Will The Overrated Angels Be Exposed in the Playoffs?

Relax, the question was rhetorical.

How the Angels managed to win 100 games this year is beyond me. On paper, it's baffling how grossly the Angels pitching staff have overperformed. Six months ago, if you had told me that a mystery pitching staff would finish the season winning a combined 70 games while losing only 37, I would've guessed the Red Sox or Diamondback rotation. If you had told me that this 70-37 record would be the combined efforts of Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Jon Garland, Jered Weaver, and John Lackey, I would have called you a lying bastard and likely spat in your face.

Ervin Santana is 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. John Lackey is 12-5 with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. If every game were played at Angel Stadium, Santana would be a Cy Young contender every year. Fortunately for the Angels, Santana has learned to pitch on the road this year. Lackey, on the other hand, is fresh off his Cy Young caliber season last year, and the success has carried over to this year. So fine, I'll give you Santana and Lackey. But the other three...let's talk about the other three...

In his first year as a full time starter, Joe Saunders is a startling 17-7 with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. With just 103 K's in 198 IP, it's pretty clear that Saunders is not a power pitcher. However, with 58 walks over that same span, he doesn't appear to have fantastic control either. In fact, nothing on his stat sheet suggests that his 17-7 record is and will continue to be the norm, so I will go ahead and assume that Saunders is enjoying the lucky season that many pitchers experience. Only time will tell if Saunders will blossom into the next Jamie Moyer, or fade away with the likes of Brian Bannister.

Next on our list we have Jon Garland. Look up "average" in the dictionary and you'll likely find a picture of Jon Garland. Standing at an imposing 6 feet 6 inches, Garland cannot strike out a batter to save his life, and like Saunders, has unimpressive control. Garland's record stands at 14-8, but his laughable 4.90 ERA and 1.51 WHIP suggest that this is clearly an aberration. Don't be surprised when Garland gets lit up in the postseason.

Finally, we have Jered Weaver. After storming onto the scene in 2006 and establishing himself as the Angels ace, Weaver's numbers have been anything but dominant. His 11-10 record, 4.33 ERA, and 1.28 WHIP might be the least impressive on the rotation, and Weaver has shown no signs of rediscovering the magic he had back in 2006. Expect him to continue to be a nonfactor in the postseason.

It wouldn't be a legitimate discussion about overrated pitchers without mentioning Francisco Rodriguez, would it? The numbers don't lie. 2.24 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 77 K's in 68.1 IP. Solid numbers, but not indicative of what is supposed to be baseball's premier closer. And while K-Rod has saved 62 games, he has also blown 7. The Phillies' Brad Lidge, on the other hand, has saved a perfect 41 out of 41. You tell me who you would rather have closing your games...

On offense, however, the Angels are much improved. Vlad Guerrero, easily having his worst season since his rookie year in 1997, is still putting up respectable numbers. And with run producers such as Mark Texeira, Torii Hunter, Garrett Anderson, Juan Rivera, and Gary Matthews Jr., any pitcher would find it difficult to navigate through the Angel lineup.

With a young, unproven pitching staff, the Angels' best chance at winning it all this year is to score more runs than the other team. And if the Halo's are lucky enough to make it to the World Series, they will likely face the powerhouse Phillies, in which case this feat will be near impossible. But then again, if the Angels' rotation is somehow able to pitch its way through Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, Jayson Werth, and Jimmy Rollins in a seven game series, I will gladly eat my words and wipe the saliva from your face.

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A Half of Horror

Pop Quizz, class. Who is a 5'6", a true freshman, and has more rushing yards than all of USC's offense combined? I have seen some pretty horrific sights, none of which are even comparable to what I am watching right now. Shredded, destroyed, dominated, embarrassed. These are words that USC football usually INFLICTS, not SUSTAINS. Pete, you said at halftime that you're going to figure this out. Personally, I can't think of how anyone is going to stop Quizz. I guess that's why you're the coach, coach.

Don't you hate pop quizzes?

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Not Yet, Notre Dame

In a game that featured a seemingly improved Notre Dame football squad (though it isn't terribly difficult to improve upon last year's catastrophic season), the Irish once again had their weaknesses mercilessly exposed by a superior Michigan State team. Entering the game with a promising 2-0 record, the Fighting Irish were on a mission to prove that they had returned to the class of college football elites. In consecutive weeks, Notre Dame had convincing victories over San Diego State and Michigan, though the legitimacy of both teams is strongly debatable. But hey, a two-game winning streak is a two-game winning streak, and the Irish were hoping to keep the ball rolling (or in the case of a football, wobbling unpredictably). The Spartans, however, with two dominant victories over Eastern Michigan and Florida Atlantic and a respectable effort against a solid California team, would by no means be a walkover...



Michigan State compensated for a deficient passing game with Heisman hopeful Javon Ringer in the backfield, who entered Saturday's game averaging 166 yards per game along with 9 touchdowns in just three games. Not surprisingly, the helpless Irish defense simply could not contain the explosive Ringer. Continuing to establish an argument that Heisman voters are going to have to start taking seriously, Ringer recorded a blistering 201 yards on the ground with two touchdowns.

With Jimmy Clausen at quarterback, it's a safe bet that the Irish are going to put up consistent passing numbers. Clausen did a decent job trying to keep the Irish in the game, going 24/41, racking up 242 passing yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. However, Clausen has never been the problem of Notre Dame's struggles. The question mark this year has been whether or not the Irish could sufficiently run the ball to take some of the pressure off Clausen in the pocket. And after the 23-7 loss to Michigan State on Saturday, the Irish are reluctant to reveal to the world that their running game is deplorable. Four different players combined for 16 carries, accumulating an embarrasssing total of 54 yards on the ground. These numbers don't even include Clausen's five quarterback scrambles that totaled negative 31 yards. Each time Clausen handed the ball of, you couldn't help but throw your hands into the air in disgust. Another tackle for a loss. Another down wasted on a promising drive...


The legendary and unwaveringly biased Lou Holtz predicted that Notre Dame would win at least eight games this year. After having their laughable ground game exposed last Saturday, it's doubtful whether the Irish will even come close to this mark. Looking over Notre Dame's remaining schedule, it's hard to imagine the Fighting Irish being a favorite in any of those games. At this point in the season, the best I can say about the Irish is that they might beat the Syracuse Orangemen on Novemeber 22. However, there is a good chance they will lose their remaining nine games and finish the season 2-10...

...Lou you better start talking to your boys.

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Why, Reggie, Why?

Reggie Bush, arguably one of the best players to ever wear a Trojan uniform, was a god at USC. As an incoming freshman in 2005, I had inherited one of the strongest football teams that college football had ever seen. Among the laundry list of offensive weapons that that particular team had, Bush was easily the most dangerous. Each time Bush touched the ball, you were forced to hold your breath from fear of having it taken away. Unfortunately, even gods make mistakes.

Back in 2006, rumors surfaced about the possibility that Bush and his family had broken NCAA rules by accepting improper benefits from prospective sports agents. A lawsuit was filed against Bush by sports agent Lloyd Lake, who claimed that Bush and his family had accepted almost $300,000 in financial benefits during his career at USC. According to NCAA legislation, an athlete must retain his amateur status in order to compete for his respective school. An athlete loses his amateur status if he uses his athletic skill for financial compensation in any form, or if he accepts any promise of pay, even if it comes after his collegiate career is over. According to the allegations of the suit, Bush and his family had started asking for money in late 2004, claiming that they had fallen on financial troubles and were no longer able to support the particular lifestyle they wished to have...

Supreme Court Judge Joan Lewis recently denied a motion brought by Bush’s attorneys to settle the lawsuit through confidential arbitration as opposed to a public trial. This spells good news for the NCAA, which will have greater access to evidence from a public trial.
However, even if Bush is found guilty of accepting improper benefits while competing as an amateur collegiate athlete, it remains to be determined whether the University of Southern California will be punished as well.

Back in 2001, the NCAA amended its policies that relieved some of the responsibility that schools bore for their amateur athletes who are constantly approached by agents and organizations. The deciding factor on whether or not the University of Southern California will be punished will be how much the university knew of Bush’s actions, and when they knew it by.

If Lake’s allegations are found to be correct, Bush will almost undoubtedly be found guilty of breaking NCAA regulations. What IS debatable, however, is how exactly Bush and USC should be punished for their wrongdoings. According to experts, if Bush and USC are both found guilty of breaking NCAA regulations, Bush may have to give up the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005, and USC may have to retrospectively forfeit games won in 2004 and 2005. Most importantly, USC may have to cough up the national championship they won in 2004 by defeating Oklahoma.

In my opinion, the punishment should always fit the crime. NCAA rules are very specific about an athlete’s amateur status. If Bush and family are found to have accepted improper financial assistance while Bush was supposedly an amateur athlete at USC, he will be found to have forfeited his amateur status at USC, meaning he was never eligible to play football for USC. It would thus make sense for Bush to relinquish his Heisman Trophy from 2005, likely handing it over to Vince Young. And since it is alleged that Bush’s family began accepting improper finances in 2004, it would also make sense for USC to forfeit their national championship in 2004 for suiting up a non-amateur running back.

As a Trojan myself, I will be the first to express my disappointment at the emergence of these allegations against Reggie Bush. But I will also give my fellow Trojan the benefit of the doubt, and will choose to believe nothing until all the evidence is revealed at the trial.

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UCLA: The 59-0 Perspective

Wednesday morning at work…
USC Co-worker: Hey! I was looking for you on Monday! Do you have anything you want to say?
Me: Not really, I have zero to say about this weekend, if that’s what you’re referring to.
USC: Zero, like UCLA?
…end of conversation.

Four days have passed since the Mormons punished UCLA football in Provo, Utah and the sting is still reverberating through my body. My belief in the “mantra of relentless optimism” was overtaken by the destructive nature of reality. As I sat at my desk, I reached up to pull down my Rick Neuheisel poster but decided against it; I still had faith.

I understand that the score was 59-0. I know that the difference in all of Pete Carroll’s losses at USC accumulate to only 59 points. And I am very aware that UCLA ranks last in rushing. But from my relentlessly optimistic perspective, UCLA’s own foolish mistakes were 75% of the reason for the humiliating victory. UCLA fumbled the ball over three times, threw an interception, failed to convert two 4th downs, and had a field goal attempt blocked. Rick Neuheisel explains the aftermath,

“We were down 14-0, moving down the field, then Kevin gets hit in the back, the ball comes out and now it’s 21-0. We get a 9-yard gain on first down, and coming around the corner, Ray Carter fumbles and now it’s 28-0… They kick off, we fumble the ball and now it’s 35-0. We drive down and have a field goal blocked, they run it back into their short field and it’s 42-0. It’s not rocket science, you just have to play good football or things like that can happen to you.”

However intriguing this game was, we now defer attention away from the negative. UCLA is not as bad a team as one would imagine, they actually might be third or fourth in the Pac-10. In the past week’s games, Pac-10 teams demonstrated how weak they really were. Oregon, the only ranked team outside USC, barely managed to escape with a 2OT victory over Purdue (who’s kicker missed a game-winning FG at the end of regulation). Arizona State lost to UNLV, Arizona lost to New Mexico, and Cal lost to Maryland. In case you have not noticed, these Pac-10 teams lost to poor football programs in games they should have won. UCLA played a far superior opponent in enemy territory.

The Bruin rushing attack led by Chane Moline resulted in an abysmal 9 yards on 16 rushes, but UCLA is already at practice trying to improve the ground game. Derrick Coleman, a true freshman out of Fullerton, is expected to step into the starting running back role after 50+ touchdowns in his last two prep years. If Coleman proves to be a better runner than Moline and Carter, the implications are exponentially positive for the Bruins. Not only will a lot of pressure be released from Kevin Craft and the one-dimensional offense, the defense will finally be able to rest during games as the rushing game chews time off the clock.

At the end of week 2, there is not much to be happy or proud about. Reality gave the blue and gold a swift kick in the ass, but it also tells us that no matter how badly you lose, it is still only one loss. UCLA has played two top-tier teams and is 1-1 on the season (not bad). And after realizing how weak the Pac-10 teams are, I feel Neuheisel’s “mantra of relentless optimism” making a comeback.

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USC vs Ohio State: The Aftermath

Nice pants, Beanie.

The night before the big game, I’m told, students had already started camping outside the Coliseum, ensuring the best possible seat. USC vs. Ohio State: easily one of the most anticipated college football game in years. For the Buckeyes, this was more than just a game to win, it was a point to prove. After being humiliated in two consecutive BCS championship games, the Buckeyes had lost some respect in the college football world. Long considered one of the powerhouses in college football, Ohio State suddenly found it difficult to even remain in conversations discussing the best football programs in the country. Ridiculed for having spotless records as a result of laughable strengths of schedules, Jim Tressel decided to go in a different direction this year. Hoping to silence the critics and nonbelievers, Tressel boldly scheduled USC at the Coliseum. Perhaps Coach Tressel should have thought twice about what he was doing.


Already a 4 to 1 underdog, at least according to the general money line, Ohio State received some bad news just days before the game. Their best player and quite possibly their only hope at beating USC, Chris Wells, would be out of Saturday’s game due to lingering ankle injury. Instead, Coach Tressel would have to turn to freshman quarterback Terrelle ‘Chris Brown’ Pryor. It’s no surprise that the USC defense often struggles against quick, versatile quarterbacks, and the talented Pryor was no exception. His presence was felt immediately as he ate up chunks of yards, earning first downs that kept Ohio State in the ball game early on. When asked about the impact of Pryor in the first half, Pete Carroll casually shrugged it off as a few careless mistakes on behalf of the coaching staff. Sure enough, the effectiveness of Terrelle Pryor diminished in the second half as USC quickly put the game out of reach.

Before this season started, USC had plenty of questions that needed to be answered. Could Joe McKnight really be the second coming of Reggie Bush? Could Patrick Turner finally start living up to his expectations with a new, confident quarterback feeding him this year? Could Mark Sanchez avoid another John David Booty fiasco and bring back greatness to the USC quarterback position? Most, if not all, of these questions have been answered after last Saturday’s ravaging of Ohio State. Joe McKnight is making the steady transition from ‘flashes of greatness’ to just plain ‘greatness.’ And with his performance against the Buckeyes, Mark Sanchez has put his name in the same sentence as Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel, Chris Wells, and Knowshon Moreno for this year’s Heisman Trophy. Although if it were up to me, I would have handed the trophy to BRIGHAM Young quarterback Max Hall three days ago.

Just three weeks into the season, the Buckeyes’ football season is now over. Plummeting in the AP Top 25 to #13, Ohio State has notable matchups against #8 Wisconsin, #16 Penn State, and #22 Illinois left to be played. Even with convincing victories in these games, it won't be enough to reinsert Ohio State back into the national championship picture, especially with USC, Oklahoma, and Georgia guarding the top 3 spots. And with USC on the schedule again next year, it looks like Jim Tressel may have to wait two years before he can finally earn another undeserved trip to the BCS national championship game.

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Caption This!!

This is Anquan Boldin (81) being congratulated by teammate Elton Brown after one of Boldin's 3 touchdowns on the day. Boldin played out of his mind against the Dolphins accumulating 140 yards on 6 receptions and scoring 3 touchdowns. I guess Brown was really really excited about winning.

Caption this!

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Matt Cassell Sings Better Than Tom Brady

Check out the guy in the blue jeans. That's Matt Cassel (pronounced "Castle") singing along to The Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way. LOL!

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You Wanna Be Ocho Cinco? $4.8 million dollars please.

If Chad Johnson wants to be Chad Ocho Cinco, he's going to have to cough up $4.8 million says the NFL.

Reebok is complaining because they had already pre-made 100,000 C. Johnson jerseys whose value would be drastically cut if the official jersey read Ocho Cinco.

a source with knowledge of the situation said it would cost him the cost to make the jersey, which is roughly 60 percent of the retail price. That would be about $48 a jersey or $4.8 million if that 100,000 number is reality.

There's actually a precedence to this matter as Jerry Porter wanted to change his number after the 2007 season. The NFL said he too would have to buy up the unused inventory of jerseys. Sadly his total was only $210,000.

Maybe Chad Whatever can pawn off his grillz to help pay off the $4.8 million. I think it's worth it!!

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Kobe Bryant Better Get That Pinky Fixed

Through an update on his website, Kobe Bryant has announced that he will not be getting surgery on his pinky any time in the near future.

"I have always felt that I can still focus and play at a high level even through various injuries. That's really just part of the game. When the doctors told me recovery from a procedure could be 12 weeks, I just decided now was not the time to have surgery. What it really came down to for me is that I just didn't want to miss any time 'punching the clock' for the Lakers, given all we are trying to accomplish as a team this NBA season. I am just really excited and looking forward to being there with the guys when camp opens in a few weeks. That is a real bonding process and if I can avoid being on the sidelines for that, God willing, I will," said Bryant.

Many will discuss how honorable this is. Kobe Bryant is the ultimate trooper, sacrificing for the good of his team. He wants to "bond" his team, rather than heal himself. The ultimate altruist. He is a changed man!

Are you sick of my sarcasm yet?

I'll be honest in saying that I have absolutely no idea what the real condition is with Kobe's pinky. I also don't know what kind of pain he is in, nor do I know what the doctors said regarding the matter.

But this is getting silly.The media has been making a big deal out of this since March (or earlier). If this is as big of an issue as it was then, then Kobe needs to get his finger fixed so that he can be 100%.

If it really doesn't hurt that much, and he is basically 99% then I think he should let us know, otherwise the media will continually excuse lapses in his performance.

Scratch that. I just came across an article from February saying Kobe wanted to sit-out the All-Star game due to his injured pinky. If it was so bad that he needed to sit out a game in which he would play 15 minutes, I fail to believe it has gotten any better.

The smartest thing for Kobe to have done was to get surgery immediately following the olympics. A 12-week recovery time would mean he would return for the middle of November. He would have only missed 3 weeks of the season!

The Lakers have gotten to the point where they are perennial Championship contenders. Come June they need every last facet of their team firing on all cylinders. Kobe isn't fooling me when he says he wants to forego surgery to bond with the guys. I'm rather certain Kobe could come still come to all the practices he wants even with a cast on his hand.

This all just seems so very illogical to me.

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Knowshon Moreno??

Right smack on the front page of Yahoo, the largest internet portal in the world, was an article about Knowshon Moreno of Georgia, being "robbed" because his hurdle wasn't shown on ESPN. Enough!

Now this is a real hurdle. (Wait for the second half for Moreno's hurdle)

So, Moreno's was decent. But it was no Reggie Bush. How happy is everyone that he is finally being who we thought we would be?

And for all you USC fans, this one's for you.

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Lamar Odom: Our Generation's Most Talented Cripple

21 is a mature age. In my years, I have experienced and dealt with things that have helped me grow immensely as an adult, including pregnancy scares and deaths in the family.

21 is also a tender age. I have never seen my father cry, I have never had my stomach pumped due to alcohol consumption, and I have never once seen Lamar Odom finish with his right hand...

The Lakers are an interesting team, led by two completely opposite players. When I say two opposite players, I am referring to Kobe Bryant, arguably the best finisher in the league, and Lamar Odom, arguably the worst. I pride myself in having a fairly strong stomach, meaning not very many things make me cringe. However, when I see Odom facing up his defender on the right wing behind the three-point line, preparing to penetrate, it’s a completely different story. I get goosebumps as I see Odom dribble around his man and extend his abnormally long arm over a help defender the way nobody else in the league can only to blow another left-handed layup. This makes the Odom mystery a little easier to explain: when you’re THAT terrible at finishing with your dominant hand, why even bother trying to shoot with your off hand?

Lamar Joseph Odom was born on November 6, 1979, in Queens, New York. From an early age, Lamar fell in love with the game of basketball. In fact, Lamar was so talented at the sport, that he invented his own version of it: one-handed basketball. Nearly identical to normal basketball, there are fouls, free throws, dribbling, 3-pointers, and out of bounds in one-handed basketball. However, in Lamar’s version of the game, the player is only allowed to shoot with his dominant hand. Any attempt to shoot with one’s off hand will result in a punishment, the severity of which is known only to the game’s founder, Lamar Odom.

There have been speculations about said punishments. It has been said that in grade school, Lamar’s father desperately pushed Lamar to become the greatest one-handed basketball player of all time. Some say that whenever Lamar would unwittingly attempt a shot with his right hand, his father would refuse to feed him for the day. Others claim that anyone who is THAT averse and terrified of using his right-hand must have a history of physical abuse. Supporters of this theory believe that Lamar’s father would dole out lashings to Lamar each time he would use his right-hand. Of course, these speculations are exactly that: speculative.

As Lamar grew into a man, he would go on to attend the University of Rhode Island. Unfortunately, the game of one-handed basketball had not caught on as quickly as Lamar had hoped, as the University of Rhode Island did not have a one-handed basketball team. Instead, Lamar was forced to join the normal basketball team, and play amongst lesser-skilled, ambidextrous athletes. It was difficult for Lamar to respect even his own teammates at Rhode Island, as he saw them as cheaters for using both hands. In his first and only year at Rhode Island, Lamar put up monstrous numbers. Using only his left hand, Lamar averaged 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Convinced that the college game would never embrace the glorious game of one-handed basketball, Lamar decided to turn pro after just one year at Rhode Island. To his dismay and disappointment yet again, the professional basketball world didn’t offer a league for one-handed specialists either. Lamar was again forced to play amongst two-handed cheaters, this time for good.

Unfortunately for Lamar, his right hand had by now atrophied and deteriorated into a completely useless limb from years of lack of use. Playing at a natural disadvantage of one useful hand against his opponents’ two useful hands, Lamar has been made a fool of time and time again. My heart bleeds for poor Lamar each time he drives to the hoop and blows another lay-up, his right arm flailing helplessly at his side. It’s a shame that David Stern hasn’t made the effort to honor Lamar Odom for being quite possibly the most productive handicapped basketball player the NBA has ever seen.

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Los Angeles and Football

Week 1 just finished and the Raiders and Rams still suck...

Football, the sport where grown men in tights throw around inflated animal hides and knock the living feces out of each other. Sounds fun, America loves it, but it's deathly boring to watch without a team to support. Each play lasts a mere 5 seconds, followed by 40 seconds of ass grabbing, and that is assuming there are no challenges, penalties, injuries, streakers, foreign debris, etc. Oh and when the offenses blow and they go three and out, good old television commercials will follow. Yes sir! Football is like the last minute of a tight basketball game, super-slow and occasionally exciting, but sixty times longer in duration. Welcome to my Los Angeles mindset.

In the heart of the West Coast, Sundays are not spent tailgating or watching football for hours on end, Sundays are special days meant for rest and relaxation. To spend time with the family, read about George Bush's stupidity in the paper, get dragged to church, to recover from that extra tequila shot after a UCLA victory (or eight after a loss).

Only a handful of people care about the outcomes of NFL games because there's no team to care about. LA is not home to an actual pro team, there are no rivals that we pray to see lose, no playoff race to follow, and the teams we use to have are gang affiliated (Raiders) or terrible (Rams). The only reason people still watch Sunday football is to fulfill their manhood requirements or watch TO's touchdown celebration (the Usain Bolt was awesome).

The definition of football in Los Angeles is USC's recent domination. But then again, USC football is not exactly exciting when considering how easily they bulldoze through opposing teams, week in and week out. And rooting for LA’s second team, UCLA, does not seem to be an attractive alternative for Angelinos (though we all know UCLA games are more competitive and exciting).

The only reason there is even buzz regarding pro-football is due to the pride and competition of fantasy football. If you are not going to own a team, might as well draft a few players to call your own and watch on television. There is nothing quite like the week 1 anticipation of destroying the opposing team with Tom Brady on your fantasy team; but then again, I have never felt so crushed and uninterested going into week 2 (freaking Tom Brady, ACL BS, DIE).

Okay, so maybe this is all a lot of nonsense to passionate football watcher, but honestly, how many die-hard football fans are there in Los Angeles? Correct, just a handful. You might ask someone in LA, “Hey, who’s your favorite NFL team?” and they will lie and say some nonsense team like the Minnesota Vikings. Obviously, this person has Adrian Peterson on his fantasy team. Do not be alarmed by this type of behavior in Los Angeles, it is rampant and uncontrollable because there is no such thing as professional football here.

My favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys and TO is on my fantasy team.

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Officially Ocho Cinco

What has the NFL coming to? Each day, the wide receivers of the league prove themselves not only as the divas of the NFL, but also as the most mentally unstable. The player formerly known as Chad Johnson has officially changed his name, now being recognized as Chad Ocho Cinco. Really? You have got to be kidding me. He is now Chad [Spanish 85]; in Mexico, he'd just be a number. He's a top receiver in the league, but Agent 85 is plain psychotic. Hell, he might as well change his first name to Agent. Or just Number. If he wants to be consistent, Numero Ocho Cinco. Psycho.

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Fantasy Football With the Pros

So world-class football players should have world-class fantasy football minds, right?  Wrong, Colt Brennan.  Wrong.

HAHAHA I can't believe he said gay pick...

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NBA Corner

A quick look into the NBA.

Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur (pictured right) were excused kicked out of the NBA rookie program after violating unspecified league rules. The Heat and Grizzlies did not give additional details, but everyone knows that they were booted for smoking pot with a couple groupies in the hotel room. Chalmers and Arthur said the weed belonged to the women. Good try.

The New York Knicks are managing Isiah Thomas’s blunders and desperately trying to recreate the winning ways of the 90’s. Step 1: Acquire Patrick Ewing...… Jr.
Check.
Junior is not anywhere near his father's talent, but beggars can't be choosers.





Donyell Marshall agreed to a one year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, which added another veteran to their studded lineup. Marshall’s effectiveness is in question after three sub-par years with Cleveland and Seattle, but then again, playing with good players makes everyone better.

Former all-star Jamaal Magliore signed with the Miami Heat. Since his all-star year back in 2004, Magliore has worn 5 different jerseys and been subjugated to a back-up roll. The 30 year old veteran should be able to start and be effective for the Miami Heat this year.

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US Open Aesthetics

Ana Ivanovic

World Rank: 01

Age: 20

Nationality: Serbia

Ivanovic had a shockingly disappointing second round loss to Frenchwoman Julie Coin. It looks like Ana will be losing her #1 ranking once the Open ends.

Daniela Hantuchova

World Rank: 12

Age: 25

Nationality: Slovakia

Daniela had an equally surprising upset. The 11th seed at the open fell in the first round to German Anna-Lena Groenfeld.

Elena Dementieva

World Rank: 06

Age: 26

Nationality: Russia

Dementieva is blooming late. Now at the ripe age of 26 she has just won Olympic gold and is set to face Jelena Jankovic in the semi-finals of the open. (mistake edited out thanks to tennisany1us) I'll take Dementieva who is riding a huge wave of confidence right now.

Nicole Vaidisova

World Rank: 22

Age: 19

Nationality: Germany

Vaidisova hasn't been on top of her game this year and it showed at the Open. She lost in the second round to Severine Bremond in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.

Alona Bondarenko

World Rank: 31

Age: 23

Nationality: Ukraine

Alona played well in the open but was unlucky enough to run into the steamroller that is Venus Williams. Venus has played brilliantly in the Open even in her close loss to her sister Serena in the quarter final. Btw, Alona lost 6-2, 6-1.

Maria Kirilenko

World Rank: 19

Age: 23

Nationality: Russia

Maria like many of our other featured players in this post hasn't fared too well. She made a quick exit in the first round losing to Tamira Paszek 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

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NFL Opening Week: Priority List

The NFL season looms, with question marks everywhere throughout the league. How badly injured are the Super QB Duo of Brady and Manning? What is Brett Favre going to do in a different shade of green, and can he shift the New York spotlight from the champion Giants? How are the Saints going to deal with Hurricane Gustav? Individuals face new challenges and teams fight for supremacy, all while mother nature wreaks more havoc than Justin Tuck facing that porous Patriot line. Some solutions will be found immediately, while others need an entire season's worth of information. We here can only go week by week, however, thus the seven games to watch for during week one of the NFL season:

• Washington Redskins at New York Giants (Thurs., Sept. 4): The opening game of the season, featuring the newly crowned kings of New York. The Giants have done a bit to cover the loss of Osi Umenyiora, but is it enough to uphold the previously dominant D-line? And can the ever-inconsistent Eli Manning continue to shine and actually earn his Oreo commercial contract? If Clinton Portis runs all over New York and Jason Campbell runs his offense efficiently, the Champs are going to have all they can handle.
  

• New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (Sun., Sept. 7): Brett Favre is manning a new ship; for the first time in FIFTEEN years, we'll see Favre in something other than a Packers jersey. To add to this drama, the quarterback the Jets shunted away due to Favre's presence faces his old team in the very first game of his season. Chad Pennington will be out for revenge against the team he had spent his previous eight years with. With a downgraded Dolphins defense, Pennington will need to step up, as Favre shouldn't be too challenged; if Brett is, however, he might need yet another retirement ceremony this year.
  

• Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (Sun., Sept. 7): The 18-1 Patriots. Never before has one loss meant so much. Brooding in his hole all summer long, one can only assume that Darth Belichick has another evil plan lined up for this year. Then again, if Brady, Moss, Maroney, and the gang can get even close to their play last year, Darth over there won't have to boil up anything too diabolical. Oh yea, the Chiefs aren't too bad either, barring another injury to Larry Johnson. This should be a fun game.
  

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints (Sun., Sept. 7): What's going to happen with Gustav still blowing? The Saints offense is fully loaded, but if they can't even take the field, what's the point? Tampa Bay survives year after year, plowing along with a team that no one ever expects much out of. This would be a great game, but will the city of New Orleans be ready? Most of southern Louisiana has evacuated, so say Gustav does blow over, will anyone even be present at the game?

• Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns (Sun., Sept. 7): The game most likely to be immensely competitive. Dallas is being listed as a Super Bowl favorite, while the Browns figure to go deep into the postseason. Tony Romo vs. Derek Anderson. Terrell Owens vs. Braylon Edwards. Jamal Lewis vs. Marion Barber. Both defenses are also quite talented. Hell, I'd watch the game on the sole hope that Pac-Man Jones goes crazy and starts choking TO on the sidelines. Oh yea, and Josh Cribbs is a ridiculously entertaining player to watch.

• Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts (Sun., Sept. 7): A rematch of the Super Bowl from two years ago sees a game likely to be nowhere nearly as exciting. The Bears offense is in shambles, though the defense can still compete. The Colts are as powerful as ever, as long as Peyton is healthy. Devin Hester's increased presence on the field can only make things more exciting, however, as he's a potential score with every touch.

• Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (Mon., Sept. 8): The Vikings are reloaded on D, and Adrian Peterson is ready to show how good he really is. The Packers face a Favre-less backfield for the first time in over a decade. It's time to see if the Green Bay receivers were as talented as they played like last year, or if last seasons deep run was just a fluke. Aaron Rodgers faces an extraordinarily difficult test to begin his career; not many people face such a stacked D while under the pressure of replacing the face of a franchise, all of this happening at home. Half of Green Bay worshiped Favre as a god, so I wouldn't be surprised to see the boo birds coming out early of Rodgers can't produce.
  

Good luck stopping this man GB.

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Football Monopoly Over?

Call Rick Neuheisel a fool for his newspaper ad in the Los Angeles Times, but it is hard to argue with his results. In arguably the biggest upset in college football’s first week, Neuheisel led the depleted UCLA Bruins past the 18th ranked Tennessee Volunteers.

In the 27-24 overtime victory, UCLA’s on-field play showed the nation exactly what the Bruins were capable of doing.

Kevin Craft, California junior college quarterback of the year, displayed the poise and talent to lead a D-1 team to victory. UCLA’s defense played solidly as they kept Tennessee’s touted quarterback, Jonathan Crompton, to an abysmal 19-41 passing (46.3%). And UCLA’s special teams shined as they blocked a punt for a touchdown, averaged 46.8 yards per punt, and hit every kick between the uprights (3XP, 2 FG).

But then again, does UCLA deserve to be ranked 23rd in the nation after a performance that reeked of mediocrity (at best)?

Kevin Craft played like the third-string quarterback that he was, throwing for 4 interceptions (in the first half; HALF!!). If UCLA was playing a legitimate opposing team with a competent offense, the game would have been over at half time; but the lead was only seven and Tennessee is no longer ranked.

UCLA ran the ball 31 times and managed to gain a whopping 29 yards. 0.9 yards a carry. After focusing so heavily on the run last season, you would imagine that the Bruins would have retained some of that ability. Even more surprising is that this came underneath the play calling of Norm Chow, that USC offensive coordinator that called plays for Reggie Bush and LenDale White. And if you cannot run the ball, you cannot control the clock, you put more pressure on third-string Kevin Craft, and then all hell breaks loose. Unless by some outside chance, Kevin Craft is as legendary as his fourth quarter drives.

On the other side of the ball, UCLA’s defense was effective except when it mattered. After only allowing 7 points through the first three quarters (7 were from a defensive touchdown), UCLA allowed the Vols to score twice in the final 6 minutes.

Despite the long-list of weaknesses that were exposed, UCLA deserves to be ranked in the top 25. Coach Neuheisel and his “mantra of relentless optimism” have inspired his athletes to exceed their low expectations and perform at championship levels. UCLA may not have the star power often associated with championship teams, but with a top-notch coaching staff led by Norm Chow and DeWayne Walker, UCLA can more than make-up for their short comings and potentially setup camp in the top 25.

The mantra might be spreading throughout the blue and gold nation (including myself), but UCLA still faces one of the toughest schedules in college football. The Bruins must face (18) Oregon, (15) Arizona St., and a rising Cal team on the road, while also playing (1) USC in what can be considered a mutual home game. UCLA will also be forced to take on (21) Fresno St. and at (15) BYU.

So as much as I want to put my heart into Neuheisel’s mantra of relentless optimism and say that the Los Angeles football monopoly is officially over, I will reserve judgment until this week’s BYU game. The Mormons from Utah have managed to screw over Ben Olson’s talent and potential, their team might do the same to UCLA football.

So until Saturday my Bruin friends! Go Kevin Craft!
{fade into 8-clap}

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Why I Love the BCS

Just as September marks the beginning of the college football season, it also marks the beginning of the BCS whining season. The two simply go hand in hand, and so long as there is a BCS, there will be people complaining about it. From what typically gets said about the BCS, it has become patently obvious that the BCS is more universally disapproved of than President Bush. But let me tell you something: the BCS is wonderful. Sure it has its flaws, but even the most beautiful women in the world have their blemishes.


The most common complaint heard against the BCS is that it doesn't get the championship game right. In 2004, Auburn went undefeated, but Oklahoma and USC were chosen to play for the championship, where USC proceeded to dismantle Oklahoma 55-19. The last two seasons, Ohio State breezed through their schedule into the national championship game only to get completely annihilated in both games. Shouldn't the two best teams in the nation be more evenly matched?

Well, let's consider the alternative. The other option from the BCS would be to partake in a playoff similar to NCAA Basketball's 64 team March Madness, but even then, how many teams would we limit it to? 4 teams? 8 teams? How long would we be willing to extend the college football season? And with March Madness, does anybody even really pay attention to the regular season of college basketball? The BCS really gives college football that added dimension of "do-or-die" every single game, every single week. It is an exciting roller coaster ride, and nobody can predict the outcome. Hell, after USC lost to Stanford last season, many wrote USC's chances off - but they still ended up in contention, ending the season ranked #6 and blowing out Illinois in the Rose Bowl. Were there a "plus one" format, who would have been invited? LSU obviously, but after that? Georgia? USC?

But beyond any drawbacks to the alternates, what about the positives of the BCS system?

The BCS system gives mid-major schools the chance to shine on a big stage in a way that they would not be able to in a playoff system. With playoffs, it would undoubtedly be limited to 4 or 8 teams for seasonal/scheduling purposes, unlesscollege football were to become a 2 season sport. When was the last time a non-BCS team not named Notre Dame was in the top 4? The BCS system gives the Boise States of the world the chance to knock off the Oklahomas of the world, and nobody can tell me that there was any college football game as exciting as the Boise State-Oklahoma bowl game. Of course, it also gives us games like Hawaii vs. Georgia - and while most neutral fans watching that game were not exactly into it, just the opportunity to be in a bowl game for Hawaii was such a huge lift to the state and such a huge source of pride that I couldn't help but feel like they had the right to be there.

Of course the BCS has problems and controversies, but considering the alternatives of a "plus one" or a playoff, I say give me the drama, cinderella stories, and regular season madness of the BCS any day.





I just wish they'd figure out a way to punish the SEC for playing such pansy non-conference schedules.

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Gael Monfils is Awesome

If only he'd beaten Mardy Fish... that celebration would have been amazing.

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The Heff Has Competition

Often known for his flamboyancy in games and his ridiculous blog tirades, it's not a surprise that Gilbert Arenas is making his very own Playboy Grotto. It's planned finish date was in August, so it should be up and ready by now.
Gilby apparently has million-dollar mountains carved from rock, several sharks in a giant glass aquarium near the pool, and multiple waterfalls to accompany the fully decked out Agent Zero Grotto; Hugh eat your heart out. Wizards fans can only hope that this three million dollar pool gets more partying in it due to winning than due to off-time shenanigans. Thank you to the Washington Post for pictures and information. More pictures can be found there.

He even has the robe to battle Hugh.

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The Bads' Goods

Bad News: Monta Ellis of the Golden States Warriors suffered a severe ankle sprain after some “off-season work outs” in Jackson. The team has questioned the actual source of Monta’s injuries, but however you look at it, the ensued surgery will require at least three months to recover from.

The Golden States Warriors are now in an absolute horrible position (i.e. having both legs tied behind your head with a train rapidly approaching as the Joker tortures your family). Their only legitimate point guard is the unproven Marcus Williams who will most likely fail at running the one full-time.

Good News: There is a chance that the Warriors will look into acquiring Shaun Livingston, the injury prone point guard formally of the Los Angeles Clippers. His stock is extremely low, his talent is really high, and I have this feeling that he might actually stay healthy this year. With Livingston, I expect the Warriors to be significantly more competitive in the West.

The Good's Bad: Shaun Livingston, if miraculously healthy, will not help the Warriors win too many extra games. Sorry GS, not your year.

Bad News: Manu Ginobli of the San Antonio Spurs will also require surgery to repair a ligament in his left ankle. The surgery will force Ginobli to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks and have him miss a few regular season games.

More Bad: Ginobli’s absence may require extended playing time from the increasingly ineffective Michael Finley. With the extended time, the 35 year old veteran will be at a higher risk of earning himself a handicap placard. Michael Finley. Handicap placard.

Good News: Manu plays on a solid Spurs team that can pick-up the slack for the 30 minutes-a-game bench player. The Spurs have Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, who will give opposing teams more than a handful already. The Spurs also have newcomer, Roger Mason, who will be eager to prove his worth after a breakout season with the Wizards.

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