Not so "Funny"

NASCAR chairman Brian France has had a lot of face time recently, speaking about a variety of topics that influence the racing circuit including everything from the economy, the auto industry, and "America's Funniest Home Videos". Apparently, Mr. France is not a fan of the show; especially after ABC decided to bump the last few laps of a primetime Sprint Cup race this past weekend in order to show and episode of AFV.

While this is embarrassing in itself, it is a sign of - among other things - that NASCAR is a bit on the down side. For one thing, NASCAR's assertion that it is becoming a major "sport" is now a bit suspect. If it were a major money maker, ABC would not move the race to another network in order to show a program like AFV. No knock on the show, anything that can stay on the air nearly 20 years has to be doing something right, but AFV still clings to the cheap, crude comedy of stupid people doing stupid things on tape which, if we're lucky, includes someone getting kicked in the groin. And as we all know how painful (and funny) that is, the idea that a NASCAR race was moved to another network in order to deliver a steady half-hour of America's best and brightest showcasing their finest moments is incredibly more painful (and fantastically more hilarious).

Along with this incident, the struggling economy will have a more drastic effect on NASCAR that it will on the NFL, NBA, or MLB. The biggest part of that will be the three major US auto makers are so very down that the level of their participation in NASCAR has been questioned and will be amended in order for NASCAR to stay afloat.

While it is a little disturbing to see something like NASCAR struggling, it only proves the point that auto racing is a niche attraction in America and not the ratings giant they claim to be. Despite all the flaws in any of the three major sports, no network would ever dream of bumping the last few minutes or innings of a playoff game for anything. What's worse is that the NASCAR bump wasn't that big of a news item. On the other hand, TBS's ALCS Game 6 incident caused quite a stir and undoubtedly a few people their jobs.

An incident like this only furthers the argument that NASCAR is not only outside the realm of the major sports but that it lacks the substance to be considered a "sport" at all. There is no doubt that what the drivers have to endure is difficult and that it takes someone especially skilled to manage all that goes on during a race, but just because it is difficult doesn't mean that it can be classified as a "sport". NASCAR fans can argue until they are blue in the face in defense of their favorite attraction, but what they can not dispute is the fact that day in and day out the biggest determining factor between victory or defeat is not human, but a machine. All of the three major sports are true tests of athletic prowess; NASCAR lacks that aspect which makes it difficult for it to be considered legitimate in the eyes of sports fans. Perhaps if NASCAR was able to incorporate that facet into what they are, then they would not have to endure incidents like the one this past weekend.

NASCAR has a giant cloud of embarrassment hanging over them right how. And while it's not as embarrassing as getting kicked in the crotch on national television, it is equally funny. Something Mr. France probably doesn't agree with.

No laughing matter

Knock, knock. Who's there? Who knows, and for that matter: who cares? As long as they have a sly remark, witty comment, or snappy punchline they are most definitely welcome.

No one can argue that they don't enjoy a good joke. In almost every circumstance and in almost every mood, the healing power of laughter can brighten any day or at the very least keep an already good day good. But anyone who has ever been in a joking situation can attest to the fact that they have been in situations when a joke has crossed the line. Whatever it is about, there is inevitably one person who kills the mood by making a joke about a subject that is just not funny. And whether everyone is offended or just one person, the atmosphere becomes instantly uncomfortable.

Apparently, Bernie Ecclestone is one of those people who crosses the line from fun and joking to racist and uncomfortable. The President and CEO of Formula One dismissed the notion that comments made about F1 champion Lewis Hamilton were racist and just "jokes". Hamilton - who is Formula One's first ever black world champion - wasn't too amused.

This is not the first time Hamilton has been on the receiving end of racist "jokes"; it is also not the first time that fans from Spain have been on the telling end of these quips. The Spaniards sense of humor has nearly cost them the privilege of hosting Formula One races in the past, but - alas - fans just can't seem to keep their side-splitters to themselves.

Another joker, this one from Texas, learned how much an innocent joke can cost. Buck Burnette - the now former offensive lineman from the University of Texas - posted a comment on Facebook about President-elect Barack Obama that so incensed head coach Mack Brown that upon learning of the comment (which can be seen in the previous link) that Brown immediately dismissed Burnette from the team. Not so funny now, is it?

Unofrtunately, none of these incidents were or will ever be funny. "Sad" is the operative word in situations like these. And what is most sad about all of this - more so than fans making racist comments, or having the president of the league support those racist fans and not the league's young star, or a student attending an institution of higher learning showing ignorance and bigotry towards a man who represents a ray of hope for so many - is that intolerance of this level still permeates even in the wake of such a historic day not just for the United States, but the whole world. It seems to be mentioned all too often, but despite how far the world has come, there is still a long way to go.

And that aint no joke.

Still a long way to go...

As most of the United States - and a good portion of the rest of the world as well - celebrates the historic victory of now President-elect Barack Obama, it is easy to feel good and appreciate this great moment in time as one that will be a permanent fixture in history's texts for the rest of time. It is a moment not just for the black community or for minorities, but the fantastic recognition of how the US and the world has come so far that a mixed-race man has been elected to one of the most powerful positions in the world. Although both positive and historic, Obama's presidency is not at all the resolution to any singular problem, merely the beginning. And while it is a sign that we have indeed come so far, we just have to look around to realize that we still have a long way to go.

A little over a week ago, two very disturbing stories surfaced that proved this very fact. In Lithuania, Valdas Garastas, the head of powerful basketball federation, apologized for a racist outburst against two black Americans who play in the Baltic state. Garastas referred to the players as "n*****s" and "black ass-h***s". On that same day, three students from Quinnipiac University were arrested and dismissed from the university for "racial harassment of black players on the school's men's and women's basketball teams."

While these incidents are alarming (or at least they should be), especially in the wake of the historic election, they are undoubtedly not isolated incidents. Although they might not surface to the level of any real attention, I can guarantee that on almost every campus and in almost every boardroom all across the country and the world racial slurs are thrown around and ignorant, bigoted actions are taking place.

Basketball is increasingly becoming the new global game as its popularity soars to new heights. But growth abroad has not at all translated into racial harmony. As indicated by these two incidents and so many others that go unnoticed or are simply brushed over, there is much work to be done even as the world enters the time when a man of a racial minority will be in charge of one of the most powerful and influential democracies on earth. The election of Barack Obama is the signal of a great positive change in this country and should also be a starting point to not just sports fans, but to everyone to call out intolerance and bigotry when it rears its ugly head. Let it be known that we will not tolerate it any longer. Although it might seem like a heavy task to stand up to those who wallow in ignorance, it is something that must be done.

In the words of the President-elect: "Yes we can!"

Racism: Alive and kickin'

There are but a few days left in the United States' recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, but the awareness raised during this time is has to carry over passed any designated amount of time and transfer into every day life without the presence of special recognition of one minority group looming.

This past Sunday, there was another incident that reminded us that the work being done this month (and that will be continued during Black History Month, National American Indian Heritage Month, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month) is very much still needed. On Sunday, a Houston Dynamo fan was banned for life for making racist comments towards an opposing player. Even more disheartening than the comments that one fan made were some of the comments that hundreds of readers have made about the story. This is just another awful display of ignorance on the part of the one fan in question and of those who made comments in support of that fan's right to freedom of speech. If any one of those readers were abreast to the situation then they would know that this is not a matter of ones right to The First Amendment.

(And by the way, that argument is mute in the first place. No one has taken away that man's right to free speech; he is still allowed to make all the racist comments his heart desires. The problem with people crying out for the First Amendment to save them when they have made ignorant and stupid comments and/or actions is that consequences like a lifetime banishment from a soccer stadium sometimes comes with the territory. Some places don't want to be associated with that type of behavior, and it is their right to make that distinction, too.)

Hispanic Heritage month is as much about minorities in general than it is for just Hispanics; the fact that there is an official recognition of one group is not just a victory for that one group of people but for all minorities who fight the daily struggles of intolerance and bigotry. Many people question the reasons why any recognition for one minority group is need, it is also argued that if equality is to be reached then no group of people should receive any special attention at all. While in a perfect world this would be the case, but as most of us know, and as this incident and some of the comments illustrate, the world is far from perfect. Those that make the argument against Hispanic, Native American, Black, or Asian heritage recognition most likely have not had to endure ignorance or racism as a part of their daily lives. For that very reason, time must be set aside so that those who don't know can have the opportunity to learn so that peace and equality can be achieved.

The Science Behind a Rivalry

Tomorrow at "high noon" - as all the ESPN pundits have been saying this week - there will be a top-5 showdown in Dallas, the result of which has the potential to loom large in the BCS "National Championship" picture (however, without a true playoff system the FBS championship requires quotation marks). Hopefully this game will have a better outcome than the last time ESPN and ABC hyped up a #1 vs. #5 contest, in which USC took Ohio State to the woodshed and revealed not only OSU's true colors but those of the entire Big Ten conference (if only "weak" was a color).

But this game between #5 Texas and #1 Oklahoma already has a leg up on the then-#5 Ohio State v. then-#1 USC game, and it's the fact that these two teams are bitter, heated rivals. College rivalry games are always must-see, but when the stakes are as high as they are in tomorrows game then usually the result is something special; something that has the potential to elicit memories that will live on for many seasons to come.

College football rivalry games are some of the most special events in all of sports. Unique from most other professional and college sports, college football rivalries happen but once a year. Meaning that for an entire year all of the spoils belong to the victor, and no matter what the teams records are at the end of the season, the winning team can always claim their superiority over their rival because in a head-to-head match up, they came out on top. There is a different aura that surrounds the rivalries in college football, and it is that which makes them not only special, but the best rivalries in all of sports.

But what makes college football rivalries so unique and special? Surely there are the intense yearly contests between the likes of Yankees/Red Sox, Cowboys/Redskins, Lakers/Celtics, Red Wings/Avalanche, and so on, and so on. But these games can't live up to the intensity that surrounds the Michigan/Ohio State, Auburn/Alabama, Oregon/Oregon State, Texas/Oklahoma, Army/Navy, or any other game in the plethora of rivalries in college football. The reason behind this? It's not exactly concrete, but I have a theory that might explain some of what goes into a college football rivalry game that makes them so much more special than any other rivalry in any other sport.

For one thing, the amateurism that goes into college sports greatly contributes to what makes these games so special. In professional sports, the athletes are not as much into the games as they are into their contracts. Too many times fans have seen their favorite players switch allegiances at season's end only to end up on the roster of their most hated rival. And while fans might be intense, the players are less likely to buy into the fervent hatred that fans have for the opposing team. In college football, however, rivalries are sold to the players starting in the recruiting stage. If they don't buy into it the minute they reach campus, they will the moment they walk onto the field and feel the mass of people both rooting against them so ardently. The minute a player commits to one school, fans of that school's rival immediately hate him and will spew some of the most foul and obscene comments about them for the rest of their lives. Without pay getting in the way and making the rivalries hazy like in professional sports, college players don't need any extra incentive to go out and kick the ass of their rival school.

Perhaps the biggest reason why college football rivalry games are much more intense than any in professional sports is because colleges represent more of a territorial connection that professional sports do. While pro sports teams represent teams and states the same way colleges and universities do, the players on a college football team most resemble the surrounding area then a professional team would. Pro teams have a mixed bag of players from all over the country and, as stated above, are their mainly because of financial reasons then anything else. For the most part college football programs recruit their players from that state and the surrounding area, so the battles between two schools not only represent a battle between the two institutions but the regions of the state and country as well. It's why when Michigan and Ohio State play it's a contest not just between those two schools, but those two states. At the same time, if the Detroit Lions beat the Cleveland Browns or Cincinnati Bengals, it does not elicit the same type of response. No rivalry in professional sports can live up to the kind of hype that surrounds a college football game.

The Texas/Oklahoma game would have been a great game no matter the rankings coming in, and so goes for the rest of the impending college rivalry games in store for this season. Because of all the ingredients that go into these games, the recipe always calls for bubbling emotions that usually end up in scathing burns and fantastic explosions.

It's like a science experiment gone terribly right.

The Voices of the People

There is no doubt that as the United States has changed over the last four years, public attentiveness to politics has grown. More and more people cannot sit idly by and watch the US encounter disaster after disaster without doing the very least they could do to help solve the problem: vote.

Or at the very least, talk about it.

But that in itself is a great start. There was a time when talking about politics was taboo, and for an athlete come come out and publicly support a candidate was enough substance for him to to be ridiculed. Even though the politics surrounding the Beijing Olympics was completely different than the issues that encompass the presidential campaigns, the basic sentiment was that the athletes were there to compete and not to express their political views; it wasn't their place. And that's how system has operated for so many years. Athletes were expected to stick to what they did best and not stick their heads into politics. Now, however, the political landscape has changed and as more and more people have deep rooted interests in politics, more and more of them are speaking out about it, and athletes are among them.

From all over the sports world, athletes are coming out and talking about the issues that are important to them in the upcoming election. In the NFL, economics is the driving force behind so many players opinions, some of which have changed with increased incomes. The young Blazers center Greg Oden did his homework and decided to throw his support behind Obama due to his stance on "education, civil rights, and health care." And mega stars LeBron James and Tiger Woods have shown their support for Obama through some handsome donations to his campaign fund. Even Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard threw in his support of Obama, albeit at the end of an embarrassing rant about not honoring the national anthem.

No matter which candidate they endorse, it is good to see people of prominence coming out and speaking about politics. Athletes are constantly in the spotlight for their performances but are too quickly dismissed when they step outside the lines of the game they are paid to play. They are recognized for their physical prowess but their capacity for anything other than sports is overlooked. Although they are athletes, they are first and foremost people; citizens with concerns about numerous subjects that need to be met. They are also in the unique position to be in the spotlight every day of the week, which is a responsibility that some, unfortunately, don't take too seriously. But for those that recognize the expectation to be a role model and who take responsible steps to bolster that image, it is admirable for them to speak up about politics.

What is said is not as important as the fact that they are saying something. The mere mention of the subject brings it to the forefront of the attention of their fans which has the potential to inspire others to look into the issues and form their own opinions (even if the fans are just adopting what the athletes are saying). Even though athletes are not elected officials or have years of experience in politics, their views and opinions are important. Athletes are closer to the common person than most politicians are as most athletes are better representatives of what the common person is.

In an environment where everyone seems to be talking, the athletes are truly the voices of the people.

Keep On Talkin'

When Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson spoke last week, he prophesied that he would not only score a touchdown, but would also "kiss the star" in the center of the Cowboy's field in tribute to the Dallas organization. And while those words did not come to be true, there is another statement he uttered that I hope he dose follow through on.

Later in that same interview from in front of his locker, Chad warned ESPN sports talk personalities, anchors, and analysts to mind their words about him or he would be compelled to take their jobs. Yes, Chad is a fantastic and successful receiver, but that does not necessarily translate seamlessly into a successful TV career. That said, Chad is undoubtedly already better than some on-air personalities and given the choice ESPN executives should immediately move to replace some of their current employees with Mr. Ocho Cinco. The one name that comes to mind when thinking of who would he replace first would undoubtedly be Hannah Storm.

To those that regularly watch and pay attention to the new morning SportsCenter, both during the week and on the weekends, have been exposed to Hannah Storm for a little over 2 months now. And while she has had a few moments where she has done well, for the most part she has been a complete and total disaster. She constantly misquotes statistics and her on camera presence is deplorable. Every one of her interviews has some awkward moment where she doesn't follow the flow a more skilled journalist would. Her questions are canned; she doesn't write her own material, but rather has a team of people to prepare her for every moment she will be on camera. Because of this, she will miss any opportunity for a follow-up question because it had not been scripted for her. And when those few times come up that she does go off script she sounds like a fumbling teenager who knows nothing about sports and just likes to hear herself talk.


ESPN prides itself on being the worldwide leader in sports, and through all of there overwhelming successes there have been a few blunders. Hannah Storm was a "big" name the network felt they needed to add in order to hype their new live morning format. Although the experiment has not lasted that long, from a fan's perspective it has been a failure.

ESPN went out and hired Hannah Storm to create a buzz about the transition to the live morning show, which to be quite honest could have been done without her. And since she has been on the network, her performance can best be described as "poor". There is do doubt that ESPN could have saved a ton of money on what can only be assumed they are now paying her in the form of a ridiculous salary. There are a number of current personalities they could have used that would have been WAY better than her (my personal favorite is Sage Steele; she does the 9 AM SportsCenter on Friday mornings and does a fantastic job, much better than Mrs. Storm could ever do and on top of that is much better looking). The problem in front of the Bristol executives right now is that they have already dedicated time, money, and media attention to bringing Hannah Storm in, and the only way to avoid any negative attention that replacing her would bring would be to bring in someone with a bigger name.

Solution: Bring in 85.

The media attention that Johnson would receive would trump any controversy of Hannah Storm being replaced. ESPN would then be free to wean her out slowly but surely as they try to forget she was ever hired in the first place. In fact, Chad's presence would do wonders for growth of ESPN's morning audience. Despite what anyone will say about Chad, he always commands the utmost attention; he has something to say about everything and him replacing Hannah Storm would be the best move ESPN could have ever made.

But alas, much would have to happen before such a move could be made. Chad would have to be so incensed about the media's coverage and comments about him to compel him to retire and pursue a career in broadcasting. Also, the ESPN suits would have to admit they made a mistake bringing in a journalist far inferior to what the network currently has employed. And finally, ESPN would have to swallow their own pride and agree to buy out Hannah Storm's contract and let her be on her way (an apology to the SportsCenter fans would be nice as well, but most people would settle for just getting rid of Mrs. Storm). Until then, the only thing that can be done is to encourage Chad to keep on talking and possibly persuade him to try and take on another career with all the air-time he could possibly imagine.

Government and Sports: This time they got it right

Recently, the US government has been sticking its nose into professional sports way to often, and coming up with nothing. There have been multiple hearing on steroids, which have produced nothing we hadn't already known.

They have wasted time and money and yet have not let up the attack as they continue to adamantly pursue Barry Bonds. It is common knowledge that Bonds did not achieve all of his accomplishments within the rules of either baseball or the law. The argument here isn't that Bonds should get away with breaking the law, but there are so many more important issues around the country for any branch of the government to focus any more time on this subject.

The NFL was investigated for Commissioner Roger Goodell's handling of the Patriot's video tape scandal. Again, throughout all of the hearings and meetings with those who had "inside information", the only thing Congress was able to determine was that everyone was sick and tired of hearing about Spygate. Chalk that whole episode up to another big waste of time and money.

The NBA was also involved in a recent episode where government officials were involved, but in this case the league reached out to a former federal prosecutor to help with an internal investigation. The Tim Donaghy referee scandal is one instance where the government is needed to step in, look around, and possibly clean up any of the skeletons lurking in the closet.

And today, the House of Representatives found another issue in sports that is worth pursuing. They will seek a presidential pardon for Jack Johnson, 46 years after his death.

Johnson's only offense is that he was offensive. He lived a life no different than any current professional athlete, and probably a little more modest than today's stars. Johnson, however, lived in a very different time and because he was a black man who did not lay down and follow the exceptionally misguided ethos of the time, he was labeled as a threat and, eventually, a criminal. He beat up white men and married a white woman, and for that the government conjured up a bogus federal charges which forced Johnson to flee the country, serve a year in federal prison, and ultimately loose his boxing career.

Seeking this posthumous presidential pardon won't do much for Johnson, but this decision is not just for Johnson. Through this pardon, the government is recognizing, admitting to, and attempting to rectify some serious wrongs they have committed against the black community and other minorities ever since the founding of this country. And although it might seem small and inconsequential, merely acknowledging some of the mistakes of the past will lead to positive change in the future. No matter your political affiliation, this is one House resolution we can all get behind.

The Best of Both Worlds

Tonight, USC will be traveling to play Oregon State in a "big time" PAC-10 conference match- up. Unfortunately, this prime-time contest lacks any sort of luster that the networks are trying to maintain the game will feature; almost everyone knows that this game was over as soon as USC stepped off the plane.The Trojans are head-and-shoulders above their Pac-10 counterparts, they should not only run the conference table but should do so in convincing fashion. The more interesting game would be if USC got the courage to go play a team like BYU, now that would be must-see TV.

Editors note: So I guess I was wrong about Oregon State, as many people were. The Beavers must be commended for their win more than USC should be condemned for their loss. But while the result of this game did not play out to how this story was originally written, it does contribute to the argument that this is shaping up to be a really interesting year in college football. This season is going to be ripe with upsets, resulting in many 1-loss and 2-loss teams without two stone cold locks for the BCS championship; this will ultimately result in a bit of controversy come bowl time when certain teams are left out of big bowls.

This is shaping up to be a really interesting year in college football. Most of the major conferences are down, letting mid-major teams shine through. Come bowl season there will be more than one small conference team making a valid argument for a BCS birth over a team from one of the six major conferences. Of course, though, teams from the larger conferences will get preference over arguably better teams because of conference affiliations. That will undoubtedly lead to a compelling debate for a playoff system throughout the country, but inevitably won't lead to much change, if any. So if there is still going to be this God-awful BCS/bowl system, at least make it fair and more competitive. If they are going to keep the bowl system and ignore any and all reasonable logic for a playoff system, then some serious changes have to be made.

The major conferences - ACC, SEC, Pac-10, Big Ten, Big XII, and Big East - should adopt some of the stronger teams from smaller conferences like the WAC, Mountain West, MAC, and others, in order to create a more balanced and competitive system. This would essentially combine some of the mid-majors with the BCS conferences to make larger, super-conferences. Utah, BYU, Fresno State, ECU, Boise State, Bowling Green, Ball State, and some others, are all teams that can compete with the big boys, and some of them have proven it this season already. At the same time, teams like Syracuse, Baylor, Washington, and Duke have proven through this year and in the past that perhaps they don't belong.

Three of the BCS conferences, the Big East, ACC, and Pac-9 (Pac-10 minus USC), are beyond weak; they are abysmal. The Big 12 has a few strong, big-game teams - Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma - but aside from these teams, the conference is down and bordering on the line of mediocrity. The Big East's traditional big names have been tarnished by big losses. The Big Ten has shown a recent tenancy of not showing up in the big game; Ohio State's big loss to USC two weeks ago cemented that idea. Without USC, the Pac-10 the rest of the conference is weaker than either the WAC or MWC. When the strongest teams from these conferences run into any reasonable competition, they loose. Teams from the Big East, ACC, and PAC-10 have fallen to the likes of East Carolina (twice), Fresno State, Bowling Green, and others. And when teams like UCLA run into BYU, then they get embarrassed.

If the major conferences combined with some of the stronger mid-majors, it would take care of many of the issues that surrounds the conference bowl system. First, it would assure that every conference would have a conference championship game. Many have complained that Big Ten and Pac-10 gets a break because they don't have a championship game, and therefore have one less opportunity for a loss at the hands of a quality opponent. Second, it would ensure that teams that are outside the six "major" conferences get their shot at a BCS game.

It would also maintain the whole "every game means something" argument that many cling to when discussing a playoff format. It would also eliminate some of the computer factor in determining the BCS rankings. The strength of schedule and quality of wins argument would be less important because most of a team's game would be played against their own division, and since there will only be 6-major conferences, when teams play teams from the TCU, Houston, Akron, Troy, etc., they would not be penalized for playing a weaker opponent since these teams will all be in the same conference.

Also, this will force the big boys to step up. USC should be commended for scheduling BCS opponents for their early non-conference schedule, not like Ohio State who battled lowly Youngstown State and Ohio University. Teams would HAVE to step up and play big time schedules. The emphasis for judgment and rankings would be more focus on wins rather than how many points they could rack up against FCS schools.

Admittedly, the idea is a bit exotic, perhaps even crazy. But in principal it would account for some of the BCS's shortcomings and at the same time feature the best aspects of the bowl system. In essence, it is the best of both worlds.

Ya gotta earn it

Earlier today, the Florida Marlins announced that they are going to play their regulars against the New York Mets in their season-ending series this weekend. While this might be a shock to some, the most shocking aspect of this story is that it is a story at all. The fact that this was even a question to begin with is the product of the media's preference for only the playoff contenders; in their minds, the other teams do not even breach the realm of consciousness.

Granted, there are some instances where a regular starter would need to sit out or shut it down for the rest of the season, but aside from nagging injuries and trying to get some game experience for young prospects, the regulars should be in there in the games that matter. In fact, teams should revel in the fact that they get to play spoiler and for the teams still in it. The public loves a fall from grace almost as much as they enjoyed watching the ascent, and for a team to be a part of another team's demise could be a satisfying end to what had until that point been a disappointing season. Case in point, the Yankees and their devoted following would like nothing more - now that they are out of the playoff race - than to deny the Red Sox an opportunity to win the division, if it is still a possibility at that point. Sending Boston into postseason play with a sound, crushing defeat would salvage a sliver of the team's dignity.

Teams that are in divisional and wild card races should not feel as if they are entitled to victories over the weaker teams. And those teams and their fans that hope or expect for their opponents to not offer amble resistance or competition should be ashamed that they are satisfied with a cheap win that comes against the second-tier players. Limping listlessly into the playoffs is not nearly as satisfying as rightfully earning a spot through hard fought games and hard earned wins. And taking on and defeating tough competition down the stretch is better preparation for what lies ahead in the postseason.

A baseball season is 162 games long, and teams should be able to field a competitive set of players for every one of them, no matter their postseason outlook. And teams that are destined for something more should earn their way into the playoffs by playing the full slate of games necessary to clinch a spot. Relying on the idea that teams will just roll over for them is the antithesis of what the baseball season and the playoff system is supposed to be.

So, now, a message to all of the playoff-hopeful teams and their fans: You can't just expect to be handed a playoff spot.

Ya gotta earn it.

Yankee Stadium: Only the visable smybol of the end of an era

Those who watched the final game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night - despite your personal allegiances - have to admit that it was a combination of emotion and nostalgia. From a purely baseball perspective, seeing all of the Yankee greats of the past sharing the field with the current players was a sight to behold. Even members of the Orioles saw the importance of the evening, and were out on the field collecting dirt right along with everyone else.

But what was missing from all of the festivities and Hall of Fame players was the one person most responsible for restoring the aura and glory to the Yankees and that ball park as any one of those players were: George Steinbrenner.

George was in his home in Tampa, FL accompanied by his son Hank, who enjoyed the game on the television.

The demolition of Yankee Stadium will be a sad day for the baseball world, but sadder still has been the Yankees performance without the original Mr. Steinbrenner. As feisty as Hank is, he can't hold a candle to his father. While many have provided ample commentary and criticism of George over the many years as head of one of the most profitable and recognizable teams in all of the world, no one can dispute his passion for fielding a winning team and his willingness to do whatever he can to make the Yankees a success. It is more than symbolic that the first year that George stepped down and handed the reigns over to his two sons is the same year that the Yankees will miss the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.

Now the Yankee's shortcomings this year stem from more than George stepping down, they are in fact the culmination of his deteriorating health over the years. But the symbolism is still apparent: without George, the Yankees will never be the same. With New Yankee Stadium set to open next year and Hank and Hal in the second year of their tenure, the transformation of what the Yankees have been for the 35 years under George's careful watch into what they will be under this new generation of ownership will begin to round into shape. Yankee Stadium is only the last, visible symbol that times have changed not only in the Bronx, but in baseball.

It is truly the end of an era.

Kiffin shouldn't have to put up with Raiders

According to multiple sources, Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin could be fired by the time you finish reading this post. And while this is "business as usual" out in Oakland, especially with AL Davis still running the show, its something that neither Kiffin nor anyone else should have to put up with.

These rumors have been swirling around for almost the entirety of Kiffin's tenure, and its unfortunate because Kiffin has not had a fair chance to turn this team around. The problems the Raiders are experiencing are not a matter of X's and O's. The culture of the team - the defeatist attitude, the nonchalant approach to practice and meetings, and a number of other variables - contribute more to the Raider's woes than anything that Kiffin has or hasn't done.

In fact, save for a Week 1 blowout at the hands of the Broncos (who are 3-0, and looking more and more like a legitimate threat to win the AFC West), the Raiders are more competitive this year then they were last season. Their offensive line, which was very suspect last year and into their first game this season, has seemed to come together a bit in the last two weeks; allowing for them to run the ball very effectively. They have a young team, but are very skilled at the right positions and have the potential, under the right tutelage, to be a very good team in the years to come.

Whether or not Kiffin was the right man for the job when he was initially hired is still up for debate, but the game of head coach Russian roulette that Al Davis seems to play every week only weakens the power and respect that Kiffin has over his team. Kiffin may not be the coach for the long term, but for right now he appears to be doing a decent job of getting the little off-the-field things turned in the right direction. In terms of dealing with the young talent and uniting the team for the purpose of playing hard every Sunday, Kiffin appears to be establishing a right base for the organization to operate upon.

The problem in Oakland is that patience is a virtue that is in short supply; Al Davis doesn't want to wait to see his team be successful again. And the problem with that is it takes more than one year to rebuild a franchise, Kiffin needs more time to implement his system and establish himself around the locker room as the man that the Raiders look up to. And with Davis constantly sticking his nose in the middle of the team's business, rendering Kiffin's authority mute with the constant threats of his firing, Kiffin hardly has a leg to stand on or a voice to lead the team.

All said, Kiffin has done a good job in realizing that a good team, and organization, is built from the ground up and not through innovative offensive schemes or big free agent signings. But no matter what he has done it has not resulted in wins, and for that his job is in jeopardy. Davis is not looking at the whole picture and is about to put a dent into the resume of a very young coach that has the potential to have a long and successful career (see: Mike Shanahan). It's safe to assume that Kiffin wont last until the end of the season, and its sad to say because Kiffin deserves better than what he has been presented with.

Jeter's Yankee Stadium finale not how it should have ended

Last night, Derek Jeter broke firmly established himself not only as one of the top Yankees of all time, but perhaps even the best. Jeter's rank in all-time Yankee lore will be a topic of conversation for many years to come; as he has to the tops of rankings in numerous categories in New York history, so too will his records be broken by the next great Yankee. And when that day comes, we will be able to revisit and appreciate his current accomplishments.

One record that has absolutely no chance of being broken is Jeter's hit total and the famed Cathedral of Baseball, Yankee Stadium. When those hallowed walls are torn down, so too will the chance of Jeter being surpassed in at least one category; and in the place of arguably the greatest sports stadium ever in American history - if not world history - the records of that great ballpark will forever be cemented.

There is no doubt that Jeter will one day be enshrined in Cooperstown and his retired jersey will adorn New Yankee Stadium, but in the last few days of the original stadium, Jeter's final accomplishments there will not have received the attention they rightfully deserve.

The final year of baseball in Yankee Stadium has been a complete disaster, leaving many scratching their heads and asking how this could possibly happen to a team with so much talent, potential, and payroll. Because of this Yankee collapse, everything happening at Yankee stadium in the last games ever played there has been completely overshadowed. The baseball viewing public has turned all of their attention to the other fantastic stories around baseball, and rightfully so. There is no reason to keep the Yankees as the lead in newspapers and SportsCenter when the Mets and Phillies are immersed in a playoff battle that seems destined to have an ending eerily similar to the end of the 2007 season, when Manny Ramirez is leading the up-start Dodgers to a playoff birth and quite possibly a World Series birth as well, and when the Cubs appear to be on their way to ending a 100 year championship drought.

Sadly, amongst all this fantastic baseball action, Jeter's accomplishment is but a blip on the baseball radar screen. If the Yankees were about to enter their 14th consecutive postseason, then Jeter's hits the other night would have meant more than what they did and would be in their rightful spot in the minds of everyone: the forefront. Although the Yankees are considered "The Evil Empire", no on can deny their long, illustrious history and what they have meant to baseball. This latest addition to the history books, however, will be lost in the shuffle.

Even though some predict that the Yankees will be back to their true form next season, both in on-field performance and off season spending, it will never make up for how the team said goodbye to The House That Ruth Built. Even if the Yankees never miss the playoffs again, the demolition of Yankee Stadium will forever be associated with a season of mediocrity and underachievement. The final days of Yankee Stadium deserved so much more.

Quite simply, it shouldn't have ended this way.

Tom Brady: The Consummate Professional

While Matt Cassel was doing his best to help Patriots fans forget about the loss of their beloved Tom Brady this past Sunday, fans might be surprised to learn that Cassel's performance was directly affected by Mr. Brady himself.

In the midst of the initial stages of his rehab/surgery (the Patriots aren't really talking, but then again that's to be expected from them), Tom Brady found time to sit in with Cassel and the other Patriots quarterbacks in their position meeting on Saturday. Cassel also acknowledged that he spoke with Brady and the two of them "had many different conversations on many different aspects of the game". It may appear that these actions were small and insignificant, but to Matt Cassel it would be safe to assume that Tom Brady's words did way more than most would ever know.

Brady could have simply gone off and disappeared into oblivion while he healed his knee only to resurface when he was healthy enough appear in commercials, nightclubs, or anywhere else with his girlfriend, which is bound to attract all sorts of attention. But Brady showing up in support for not only his team but his backup speaks very highly of his character, especially his presence the first week after his injury. Most others would take some time to relax, have surgery, and go through some rehab before they rejoined their teams, and that's if they even showed their face around the facility at all.

There are a lot of high profile athletes that would not give their backups the time of day after they were injured, especially knowing the turnover rates in professional sports. Time and time again, the cruel realities and business practices of pro sports have taken local athlete-icons and because of any number of reasons - injury, age, diminished performance, money - and have replaced them with younger players with more upside and a cheaper price tag. It's safe to assume that Matt Cassel will not replace Tom Brady long term (then again, that's what they said about Brady when he replaced Drew Bledsoe), but no one would fault Brady if he chose not to aid Cassel in his attempt to replace him for this season. Brady, however, traveled the higher road and did what he could to help his team win even in his absence.

Tom Brady is widely praised for his on-field prowess as well as his off the field escapades, but his off-field professionalism definitely out shine what he has done previously. Although there might be many other examples of Brady doing the right thing, few have been able to show his dedication to the team in the face of his own personal tragedy. Its the sort of thing that separates Brady from the rest of the pack and what has surely played a part in elevating him to the level he currently occupies. It is what he is the consummate professional.

La Celebración

Starting Monday night, when the Dallas Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFL will begin its annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which also coincides with National Hispanic Heritage Month. While it is not an officially sanctioned NFL event for the celebration, Chad Johnson decided to pay his own tribute to those fans on Hispanic ancestry by giving himself the nickname "Ocho Cinco." He has since taken it a step further and has had his name legally changed to Chad Ocho Cinco; and while it cannot be confirmed if he did this because he loves the Hispanic community or if he just loves himself, on some small level there are some that enjoy and perhaps even appreciate his actions.

As for what the NFL has done to honor the players, past and present, who represent Spanish-speaking nations across the world, the league will have performances in stadiums throughout the month by Spanish artists and will feature Hispanic players currently in the NFL on the league's Spanish website.

But as the NFL will feature current stars like Tony Romo, Tony Gonzalez, Anthony Gonzalez, Roberto Garza, and others, it is important to pay homage to those that came before and paved the way for these players:

• Tom Flores was the first Hispanic player to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. During his career as a player and coach, he was fortunate enough to be a part of four Super Bowl winning teams.

• Jim Plunkett made history in 1971 by becoming the first ever Hispanic player to be the #1 pick in the NFL Draft. And even though he did not live up to all the hype that he received coming out of college, he did lead the Raiders to Super Bowl XV victory.

• Tom Fears was the first Hispanic player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was also the first Hispanic head coach in the NFL.
  

These players' accomplishments on the field are no match for what they have done to pave the way for the future of the NFL. Current quarterbacks like Romo and Jeff Garcia (even though he is riding the bench right now) are bonafide stars in the league. There are also a number of good college football players, led byMark Sanchez, quarterback at USC, that are destined for future stardom in the NFL. Flores, Plunkett, and Fears opened the door for Hispanic-Americans to succeed where very few had done so before.

Now there are those that are deeply upset by the NFL's decision to promote Hispanic Heritage Month by playing commercials entirely in Spanish, seen here. This is just one of many that share this sentiment; a simple Google search will produce many more comments like this and, sadly, even worse. Cries of "learn English" can be heard all over the country, but the ignorance and bigotry of some can not stop the momentum of the Hispanic culture and language in the United States. In a country with an ever growing Hispanic population, it is very important to recognize these people and appreciate the accomplishments they have made. Although professional football may seem like a small arena for making strides for increased diversity and equality, but with the immense popularity of professional sports accomplishments in these areas can be the undertaking for further change in other areas (see: Jackie Robinson).

So as you enjoy watching the Cowboys and Eagles play another game in their long NFC East rivalry, take some time to appreciate the large Hispanic population that is contributing positively to the US in professional sports and a variety of other important areas in society.

The NFL certainly will be.

The Real Meaning of 'Value'

There is a lot that goes into the MVP discussion for every sport. And as the Major League Baseball regular season winds down, debates will rage on not only who should be the MVP should be but what an MVP is.

There are a number of different ways to define what the criteria for an MVP should be.

Some argue that an MVP is the best player on the best team. If that were the case, then players like Evan Longoria of the Rays and Torii Hunter of the Angels would be the top two contenders in the AL while Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs would be in the lead for the NL. These are the teams with the best records in each of the leagues, with the Rays and Angels battling for the top spot in the AL, separated by only half a game in the standings. Neither one of these teams has a clear-cut MVP candidate or even an out-right best player; the Rays, Angels, and Cubs have gotten the job done with a number of different players stepping up in different times throughout the year. This is perhaps why they are the best teams in the league, no one star, just a team of great players playing together to achieve a goal. But if this were the criteria for the MVP, then these players would have to receive more consideration than they are getting.

Another popular form of reasoning in determining the MVP is through straight-up statistics. The Cardinals' Albert Pujols has built up an impressive resume and is getting serious MVP consideration from all over the league. Pujols is in the top ten in all of the major offensive categories and is batting a ridiculous .362, a very high average for a top slugger. These numbers would almost certainly carry him all the way to the National League MVP trophy even if his team does not make the playoffs. There is a similar situation going on in the American League. Josh Hamilton of the Rangers should be the MVP if the decision was based solely on statistics. He ranks 14th in batting average, is tied for 5th in home runs, is 1st in RBIs, and ranks in the top ten in many other important offensive categories. Again, if statistics were the only criteria for MVP, the Pujols and Hamilton would most likely receive the honors.


In some instances, a year-long case for MVPs is clouded by the last few months of a very exciting season. Players who come through down the stretch for their teams and manage to get them into the playoffs all-of-a-sudden jump ahead of players who have played consistently good throughout the season. This year is no exception, Carlos Delgado of the Mets and CC Sabathia of the Brewers are being heralded for their amazing performances of late and are indeed great candidates, but Manny Ramirez is the runaway winner in the NL. Since arriving in Los Angeles, he has done it all for the Dodgers, he's compiled some ridiculous stats and has almost single-handedly turned their season around. Even though he has played in only 38 games with his new team, he is creating a lot of buzz and is getting serious consideration for the MVP award. In the American League, Jermaine Dye of the White Sox would win by default. Chicago is barely hanging in the AL central hunt, but has done enough to hold off the Twins. Carlos Quentin would have taken this award, but his recent season-ending wrist injury has almost ended any consideration of him for this award. The White Sox best player down the stretch has been Dye, he is the most consistent and has has the best numbers of anyone on the team. Some may ask why not a member of the Red Sox for this line of reasoning? There surely have been a number of players that have been hot down the stretch for their team. While this is true, Boston has not been battling for a playoff spot, merely for positioning. Year in and year out they are in the upper echelon of AL teams and this year is no exception, although they risk not winning the East, they are very comfortable making the playoffs as a Wild Card team (see: 2004).

But for the most concrete and verbatim definition of MOST VALUABLE, then the honors must go to Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox and Ryan Braun of the Brewers. Pedroia has been everything for Boston this year; down the stretch has been awesome, hitting out of his mind and leading the charge for the Red Sox to close the gap on the Rays. He has been the best player on a playoff team for the entire season and is as consistent as they come. He also fantastic stats, holding the top spots in the AL in batting average (.328), hits (196), and runs scored (112).

For Braun, he has been the best position player on the Brewers all year and seems to have a knack for coming though late in games. His consistent play all year has kept Milwaukee in the playoff run all season and has given many a Cubs fan a heart attack ans Chicago can't seem to break away from the Brewers. As far as his offensive numbers go, he has been very solid; he is 4th in NL in home runs (34), 16th in batting average (.297), and 11th in RBIs (96).

Both Pedroia and Braun have good enough numbers, play for winning clubs, are the best position players on their teams, and, most importantly, are tremendous steals for their clubs. Of all the MVP candidates in both leagues, Pedroia and Braun are putting out the same kind of numbers for a fraction of the cost. Pedroia is making only $457,000 this season and Braun is only bringing in $455,000. And while they certainly aren't hurting for money, they are making 10 to 15 times less than other MVP candidates. Manny Ramirez alone will make $20 million this year; for that price you can have a full 25 man roster of Pedroia's and Braun's and still have some money left over to spend on decent pitching.

So now while the regular season winds down and the postseason begins, the MVP debates will begin to heat up all across the nation. And while many will make their case for the most deserving candidates, its important to really look into the meaning of "value." Although many don't make it a case to include salary in the debate, it is the one factor that can truly determine the most "valuable" players.

And in baseball, there are none more "valuable" than Pedroia or Braun.

Even if it is broke, don' fix it!

It appears that they new trend in professional sports is to take all of the advancements of medical science along with the respected opinions of highly regarded doctors and medical professionals and just throw them right out the window. Torn ligaments? Who cares! Just wing it!

Kobe Bryant is the latest professional athlete to seek the advice of doctors, orthopedists, and surgeons, and then decide that they have no idea what they are talking about and go ahead and do whatever he wants to. It was announced today that Bryant will not have surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right pinkie finger. Bryant first injured himself in early February and played more than half of the games last season, including the playoffs, as well as in the Olympics with the torn ligament. In his defense, however, he preformed very well, having no significant difference in his game stats prior to and after the injury.

While it may not appear to be very significant, this could have major ramifications for Kobe and the Lakers if something goes awry. Yes, he did play with the injury for an extended period of time with no perceived ill affects, but the longer he goes without taking care of his finger - on his shooting hand mind you - the more of a chance there is for the situation to get worse.

For one thing, he will be more susceptible to injury to that finger and hand; it wont take nearly as much pressure or force to cause more damage or inflict pain due to the pre-existing damage. For arguments sake, lets say that Kobe does suffer an additional injury to his right hand. The repair and healing process will become longer because instead of simply treating the primary problem, the injured pinkie will have to be accounted for as well.

Secondly, the longer he goes without having his finger properly repaired the more likely it is the finger will become inoperable, growing to form an irregularity that could cause problems down the line. Years from now, Kobe could have reoccurring problems with that finger that alter his shot and/or his overall game. It would be very sad to see a player that dynamic be crippled because of a pinkie.

On the very same day that Kobe decided to forgo surgery, Shawne Merriman, San Diego Chargers linebacker, changed his mind about skipping out on season-ending knee surgery.

Merriman's initial decision to play the 2008 season with two torn ligaments in his knee was widely questioned and criticized. After playing just one game on that injured knee, Merriman saw that he would not be able to play to the same level that he and the rest of the league expected of him. In hindsight, perhaps he should have had the operation months ago, but better now then when it was too late.

And while many will argue that the severity of these two stars' injuries are incomparable and probably shouldn't be mentioned in the same conversation, the fact is that these two situations are indeed similar.

Merriman avoided further damage that could have ended a bright career almost as soon as it started by making a smart choice. Kobe does have more years under his belt than Merriman, he also has multiple championships and an Olympic gold medal to go along with an already impressive and lengthy career, but he also has so much more in front of him. Kobe is in the prime of his career, and within the next few years he will have the opportunity to distinguish himself as one of, if not the best to have ever played the game. But, alas, we will have to wait with our fingers crossed (pun not intended) if Kobe's pinkie will eventually be the cause of his demise.

Conventional wisdom would argue to take care of a nagging problem. But because of his success in spite of the injury, perhaps the conventional wisdom is changing. Instead of "If it aint broke, don't fix it", perhaps the new vernacular will become: "Broke or not, get that scalpel away from me!"

Tim Tebow: Looking Better Everyday

As the college football season approaches its third week, the sporting fan base waits with great anticipation for one of the most highly anticipated match-ups in a long time. But aside from this year’s proverbial "game-of-the-century" between Ohio State and USC, most fans want to know if their favorite college or university will be able to field a competitive team. Although no season is complete without student-athletes at high-profile university athletics programs getting into trouble, this year the numbers seem to be much higher.

On Friday, Ball State football coach Brady Hoke suspended his nephew for a game against Navy after he was arrested the previous week for drunken driving.

That same day Virginia quarterback Peter Lalich violated his parole, his playing status is still up in the air.

Penn State coach Joe Paterno also had a busy day; he suspended three players – two starting defensive linemen – from their Saturday contest against Oregon State, another player was dismissed from the team.

The Miami Hurricanes – perennial contenders for the for Most Suspended Team crown – held out seven players from their season opener due to various violations of team rules and/or the Florida penal code.

Florida State, another class-act program, had more than a dozen players suspended for their opening game.

And on, and on, and on. The sheer number of athletes suspended this year already is alarming enough, but there will be many more to come; to expect that there will be no more trouble for the rest of the football season and through the basketball season is more than a bit naive. You know the NCAA is praying for someone to emerge as a poster boy of good behavior, someone with high-profile talent to go along with high-profile acts of unselfish volunteerism.

Enter Tim Tebow.

When he’s not out scoring touchdowns, winning the Heisman Trophy in his sophomore season, laughing at Superman for having a weakness, sweating Gatorade, or inventing the color spectrum (the last three "facts" provided here), Tim Tebow is spending his time doing missionary work in the Philippines.

It is quite refreshing to see someone so talented to be so grounded. Instead of looking for ways his fame and status to benefit him, he looks for ways his popularity can benefit others. No matter the number or grandeur of his accomplishments, Tebow understands that there are those who are less fortunate than he is. He does not take the talents he has for granted, he works hard for them and looks outward to use his gifts to help others.

Tim Tebow is an example not just for other student-athletes, but for all people. Despite your particular allegiances, you can’t overlook Tim Tebow and his greatness on and off the field. And as the days and weeks of the college football season go by and the arrests and suspensions pile up, the appreciation for Tebow and all he does will only grow.

Rough skies ahead

The new Oklahoma City franchise officially revealed their new name today, and will from here on out be known as the Thunder. Many people have voiced their opinions on what the name should be, even giving their opinions of what the uniforms should look like. From all accounts it seems that Thunder is not wildly popular around the league, but the bigger problem with OKC "revealing" the new name today is that it wasn't really much of a surprise.

The NBA experienced numerous mishaps in trying to heighten the suspense for their kinda-new team. The name was leaked on multiple occasions when other teams listed Thunder on their upcoming schedules instead of OKC. Apparently they also used the word "Thunder" in the team's URL but quickly tried to remedy the situation. The logo was not safe either; yesterday it was confirmed that the name would be thanks to it being emblazoned on some fancy new merchandise that someone got a sneak peak of.

The name of the team is irrelevant at this point; the most pressing matter is that this team has been doomed from the beginning. Dating back to last season when they were still in Seattle and referred to as the Sonics, all of the rumors about relocation were soon leaked and the story of the whole season was whether or not the team would leave. Even after they moved half-way across the country and tried to revamp their whole image the same problems seem to follow: management has secrets and they don't know how to keep them under wraps.

The name and logo information might not seem like a big deal, but the fact that nothing can remain a secret within the organization is a bit concerning about the future of this franchise under this ownership. It's not being suggested that NBA teams should be keeping secrets from the league and their fans, but when it comes to confidentiality and trust within the organization, being able to keep information in-house until the proper time is especially important.

The ability to assess and properly address a situation - any situation, both positive and negative - is crucial to the functionality of any company. In doing so, a company can present a well-thought out solution and present themselves as poised and in control of the situation. Failure to do so has the potential of causing panic amongst the fan base and by being reactive instead of proactive it makes the organization seem like they don't know whats going on within their own building. Also, the inability to execute a seemingly simple task of keeping the name and logo secret until a designated reveal date doesn't bode well for a company that will undoubtedly be running into much tougher situations in the not-so-distant future.

As of right now, signs point to trouble for the Thunder. Hopefully, however, management will be able to address what needs to be corrected for the future and OKC will be able to weather the real storm lurking in the distance.

The ESPN Intervention

This Major League Baseball season has been one of many pleasant surprises and will be remembered for years to come.

The Cubs are poised to end their 100-year championship drought, at the very least their 63-year World Series appearance drought. The Rays are on the verge of accomplishing what everyone deemed impossible: going from the worst record to the best record on the strength of pitching, defense, and a whole lot of youth. There is a phenomenal race for the NL Cy Young and neither league has an absolute, bonafide number one contender for the MVP. There are fantastic divisional races in the NL East, West, and Wild Card as well as the AL Central and Wild Card (the other divisions have their winners seemingly locked up). All of this makes for must-see TV as the season wraps up its last month and heads towards what can be expected to be one of the better October's the game has had in a while. With all of this splendor going on, one powerful entity keeps dragging another one along and continuously places them in conversations they have no business being in.

It seems that ESPN just can't let go of the Yankees.

The Yankees have been nothing short of a major disappointment this year. Yes they have had their share of injuries, but for all intents and purposes the team has not lived up to their expectations because they have grossly underachieved. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, two pitchers billed to be fixtures in the Yankee pitching rotation for this season and for years to come have combined to win a grand total of 0 games. Robinson Cano got off to an abysmal start of the season and no matter how many times he looked poised to break out never really got to that point. Melky Cabrera played way below his usual level and was eventually sent back to the minors mid-season, mainly due to his poor hitting. The reigning AL MVP, Alex Rodriguez, has looked no where near the part and after earning some respect and admiration from the Bronx faithful has begun to hear an all-too-familiar chorus of booo's in the recent weeks. Even the beloved Derek Jeter, the Yankee captain, is currently hitting only .296, well below his career average of .316. Aside from a few bright spots in Mike Mussina and Joba Chamberlain, there has been little to root for in the Bronx in 2008.

Despite all of this, ESPN has held on for dear life for any shot that the Yankees would be relevant again. Each and every series they dub as a "must-win" and bring up their chances as a topic for debate in SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, Around the Horn, and PTI. Today, which marks the start of the Yankees three game series with the Rays in Tampa, FL, the question was brought up if this was "the Yankee's last stand?" The answer to that, of course, is a resounding "NO." The Yankees have been done for a good month now, and have made no real attempts to uplift themselves out of this season-long funk they seem to be in. As sad as it is to know that there will be no playoff baseball in the final year of Yankee Stadium's existence, everyone knows that's what's going to happen, and its time for ESPN to come around.

And so, we as sports fans will come together and ask that ESPN to just let them go. The Yankees are finished and they have been for a while now. Why do you still hang on for hope? We understand that there have been many great years together, but its time now to focus on the more important matters: the rest of baseball.

This is in no way a break-up, more like just a break. Give some of that attention you reserve for the Yankees to some other deserving teams. The Yankees will not be gone forever; they will be back next year in full force, but for now its time to let them go. We know it's difficult, but doing this would make for a better end to the MLB season and would benefit you and all of your adoring fans around the country and the world.

ESPN, we beg of you, don't continue to make yourself look pathetic. Don't keep dragging the Yankees into the conversation. Don't focus your attention on the Bronx. Don't predict, expect, or hope for a late-season surge that would put the Yankees back in the playoffs.

Just let them go.

Just when you thought they were over...

It's been more than a week since the closing ceremony at the Bird's Nest in Beijing, but the Olympic games are by far not over. As eluded to earlier, they may be only beginning:

For the most part, all of these medals were won fair and square, however these totals can be amended at any time when (and hopefully this does not occur) athletes are proven to have cheated through illegal steroids or banned substances (or even, perhaps, age). There is no time-table of when these discoveries can be made, Marion Jones has already taught us that Olympic medals can be stripped at any time...

Now begins the discovery stage of the Olympics, were science will begin to alter the history and try to correct the mistakes that had previously gone unpunished. Today, one of those discoveries was made, and it wasn't even the athlete's fault.

In equestrian (which is hardly a sport in the first place), a horse named Rufus tested positive for a banned substance, one of six horses to be caught doping during these games. What's sad is the alarming number of horses that have been caught with illegal substances in their systems during these games, even sadder to know Rufus probably didn't inject himself with the drug either. He was set up, his good name sullied. If you asked him, Rufus might say that he never wanted to be injected in the first place, he also might say that equestrian is bogus and he never wanted to compete in the stupid sport in the first place, but that depends on what questions you ask him. Rufus could not be reached for comment and is not expected to speak anytime soon.

As unsettling this news is for the equestrian community, it is equally troubling for the Olympics in general. While this news is tragic in itself, it is not the end of the doping story. In the coming days, weeks, months, and years more and more athletes will be found to have cheated their way to the medal stand. And unfortunately, there will be a high-profile athlete or two thrown in the mix (even human ones).

It has become a part of the Olympic custom to doubt any performance seen in the Olympics until drug tests prove they were indeed legit. Anyone with an above average performance will be pegged - both fairly and unfairly - as a potential cheater. Even during the broadcasts of the events themselves, commentators would speak of the amazing feats just preformed but would end on the all-important phrase: "let's just hope he/she turns out to be clean."

While it seems cynical, the fact of the matter is that athletes can not just be let off without suspicion. Time and time again they are granted the benefit of the doubt and time and time again they disappoint. Rumors have already begun to swirl about Usian Bolt and other athletes from Jamaica and the Caribbean, and as blasphemes as it may sound only time will tell if Michael Phelps's claims of being clean stand up to the microscope.

So for now the world sits and plays the waiting game to see who will emerge as the next Olympic athlete to be found guilty of cheating. No longer is it a matter of "if", only "when."

College Football Preview: What not to look for...

Although this comes one day after the official start of the 2008 college football season, there is good reason for being tardy. There are many experts that can make bold predictions before the first kickoff, but it takes a truly skilled eye to pick up on little nuances in the middle of the first nationally televised game of the season and determine the outlook of every single game that will be played this year. This is something that will transcend all the records, the polls, the BCS standings, and the Heisman Trophy race all packed together. This is something far more important and meaningful than all of that. It is the very nature of the college game, and it's something that no one will be seeing this season.

And so, without further ado, what not to look for this season: Fun.

Last night, one the very last play of the 3rd quarter with South Carolina ahead of visiting North Carolina State 13-0, something happened that will undoubtedly become all too common in college football this year, and it was devastating to witness. Gamecocks junior safety Emanuel Cook stepped in front of a pass attempt thrown by NC State QB Daniel Evens and nearly had USC's 4th turnover of the game (the Gamecocks would intercept a pass later on in the 4th quarter). After the play Cook was visibly upset, he knew he had that pass and wanted to come through on the opportunity. So after missing out on the pick, he dropped to the ground and punished himself by doing 10 push-ups right out in the middle of the field. The crowd appreciated the gesture, and gave a resounding cheer to signal their approval.

Then came the yellow.

Cook was flagged for "unsportsmanlike conduct" and his team was penalized 15 yards. After cheering initially for Cook's gesture, the crowd seemed perplexed and gave a confused "boo."
Cook also seemed puzzled, but he and his teammates carried on and proceeded to shut-out the Wolfpack by the score of 34-0.

That one play, by far not a turning point in that game, was a signal of what is to come in college football. There are already rules set in place that prohibit excessive celebration and calling attention to one's self, which indeed has no place in football. While one player may be at the center of the play, he must know that without his 10 teammates executing their assignments, his moment in the spotlight would have never come to be. That's why running backs so often give praise to their offensive line, because without them there would be no holes to run through.

But what Cook did could hardly be classified as a celebration, and the attention he brought to himself was not out of ignorance of his teammates; instead it was a gesture of apology towards them. On that play, the Gamecock defense executed their assignments perfectly which left Cook in the opportune position to make a play for the defense, and the team in general. Although he did break up the pass, Cook missed out on coming up with a big play. With those 10 push-ups, Cook was able to say to his team, "I miss that one, guys. My bad. I'll get it next time." Above all, it was a fun way to get the crowd and the rest of the team a little more pumped up and was not in the least bit disrespectful to the other team.

But that's not how the refs saw it; what they saw was a player showing up his opponents. Sadly, this type of action will most likely be cracked-down on all over college football, stripping away another piece of innocent fun for the players and the fans. While the game is fun in itself, it is also very taxing. The months of preparation during the off-season and the hours of practice, weights, and film all add up and when the game finally comes around, expressing exuberance or frustration through small gestures is to be expected. And when theses expressions are not excessive they should be allowed.

It doesn't look like that's going to happen very much if at all this year in college football, and its too bad. It would be a shame if football could be fun for the players and fans, but there seems to be no room for that.

Fantasy owners not real fans

Its that time of year again; when August turns to September and all the nation can rejoice in the fact that for the next 5 months football and all its splendor will be abundant in all its many forms: high school, college, and - of course - the NFL. The NFL season is but a week away, and all of the anticipation built up through free agency, the draft, OTAs, mini-camps, training camps, and the preseason has nearly come to a head. We are seven days from watching the first meaningful NFL action in nearly seven months, and right off the bat we are presented a fantastic match-up between the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants and bitter divisional rival Washington Redskins. Questions abound for both teams, but there is no question to the fact that this could be one of the finest seasons the league has seen in its now 89 seasons.

But behind all of this hype, there lies another desire that has become equal to - if not more - enticing than the start of the actual football season, and that is the Fantasy Football season.

Before the preseason starts, fantasy commissioners begin recruiting fantasy opponents for their fantasy leagues to compete in fantasy games and fulfill their fantasy lives. And while it appears the entire nation is engrossed in this "fantasy land", there are a few who chose to remain in the real world. Those people are REAL football fans.

There are two main reasons why fantasy football has taken away what it means to be a fan. The first of which lies in team allegiances. Throughout the years, teams have developed their own unique rivalries; and from those rivalries each team and their fans have progressed through the phases of simple distaste to utter, pure, stone-cold hatred for their Nemesis. Not only do you not want your rival to do well, you pray that they get pounded into the hard, unforgiving dirt on every single play during every single game. These rivalries make for heightened drama whenever the two teams play and fuel the fire that is the NFL. But what fantasy football has done is softened a fan's stance towards their sworn enemies.

Typically a Cowboys fan would never dare root for anything positive to come from a Giants game, unless that fan has Plaxico Burress on their fantasy roster. In that case, a twisted and contradictory turn of events occurs where they root for Plaxico to do well but the Giants still lose. In a normal world, only one possible outcome would be alright: the Giants lose AND Plaxico rack up the stats. But in the world of fantasy, that Cowboys fan would be alright with a Giants win if Plaxico preformed well and would be very upset if Plaxico preformed poorly in a Giants loss. Poor performance and a team loss seem to go hand in hand, so it's as if that fan is rooting for an impossible outcome. And in the event that the Giants win, that fan is happy to learn that their fantasy all-star made them a few points.

This is as close to blasphemy as it can get. It is a fan's duty to their team to root as hard for their rivals' demise as they do for their own team's success. But in the world of fantasy, fans only take in mind their own personal interests rather than that of the team. Allegiances have been skewed and mutated so much that they are almost unrecognizable.

The other reason why fantasy football detracts from real fandom is that it tries to establish a rooting interest in other games when there should be should be no reason to do so in the first place. Football fans should be able to turn on the TV and immediately become engrossed in whatever game is on for the sole reason that there is football on the TV. In every region of the country, those fans have access to their team's game along with a handful of others. They get the joy (and agony) of watching their team win (or lose) and should be delighted that the football weekend does not end with that one game. A real fan can find joy in just having football to watch; and it doesn't matter whether or not the game is good, the fact that its football makes it good already.

The game of football has so many intricacies within it that watching it unfold at the highest level should be able to provide enough pleasure to last through a 4 hour contest. When you throw in artificial attractions it taints the very nature of fandom and takes away some of the appreciation of the game. Instead of being able to absorb the game as a whole, fantasy football focuses the attention on individual players and their stats.

If a running back does not rush for 100 yards or score a touchdown, that player's fantasy owners around the nation will whine and mope and complain that the player was unproductive. But if stats were not the be all end all of the game and that player's performance then viewers could be privy to the notion that that running back put his whole self on the line for his team and may have been the determining factor in the outcome of that game. Fantasy football takes away from that appreciation and leads to cynical, unappreciative, and uneducated fans.

The NFL now is inextricably linked to the fantasy game and it seems doomed to fall further down the path of destruction. Perhaps people will begin to learn of the errors of their ways and change their attitudes and actions before it's too late. Sadly, though, believing that this will come to pass truly is the stuff of fantasy.

Forget the language barrier, solving the sponsorship barrier

Its official, America is becoming a more and more intolerable country by the second. While it is a little shocking and slightly offensive to minorities all around the United States to hear that the LPGA has begun to require their players to have a certain level of mastery of the English language or risk suspension, the real problem is that since this news broke a little over a day ago, an alarming number if ignorant comments have been appearing all over the internet. It seems that bigotry is again out in full force. Immigrants to this country have been dealing with situations of this nature for a while now, and it appears that the same ignorant sentiments about migrant and low-wage workers from poor countries applies even to million-dollar athletes: "If you cant speak OUR language then get out of OUR country!"

There could be so much time and effort devoted towards this ruling and the indecency behind it, but enough attention has been paid to that already. The only thing that needs to be said is that the LPGA is wrong; English should not be a requirement for their golfers. The entire notion of it reeks of bigotry and ignorance.

What does warrant some extra attention is what the LPGA claims as the reason behind their decision. According to multiple sources, the LPGA is struggling financially. The tour has already dropped a few tournaments due to lack of sponsorships and is in serious danger of loosing more. So in order to fend off this trend, the LPGA decided to attack the problem by pandering to their current and potential sponsors. Libba Galloway, Deputy Commissioner of the LPGA, said that their players have a high level of interaction with sponsors and players, and that communication between the two parties is key.

For American born players this concept does not present any problems, as the shared language makes it easy for them to entertain sponsors. But for the foreign born players - a full quarter of the tour (121 golfers in all) - the language barrier is difficult to overcome, making it harder for a player from South Korea (45 of the 121 foreign players are from South Korea) to interact with an American sponsor. One of the staples of the LPGA's marketing to potential sponsors are the Pro-Am tournaments, which pair a player on the tour with a willing patron who has dealt out anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 or more to play with a professional. But when there are language and cultural barriers present, sponsors are less willing to shell out that kind of money. According to the LPGA's ruling it is easy to see their thought process: language barriers turn into sponsorship barriers.

While this may be true on some level, the perceived solution to this problem is extremely shallow and narrow-minded. What the LPGA needs to do to solve its financial woes is to think outside the box, and outside the country.

Think Korea.

As mentioned earlier, 45 of the 121 foreign players on the LPGA Tour are from South Korea, making them the largest contingent of foreign-based players on the tour. The LPGA doesn't need its Korean players to attract American sponsors, it needs them to attract Korean sponsors. The ironic notion to all of this is that while the LPGA is struggling here in the United States, it is flourishing in South Korea. This is according to Eric Adelson, a writer for ESPN, who has profiled the LPGA's influx of Korean players and their affect on the game here and in their home country.

It seems very logical that internationally based companies might be willing to attach themselves to players from their native lands; all the traditional lessons of marketing seem to line up with this idea. And by doing so, the LPGA could help solve their Pro-Am crisis by selling those spots to international customers, those who speak the language of the player. It makes perfect sense for the the LPGA to venture out to where they are most popular and attract sponsors from those regions.

But sadly no, the single-minded LPGA did not try to solve their problems by looking outward. Instead they took the easy and misguided way out and instituted a system of exclusion in order to get their players to fit into a nice, comfortable package to sell to American sponsors.

What the LPGA doesn't seem to realize is that it doesn't matter what language the players are speaking, American sponsors aren't biting. There are numerous reasons why, but it would be safe to say that one glaring reason is the the LPGA Tour has doesn't have a recognizable - and marketable - American face. In the past few years the tour been dominated by a Swede, a Mexican, and a swarm of Korean players.

The LPGA needs to realize that unless they start venturing out they could go belly-up.