held under his season average. KG outplayed Shaq. The deciding factor? Kareem Rush (!!!!), who averaged 6.4 points a game and .7 three pointers made a game hit SIX THREE POINTERS and went for 18 as Los Angeles rallied in the fourth quarter. Yeah, that was who beat the Wolves in their last playoff game. Not Kobe. Not Shaq. Not Gary Payton. Not Karl Malone. Kareem Rush.

"We're very fortunate" Kobe said after the game.

KG stayed in Minnesota for 12 years. He led them to the playoffs eight years in a row. He went to Boston in the offseason of 2007. In his first year playing for the Celtics, he won a title.

The sport that seperates Minnesota from the other states: hockey. I'm sure none of you know the history of Minnesota hockey, nor do most of you care, so I'll try and keep this brief.

The Minnesota North Stars held their home in Bloomington, Minnesota (a suburb outside of Minneapolis) from 1967 until 1993. They went to the playoffs 17 times. They won two division titles. They went to the conference finals six times. They won zero Stanley Cups.

In conclusion, the North Stars played in Minnesota for a while, had a lot of success, but never could seal the deal.

In 1993, they moved to Dallas and became the Dallas Stars. Since their re-location, they have won seven division titles, although that isn't what's important here. In the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals, the Stars beat the Buffalo Sabres.

I'll do the math for you. In 25 seasons, the North Stars made the playoffs 17 times. That's 68%. But they also went 0-for-17. In Dallas, the Stars have been to the playoffs 12 of the last 15 years. That's 80%. After 25 years in Minnesota, in just 5 years (20% of the time), they won the Cup.

2003 was the year for the Wild. They went to the playoffs as the six seed. After being down 3-1 to their rivals, the Vancouver Canucks, they won three games in a row to take the series. After being down 3-1 to their other rivals, the Colordao Avalanche, they again won three games in a row to take the series. In the Western Conference Finals, they had home-ice advantage for the first time all playoffs.

They were swept. Since those two magical series' during the 2004 playoffs, their playoff record has been...wait for it...3-12! That's a winning percengate of 20%! In that time, the Stars have won 21 playoff games.

And then there is this one, football. Where to start? The Vikings are 0-4 in Super Bowls. That's tied for the worst ever. In 1999, they went 15-1 and lost that one game by three points. The playoffs rolled around, and a big part of the success was kicker Gary Anderson, who still has the only perfect season kicking-wise in NFL history- he went 40 for 40. Needing a field goal to seal and essentially send them to the Super Bowl, Anderson missed for the first time all season. One of the most dominant teams in NFL history went down without even getting to the Super Bowl.

Just two years later, the Vikings made another trip to the NFC Championship game. They lost 41-0; far-and-away the biggest margin of victory in an NFC title game. Since that 4th Super Bowl loss, the Vikings are 0-4 in those games. But could they have won some recently?

In 2003, the Vikings started out at 6-0, and were the only team ever to start out with a record of that magnitude and miss the playoffs. Playing the 3-12 Arizona Cardinals in the last game of the season, and up by two scores with near two minutes left, well, that's when the Vikings remembered who they were. First, they gave up a touchdown on fourth and goal. Then, they allowed Arizona to recover an onside kick. Next, they sacked Josh McCown on third-and-17, forcing a fumble, and the Cardinals had to hurry up as they had zero timeouts left. On fourth-and-24, they snapped the ball with just four seconds left. McCown threw an off-balance pass to Nate Poole, who caught it in the end zone. He did not get two feet in bounds, but it was ruled that he was pushed-out. The Packers won the division.

But the question begs, could they have? Absolutely. If not for a coach named Brad Childress, the Vikings would be a far better team. But that's beside the point; after all, he has taken them to the playoffs. And he's a nice guy...he just doesn't know how to coach a football team. He had one great hire: a young defensive coordinator from Tampa Bay. The coach's name? Mike Tomlin.

Just a year later, Tomlin was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers, after presumably only being interviewed because he wasn't white. Considered by some as one of the biggest reaches in NFL head coach-hiring in many years, Tomlin won a division title in his first year. The next year? He won a Super Bowl. How did the Vikings do? They got bounced in the first round.

Including the playoffs, Tomlin is 25-11 (3-1 in the playoffs) as a head coach. In that time, Childress is 18-15 and lost a playoff game at home to the sixth-seeded Eagles.

The Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2009; they had three (Matt Spaeth, Gary Russell and Tyrone Carter) players who went to Minnesota. Carter played for the Vikings. The Giants won the Super Bowl in 2008; Fred Robbins started at DT on the defensive line that caused so much havoc on Tom Brady, it helped win the game. The Colts won the Super Bowl in 2007, and had two players (Ben Utecht and Darrell Reid) who went to Minnesota, and two coaches with ties to the Vikings: Head Coach Tony Dungy and OC Tom Moore. The Steelers also won in 2006 and had Carter. The Patriots won in 2004 and 2005; they had Cedric James. Who? The 167th pick in the 2004 draft. He played for the Vikings, left, and won a Super Bowl in New England. The Buccaneers won in 2003; their starting QB? Brad Johnson, he only played seven years with the Vikings.

You can't even make that kind of stuff up. You think it's only evident in football? Take a look at baseball...

The Phillies won in 2008, ending the years of losses; who was their key reliever? J.C. Romero, the former Twin who won not one, but two games. The Red Sox won in 2007; they had Ortiz and Kielty. The Cardinals won in 2006; almost symbolically, they had zero Twins, as this was the year for the Twins. The White Sox won in 2005; a key player for them was starting C A.J. Pierzynski, former All-Star for the Twins. The Red Sox broke the curse in 2004; in large part due to Big Papi. You just can't make this stuff up.

Of course, we haven't even talked about college football or college basketball yet. Let's start with football, shall we?

2005 was the year. The Gophers hadn't beaten Michigan and won The Little Brown Jug in 17 years. They hadn't won in Ann Arbor since 1986. With their starting QB injured, the crowd going crazy, and All-Big Ten RB Maroney on the sideline, they gave Gary Russell (the RB not named Barber or Maroney) a handoff, and he took it 61 yards on third-and-long. Jason Giannini kicked a field goal with a second left, and the Gophers won the incredible game, mainly due to the special teams when it mattered.

Remember that last sentence...

The Gophers were sitting on a 5-1 (2-1 Big Ten) record, had just beaten the twice-defending champions of the Big Ten on the road, and were ranked 22nd in the country. Next up? Wisconsin at home.

Another TD run by Russell gave the Gopers a ten point lead with just 3:27 left. The crowd at the Metrodome was going crazy, as back-to-back wins in rivalry games against Michigan and Wisconsin seemed like an actual possibility. What happened next? The lead held up until there was 2:10 left, as a Wisconsin TD made it a three point game. The Gophers got the ball back and were punting near their own end zone with just over 30 seconds left in the game.

Punter Justin Kucek dropped the snap. He didn't throw run into the end zone for a safety. He didn't kick it out of the end zone for a safety. What do those scenarios have in common? A 34-33 lead for the Gophers. What did Kucek do? He picked it up and tried to punt again. Wisconsin blocked it, ran it down, and recovered it in the end zone. The Gophers then proceeded to fumble the kickoff. Wisconsin 38. Minnesota 34. The season went downhill and they finished at 7-5 after blowing a 14-point lead in their bowl game. Could anything make matters worse? Kucek developed into one of the best punters in the country.

Or how about last year? Started off 7-1, beat Illinois on the road. Were at 7-1, playing Northwestern at home. A tipped pass resulted in an interception...which was brought back for a touchdown...with 12 seconds left. The Gophers finished 7-6, ending the season and games at the Dome by losing 55-0 to Iowa. Do I even have to explain anything?

What about college basketball?

Under Clem Haskins, the Gophers had three NCAA Tournament appearances, two NIT appearances, an NIT title, a Final Four berth, a Bit Ten title, and a Big Ten MOP in Bobby Jackson. What do all of those accomplishments have in common?

They were stripped. They have been erased. Gone.

Last year, our hero Tubby Smith brought the Gophers back to the NCAA Tournament. Throughout the season, there was a weakness that persisted: the inability to stop outside shooting. Who did they get in the first round? Texas, only led by A.J. Abrams- arguably the best shooter from distance in the country. In case you hadn't guessed yet, Abrams hit eight threes, and led all scorers with 26 points. Guess who won?

Well, there it is! The recent history of sports teams in Minnesota! What is The Curse of Drew Coble, you ask?

In the 1991 World Series- the last championship won, the Twins beat the Atlanta Braves in seven games. In game two, Ron Gant was on first base when Twins 1B Kent Hrbek pushed him off of the bag. Umpre Drew Coble called Gant out, and Atlanta ended up losing the game by one run. They lost the series by one game. It was one of the worst calls in sports history. And it lives on.

Don't believe me? Who did Anderson miss the kick against to foil Minnesota's best chance at a title? The Atlanta Falcons. Coincidence? Absolutely not. Curse? It's a possibility.

Happening for a Reason?

0x NBA/NFL Champion — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:06:44 GMT

People make choices every day of the week. Every single one of them. Some choices are subtle ones, choices that you don't even think about. Which glass should I pour my morning beverage in? What color shirt should I wear today? When should I switch lanes? Most of these choices are irrelevant for the most part, and they don't factor much into the bigger scheme of things.

But at the same time, there are choices that affect one's life very much. Which school should I attend? Which job should I apply for? Should I really pop the question...after a week of dating? Throughout life, while making decisions, one is pressured to make the 'right' choice.

Throughout all of these 'right' or 'wrong' choices, one constant is money. Money or love? Money or education? Money or a career? Choices concerning money are no rarity in sports, and with every one, an athlete needs to make the call, whether it ends up being the right one, or the one that gets what you want.

Morality, or riches?

The 2007 NFL draft featured many young men who had made difficult decisions. It also featured a ton of talent. Multiple superstars were taken: Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Patrick Willis. Many more stars were taken, such as Joe Thomas, Marshawn Lynch, Darrelle Revis, Michael Griffin and Jon Beason. Even more guys who have shown flashes of stardom were taken, including LaRon Landry, Amobi Okoye and Dwayne Bowe. And guys like Anthony Gonzalez, Gaines Adams, Aaron Ross, Greg Olsen, Paul Posluszny, Tony Ugoh, LaMarr Woodley, Le'Ron McClain, Kevin Boss, Mason Crosby and more. It's safe to say that there was an incredible amount of talent in the draft.

And we haven't even mentioned any quaterbacks yet. Does Brady Quinn ring a bell?

Leading up to the draft, the position of quaterback was a key one- and what draft isn't it? Like many before and after it, the 2007 one was fielding a high probability of a QB going first overall. But who would it be? Three top prospects stood out, but two seemed to have a clear-cut advantage. Which one could make the leap out of college and become a #1 pick, a future-superstar candidate, and a millionaire at such a young age?

One was the All-American boy, a hard-working QB from Kentucky who decided to go to school close to home and try and lead his beloved team to a national championship. The other one was a kid from the South, a QB who had a tremendous amount of talent but sometimes got a bad rap, who would lead his team during back-to-back seasons ending with big wins (although his backup stepped in and one of them; this will become important) in key bowl games.

As the time got closer and closer, these two quarterbacks both emerged as top prospects in the draft. One was projected by Sports Illustrated to go first overall, one was projected by The Sporting News to go first overall. It seemed like workouts and the combine would be needed to determine the first winner of these two young careers. Who would get the opportunities, the expectations and the money? Only time would tell...

But then something strange happened.

"Right now, coming back and trying to win a national title looks very appealing" he said. And just like that- it was done. The race between two guys had suddenly become a finish for just one. The choice had been made, and it essentially was the 'right' choice. The QB would forego going to the NFL and potentially pass up millions of dollars to go back to school. The other QB continued his plans to go pro, and eventually, they paid off.

"With the first pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select..." said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and just like that, JaMarcus Russell went from being the QB from LSU and a college kid to a rich young man with a world of expectations. After making the decision based on money rather than morals, how did Russell do? Six years, $68 million, $31.5 million guaranteed, and a position as a staring QB in the NFL as his to lose.

Meanwhile, Brian Brohm went back to school. He returned to Louisville ready to prove to everyone that his senior season would be the best yet, and to position himself for the next year- the 2008 NFL Draft. But unfortunately for him, things didn't go as planned. After making the decision based on morals rather than money, how did Brohm do? He threw a career-high amount of interceptions, had a career-low in passer rating and Louisville suffered to a 6-6 record. Along with that, his draft stock dropped incredibly, and he completely fell out of first round discussion.

As Russell finished his rookie year as a struggling QB, Brohm finished his senior year as as struggling QB. The 2008 NFL draft rolled around, and two quarterbacks went in the top 18: Matt Ryan from Boston College, and Joe Flacco from Delaware. But Brohm was nowhere to be found in the top 18, the top 20, the top 30, the top 40, the top 50 or even the top 55.

A year later, Brian Brohm went 56th to the Green Bay Packers. He signed a contract worth $3.5 million, $1.5 million guaranteed.

Where are these two guys now? Russell is entering his third season and is viewed by many as a potential-breakout player. Last year, his passer rating went way up, his TD/INT % went way down, and he made strides under new coach Tom Cable. Brohm is entering his second year, and is currently listed as the third-string QB on the depth chart in Green Bay; he has yet to throw a pass in a regular season game. We all know who the starter is at Lambeau Field, but who is backing him up? Matt Flynn, a little-known QB from LSU. In case you haven't made the connection (which I doubt many of you have, haha), Flynn was the former backup to Russell for the Tigers. Ironic?

As it stands, Russell's future looks bright, and he has the money in case it doesn't work out. Brohm's future looks bright, as well, albeit it not quite as bright as Russell's. His contact will be up soon with the Packers, and many teams in the NFL seem as though they will be willing to give him a chance. But once again, only time will tell what happens for these two quaterbacks.

Did Russell make the right choice? Absolutely. He got the money he wanted, he got the starting job he wanted, and he is in a position that millions of football players can only dream of. Did Brohm make the right choice? That's debatable. He went back to Louisville, but he didn't accomplish close to what he wanted to. He lost out on millions and didn't get the chance to start like many thought that he would.

In the end, the choices each person makes give greater affects than one might ever know. Not every choice is a good one, and not every choice is the right one. But each choice you make is up to you- no matter what you do with it. It goes to show that no matter what you do, each choice you make has an outcome, and each outcome will make a differnce in your life- even if it happens to be a very subtle one. Everyone has to deal with this, no matter if you are an average person who watches football, or an athlete who happens to play in the NFL. I guess it just shows, if nothing else, that nobody is above anything.

NOTE- I don't have a problem with what Russell did; I probably would have done the same thing had I been in his shoes. And I certaintly don't have a problem with what Brohm did; I have a ton of respect for his decision and I'll be rooting for him throughout his NFL career. The sole purpose of the views I took of these players was for the writing style of this piece.

The 50 Best of the MLB

0x NBA/NFL Champion — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:46:05 GMT

Yes! Here it is! Lists are something that everyone likes, and also something that everyone has the ability to do. Whether the list you make is about music, about politics, about movies, or just about, well, stuff, there is always a list for you. Sports are no exception, and in this list, the 50 best baseball players will be discussed.

Now, there are a couple of things that you need to understand. First off, these rankings will be the top 50 players right now, as in how good of a player they are this moment. Todd Helton has had an excellent career, but he is no longer a top 50 guy. Evan Longoria is on his way to a seemingly-good career, but he isn't elite, quite yet (keep reading to see). However, at the same time, right now doesn't mean just this year...because guys don't get to just carry over their one-year stats and make a career out of them. Because of this, guys who are having good years like Jair Jurrjens in Atlanta, Pablo Sandoval in San Francisco, or Aaron Hill in Toronto were all considered, and in a couple of years, they probably will be top 50 players, but they aren't quite there yet. Because nothing ever can completely be set in stone- just look at Josh Hamilton. Last year, he was on his way to multiple MVP awards; and now? He's a good player, but not so amazing.

That being said, let's get these rankings started! I know everyone will disagree with me, so please leave some feedback and leave your opinions; I will try to make a list that gets more positive feedback than this one. Anyway, thanks for reading, and let's go!

Others Considered: Erik Bedard, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Matt Cain, Chris Carpenter, Jeff Francis, Brain Fuentes, Yovani Gallardo, Orlando Hudson, Raul Ibanez, Bobby Jenks, Adam Jones, Scott Kazmir, Matt Kemp, Carlos Lee, Cliff Lee, Derrek Lee, Jose Lopez, Yadier Molina, Hunter Pence, Placido Polanco, Mark Reynolds, Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Roberts, Freddy Sanchez, Troy Tulowitzki, Miguel Tejada, Dan Uggla, Shane Victorino, Joey Votto, Adam Wainwright, Vernon Wells.

Top 15 That Missed: Josh Beckett, Robinson Cano, Cole Hamels, Felix Hernandez, Derek Jeter, Josh Johnson, Chipper Jones, Paul Konerko, Victor Martinez, Jonathan Papelbon, Carlos Pena, C.C. Sabathia, Joakim Soria, Justin Upton, Justin Verlander.

50- Carlos Zambrano: Starting Pitcher, Chicago Cubs

And the list starts off with a bang, as Big Z makes his entrance. He's started at least 30 games every year since 2002, and has gone over 200 innings five of the last six years. Zambrano also has a career ERA of 3.47, and playing at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, he has a record of 103-65, career-wise and has lost over 10 games just twice, while going for double-digit wins six years in a row. At the plate, Big Z has the nickname for a reason, as he has a .238 batting average to go with 19 HR and 54 RBI since 2003. Overall, Zambrano is one of the best pitchers in baseball.

49- Joe Nathan: Closer, Minnesota Twins

Nathan is an excellent closer, but that's the problem: he is a closer. Guys who pitch and inning a game just aren't incredibly valuable, unless they are great at what they do, which Nathan is. Since he came to Minnesota, Nathan has 226 saves to go along with just 22 blown saves, and has had an ERA over 2.00 just once in those six years. Also in that time period (and you can thank Mr. Tim McCarver for this fun fact...actually, don't thank him, just acknowledge it), among closers, Nathan is 1st in wins, 1st in ERA and 2nd in saves to a guy who works in the Bronx. He might not be the most valuable guys in the league, but he's one of the most dominant.

48- Ryan Zimmerman: Third Baseman, Washington Nationals

This might be a surprising pick, but there are a couple of circumstances involved. First, Zimmerman might be the least-protected man in all of baseball. Throughout his career, his protection in the order has been Dmitri Young and Nick Johnson. Not bad players, but not very good, either. This year, he has Johnson and Adam Dunn, and he is on-pace for career-highs in both BA and HR; coincidence? Probably not. The next thing to consider is where he has played. R.F.K. Stadium and Nationals Park are both pitchers parks, and Zimmerman has played in those two stadiums his whole career. Zimmerman also is in the top ten in runs scored, which is impressive for a guy who hits third. He might not have awesome stats, but Zimmerman can hit, and he's finally showing it.

47- Dustin Pedroia: Second Baseman, Boston Red Sox

Ah yes, the 2B who could. If Pedroia didn't play in Boston, how different do you think his reputation would be? Anyway, Pedroia is a good hitter, as you can conclude from his MVP trophy and his .311 career BA. But you know what else? He also plays in a lineup that is absolutely stacked, and his OBP is on-pace with guys like Jason Kubel. However, there is one stat that really jumps out at me for him: doubles. Pedroia is a right-handed hitter who plays at Fenway Park. What are his 2B totals the last three years? 39, 53, 31. His HR totals in those same years? 8, 17, 5. So he isn't a power hitter and he can steal bases, so it's not like he gets them because of his speed. He hits them because he hits fly balls off the Green Monster. It's that simple, and it's a huge boost for his batting average. Pedroia might get better, but as of now, he's a top 50 guy, but not in the elite category.

46- Zack Greinke: Starting Pitcher, Kansas City Royals

Out of every player I considered, this was the hardest call for me. He's having an incredible season, led by 10 wins for Kansas City, 146 strikeouts in 141.1 innings and an insane ERA of 2.04. If he played for a team who could give him run-support, Greinke could have a shot at the Triple Crown. However, can he do it again? His numbers are very good, but not elite. His career ERA is a good 3.88, but it isn't elite like the guys who are ranked ahead of him. Greinke has put up good enough numbers the last couple of years, and he is having a year that is so good, it's impossible to ignore. But at the same time, he needs to show he can do it again before he gets into the great class.

45- Bobby Abreu: Right Fielder, Los Angeles Angels

He has stolen at least 20 bases for the last eleven years. He has at least 20 HR in eight of the last ten years, with 15 and 16 in the two years he played at Yankee Stadium. At least 100 RBI in seven of the last eight seasons (66 this year). He is career .301 hitter who can spray line drives all over the field, and is currently 10th in baseball in OBP. On defense, he is a Gold Glover who has almost three-times more assists than errors. Abreu is a guy who often gets overshadowed, and is overlooked because he isn't a flashy player, but don't let that fool you. He's one of the most complete players in all of baseball.

44- Nick Markakis: Right Fielder, Baltimore Orioles

Playing in a division with Boston, New York and Tampa Bay, which also happens to have an obscene amount of talent, Markakis tends to get very overlooked. He is a .300 hitter who's career-low BA is .291, his rookie year. Markakis is an example of another guy who's numbers don't look as bad because he hasn't had much more than Melvin Mora or Aubrey Huff protecting him in the lineup, yet he still will hit over 40 doubles a year, get around 20 HR a year, and drive in around 85 RBI (112 in 2006). Those might not seem like much, but he can make up the difference with his defense. He has a .991 fielding percentage in RF, and has 48(!!!) assists in under four years, and has had 13, 17 and 11 in the last three. The name-recognition might not be there, but the hitting and cannon in the OF definitely are.

43- Ian Kinsler: Second Baseman, Texas Rangers

He might not be the flashiest guy in the world, but Kinsler can flat-out hit. If not for an injury last year, he might have an MVP award under his belt. He hits for pretty good power coming out of the leadoff spot, and he doesn't strike out much for the power numbers that he puts up. At the same time, he has at least 20 stolen bases every year since he became a full-time starter. The big knock on him has been his defense, but that is finally improving, and he is looking at a much better year defensively, which puts him over the hump and onto the list.

42- Mark Buehrle: Starting Pitcher, Chicago White Sox

Buehrle is just one of those guys. He isn't flashy. He isn't all that high-key. And until this year, he wasn't all that memorable; but then again, a perfect game can do that for you. Buehrle isn't on this list because of a no-hitter and that game, but rather because of his consistency. He has thrown at least 200 innings every year that he has been a starting pitcher, and he has nine straight seasons of double-digit wins to go along with that. One of the best control pitchers in all of baseball, Buehrle has never walked more than 61 people in a season. A career ERA of 3.76 playing against the lineups of Detroit, Minnesota and Cleveland definitely helps his case, and although you might be surprised, Buehrle is surprisingly good.

41- Jermaine Dye: Right Fielder, Chicago White Sox

What?! Back-to-back White Sox on the list? Yes, you are reading that correctly; I'm a Twins fan and even I recognize how good Dye is. In the outfield, Dye has a cannon of an arm, and if people ran on him more, he could throw out people all day. Last year, he had only one error, and it seems that even at 35, Dye still has it. At the plate, he has hasn't had less than 26 HR since 2001 (discounting 2003, when he was hurt), and has hit .315, .292 and .285 in three of the last four years. He might not get the praise he deserves, but Dye quietly is one of the best hitters in the American League.

40- Brandon Phillips: Second Baseman, Cincinnati Reds

Phillips is a good player, but he is also more of a fantasy-type player. He puts up good numbers at the plate in multiple categories, and people fall in love with his stats and think he is much better than he actually is. He has fairly good power numbers, he drives in a good amount of runs, and he steals bases while hitting with an alright average. The problem with Phillips was strikeouts, but he doesn't strike out nearly as much anymore. After striking out 109 and 93 times in back-to-back years, he has only 39 this year; that is a phenomenal improvement. He doesn't do anything great, but he does a lot of things very well, and that gets him in the top 40.

39- Mariano Rivera: Closer, New York Yankees

Mo is one of the most dominant players in baseball, but there is one problem that forces him this low: he is a closer. As good as he is, he pitches an inning or two a night, and that simply isn't as valuable as a guy who plays everyday. But when he is on the mound, Rivera is lights-out. He gets a ton of strikeouts, and he is the rare closer who can pitch more than an inning. Being a guy who can come in and lock down a game for you because it's so rare that he blows a save is a very hard thing to find, even among closers, and that's why Rivera is so high on here.

38- Lance Berkman: First Baseman, Houston Astros

Berkman is a player who people often forget about, simply because of how consistently good he is. Since 2001, he has had under 100 RBI just twice, under 25 HR just twice, and a BA under .300 just four times...I'd say that those numbers are pretty good. Yeah, he's 33, but at the same time, he hit .312 with 29 HR, 106 RBI, and even 18 stolen bases. He'll also give you an OBP over .400, and even his fielding is improving! Injuries are a concern, but he is too good a player to not be in this list.

37- Jake Peavy: Starting Pitcher, Chicago White Sox

If not for injuries, Peavy would undoubtedly be higher. But for the last two years, he has had serious injury problems. But when he is healthy, Peavy is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. This is a guy who put had an ERA of under 3.00 four out of five years. To go along with a career ERA of 3.29, he also has a record of 92-68; impressive to say the least. Everyone knows his talent, but can he stay on the mound? That's a question that has to be there for this Cy Young winner.

36- Michael Young: Third Baseman, Texas Rangers

One of the most underrated players in the American League, all he does is hit. He has been to six All-Star games, and that goes along with a .300 or better BA in six of the last seven years. He's a decent power hitter and can drive in runs, but he also strikes out way to much to hit under 15 HR a year. At the same time, though, he won a Gold Glove last year, and while he isn't the best fielder in the world, his defense is definitely improving.

35- Brandon Webb: Starting Pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks

If he didn't get hurt, Webb would probably be a top 20 player. But he did, and it's not a little injury; he is more than likely out for the season after pitching just four innings, and he could be out even longer. But when he is healthy, he is dynamic on the mound. Just look at his career record of 87-62. Or his career ERA of 3.27. Or his six straight years of at least 260 strikeouts. When he pitches, he's dominant. But Webb needs to pitch in order to dominate, and that is what keeps him this high.

34- Evan Longoria: Third Baseman, Tampa Bay Rays

What, you ask? Why is Longoria not in the top ten? I'll tell you why: he isn't that good. Yes, he is a star. Yes, he probably is going to be a superstar. But right now? He isn't there yet. On defense, to put it nice, he's not good. A fielding percentage of .964 is not impressive. At the plate, hitting in the middle of a lineup that includes four other guys who went to the All-Star Game, Longoria has hit .272 and .276 while in the big leagues. Now, those aren't bad, but they certainly aren't elite, either. He has good power, but it isn't like he's a top power hitter in the league. Finally, his OBP is .360, which is good for...wait for it...64th in MLB. Longoria is a very good player, but not nearly the superstar that people make him out to be.

33- Ryan Howard: First Baseman, Philadelphia Phillies

Once again, it's a good player who is overrated because of their power numbers. Yes, Howard is an absolute monster in terms of power hitters, and he is probably in the top three of baseball. But is he really that good of a player? He has a very low OBP: just .352. His BA is incredibly low considering that he plays in one of the best hitters parks in the National League, and while his RBI numbers are good, you have to remember the guys who he has in front of him getting on base; it's not like he's playing in San Diego or Florida. And while his defense is improving, it still isn't so far above-average that it can make up for his batting average.

32- Curtis Granderson: Center Fielder, Detroit Tigers

Granderson is one of the most overlooked players in baseball. Why? I don't know, that's actually a very good question. He is one of only four players in Major League history to have a season with 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Granderson strikes out too much, and doesn't have a very high batting average, but it's much better than what he used to do. Combine what he does at the plate with his excellent defense in CF for the Tigers, and you have a very good player, which is what Granderson is, and why he is high on the list.

31- Dan Haren: Staring Pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks

In the last five years, Haren has established himself as an elite pitcher in baseball. He hasn't had an ERA above 3.33 since 2006, and has 69 wins over the last six years, with just 47 losses in that same time period. But what really separates him is this season. Playing in the highest-ranked ballpark for runs (park factor), Haren has a 2.14 ERA. To put it simply; he's having one of the best seasons for a pitcher in a long time. Can he keep it up? We'll find out, but he has shown the consistency to do so.

30- Brad Hawpe: Right Fielder, Colorado Rockies

You are reading that correctly, that does in fact say Brad Hawpe. In my mind, he is the most underrated player in baseball. What has he done the last couple of years? 2006: .293 BA, 22 HR, 84 RBI. 2007: .291 BA, 29 HR, 116 RBI. 2008: .283 BA, 25 HR, 85 RBI. And finally, this year? .323 BA, 15 HR, 62 RBI. He also has an OBP of .404, which is good for 14th in all of baseball, and places him ahead of countless All-Stars. Yes, he plays in Colorado, but over the last three years, his BA on the road is .288 compared to .290 at home, and he has 37 HR on the road compared to 39 at home. He also has more doubles on the road. Are you surprised yet? Combine those numbers with his great arm in the outfield, and you have a player in the top 30.

29- Grady Sizemore: Center Fielder, Cleveland Indians

He has multiple Gold Gloves. He also has a Silver Slugger. He also has at least 20 HR, at last 75 RBI, at least 22 SB, and at least a .268 BA every year that he has started for the majority of the season. Yes, his numbers are down across the board, but there is one thing that is up, and I think that is the contributing factor: home runs. Sizemore isn't a power hitter, he's a hitter who can hit for power. Earlier in the year, he was hitting in the middle of the order, and he was struggling. Now, he's back hitting leadoff, and not surprisingly, he's starting to hit again. Sizemore is a very good player, he just needs to be in the right situation.

28- Matt Holliday: Left Fielder, St. Louis Cardinals

Much like Hawpe, his numbers were inflated due to playing in Colorado. But it's not like he was a slouch on the road, either. In the last three years, on the road, he's a near-.300 hitter who has 120 RBI and 33 HR. No, those aren't great numbers, but he more than makes up for it with his consistency. He has been a dominant hitter for years, and he still kept a high BA, even while playing in Oakland- the ultimate pitchers park. But what makes Holliday so good is his batting average, which is .317 career-wise. Not even Coors Field can affect line drives up the middle or balls hit into gaps. Holliday isn't as good of a player as his numbers say, but he is no slouch, either.

27- Jimmy Rollins: Shortstop, Philadelphia Phillies

J-Roll is a prime example of a guy who is having a terrible year, but is such a good player that his down year really shouldn't be a big issue. But he really can do it all. Rollins can hit very well, and he has a Silver Slugger to show it. He can steal bases, as he has 309 SB since 2001, but has been thrown out just 69 times. He also plays tremendous defense, and has multiple Gold Gloves that can prove it. Rollins is also a very good leader, and while that doesn't make him a better player, it definitely doesn't hurt his case.

26- Aramis Ramirez: Third Baseman, Chicago Cubs

One of the most underrated players in the National League, A-Ram is a guy who is overlooked because he has been so consistently good for so many years. People just expect it, and he really doesn't get the credit that he deserves. In fact, since 2001, he has the hit the most home runs amongst all third basemen, which includes A-Rod. Since he became a starter in 2001, he has hit 241 HR to go along with 840 RBI, which amounts to around 30 HR and 100 RBI a year. But what makes him such a good hitter, is that for all of his power, he hardly strikes out, and has struck out 100 (it was exactly 100) times just once in his career. His defense isn't great, but it isn't terrible, either, and it is improving. Combining everything, he has a case as one of the best 3B in all of baseball.

25- Jason Bay: Left Fielder, Boston Red Sox

Before he came to Boston, many people didn't know who Jason Bay was. Since that time, he has definitely made a name for himself, but it might surprise you to know that he has always been a very good hitter. Playing in Pittsburgh, with almost no protection in his lineup, how did he do? 2004: 26 HR, 82 RBI, .282 BA. 2005: 31 HR, 101 RBI, .306 BA, 21 stolen bases- which is pretty good for a middle-of-the-lineup hitter. 2006: 35 HR, 109 RBI, .286 BA. 2007: 21 HR, 84 RBI, .207 BA. 2008: 31 HR, 101 RBI, .286 BA. And so far this season, he has 20 HR, 73 RBI and 11 SB. People might think that Bay is a one-year wonder, but he has produced with the elite for the last five years.

24- Roy Oswalt: Starting Pitcher, Houston Astros

Just how good is Roy Oswalt? Playing in a division with the likes of Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Bay, Ryan Braun, Corey Hart and more, while playing in a park that heavily favors right-handed hitters, Oswalt has managed a career ERA of 3.17. With a career record of 135-68, Oswalt has shown that he is one of the most dominating pitchers in the National League. So why isn't he higher? This year and last year, Oswalt has posted the two highest ERAs of his career. Now, this doesn't mean that he is declining, but it shows that he isn't getting better, either. Yet, either way, Oswalt is a top-five SP in baseball, and one of the 25 best.

23- Miguel Cabrera: First Baseman, Detroit Tigers

Cabrera is one of the better hitters in the American League, and in the coming years, he will most likely become one of the best- if he isn't already considered one. However, as of now, he definitely has some shortcomings. First of all, he strikes out way too much. His career-low in strikeouts is 108. His OBP isn't bad, but it's not quite elite, either; it's 23rd in baseball...which is right where he is on the list. Also, and a bigger factor in his low ranking, is his defense. He couldn't play 3B, so he moved to 1B, which hasn't worked out quite too well for him. Yes, he has improved, but he still isn't over-the-top yet. Cabrera is probably a top-tier 1B in baseball, but he needs a couple more years before he moves into the top 20 or so.

22- Kevin Youkilis: First Baseman, Boston Red Sox

What separates Youk from a guy like Cabrera is his defense. He is a Gold Glover at first base who makes all of his infielders look better, but he also can move over to third base, and is above-average over there, as well. At the plate, he's a bordeline-.300 hitter who almost (and arguably should have) won the American League MVP last year. He doesn't have the most power in the world, but he is very good at driving in runs, and he can spray hits all over the field. Finally, he is one of the peskiest hitters in all of baseball, and he consistently wears pitchers down- something which is often overlooked among hitters. He might not be a very flashy guy, but Youkilis definitely gets the job done in Boston.

21- Torii Hunter: Center Fielder, Los Angeles Angels

Over the last seven seasons, Hunter has won five division titles- four with Minnesota, and one in Los Angeles. You can say that he is the product of playing on talented teams, or you could realize that he has generally hit third, fourth, fifth or a little bit of sixth on all of these teams. Coincidence? I don't think so. As a hitter, Torii hasn't had below 81 RBI or 23 HR if he wasn't injured. But what separates him from other good hitters? His defense. He has won eight Gold Gloves in a row (think about that for a minute) and has saved countless runs for his pitchers. There aren't many players who are the dual offensive-defensive player that Hunter is, and that's why he is ranked so high.

20- Carl Crawford: Left Fielder, Tampa Bay Rays

Crawford truly is one of the most complete players in all of baseball. He is a very good hitter; he's currently hitting .309 and has hit over .300 three of the past four years. He is probably the best base stealer in either league, and is currently leading both. While on the bases, he also can wreak havoc; you better believe that when Crawford is on the bases, it takes pitchers off of their game. He can score from first on a double, and although there isn't a stat for this (there isn't...is there?), he causes a lot of double plays to simply become groundouts due to his speed. Crawford is also among the league leaders in runs scored every year. On defense, he uses his speed to make plays, and has made just 20 errors in LF throughout his career, which shows just how multi-dimensional he really is.

19- Vladimir Guerrero: Right Fielder, Los Angeles Angels

Thinking about every player on the list, this is the pick that probably will draw the most scrutiny, but I will try and defend it. Do you want consistency out of your third hitter? I will show you consistency, and it's first name is Vladimir. Everyone knows how good he was when he played for the Expos, but that was a while ago, so I'll stick to his numbers with the Angels. 2004: 39 HR, 126 RBI, .327 BA. 2005: 32 HR, 108 RBI, .317 BA. 2006: 33 HR, 116 RBI, .329 BA. 2007: 27 HR, 125 HR, .324 BA. 2008: 27 HR, 91 RBI, .303 BA. He also has a OBP of .387, career-wise. Who cares if he is 34? He can still hit with the best! But what separates him is his defensive ability. Yes, he no longer has the arm that he once had, although if he did, he would be ranked higher on here. The reason he doesn't have a ton of assists is that, well, people stopped running on him. But in doing so, Guererro has saved countless extra bases, has turned countless doubles into singles, and has made countless people think twice about taking that extra base. There are very few guys who have the defensive-presence to consistently change the way runners advance on the basepaths so much that they actually change a game through both defense and offense. Vlad might not be what he once was, but he is still an elite player.

18- Jose Reyes: Shortstop, New York Mets

One of the most exciting players in baseball, Reyes is also one of the best. He has good power at the top of the lineup: 47 HR in the last three years. He drives in a good amount of runs at the top of the lineup: 206 over that same time period. He steals bases: 198 in those same three years, good for first in baseball. He also has hit a ton of doubles (103) and scored an amazing amount of runs (354). But perhaps what is most telling is his effect on the rest of the Mets. When he struggled, so did the Mets, which can be seen in the back-to-back collapses; a big contributing factor in both was Reyes not producing. Of course, the flip side is that Reyes is not yet a superstar, and while he is a top 20 player, he will need to step his game up if he wants to move into the top 10.

Manny Ramirez: Left Fielder, Los Angeles Dodgers

Manny is a great player. If he was ranked, it would probably be around here. But guess what? He also took steroids, and so he gets to be unranked. There is no denying that he is a great player, but, well, I'm sick of steroids and don't want to rank him. He's not the only one, either, so keep reading and a small pattern might develop...

17- Alfonso Soriano: Left Fielder, Chicago Cubs

Yeah, he's not having a very good season. And yeah, he's probably overrated. But no one can deny that Soriano is one of the most talented players in all of baseball. The big problems people have with him are strikeouts and a low batting average. As crazy as it might sound, his strikeouts are actually going down and he is drawing more walks now than he did earlier in his career. And while a low average isn't ideal for a leadoff hitter, Soriano isn't your prototypical leadoff hitter. He still is one of the best base stealers around, and even though his steals might be down, his success-rate is way higher; since his 40-40 year, he has stolen 45 bases and has been caught just 11 times. While his fielding is currently the worst year of his career, you have to remember that he also has a total of 45 assists the last three years; which is an incredible number. Combine his speed and arm with the power we all know that he has, and you have a very good LF.

16- Prince Fielder: First Baseman, Milwaukee Brewers

Prince is an excellent hitter. He is a likeable guy. And he is one of the best 1B in the game today. But is he a top 15 player? No, and the reason for that is his defense. Yes, it is improving, but until he shows he can consistently play first base above-average, he is going to be stuck around here. Don't believe me? His error totals the last three years: 11, 14, 17. And while his defense is much improved this year, he hasn't even played 100 games yet. He also has never had a season where he hit over .300, so again, it looks good now, but he needs to prove that the consistency is there. In a couple of years, Fielder probably will be a top ten player; but much like a lot of other guys, not just yet.

15- Mark Teixeira: First Baseman, New York Yankees

Tex is in a very interesting situation, perception-wise. Before he went to New York, he was very underrated, having played for Texas, Atlanta and Los Angeles. He had played well, but at the same time, the only legitimate major-market team he played for is on the West Coast. However, due to the magnitude of the contract that he signed combined with him becoming a Yankee, he became overrated. He is a very good player, and the difference between him and Fielder (much like Youkilis-Cabrera) is the defense. He has multiple Gold Gloves, and while they are an overrated award, he has a career fielding percentage of .996; he hasn't had one below .996 since 2005, and it currently sits at .999. I'd say those are pretty solid numbers. He is no slouch at the plate, either, and has gone for seasons of at least 30 HR, at least 100 RBI, and at least a .300 BA in four of the last five seasons. Teixeira might not be the most-liked guy around, but there is no denying how good of a baseball player he is.

14- Carlos Beltran: Center Fielder, New York Mets

When healthy, Beltran is one of the most complete players in baseball, but the question is there about his health. Although his hitting is what he's mostly known for, the reason he is such a good player is his defense. As one of the best center fielders in baseball, Beltran is currently on a streak of back-to-back-to-back Gold Gloves- with multiple Silver Sluggers coming in that time, as well. Discounting his first year in New York (the adjustment year, it happens to nearly everyone who signs with the Yankees or Mets), his lows so far have been 27 HR, 112 RBI and a .275 BA. He also can steal bases, and has gone for more than 23 each of the last two years. Before he got hurt, Beltran was looking at a potential career year as he was hitting .336- which was near the top of the National League, and 40 RBI in 62 games. Not bad, eh?

13- Brian McCann: Catcher, Atlanta Braves

If not for a certain other catcher who also happens to be playing right now, McCann would be talked about as a once-in-a-generation guy behind the plate. Yet as it is, and unfortunately for him, he's merely an afterthought in the discussion of best catchers. What does he have going for him? He hardly strikes out: never more than 74 in a season. He is a very good run producer: 344 in less than four total years. He has good power for a catcher: 81 HR in those same three years. And he's a great hitter: .298 career batting average. But what is starting to set McCann apart is his defense. He never was a great catcher until this year, but his defense is finally starting to catch up to his hitting. His CERA (catcher's ERA) is also way down, and credit is due to McCann, who does a great job with Atlanta's pitching staff. He's an elite player, and if not for that guy in Minnesota, he would be so much more respected. Oh well.

12- Ryan Braun: Left Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers

A lot of people might not like Braun this high, but he is a very good player. Where do I start? He's a career .305 hitter who can hit singles, doubles (88 in less than three years), triples (17 in less than three years) and home runs (91 in three years, career low of 34). He can drive in runs with the best of them, and it isn't like he plays in such a great lineup. The aspect of Braun's game that was holding him back was his fielding. Well, not anymore it isn't. In left field, he's found his position. How many errors do you think he had last year, in his first year there? Ten? Twelve? Try zero! Braun made a grand-total of zero errors in 149 games. In his two years in LF, he has 15 assists and just two errors. If he keeps this up, he could be a top five player in a couple years.

11- Roy Halladay: Starting Pitcher, Toronto Blue Jays

Halladay is a great pitcher. He is a fantastic pitcher. He is a phenomenal pitcher. He is a tremendous pitcher. Give him whatever praise that you want, but he still isn't getting in the top ten. Yes, I know he plays in the AL East, and all that does is give more power to him. But at the same time, a pitcher goes every five days, and a good hitter is a force every day; so in my opinion, the hitter gets the edge. Even so, Halladay is a great pitcher, and if he keeps this pace up, he could very well be a Hall of Fame contender someday. It might seem far-fetched as of now, but it remains a possibility. Halladay is sooooo close to a top ten player (he more than likely is, actually...) it's crazy, but he just doesn't dominate quite like the two pitchers ahead of him.

10- Justin Morneau: First Baseman, Minnesota Twins

Once again, your eyes are correct: Justin Morneau is a top ten player. Don't believe me? Let's look at some of his stats. People don't like his defense? Career-wise, he has a .996 fielding percentage; it currently sits at .999, and he has made just one error this year. Yeah, that's better than Pujols. People don't like his hitting? Since he became a full-time starter, he has 452 RBI in less than four full seasons. Don't think those numbers are legitimate? Since 04, he has more RBI than Pujols. In that same amount of time, Morneau also has 114 HR. He also has hit over .300 in four of the last four years; the man can flat-out hit. Finally, everyone talks about Pujols as a Triple Crown candidate, yet nobody ever mentions Morneau as a possibility...ever...at all. How are his chances looking? First in the AL in HR. First in the AL in RBI. Tenth in the AL in BA. So no, it probably won't happen, but Morneau is definitely a better player than he gets credit for.

9- Tim Lincecum: Starting Pitcher, San Francisco Giants

Say what you want about him, but you can't deny how good of a year he is having coming off of a Cy Young-winning season. His career record is 36-13; he went 7-5 as a rookie. I'll do the math for you and find the last two season's records; 18-5; 11-3. He has 598 strikeouts in 522 innings, and has walked just 189 batters; that's an incredible K/BB ratio. But what about the most important stat for a pitcher, ERA? 2.91 career ERA. 2.62 ERA last yea; 2.30 ERA this year. Among active starting pitchers, do you know where his career ERA ranks? First. Ahead of everyone else. Seriously. Who cares what division he plays in? Tim Lincecum is 25, and in just his third year in the Majors, he's absolutely dominating the National League. Roy Halladay is great, but it seems as though Lincecum has the edge right now, ever so slightly.

8- David Wright: Third Baseman, New York Mets

He has two Gold Gloves in the last two years. He has two Silver Sluggers in the last two years. Has anyone been the dual-threat that Wright has been? Yes, he isn't the greatest fielder in the world, but he makes plenty of plays. I know Gold Gloves aren't all that legitimate anymore, but can it be so easy to win them back-to-back? He is currently hitting .323, and that might be the most impressive feat in all of baseball. His protection in the lineup is Jeff Francoeur, Daniel Murphy and Luis Castillo; does anyone realize how good of a hitter Wright is to do this with the guys around him?! Yes, his power numbers are way down, but what are his career stats like? 2005: 27 HR, 102 RBI, .306 BA. 2006: 26 HR, 116 RBI, .311 BA. 2007: 30 HR, 107 RBI, .325 BA. 2008: 33 HR, 124 RBI, .302 BA. So yeah, I like to consider Wright a legitimate hitter. If his power numbers were up, he could be a top five or six player, but as it is, eighth is no small accomplishment.

7- Chase Utley: Second Baseman, Philadalphia Phillies

If not for his sub-par fielding, there is no doubt in my mind that he would be higher. Utley is a great leader. He is a very good at manufacturing runs. He is very good at driving in runs. He is very good at hitting home runs. He is very good at hitting. He is very good at knitting...just wanted to see if you were still paying attention. My point is that Utley is the kind of player that every team needs. He plays hard and he plays well. I honestly don't know of anyone who could find 10 or so guys who are better than Utley, so I'll just wrap this up now...

6- Hanley Ramirez: Shortstop, Florida Marlins

Once again, this is a case of a great hitter who would be higher on the list if only he was a more reliable fielder. Utley and Ramirez have a lot of similarities, but it ultimately came down to their positions: Utley is a great 2B, Ramirez is a great SS; so Ramirez gets the edge right now. Well, what exactly to say about Hanley Ramirez? He steals bases. He can hit with power. He can drive in runs. He is very good at getting on base. He is an awesome hitter. Basically, in conclusion, Ramirez is fast on his way to becoming a top three player in baseball. In a couple of years, don't be surprised to see him up there.

Alex Rodriguez: Third Baseman, New York Yankees

Once again, this is around where A-Rod would be if he were ranked. But I'm not gonna rank him, and I think we all know why. I've previously written about A-Rod, steroids and the effects on Major League Baseball, so you can go read that if you want. Moving on...

5- Adrian Gonzalez: First Baseman, San Diego Padres

Gonzalez is right there with Brad Hawpe for contention of the most underrated player, and I firmly believe that he is a top five player. Let me make my case before you jump all over me. On defense, he is a Gold Glover. He also is one of the best first basemen in either league, so that's one aspect of his game that is complete. His hitting numbers might not seem great, but he is a much better hitter than his numbers indicate. There are two reasons for this. The first one is where he plays; Petco Park is dead last in runs for park factor, and it's last by a lot. It's not easy to score there, and Gonzalez still puts up awesome RBI numbers. Next reason? His protection, and Gonzalez is the one guy in baseball who pitchers can literally do whatever they want to, because his lineup does next to nothing for him. Want some proof? San Diego's lineup last night was, as follows: Tony Gwynn Junior, David Eckstein, Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Chase Headley, Kyle Blanks, Henry Blanco, Everth Cabrera, pitcher. Eckstein is hitting .264, the rest are all under .250- except for Gwynn Jr. who is at .288, but doesn't qualify. You still think Gonzalez isn't this good? If he played in Boston, New York or Philadelphia, with those lineups, his reputation would be huge, and his numbers would be astronomical.

4- Johan Santana: Starting Pitcher, New York Mets

There you have it, the highest ranked pitcher comes in at fourth. How dominant is he? Since Santana became a starter (220 games), he hasn't had an ERA over 3.33. He had one year at 3.07, and five under 3.00. I'd say that is domination. Santana also has a career record of 120-59; that's a winning percentage of almost 70. That is domination. How crazy is it knowing that when this guy is pitching, if he gets 30 decisions, he could get you 23 wins? He has never walked more than 66 guys in a season, but is also working on a sixth consecutive year of at least 200 strikeouts. That's pretty dominant. He also is an innings-eater, and is going for a sixth consecutive season of 200 or more innings, as well. Santana has played for good teams, but at the same time, he is a big key to the success. A truly great pitcher is hard to come by, but Santana seems to be one.

3- Ichiro Suzuki: Right Fielder, Seattle Mariners

Is Ichiro the most overlooked player of this decade? It's very well possible. Where should I start with him? He is a career .333 hitter, which happens to be 28th all-time. As a 35 year old, he is hitting .366; that's crazy. How is he in the field? How about eight straight Gold Gloves! If he had played in the Major Leagues his whole career, he could have 12 or 13, which would place in the range of Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente. He hasn't played a season in the Majors and not won a Gold Glove...think about that for a bit. What else can Ichiro do? He steals bases- career low? 31. He hits for a little bit of power in the leadoff slot. He is among the league leaders in triples every year. But mostly he's just a hitting and fielding machine. Yeah, because that's such a small accomplishment. You might not like him, you might not evaluate him, and you might not realize how good he is, but Ichiro, at 35, is a top three player.

2- Joe Mauer: Catcher, Minnesota Twins

Remember that guy we were talking about with Brian McCann? Well, Mauer is that guy. Where to start with him? He has two batting titles as a catcher; he's also the only catcher in American League history with one. His career batting average is .322, his career OBP is .403. Yeah, those are correct numbers for a 26 year old catcher. He walks more than he strikes out- career walks: 329, career strikeouts: 274. The one shortcoming with his hitting was power, but he has 17 home runs this year, which is the highest of his career. So it seems safe to say that he is now can hit for power. And his defense? He's a Gold Glover who is arguably the best defensive catcher in all of baseball. He does a great job with the pitching staff, he has helped mature all of the young pithers (seriously, who else could miss the playoffs by one run with a rotation of Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins and Nick Blackburn?) and he is durable enough to play around 145 games a year. There is no denying it; Joe Mauer is an incredible player.

1- Albert Pujols: First Baseman, St. Louis Cardinals

Alright seriously, does anything need to be said?

Well, there you have it. I know you disagree with my list, so let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

Dear Mr. Rubio

0x NBA/NFL Champion — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:32:04 GMT

Dear Mr. Rubio,

Eighteen years ago, you were born halfway across the world. Just two years later, I was born on the other half of the world. You don't know me, and I don't know you. But we share a special bond. The point guard bond, and trust me, we both know this well. The position of point guard- to lead your team, to make your teammates better, to work with the "better players", and to win games.

Right?

Well, until earlier this week, that was all it was. But then the NBA draft came along. A chance for all of us Minnesotans to watch our new big shot, David Kahn, and to see if he could manage to mess up half as many times as Kevin McHale did. Because we haven't been very lucky, and when that glimmer of hope comes, we would love to jump all over it. Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry and James Harden seemed to fit, but there was another guy we wanted.

We weren't supposed to have the chance at this guy. That is, until he started talking. He didn't want to play in Memphis. He didn't want to play in Sacramento. He didn't really want to play in Oklahoma City. And that left the window open.

Because see, Mr. Rubio, we just wanted a chance at you. "I'd play for free...I just love basketball..." you said, and we loved it. The Timberwolves needed something to bolster their franchise, so they traded their two most established guards for a chance at you. As it stands, Mike Miller, who we brought in just last year, and Randy Foye, who was the backcourt player we were building our team around, now are playing in Washington.

And because of this, we share another bond. The Minnesota bond. And honestly, that's something you need to understand. Because Minnesota isn't all that bad of a place for you. If you are an athlete with some talent, and a little bit of heart, you'll forever have a place in ours. We love Kevin Garnett. We love Joe Mauer. We love Adrian Peterson. I mean, we still root for Torii Hunter, who took the money and ran. Some of us even still like Randy Moss, who did what he wanted to do until he was gone.

And now, we're ready to love Ricky Rubio. But what about the other half?

Because as it stands now, Mr. Rubio, you don't seem to want to play here. Why is that? Because Minnesota isn't a sports state? Trust me, when the Timberwolves are doing well, Target Center is rocking. And even when they aren't, such as the last six years, fans still come. It may not be Madison Square Garden, but at the same time, we won't be booing you.

Because that's Minnesota Nice. Google it, and over 43,000,000 searches will come up. It has a Wikipedia page. But apparently, you don't have to play here?

No offense, Mr. Rubio, but why the hell is that?

Because you're so good that you can just demand where you want to play? What's wrong with America, when an 18 year old isn't happy just to have the opportunity to play in the NBA, but they have to do it on their terms? Chris Paul probably didn't really want to play in New Orleans, but what did he do? Deron Williams didn't want to go to Utah, what did he do? Carmelo Anthony probably didn't want to go to Denver, but what did he do? I mean, Chris Bosh more than likely didn't want to go to Toronto, Canada, but what did he do? Those guys all were able to embrace what had happened, and make the best of their situations. And the reasoning seems to be that this is irrelevant because you're no D-Will, CP3, Melo or Bosh...

...so then why the hell do you have so much bargaining power? First of all, you're only 18! You haven't played Division I basketball. You haven't played against all that many NBA players. Yes, I know that basketball in Europe is very competitive, and that the Olympics were a great show for you, but seriously? You won a Silver Medal, and played a good game against the American team. How good? 6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals. That's basically you're biggest game, huh?

But Mr. Rubio, we know that you can do it! We can see the fast breaks happening now! A rebound is pulled down by double-double machine Al Jefferson, and outletted to you, as you come dribbling down the court. On one side of you is Wayne Ellington, who can knock down that three and get you that assist. On another side of you is Jonny Flynn, your backcourt mate who can pull up for the shot, take the pass and take it to the basket, or simply get it and give it back to you for an easy two points. And trailing you is Kevin Love, who is barreling down the court, ready to take the no-look pass from you and turn it into an athletic dunk.

And who made that all happen? You did! Playing with those four first round picks, plus three more in Corey Brewer, a small forward with very good defense and an emerging offensive game, Sebastian Telfair, a very nice backup to you, who has been the lottery pick and can teach you a little bit from experience, and Rodney Carney, who would love to take alley-oops from you all day. And I haven't even mentioned Ryan Gomes, a hard-working power forward who very quietly is becoming a nice player, and averaged 13 and 5 last year.

What I'm trying to say is that this team has most of the pieces to make a run. All that's needed is a leader, a point guard, and a good veteran. Who can be two of those three?

The last big-name player who the Wolves picked at #5 was, like you, vastly unproven. He was just 18 years old, as well, and he wasn't going to the ideal location. But KG stuck with it, and had an awesome career. He won an MVP. He went to 10 All-Star Games. He was on the All-Defensive team. He led Minnesota to the playoffs seven consevutive years, including the best overall record and a trip to the Western Confernce Finals.

But did he want to go there? More than likely, no. Minnesota had never won more than 29 games in a season. But after the teams ahead of them passed him up, he was happy to be in the position that he was in; to come into the NBA, to become the face of the franchise, and to begin a great career.

Much like him, you, Mr. Rubio, seem to be in that same spot. You can become the face of the fanchise. You can reward the team to took you with a top five pick, instead of telling the guys who took a huge risk on you that you don't really want do play for them. You have the ability to make it happen.

The talent is there. All we need is a leader. Please take it into consideration. Because in all honestly, Mr. Rubio, you could very well be simply a draft bust. Another overhyped Eurpoean basketball player who couldn't succeed in the NBA. But believe me, we don't want that. We want to cheer you on, wear your jersey, and see your success for years to come.

Please don't blow this opportunity.

The Limiting Factor?

0x NBA/NFL Champion — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:23:39 GMT

When college basketball players make the jump to the NBA, many expectations are placed on these players. Whether you were a superstar point guard, a good power forward, or a multi-dimensional shooting guard, if you are selected high in the draft, you will be expected to do something. At the position of small forward, this is no exception. When these guys are drafted, there is always one slogan that judges their potential:

The sky is the limit.

There are small forwards like LeBron James, guys who are drafted with expectations through the roof, who are talented enough to become superstars. There are small forwards like Carmelo Anthony, who turn into very good (although overrated) players. There are small forwards like Marvin Williams, who turn out to be very underrated, and successful players, but because of their expecations, are labeled as busts. There are small forwards like Adam Morrison, who seem more like good bench players, rather than the 20 point scorer they were counted on to be. And then there are guys who really do fit the judgment of their talent. There happens to be one player, who is especially true of this notion.

Even if you don't know it...yet.

That guy? Really? Yes, he wasn't the first pick of his draft. Yes, he didn't lead his team out of the lottery. And yes, he hasn't even been an All-Star yet. But trust me, Kevin Durant has all the makings of a future superstar, much to the surprise of many basketball fans. Sure, Durant now has columnists writing about him, he is getting more attention from the media, and he now does get talked about on ESPN. But does anyone realize just how special of a player Kevin Durant is?

To show everyone just how good Durant is thus far, we are going to compare him to some other NBA figures, guys who get attention 24/7, guys who are talked about as future Hall of Famers, guys who are considered the elite of the most competitive laegue in the world. Guys who aren't skinny, shy, 20 year olds, right? So, get ready to look at Durant's career, and some superstars at the same point in their careers.

LeBron James is arguably the best player in the NBA. He is an Olympic gold medalist, an MVP candidate, an Eastern Conference champion, and the best small forward in the world. But how do his second year numbers stack up against Durant's?

Kevin Durant- 26 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 48% FG, 43% 3PT, 86% FT, 3.2 TO

LeBron James- 27.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.2 APG, 2.2 SPG, 47% FG, 35% 3PT, 75% FT, 3.3 TO

Yes, Kevin Durant is no LeBron James. But for the probable best player in the world to be going against Durant, the stats are surprisingly similar, aren't they? LeBron scores more and gets more assists and rebounds, although the scoring and rebounding are close; but remember Durant weighs just 215 pounds, so as he gets bigger, so will his rebounding numbers. LeBron got more steals, but that was the peak of his career, so if his steals went down, it is possible that Durant's could go up. But what about shooting? It's a clean sweep for Durant, as he has better percentages than LeBron in all three categories. The turnovers are close, and overall, LeBron is the better player, but they are much closer than expected.

Carmelo Anthony is one of the most popular NBA players in the world. He is an All-Star, a great scorer, a two time member of the United States Olympic basketball team, a gold medalist, and a top five small forward. So how do his second year numbers look against Durant's?

Kevin Durant- 26 PPG, 6.6. RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 48% FG, 43% 3PT, 86% FT, 3.2 TO

Carmelo Anthony- 20.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, .9 SPG, 43% FG, 26% 3PT, 79% FT, 3 TO

As you look at those, the conclusion is striking: Carmelo is regarded as one of the best young players in the NBA, and Durant seems to be better than him at everything, at this point in their careers. Carmelo is 6-8, so Durant pulling in almost one rebound more a game is impressive, considering Caremlo is considered a top rebounding small forward. Durant is also a much better shooter than him, and shoots and astounding 17% better from downtown. Of course, Carmelo really broke out the next season, so his stats got better. But that also means that Durant's stats could increase, as well.

Paul Pierce is exemplifies everything a young player wants to be; he is a good teammate, an All-Star, and an NBA champion. Both he and Durant were drafted with high expectations, so how does Durant look compared to The Truth?

Kevin Durant- 26 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 48% FG, 43% 3PT, 86% FT, 3.2 TO

Paul Pierce- 19.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3 APG, 2.1 SPG, 44% FG, 34% 3PT, 79% FT, 2.4 TO

Pierce was one of the more complete young players when he came into the league, but Durant matches up nicely with him. Durant does score and rebound more, although Pierce gets more steals and assists, but both are close. But as for shooting, Durant again kills Pierce in all three categories. Pierce's turnovers are far less, but they were the lowest of his career that year, so Durant's turnovers could easily increase, or, for that matter, decrease. But if Durant's career turns out anything like Pierce's, it will be considered a big success.

Wow. Now, we're really comparing the 20 year old to the big boys. Larry Bird is arguably the greatest small forward to ever play in the NBA, and did numerous great things in his career. Is Durant any match for Larry Legend?

Kevin Durant- 26 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 48% FG, 43% 3PT, 86% FT, 3.2 TO

Larry Bird- 21.2 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2 SPG, 46% FG, 27% 3PT, 86% FT, 3.5 TO

Well, maybe we were getting ahead of ourselves a little bit, huh? Sure, Durant scores more, but Bird didn't have to score at that time. Bird kills him in the rebounds, assists and steals, although the career-high steals in the second year continues. But something very odd sticks out; and that's shooting. Bird is considered one of, if not the, best shooter of all-time. Not only does Durant have a better field goal percentage, and a better free throw percentage, but he kills him in three-point percentage. So for Durant to be the better shooter, out of a 20 year old, and one of the best shooters ever, seems to say something, doesn't it?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. MJ? Air Jordan? Are we really going to compare the 20 year old to the best player of all-time, Michael Jordan? Yeah, just for fun, we are going to. Why not? I'm sure Durant has surprised some of you so far, so why not continue the run?

Kevin Durant- 26 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 48% FG, 43% 3PT, 86% FT, 3.2 TO

Michael Jordan- 22.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.1 SPG, 45% FG, 16% 3PT, 84% FT, 2.5 TO

Now, Jordan was a shooting guard. And yes, he was hurt that year and played only 18 games, so these aren't very symbolic of his career. But does this still mean something? Jordan was 6-6, so for Durant to be out-rebounding him by almost 50% is impressive. The assists are the same, and Jordan had less turnovers, while Durant scores more, but Jordan couldn't really score, so that is basically irrelevant. However, again, look at the shooting. Durant out-shoots Jordan from distance by 27% percent! Think about that. I know Jordan's shooting got better, but if that's the case, and Durant's do, as well, what are we looking at? Think about that for a second.

Of course, none of this could be complete without comparing what Durant did as a rookie, to what he is doing this year. So, just how much did Kevin Durant elevate his game from his rookie year in the NBA, to his second year?

Kevin Durant (second year)- 26 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 48% FG, 43% 3PT, 86% FT, 3.2 TO

Kevin Durant (rookie year)- 20.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1 SPG, 43% FG, 28% 3PT, 87% FT, 2.9 TO

Well, first off, it looks like someone missed the sophomore slump. Just look at his increase in production from year one, to year two. His scoring is up by more than 20%. His rebounding is up 33%. His assists are up, his defense is improving, and everything else increased (even the turnovers), too. But the big improvement? His shooting. His field goal percentage is up 5%. His free throw shooting is down, but he more than makes up for it from long distance. Just look at that. In just one year, Durant has increased his three-point shooting 15%!

If he can do that in his second year, when he is just 20, what is going to happen in the future? What will he be doing when he is 22? 23? 25? If he keeps improving his game like this, Kevin Durant will be a top ten NBA player in no time. He could be a top five player, or maybe, in five years, he could share the "best player argument" spotlight with Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron. Is it possible?

For great players, the sky is the limit. For Kevin Durant, is the sky really the limit? Maybe we should just check back in five years.

Anything and Everything

0x NBA/NFL Champion — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:17:34 GMT

Three seconds left, down by one, ball in the hands of your team. The crowd is going crazy, the opposing team is getting ready for one final stand, your team is going for the win. Everyone is watching, everyone is fixated, and anything can happen. NCAA basketball is one of the premier sporting fields in the United States of America, and for all intensive purposes, the world. There are so many cool characteristics of college basketball from the upsets, to the rivalries, to March Madness, to the predictions made every year, to the chance that one player has to carve his own legacy.

Of course, when someone thinks of college basketball, certain teams come to mind. Teams with tradition, and winning programs, such as UCLA, Kansas, North Carolina or Kentucky. But above all, the team that always seems to stick out, is Duke. The University of Duke Blue Devils. Love them, or hate them, Duke is just one of those teams that features two very distinctive fan sides, and nothing less.

But just like every sport, people are always going to have some type of problem with the best teams. In football, people don't like the Patriots, but they respect blue-collar players like Tom Brady, guys who are great players. In baseball, lots of people hate the Yankees, mostly because of their spending ways, but any true MLB fan can acknowledge that Derek Jeter is a great player. However, with Duke, it always seems different. People find it hard to respect one or two players, much less the team as a whole, and very few are able to root for them if their favorite team isn't involved.

If I told you that Duke has won 16 ACC championships, you might consider them an elite team, which they are. But what if I told you that they have won just three national championships? What if I said that a team who has played in the NIT three of the last four years, yet is often considered not close to Duke, has won the title more recently? What if I said that teams have gone to the Final Four while Duke hasn't inlcude George Mason, LSU, and Illinois, to name a few?

That might make you re-consider your perception a little bit, right? No matter, they are one of the most storied programs in college basketball history, producing great guys like Grant Hill, who are also great players.

However, I feel that there are some antics that Duke employs, and I (and millions of other people included) am not very fond of Duke. Why is this? Well, for starters: how they play. They foul. They play dirty. They complain. They talk trash. But you know what, so does everyone else. Is part of the reason that people dislike them because they are good?

Yes! I'll be the first to admit it. I don't like how great they can run the spread offense and take time off the clock, slow down the game, and knock down open shots. I don't like some of their tactics, like the chest bumping, or the floor pounding, but if my team was doing it, I'd probably love it. And I have a hard time rooting for Mike Kryzewski, their head coach, although I can say that he is one of the best coaches in basketball. Even their fan section, the Cameron Crazies, gets annoying at times; but I think we're all jealous at how dedicated they are to their team, and secretly would love their fan section as our own.

"Just this year, there have been so many incidents from other teams' fans, saying rude remarks to us"

-J.J. Redick

But you know what? Much like every other anti-Duke fan out there, we all have a hard time respecting Duke. Is it because they are constantly nagging the referees? Is it because they complain about every call that goes against them? Is it because they have annoying, white players (Redick, Josh McRoberts, Greg Paulus, etc.) who exemplify everything that irritates us? There are plenty of reasons to go around, and to please many people (and irritate many more), some of the "great things" about Duke are going to be exposed, once and for all...

Alright, who am I kidding? There is never enough time to expose all the flaws about Duke, I will merely talk about some of the current, uh, tendencies, we'll say, facing Duke...

Type in "Mike Kryzewski complaints" on Google, and over 6,000 entries come up in under one second. This year, he seems to have two major coaching accomplishments. The first is guiding the United States to the Gold Medal. This is a great feat, and I am not any less proud to root for the United States if Coach K is running things, but was this really a miracle work? I mean, he had not one, but two NBA All-Stars (Carlos Boozer and Michael Redd) who basically never played, and when Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were on, he was sometimes faced with the task of deciding which future Hall of Fame guard to put as the third option at guard, Kobe Bryant or Jason Kidd. Think about that for a minute. Also, remember that before 2004, it was expected that the U.S. would win, not hoped. So if they had won the Gold Medal in Athens, would this be such a big deal?

Secondly, he seems to have gotten all kinds of credit for inserting freshman Elliot Williams into the starting lineup. It was a smart coaching move, and I'm not sure most major coaches would do that, but how great of a move was it? Good enough for the at-minimum ten mentions on ESPN in the last couple of days? Let me throw a few things at you.

First, Williams was an All-American. As if freshman weren't doing anything special, let me remind you that just last year Derrick Rose, now in the NBA, led Memphis to the title game. Michael Beasley, now in the NBA, was arguably the best player in college basketball last year. In fact, freshman were five of the first seven picks of the NBA draft. But since he put a fresman in the lineup, he must have replaced a great player, right?

In fact, Williams replaced none other than Greg Paulus. The same Paulus who averages under six points and two assists a game? The same Paulus who has seen his minutes decreased every year? The same Paulus who was benched last year, as well? And putting an All-American in as the fifth option is such a gutsy move? I don't know, I'm not quite sold. Or maybe I just think Paulus flops too much.

A perfect example of Coach K's unbelievable "work" came after the screen Dave Neal set on Nolan Smith, as Coach K was"furious", as he yelled at the referees. Even the announcers on ESPN, who were constantly showering Duke with praise, pointed out that "that was a legal screen".

Anyway, that leads me to my next gripe; the players. This includes the trio of Paulus, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler (although he isn't all that bad). Of course, it also includes Gerald Henderson. Now, let me say that I don't really like Tyler Hansbrough; I think he is overrated, gets too many calls, and gets away with too much. So if you do something like give him an elbow in the face, and you aren't well liked, it's safe to say that you probably aren't the most likeable basketball player. Or, maybe Henderson just gets way too much credit for everything. And again, let me say that Henderson is a very good player, but is he quite as good as everyone thinks? Chrisian Laettner, William Avery and Mike Dunleavy might have to disagree.

Like on Wednesday night, he had an awesome (and I mean awesome) dunk. But after he dunks, the guys on ESPN exclaim "He must have gotten up about twelve feet", which isn't exactly true. The replay showed that it was a great dunk...and that he got nowhere near twelve feet up. He had a great defensive play, and hit a nice jumper after that; qualities that prove the talent that he has. But this then caused the guys to exclaim that "He just made three All-ACC plays", something that was never (All-ACC) mentioned one time during the Maryland-North Carolina game for Greivis Vasquez, when he got a triple-double on the best guard in the conference, Ty Lawson. Not once, even though it was just the third triple-double in Maryland history, the first in 20+ years, and aginst probably the best team in the country, to keep his team's NCAA Tournament hopes alive. That's not All-ACC caliber!

So after Henderson lands, what does he do? He screams (acceptable, I get excited when I play basketball, as well), looks at the crowd (a little bit annoying), stomps on the ground (annoying), and spins around doing it (irritating). In my opinion, that four-step sequence is a bit over the line. Like, if someone on another team does that, it's a technical foul. Henderson does it, and there isn't even one mention of sportsmanship. Oh well...

The other thing that I find odd is the amount of credit Duke gets for their defense. While I will admit that they can play great defense, they can also be very inconsistent. Take their prasied defender, Henderson, who just let Landon Milbourne go for 19 points, while shooting 75% from the field. Talented? Yes, but inconsistent? Yes.

Unrelated note: With the seniors leaving, and good recruits coming in, if things fall into place (which they very well could), the Henderson-Milbourne talents could potentially turn into a very good rivalry. Stay tuned to find out. Anyway...

A different instance in the game, with the score close, Duke inbounds the ball from under the hoop. The play is a clearout for the center to come down the lane, and if there is a defender, you have to get around them. Or, unless you're Brian Zoubek and you have a clear path in the lane, except for the defender, you get to run them over. So what does he do? He runs over Neal (and although there was a small flop), and throws him out of bounds. Layup good, two points Duke.

After this, as Maryland is inbounding the ball, Singler comes up, and steals the ball away in the backcourt. By "steal", I mean knock ball loose by fouling, and pick up ball cleanly, making the foul no foul, if you follow me. If you disagree with this, it's alright, it happens all the time. Anyway, Singler gets a dunk, after the no-call. Timeout Maryland. Loss of timeout. Loss of lead. Loss of momentum.

Do I even have to mention the fifth foul (and block) that fouled out Vasquez and forever swung the momentum? Or the immensely clean blocked shot by Milbourne that even the announcers agreed was a horrible call? How is it that Coach K can work the referees all day, and there is never a mention of this?

"Very physical game. It's interesting. As you know, I can't say anything" said Gary Williams. Funny, Coach K seemed to talk more to the refs than his own team. If I didn't know any better, I would think something of it...

Fans are a great part of college basketball. The Cameron Crazies are some of the best college basketball fans in the country, but I think everyone would agree that there are just things about them that irritate everyone. Is it the fact that graduate students paint their bodies? That as they chant "BULL S***" after every call that goes against Duke, they get to call out Maryland or North Carolina or Boston College fans for terrible things?

Take Speedo Guy, for example. Now, when Coach K is going to tell the media that there is "no room for that" (remember who this is coming from), isn't that kind of symbolic? Like, that it's kind of, uh, immature for a graduate student to be wearing a speedo at a basketball game? Yeah, it was funny. Yeah, it was clever. But no, that guy shouldn't be regarded as a hero.

More examples are needed? What about when Scott Williams, a former North Carolina player, lost both of his parents in a murder-suicide, which truly is a sad thing for anyone, and was playing in a Duke-North Carolina game. What did the Crazies think of this? He was introduced to the chants of "ORPHAN! ORPHAN!". Seriously, and a "F*** YOU" chant that goes on at every sporting event in the world is "despicable"?

Maybe people are irritated by the lack of awareness presented by most fans of Duke? Now, that's not to say that they aren't basketball-smart: plenty of them are, and that's what makes them great fans. However, if you think there aren't many, many, many Blue Devil fans who know nothing and merely defend themselves by claiming jealousy by others, you are wrong.

It's bad enough to have a student section hated by your rivals, but what about when it is hated by every team in the ACC? What do North Carolina, Maryland, North Carolina State, Virgnina, Miami, Boston College, Wake Forest, Florida State, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech all have in common? They don't need to hand out cheer sheets that say what to do in order to make some creative cheers.

There is no media bias towards Duke! None at all! What is that picture above? Well...it sure isn't "college basketball expert" and ESPN announcer Dick Vitale, being held up by the Cameron Crazies...is it? It can't be, remember? The media hates Duke.

This year, Duke is "arguably the best team in the country". Really, ESPN? Is this the same team that had trouble aginst Rhode Island and St. John's? The same team who lost to Boston College, sixth in the ACC, lost by 27 to Clemson, and after giving them their worst loss in 40+ years, could barely put away 17-10 Maryland? Because I don't know about you guys, but when I see a senior class like the one at North Carolina go into Cameron and win four times, my first though is "an even rivalry". I mean, geez, that's being pretty conservative to the success Duke had, isn't it?

I honestly don't even really have to continue to go on, because whether you like Duke, or hate Duke, you know what I'm talking about; the media loves Duke. And it's as simple as that. In fact, everyone should love those Blue Devils, right?

"Thank you for reminding me of the reason why I left Duke. People like you cannot and will not ever understand my situation. I'm sure daddy worked very hard to send your rich self to college, while real people struggle. I would also like to extend an invitation for you not to waste your or my time ever again. Never being considered a part of your posh group of yuppies reallly hurts me to the heart. Yeah, right, because I don't care about you or your alumni"

-Elton Brand

Is Duke a great team? Yes. Is Duke overrated by the media? Yes. Do they get too many calls? Yes. Am I going to get killed for writing this? Most likely. Oh well, for lack of better judgment, what are the thoughts of college basketball fans?

My Ultimate 12 Man Roster

0x NBA/NFL Champion — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 02:23:44 GMT

Basketball is a great sport. One of the fun things to do with it is to make your own team of guys. People do this constantly, but I'm going to do it differently. You know why? Because if you're trying to pick the best possible team, everyone is going to take the same guys. Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, etc. Unless you're Mike Krzyzweski and get to wear uniforms that say "USA" on them, you aren't going to win many games. And even if you do have those benefits, there are no guarantees.

You know why? Because if they played in the NBA, during an 82 game regular season, and the playoffs, even those guys would start complaining. Tayshaun Prince and Carlos Boozer would want to play. Michael Redd is going to want to shoot. Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd, and even guys like LeBron would want the ball more. Eventually, they would start to complain, and the team would fall apart.

So, what am I going to do? I'm going to make my basketball roster, to win games, without the likes of superstar after superstar after superstar. In fact, I'm going to basically leave the two best players at each position off the team. The team will not have James, Bryant, Howard or Paul. It won't have Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony (AKA Mr. Overrated), or Deron Williams. Not even Richard Hamilton, Manu Ginobili, Ben Gordon or Antonio McDyess coming off the bench. Even more, there will be no future stars who are currently sitting on the bench snuck in here, so don't expect to see guys like Greg Oden, Kevin Love or Brandan Wright.

The team will get two "stars", neither of which is considered a top five NBA player. Teamwork makes things happen, and defense wins championships. That being said, my team will not be what one would expect.

Point Guard- Andre Miller, Philadelphia 76ers

One of the most underrated players, and probably the most underrated point guard in the NBA. Only two guys average more points and assists than him: Paul and Williams. He plays better defense than one, and the other is one of the best players in the league. So why is it that Miller is talked about less than the likes of Steve Nash, Kidd, Derrick Rose, Devin Harris, Jose Calderon or Chauncey Billups? They are all good players, and so is Miller. He can score, averaging 16+ a game; he can pass, averaging 6.5 assists a game, and he plays better defense than he gets credit for. A point guard should be able to run a team, knock down shots, and make things happen. Miller helped lead the 76ers to the playoffs last year, he shoots 48% from the field and 33% from downtown, and he turns the ball over less than every aforementioned guard other than Calderon. Miller can run a playoff team, and make things happen as a third option, and he is the point guard for this team.

Shooting Guard- Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Every good team needs a star to depend on, and Wade is no exception. As acclaimed as he was when he led the Heat to the NBA title and won Finals MVP, he is often overlooked at the guard position by the likes of Bryant and CP3. How good is this guy? He's second in the league in scoring, and has the ability to go off, like when he went for 24 in the first half (!) of the Gold Medal game, but is a great passer, which is a rare combination. Among shooting guards, he leads in both scoring and assists. He averegaes 28+ a night, with seven assists, so essentially he accounts for 42 points a night. If you think he is all offense, you are wrong. He gets more than two steals a game, which leads shooting guards. He also gets more than a block and a half, which, wait for it, is far-and-away the best amongst shooting guards. As for rebounding, he gets five a game, which is a lowly fourth. But what sets him apart is that he is a warrior, who plays 38 minutes a night. Wade can do it all, and is the star of this team.

Small Forward-Marvin Williams, Atlanta Hawks

Marvin Williams?!?! What is he doing here? I'll tell you what he is doing, he's the starting small forward. Williams is one of the more underrated players in the league, and often gets overlooked, especially playing with guys like Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby and Josh Smith. Playing as the fourth option, Williams isn't counted to score, but he still drops 13.9 a night, which is better than you might think. He is a good rebounder for his size, pulling in 6.5 rebounds a game, which is better than Caron Butler, Rudy Gay, Paul Pierce, Danny Granger, or Hedo Turkoglu. Williams shoots 45% from the field, 37% from deep, and a respectable 81% from the line. But he also does the little things to win games, such as turning the ball over almost one-third less than LeBron, and playing good defense. Williams can do a little bit of everything, which is good enough to start for this team.

Power Forward- Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves

The list of NBA players who get 20+ points and 10+ rebounds a night is very short. It goes Howard, Duncan, and then Big Al. One of them was a superstar, one of them is a superstar, and one of them is on his way to becoming a superstar. Jefferson just happens to play in Minnesota, otherwise he would be a combination of David West and Chris Bosh. What does he do on a nightly basis? 23+ points, 11+ rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.6 assists a night. The two biggest criticisms of Jefferson are that he shoots too much, and that he doesn't carry a team. He shoots 49%, which is better that Bosh, Shawn Marion, Josh Smith or Dirk Nowitzki. And if he played on a team with Calderon and Andrea Bargnani, Wade and Michael Beasley, Johnson and Bibby, or Jason Kidd and Josh Howard, you better believe the results will be different. Big Al has great post moves, a great all-around game, and although is primarily a center, he can be an effective power forward, where he will control the paint for this team.

Center- Kendrick Perkins, Boston Celtics

The easiest pick of the starters, Perkins is the best center nobody gives any credit to. Although he does nothing especially good, he does multiple things good. On offense, he averages eight points a game, which doesn't sound that special. But you have to remember he's the fifth option, playing with three All-Stars, so I think that's pretty good. He doesn't need the ball, but he can go off, like he did against Chicago, when he went for 25. On defense, he pulls in 8 rebounds a game, to go with 1.8 blocks a game, good for seventh among centers. He's one of the better offensive rebounders in the league, and if you weren't impressed by now, let me remind you that he has a championship ring, is still just 24 years old, and shoots 58% (!) from the field. Perkins is the fifth option, the guy who does the dirty work, and the starting center on this team.

Sixth Man- Ron Artest, Houston Rockets

If he was a starter, there's no doubt he'd be my starting forward. But I'm gonna bring him off the bench a couple minutes into the game, and let him do his thing. Nobody wants to hear it, or admit it, but Ron Artest is a very good player. Obviuosly, he can score, getting 16 as a third option, behind two guys who look to score a lot. He shoots 40% from downtown, which is better than acclaimed shooters such as Peja Stojakovic, Granger, or Redd. He gets over five reounds a game, which is better than Granger, and he gets over three assists a game, which is on par with Granger, and better than Kevin Durant. Remember, Granger is an All-Star. Artest is a leader, who has led both Indiana and Sacramento to the playoffs, where they took the one seed to six games, and he can step up in the playoffs. But why is he here? Defense, where he is one of the best in the league. He's a former Defensvive Player of the Year, and is a three time All-NBA defensive player, two of which were first team. An underrated part of his game is that he doesn't turn the ball over much, which is a key factor late in games. He's a savvy veteran, even though he's just 29 years old. He can score, make his teammates better, and is an excellent defender; the perfect guy coming off the bench first.

Seventh Man- James Posey, New Orleans Hornets

James Posey went to Miami, and he won a ring. James Posey went to Boston, and he won a ring. James Posey went to New Orleans, and they're one of the best in the league. Was he the reason for winning? No, but did he hit many big shots and play important defense? Yes. He's a key player off of the bench, who can score (9.5 points), rebound (4.7), pass (1.1 assists) and play defense. He shoots over 40% from the field, and is one of the best, and most clutch three point shooters in the NBA. He can play a big role off the bench, and is currently averaging over 28 minutes a game for the Hornets. Posey is clutch, team-oriented, and can do a little bit of everything, perfect for a bench player.

Eighth Man- Anthony Carter, Denver Nuggets

Much like the starting point guard, the backup point guard should be able to come off the bench and run the offense, play defense, and do a little scoring; Carter can do all three. Although he doesn't score much, he averages a whopping 4.9 assists in under 25 minutes a game. By comparison, that is more than Mario Chalmers, Derek Fisher, or All-Star Mo Williams, who all are starters. Carter is also a solid defender, as evident by the fact that he gets more steals per game than Kobe Bryant, one of the best defenders in the NBA, and Kevin Garnett, who just won the Defensive Player of the Year award. He doesn't take a lot of shots, but he takes smart ones, and hits 44% of them. Add in his 2.9 rebounds a game, and you have a good all-around backup, veteran point guard, which is what Carter will play.

Ninth Man- Leon Powe, Boston Celtics

As the first big man off the bench for the NBA-champion Celtics, Powe is proving that he can fill the role very nicely. In just over 15 minutes a game, Powe is averaging 6.4 points and 4.2 rebounds, and is shooting 50%. Continuing with the theme of defense off the bench, Powe is a versataile player who has guarded three positions. He has the ability to score if called upon, and can control the glass, whle shutting down otherwise-effective big men late in the game. I know you all remember what he did in the playoffs, and then against the Lakers last year, and I remember it, too. Powe is a great player off the bench.

Tenth Man- Trevor Ariza, Los Angeles Lakers

Playing for the Lakers, Ariza is overshadowed by the likes of Kobe, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, and even Luke Walton. He scores more than eight points a game, gets more than four rebounds a game, picks up 1.9 assists a game, gets over 1.5 steals a game, shoots 47% from the field, and doesn't turn the ball over much. Ariza was hurt last year, and didn't have a chance to play in the NBA Finals, but if the Lakers are there this year, he could make a difference. Off the bench, you are hard-pressed to find a more complete player than Ariza, and he has a spot secured on this team.

Eleventh Man- Ronny Turiaf, Golden State Warriors

Turiaf is the second big man off the bench, and when he's in the game, he makes things happen. Although not much of a scorer, he gets four rebounds a game, almost two assists a game, and plays great defense. In under two minutes, he gets 2.2 blocks a game, which is good for third in the NBA. If he played as much as Howard or Marcus Camby, he would lead the league, as he is far-and-away the leader in blocks per 48 minutes. As a big, he shoots over 80% from the line, which is much better than most big men who play good defense. Turiaf can get enough playing time to make a difference, and even if he isn't playing, he's a great teammate, which only helps him for a bench spot.

Twelfth Man- Chris Wilcox, Oklahoma City Thunder

It's the moment everyone reading this has been waiting for, the announcement of the twelfth man! As it is in Oklahoma City, my man Chris Wilcox is currently stuck behind Nick Collison, Nenad Kristic and Joe Smith. But don't let that fool you, he's still getting more than eight points, and more than five rebounds in under 20 minutes of playing time. The past three years, he has averaged 14+ points, 7+ rebounds and over an assist a night, but this year, he has not been getting the playing time to produce like that. Even so, Wilcox is a great option as the backup center, and the last seat on the bench.

So, there's my ultimate NBA team. I know you are going to disagree with me, so tell me what you think. If you've got a better team, hit me up; I'd love to discuss it with you. If you don't, I might have to unleash the enforcer on you...and you don't want that.

Did Baseball Just Die?

0x NBA/NFL Champion — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:14:05 GMT

Barry Bonds. Roger Clemens. Andy Pettite. Jason Giambi. Mark McGwire. Miguel Tejada. Sammy Sosa. Rafael Palmeiro. What do those guys all have in common? They were all arguably Hall of Famers, who were great baseball players, who made some bad decisions, and now will never be viewed the same. But when steroids are involved, weird terms are always expected. Brian Roberts admitted to taking them, he hit .296 last year, and all seems to be forgotten. Rick Ankiel supposedely took them, he hit 25 home runs last year, and his story is what gets the attention. Guys like Gary Matthews Jr. and Troy Glaus were mentioned in the Mitchell Report, and although they haven't admitted to taking steroids, more information could be forthcoming. A list of guys mentioned in the Mitchell Report from ESPN can be read.

What does Alex Rodriguez have in common with them? Until today, it was essentially nothing. He was the anti-Barry. He was the guy who would break the home run record, and do it cleanly. He would make the accomplishments of Bonds irrelevant, because he was going to do it better. And clean. Some people speculated that he was using performance-enhancing drugs, but in a sense, it couldn't be believed. A-Rod was something good about baseball, something that needed to stay that way.

He wasn't perfect, but nobody is. He had a bad attitude, so what? Bonds was a jerk. He made too much moeny, who cares? Bonds made way too much money. He had an affair, got divorced, and was rumored with Madonna, point being? Bonds did all of that, and much more, just without a celebrity. And now, as we all look back, it suddenly can dawn that, 'Hey, A-Rod really wasn't perfect'.

Of course, with this coming out, some key questions need to be asked. Why is this only leaked now? If it happened five years ago, shouldn't people have known about it, say, earlier? Like, say, when the Mitchell Report came out? How long had he really been using steroids? Did he use them for an injury, or was it to help enhance his swing?

Of course, as it is coming out now, everyone is taken back. But we also have to realize that he was "one of 104 players" who used steroids, supposedely. So, who else did it? Jim Thome? Manny Ramirez? David Ortiz? Ryan Howard? Personally, I don't believe that any of those guys did it. Yet now? I have no idea what to think. The backfall of accuastions in baseball, was always that A-Rod was the best player, and he didn't use them, so there is a possibility for hope.

If he did use them, when did he stop using them? How much did it really affect his career? Let's take a look at his stats since 2003, and look at the differences, since he most likely wasn't using steroids every year.

2003- .296 average, 181 hits, 47 home runs, 118 RBI's

2004- .286 average, 172 hits, 36 home runs, 106 RBI's

2005- .321 average, 194 hits, 48 home runs, 130 RBI's

2006- .290 average, 166 hits, 35 home runs, 125 RBI's

2007- .314 average, 183 hits, 54 home runs, 156 RBI's

2008- .302 average, 154 hits, 35 home runs, 103 RBI's

So looking at his stats, how much was he really affected by steroids? They look pretty similar year-by-year, and if someone was to take a guess of when he took them, they would most likely say 2007. But it seems impossible that he could have taken them in 2007, with all of the testing going on. It seems that every other year, his power numbers tend to go down, but that would say that he's taking steroids every two years, which would make things crazy. So it is plausible to say that if he took the one time, he continued to take them. Or that he stopped after doing it once.

Or could he have? I mean, if the reports from around six years ago came out today, who is to say what could or couldn't have happened two years ago? This is mostly speculation, but with everything going on, is this just the tip of the iceberg?

A pitcure tells 1,000 words, so here is the transformation of Rodriguez in Seattle, Texas, and New York. There are some obvious differences, but it's not like the transformation of Bonds.

Of course though, in the continuing trend of baseball players getting caught and admitting their mistakes if they aren't named, uh, Clemens or Bonds, A-Rod was remorseful. He seemed to admit his mistakes, give an honest apology, and tried to go on with his baseball career. But did he do that?

"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me and I needed to perform, and perform at a high-level every day"

Well, now it all makes sense! When someone is facing pressure, they shouldn't feel the need to fight the pain/pressure, realize what they can do, and make the best of it. They should just find an easy way out. But honestly, this isn't all that surprising. Pressure in baseball is a full count in the bottom of the ninth, when you need a hit. This is when guys like Justin Morneau, Albert Pujols or Carlos Delgado make something happen. This is also the time when A-Rod strikes out to end the game.

But this leaves a ton of doubt in my mind as to that he stopped taking them before he got to New York. He was under pressure, so he had to take them? Playing in Texas for a last place team, he needed them, but now when he went to a playoff team, the pressure was gone? Playing in Arlington, Texas, he needed them, but going to the media capital of the world, he didn't? Playing for a team that hasn't won a playoff game in a long time, he needed them, but going to the most storied franchise in the world, he didn't? Getting the richest contract ever, he needed them, but getting an even bigger one, he didn't?

"Again, it's pretty much a loosey-goosey era"

Lol. I never thought I'd be responding to Alex Rodriguez with 'lol', but with a response like this, what do you want me to say? Everyone was killing people, judge! Who cares if I did it, too? It was a loosey-goosey time!

"I felt like I needed something, a push, without over-investigating what I was taking, to get me to the next level"

Yet another quote the makes perfect sense. This is basically saying 'I didn't know what I was taking', and making it sound fancier, and more well-worded, so as to discourage people from jumping all over him for not knowing what he was taking. Seriously?

You are the best player in your sport. You are most likely a future Hall of Famer. You could be one of the all-time greats. You are in a position millions of people could only dream about. And you are going to put your career, your profession, and your legacy on hold to not find out what it is you're illegally taking?

"I wasn't even being truthful with myself. How was I going to be truthful with Katie or CBS?"

See, this is where the part about maturing immensly comes in. If you are so much more mature now then you were back in Texas, why did you lie in a national interview, seen by millions, and basically say that people were out to get you?

Barry Bonds and Miguel Tejada weren't honest with themselves, and now what? Ding ding ding, perjury! Possible jail time! You better feel lucky, Mr. Rodriguez, because what if be some sort of public-relations ploy, you had testified for congress? To show that the best is clean, what would have happened?

You supposedely were alerted that you did in fact test positive for them, were alerted of this, and still denied it. Is that stupidity? No; it's a feeling that you are above everyone else, something that everyone experiences once in their lifetime. And for this, I don't necesserily blame you. But now, the time's up, you've been caught. You've been discoered. You've been discredited.

Maybe Alex Rodriguez is getting what he deserves, after all.

"If you're a fan of Major League Baseball, I think it tarnishes an entire era, to some degree" said President Barack Obama.

I agree with this satement, but the next most talked-about statement from the political perspective, I disagree with.

"It would be good perhaps to sit down and talk with him. I think that he would want to cooperate with us so that Congress would have the information it may need" said Representative Elijah Cummings, a Democrat from Maryland.

Please, Congress, don't spend six months investigating baseball! I love baseball, but don't do it! We've got millions of people jobless, numerous more homeless, and many more struggling to make ends meet. We've got a war going on in Iraq, and a genocide going on in Sudan. Baseball is fun, but it's a sport. Nobody dies when the Yankees lose.

Perhaps Jose Canseco said it best:

"This is a 25 year cover-up. The true criminals are Gene Orza, Donald Fehr and Bud Selig. Investigate them, and you will have all the answers".

Canseco came out with a bunch of information, and everyone said he lied. Well, he was telling the truth. He came out with more information, and everyone said he lied. Again, he was telling the truth. If he said that the Athletics are run by aliens, I bet someonwe would believe it. So if he is in fact telling the truth, shouldn't he be listened to?

Everyone makes mistakes. I'm not going to defend Alex Rodriguez. I'm not going to defend Bud Selig. I'm not going to defend Major League Baseball. Will the MLB record book forever be tainted? Or is a new superstar going to come along, and break the home run record? If he does, we've made sure that steroid speculation will be present.

Saturday, February 7th, 2009. The Day that Baseball Died?

Leaving a Legacy

0x NBA/NFL Champion — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:33:32 GMT

Five years. What's five years? A look into the future? A chance to see how great something was? An opportunity to get a glimpse of what is really- never mind. In five years, things can change dramatically. Often times, five years is the point of which to look at something, and re-evaluate it. In five years, we can look back and see if Barack Obama really was ready to be President of the United States. In five years, we can see if George W. Bush really was as bad as most people think. In five years, we will have a good idea about what kind of career Adrian Peterson will finish with. Of course, if you are in the present, you need to look at the past. What was happening five years ago?

On the Harvard University campus, Facebook was founded. I guess that was a decent success, huh? John Kerry won the Democratic presidential nomination, and arguably the presidential election...although George W. Bush won another term. Five years later, Bush is one of the most scrutinized men in America, and Kerry is a Senator from Massachusetts (in case you were wondering). Also at the Democratic Convention, a little-known man from Illinois gave a speech. I don't remember his name, but I guess he's kind of famous now. Oh well...

The CIA admitted that there "was no imminent threat of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq". What about Iraq five years later? More than 4,000 U.S. soldiers are dead, more than 30,000 U.S. soldiers have been wounded, and thousands more people are still arguing over it all.

The Madrid Train bombings took place on March 11th, killing almost 200 people and injuring more than 1,750. The Humanatarian Caesefire Agreement was signed in Darfur, Sudan. Five years later, what are we doing? Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage, which five years later, is still very controversial. The tsunamis and earthquakes struck in the Indian Ocean, which five years later, is still the one of the worst natural disasters in history, leaving over 186,000 people in total dead.

What happened in sports? The Patriots won the Super Bowl, but that isn't what the Super Bowl is remembered for. Greece hosted the Olympics, which in America are rembered mostly for the success (or lack thereof) of the men's basketball, uh, team, consisting of guys like Stephon Marbury, Lamar Odom and others. The Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals. More famously in baseball, the Boston Red Sox came back down 3-0 and took four straight from the New York Yankees, went on to win the World Series, and broke the curse. There was the Malice at the Palace, featuring the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, and everyone's favorite peacemaker Ron Artest.

Perhaps more importantly for the focus of this, something was happening in New York. Well, lots of things were happening in New York, but a very special one was going on in the high school basketball world. Abraham Lincoln High School was going for their unprecedented third city title in a row. Led by a point guard from Coney Island, they went on to a prolific season, capturing their third straight city title.

So, what is this about? Around three or four years ago, I read a very good book. "The Jump" by Ian O' Connor, chronicled the senior season of Sebastian Telfair, high school basketball, and his team, the Lincoln Railsplitters. In my opinion, the writing wasn't fantastic, but it was pretty good, and the book was very good. I would suggest this to any basketball fan. Not only does it talk about Telfair, but it also talks about high school basketball image, problems, excitement, and very interesting facts, and talks about NBA stars from when they were in high school, including LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Rudy Gay, Josh Smith, Kobe Bryant and many more.

Well, recently I came across the end of a Louisville-Villanova basketball game, and watched someone miss two free throws. If you saw this as well, the man was Antonio Pena. I also am a Timberwolves fan, and like to think I know a little bit about them. Sebastian Telfair plays for the Wolves. Now, some of you might know who Bassy is, but I'm guessing most of you have no idea who Pena is. The starting lineup from that Lincoln team consisted of Pena, Telfair, Nyan Boateng, Eugene Lawrence, and Yuriy Matsakov. I'm guessing that most of you don't know anything about these guys, but that is why you should read the book. Lincoln went on to win the New York City championship, coming up just short for the state title.

Why is this important? Looking back, this was one of the most dynamic starting lineups I have ever seen for a high school team. Since then, Lincoln has won more titles, is still coached by Tiny Morton (read the book and understand) and currently features one of the best players in the country, Lance Stephenson.

So, what are we going to do? We are going to go on a journey. A journey that combines that past and present, looks back, looks ahead, and looks now, at what was, what is, and what could be. Come along, and enjoy the ride...

Just who was Eugene Lawrence? Sharing the backcourt with a lottery pick is never easy. Of course, he was no slouch, either. Playing great down the stretch for Lincoln, he stepped up and played a big part in their success. After his senior season, he went on to play basketball for St. John's. He led them in assists four years in a row, finishing third all-time at the school, and finished fifth in steals, as well. He continued to develop, and his senior year, he was supposed to breakout. However, as a senior, although his scoring went up, his rebounding, assists, steals, and shooting percentage all went down. Some people thought that the pressure was just too much to be the focus of a Big East team, but I guess we'll never know. After his senior year, he did have workouts and got looked at by NBA teams, but went undrafted. He had a very nice jumper, though, and that can be seen here.

Often the second fiddle to Sebastian Telfair, Nyan Boateng was still a very good player. He was often considered the most athletic player on the team (even ahead of Telfair), and was highly recruited for both basketball, and football. In fact, he was called "arguably the best athlete in the Tri-State area". After his senior year, he went to Florida on a football scholarship to play for Urban Meyer. After playing there, he transferred to California. After transferring, and then getting hurt, he was able to play last year and showed what he could do. Boateng led Cal with 29 catches for 439 yards, and was second in receiving touchdowns with five. He is just a junior, and could be a breakout WR in the Pac Ten next year. NFL scouts seem to like him, and he is 6-3 with a 40 inch vertical, so don't be surprised to hear about him in the future. He made things happen on the basketball court, and you can see a highlight video of some of them here.

The big man down low, Antonio Pena played a key part in the success that Lincoln had with his ability to control the post. Towards the end of the year, not Lawrence, Boateng, or Telfair, but Pena led them in scoring multiple times, and carried the team a few times. As one of the only players in New York history to win three city titles, he was one of the more decorated big men to ever play there. After going to junior college, he enrolled at Villanova last year, where he played in 35 games. This year, he is a key big man for the Wildcats, and his scoring, rebounding, assists and shooting are all up. Pena is second on the team in rebounds, and leads Villanova in field goal percentage. With a good post game, you can see some of what he did in high school here.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find anything about Matsakov. But of course, this wouldn't be complete without talking about Sebastian Telfair, arguably the most distinguished high school basketball player ever. With a book entitled "The Jump", a documentary called "Through the Wire" and a Sports Illustrated cover reading "Watch Me Now: Can a 6 foot high school guard from Brooklyn make the leap to the NBA? Yes, he can". That was Telfair then, and this is Telfair now, as the point guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The catalyst of the Lincoln team (and the best player), Telfair had media following him wherever he went. He is the all-time New York state scoring leader, who averaged around 30 a game. He led Lincoln to three straight city titles, played at the Adidas ABCD camp before his freshman year (think about that), and became the first six foot guard from high school to be a lottery pick, going to the Portland Trailblazers.

Search 'Sebastian Telfair high school' on Google, and you get "about 46,000" matches. Need any more proof of what this guy did before he was 18? On YouTube, there are videos of him everywhere, from his AAU games to his high school state tournament games to him in eighth grade. Seriously; check them out.

But of course, with Sebastian Telfair, everyone labels him a bust. Instead of going to Louisville to play for Rick Pitino, he went to the NBA. Taken fourteenth by Portland, he instantly had a ton of expectations on him, and everyone expected the undersized kid from Brooklyn to be a future superstar. Career averages of 7.8 points and 3.8 assists aren't exactly the numbers people were expecting. So, what happened? Everyone labeled him as a bust. What is my opinion? He is not a bust; not at all. Am I crazy crazy?

First of all, he is just 23 years old. At this age, most point guards in the NBA are just out of college, and are coming into the league with hype, but people know that they won't be able to do anything soon. If they do, it is a surprise, not a disappointment, which it was for Bassy. Next, point guard is easily the hardest position to come into the NBA and succeed at. You have to be able to run an offense, essentially manage a team, be able to find your open teammates, knock down open shots, create scoring, figure out how to beat a defense, and be a leader. I've played point guard, and although I obviously haven't played in the NBA, it's not easy. So imagine having to do all those things, at just 18 years of age, with the world of expectations on you. You could slip up, right?

Well, that is exactly what happened to Telfair. He didn't play terrible, but he didn't play great. So everyone threw him under the bus. Well, almost everyone; excluding me. I'm still convinced that he is going to be a good point guard in the future, and I don't want the Wolves to give up on him.

Here is my first reason; assist-to-turnover ratio. Arguably the most important stat for a point guard, you need to be able to create scoring, but not commit turnovers. How well did Telfair do that? Well, last year, here are some of the players that Telfair had a better assist-to-turnover ratio then:

Brandon Roy

Deron Williams

T.J. Ford

Steve Nash

Jason Kidd

Kirk Hinrich

Jason Terry

Andre Miller

Raymond Felton

Jameer Nelson

Baron Davis

Rajon Rondo

Derek Fisher

Tony Parker

Miky Bibby

Allen Iverson

Mo Wlliams

Devin Harris

Yes, you read that correctly. Telfair had a better assist-to-turnover ratio than all of those guys. And that list isn't a bunch of lousy point guards, is it? Playing on a team with Al Jefferson, Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes, he didn't manage to get all the assists in the world, but if you put him on Phoenix, Boston or San Antonio, I guarantee that his numbers would be way up.

Next, since he is still just 23, look at his stats from his fourth year in the NBA, compared with other guys, who are now some of the best point guards in the NBA:

Telfair- 32 MPG, 9.3 PPG, 5.9 APG, 2.3 RPG, 40% FG, 1.9 TO

Billups- 23 MPG, 9.3 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.0 RPG, 42% FG, 1.4 TO

Nash- 27 MPG, 8.6 PPG, 4.9 APG, 2.2 RPG, 47% FG, 1.8 TO

Parker- 24 MPG, 16 PPG, 6.1 APG, 3.7 RPG, 48% FG, 2.7 TO

Kidd- 38 MPG, 11.6 PPG, 9.1 APG, 6.2 RPG, 41% FG, 3.2 TO

Looking at those numbers, what do they show? They show that although Telfair wasn't quite as good as those guys, he still competes with them. Look at that! Not only is Sebastian Telfair being mentioned with the Kidds, Parkers and Nashs of the NBA, but he competes with them, too! He averaged more assists than Billups or Nash, and averaged less turnovers than Parker or Kidd. The main thing against him is that he can't shoot like those guys. That has always been the knock against Telfair, since his days in high school. But you know what? I think that he really has the capabilities to improve his jumper. Lots of guys develop their jumps shots over their careers, and can knock them down over time.

So what am I saying? Don't let the expectations fool you; Telfair has been playing much better than the general basketball world gives him credit for. He is still young and talented, and his career doesn't seem close to being over. So like the other guys on his team, things might not have gone exactly to plan. And although they all took different paths, all have had success in sports.

In the next five years, who knows? Sebastian Telfair could be a consistent point guard in the NBA. Maybe Eguene Lawrence will get his chance and prove himself. Antonio Pena could develop, and get a look at the NBA. Nyan Boateng could be an up-and-coming receiver in the NFL. What is going to happen to this group of guys? Stay tuned to find out.

My Ultimate College Basketball Preview

0x NBA/NFL Champion — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:06:17 GMT

College basketball is back! Who doesn't like college basketball? Think about it. People who don't care about sports get excited over their alma matter, people who know nothing about basketball get excited over brackets, and people who want to watch basketball and not see players consistently showboating, consistently traveling, or consistently playing no defense, your anti-NBA is here! Whooooo!

Of course, where would life be without rankings? Corporate rankings, class rankings, game rankings, etc. College basketball is no exception, and rankings are prominent. So, here is what my pre-season top 30 ranking is looking like. Yeah, I did a top 30. So? Who else does a top 30? Ch-ching! Knowledge lies ahead of you, my friend.

1 North Carolina

2 UCLA

3 Connecticut

4 Louisville

5 Duke

6 Pittsburgh

7 Texas

8 Notre Dame

9 Michigan State

10 Purdue

Not your average top ten, is it? The Tar Heels are easily the number one team right now, but the disagreements probably begin at number two. Why is UCLA ahead of both UConn and Louisville? Coming off back-to-back-to-back Final Fours, they sure are under the radar in that matter. They bring back three key contributors in Alfred Aboya and Josh Shipp, and superstar guard Darren Collison. Along with those four comes the best recruiting class in the country, led by Collison's backcourt partner, Jrue Holliday.

UConn brings back A.J. Price and Hasheem Thabeet, Louisville brings back a core led by Terrence Williams and Duke brings back Gerald Henderson, Kyle Singler and more. Those three seem good to round out the top five as of now. Texas lost D.J. Augustin, but brought in a top recruiting class. Notre Dame brings back some key guys, led by All-America candidate Luke Harangody.

So far, the Big East looks pretty tough. Michigan State brought back a bunch of talent, namely Raymar Morgan. Purdue can counter with Robbie Hummel and E'Twaun Moore. The Cinderellas from last year that couldn't come up big when it mattered most, seem like they are ready to step it up. The Spartans and Boilermakers look like the two best Big Ten teams as of now. Crazy, isn't it? Indiana, Ohio State and Wisconsin are nowhere to be found up here.

11 Gonzaga

12 Marquette

13 Memphis

14 Tennessee

15 Oklahoma

16 Miami

17 Arizona State

18 Davidson

19 USC

20 Florida

And...here come the surprise picks. Gonzaga actually is one of these that makes the most sense, since they return a lot of players. Remember the trio of Jeremy Pargo, Austin Daye and Josh Heytvelt. If that name sounds familiar, that's because Heytvelt was past-arrested for shrooms. Yes, you read that correctly. Anyway, Marquette is at number twelve?!?!?! Yeah, they are. I can't tell you how high I am on Marquette (Josh Heytvelt joke can come in if wanted). Keep reading to find out why...

Next, we have defending runner-up Memphis. Some people have them near number 20. People, they bring legitimate contributors from a team that went 38-2! Others have them in the top 10. People, they lost Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey! Anyway, they bring back Antonio Anderson (keep reading to see more about him) and Robert Dozier, and have a good recruiting class led by new point guard Tyreke Evans. This team could be very good.

Tennessee brings back All-America candidate Tyler Smith (keep reading), Oklahoma brings back All-America candidate Blake Griffin, Miami brings back All-America candidate Jack McClinton, Arizona State brings back All-America candidate James Harden, Davidson brings back All-America candidate Stephen Curry, is there a pattern here? Great players + good supporting casts = good team. See: all of the above. USC and Florida round out the top twenty with good returning players and good recruiting classes. The Gators would be much higher if not for Jai Lucas transferring.

21 Georgetown

22 West Virginia

23 Baylor

24 Wisconsin

25 Kansas

26 Wake Forest

27 Villanova

28 Xavier

29 UNLV

30 Saint Mary's

And there is the end of my top 30. Georgetown lost Roy Hibbert, West Virginia lost Joe Alexander, Kansas lost Mario Chalmers, Darrell Arthur, and more. Do we see another pattern? Great teams from last year who lost key components are not in the same position they were in last year. However, they are in a position to still have success. Wisconsin looks good, and I would say to watch out for Marcus Landry; he is actually, like, pretty good. Still, the Badgers are...the Badgers, and I'm a Gophers fan. So they will stay at 24^th for now, haha.

Wake Forest seems to be the trendy pick to make some noise this year, bringing back guys and bringing in a stud recruiting class led by Al-Farouq Aminu, but I'm not quite sold on them. Probably because I know next to nothing on them, but whatever. Here's why: their two best returning players are sophomores. Their two big newcomers are stud freshman; but they are freshman. Two weeks into the season, they could be the second best team in the ACC. But as of now? I don't think they are a top 20 (or 25, I guess) team. Still, 26^th in the country isn't too shabby.

Finally, Villanova, Xavier, UNLV and Saint Mary's round out the top 30. Another Big East team is no surprise, and Villanova could be good with Scottie Reynolds running that team. Next up is some mid-major love! The Runnin' Rebels, Musketeers and Gaels (three great names, eh?) are all primed to show that small schools can do it big, as well. In an unrelated note, just missing was Kentucky, who could do some damage this year since nobody expects them to do anything.

Everyone knows about the biggest teams in the country. The North Carolinas, Dukes and Kentuckys of the world are always getting attention, but what about those other teams? There are plenty of teams to watch out for, and I'll give you my five.

Marquette Golden Eagles

As I have previously stated, I think that they are the team most primed to make a run out of the teams that nobody expects to do so. Why? Let me explain. Coming back are six of the top seven scorers led by the best three-guard combination in the country (in my opinion, better than at UCLA, North Carolina or Duke).

Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews are all back. These guys can all run an offense, knock down shots, and make plays. If the frontcourt can produce, watch out. And I don't think that will be a problem. The bigs are still young, and they are older than last year (duh), meaning that they could very easily have come along a long way since then. If the Golden Eagles can just stay even down low, they can blow out teams. Guard play can win games (see: UCLA, Memphis, North Carolina or Kansas, the Final Four from last year), and they have the talent to do so.

James once looked like a certain lottery pick, and he could very well look like it, again. His stats are down, but that's because of teammates, and his turnovers are down. Brook Lopez prevented this team from going to the Sweet Sixteen last year, and he isn't at Stanford to do it again. In other words, Marquette can do some damage this year.

Louisiana State Tigers

LSU? This team went to the Final Four not too long ago. I think they could be poised to make another run this year, and I'll explain why. Just who are the LSU Tigers? A new coach and a new group of top recruits join a star that nobody knows about and a team with Final Four experience still there. Changes started at the top, with a new coach. Trent Johnson is the coach of the Tigers. He formerly coached at Stanford and guided them to a Sweet Sixteen appearance last year.

Gone is Anthony Randolph, but this could be like Texas last year. Kevin Durant left, and the team came together to replace him, and became a better team. On the other hand, the Tigers went nowhere last year, so it wouldn't seem to matter all that much now. Don't get me wrong, he's a great player, but if he's that great, why weren't they better? Anyway, in to replace him at power forward is top recruit Storm Warren. Coming at six foot six and 215, he can do some damage down low. If he is as talented as he is supposed to be, Randolph won't be missed much at all.

The senior leadership comes from Marcus Thornton, one of the most underrated players in all of college basketball. Last year, he averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals a game. Along with him, LSU returns formerly-Final Four starters in Garrett Temple and Tasmin Mitchell. Mitchell play down low, and Temple is a good point guard. With all of this put together, the SEC has a team of tigers just waiting to get loose.

Arizona Wildcats

Remember when this team was a prominent top ten choice every year? Retired is the great coach Lute Olson, last year's point guard Jerryd Bayless, and this year's point guard Brandon Jennings. So, what is here that makes them a team to watch? How about two potential first round picks in next year's NBA draft and good freshman class, even without Jennings.

While Bayless left, Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill came back. Those two players bring back 30+ points a game together, which could go up with Bayless not there anymore. Joining them are freshman who will have the chance to play; Kyle Fogg, Jeff Withey and Brandon Lavender. Even without some more good recruits that decided not to come after Olson left, they seem to have a good team.

They will be judgable after their non-conference schedule. With a tournament, they could face UAB, Purdue, Oklahoma or Boston College. They also have games against Gonzaga and Kansas. Of course, they also get to play UCLA, USC, Arizona State, and more. Time will tell how this team does, but for everyone writing them off, they have the talent to produce.

Southern Illinois Salukis

Remember when this team went to the Sweet Sixteen? Remember when they used to be the early season pick that would go even further? Remember when they were ranked in the top 15? And they deserved it? Well, those aren't the thoughts when most people think of Southern Illinois. At least, not anymore.

So, what really is up with this team? Gone are stars Randal Falker and Matt Shaw, among more than a few seniors that are no longer there. Who is back? Bryan Mullins, a senior who averaged 7 points, 8 assists and 4 steals a game last year, and Carlton Fay, a sophomore who played 25 minutes a game, and went for 16 and 11 in their opener. I know you are thinking that you don't know any of those people, and that isn't a problem.

Why? Because when they made their runs, you didn't know any of their players then, either. They are led by Chris Lowery, who is one of the best head coaches in college basketball that nobody knows about. With him, and some talented players back, the Salukis could do what they do best: win games when nobody expects them to.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Come on, did you really think that they wouldn't get a mention in here? But they aren't in here out of popularity. This year, the Gophers actually have a team that can make things happen on the court. The knock on coach Tubby Smith at Kentucky was that he couldn't recruit, or so I've heard. In Minnesota, everyone could care less. Why? He's brought in one of the best recruiting classes in all of college basketball.

Led by Ralph Sampson III (yes, the son of you-know-who), Devron Bostick (a good player last year in junior college) and Paul Carter (an athletic guy who has had all the buzz at the Barn), they can contribute right away. Also in are Devoe Joseph and Colton Iverson, a guard and a big who can both play right away. With all of those freshman, who is coming back? Seven players who got playing time last year, that's who! Al Nolen, a point guard who led the Big Ten is steals and plays great defense is back to run the team. Blake Hoffarber and Lawrence Westbrook can both play shooting guard, and can both score in bunches. Westbrook could very easily score 15 a game this year. Jamal Abu-Shamala and Damian Johnson both come back at small forward, and both can contribute. Johnson is one of the most athletic players in all of the Big Ten. Last year, as a fourth and sometimes fifth option, he averaged 7.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 assists a game. He can play a little bit.

Down low, the only big guy back is Jonathan Williams. And when I say big, I'm not kidding; he's six foot nine, 285. In just over 13 minutes a game last year, he averaged three points and 2.5 rebounds a game last year. Down low will be the biggest weakness for the Gophers, but if they can put it together, they could be near the top of the Big Ten.

They went 9-22 two years ago, and 20-14 last year. With so many players coming back, a great recruiting class coming in, and Coach Tubby Smith at the helm, the atmosphere is great, and just remember; with only two seniors, you could be hearing about the Gophers for a few years to come.

Next off, I'm going to showcase some of the players that I think could make a big impact this year. Not the Hansbroughs, Currys or Griffins. But rather, some other guys that you might not know of. For the ones who will make the biggest impact, I'll give a possible first, second and third team All-America.

Jerel McNeal

If you have read anything above, you know what I think about Marquette. McNeal is the player that I can really see making some things happen. Last year, he averaged 14.9 points a game, 4.9 rebounds a game, 3.5 assists a game and 2.2 steals a game. Playing with James and Matthews, he still managed to show what he can do, and he could do even better this year. I'm convinced he has a legitimate chance to win Big East Player of the Year. I'm also convinced that he is this year's Russell Westbrook; someone that nobody knows about, who goes out and turns himself into a lottery pick. It sounds crazy, but did anyone see five freshman and a sophomore who hardly played two years ago going in the top seven?

Antonio Anderson

Another guy that I think will have another big season is Anderson. Playing with Rose, Douglas-Roberts and Dorsey didn't get him all that much attention. But I think he was one of the main reasons why Memphis did what they did last year. Why? Defense. Anderson plays light-out defense, and showcased it in the NCAA Tournament. What was missing last year was the offense (since he was the fourth option), and he could easily step up and score this year. Why? The leaders of that team will most likely be him and Evans, and Evans can't score 40 a night. If Memphis is going to have a season like last year's, Anderson is going to need to step up; and I don't see why he can't do it.

Tyler Smith

Possibly the most underrated star in college basketball. Very quietly last year, he averaged 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and just over two turnovers in 28 minutes a game. He also shot 37% from downtown, which isn't bad for a guy who is six foot seven. Those numbers don't seem all that impressive, but remember that he was on a team with Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith, who are both no longer there. Smith came back to Tennessee, and has the opportunity. He is already a candidate for SEC Player of the Year, and even an All-America. Watch out, because Smith could be ready to take off.

Sherron Collins

There are two players who seem ready to make a big leap at Kansas: Collins and Minnesota native Cole Aldrich. People seem to be noticing Aldrich, but not-so-much Collins. So, just who is this guy? Last year, he came off the bench for the Jayhawks, and made his presence felt in the NCAA Tournament. In just over 24 minutes a game, he averaged 9+ points, 3+ assists and 2+ rebounds a game. Remember, that was playing with Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun, Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmers. This year, all five of those guys are gone. It was Collins who came off the bench, and it is Collins who now has the spotlight.

B.J. Mullens

Rounding out the five guys to watch out for is freshman center B.J. Mullens. Remember the last two freshman centers at Ohio State? Someone named Greg Oden who went number one overall, and then Kousta Koufus, who went in the first round. Mullens is primed to be the next freshman star in the middle for the Buckeyes, and if last year is anything like this year, he could come up pretty big.

1^st Team All-America

Guard- Darren Collison, UCLA Bruins

Guard- Stephen Curry, Davidson Wildcats

Forward- Tyler Smith, Tennessee Volunteers

Forward- Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina Tar Heels

Forward- Luke Harangody, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

2^nd Team All-America

Guard- Ty Lawson, North Carolina Tar Heels

Guard- Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga Bulldogs

Forward- Raymar Morgan, Michigan State

Forward- Blake Griffin, Oklahoma Sooners

Center- DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh Panthers

3^rd Team All-America

Guard- Greivis Vasquez, Maryland Terrapins

Guard- James Harden, Arizona State Sun Devils

Guard- Jerel McNeal, Marquette Golden Eagles

Forward- Kyle Singler, Duke Blue Devils

Center- Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut Huskies

Honorable Mentions

Guard- Eric Maynor, Virginia Commonwealth Rams

Guard- A.J. Abrams, Texas Longhorns

Forward- Marcus Thornton, LSU Tigers

Forward- Antonio Anderson, Memphis Tigers

Center- Jon Brockman, Washington Huskies

Finally, what would be complete without a prediction? My Final Four is looking like something along the lines of big teams like UCLA, North Carolina and UConn; and lessser known teams like Marquette, Tennessee and Baylor. But who knows? In the end, I think that the champions of college basketball will be...who?

UCLA Bruins