Sports on a Schtick

Hitler Reacts To The Firing Of Hue Jackson

2012-01-11T19:58:00.001-08:00

Courtesy of Vampa at Silver and Black Pride:

Raiders Head Into Uncharted Territory With GM Reggie McKenzie

2012-01-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

It's been widely reported that the Oakland Raiders are prepared to make Green Bay Packers Director of Football Operations Reggie McKenzie their first GM. The Raiders have refused to comment even though McKenzie personally texted ESPN to confirm the news.

The fact the Raiders still persist in trying to put up a shroud of secrecy is exactly the reason why the organization needs a massive shakeup. Of course Al Davis was always the de facto GM for Raider Nation when he was alive -- for better or worse. His hands-on meddling on and off the field contributed to the recent precipitous fall from face for the Silver and Black. After all it's been almost a decade since the Raiders have reached to the playoffs and the nine years since have been littered with embarrassments, busts and, most importantly, plenty of losses.

Shortly after Oakland fell yet again short of the playoffs Al's son and current Raiders owner Marc Davis brought in a group of former Raider greats including Ron Wolf and John Madden to assist in the GM search. In the end that group endorsed Reggie McKenzie.

Reggie McKenzie represents hope. He's been with the Packers front office since 1994. During that time Green Bay has been one of the most successful teams in the NFL, punctuated by Super Bowl victories in 1997 and last year. He was considered one of the rising GM candidates in the league. He's also a former Raider having began his football career as an Oakland linebacker in 1985.

The first order of business for Reggie will be to determine whether to fire the current head coach. Hue Jackson left a bad taste after torching the team after it laid an egg against the Chargers in the season finale. Also many football pundits believe he grossly overpaid for Carson Palmer and generally wants too much influence within the organization.

Whatever happens with the Raiders going forward this offseason... In Reggie We Trust.

The Running Collection Of DJ Steve Porter NFL Remixes From ESPN

2011-12-25T22:28:00.000-08:00

Whatever ESPN is paying Skip Bayless it should instead reward DJ Steve Porter for his amazing Auto-Tune remixes.

Props to sportsremixes for uploading these videos:

Tebow Magic

Philly Dream Team

Fear

Can't Wait To Play (Patriots vs. Jets)

2011 NFL Offseason Review

Baron Davis Is So Bad And Huge SI.com Reported That He'd Been Waived From The Cavs Twice

2011-12-14T19:54:00.003-08:00

Cavaliers waive guard Davis with amnesty clause

Cavaliers use amnesty clause to waive Davis

Chris Paul Got Bojangled By The NBA

2011-12-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

What David Stern did last night was unethical. When the commissioner blocks a trade that would send arguably the best point guard in the game to the most glamorous team in the league due to the transaction not fulfilling "the best interests of the game" something is horribly wrong.

Bill Simmons hits all the rights notes in his latest Grantland column about why this power move feels so wrong. This blockade smacks of NBA owners, who collectively own the New Orleans Hornets, imposing their wills on Stern. They whined to get what they wanted from the lockout and now they whine and win again. It sets a unfair precedent the likes of which sports fans haven't seen since the arcane days of pre-free agency baseball when players were essentially treated like property.

New Orleans GM Dell Demps was supposedly "disconsolate" following last night's cancellation. Who could blame him? Demps is working in a no-win situation yet still managed to orchestrate a blockbuster deal that would have maximized a return on Chris Paul. It got leaked that Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, perhaps the whiniest and most shameful of all the NBA owners (and that's saying something), wrote Stern an email pleading with him to not let the trade go through. Gilbert wishes he had a GM with the foresight to trade a NBA superstar before he flees your mediocre franchise.

Paul is now likely a lameduck with the Hornets for the entire season and will certainly not resign with the team in 2012. Had Chris been traded to the Lakers he would have been able to sign a huge contract extension as well as benefit from a season of playing in Hollywood. The nixed traded probably cost him several tens of millions in potential wages and marketing. Yea, no wonder he's allegedly reached out to Billy Hunter about the possibility of suing the NBA.

The NBA: Where Appalling Happens

Rolando McClain Arrested For Almost Shooting A Guy In The Head

2011-12-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

From The Washington Post:

Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain was arrested Thursday on misdemeanor assault, firearms and other charges after police said he fired a gun during a fight in his Alabama hometown.

McClain, 22, held a gun beside a man’s head during an altercation and the man begged him not to shoot, according to a statement released by Lt. John Crouch of the Decatur Police Department.

McClain, an All American at Alabama during his junior year, moved the gun but fired a round beside the man’s ear.

To be fair the guy Rolando threatened to shoot was JaMarcus Russell.

USC Trojans Finish Strong

2011-11-27T16:40:00.000-08:00

If I told you one year ago that between Joe Paterno and Lane Kiffin one coach would be unceremoniously dismissed in scandal while the other would be credited with reviving a powerhouse program...

Funny how quickly things can change.

Credit to Kiffin and the coaching staff for getting the team to play with maximum effort in the second half of the season. Following the loss to Arizona State and with contests looming at Notre Dame, Stanford and at Oregon the Trojans could have easily imploded. Instead USC, led by Heisman contender Matt Barkley, played with brilliance and toughness the rest of the way. Only a triple-OT loss to Stanford would be the only blemish in the second leg of the 2011 campaign, which included upsets at South Bend as well as at Eugene and culminated in last night's 50-0 bulldozing of crosstown UCLA.

Even with no possibility of playing for the Pac-12 Championship or bowl game the Trojans performed with tenacity and precision not seen since the Pete Carroll glory days (ironically those times are what led to the current sanctions against the team. But I digress). Monte Kiffin should feel especially vindicated as the linebackers and secondary gelled and USC's defense "zoned" in on opponents.

I think most USC fans coming into the season would have considered 10-2 (with wins against the Irish and Bruins) a roaring success. While 2011 will be remember with sunny fondness 2012 is looking a lot murkier. Juniors Matt Barkley, Matt Kalil, TJ McDonald and Nick Perry all projected to jump to the NFL. But in his sophomore year as head coach Lane Kiffin proved the doubters wrong. The football monopoly in LA isn't going anywhere.

RIP Greg Halman

2011-11-21T07:59:00.000-08:00

Tragic news this morning as 24-year-old outfielder Greg Halman was murdered at a home in the Netherlands. His 22-year-old brother has been taken in as a suspect.

I always rooted for Greg. He oozed athleticism yet was extremely raw as a ballplayer. Halman could swing at a slider three feet in the dirt and smash a fastball 450 feet in the same at-bat. Either way there was never a dull moment watching him.

2012 was going to be a critical season for Greg's development. He was one of many young, talented outfielders who had been accumulated to play left and potentially replace CF Franklin Gutierrez and RF Ichiro Suzuki.

Halman could have went in any direction. Perhaps his hand-eye coordination would improve to the point he would develop into a solid Major Leaguer. Maybe he'd always struggle hitting offspeed stuff. There was even a chance he would have been traded this winter.

But now all of that is meaningless. Greg Halman has left all of us far too soon and we're left to look for answers.

God Bless Tim Tebow

2011-11-17T21:22:00.000-08:00

For that incredible 95-yard drive at the end of tonight's Jets-Broncos game, punctuated by Tebow's twenty-yard dash into the endzone. Love him or hate him Tim keeps a game interesting.

God curse the Broncos for blaring "Cotton Eye Joe" at Sports Authority Field.

Raiders Implode Against the Broncos

2011-11-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

This afternoon the Denver Broncos, led by Tim Tebow's legs and Eddie Royal's really fast legs, scored 24-unanswered points to upset the Silver and Black 38-24 in Oakland. The Raiders now sink to 4-4 and might be the worst team in the AFC West.

The story of the game was Denver's rushing attack. Willis McGahee broke off a pair of TD runs and Tebow used naked bootlegs and QB draws to scamper for over a hundred yards. The Broncos constantly gashed the hapless Raiders on the ground to the tune of 298 yards. The Oakland front seven only mustered two sacks and gave up leverage in the trenches. It did well to hamper Denver's offensive line with holding penalties and pressure but in the end it wasn't enough.

Oakland's secondary didn't fare much better, giving up a pair of 26-yard TD passes. Michael Huff in particular was beaten badly on several occasions.

Special teams was awful too. Eddie Royal returned a punt for a touchdown and although Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 48-yard field goal his thunderous left leg looked tentative. Still recovering from a hamstring injury his kickoffs were short all game long.

Carson Palmer and the offense was up and down. He threw a pair of touchdowns that couldn't have been any prettier. He also threw three interceptions and could've thrown a couple more. Michael Bush had a good game though Darren McFadden was definitely missed. Surprisingly the Oakland receivers had a great game. Denarious Moore and Jacoby Ford in particular really meshed with Palmer while TJ Houshmandzadeh looked rusty.

And finally, 15 penalties for 130 yards. Hidden yards the Raiders just give away every single damn game. A special shoutdown to OLB Aaron Curry, whose horrific out of bounds shove on Tebow on 3rd on 20 resulted in a first down that proved deadly.

Sloppy and stupid. The Raiders did not execute in all three phases of the game and suffered a well-deserved loss. Normally I would say the division title is out of reach but the Chargers and Chiefs looked awful this week as well. Oakland still has half the season to right the ship and reach the playoffs.

But will they? Probably not.

Sadly The Cubs and Angels Might Be Getting Good

2011-10-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

It appears Theo Epstein will make the move to Chicago and become the president of the Cubs. And while it's doubtful he takes any of the Red Sox personnel guys with him Epstein will reportedly poach former Red Sox assistant GM and current Padres GM Jed Hoyer.

A brain trust featuring Epstein and Hoyer is a powerful and proven combination. Chicago is a big and popular market where they have the opportunity to replicate the success Boston enjoyed last decade.

Meanwhile the Angels fired GM Tony Reagans and are currently looking for his replacement. Supposedly Rays GM Andrew Friedman is atop their wish list. It's doubtful Friedman, who is loyal to Tampa Bay's owner and supposedly has a stake in the franchise, will move 3,000 miles and leave behind the promising team he's built.

However the Angels are targeting other interesting names: Kim Ng, Rick Hahn, Thad Levine and Jerry DiPoto are all experienced assistant GMs and respected throughout baseball circles. Each one would inherit a popular owner, smart manager, big market and promising farm system. Not a bad way to begin one's career as a MLB general manager.

The Carson Palmer Trade

2011-10-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

*SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH*

That's what I wrote in an email upon hearing the news the Oakland Raiders traded their 2012 first-round pick and a contingent 2013 first-round pick for Cincinnati Bengals QB-in-exile Carson Palmer.

I've had more time to digest the transaction. I still don't like the deal but it's somewhat understandable. First off, the Raiders quarterback situation was never on solid ground. Jason Campbell was a competent signal caller before a pair of Browns defenders smashed his collarbone the other day. If backup Kyle Boller is the answer then your team is asking the wrong question. And Terrelle Pryor might develop into a good NFL QB down the road but he needs a lot of seasoning.

So the 4-2 Raiders obviously need a quarterback moving forward to reach the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade. Perhaps the most logical QB on the market, David Garrard, wasn't healthy and opted for surgery. Instead of picking up another retread like Josh McCown the team decided to make a huge splash.

It's an enormous price to pay. Two first-round picks could have started the conversation for acquiring a Landry Jones, Matt Barkley or even Andrew Luck several months from now.

And who knows how well Carson Palmer will respond? There are all sorts of pros and cons with him. He's a pretty good QB but on the wrong side of thirty. He's well rested... to the point of perhaps being rusty. He was a leader on his team... and later quit on said team.

Palmer had some of his best years when Raiders head coach and current de-facto GM Hue Jackson was coaching him in Cincinnati early in his career. The gunslinger will have plenty of toys to throw to in Oakland. Jacoby Ford is a speedy deep threat, Denarius Moore has emerged as a promising rookie and Derek Hagan is a physical possession guy. Also Chaz Schilens is getting healthy, Kevin Boss is a reliable TE and even the maligned Darrius Heyward-Bey has improved. Perhaps the Silver & Black will rejuvenate the former overall #1 pick.

Speaking of picks it's disheartening to have Oakland once again lose draft picks. In recent years the franchise has done a good job of selecting quality players particularly in the later rounds.

But for now the Raiders clearly aren't concerned about the future. Just Win, Baby. The eternal flame that represents Al Davis must be burning bright this morning.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Seattle Mariners

2011-10-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

Lost in the delirium of crazy Wild Card finishes was that the final game of the regular season wasn't Boston's collapse nor Tampa Bay's classic clincher. No, the final contest of the 2011 MLB regular season ended with a whimper as the punchless Seattle Mariners were shut out by the Oakland A's 2-0.

Another season, another 95+ loss campaign for the M's, their third in the past four years. The level of losing has surely grated fans and players but the higher ups in the organization believe the team is headed in the right direction as GM Jack Zduriencik recently received an extension and manager Eric Wedge will return in 2012 as well.

But what will 2012 look like for the M's? One thing we know for sure: Seattle owns the #3 pick in next June's MLB Draft. That being said it's way, way to early to predict who the M's are targeting. After all, it was about a year ago when Anthony Rendon was the consensus pick to go 1.1 and he ended up dropping to the Nationals at #6. Then there's top-five talent Matt Purke, who fell to the third round, coincidentally also to Washington.

Otherwise everything else is an educated guess. For now the Opening Day roster projects something like this:

C Miguel Olivo - $3.5M
1B Justin Smoak ~ $1M
2B Dustin Ackley ~ $2M
SS Brendan Ryan ~ $2M
3B Kyle Seager ~ $1M
LF Casper Wells ~ $1M
CF Franklin Gutierrez - $5.5M
RF Ichiro Suzuki - $17M
DH Mike Carp ~ $1M

INF Chone Figgins - $9M
OF Michael Saunders ~ $1M
OF Trayvon Robinson ~ $1M
C Adam Moore ~ $1M

Olivo isn't good but the pitchers seem to like him. Plus good catchers aren't growing on trees these days. Prepare for twenty passed balls! This was a lost season for Smoak due to hand/face injuries but his mighty struggles were bookended by a hot start and good finish. If his true talent is a .400 slugging first baseman then we should've got Jesus Montero. Look for Ackley's BB:K ratio to spike up as he develops into a more complete player and possible All-Star. Ryan is cheap, a great glove and fiery-clubhouse type every team should have there's little need to replace him. I suspect the M's will play Ackley's college teammate on the hot corner until Seager proves as ineffective as Chone Figgins.

Oh, this outfield. So many questions. Will Ichiro not suck? Will Franklin not really suck? Can Casper Wells cut down on his strikeouts? If not there's an entire cadre of AAAA outfielders (Robinson, Greg Halman, Carlos Peguero, Michael Saunders) waiting in the wings. There's a real chance the outfield in 2013 is something crazy.

In an ideal world Figgins grows into a super utility role who fills in a hundred games. If he gets traded or released then Luis Rodriguez fills his spot on the roster. I'm not exactly sure how the outfield reserves will play out as it's reasonable that a guy like Halman could find his way on the 25-man team. Or the M's could even go with one outfielder, use Carp as an emergency LF and bring up Alex Liddi to shore up infield depth. But I think that's not a good plan. The Mariners do have some flexibility to experiment with their bench especially if the team decides to go with 11 pitchers instead of twelve. I'm assuming Adam Moore recovers from a huge injury, which is a lot to ask at such a demanding position. In that case prepare for the return of Josh Bard. Or maybe even Chris Gimenez!

As for the arms:

SP Felix Hernandez - $18.5M
SP Michael Pineda ~ $1M
SP Jason Vargas ~ $4.5M
SP Charlie Furbush ~ $1M
SP Blake Beavan ~ $1M

Brandon League ~ $5M
...and the rest! ~ $6M

Felix and Pineda are firmly entrenched in the Mariners staff while a possibly new-and-improved Vargas is a lock to return following his (possible) late season adjustment. Furbush and Beavan fill a rotation that's missing a lot of depth. Seattle will probably sign a veteran starter and maybe even throw Danny Hultzen straight into the fire.

I really doubt League gets traded this winter considering he's the only reliable reliever the team has but Zduriencik loves to wheel and deal. Other fungible arms include Jeff Gray, Tom Wilhelmsen, Chance Ruffin, Shawn Kelly, Josh Lueke, Dan Cortes and perhaps the return of David Aardsma.

Roughing the roster math comes out to $47M lineup + $37M pitching = $84M payroll

Next time I'll take a look at some possible signings and trades the Mariners may consider this winter.

UCLA Football Is In Midseason Form

2011-09-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

Chris Foster of the LA Times tweets:
UCLA practice ended poorly. How poorly? Coach Rick Neuheisel addressing the team after shouted, "I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES!"

If Michael Vick Is White Then Peyton Manning Is Black

2011-08-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

This afternoon ESPN imagined Mike Vick as a victim of vitiligo.

Next week it plans to unveil Negro Peyton Manning.

How To Save Rap And Basketball -- A Prospectus On The NBL

2011-08-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Chicago Bulls. Wu-Tang Clan. NBA Jam. MTV Jams. Michael Jordan sinks the Jazz. Suge Knight blasts Bad Boy.

Since their respective apexes in the 90's both professional basketball and rap music have suffered precipitous falls; the NBA currently mired in a lockout that will make the NFL labor dispute look like a tea party (no, not that one) while hip-hop has devolved into a sludge of overproduced and uninspired Diddy & ditties.

At initial glance it seems logically what cures one would invariably heal the other. After all the talent (black), demographics (urban), power brokers (rich, white billionaires), the very zeitgeist of the two entities closely correlate. Yet previous attempts to forge the bond between basketball and rap have been mixed. Streetball? Too haphazard on and off the court. The NBA? More concerned about exploiting its black workforce than embracing it. See hiring former Bush strategist Matt Dowd, banning jewelry from league photo shoots, Donald Sterling, et al.

But what if an organization could successfully embrace the best ballers playing for the biggest rappers?

Enter the National Basketball League.
The NBL logo re-imagines -- remixes as it were -- the NBA logo, maintaining the familiar color scheme and silhouette while also acknowledging the urban influence in the next evolution of professional basketball. Its triangle design honors The Illuminati as well as opens up valuable advertising space for league sponsors.

Russell Simmons will serve as Commissioner and Rick Rubin will act as Deputy Commissioner. Jay-Z, the Brooklyn-born rapper who paved The Blueprint for hip-hop crossing into the mainstream, will play the role of League Ambassador. His unique blend of street cred, business savvy and basketball acumen (in addition to being part-owner of the New Jersey Nets he also dabbled in the EBC tournament at legendary Rucker Park) makes him the perfect candidate to promote the NBL during its formative years.

In addition to his position with the league Jay-Z will also own one of the New York teams. The NBL will have ten squads in four divisions:

East Side
New York: Jay-Z
New York: 50 Cent
Philadelphia: Will Smith
Toronto: Drake
Miami: Rick Ross

Midwest
Chicago: Kanye West
Detroit: Eminem

Dirty South
New Orleans: Lil' Wayne
Atlanta: Andre 3000

West Side
Los Angeles: Snoop Dogg

Rappers will have the right to determine team colors, names, logos, marketing campaigns (preferably guerrilla), rules of conduct, ticket prices as well as employ their homeboys in administrative and coaching positions.

Ownership will be renewed on a yearly basis based on multiple factors such as rapper popularity and availability. For example T.I. is eligible to own Team Atlanta once he is eligible for release from prison. League expansion, contraction and ownership changes will require majority votes from NBL teams.

Volatility throughout the league is expected thus the initial geographic imbalance is not considered a problem although the surging popularity of the Dirty South must be addressed.

Teams are free to sign up to 12 players to a roster. NBL players will be considered independent contractors and thus eligible to play for any team at any time. Likewise teams can release players at any time. Roster turnover, backstabbing and package deals are expected.

League revenue from merchandise, tickets and media sales will be split evenly between all the teams. Players on the winning team will receive twice as much money as those on losing teams. All NBL employees will be paid via RushCard with incurred transaction fees being reinvested in the league.

Rappers will be required to release at least two songs during the season. These tracks will be compiled in the NBL Season 1 Mixtape. 100% of the proceeds will be reinvested in the league.

Broadcast rights will go to NBC Sports Network, which is desperate to land an upstart sports league to compete against ESPN. As part of its "NBL On NBC" campaign the channel formerly known as Versus will televise every game, post-game interview/fight as well as introduce "Inside the NBL" with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Lil Jon. "Roundball Rock" will return as the official NBC basketball theme.

The league will strive to find and employ the best basketball referees in the world. Thus all NBA referees are banned from the NBL. Game Officials will also receive competitive salaries and security detail to ensure their integrity.

The front row of every NBL game will be reserved for NBL Wives and Girlfriends. Their on- and off-the-court exploits will be documented on the next season of VH1’s "Basketball Wives."

Like participants in the rap industry NBL players will be free to use HGH, steroids and other ~~performance-enhancing~~ drugs. Throwing up gang signs and saying faggot will be rewarded accordingly.

Every team will play a 27-game regular season schedule comprised of nine home games, nine away games and nine contests on neutral courts. The NBL will emphasis a barnstorming tour of metro areas across the country beginning in Seattle where NBL members will pour out a little liquor in honor of fallen SuperSonics. Other destinations include Oakland, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver, Dallas, St. Louis, Charlotte, Virginia Beach and Boston. Games in China, South America and Europe remain a distinct possibility.

At the end of the regular season the top seeds in the East Side and Midwest will play in one conference final while the West Side and Dirty South will compete in the other. The format will be single-game elimination.

Winners will advance to NBL Finals Week, which will combine the festivities of the Super Bowl with the debauchery of NBA All-Star Weekend, culminating Saturday night with the NBL Awards live from the Apollo Theater.

The Finals will take place on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Once again, single-game elimination. In lieu of a championship trophy each member of the winning team will receive NBL gold medallions.

Listen to FCK IT SHOW 35 starting at the 36-minute mark to hear about the NBL.

Farewell To Arms (Erik Bedard Edition)

2011-08-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

No, he wasn't worth the boatload of prospects. He never was.

In a sense the Mariners lost the trade the moment they sent Adam Jones & Co. to Baltimore for the Erik Bedard. Not surprisingly he was who we thought he was.

47 starts, 15-14, 255.1 IP, 212 hits, 101 BB, 249 K

Talented but brittle like a strawberry wafer crisp Erik's legacy as a Mariner will always be one of underachievement. The lofty expectations were unfair, as it wasn't Bedard's idea to be acquired for a random and be immediately dubbed "The Missing Piece" for a Seattle club that frankly wasn't that good. Yet he was supposed to become the team's ace, even starting Opening Day 2008 ahead of Felix Hernandez. He was supposed to lead the Mariners to the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Obviously. The M's sucked with or (mostly) without Bedard. Now I don't harbor any ill will toward him. In fact, I found his blunt comments and sly remarks to the media rather amusing. And Erik certainly didn't dog it with his injuries as certain uptight sports journalists would make it seem. He was inefficient as fuck but he wasn't a quitter.

He gets hurt. A lot. It's just the way he's built. The Mariners knew that. Bill Bavasi knew that. We all knew Bedard would probably break down. It happened a lot and it sucked.

But man, when healthy he was a sight to behold. My favorite Mariner memory of Erik is the first. Opening Day 2008 in fact. Seattle was hosting the Texas Rangers. The prized offseason acquisition would square off against a division rival. Anticipation was sky high. The very first batter was Ian Kinsler.

And Bedard fucking destroyed him.

That magnificent, knee-buckling curveball. That's what I'll take away from Erik Bedard and his all-too-brief stint with the M's. Because when it was right, everything was right.

IT'S FUCKING OVER!

2011-07-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Seattle Mariners clobber greatest baseball franchise, end losing streak at 17.

Cue Fiddle Cat!

Losing Ten Games In A Row Is One Way To Exit The Playoff Chase

2011-07-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

Somehow the Seattle Mariners managed to score five runs in the first two innings tonight in Toronto. But then in typical Mariners fashion the team didn't plate another run for the next twelve before finally losing 4-2 in the 14th frame to the Blue Jays. Seattle's record is now 43-53. A week and a half ago it was .500 and Seattle was only a game behind the Texas Rangers. Since then the Rangers have won 11 straight and sit 12 games ahead of the free-falling M's.

Safe to say the Mariners shall not be playing a Game 163 this season. Heck they might not even get to 162 thanks to some early-season rain in the Midwest. Thus begins the delicate balance between being competitive and thinking long term. Completely tanking would piss off an already frustrated fanbase. A fire sale is not the answer. Then again Seattle's main concern is 2012 and beyond.

But what can the Mariners do?

Veterans like Jack Wilson and Jack Cust don't have roles on future rosters. If no teams are willing to trade for their services (and I can't imagine any would) they should be released. Mike Carp can fill in as the LH sloth for Cust and the Mariners have enough middle infield options. Getting rid of Wilson and Cust; these roster moves are the most obvious.

Speaking of the infield there's talk that teams have inquired about Adam Kennedy. While Adam is one of the few not-embarrassing bats in the lineup he's also on the wrong side of thirty. If the M's can snag a nifty prospect they should sign off that trade.

Barring a miracle/salary dump Figgins isn't going anywhere. Pray for Mojo. Rookie and rising star Dustin Ackley is the centerpiece of the M's future and essentially untouchable. Brendan Ryan is a fiery competitor with a great glove. He's also pretty cheap and provides good value at a position that's difficult to fill. Seattle will probably wait a couple years to make a change at SS. By then the front office will know if Nick Franklin is ready to take the reins. Justin Smoak & Kyle Seager will be given plenty of chances to prove themselves on the corners. Miguel Olivo and (a hopefully healthy) Adam Moore will return to form a serviceable duo behind the plate next year.

As for the outfield... yeesh. The next year and a half the M's are probably stuck with Ichiro and Gutierrez in right and center respectively. Seattle needs to really consider whether to resign Ichiro beyond 2012 -- and at what price. This appears to be a lost season for Franklin as his stomach illness severely sapped his power. At least he's still graceful with the glove.

Greg Halman completes the dire triumvirate. He's shown flashes of his five-tool abilities but likely shall be exposed by good pitching in the end. Ryan Langerhans deserves another shot and should take Jack Wilson's roster spot when he's released. No Peguero please.

As for the pitching... Felix isn't going anywhere and while Erik Bedard is the name mentioned most as trade bait it's probably not going to happen. By the time he returns from the DL it'll be too late to showcase him for potential buyers. That said the Mariners should not be shy about listening to offers for Michael Pineda, Jason Vargas and Doug Fister. Pineda, with his youth and explosive arsenal, would be a controversial sendoff but could bring in a small ransom that could replenish the system with young bats. Meanwhile Vargas' numbers are flashier than his skills and could net a nice haul in a market that's thirsty for starting pitchers. And finally if any team bites on the hard luck Fister the Mariners have his comparable replacement in Blake Beavan.

All-Star closer Brandon League probably isn't going anywhere now David Aardsma is out indefinitely. Then again if a desperate team wants to overpay... anyway, the M's bullpen has regressed quite a bit since dominating the league in the spring. Nothing is as demoralizing as a blown save and it's risky to throw another arm into the 9th inning fire. Expect relievers David Pauley, Jamey Wright and/or Chris Ray to garner interest. By August 1st at least one of them will probably be pitching somewhere else.

ESPN Deserves Criticism For Bruce Feldman's Suspension (And No, I Don't Believe ESPN)

2011-07-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

Sports journalists and fans were stunned yesterday by the news ESPN college football writer Bruce Feldman was suspended for contributions to former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach's autobiography, Swing Your Sword.

SPORTSsbyBROOKS broke the story in detail:

Because of Leach’s acrimonious departure from Texas Tech, which allegedly stemmed from complaints about the coach’s alleged treatment of the son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James, Feldman’s participation in Swing Your Sword was not initially assured.

Multiple management and editorial sources at ESPN have told me in recent months that Feldman would only participate in the Leach book project upon direct approval from ESPN management - which Feldman indeed received.

Despite those facts, Feldman was told by ESPN... he was being suspended indefinitely for his participation in the Leach book.

The Swing Your Sword saga gets even murkier with details of ESPN's coverage, Joe Schad, Spaeth Communications, James' involvement behind-the-scenes and (not) being trapped in the closet.

SbB says the punishment was a ban from "writing for any ESPN entity, is forbidden from appearing on any ESPN platform, is not allowed to Tweet from his Twitter account nor participate in any promotion of a recently-released book in which Feldman played a role."

Reaction on Twitter was swift. "Bruce Feldman" and #freebruce was soon trending. Sportswriter from Yahoo!, SI.com and the blogosphere chimed in with praise for Feldman's professional and personal demeanor while criticizing ESPN's apparent decision to side with Craig James rather than a respected sportswriter.

This afternoon Sports Media Watch reported ESPN saying it never suspended Feldman, which seems dubious given the circumstances.

Bruce's active Twitter account, with over 6,500 tweets, has been eerily quiet since July 13. One would assume if he were able to freely speak and write Bruce would have addressed the situation -- even denied the SbB story if it were untrue. The fact he hasn't said anything speaks to the notion Feldman was muzzled by The Worldwide Leader.

And why the "no comment" from ESPN and silence from ESPN personalities on the subject since last night? If this was a non-story to begin with ESPN would have nipped it in the bud Thursday evening.

Instead it seems ESPN miscalculated public opinion would be this negative and the company is now trying to save face with a press release stating Feldman was never suspended. But the circumstances suggest otherwise.

This Week In Sports #4

2011-07-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

Dodger Stadium edition! Cam and I hit up Chavez Ravine to take in the sights and smells of the grand ol' game. In between innings we manage to discuss a little NBA and NFL news.

Respect Derek Jeter You Bastards

2011-07-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

Because if anyone has not been recognized enough all these years it's him.

This Week In Sports #3

2011-07-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

4th of July edition! Check out the world premiere of Tiger Woods' Japanese commercial, thoughts on Wimbledon and the Dodgers followed by a planking showdown.

Unemployed Blacks Deprive White People Of Entertainment: NBA & NFL Lockouts By The Numbers

2011-06-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

Before the NBA lockout the league employed about 450 players. According to interbasket.net approximately 80% are black.

Before the NFL lockout the league employed about 1700 players. Various recent sources indicate at least half the players are black.

450 x 80% = 360
1,700 x 50% = 850
360 + 850 = 1,210 black men laid off

There are about 8 million black men 20 and older in the work force.

1,200 / 8,000,000 = .000015

The NBA and NFL lockouts are directly responsible for increasing the unemployment rate of black men in America by at least one-one hundred thousandth and a half percent.

According to Sports Business Daily white people make up 77% and 86% of NFL and NBA fans respectively.

NBA and NFL games provide innumerable hours of entertainment.

White people will yet again be victimized in America by black people.

This Week In Sports #2

2011-06-25T00:16:00.000-07:00

This Week In Sports #1

2011-06-17T18:39:00.000-07:00

Here's the new YouTube sports comedy sketch show I wrote and host. I'm the goofy Asian guy if that isn't too obvious. It's a little long and we're still working out the kinks but all in all I'm pretty happy with the first episode. Hope you enjoy TWIS!

And here are the individual sketches:

Nowitzki Nightmare

Stephen A. Smith & Plaxico Burress

Exclusive Tiger Woods interview

Dirk Nowitzki & LeBron James. In Bed.

2011-06-15T22:58:00.000-07:00

So I'm writing and featured in an upcoming YouTube sports comedy sketch series called This Week In Sports. It'll be up in a few days. Here's a preview pic from one of the skits:

Should be fun!

Black Zombie

2011-06-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

This ad currently appears on Inside USC:

Mariners Refuse to Die

2011-05-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

Last time I wrote the obituary for the 2011 season. Well, a 6-1 week now leaves the Seattle Mariners only 1.5 games behind the first place Rangers changes my outlook.

Texas and Anaheim are the favorites to win the division but the Mariners have the best group of starters in the division. Michael Pineda outperforms even the most optimistic projections, Erik Bedard is throwing efficiently(???!!), Felix is Felix while Doug Fister and Jason Vargas are maximizing their decent stuff. If the anemic offense picks up a bit and the bullpen continues to overachieve... who knows?

The arrivals of Carlos Peguero and Mike Wilson have introduced some brute strength to the lineup. Carlos in particular has been crushing the ball -- when he makes contact. Neither one is particularly a good defender but the bats will play in left field.

Franklin Gutierrez's return should have the M's strongly consider dropping Michael Saunders to AAA where he can play everyday and beat up on inferior pitching. He looks lost and needs to regain his confidence. It worked for Justin Smoak last year.

In a few weeks Dustin Ackley will be called up. If Seattle can hover around .500 until then the team will have to seriously consider buying before the trade deadline.

R.I.P. 2011 Seattle Mariners

2011-05-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

Following a valiant 8-2 stretch that pushed the M's to the brink of a .500 record they proceeded to lose six straight games, some in spectacular late-inning fashion. The week-long debacle was a total team failure: the bats went silent, pitchers threw erratic and the effort was lacking (here's looking at you, Figgins).

Hell even Felix failed.

Of course the worst sins were committed by closer Brandon League, who was Bobby Ayala-esque in his last four appearances:

DATE	OPPONENT	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
05/13	@ CLE	0.2	3	3	3	1	0	0
05/12	@ BAL	0.1	2	2	2	0	0	0
05/10	@ BAL	0.2	4	2	2	0	0	1
05/08	vs CHW	1.1	3	3	3	0	0	2

Four losses, three blown saves, too many fuckups and no shot at the playoffs for the Mariners. Not that Seattle had a good shot at October baseball anyway but after Saturday's washout the team remains at 16-23. Reaching 90 wins to have even a glimmer of playoff hope the M's need to play 74-49 the rest of the season. That's a .600 clip and that ain't gonna be sustained (not by this mediocre club anyway) through 4 1/2 months.

That being said there's still a lot to played for. A complete tailspin will likely cost Jack Zduriencik his job and enable the dualing idiots Howard Lincoln and Chuck Armstrong to undo the great strides Z & Co. have made with the franchise from top to bottom. Justin Smoak, Michael Pineda and (hopefully) Michael Saunders will continue to develop as the team's future core. Franklin Gutierrez is primed to return as soon as next week. Dustin Ackley is killing the baseball lately and is scheduled to make his MLB debut in June.

So while it may be over it really isn't.

Mariners Begin to Perform

2011-05-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

A satisfying 5-1 road trip at Detroit and Boston has lifted the Seattle Mariners to a 13-16 record. Still not good but the M's are no longer MLB bottom feeders. Suck it Twins!

Jack Cust and Chone Figgins are starting to hit, mighty Miguel Olivo is mashing the ball hard (including a hilarious warning track home run) and Justin Smoak returned from his father's funeral as the middle-of-the-lineup thumper everyone in the Emerald City hoped he would be. Once the offense went from abysmal to feisty (tons of walks, annoying singles and the occasional barrage) the wins began to rack up.

The pitching has been tremendous during this stretch as well. Erik Bedard threw a nifty gem against the Tigers, earning his first win in two years while Michael Pineda continues to impress with a 97-mph heater. Relief arms Aaron Laffey, Jamey Wright and David Pauley have been surprisingly (and unsustainable-y) efficient.

Huge homestand starting on Tuesday as division leader Texas and struggling Chicago come into Safeco Field.

Mariners Fans Are Hella Depressed And Frustrated

2011-04-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Well that didn't take long.

A promising 2-0 for Seattle has been overshadowed by a sobering 3-11 record since. Felix Hernandez has looked mortal in three consecutive starts, the bullpen has made a habit of imploding and Chone Figgins continues to struggle. In fact, the M's bats are swinging even worse than last year's historically awful offense. But at least they're getting on base at a decent clip (2nd in baseball in walks) and being aggressive (top ten in stolen bases).

Michael Saunders' refined swing shows glimpses of potential while Justin Smoak continues to lash doubles and demonstrate good patience. The M's won't be a slugging team but will likely improve upon its dismal BABIP and become a slightly below-average unit. Doesn't sound like much but it would be a huge improvement over what the Seattle offense has been outputting for the past two years.

The biggest development of the past week has been the emergence of RHP Michael Pineda. He's still raw against lefties but his fastball can dominate by itself. Every start from him is now must watch. It's safe to say the M's now have another solid starter behind the King.

It's been a bad start and the playoffs are basically a pipe dream but the Seattle Mariners have a lot of season left to improve. It can't get much worse.

Mariners Losing Without Looking Hopeless

2011-04-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

The M's enter tonight's opening homestand at 2-4 after getting swept by the red hot Texas Rangers in Arlington earlier this week. Even a solid effort by King Felix proved fruitless as a pair of Jack Wilson errors doomed the M's to their third loss in four games. Wilson was later replaced in the finale by Luis Rodriguez, which didn't seem like a big deal. Wilson had been adjusting to second base and probably could have used a mental breather.

But now it's been revealed by Eric Wedge that Wilson asked to be pulled from the game. And while he obliged the request you can bet the mustachio'ed manager did not appreciate the quitting.

TEAM CHEMISTRY UNBALANCED WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK! Even the ass backward 2010 squad played nice for a month before grandpa Griffey started falling asleep during games.

Wilson's situation aside, Seattle has actually played okay and there are several positive signs going forward. Felix is Felix (obviously) but Erik Bedard (injuries) and Michael Pineda (inexperienced) were major question marks heading into 2011. They both pitched well in their initial outings, alleviating some anxiety amongst M's fans. If Bedard stays healthy and Pineda develops his secondary outings the Seattle starting corps suddenly becomes a huge asset.

Speaking of assets Justin Smoak was the major piece acquired in the Cliff Lee trade last summer but struggled so badly he was sent to AAA to regain his confidence. Early this season Smoak looks like the bruising, switch-hitting slugger his lofty prospect status projected him to be.

It's early and the record isn't pretty but things are not awful in Seattle. Not yet.

Yet Again A Seattle Sports Team Leads The Way In Commercial Awesomeness

2011-03-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

Recently the Seattle Mariners released a quintet of commercials for the 2011 season. It's an eclectic bunch of spots showcasing Guti's defense (and sexy face?) and Ichiro's ability to hit anything. Somehow Jason Vargas and his concrete socks also receive a starring role. Huh. Certainly the boldest commercial is Painful, which stars GM Jack Zduriencik acknowledging the horrid 2010 season while simultaneously affirming the team's hopes for the present and future. It's risky for a sports franchise to ever admit mediocrity but I like how the M's confront what happened last year.

While Painful ironically makes me feel good about the team it's definitely not my favorite commercial. Behold, the crème de la crème of this year's crop: Encore, Encore starring Larry Bernandez.

Oh man, that's good. Right down to the Chewbacca-esque ending. That kooky and creative Mariners marketing team. Check out Mariners commercials from previous season on YouTube to view the fruits of their labor.

Of course, awesome Seattle sports commercials weren't solely confined to the M's. Back when the Supersonics were in town they had some batshit ridiculous/awkward/awesome TV spots. See for yourself:

Predrag Drobnjak, his cat Jinkies, Space Bear and a Desmond Mason art set

Vladimir Radmanovic, Neil Diamond on the stereo and a warm fleece blanket:

Damn you David Stern.

Grading the 2011 Mariners Offseason

2011-03-03T00:05:00.000-08:00

Many moons ago I graded the 2010 Mariners offseason, then revisited my awful scores midway through the year and now here we are back in spring training. How time flies.

Following a 101-loss year that might have been even more depressing than the debacle from several years ago Seattle fans aren't optimistic entering the Cactus League. Most prognosticators peg the M's for around 75-80 wins. Considering the Mariners play in the weak AL West that means people think they'll suck. Not be historically bad but bad enough to consider October baseball a longshot.

This winter Jack Zduriencik played it safe. No huge free agent splashes or blockbuster trades. Instead of Chone Figgins and Cliff Lee it's now Jack Cust and a bunch of average arms. Zduriencik looks to build for long-term success instead of going all in for 2011 like his former employers, the Milwaukee Brewers. While this is a sound strategy there's a strong chance the current GM may not be around in a few years. After all, Chuckles and Howard have a history of tinkering.

But that's another topic. Without further adieu let's take a quick look at what the Seattle Mariners did this past offseason:

Traded 3B Jose Lopez for RHP Chaz Roe
The free-swinging dunce was going to leave as a free agent anyway so the Mariners got a low-risk, low-ceiling arm for nothing. I couldn't bear seeing Lopez hit another lazy pop fly on a 2-0 slider in the dirt. (B-)

Traded RHP Maikel Cleto for SS Brendan Ryan
Cleto is an interesting but raw flamethrower. Ryan is a bit of a reclamation project who could prove to play a pivotal role in the middle infield. Incumbent SS Jack Wilson has a history of getting hurt and 2B will be in flux until Dustin Ackley comes up early summer. Ryan's known for his good glove and decent contact rates. Considering the dearth of shortstops in the organization the M's had to make this move. Even if Brendan turns out to be nothing more than average that's way better than Jack & Josh Wilson and Yuniesky Betancourt. (B-)

Traded C Rob Johnson to San Diego Padres
I'm sure no one in Marinerville will miss the passed balls but RoJo supposedly had a good rapport with the starters and showed patience at the plate. Adam Moore still hasn't demonstrated he can be a starting catcher. Then again, neither did Rob. (C)

Signed free agent DH Jack Cust
Injury risk. Liability with the glove. Powerful and patient hitter who can take advantage of Safeco Field. He's like a white, sane and cheaper Milton Bradley! Cust instantly entrenches in the heart of the lineup. My favorite move. (B)

Signed free agent C Miguel Olivo
THE GLORIOUS RETURN OF ONE OF THE CRAPPIEST CATCHERS IN TEAM HISTORY. And that's saying something. Who the f knows if Olivo 2.0 will be any better? But we do know he's a big pull hitter. Not exactly a successful recipe for righties but whatever. As long as he handles the staff and catches the ball... that'll be more than what Mariners backstops have done the past two years. (C-)

Signed free agent 2B Adam Kennedy
A year ago I would have lauded this as a nifty little acquisition with moderate upside. Now it's just the Mariners being the Mariners. He'll hang around the bench, spelling Ryan at 2B until Ackley comes up. (C)

Traded 2B Matt Lawson for LHP Aaron Laffey
This just happened yesterday. The bullpen could use softy-tossing southpaw. I liked Lawson as he tore up Double AA last year after being acquired in the Cliff Lee deal. But he's already 25 and a future utility guy. A ho-hum deal. (C)

More Trainwreck Music at the Super Bowl

2011-02-08T09:33:00.000-08:00

Three years ago I wrote how the Super Bowl was catering its halftime show to, well... terrible non-offensive musical talents ever since the Janet Jackson fiasco as well as several other ensuing controversies. After Prince flashed his shadow cock at Super Bowl XLI in Dolphin Stadium the performers have been Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and The Who.

Yawn. Snore. Bore.

Amazingly the latest act wasn't completely terrible. The Black Eyed Peas aren't good singers (those synthesizer voices sound awful) or performers but their visual style and spectacle of the Super Bowl XLV halftime show were infinitely more dynamic than what old white guys on guitars could accomplish. Usher's entrance from the Jumbotron was pretty amazing too.

That being said I'm not sure who the halftime show was for. The futuristic/alien overlord/rave theme was... interesting. The terrible pingy music didn't help and great hot fires of hell Fergie do not attempt to be Axl Rose. She was horrific. Perhaps the league was targeting a younger demographic since there won't be any NFL for awhile. Build for the future.

Yet who knew the halftime show wouldn't be the biggest musical story of Super Bowl XLV? Of course the big story was Christina Aguilera flubbing the national anthem:

Trust me, I like to rip her as much as anyone. At the FCK IT SHOW podcast my co-host describes Christina Aguilera acting like a diva on set (starting at the 15:30 mark) so I don't have much respect for her. Compare that to Denzel Washington showing love to my homie (8:30 mark). Big difference.

However, she can sing like hell and messing up the lyrics was obviously not malicious. Xtina didn't mean to screw up on the world's biggest stage and actually did a great job of plowing through the song and not making an uncomfortable situation worse.

But yea, she did look a little thick.

All Aboard the Train to Marinerville

2011-01-30T14:15:00.000-08:00

Spring Training has almost arrived and I've probably never been more invested with the Seattle Mariners than I am now. It's quite odd considering the team is attempting to rebound from a horrid 101-loss campaign. Before we look to the future let's take a stroll through memory lane:

* The 2010 offense was perhaps the worst in the DH era.

* Don Wakamatsu got canned late in the season. He failed to motivate the team and didn't have the best of relationships with Ken Griffey Jr. and Chone Figgins

* GM Jack Zduriencik acquire Josh Lueke not knowing he was accused of rape (and later plead no contest to a lesser charge). Scouting Director Carmen Fusco took the fall but it's believed Z is on thin ice in 2011.

Since the season ended Milton Bradley said/texted some bad things to a woman and newly-acquired 2B Adam Kennedy was tagged for driving drunk.

Yea, bad times. But hope springs eternal in the Cactus League and Seattle has a slew of exciting mainstays (Ichiro, Felix, Gutierrez) as well as intriguing prospects (Dustin Ackley and Michael Pineda) to watch for. That doesn't even mention the subplots that will dominate the M's preseason. Will Chone Figgins' return to 3B set him back on track? Will he be traded? Can Michael Saunders or Justin Smoak take the next step? How will the middle infield situation sort out until Ackley is ready?

The mainstream isn't paying much attention to the M's but there's plenty to follow two months away from Opening Day.

Bart Scott ESPN Interview Is Legend

2011-01-16T22:56:00.000-08:00

The New York Jets beat the New England Patriots 28-21 on Sunday to advance to the AFC Championship. After the game Jets LB Bart Scott had a few choice (and hilarious) words with ESPN reporter Sal Paolantonio.

But was that rant better than the googly eyes Andrea Kremer got from heartthrob Tom Brady a few years back?

Personally I'm siding with Scott. In a world where athletes give the same droopy sound bites it was refreshing to see a large black man vent. Also his response at the end is legend.

"CAN'T WAIT!"

Neither can we, Mr. Scott.

Farewell to Nnamdi Asomugha?

2011-01-10T03:44:00.000-08:00

Almost lost in the shuffle of an amazing NFL playoff weekend is the fact Oakland Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha is now an unrestricted free agent. Asomugha's contract contained a clause that automatically voided the last year in his deal if certain incentives were not met. Even worse for the Silver & Black is the fact Nnamdi cannot be franchised in 2011.

Asomugha is a local kid, having played college ball at Cal and still has a huge philanthropic impact on the Bay Area community. Losing the Pro Bowler would be a huge blow for a franchise on the verge of competence. There's a sense that Nnamdi will look to join a team that's competitive and cohesive. Oakland fans have seen this story before with Charles Woodson and history very well may repeat itself, leaving the team without its best player and leader. Either Chris Johnson and Stanford Routt would have to step up, which is an unlikely scenario.

It took the Raiders Nnamdi Asomugha's entire career to become relevant again. Without him they'll sink back into the Black Hole.

Evidently CNN Can't Afford Newsworthy Photos

2010-12-30T21:53:00.001-08:00

The Stanford Cardinal women's basketball team snap UConn's 90-game winning streak. And that poodle looks sleek.

UPDATE: Good to see CNN cares about women's sports.

2010 USC Football

2010-12-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've written anything here. I was tempted to do this season write-up a few days but I figured I should enjoy the holidays a little longer.

2010 for the Trojans was marked with very few highs and many, many lows. First and foremost the USC program finally paid for the sins of former head coach Pete Carroll. With no chance at a bowl berth for this year and next USC lost some hope, the chance to play two extra games and highly-regarded OL Seantrel Henderson.

New coach and familiar face Lane Kiffin brought his father Monte and Ed Orgeron as assistants. Also a solid recruiting class were reasons for optimism. The returning players were good but certainly not top ten material. Oregon and Stanford were on paper (and it turns out, in reality) better teams than USC. Realistically the Trojans were looking at a four-loss campaign.

While the spring brought some optimism, most notably RB Dillon Baxter and Shareece Wright playing shutdown corner, DL Christian Tupou suffered a season-ending injury and highly-touted freshman, WR Kyle Prater, would likely redshirt.

Due to a lack of depth (thanks to poor recruiting and sanctions) Coach Kiffin opted for no tackling through the fall as a way to prevent injuries. The lack of physicality turned out to plague the defense all season, as poor tackling and missed assignments were commonplace.

Close games would define the season, as game-ending field goals against Washington and Stanford would prove to be crushing losses while nail-biting wins against Arizona State and Arizona kept the year from sinking. A tough loss to a rejuvenated Notre Dame and blowout losses to Oregon State and Oregon wrapped a five-loss campaign that many Trojan fans didn't see coming.

Matt Barkley had a season that I'd like to think of as two steps forward and one step backward. He was noticeably... err, less fat this year and his improved physique showed in increased mobility and less fatigue late in games. Matt grow into the unquestioned leader. He developed a great rapport with breakout WR Robert Woods during the first half of the season. As for the bad Barkley continued to make poor decisions, needlessly trying to whistle the football into tight spots. And the injury he suffered against Oregon State obviously took its toll, forcing him to miss the Notre Dame game as well as play ineffective against UCLA. Overall he had a good season and should grow into one of the Pac-12's best if not the entire nation in 2011.

Allen Bradford was the best Trojan RB -- that is, when he wasn't fumbling the ball. Marc Tyler had his moments and looks poised to anchor the running game next year. Dillon Baxter failed to live up to his YouTube hype and had a subpar freshman year with only a few highlights. Character issues were also a problem with Baxter, which reminded more than a few SC fans to be wary of a speedy backs from the San Diego area. Meanwhile Stanley Havili continued to be a rock for the Trojans from the fullback position; running, catching and blocking whenever his number was called up.

Robert Woods was by far the most pleasant surprise of the season. During the first half of the year he exploded with 200-yard receiving games and impact plays in the return game. Look for #13 to be Barkley's go-to-guy next year. Ronald Johnson had a good senior year that will unfortunately remembered for his dropped ball on what would have been a game winner against Notre Dame. Brandon Carswell and Brice Butler chipped in as decent third receivers while the tight end position was a wasteland between Rhett Ellison and Jordan Cameron.

The offensive line was a mess early on but gelled as the season progressed. Center Kris O'Dowd was the anchor and in my opinion the lone consistent positive. Right tackle Tyron Smith is leaving early for the draft and is projected as a first round pick. That blows my mind and deceives what my eyes have seen, but anyway. Michael Reardon, Khaled Holmes, Matt Kalil and Butch Lewis round out an inconsistent group.

Speaking of an inconsistent group, woo let's talk about the defense.

Safety TJ McDonald took over for incumbent Drew McAllister and proceeded to constantly hit high and out of bounds. Shareece Wright did a great job punching the football loose from ball carriers but didn't live up to the preseason hype as a cover man. True freshman Nickell Robey had his ups and downs but ultimately served a reliable defender who gained a ton of experience that will serve well down the road. Torrin Harris whiffed a lot.

The linebackers were bad, probably the worst group on the entire team. Malcolm Smith did cause several key turnovers and played the pass well. But neither Devon Kennard nor Chris Galippo could hold onto the MLB position. Galippo came on strong on special teams and in the second half but not before committing a boneheaded personal foul penalty that proved fatal against Stanford. Michael Morgan also failed to make a big impact.

The defensive line wasn't much better save for Jurrell Casey, who's leaving school early. Wes Horton had a couple nifty sacks. Nick Perry is an awesome pass rusher but rarely played for some reason.

The kicking game sucked but it's obvious assistant head coach John Baxter is working his magic on the special teams units. The coverage team is no longer aimlessly wandering around and the line breaks through during kick blocks. That was obvious during the game-winning extra point deflection against ASU. Even with limited scholarships Lane Kiffin is committed to bringing in a punter AND kicker for the upcoming season. And with Robert Woods poised to be USC is definitely going places and making a difference in the game of hidden yards.

USC is set to meet with the NCAA in January in regards to possible reductions in sanctions. The Trojans, led by new athletic director Pat Haden, have made huge strides to comply to the sometimes inane and archaic NCAA rules. Lane Kiffin has brought in a slew of JUCO players as the team prepares to hunker down to future scholarship reductions.

The future remains fuzzy for USC football. Only time will tell if the Trojans can regain their status as top contenders.

Cardiac Trojans Finally Win a Nailbiter

2010-11-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

Late in last night's roller coaster of a game it seemed the Trojans were destined to suffer yet another tough loss. Joe Houston kicked a field goal to give USC a 34-33 lead with three minutes to go but everyone in the Coliseum knew the Trojans had lost on last-second field goals to Washington and Stanford earlier in the year. And as fate would have it the Sun Devils, led by gutsy QB Steven Threet, promptly marched down the field. The Trojans defense held firm inside their own territory and forced a 41-yard field goal that was pulled wide left.

Earlier in the quarter Tyron Smith busted through on an extra point kick and blocked the ball with his helmet, which Torrin Harris returned the other way for two Trojan points. Also USC blocked a punt in the first half. The shaky special teams probably affected Thomas Weber as he missed the kick.

But that wasn't the only tense/crazy moment in this game. Oh no, not by a long shot. At the end of a mostly mundane first half USC QB Matt Barkley drove the Trojans down the field, hitting David Ausberry on a quick two-yard slant with three seconds left. Ausberry also snagged a two-point attempt in the third quarter. That was preceded by Malcolm Smith's 74-yard pick six. And we can't forget LeQuan Lewis' 102-yard kickoff return or Omar Bolden's 66-yard INT TD midway through the fourth.

But truly he impact of the special teams on this contest can't be understated. Let's review all the insanity.

Houston missed two chip shot field goals but makes the eventual game winner for USC. The Trojans score two two-point conversions (playing offense and defense). The teams combine for over 280 yards of punt and kick returns, including Lewis' TD run. Weber punted for the first time this season and missed the go-ahead field goal.

What a wild game.

A Tale of Two Defenses

2010-10-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

In three weeks this USC defense has shown it all. First against Washington the unit displayed the worst defensive scheming I've seen since the Colts played the Saints in the Super Bowl. Three-man rushes, base Cover 2 and no containment on the edges. Jake Locker was mauled by the tough Nebraska Black Shirts in Seattle; against the Trojans he looked every bit the part of a Heisman Trophy candidate. The only high note for the USC D was a forced fumble for a touchback. CB Shareece Wright did an excellent job popping the ball out -- and that only happened after Locker scampered down the sideline for huge yardage.

The Trojans and Huskies went back and forth, fighting over who should lose before U-Dub kicked a field goal as time expired to win 32-31 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The story of the game was how Washington constantly gashed the Trojans for 536 yards, including critical conversions on 3rd and 18 as well as 4th and 10. Supposedly Monte Kiffin was coming in and shoring up a defensive unit that was surprisingly average the past couple years. Instead the D was out on the breakers and getting gashed.

Then two weeks ago the defense let down the Trojans once again, this time losing to Standford 37-35 in an eerily similar fashion. At the end of a hard-fought battle the Men of Troy found themselves once more on the wrong side of a game-winning field goal. With a minute left the Cardinal drove across the field, aided by a reckless late hit by LB Chris Galippo and poor coverage/containment. Though Stanford's offense is quite good the USC defense was awful throughout. Safeties blew coverages, the front four didn't get penetration and the linebackers looked lost. Devon Kennard, the starting MLB because Galippo was demoted, was running around aimlessly grabbing receivers. Missed tackles and blown assignments were commonplace. Andrew Luck, an excellent QB, was given ample time and openings to complete over 70% of his passes.

It was safe to presume the USC defense would be a question mark the whole season. It's not like the D was amazing last year. Lack of depth due to injuries, sanctions and a new coaching staff would require a grace period. On Saturday, however, something clicked. Maybe Cal just had a horrific day but the Trojans defense looked especially fierce. The defensive front did a great job limiting the dangerous Bear RB Shane Vereen and pressuring QB Kevin Riley. For the first time in... a long-ass time the Trojans pressured with an array of blitz packages. Surprise, surprise it worked. The entire unit played as well as it has in years. Galippo in particular looked comfortable playing the outside linebacker. Safety TJ McDonald, who's had his share of late hits and blown coverages, snagged an impressive interception on a deep ball.

Obviously the Trojans offense, led by five TD throws by Matt Barkley, was on fire against California but the defense deserves a ton of credit as well. It's as ready as it'll ever be for the high-octane Oregon offense that's coming to town in less than two weeks.

Attitude Improving But Still a Problem for USC Football

2010-09-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

There's little doubt in my mind the Trojans will beat the Washington State Cougars tomorrow. They had better because Wazzu is terrible. However this game will probably tell very little about USC. Instead we have the past couple seasons and a few contests into the 2010 season to comprehend how this team operates.

Perhaps first and foremost attitude problems have been a mainstay for the Cardinal and Gold. I don't even need to talk about the off the field stuff but USC also devolved into a reckless unit under Pete Carroll particularly in the last few years. It became typical to see late hits both out of bounds and on quarterbacks. There were the multiple false start penalties during home games. The near fight with UCLA. Pete was cool with making it rain on the Bruins but complained to Jim Harbaugh what his deal was after Stanford stomped USC. Hypocrite. But what disgusted me the most was seeing players sprint for the locker rooms after losses. They didn't even have the decency to shake hands with the other team and demonstrate a shred of sportsmanship.

Attitude also breed entitlement. The Golden Child Joe McKnight and The Freak Everson Griffen were immensely talented prep superstars who underperformed at SC. But they had bad performances and transgressions constantly forgiven. Competition seemingly gave way to favoritism as McKnight and Matt Barkley were given opportunities when they weren't the best available options.

The 2010 edition of the Trojans seems to be headed in the right direction in terms of off field discipline. New athletic director Pat Haden and Lane Kiffin appear to be doing the right things and there's definitely a noticeable less Hollywood approach to the team. The home sideline no longer is crammed with celebrities and scores of boosters. It's reassuring to hear the compliance office is ever present around the team. That being said the results haven't shown on the gridiron. The Trojans are one of the most penalized teams in the country though a few flags from the Minnesota game shouldn't have counted. It's gonna take time and perhaps a few recruiting classes (that will be restricted and thus extremely carefully constructed) to change the culture inside and out.

USC Football Still Wreckless (At Least On the Field)

2010-09-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

Costly holds, late hits, personal fouls and even an ejection.

USC football returned to Los Angeles for the first time following NCAA sanctions -- and a lot stupid things remained exactly the same. The Trojans played like fools, amassing 13 fouls for 140 yards in a sloppy 17-14 win over a Virginia Cavaliers team that's predicted to finish last in the ACC.

It was the same ol' story that USC fans have seen for the last two years as the team erased touchdowns and momentum with careless penalties, culminating with Rhett Ellison's head butt following an onside kick recovery that led to a 30-yard infraction and his disqualification. It was a a fitting finish to a terrible game.

The Cavs imploded on themselves with penalties as well though Virginia did rack up 340 yards in total offense against Monte Kiffin's supposedly vaunted defense. Kiffin runs a similar defense to what Pete Caroll did and the results were similar; a break but don't break D that failed to create much havoc. In fact the defense tried to sabotage itself. Safety TJ McDonald, who had an easy pick in the endzone, was constantly head-hunting and drew a couple of 15-yard penalties due to his high strikes. MLD Devon Kennard was consistently late at reading the running back and was often left in the dust. The defensive line managed two sacks but was manhandled by the Cavs O-line for most of the game. Poor tackling and failing to wrap ballhandlers led to plenty of YAC for the Cavs.

The offense was better but not by much. The stagnant running game averaged less than four yards a carry. Dillon Baxter looked fine in his collegiate debut. Once he ran vertical the yards followed. Nothing splashy but credit the Virginia defense for playing smart and hard the whole game. Marc Tyler looked nothing like the shifty bruiser from the Hawaii game. Tyler was slow and rarely had a second effort that went far.

Matt Barkley looked pretty good though his accuracy was a little off in the second half. Ronald Johnson was sensational. If not for a holding penalty RoJo would have been credited with a long TD haul. Also if Barkley had thrown a few better balls a 150-yard game was possible.

Jordan Cameron did a great job jumping up and snagging the onside kick late. He also did a nifty job reaching up for a touchdown. USC has lacked a TE option since Anthony McCoy graduated. Maybe Jordan is the answer at that position but there still plenty of questions as to whether the Trojans can play solid, disciplined football.

Raiders Primed For Adequacy

2010-08-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

For the first time in years it looks like the Oakland Raiders have their act together. The 2-1 preseason doesn't mean too much but the level of cohesiveness and competence the team is playing with suggests the Silver & Black can rise above the laughingstock level it's been relegated to since being blown out by Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl.

Jason Campbell, acquired from the Redskins for a future fourth-round pick, provides stability to a position that was wasted on JaMarcus Russell for the past three years. And of course Jason had to be crushed in last Saturday night's exhibition and suffer a bad stinger. He also has a bum wrist but all signs point to a full recovery before the season open. That's good... because the Raiders recovery starts with him. Bruce Gradkowski can provide spells of decency but he's not a long-term answer.

Speaking of injuries Michael Bush has a broken thumb, which leaves Darren McFadden the starter at running back by default. Run-DMC has been injured and ineffective during his pro career but the talent is there. The onus will be on the returning O-line to provide good protection and open lanes. The center position will be manned by either rookie Jared Veldheer or Samson Satele and looks to be the weak link. It's not a great unit but another year in Tom Cable's zone-blocking scheme should lead to improvement.

The wide receiving corps is a major question mark. Louis Murphy emerged last year as the most consistent pair of hands on the team. But he's not a #1-caliber receiver. Chaz Schilens is injured again, Johnnie Lee Higgins is fast (but maybe not as fast as newcomer Jacoby Ford) and Darrius Heyward-Bey is a question mark. At least Zach Miller is a bomb tight end.

Two rookies hope to shore up the defense. First-round and second-round picks Rolando McClain and LaMarr Houston are penciled as the MLB and DE respectively. Houston joins a formidable front four that also includes Matt Shaughnessy, Tommy Kelly and Richard Seymour. Sandwiching McClain will be Trevor Scott, Kamerion Wembley and Thomas Howard in some combination. Nnamdi Asomugha leads the defensive backs. Chris Johnson keeps improving as the other CB but he's no Nnamdi. Tyvon Branch and Michael Huff are okay safeties.

SeaBass and Lechler are the two best kickers in the league. Ford and Higgins are likely the speedy returners.

The Raiders' schedule includes the six games against its division rivals (Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs) along with the AFC South (@Titans, Texans, @Jacksonville, Colts), NFC West (Rams, @Cardinals, @49ers, Seahawks), @Steelers and Dolphins.

Call me crazy but I think Oakland can play .500 ball this season.

Grading the Seattle Mariners Recent Draft Picks

2010-08-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

So the Mariners suck... but at least there's hope for the future. Here's a look at how high draft picks under the new front office regime have fared:

Josh Fields, RHP, First Round
This was a Bill Bavasi pick back in 2008 but newly-minted GM Jack Zduriencik decided to sign the hard-throwing junior from Georgia. Fields has flashed good stuff when he's been healthy, striking out a batter per inning but also walks a batter more than once every other frame. He's been unable to pitch beyond AA and is 25 but should advance quickly to the M's bullpen. Whether he'll close or pitch the 7th or 8th innings... who knows? B-

Dustin Ackley, 2B, First Round
The consolation prize in the Stephen Strasburg sweepstakes was a no-brainer. Ackley came out of UNC in 2009 as one of the purest hitters in recent memory and after a rough start in AA he's done nothing to discredit that title. A promotion to Triple-A has ignited Dustin; he's hitting around .300/.360/.450 in Tacoma. For the year he sports an excellent 68/61 walk-to-strikeout ratio though the lack of power (5 total home runs) and sub-.700 OPS against lefties leave room for improvement. Ackley switched to second base after playing the outfield and a little first base in college. He has limited oomph on his throwing arm thanks to an injury but it shouldn't affect him too much at second. Dustin heading down to Arizona Fall League to continue learning the intricacies of the infield. And A- isn't out of the question but lingering questions remain. B+

Nick Franklin, SS, First Round
There was considerable debate whether the M's should have taken a Florida prep player with no standout tools. Well Nick's shut everyone the hell up. 20 home runs, 20+ stolen bases and a glove that looks like it'll stick long-term at SS will do that. He's certainly a Top 100 prospect and probably even cracks the 50s. I'm being cautious with the grade because he's so young and the power is probably a little fluky but M's fans have to be ecstatic with their first-round pick from last year. B

Steven Baron, C, First Round (supplemental)
Welcome to Disasterville. In 450 career at bats he has .200 batting and .300 slugging averages. But hey he's a good defender behind the dish. D-

Rich Poythress, 1B, Second Round
After a dreadful stint in AA the former Georgia Bulldog has (surprise) thrived in High Desert. The slugger is among the league leaders in homers and RBI. Rich's power projects to play in the majors, though Safeco Field will certainly sap some of it. B-

Kyle Seager, 3B, Third Round
Ackley's former Tar Heel teammate has had a breakout year in High Desert to the tune of .342/.414/.477. Then again, what hitter doesn't thrive in the Cal League? Kyle's shown good gap power and a decent glove at the Hot Corner. He wasn't thought of much following the draft but now he's a viable bench guy in the big leagues. C+

James Jones, RF, Fourth Round
Interesting toolsy outfielder has a long way to go. Good build, great athlete, still raw at the plate after pitching in college. With a promotion to High Desert on the way don't be surprised when James puts up some huge numbers in 2011. C+

I wasn't thrilled with signing Fields. Instead I think the compensation pick could have netted a player with more upside. That being said Josh is on the fast track to the majors and should shore up an iffy bullpen (so long, Sean White!). Ackley is who we thought he was while Poythress and Seager appear to be on their way to the big leagues. Whether they'll pan out as regulars though remains to be seen. James Jones still has a long way to go and the Baron has been a complete disaster. Franklin has been the huge surprise and it'll be great to see him continue to develop. Overall it was a good draft. I'm not as confident about the 2010 selections but it's way too early to put a stamp on anything.

My SummerSlam Experience

2010-08-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Before last night's WWE SummerSlam at the Staples Center it had been 14 years since I attended a wrestling event. I used to be a pretty big WWE (then WWF) fan; renting tapes of old specials, playing the awful SNES game and scrutinize magazine rankings (where's the love for Razor Ramon?!). And of course watching copious amounts of RAW and all the good jazz that came with it. If yesterday proved anything it's that I've been away for too long.

The 15,000 in attendance were treated to a bonus match before the 4:45 PPV went air. The match was between... uhh, I don't exactly remember. They were lower-tier wrestlers who performed okay. It was a decent appetizer for those hungry for action.

After the initial pyrotechnics show Staples Center filled with smoke for about ten minutes, which looked awesome. Also the giant TV monitor malfunctioned for awhile; the screens down the middle went black (which you can see in the above photo).

The first official fight on the night was for the Intercontinental Championship. Dolph Ziggler and the challenger and crowd favorite Kofi Kingston (because h e's black??) performed okay. The match culminated with The Nexus rushing from the seats and bashing Kofi. Watching it live and it in person it was pretty wild to see seven buff dudes bumrush another buff dude and (pretend to) beat the crap out of him. If anything it added further fuel to the impending Team WWE-The Nexus showdown.

Next was Alicia Fox versus Melina, who looked like she was dressed for Carnival. This was the token Divas match and the least interesting twenty minutes of the night. Melina ended up victorious and tried to look emotional winning one of two fake WWE women's championship belts. It sorta worked. What surely would have been a heartfelt speech was ruined by LayCool, the tag team chaps and the two baddest bitches in the ring.

The Big Show is listed at 485 pounds. Even from a distance it's crazy how behemoth of a man he is. He eventually beat down the trio called SES. Actually The Big Show pinned two of them; Punk ran away. I don't know who the SES chick was but during the intro she kept screaming "excuse me!" while trying to speak, which predictably led the audience to scream whatever insults it fancied. Good times.

At some point during the show The Miz showed up and went on a ten-minute rant about how basically he's awesome (!!!) and everyone else sucks. He then declared that he would help Team WWE defeat The Nexus later on. I'm selling it short with my recap but it really was quite the speech.

Sheamus versus Randy Orton (probably the most popular wrestler with the LA crowd) was in my opinion the best fight of the match. First of all it was for the highest prize in the game, the WWE Championship. Secondly the level of intensity and wrestling was great and sustained. This was a long, arduous fight that culminated with a Sheamus DQ for a chair (at least I think that's what happened). Orton lost his shit and eventually slammed Sheamus onto the announcer's table. Rage!

The second-to-last fight featured Kane vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. for the Heavyweight Championship (I think). This was billed as a vengeance match as Kane accused Rey of attacking The Undertaker on Memorial Weekend and putting him in a vegetative state. Kane was so furious that he rolled out a casket before the match, promising to close it on Rey. Mysterio professed his innocence, claiming it was Kane who brained his brother. Kane, Cain?

The battle itself was fairly interesting. The contrasting styles between the hulking Kane and the acrobatic Mysterio was hot and cold. Seeing Rey jump on Kane and twirl around was spectacular.

Eventually Kane dropped a couple choke slams and was primed to dump Rey's ranchera corpse into an eternal of burning and suffering. Kane opened the empty coffin but the mercurial Mexican escaped! Some scuffling ensued, including Kane almost crashing into the coffin. The giant shut the lid and promptly Tomestone'd Mysterio. Finally, we would see someone stuffed into the damn coffin.

When Kane opened the lid again... The Undertaker was inside! No doubt the most thunderous applause were reserved for when The Prince of Darkness emerged. Of course I was wondering how the hell a 7-foot man lied relatively still for almost half an hour. I'm guess he sneaked under the ring before the match, then rolled into the coffin (which sat atop a draped table) on cue. But anyway... The Undertaker looked menacingly at Rey... before turning to his brother! Sibling wars! Kane usurped his brother once again, Tomestone'ing him. Fade to black.

Finally, the main event. The Nexus vs. Team WWE. After The Nexus took to the ring the WWE was announced one by one, starting with its leader John Cena. Bret The Hitman Hart received a well-deserved roar from the crowd. It was weird seeing a superstar from my childhood wearing a t-shirt to cover his gut. Other superstars included The Edge and Chris Jericho. When The Miz showed up he was promptly booted by the John Cena and replaced by Daniel Bryant... who I guess is a great wrestler and got kicked out of wrestling? These fake storylines are confusing.

The fight itself was good. Predictably it went back and forth until only The Baron and John Cena remained. Cena, who had been pummeled by The Nexus as well as The Edge and Jericho (due to extenuating circumstances and accidental friendly fire), fooled The Baron for a quick takedown.

Highlights during the melee included Hitman performing a Sharpshooter, then promptly getting DQ'ed for picking up a folding chair. The Miz also ran in and took out one of the WWE stars while the ref wasn't looking.

But the story of the match was Cena. He crowd loved or hated him, chants alternating between "Go Cena!" and "Cena Sucks! While not the greatest technical wrestler to ever grace the ring he demonstrated why he's a star. He has it. He's willing to have 20,000 pairs of eyes on him and accept the task of entertaining, make people believe this is real. When he pumped up the crowd during the match, people believed. When John was mobbed outside the ring, crashing against the step steels and slammed against the concrete floor people winced (okay, that stuff might have been really painfully). And after Cena emerged victoriously he stayed in the ring for five minutes to thank the crowd. And it responded.

Hell, even his upcoming wrestling movie with Patricia Clarkson and Danny Glover looks decent.

All in all it was a helluva fun time. Certainly more fun than the dozen or so Clippers games I've been to at the Staples Center. On my way out I couldn't help notice the kids sitting next to me. I was once like them; easily excitable from watching grown men pretend to beat the shit out of each other. And for one night I reverted to my former self. Thanks SummerSlam. Hope to see you next year.

My Favorite Baseball Teams Replace Their Managers on the Same Day

2010-08-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

Both firings came as a surprise yet the writing was on each of their walls. On Monday the Seattle Mariners and USC Trojans fired their respective baseball managers.

Don Wakamatsu's downfall seemed inconceivable back in spring training when whispers of a playoff run were being murmured by the media. Coming off an uplifting 85-win campaign and adding ace Cliff Lee to the team certainly made it appear the M's were on the upswing.

And then the season started. The offense never clicked -- particularly Ken Griffey Jr., whose unceremoniously exit from a glorious career probably derailed Wak more than anything. Once he lost The Kid he lost the Mariner family.

Don also had a maddening tendency to commit to a belief system even when it was painfully obvious changes were necessary. The lineup, for instance, would always see the horrific Jose Lopez bat either third or cleanup. Granted Wak was hamstrung by a lack of quality bats on the roster but there were better options than a free-swinging plodder. The pitching staff wasn't immune to befuddling choices neither. Sean White, probably one of the worst arms in a decent bullpen, was constantly thrown into high-leverage situations.

If Wak was predictable with the lineup he disciplined at a whim. He allowed for Lopez to be unproductive and lazy the entire season, tolerating mediocrity as it were. But when the unproductive but hard-working Chone Figgins made a mental mistake he was singled out. A dugout dust-up ensued and it was the beginning of the end.

Yes, Don Wakamatu was probably dealt a bad hand in 2010. But he didn't do much to salvage the situation. Conversely Chad Kreuter, despite having only minimal managing experience was hired to coach the most prestigious college baseball program in the country. After four years of the Kreuter Experience the Trojans failed to advance to the College World Series let alone win a title. In fact USC was oftentimes abysmal, punctuated by this season's 10th-place finish in the Pac-10 Conference.

Kreuter was an awful recruiter, focusing his efforts on elite national talents like Tim Beckham and Mike Stanton that had no intentions to play in college. And while USC is hamstrung by the NCAA's ridiculous baseball scholarship rule that hasn't hurt other private universities such as Miami and Stanford.

Simply put USC is expected to contend for titles and Kreuter failed miserably. He had to go.

Top Five Episodes of Bill Simmons' The B.S. Report

2010-08-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Bill Simmons' widely-popular podcast, The B.S. Report, now has a complete archive for your listening pleasure. I've listened to... something like 98% of the episodes and compiled a list of some of The Sports Guy's best.

Keep in mind this list skews completely to his older stuff. Frankly I think The B.S. Report has been getting too Hollywood for its own good.

UPDATE: Evidently none of these links work. Well done ESPN.

1. 8/2/07 - Play | Download
Bill Simmons talks to Dave Meltzer about the WWE and the Chris Benoit tragedy. How can the WWE recover?

Absolutely riveting podcast regarding the double murder-suicide of one of wrestling's greatest talents. While Simmons does chime in with an occasional quip this is for the most part a grim odyssey into the sordid details of Benoit's personal demons and substance abuse. Most people enjoy the Sports Guy for his irreverence and comedy but I find his quiet thoughtfulness (like in his much-heralded farewell to The Dooze) his strongest suit. Meltzer has chronicled wrestling for well over a decade. His knowledge and passion for the "sport" clearly shines here.

2. 4/10/08 - Play | Download
Bill and JackO stop being polite and start getting real as they relive 20 years of MTV's "Real World."

A non-stop riot between two college buddies babbling about two decades of sex- and drug-fueled reality TV. The easy, breezy back and forth with Simmons and JackO is what makes the duo so hilarious. Zingers abound, particularly the line where Simmons threatens to go on a shooting spree if his daughter sluts it up on a future show.

3. 7/19/07 - Play | Download
Bill Simmons addresses his feud with Jerry Remy and talks with Michael Wilbon about writing, chemistry in broadcasting, racism in Boston, and the death of Len Bias.

A wide-ranging chat with one of ESPN's best commentators, WaPo's Michael Wilbon. Simmons obviously has a huge connection with Bias, the #2 overall pick by the Boston Celtics who died from a cocaine overdose mere days after the draft. The PTI co-host covered the ACC during Bias' reign in Maryland. When the conversation turns to the rim-rocking forward is when the episode really hits its peak.

4. 11/27/07 - Play | Download
Bill gets lost inside Walton's World as he tries to find out what it was like to be a part of the 1986 Celtics.

I'm definitely a person in the Bill Walton camp. He's one of the brightest, honest and most-decorated athletes from the last fifty years. Bill can hardly contain his love for the '86 Celtics and it's fascinating to listen to Walton (one of the greatest champions in sports history) wax on about team chemistry.

5. 8/24/08 - Play | Download
Bill and JackO dissect the Mike and the Mad Dog split, try to bury the Yankees' 2008 campaign, discuss the Olympics, review some reality television and more.

The second time I insert JackO into the Top Five. He and Simmons click that well together. I don't understand why JackO hasn't started his own podcast yet. The John O'Connell Hour of Power with his rants about the Yankees, reality TV and Republicans. I would listen every week.

2010 Cliff Lee Facts

2010-08-02T23:26:00.000-07:00

As of August 2nd...

* Cliff Lee has a 9-5 record.

* In 15 starts he has thrown seven complete games.

* His middle name is Phifer.

* In 147 innings he has struck 118 batters, walked 13 and allowed 126 hits.

* He has thrown one wild pitch.

* He walk rate is five times lower than the MLB average.

* Despite missing the first month of the season he has been the fourth-best pitcher in baseball, according to WAR.

* Ruben Amaro traded him for Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gilles and JC Ramirez.

Revisiting the Mariners Offseason Grades

2010-07-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

Oh, hope sprang eternal in early April when I detailed how Seattle's Hot Stove was bubbling over with a couple of nice big-time acquisitions and a handful of low risk, medium-upside moves.

Well, the M's are now 35-56. It's probably safe to say in hindsight some of the transactions didn't pan out. Let's take a somewhat painful look back:

C Kenji Johjima filed for free agency (A)
Still no complaints about this. The M's roulette of backstops (Rob Johnson, Adam Moore, Josh Bard and... some other guy) has been horrible but this separation was the best recourse for player and team.

Signed free agent 3B Chone Figgins (B+)
Ugghhh... I still have hope Figgins will live up to the 4/$36M contract (with a 5th year option, no!). But Figgins looks absolutely lost at the plate and the numbers bare it out: .230/.325/.269. Hey at least he's walking! Plus the 24 stolen bases are nice, but when Chone isn't weakly flying out he's usually grounding into double plays (already 11 this year). Hopefully he's just pressing after signing a big contract and will revert back to form next season.

Traded RHP J.C. Ramirez, RHP Phillippe Aumont and CF Tyson Gillies for LHP Cliff Lee (A+)
Those trio of decent prospects and a half season of awesome Cliff Lee for blue chipper Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan and a pair of low-end AA players. Jack Z, you did it again.

Signed free agent LF Ryan Langerhans (B-)
A fine fourth outfielder who's battled injuries and... uhh, a manager who won't play him.

Traded RHP Carlos Silva for RF Milton Bradley (B-)
It pains me to see evil Silva succeed in the NL. Bradley meanwhile has been a disappointment (.206/.289/.358) save for a few big hits in late innings. While Carlos and Milton both needed fresh starts there's no question the Cubs definitely won this deal.

Traded RHP Brandon Morrow for RHP Brandon League and OF Johermyn Chavez (C)
Morrow has been a decent starter for the Blue Jays. 107 IP, 49 BB, 119 K. Nice to see he's still kinda crazy on the mound. League has been up and down for the M's. He relies too much on his fastball while his nasty splitter sits on the shelf. Chavez has banged out 20 homers in the Cal League so far. Granted, it's the Cal League but there's potential.

Signed free agent C Josh Bard (C-)
He's been solid as a backup catcher. Hell he hit a dinger against the Angels last night.

Traded 3B Bill Hall for 1B Casey Kotchman (C+)
Nope. While Kotchman has had a nice batch of recent games it appears his days as a Mariner are numbered. Picking up Russell Branyan and Smoak spells bye-bye to Casey.

Signed free agent LF Eric Byrnes (B)
Just read how Eric fucked up and fled the scene on a bicycle. Seriously.

Signed free agent LHP Erik Bedard (B-)
Erik recently felt discomfort in his shoulder while tossing. He's yet to pitch this year. Bedard is made of glass candy.

My Sleeper in the Cliff Lee Sweepstakes

2010-06-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

The national media and Mariner blogs have turned their attention to where Cliff Lee will be dealt. It's doubtful Seattle will keep its ace starter around past the July trade deadline as Lee will surely test free agency and leave the Pacific Northwest as a 2010 Type A free agent. The M's could hang onto Lee through this dismal season and snag a pair of supplemental first-round picks for a loaded 2011 amateur draft... but I'm inclined to believe (along with most others) that Jack Zduriencik will pull the trigger on a great offer -- if it comes.

Most people agree the Mets and Twins make the most sense for a potential swap. Both teams have rotation needs, playoff aspirations and enough high-impact, near MLB-ready prospects to pry Lee. But I also believe one team who could make the big splash is the normally quiet Tampa Bay Rays.

GM Andrew Friedman has to work with a limited payroll in baseball's toughest division. With the Red Sox and Yankees annually adding to their arsenals even reaching the playoffs is a tall task for the Rays. And All-Stars Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford are free agents after the year. It's doubtful Tampa Bay can afford to keep them both. That's why I think Friedman might pull the trigger this season. Adding Lee would give Tampa Bay a huge boost to the rotation and solidify their playoff chances as well as a possible World Series. During a short playoff series a pitching staff of Lee, David Price, James Shields and Matt Garza/Jeff Niemann/Wade Davis would be deadly. A deep playoff run would also add millions to the Rays coffers and further boost their national presence.

Assuming Tampa Bay is willing to buy Cliff Lee what would they have to give up? Seattle has holes everywhere, but what they need most are quality starters and impact bats.

Wade Davis is someone I'm sure the M's would love to acquire. It would be a high price for the Rays, as the 24-year-old RHP is among the most promising young starters in baseball not named Stephen Strasburg. But then again, this is Cliff Freakin' Lee we're talking about. Dude is sporting a 15:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's one of the five best pitchers alive. He comes with two draft picks in addition to several months of awesomeness. Cliff Lee will cost a lot.

Okay. So let's say Wade Davis is the main piece in a trade proposal. What else could Tampa Bay throw the Mariners. It's unlikely anyone in the lineup would be dealt. SS Reid Brignac would fit nicely in Seattle but with Jason Bartlett's struggles I'm sure the Rays want to keep him around.

A Cliff Lee for Wade Davis and Reid Brignac would make sense for both clubs. It's a better deal for the M's... but then again, flags fly forever.

But presuming Brignac isn't available let's delve into the loaded Rays system. They're not trading Desmond Jennings or Jeremy Hellickson. It's also doubtful they would give up so soon on Matt Moore or Tim Beckham. The M's would have to dip deep into High A for someone like 1B Matt Sweeney -- and he's several years from the big leagues. OF Kyeong Kang is also an interesting outfield prospect but he's also just starting out. Adding those two would be a nice boost to the long-term health of the Mariners organization but perhaps Jack Z feels the need to add more immediate help.

Anyway, those are a few thoughts on how the Rays might acquire Lee. Though it probably won't happen I consider Tampa Bay the best run organization in baseball. It wouldn't shock me if they added one of the premier arms in the game to its team.

70's Night at Dodger Stadium

2010-06-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I went to the Dodgers-Braves game at Chavez Ravine. LA squeaked out a 5-4 with closer Jonathan Broxton striking out Braves slugger Jason Heyward (who K'ed five games!) to end the game.

Anyway, onto the visuals!

The first 20,000 fans in attendance got this hideous and hilarious Starsky and Hutch-themed poster. Personally I would have liked to have seen a Dolemite homage instead but oh well.

Singer of the national anthem and "God Bless America?" None other than Greg Brady. And surprisingly he had quite a voice. Who knew?

The LA crowd gave The Wizard of Westwood a two-minute standing ovation as Vin Scully appeared on the video board and said a few words.

Broxton and Garrett Anderson share the same stylist evidently.

Did the Lakers Move Back to Minnesota?

2010-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

50 Cent Is Turning Into Widget The World Watcher

2010-05-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

Mariners Inevitably Falling into the Void

2010-05-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been posting lately. Then again, no one reads this shit.

But a lot of folks, including yours truly, follow the Seattle Mariners. And even though I have been crazy busy lately I've found time to keep up with this ghastly team. Yikes. The problems with the M's have been discussed ad nauseam but I'll break it down for those who don't follow the AL West.

Where to begin? How about Mike Sweeney and Ken Griffey Jr.? Why are they still on the team? Actually I get the Griffey part. He's old and terrible but the nostalgia factor wins brownie points with casual fans. Sweeney makes very little sense. He's not a better bat than Ryan Garko (who was cut by the M's and signed by the Rangers) and can barely play first base. And Sweeney's great team chemistry and leadership abilities have the team playing at a sub-.400 clip.

So those are two valuable roster spots taken up by players who are playing like AAA fodder.

Speaking of fodder, Ryan Rowland-Smith is crapping the bed once again tonight. I had high hopes for RRS. He's kinda like a bad Jarrod Washburn. That's not a recipe for a good pitcher but a soft-tossing lefty with flyball tendencies can definitely succeed in Safeco Field with Guti and Ichiro in center and right. But wow RRS has been awful. His strikeouts are down, walks and line drives are way up.

Another pitcher who's giving up a lot of hard hits is David Aardsma. D.A. threw up some flashy numbers last season thanks to some luck and a very lively fastball. So far in 2010 he's regressed a lot. David's giving home runs at thrice the rate he was last season and has blown a couple save opportunities in horrific fashion. This is a troubling trend worth watching since the rest of the bullpen hasn't been very good either.

These are only a few of the problems that will lead the M's to missing the playoffs once again. A season that a couple months ago that was so full of optimism is quickly disintegrating into something that resembles 2008.

Mariners Rebound Nicely in Week 2

2010-04-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

Four straight wins sandwiched in between a pair of losses have the M's at 6-7 for the season. It's not great but the team is slowly righting itself.

After a tough loss to Oakland on Monday the Seattle Mariners rebounded to take the final two contests and win their first series of the young season. The second game was Milton Bradley's coming out party. In the eighth inning with two on and both teams scoreless Bradley timed a 2-0 inside fastball to perfection, slamming it into the right field bleachers and giving the M's a 3-0 victory. Doug Fister earned his first win of the year by scoring eight scoreless frames.

Wednesday's game, while not as memorable, was another win for Seattle as Milton and Franklin Gutierrez continued to provide most of the Mariners offense.

Friday was Jackie Robinson Day in Seattle as well as Ken Griffey Jr. Bobblehead Day and Felix Day. The M's got the weekend started in style with a season-high eleven runs. Granted there was only one extra-base hit and the offense was aided by a trio of Tiger errors... but still, the team will take it.

Detroit and Seattle split the other two games in the series, the M's earning a win against Justin Verlander and the Tigers pouncing on a struggling Ian Snell.

Quick hits:

* Rob Johnson has done a fine job of drawing walks at the plate. Good to see this offensively-challenged player making the opposing pitcher work. Of course Rob's still making his own pitchers work, what with all the passed balls...

* The ball jumps off Milton Bradley's bat. It's not as apparent as when a player like Albert Pujols or Jason Heyward squares one up but Milton's a very, very good batter.

Bad Debut for the 2010 Seattle Mariners

2010-04-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

The first week of the baseball season is wrapping up and the Seattle Mariners did not get the fast start they were looking for. The team played everyday since Monday and managed a merely 21 runs, dropping five of its seven games. Only the upstart Orioles and all-around terrible Astros have a worse record coming out the gate. It's awfully early in the season but every game matters in what will likely be a tight AL West division.

Some quick points about the team:

* Ken Griffey Jr. looks really awful at the plate. His bat is so slow. Father Time is winning this battle. Plus his presence on the roster really hampers how flexibility the bench can be.

* Looks like the bullpen is regressing to its true talent. Sadly, the starters are playing to their true talent.

* The Mariners are definitely emphasizing speed on the basepaths. It hasn't always paid off so far but it's a positive development in my opinion. The M's are going to have to generate offense and might as well utilize one of their best assets.

* Franklin Gutierrez made a couple of fantastic catches this week including this amazing grab on Saturday that might have saved the game. If his bat keeps improving like it's showing... Matt Kemp, watch out.

* Adam Moore had two catcher's interference calls against him this afternoon. WTF? Stop molesting the batters Moore.

Grading the Mariners Offseason

2010-04-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

It's been almost two years since the Seattle Mariners had such a drastic offseason. Coming off an 85-win season (following a disastrous 101-loss campaign) the M's look primed to take a balanced AL West for the first time since 2001. Jack Zduriencik and Co. certainly took it upon themselves to radically transform the roster in such a short time.

Let's take a closer look at the notable moves the Mariners made during this winter and spring.

C Kenji Johjima filed for free agency (A)
Kenji clearly fell out of favor with the Mariners pitching staff and his returning to Japan does a huge favor for Seattle's payroll, shedding about $8M from the 2010 roster. Of course, whether the M's gave Kenji a few million on the back end, we'll never know for sure. Johjima had a great debut with Seattle (homering in his MLB debut) but it's time to move on with Rob Johnson and Adam Moore.

Signed free agent 3B Chone Figgins (B+)
Seattle made the first big splash of the Hot Stove season by signing away a marquee player from its division rival. Chone stands to earn $36M over the next four years with a vesting option for 2014. He's a high-average hitter with good speed and is versatile enough with the glove to play all around the field. His defense should translate well with the move to second base and help form perhaps the strongest up the middle defense in the majors alongside SS Jack Wilson and Franklin Gutierrez manning center field. Figgins is an ideal player for Safeco Field who's locked up to a very reasonable deal and likely to remain productive throughout his contract.

Traded RHP J.C. Ramirez, RHP Phillippe Aumont and CF Tyson Gillies for LHP Cliff Lee (A+)
Welcome to Boner Land. If the Mariners one day erect a statue of Jack Zduriencik this trade will likely be one of the cornerstones for such a honor.

Seattle acquired one of the best pitchers in baseball for 1) a solid pitching prospect who's a couple years away, 2) another pitcher with great potential but who might end up in the bullpen and 3) a good hitter with inflated numbers from the Cal League.

Lee's acquisition immediately raised not only Seattle's national profile (it was without question the most talked about team this offseason) but greatly increased its chances of reaching the playoffs. Anytime you can add a 5-win pitcher you gotta do it. Spring injuries will dampen Cliff's impact early on in the season, but assuming he returns healthy he'll allow the M's to have the league's best 1-2 pitching combo and greatly improve the depth of the pitching staff.

If the Mariners collapse early on they can trade Lee before the deadline and recoup some value. If Lee leaves after the season Seattle will receive two first-round compensation picks. It's a win-win situation.

Signed free agent LF Ryan Langerhans (B-)
The team let go then brought back Langerhans, a player with limited offensive punch but who's a whiz with the glove. Having him on the bench gives the M's a fourth outfielder option for a low cost.

Traded RHP Carlos Silva for RF Milton Bradley (B-)
After the money exchanged this transaction boils down to Seattle essentially cutting Silva and signing Bradley to a 2-year/$6 million contract.

But Silva is an absolute sinkhole who's not even a decent MLB player at this point. In fact, he arrived into Cubs training camp out of shape and is still a terrible pitch-to-contact hurler with no discernible talent. It' says a lot about Chicago that they're willing to plug him into the starting rotation.

As for Milton AKA the self-professed "Kanye West of baseball" he's a very talented hitter with a high perchance for injuries and... err, bouts of rage. But if I'm a playoff contender I'd rather have a player with a decent chance of contributing than someone who sucks. Milton is a lot of things, and one of them is a talented ballplayer. If the M's can squeeze some production (a somewhat big if) out of him then it'll be a nice boost to a lackluster offense.

Traded RHP Brandon Morrow for RHP Brandon League and OF Johermyn Chavez (C)
I'm not entirely unconvinced this wasn't a part of gentleman's agreement to finish off the Cliff Lee trade. Either way the M's finally give up on Morrow, a pitcher who's definitely got electric stuff and maybe has the stamina to start. His career in Seattle was a roller coaster ride of tremendous highs and dizzying lows. League is a decent relief arm with upside and Chavez is a long shot prospect. Personally I think Toronto won the trade.

Signed free agent C Josh Bard (C-)
Don't expect him to play much behind Johnson and Moore. In fat, no team should really bother too much about the emergency third catcher.

Traded 3B Bill Hall for 1B Casey Kotchman (C+)
Kotchman has the unenviable task of replacing Russell Branyan's production at first base. He certainly won't slam 31 home runs (or even half that) but he is an interesting lefty bat and a great glove. I like Hall's versatile glove but the M's filled their biggest positional hole with this deal.

Signed free agent LF Eric Byrnes (B)
Seattle is only on the hook for $400K of Eric's $11M salary. If healthy Byrnes is an exciting sparkplug who'll see some playing time in left and DH. If Eric struggles like he did the past couple years with Arizona then Seattle can cut him loose and move on. Very low risk, medium-reward acquisition.

Signed free agent LHP Erik Bedard (B-)
Would you rather pay Bedard $1.5M with incentives, Rich Harden $7.5M with incentives or $10M for Ben Sheets. Erik, with his notorious injury history, will probably pitch the least effective of the trio (he's out until around June) but he very well might give his team the best bang for the buck.

The Thought of Larry Brown Running and Coaching the Clippers Makes Me All Tingly

2010-03-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

So the Los Angeles Clippers finally severed ties with Mike Dunleavy last night. Severed is the right word since, well, that's how the Clips describe it on their own press release.

ESPN LA's Ramona Shelburne hits it right on the nose: this was a message to Clippers fans. Yes, we've heard your complaints. Please don't leave us.

I've been attending Clippers games for a few years and the venom for Dunleavy was palpable. During last year's home finale (where the Clips were trounced by 41 points) he earned two quick technicals and got the hell out of Dodge City. Well, the fans didn't take this kindly and showered the arena with boos -- all directed toward the coward Dunleavy. It was a season's worth of angst for a man who didn't do nearly enough to deserve the power he held.

But now the dust settles on another lackluster season the question remain: what will the front office and coaching staff look like next year? Interim GM Neil Oshley and interim head coach Kim Hughes (who took over for Dunleavy last month) are no guarantees to return.

SI's Frank Hughes brings up an intriguing candidate to both jobs. Larry Brown has supposedly inquired about running the franchise. With the Charlotte Bobcats bringing in a new ownership group perhaps Brown sees the writing on the wall (even with UNC great Michael Jordan on board) and wishes to return to LA where he coached the Clippers to the playoffs in '92 and '93. The Browns also own a home in Malibu and his wife wishes to return to LA.

I've previously written about my fondness for Larry Brown. He's obviously an amazing coach and a bit of diva. EXACTLY what the Clips need. Excellence and pizazz. If Brown chooses to come back to the west coast he would inherent an intriguing team. Chris Kaman, (a hopefully healthy) Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon and Baron Davis form a solid nucleus. The Clips could overpay for Rudy Gay or draft Kentucky's Patrick Patterson to fill the hole at small forward. Or perhaps could the lure of playing in LA for Larry Brown but enough to entice one LeBron James? Probably not, but even without LeBron this team on paper is good enough to make the playoffs.

It's interesting that Brown is the one who took the initiative and reached out for the Clippers gig. Larry is notorious for being a nomadic coach who switches teams every few years. Perhaps he's going going, back back, to Cali Cali. And that would be B.I.G.

A Quick Thought on Donald Fehr

2010-03-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness baseball is here. And while there will be plenty written about players and teams throughout the next several months (hell, even I might muster the strength to write about the Mariners once in a while) I've been thinking about something, or rather someone who was instrumental off the diamond.

This is the first full season since 1984 where Donald Fehr will not be the executive director of the MLBPA. And while his tenure was far from perfect (1994 strike comes to mind) no one can say he didn't excel at his job. Here are some of the benefits Fehr negotiated for his union:

* fully guaranteed salary
* $400,000 minimum league salary
* no salary restrictions on amateur and international drafts
* no salary or yearly restrictions on player salary
* no hard salary cap
* no steroid testing until the early-2000s

NBA and NFL players are scratching and clawing for whatever leverage they can gain in the face of looming work stoppages. Meanwhile baseball players flourished under Fehr's reign. Maybe he didn't always do things in the best interest of baseball but you can't knock the man for not doing his job.

Sweet Win for Trojans on Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T09:21:00.000-08:00

USC completed a season sweep against rival UCLA on Valentine's Day -- but it wasn't easy. While the game last month at Pauley Pavilion was a 21-point blowout this contest went down to the final minute, with the Trojans eeking out a 68-64 win.

Donte Smith came off the bench and energized the crowd with a pair of three point buckets, Dwight Lewis finished with 23 points and Mike Gerrity make key free throws down the stretch.

Marcus Johnson performed well on the defensive end for USC. He finished with five steals including one at half court that finished with a thunderous two-hand dunk that gave the Trojans momentum in the final minutes.

Michael Roll was the biggest contributor for the Bruins, nailing 4 of 10 shots from beyond the arc and finishing with a team-high 21 points. UCLA shot less than 40% but stayed in the game by outrebounding USC by a 36-23 margin.

USC managed to lead by three by halftime. It came employing a full court press starting the second period and maintained it the rest of the way. This was the true game changer. The Bruins' lack of a true point guard really cost them as the pressure resulted in multiple turnovers early and often. For the contest UCLA was picked 11 times and had 20 turnovers overall.

But USC did its best to give away the game late, first by carelessly throwing the ball (including an ill-advised alley-oop attempt) and giving UCLA extra possessions. The Bruins managed to get within four with less four minutes to go before Johnson's memorable steal and dunk.

Then Trojans inexplicably fouled the Bruins late four times in the final forty seconds, including on a three-point attempt. It looked like UCLA for life but it was only for a moment.

At Least Get the Right Picture

2010-02-06T23:01:00.000-08:00

Does this big black dude look like a "Nikola Vucevic" to you? If you said no, congratulations you're correct. That's actually Alex Stepheson. Why WeAreSC chose that picture to portray the Trojans' win over the Stanford Cardinal is beyond me.

If you actually click on the column Stepheson is not even mentioned in the game recap.

Well, I guess with USC athletics something's always bizarro; whether it's weird recap pictures, recruiting thirteen year olds or preparing for NCAA sanctions.

USC Football Toes Line with Talent, Trouble

2010-01-18T10:37:00.000-08:00

What a tumultuous week for the Trojans football program. First Pete Carroll left the team after a spectacular nine-year career to lead the Seattle Seahawks. The timing couldn't have been worse for the Trojans. On the field they recently limped to a 9-4 record for the season, which is the worst finish since Carroll's first year in Cardinal and Gold back in 2001. A slew of underclassmen (Stafon Johnson, Everson Griffen, Joe McKnight) were already leaving the program and incoming recruits were left wondering what the hell was happening. And of course, there was the little problem with Joe McKnight's SUV situation and the looming sanctions for the football program regarding Reggie Bush and a general lack of institutional control.

USC quickly nabbed former USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin from Tennessee to lead the team. Lane brings with him an unimpressive record at the Oakland Raiders and Vols as well as a reputation for minor recruiting violations and running his mouth. But he's also only 34 (the youngest head coach in FBS Subdivision) and brings an All-Star coaching staff led by his father Monte Kiffin and recruiting coordinator (and former USC assistant coach) Ed Orgeron.

It appears the Trojans will retain most of its players and swagger. By making this hire Mike Garrett is clearly enamored with prolonging the Carroll era with one of Pete's disciples. Carroll amassed a 97-19 record but also earned a reputation for running a loose program.

Lane Kiffin represents the price of winning in college football. He's a rainbow and a rainy day.

Mike Garrett Wanted Poster

2010-01-10T21:52:00.001-08:00

Trojans Victory Ruined by Self-Imposed Sanctions

2010-01-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

USC 47, Arizona State 37

The recipe is clear. Tenacious defense and a deliberate offensive is Kevin O'Neill's blueprint for success. So far it's working for the Trojans. USC defeated Arizona State to improve to 2-0 in Pac-10 play and extend its win streak to eight games. It was a brutal match with only 26 made field goals and 25 turnovers.

I wrote the above last night when starting a post about last night's game. Alas, all of the team's effort (yesterday and going forward) will provide no payoff in March. Today Athletic Director Mike Garrett announced self-imposed sanctions against the men's basketball team. The penalties are as follows:

* one-year post-season ban for the 2009-2010 season
* reduction of one scholarship for 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons
* reduction of one coach who can recruit off-campus during the summer of 2010
* reduction of recruiting days during the 2010-2011 season

Clearly the first penalty is the most severe and pertinent for this season. What a shame that O.J. Mayo fiasco is coming back to hurt this head coach and these group of players. Further shame should be dealt to Garrett, who panicked in (basically) firing Tim Floyd and quickly levying these sanctions about the basketball program in hopes of steering attention away from the corrupt USC football team.

Trojans Hold Off Wilcats in Pac-10 Opener to Continue Hot Streak

2010-01-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

USC 56, Arizona 50

USC basketball makes me feel differently than USC football. That is to say Kevin O'Neill's undermanned but tough-as-nails team brings me joy while Pete Carroll's underachieving, arrogant group of rule breakers leave me frustrated.

Now that football season is over (at least for USC after its unimpressive win in the Emerald Bowl) I can now concentrate on basketball. The Trojans have been one of the big surprises of the college basketball season. After struggling in the first eight games (including tough matchups at Texas, at Georgia Tech) USC was 4-4 and all the prognosticators that picked the Trojans to finish ninth in conference looked line geniuses. Following Tim Floyd's abrupt resignation following allegations of paying O.J. Mayo the Trojan program suffered an exodus of talent. Taj Gibson, Daniel Hackett and DeMar DeRozan all bolted early to the pros. USC also lost at least four recruits, including three (Lamont Jones, Solomon Hill and Derrick Williams) to Arizona.

But USC received a boost when Charlotte PG transfer Mike Gerrity and suspended forward Leonard Washington were allowed to play.

Washington brought some much needed depth to a squad that only has a single freshman on scholarship. But it was Gerrity who instantly fixed USC's ballhandling issues. He led the Trojans to an upset win over Tennessee. And since Mike's arrival the Trojans are undefeated, winning the inaugural Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii (including wins against St. Mary's and UNLV) followed by Thursday's victory.

Currently USC's RPI ranges in the 40's and the Trojans are on pace to reach the NCAA tournament, a monumental turnaround for a program that was in disarray only a month ago.

Clippers Are Completely Forgettable

2009-12-21T18:27:00.000-08:00

So much so that SI's Chris Mannix forgot to even write about the team in the latest NBA Power Rankings.

End of the Erik Bedard Era in Seattle

2009-12-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times reports that the Seattle Mariners did not offer arbitration to Erik Bedard, effectively ending the southpaw's baseball career in the Pacific Northwest.

It's been a little less than two years after the disastrous decision to trade future All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder Adam Jones, future All-Star reliever George Sherrill, top pitching prospect Chris Tillman and two more minor league arms.

For that immense haul the M's received a pitcher who won 11 games while throwing only 164 innings. Not exactly what then GM Bill Bavasi envisioned for his frontline starter at the time of the trade, but then again, Bill has never been a great baseball mind. People with more baseball sense argued against the trade and, in retrospect, were proven correct.

As a Mariners fan I was devastated by the trade when it happened. Adam Jones was well on his way to becoming my favorite player. Here was someone who in addition to being immensely talented was homegrown (selected in the first round by Seattle) and wanted to be a Mariner. And while the trade will always be considered a big loss it did create some good -- albeit in a roundabout way. Bavasi was eventually fired and replaced this offseason by new GM Jack Zduriencik, who filled the vacant CF left by Jones (which was filled in admirably by Ichiro in 2008) by acquiring Franklin Gutierrez, who has turned out to be a borderline superstar thanks to his sensational defense.

Two years after the idiotic trade... I'm kinda over it. And I certainly have no ill toward Erik. It wasn't Bedard's fault he was burdened with the unrealistic expectations of 1) pitching like a superstar and 2) being healthy. Yes, it was stupid of him for trying to gut it out while hurt (and injuring himself worse in the process) but that's what professional athletes do. And he certainly was not the surly individual and bad teammate that has been reported by the mainstream media. The guy is quiet and doesn't like to answer inane questions. So what?

If anything I'll remember Bedard for owning Ian Kinsler in his first three pitches as a Seattle Mariner. Hopefully he's still capable of pitching like that for another team. I wish him all the best.

Journey to ESPN Zone: My Experience at the Bill Simmons The Book of Basketball Signing in Los Angeles

2009-11-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

I consider myself a fairly big Bill Simmons fans. I've been following him since the early part of this decade: reading his columns, listening to his podcasts and even watching the short-lived cartoons on ESPN.com. I was really looking forward to The Book of Basketball because my knowledge on NBA history is quite limited. What better way to be educated and entertained myself on this topic than with The Sports Guy, one of the most passionate basketball fans around.

My buddy picked up me shortly before 3 pm and we were off to L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. For those uninitiated L.A. LIVE is directly across the street from Staples Center and home to a wide assortment of entertainment, sporting and dining establishments. It's part of the renaissance downtown has experienced in recent years, bringing ~~white rich people~~ culture to the area.

Anyway, we paid $20 for parking (we needed to stay through the night since we were later attending the Clippers-Hornets game at 7:30, which turned out awful) and walked several blocks to L.A. LIVE. We arrived about an hour early to the book signing and found about two dozen folks (including a lady with a baby) already forming a line outside the ESPN Zone.

And to be honest the next hour was rather uneventful. Mostly people sat on the con. Some read their books, others checked their phones, a few were playing computer games. My buddy and I discussed The BS Report and what was Bill's best column (I vote the farewell to Dooze) among other things.

Some folks at Minute Maid happened to drop by. Evidently they were promoting a new healthy strawberry kiwi drink in a nearby kiosk and decided to hand out free samples. Tasted good.

Someone delivered copies of The Book of Basketball from Barnes & Noble. You can see the two measly cardboard boxes on the trunk. Sadly the armored car was not there to bring in more copies of Simmons' book, though I do believe a U-Haul later arrived with a huge batch.

An ESPN employee later came through the line for those wanting to buy the book on the spot. $27 a pop. Considering The Book of Basketball is available for less than $17 on Amazon I thought it was ludicrous for people not to have purchased the book online. But it's Los Angeles. People throw money away all the time out here.

During this hour-long wait I have to admit I was getting nervous. I really wanted Simmons to write a personal message and was worried ESPN would nix all that after reading some of the stories on Deadspin. Let's face it, the WWL has done worse.

And sure enough when the line began to move at 4:45 the ESPN folks began writing down names on Post-It notes and informing folks that Bill Simmons would not be signing personalized messages. Uh oh. What a huge freaking bummer that would be. I quipped to my buddy that if Simmons couldn't write personal messages I would say, "thanks Mr. Reilly."

Thankfully, it never got to that point. Simmons was, in fact, incredibly gracious and happy to sign and interact with his readers. People couldn't really take pictures with him (only of him) but that's understandable since photo ops would've delayed everything by double.

Finally the moment of truth arrived. I approached Bill with my book and tentatively asked:

Me: "Umm, could you write Screw the Lakers?"

His reply?

The Sports Guy: "Absolutely!"

I have witnesses who can attest to how excited Bill was to my request. All in all, a very cool experience. I've certainly been critical of ESPN and, occasionally, Bill Simmons. That being said the LA book signing went as well as I could expect. Thanks to both for a great time.

Arrogance Drives USC Football to Soaring Highs, Abysmal Lows

2009-11-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

Win forever. Compete.

These are just a couple mottoes Pete Carroll has instilled at Southern California since taking over as head football coach in 2001. And for the most part his laid back yet high intensity persona and philosophy has led the Trojans to 1 BCS Championship, another AP Championship and a plethora of PAC-10 titles and Rose Bowl victories.

But these qualities are also responsible to inexplicable losses in recent years to UCLA, Stanford, Washington and last week's shellacking at Eugene, Oregon to the Ducks. USC football has a swagger that propels the team to blowout wins and supreme confidence even during the most dire of situations (see Ohio State game). But confidence leads to arrogance and arrogance, as anyone who follows ancient mythology knows, leads to ruin.

Arrogance is what led Pete Carroll to skip a field goal attempt at the end of the first half against Stanford two years ago. The Trojans failed to run in the touchdown and the Cardinal later pulled off the monumental upset by a single point. Arrogance also led to the lowest point in Carroll's tenure, a 47-20 beat down against Oregon last week where the entire team was outschemed. Arrogance is Will Harris high stepping in the endzone after an interception during USC's lackluster and lucky 14-9 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday night. He cost his team 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff but was really too busy chatting to the ESPN cameras to care. Arrogance is two Trojan teammates fighting for the game-ending interception. Arrogance is using Joe McKnight as a feature power back. Arrogance is failing to send out a field goal kicker who can go beyond 40 yards.

Swagger and discipline are on opposite ends of the spectrum. And while the Trojans are capable of explosiveness and dominance they are also susceptible to excessive penalties, wretched special teams and questionable playcalling.

Quick Hits

2009-11-01T08:37:00.000-08:00

* So ESPN did in fact fire Steve Phillips, presumably because all the negative attention rather than the actual infraction. Because if the WWL had any sort of structure and discipline it would have canned the former Mets GM before matters got gossipy.

* Good chance USC and Oklahoma will play in San Diego ~~Disappointment~~ Holiday Bowl.

* Jack Wilson, Ichiro and Franklin Gutierrez won Fielding Bible Awards. The worst hitting team in baseball won 85 games. Defense is important.

* So according to "Outside the Lines" Tom Cable has a history of hitting women. Methinks the embattled Raiders coach needs some counseling.

Hugging a Coworker Gets You Fired, Fucking One Gets You a Vacation

2009-10-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

At least at Bristol, Connecticut.

Former Mets GM and current Baseball Tonight contributor Steve Phillips had sex with an ESPN employee who subsequently went crazy when he broke off the relationship. At first Brooke Hundley allegedly hired a woman on craigslist to call Steve's wife. When that didn't work Brooke cyberstalked the family then visited the Phillips home to drop off a letter, prompting Mrs. Philips to call the police. At that point Steve admitted to the affair. He is currently taking a "leave of absence" from the network through the MLB playoffs. Though Steve's vacation is likely encouraged by ESPN there's nothing official to indicate ESPN has disciplined Phillips. Does he still receive benefits? Does Steve get paid during his absence? Counseling?

In July 2006 Harold Reynolds, who at the time also appeared on Baseball Tonight, was terminated by ESPN after hugging a female employee. The company deemed his overall behavior, which allegedly involved female workers on multiple occasions, a pattern of sexual harassment. Reynolds later sued ESPN for wrongful termination and the case was settled.

Now, sexual harassment and consensual relations are two wholly different matters. If Reynolds was too assertive around female coworkers then he was rightly fired. But if that's the case Steve Phillips also deserves the ax. It's an egregious violation of almost every corporate policy for an authority figure (which Phillips is as a television talent) to have sexual relations with a worker. Brooke was a production assistant, sometimes on shows that featured Phillips.

Also Steve Phillips has a history of sexual misconduct. Back in the 1990s he admitted to carrying multiple affairs with Mets employees while he was the general manager.

Steve Phillips had sex with a subordinate, failed to report the laison until it became a dangerous situation for his family and subsequently embarrassed himself, his family and the company in the ensuing fallout. Inexplicably in this case ESPN seems to tolerate such wretched behavior.

Street Fighter II Intro Was a Little Racist

2009-10-04T18:18:00.001-07:00

Football Fans in Ohio had a Bad Weekend

2009-09-13T13:44:00.001-07:00

Michigan 38, Notre Dame 34
The 18th-ranked Fighting Irish mismanage the game clock late and allow Wolverine true freshman Tate Forcier to connect on a touchdown pass with 11 seconds to go.

Southern California 18, Ohio State 15
After being dominated by the Buckeye defense true freshman Matt Barkley and the Trojans march ninety yards in the final minutes to escape the Horseshoe with the victory.

Boise State 48, Miami (OH) 0
The Broncos shut out the RedHawks on the Blue Turf.

Minnesota 34, Cleveland 20
Adrian Peterson gashes the Browns for 180 yards and three touchdowns and Brett Favre earns the win in his Vikings debut.

Denver 12, Cincinnati 7

Seriously?

Dodgers Rotation Not Built for a Championship

2009-09-11T01:40:00.000-07:00

The Dodgers find themselves in an unusual position: worrying about making the playoffs. LA surged early in the season, building a double-digit lead on its punchless division rivals. But following a recent Mets-esque freefall the Blue Crew finds itself only two games ahead of the surging Rockies in the NL West.

While Los Angeles should cruise into the playoffs thanks to a 6.5 game lead over wild card leader San Francisco the team is looking at a short October run thanks to a patchwork starting rotation consisting of an untested Chad Billingsley, the talented but erratic Clayton Kershaw... and then who? The oft-injured Hiroki Kuroda? Randy Wolf, master of the no decision? Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger? Unspectacular Jon Garland? The wretched Jeff Weaver? Resident jackass and swine flu carrier Vicente Padilla?

In the first round the Dodgers will face either St. Louis or Philadelphia. Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Joel Pineiro. Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and J.A. Happ. Either way when playoff rotations slim down to a trio of arms LA will be outmatched in almost every pitching matchup.

A talented lineup and strong bullpen can cover up for a bad starting rotation for the regular season but those same flaws are exposed during a seven-game series... and the Dodgers are going to find out the hard way.

Tyson Advertisement Comes With a Sports Column

2009-09-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

After clicking on today's NFL column by SI writer Ross Tucker this came up:

Give credit to Tyson, this ad campaign is certainly memorable.

Adam Carolla's Epic Rant About ESPN Banning Bill Simmons and Dave Dameshek From His Podcast (UPDATE #3)

2009-09-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

On today's Adam Carolla podcast with Teresa Strasser and Bald Bryan (and with guest Cris Collinsworth) the conversation turned into a giant, expletive-filled rant by Carolla as he accuses the bosses at ESPN for banning his friends (and WWL personalities) Bill Simmons and Dave Dameshek from the show. Here's the blow-by-blow account starting around the 42-minute mark.

Or... you can check out this clip:

Carolla
And speaking of Bill Simmons let me go on this jag for just one second. Bill Simmons is, you know, from ESPN's The Sports Guy. Also Dave Dameshek's on ESPN as well. I think.

Bald Bryan
On the radio.

Carolla
Yea. He does a podcast as well. Bill Simmons and Dave Dameshek have both been banned from doing this show from their bosses.

Teresa
Yea Bill told me. Yea. He said it got too jizzy.

Carolla
“I’ve been banned!”

Teresa
Too much jizz talk.

Carolla
It was too jizz-laden.

Teresa
For ABC which owns ESPN.

Carolla
But here’s the thing. Dameshek got banned from doing this show too. Now let me just say a little something to the retards who call themselves the bosses over there. Now we live in a fucking time where everyone does that “good call, good call, good call.” You’re running a fucking business, okay? This is one of the most popular podcasts on the internet. Your two clients -- Bill Simmons does a podcast. Popular. Probably not as popular as this podcast but popular. And Dave Dameshek does a podcast as well. Not nearly as popular as Bill Simmons but he still does a podcast. Now, you guys generate income via those podcasts. We share the same audience essentially. I mean you know, white guys who don’t have delicate sensibilities, are in their 30’s and like to play fantasy football.

Teresa
Sure there’s no white guy in his thirties who does not read Bill Simmons.

Carolla
And doesn’t like to make fun of a culture or an ethnicity different than his own. We share a lot of the same audience. When I do Bill Simmons’ show I get his audience and when he does my show he gets my audience and so on and so forth. Now, Bill Simmons came on this show and said something last time that may have pissed off way less than one fucking percent of his audience. Way less than one percent. People go one percent? Well, there’s thousands of people that listen to his podcast. I guarantee he didn’t get one shitty letter for every hundred people that were listening to the podcast.

Teresa
Why would his audience care about jizz talk?

Carolla
That’s the whole thing! They’re a bunch of guys who love beer. And the only thing they love more than beer is bone-crushing hits. They love it when LT’s coming around the backside and there’s a compound fracture of Theismann’s shin bone.

Teresa
Yea, he’s not the poet laureate.

Carolla
This is what fucking drives me nuts about these retards and it’s all sports, not just ESPN. They’re so fucking sanctimonious. Look, your audience -- predominately made up of alcoholic gamblers. Who don't pay enough attention to their kids and family and who really would prefer a night with Tom Brady over their own wife sexually. Honestly. And who sit around all Sunday with their like-minded friends and get loaded and make racial jokes and off-color jokes and sexist jokes and misogynist jokes.

Bald Bryan
A lot of fun.

Carolla
Yea, it's a lot of fun. That's what you do. That’s your fucking audience. Stop pretending like they’re not those people number one. I guarantee everyone who reads Bill Simmons’ column or who listens to his podcast or Dave Dameshek’s podcast, column, whatever are not what you call delicate. Their sensibilities are not delicate. They’re not born-again Christians, they’re not Jehovah Witnesses. They’re nothing of the sort. They’re just regular guys and the kind of guys that we spend every Sunday with over at Kimmel’s watching games. You would literally have to lynch someone in front of them to offend them and even then they would probably [inaudible]. That's who you're dealing with. But no, you’re so worried. Well clearly it's overcompensation. Because you’re dealing with a sport where half the guys in the league are criminals and the other half are becoming criminals. They all beat the fuck outta their girlfriends in college and when they got to the pros they ran over someone when they were drunk. They’re completely overcompensating for a violent sport that’s filled with violent people. So they overcompensate and they don’t want Bill Simmons coming on this show. And then they banned Dave Dameshek from coming on this show. And everyone applauds that executive. “Oh that was a shrewd move.” No it wasn’t you fucking retard! You just lost money! Because one guy wrote a shitty letter or five guys wrote a shitty letter you have now alienated the thousands of people who enjoyed Bill Simmons on this show and who are possibly and potentially new ears for his podcast and new eyeballs for his column. And who can generate more income for your shitty company. So whoever made that decision you’re a fucking retard! You’re not a hero you’re a fucking idiot. And whoever your bosses are should be pissed off. Not happy about it. They should be pissed off. Because it’s a fucking business! It’s not a church! It’s not like, "well we have certain standards, we have to make people feel a certain way." It's none of that! It’s a pure and simple business. With shareholders and bosses and CEOs and board rooms and you've made a horrible fucking business decision. Made a shitty fucked up business decision. You’ve taken a couple of voices and put them above thousands of voices.

Teresa
I’d be curious to see who wrote in to complain. If anyone.

Carolla
First off, there could be no one. It doesn’t have to be anyone.

Theresa
Right.

Carolla
Secondly in today's email world it’s so fucking easy just to fire something off and fire it off multiple times. And these people, these lemmings, these pussies they respond to that shit. But the silent majority never gets heard.

Teresa
Right. Now that the dust had settled – or the jizz or whatever. Do you think he could ask his bosses to let him back on if they were to try to keep it a little more PG slash R?

Carolla
I’m sure with time but let’s not forget Dave Dameshek was scheduled to come on this show last week and his fucking pussy hack retard bosses said, “no he can’t come on this show.”

Theresa
What did he do?

Carolla
He is under the umbrella of ESPN and they don’t want any of their family to come on. So genius if you hear this or if anyone who knows this person and wants to pass it along let me send a personal message to you. Dear retard fucking hack. Good. Dave Dameshek, who’s in 59th place on iTunes in the sports column and will never, ever crack the top fucking 25 can now not go on a show that’s perennial top ten show and by the way I do a podcast, so the people who listen to this program are well-versed in the podcast thing.

Teresa
Absolutely. Not only that but Dameshek’s fans listen to your show.

Carolla.
Right. So anyway dear retard who should get fucking fired for making horrible business decisions and losing potentially thousands of dollars for his clients. You are not a hero. You’re an idiot. And if it was up to me I would shit can your pussy weak ass. And by the way is this why you got into the business? To make cowardly decisions based on a couple emails from, you know, Shirley what’s her name and her religious…

Teresa
Phelps?

Carolla
Shirley Phelps. Good luck, you’re a pussy. You’re a pussy. Do you like that? You like when you wake up in the morning and you look in the mirror and see a big fat fucking pussy staring back at you? Does your wife know she's married to a pussy? To you. Does your kids know that daddy’s a pussy? Awesome. Get a job and just become a giant fucking fat pussy. Good! Dameshek can go ahead and languish in 59th place and Bill Simmons won’t get any new ears on his podcast via my show. Great decisions retards. Anything else you’d like to fuck up? Thank you.

Teresa
That’s a rhetorical question. You end there?

Carolla
No, I’m assuming there are more things they would like to fuck up.

Bald Bryan
Long list.

Carolla
Yea I’m looking at the top 25 on iTunes and I don't see Dameshek's or Bill Simmons anywhere on that fucking list but I see my name on that fucking list you fucking pussy retards. All right, anyway. Fucking idiots. Yea find out, tell me where the B.S. Report is and tell me where Dameshek is. All right, he’s number what… 47. All right.

Teresa
You’re generally in top…

Carolla
Top ten. You’re not going to let number 47 on the show and then good luck finding Dave Dameshek and wherever he is on that list cuz I don’t know if that goes deep enough. And I like Dave Daveshek but look I don’t know if he’s in the top 100.

Teresa
Listen I mean I have a pregnancy blog. That is something your fans would be into.

Carolla
Dave Dameshek is not in the top 100. So nice job pussy retard. Fantastic job running your fucking business. Don’t let number 47 and number 147 in on a top ten show.

Teresa
Right. I was just going to say my hits double when I’m on your podcast and I have a pregnancy blog. That’s something that your listeners probably don’t give a fuck about whereas they’d be into this.

Bald Bryan
It’s very niche.

Teresa
It's very niche. Whereas of course your listeners would be into Bill Simmons and of course Dave Dameshek.

Carolla
And well also look, the reality is -- I’m trying to find where Dave Dameshek is. Look, who are we offending?

Teresa
I’m trying to say on the high road! It’s uncomfortable.

Carolla
What about the people that want to see – people love me and Dameshek together and they love me and Bill Simmons together.

Teresa
Yea.

Carolla
Now one percent of the people -- he’s 31 in sports. But that means...

Teresa
That’s good!

Carolla
No, that’s 31 in the category of sports. That’s Dave Dameshek. Let me explain how these categories work. The Hammer is not in the top 100 on Amazon. But if you go to comedy and then you go to sports comedy.

Bald Bryan
Boxing! Predominantly featuring a Nicaraguan.

Carolla
Guys who are mistaken for Jews who do boxing films. All of a sudden I've cracked the top 50.

Teresa
You own it.

Carolla
I own it. Yea. So there you go. And like I said why would you let the 47th and 247th podcast come on a perennial top ten show? Retard, chicken, pussy, cowards. You know what, I’m calling you yellow.

Bald Bryan
After all that?

Carolla
We don’t call men yellow very much anymore but I’m calling you yellow.

Bald Bryan
Yellow or yella?

Carolla
Yella! There you go.

The jizz references are regarding Simmons' last appearance on June 8th Carolla podcast when they along with Donny (Adam's friend and colleague) discuss fake jizz and porn.

Now ESPN, Bill Simmons, adult content and banning have been together before. Last fall Simmons mentioned Christian Sings the Blue (a blog for a male pornstar) and mentioned he'd like to have him join his fantasy basketball league. ESPN squashed that and the part in Bill's next podcast where he explained what happened.

Deadspin and The Big Lead have received emails from Simmons where he denies becoming banned from the show. But Teresa, who discusses meeting Simmons and asking him for writing tips (which led Carolla to start his rant) says Bill told her he was banned. So...

1) Simmons is telling the truth and Teresa is lying.
2) Simmons is telling the truth and Teresa misspoke or misheard.
3) Simmons is lying and Teresa is telling the truth.
4) Carolla is telling the truth or lying about Dameshek being banned.

Regardless what really happened... I'm pretty sure Adam Carolla is now banned from ESPN podcasts.

UPDATE: Dameshek tells Deadspin that he wasn't aware of any ban. Also Simmons chimes in on Twitter. "[Carolla] poured gasoline on a four-inch bonfire."

Four-inch bonfire? Where there's smoke there's...? So maybe ESPN did intervene even a little? Still interested in Carolla's response, which will probably happen Tuesday at the earliest.

UPDATE #2: Deadspin chimes in with excerpts from yesterday's abbreviated (and censored) ESPN chat with The Sports Guy. Simmons again asserts he wasn't banned by ESPN, instead suggesting he hasn't appeared on Carolla's podcast because it's a far drive to Adam's warehouse where the podcast is recorded. Frankly, that doesn't make sense. Simmons and Carolla are good friends and Bill has done the podcast three times previously. Still nothing from Carolla camp. If he does respond I'm sure the sports blogosphere will hear about it...

UPDATE #3: Dameshek, who no longer has a podcast on ESPN and is now on Accuscore, appears on the November 25th podcast and claims another ESPN personality was barred from going onto Carolla's podcast. Dave denies being formally banned from the WWL and says he has no knowledge about Simmons' situation.

Thoughts on the USC Trojans 2009 Football Team

2009-08-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I took in the Trojans mock game where the first team defeated the scout team 36-0. Here's what I think of the USC football team one week away from the regular season:

Matt Barkley, playing for the first time since being named the USC starting QB, showed why he's considered such a premium talent and also why folks question whether he's ready to take the reins. First, the positives. Barkley has a superb arm that can make all the throws. His fastball isn't as strong as his predecessor Mark Sanchez's but it's plenty good enough. And after a rough first snap where he fell down handing off the ball Matt looked confident in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage.

Now for the bad news. His decision making was mediocre and the accuracy just wasn't there. During the first half Barkley threw several passes at the feet of his receivers, including one that would have been a touchdown. He also refused to throw away the ball on broken plays and tried repeatedly to thread the ball in between defenders. When he had to carry the Mater Dei offense during his senior year Matt earned a reputation as a gunslinger who took unnecessary chances and racked up interceptions. Barkley didn't do anything to dispel those notions this afternoon, which is worrisome for a Trojan squad that heads into Columbus in a couple weeks.

Meanwhile Aaron Corp, the three-year sophomore who lost the starting role to Barkley, was definitely the best QB on the field today. He took over for Barkley shortly into the third quarter and was efficient, completing 5 of 7 passes. Corp's skill and savvy also translated into several nice runs on his part, which is something the traditional pocket passer Barkley can't do. Corp wore a heavy brace on his injured leg but didn't show any signs of pain or slowdown. Frankly, a lot of people think he should be leading this team.

Mitch Mustain, the third-string QB for USC, has been sick recently and did not play in the mock game. Fourth stringer Garrett Green looked overwhelmed by the Trojan defense. He led the scout team for the whole game and got shut out. He was often forced to pass on long downs, which provided amble opportunity for the fantastic secondary to swarm all across the field.

It didn't help Green that WR for the Trojans is a position with a lot of quantity but not so much quality. Brice Butler, Brandon Carswell, Travon Patterson failed to seize their opportunities, though true freshman De'Von Flournoy looked promising. USC only has one legitimate threat at the position. It used to have double that but Ronald Johnson suffered a broken collarbone during the mock game and will be out two months. That's a huge blow to the team considering RoJo's replacement in the starting lineup is David Ausberry, who did not play well. David really needs to step up. He has ideal size and can physically dominant defenders. His route running is also above average. But all of that means nothing if he doesn't figure out how to consistently hang onto the ball.

Meanwhile, the other productive receiver on the team was in silky smooth All-American form. Every time Damien Williams touched the ball (including one punt return) there was the possibility of electricity. Fantastic speed and agility. What a thrill to watch him in person.

The running game was rather pedestrian. Joe McKnight, the presumed starter, had a couple promising runs up the middle early on. If he can be more physical and hang onto the ball that makes him one of the best backs in the nation. Those are huge if's. Stafon Johnson ran in a pair of touchdowns from short yardage. C.J. Gable barely played. The most impressive player in the backfield was the one who's been the least appreciated during the past several years of the Trojan RB carousel. Everyone knew Allen Bradford could be a short-yard bruiser but on Saturday he flashed outstanding speed to the outside. I was really impressed by him and hopes he gets the rock quite a bit during his last year at SC. Neither Marc Tyler nor Curtis McNeal were impressive for the scout team. Then agan, they were going up against a tenacious defense.

Taylor Mays was outstanding in the few series he was in. His backup, the always tenacious Drew McAllister, picked off a pass as did backup cornerback T.J. Bryant. Because starting CB Shareece Wright was out safety Josh Pinkard filled in and played well. He's been at SC for nearly forever and is experienced playing in the secondary.

The defensive lines only got decent pressure on the QBs but did superb jobs of limiting the run games. Highly-touted JUCO transfer Hebron Fangupo sacked Corp twice in the span of a few years. DE Nick Perry and DT Jurrell Casey had their names called constantly throughout the game.

USC replaces three senior linebackers with Chris Galippo, Malcolm Smith and Michael Morgan. None of them possess the pizazz of Rey Maualuga or Brian Cushing but they should be solid playmakers.

I was really looking forward to special teams since USC finally, finally hired a coach to fix an erratic and underachieving portion of the program. Sad to say it still needs work. The kicking game was okay. I was expecting big things from JUCO kicker Jake Harfman but he was erratic and botched handling a low punt snap. The other two kickers did nothing special. One even missed an extra point attempt.

The Trojans did their typical horrible job on punt coverage and blocking. On one punt in particular both defenders failed to even block the gunners streaking down the field. This forced McNeal to take a fair catch instead of run forward into a big opening.

Overall I think the USC Trojans have a good shot at reaching yet another BCS bowl. But there's a real chance they might not even win the PAC-10 yet alone the national title. So it seems likely for the first time since 2005 the Trojans will not be heading to the Rose Bowl.

How About You Not Fuck Women Who Aren't Your Wife?

2009-08-26T14:16:00.001-07:00

Slick Rick Pitino rants against the media for its coverage of the Karen Sypher affair. Some choice quotes from the Louisville head coach include:

"Everything that's been printed, everything that's been reported, everything that's been breaking in the news on the day Ted Kennedy died is 100 percent a lie, a lie,"

First of all, way to throw a dead senator into the fray. Classy. Secondly, everything is a lie? Now there certainly is a lot of gray in this whole sordid incident but certain pieces of information are irrefutable. You did have sex with the woman in a restaurant and your equipment manager did eventually marry said woman. Maybe she got an abortion and tried to extort Pitino, maybe not. But blasting your opinions against your lawyer's advice probably isn't a good idea.

"We need to get on with the important things in life like the economy and really some crucial things in life like basketball. It has not hurt recruiting one bit. We will still bring in Top 10 players."

Well then. At least the zone defense lives on.

Quick Thoughts on the 2009 Raiders

2009-08-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

Not that I'm an integral member of Raider Nation or anything but I do follow this topsy-turvy team. Here's a few kernels on the Silver and Black as the preseason lurches to the finish line:

* Overall the quarterback situation is in good shape. JaMarcus Russell looks to be progressing nicely from last season's strong finish. He still gets frustrated easily after a play goes awry but otherwise I've been impressed with his decision making and accuracy. Still more potential than production at this point but #2 is definitely trending up. Behind him we all know what the ageless Jeff Garcia brings. His physical tools are nothing special but the guy has played well and won games for a decade. And behind him Charlie Frye and Bruce Gradkowski battle for the third spot. There's more than a few teams with worse depth charts at the most important position.

* That being said the passing game will struggle. Top receiver Chaz Schilens is out for a month with an injury. He was a tremendous value as a seventh-rounder in 2008 but Chaz has got a way to go before he's a legit #1 WR. No one can assume Javon Walker will be productive. Darius Heyward-Bey looks lost on routes. At least TE Zach Miller is great. Also fourth-round pick Louis Murphy looks promising.

* Oakland might have the best CB combo in the league. Nnamdi Asomugha and Chris Johnson are superb man-to-man defenders. Their physical play will help mask the decent safeties and ho-hum linebacking corps. Raiders could definitely use an OLB upgrade alongside Thomas Howard.

* Run defense is horrible. While the DLine gets good penetration against the QB it's horrific against closing gaps. In a division with LaDainian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles, Larry Johnson an Knowshon Moreno that spells trouble. I have a feeling this will be another season where the Oakland defense has decent numbers against the pass but gives up 150+ running yards per game.

* I fully expect Darren McFadden to be the starting running back -- and deservedly so. While Run-DMC has never had that elite breakaway speed it's his blend of power and swiftness that enables him to rack up the yards. Every now and them I want him in some Wild Hog formations and split wide as well. He's a dynamic talent who needs the ball. Michael Bush as the big back will form a great compliment to Darren. Barring injury (and that's far from guaranteed considering McFadden's toe and Bush missing his senior year at Louisville with a broken leg) I don't expect Justin Fargas to see significant playing time.

* Shane Lechler is one of the greatest punters in NFL history.

All things considered this is an average team with limited upside. That's not even getting into the off-the-field problems with ownership and coaches beating up each other.

There's a lot of big questions that still need to be answered. Can JaMarcus take the next step? Will a patchwork offensive line give him time to thrive? Can McFadden stay healthy? Will Michael Huff finally seize a safety spot? One bright spot is that many of the players are still young and can improve. I think the Raiders are in the range for 4-8 wins. Right now I'd pegged them for five.

Don Ohlmeyer Has Decent Debut as ESPN Ombudsman

2009-08-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today the new ESPN Ombudsman made his debut. Don Ohlmeyer, a longtime television executive, takes over the reins for former NY Times sports editor Le Anne Schreiber. Many sports fans (including myself) feel Ms. Schreiber did a great job during her tenure so expectations were high for Ohlmeyer coming in. And considering the Worldwide Leader's recent coverage (or lack thereof) of two major sports stories the ombudsman had the opportunity to have an immediate impact.

Of course, the stories in questions regarded a pair of off-the-field incidents: Ben Roethlisberger's sexual assault civil lawsuit and the Erin Andrews peephole video (and subsequent fallout). ESPN failed to adequately address these stories (or in the case of Andrews, not at all) and many fans wanted answers.

I've read the ombudsman's first effort several times... and I think he did an okay job. First and foremost Ohlmeyer disclosures his connections to sports and ESPN, most notably the fact his son currently works for the company. It was necessary for him to reveal these potential conflicts. Going forward I assume they won't affect his ability to critique ESPN.

Speaking of critiquing ESPN the ombudsman believes the network should have been more forthright in its coverage and explanation of Big Ben's lawsuit. I don't want to get into specifics (really you should read the entire column) but Ohlmeyer states ESPN has an obligation to actively report the news -- and when it doesn't report certain stories that are readily available elsewhere the audience must be informed the reasons why.

ESPN's reasoning not to initially report the Roethlisberger story is characterized by the network's senior VP and director of news Vince Doria. He states ESPN has a policy where civil suits involving sexual misconduct are not reported unless there is a legal, behavioral or on-the-field connection. As an example he mentions the Ron Mexico incident:

But wait, in fact ESPN ran an AP report about the civil lawsuit.

Why was Vick's sexual misconduct worthy of a story but not Big Ben's?

As for the perception that ESPN tried to protect Big Ben's image (and in turn its valuable contracts with the NFL) I thought Ohlmeyer and Doria both did fine in question and response. Doria rightly points out that ESPN has done a number of TV and online pieces that criticize players, procedures and the league itself. Now, if only ESPN can stop fawning over Brett Favre...

As for the Erin Andrews story... nothing. Not a single word. Granted, this is Ohlmeyer's initial column and he already had his plate full with the Roethlisberger ordeal. Maybe he will write up a piece after she returns to sidelines in September for college football. I am hopeful that Ohlmeyer, who according to his page will provide "independent examination and analysis of ESPN's media outlet," will discuss what happened to Ms. Andrews and its implications with the network and sports media at large.

I wouldn't be surprised if nothing is ever written about the peephole incident on ESPN.com considering the severity of the crime to one of its employees. Can the WWL issue one of its "DO NOT REPORT" memos to someone who's job is to objectively analyze the company?

Sports fans should expect nothing less than excellence from a company with the clout and resources like ESPN. Likewise they need to demand those in charge of keeping the company in check to deliver on their promise. Don Ohlmeyer is off to a decent start but there's plenty of plotlines that haven't been discussed or have yet to be discovered.

Adrian Beltre Suffers Second-Worst Testicle-Related Injury in Mariner History

2009-08-13T16:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday's tense 14-inning, 1-0 win for the Seattle Mariners might have been the last game for Adrian Beltre in a M's uniform. And if it was then it was an awful way to go.

Geoff Baker at The Seattle Times writes Beltre injured his man sack while fielding a grounder last night. The free agent to be, who does not wear a protective cup, suffered tearing (!!!) and internal bleeding (!!!) in his nether region. Adrian will need anywhere from a few weeks to a couple months to recover. Take all the time you need.

Regardless of however long it takes Beltre to get back on the field at least he'll return in full form. Back in 1997 Mariners relief pitcher Josias Manzanillo was struck in the boing-oing-oing by a Manny Ramirez line drive. Josias, who also did not wear a cup, eventually needed surgery to have ONE OF HIS TESTICLES REMOVED.

Moral of the story? Put something hard over your junk while playing with balls.

Erik Bedard, Glass Cannon

2009-08-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

Erik Bedard is likely sidelined for the rest of 2009. He moronically tried to pitch through pain over the last month, which predictably worsened his shoulder. Since the ill-fated trade in early 2008 that brought Bedard to the Seattle Mariners he's been a major disappointment. His numbers through almost two seasons:

30 games, 164 IP, 135 hits, 162 K

Pretty good statistics at first glance. But a closer look reveals that Bedard has been slightly above average at best. While possessing outstanding stuff (including a devastating curve) Erik tries to be precise with every pitch, which leads to nibbling (71 walks) and racking up his pitch count. Take a look at this season's game log. In eight of his 15 starts Bedard has thrown more than a hundred pitches yet he's never gone deeper than 7 innings.

When healthy Bedard is a good #3 or below-average #2 starter. But because he was made and assembled in Canada Erik is only available to pitch half the time.

New Twitter Guidelines for ESPN Will Have Sports Fans Looking Elsewhere

2009-08-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

I joined the Twitter craze a couple weeks ago. I like it because it's a convenient forum to post links and quick thoughts that wouldn't work in blog form. Also Twitter actively creates and encourages dialogue with millions around the world. That's kinda cool too.

A lot of people think Twitter is useful. A lot of people think it's stupid. Some don't know what it is. ESPN evidently wants no part of it. The sports network has severely cut off and censored its employees from social networking. Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com has the entire ESPN memo.

It's a lot of information so let's break down some of the key points and how they relate to Twitter content:

· Prior to engaging in any form of social networking dealing with sports, you must receive permission from the supervisor as appointed by your department head

Obviously SportsNation will keep doing its thing on Twitter. The Sports Guy will probably get clearance to talk as well, but someone like Marc Stein who reports NBA rumors, observations and trends will probably be muzzled to a certain extent.

· ESPN.COM may choose to post sports related social media content

What I'm guessing this means is tweets from ESPN employees will eventually become a hub for two things: personal thoughts and ESPN links. No more sports opinions, sports rumors and sports tangents from folks like Linda Cohn and a lot more of "NBA Preview Roundtable at espn.com/_____" Taking what Ric Bucher said and going a lot further I expect ESPN to add very little substantial sports talk on Twitter.

· If ESPN.com opts not to post sports related social media content created by ESPN talent, you are not permitted to report, speculate, discuss or give any opinions on sports related topics or personalities on your personal platforms

Damage control. Expected but warranted.

· The first and only priority is to serve ESPN sanctioned efforts, including sports news, information and content

Emphasis mine. That first part seems like a directive more fitting for an organization like Ingsoc.

· If you wouldn't say it on the air or write it in your column, don't tweet it

Say goodbye to rumors. Also sayonara to ESPN being the first to break any sports stories. Every major transaction during the recent MLB trade deadline was first mentioned on Twitter by local and national sportswriters. Traditional ESPN reporting was already behind the curve before today's directive. Take for instance the Brett Favre sage over the past two years. Despite ESPN's obsession with the indecisive #4 the WWL has whiffed on both big offseason stories. Last year it was Jay Glazer being the first to report Favre being traded to Jets. Last month it was the Minnesota Star Tribune, which scooped the news that Favre was staying retired.

· Any violation of these guidelines could result in a range of consequences, including but not limited to suspension or dismissal.

The new guidelines certainly have some merits. It holds ESPN personalities to high standards and expects them to avoid some of the slippery and unethical qualities of such an immediate medium like Twitter. That being said, ultimately this guideline makes everyone a loser. ESPN employees, now with a lot less to say about the things they know most about, end up being less interesting and informative. With all the possibilities and personalities on Twitter expect sports fans to turn elsewhere and tune out the WWL.

Atlanta Braves Insist on Getting Nothing for A Lot

2009-07-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

January 19th, 2007 - Traded Adam LaRoche and Jamie Romak to Pittsburgh for Mike Gonzalez and Brent Lillibrdige

July 31st, 2007 - Traded Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison and Beau Jones to Texas for Teixeira

July 29th, 2008 - Traded Mark Teixeira to Los Angeles Angels for Casey Kotchman and Steve Marek

July 31st, 2009 - Traded Casey Kotchman to Boston for Adam LaRoche

Mr. Ombudsman

2009-07-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

We'd like to know a little bit about you for our blogs
We'd like to help you get Walsh to explain himself
Look around you, all you see are disapproving eyes
Browse across the web until you feel the heat

And here's to you, Donald Ohlmeyer
Sports fans read you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)
God help you please, Mr. Ombudsman
Websites hold a place for those who say
(What's in play... hey, hey, hey)

Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes
Shove it in your memo with your QB
It's a little secret, just ESPN's affair
Most of all, you've got to hide it from the kids

Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mr. Ombudsman
Big Ben loved her more than you would show (Wo, wo, wo)
But wait one sec, Mr. Ombudsman
Shannon Brown can't catch the same ol' break
(Equal stakes... hey, hey, hey)

Sitting at the table on a Monday afternoon
Going to the editors debate
Laugh about it, shout about it
When you've got to choose
Ev'ry way you critique it, you lose

Where have you gone, Charlie Hustle
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you (Woo, woo, woo)
What's that you say, Mr. Ombudsman
Schreiber has left and gone away
(Hey, hey, hey... hey, hey, hey)

This Weekend the Indians Treated the Mariners Kinda Like How Americans Treated the Indians

2009-07-26T20:13:00.001-07:00

Brutal. Being outscored 31-6 at home by one of the worst teams in baseball was the nail in the coffin for the 2009 Mariners. Can't complain too much though. Seattle baseball provided me a lot of good memories this summer. But perhaps more importantly it gave hope. Gone are the days of horrific management. No more franchise-crippling decisions. Nope. Don Wakamatsu and Jack Zduriencik bring competence and competitiveness to the Mariners. The future looks bright.

But the present day isn't so cheery. The Mariners are 7.5 games behind the red-hot Angels. Since the wild card era there have been 22 teams with at least an eight-game lead in the division entering August. Only one did not make the playoffs. That was the 1995 Angels and the year of the miracle M's. Fat chance of history repeating itself.

Seattle will be selling. Jarrod Washburn will almost assuredly be dealt. Possible trade chips include Russell Branyan and David Aardsma. Erik Bedard might have been swapped if he wasn't a glass cannon. While any deal will bring pieces for 2010 and beyond we can all but close the book on this season.

Players Suspended by Roger Goodell

2009-07-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for Wikipedia. Because of Wiki there's an easy place to find information on all the NFL players suspended by the commissioner under the league's personal conduct policy.

Since Goodell took over in August 2006 he has punished:

Adam Jones - entire 2007 season
Pacman's various acts of foolishness, culminating with the making it rain strip club shooting, cost him a whole year.

Chris Henry - 8 games
Henry's crimes weren't as severe (DUI, drugs and sex acts with minors) or frequent as Jones'... but that's like saying GM isn't as screwed as AIG. Both fucked up. He was later released by the Bengals only to be resigned by Cincinnati. Henry performed poorly last season and is looking to rebound... along with pretty much everyone else on that team.

Terry Johnson - 10 games
"Tank" had a long history of weapons problems prior to his guilty plea on a misdemeanor charge for illegal possession of handguns. Less a month after the June 2007 suspension was announced the Bears released Johnson. He found a home with the Cowboys and then later the Bengals.

Michael Vick - indefinite
I think you may have heard about this.

Adam Jones - 4 games
Jones was traded by the Titans to Dallas during the 2008 NFL Draft. Like any real Cowboy he found trouble. In October Pacman got into an altercation with his bodyguard. Due to his previous transgressions Jones was suspended once again by Commissioner Goodell. After the 2008 season he was released.

Donté Stallworth - indefinite
In March a drunk Stallworth struck and killed a man with his Bentley. He plead guilty to DUI and manslaughter charges and served 30 days in jail. Additional penalties, including a lifetime suspension of his driver's license, have been levied to the Browns receiver. There is no indication he will be reinstated in the near future.

Now as a free Vick awaits his impending suspension it'll be interesting to see how long Goodell punishes him. Sources say the artist formerly known as Ron Mexico will be sidelined between two and six games -- that is, if any NFL team actually takes the on and off the field risk of signing him.

If the Mariners Were a Sergio Leone Movie Part II

2009-07-21T09:22:00.001-07:00

My midseason look on the Mariners back in 1007 was so good that it's time to bring the format back. Why wasn't there one for 2008? Maybe I was lazy, maybe the Mariners were on their way to losing 101 games as well as their minds.

But 2009 has been a refreshing change for a franchise that needed it. It began in the winter when Seattle hired Jack Zduriencik as General Manager. Zduriencik, formerly in charge of scouting with the Milwaukee Brewers, radically changed the Mariners by emphasizing speed, defense and value. He also brought on first-time manager Don Wakamatsu who has instilled discipline and accountability.

And, looky here, the M's are still in contention. The preseason favorite Angels, despite having suffered through tragedy and injuries, remain ahead of the pack like they're accustomed to. Plus Texas can't be messed with like in years past. But Seattle isn't going away.

While the future remains a mystery let's look back at the 2009 Seattle Mariners a little past the midway point of the season:

The Good

Ichiro Suzuki - His best offensive season in years, excellent defense and psyching out Yankees fans. Once again nothing short of brilliant.

Russell Branyan - Russell is the free agent bargain of the year. He's played at an All-Star level for the Mariners. His power hitting and patience from the left side has been a huge part of the M's offense (sometimes the only part). And his defense hasn't been horrible. It's like he's a Bizarro Richie Sexson... for a fraction of the cost!

Felix Hernandez - Consistency has been the key. No longer is Felix letting his emotions run amok. Again, this is partly a testament to Wakamatsu's demand for accountability. But it's also a huge nod to Felix, whose gameplan and mental toughness are beginning to match his insane abilities. He's a true #1 starter and younger than David Price. Yea, that's scary good.

Franklin Gutierrez - In some backward cosmic way the Adam Jones trade was a good thing. Well, it wasn't but Franklin did eventually become a Mariner as a result. His bat has demonstrated good pop recently, adding to value beyond being an elite center fielder. Mike Cameron 2.0, we love you.

The Bad

Jose Lopez - Rough season for Lopez, who lost a sister last month and continues to struggle at the plate. His power numbers have modestly improved but they've come at the expense of base hits. And while he was never known as a nimble defender his range continues to deteriorate. Seattle may replace him in the starting lineup -- soon.

Ken Griffey Jr. - A lot of nostalgia and walks. Thus describes The Kid's return to the Emerald City. Nobody excepted Junior to start climbing outfield walls and slugging 40 home runs like he used to with the 90's Mariners but... err, I guess we did expect this version of Griffey. The one that's old and creaky at the dish and in the field.

The Ugly

Yuniesky Betancourt - Wait... he's gone? Well, what the hell do I do with my Bizarro Facebook Club dedicated to him??? Damn it, now I have to find a new least favorite Mariner.

Brandon Morrow - He was in The Ugly category two years ago, so it's disappointing to see him here again. Hopefully Brandon and team will finally, finally give him the proper time to develop into a starter. Dude's got a long way to go:

46 IP, 31 BB, 45 K

He's still insanity at 60 feet, 6 inches.

Small Sample Size Alert

2009-07-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

A recent Harris Poll asked U.S. adults to name their favorite MLB teams. Not surprisingly the Yanks and Red Sox top the poll. Those east coast rivals are followed by the Braves, Cubs, Dodgers, Cardinals, Phillies, Tigers, Giants and Mariners (whoo!).

This poll shouldn't be taken too seriously, however. Only 2000 people participated, which is too small to make a lot of declarative conclusions. For example, the Angels came in as the third least-favorite baseball team. I'm sorry but that's just wrong. There's no way that such a successful team with a large fanbase (taking some Dodgers fans with it) is less popular than the Marlins or Nationals.

Worse Pitching Mechanics: Barack Obama or Kenny Powers

2009-07-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Not a very fluid follow through by the president but at least he didn't take out anyone's eye.

Roy Halladay Will Not be a Ranger

2009-07-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

The best pitcher in baseball, Roy Halladay, is on the trading block because... well, Toronto sucks. A friend of The Big Lead concludes the Texas Rangers make the most sense.

Two problems. First, I'm not convinced Halladay would want to play for Texas. He has a full no-trade clause and seems unlikely to want to pitch in a bandbox for a team that's merely decent. Despite being in first place in the AL West the Rangers really aren't that good. Considering how devastated the Angels have been this year it's been a fluky ascent to the top if nothing else.

And secondly, uhh, the Rangers don't have the money to take on Halladay's salary through 2010 let alone give him an extension. They're broke. How broke? The team allegedly received a $15 million loan from MLB to pay its employees. Owner Tom Hicks wants to get out of the sports business and GM Jon Daniels does not expect to add payroll.

The Mets, starting with a package of Fernando Martinez and Mike Pelfrey, make a lot of sense.

Another Horrible Loss

2009-07-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

Mariners closer and shoddy defense blow a ninth-inning cushion? What year is this, 1998?

Show on NASCAR That Emphasizes a Different Kind of Crash

2009-07-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

Got an email from NBC Universal promoting its "Inside Track: Refueling the Business of NASCAR" program that premieres Thursday night on CNBC.

Is Ben Silverman so desperate that he's reaching out to F-list sports bloggers? I kid, I kid. D-list at least. I was mentioned on Deadspin!!!

Actually, this program couldn't come at a better time for me. On Saturday I witnessed the thrilling conclusion of the Coke Zero 400. Then last night I got sucked into a CNBC Original about the airline industry. And I've always enjoyed Darren Rovell's take on sports business dating back to his days on ESPN.

So watch this and support sports-related NBC programming. Who knows? Maybe they'll get the message and bring back John Tesh. One can hope.

ESPN Ultimate Franchise Ranking Sucks at Math

2009-07-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

So ESPN comes out with this year's Ultimate Franchise Ranking which determines the sports teams that offer the best fan experience. The ranking is based on variety of factors including competitiveness, prices and enjoyment.

The Angels came out on top, which isn't too surprising. Artie Moreno, Tony Reagins and Mike Scioscia have done an outstanding job of not only assembling a great team but also building the Angels Baseball brand. Obviously they rank very well in those categories. The Angels also were rated the sixth-best (out of 122) in terms of affordability. The ESPN articles goes on to say that the average ticket to a Halos home game costs $20.05.

Uhh, what the fuck?

I went to an Angels game a couple weeks ago. Let me tell you, their tickets are expensive. Don't believe me? Check out the Angel Stadium seating chart and compare it to Dodger Stadium. Most of the non-ritzy sections at Chavez Ravine are cheaper. In fact, the tickets I got for the Angels game would have been 30% cheaper at Dodgers Stadium!

So the Angels may very well be a fun and competitive team to watch. But affordable tickets? Not really. And as for the Clippers being ranked last? I've been to a few of their games too... and I couldn't agree more with ESPN's assessment.

Thoughts on the NBA Draft

2009-06-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

Another year, another NBA Draft choke full of hilarity.

I'm not crazy about the Thabeet pick, but the Grizzlies have a young and interesting starting five. Thabeet, younger Gasol, Gay, Mayo and Conley. The Thunder also did a nice job of filling out its roster. It'll throw out a lineup of Krstic, Green, Durant, Harden and Westbrook. Lots of upside in Memphis and Oklahoma City.

Why did Sacramento draft Tyreke Evans? He's not a point guard and Kevin Martin is already entrenched at the two guard. The Kings stole Sergio Rodriguez from the Trailblazers and he's much more adept at ball-handling duties. Because, you know, he actually has played the position before.

Every time I step into a room I want Brandon Jenning's introduction. That was like something you'd see before the start of a ladder match at Wrestlemania.

Knicks fans raining boos on Jordan Hill... almost like it was destined. I watch a lot of PAC-10 basketball and he did not impress me at all. Conversely, I really like where DeRozan (Raptors), Holliday (76ers) and Collison (Hornets) went and think they'll thrive. Those guys played in slowdown offenses in college, which hurt their stats. But they definitely have the talent to play.

So Minnesota better deal either Rubio or Flynn. I'm assuming it will... but really after a day when the King of Pop died I'm not sure what to expect.

Amare Stoudemire is off to Golden State. It's happening in July. The Warriors will presumably be left with a starting five of Ellis, Curry, Jackson, Stoudemire and Randolph. Yea, they're no longer an ABA team. They're an ABA team on steroids.

Really like the Gerald Henderson pick by Charlotte. It needed a good shooting guard and one fell right into its lap. And of course the Bobcats picked a local kid. They're like post-graduate basketball for UNC and Duke players.

Next season the Pacers will have the potential to unleash Jeff Foster, Tyler Hansorough, Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Travis Diener. Get your sunglasses because that's gonna be hot. White hot. Caucasian hot. (And I promise I wrote that joke before reading Bill Simmons' diary)

Also, Utah drafted a tall white guy. *gasp*

The Lakers must be taking financial advice from the Suns. The champions are scrimping and saving while contenders like the Magic (Vince Carter), Houston (awesome draft) and Spurs (Richard Jefferson, great draft) are loading up for title runs.

What the hell are the Cavs doing? They need help right now to give LeBron help. Shaq was a nice acquisition but they still have Delonte West and Sasha Varejao as starters. Instead they waste a first-round on Christian Eyenga, who I think will be ready to contribute in 2012 when the King is playing in Gotham.

Robert Sarver's Stinginess Has Cost the Phoenix Suns

2009-06-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

It appears Phoenix is sending the Big Shaq Fu to Cleveland in exchange for... Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic. Yikes. Even though O'Neal is past his prime he's still a productive player, while the same can't be said for either of the players the Suns get back.

Can you say salary dump Phoenix? Of course, this shouldn't come as a surprise. After Robert Sarver bought the team back in 2004 he's been adamant about keeping the team payroll below the luxury tax. Since signing Steve Nash in July 2004 the Phoenix Suns have often pulled moves to pinch pennies, usually involving draft picks.

Look at the following trades made over the past five years:

* traded rights to Luol Deng for a 2005 first-round pick (Nate Robinson) and cash
* traded rights to Marcin Gortat for cash
* traded rights to Sergio Rodriguez for cash
* traded rights to Rajon Rondo, cash and Brian Grant for a 2007 first-round pick (Rudy Fernandez)
* traded rights to Rudy Fernandez for cash
* traded two first-round picks (2008, 2010) to Seattle for a 2008 second-pick

Basically the Suns got somewhere around $10 million to give up those talents. I'm pretty sure the team could use those players right now. Instead it looks like Nash & Co. are on their way to gaining ping pong balls for next year's draft. But oh wait, they traded the 2010 pick too!

Safe to say it's been a disastrous strategy.

Thoughts on the NBA

2009-06-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Lakers. With a fourth title Kobe firmly thrusts himself into the pantheon as the third-greatest guard in NBA history. He has no chance of climbing higher. Or dropping lower really. He'll finish as a Top 15 (maybe 10) all-time player, the fourth-best Laker and nothing short of a legend. I wonder if LA will retire #8 or #24.

And seriously... enough with the bullshit that Kobe matches, will match or even surpass His Airness. It's not happening. Ever. I wrote about this a couple years ago and most of it still stands. But to compare the two just check out their shooting numbers:

Jordan's career FG% .497
Kobe's career FG% .455

Kobe misses around 10% more shots than MJ did. And while .042 may not seem like a huge discrepancy, the difference between MJ and Kobe is the same as the separation between Kobe and Pavlovic. And Bryant plays in an era where defensive contact is minimal (i.e. the refs are extremely whistle happy). Jordan was brutalized by the Bad Boy Pistons along with Riley's Heat and Knick squads.

So Jordan > Kobe. And for the record Kobe > Sasha Pavlovic. Glad we're clear on that. Moving on.

Phil Jackson winds up with the most rings and will probably retire back to his Branch Davidian-esque compound in the wilderness. It's the perfect time for him to leave: he finally passes Red, his hip continues to deteriorate and it appears very, very, very sadly that Tex Winter won't be around the game anytime soon. Never a strong in-game coach but a master of motivational methods and hilarious interviews, Phil will be missed. Hopefully he'll put a engagement ring on Jeanie's finger someday.

As for the future Lakers coach (whether this offseason or in 2010)... one of the favorites is Kurt Rambis, who turned down the Kings job to hold out for this chance. It would be an incredibly risky move since Rambis has extremely limited head coaching experience and the Lakers tend to favor guys with experience. Jim Cleamons and Brian Shaw are also possibilities. As for coaches with experience the name that jumps out is Avery Johnson, who I think would be a great pick if only because I could listen to his voice on a regular basis. A dark horse candidate is Coach K (again), who would receive Kobe's full approval. He came close to playing for Duke after high school and embraced Coach K's during the 2008 Olympics.

Funny enough, a championship could be a really bad thing for the Lakers long term. In order to keep the team together would mean overpaying for Odom and Ariza, neither of whom deserve more than the MLE. It will be interesting to see how much the Lakers will be willing to overpaying. Because Kupchak is such a horrible GM the Lakers are already over the salary cap (hello Bynum!), so spending $20 million a year on those two would really be $40 million. Even Dr. Buss probably doesn't want to spend so recklessly. If Kupchak is smart he'll cut ties with both (Odom because he sucks, Ariza because he'll be overpaid) and pay a high price for Ron Artest, giving the Lakers a tremendous trio of legitimate All-Stars, two of whom are excellent defenders. Yes, Kobe would keep Artest in line. And possibly vice-versa. But that trio would trump any trio in the lead. That's how you create a dynasty. Elite talent.

Most likely though, the Lakers will probably sign Odom and Ariza at a slight discount and look to trade away one or two of their bad contracts -- probably Vujacic. Fisher comes off the books after next year, which gives the Lakers one more season of a mediocre PG duo.

Assuming the Lakers will continue to run the Triple Post Offense next season there are two attributes to look for in a point guard:
- high basketball IQ (which explains why the Smush Parker Experiment failed)
- long-range shooter

Everything else is secondary. Fish excels in the system because it plays to his strengths. And since Farmar really isn't the answer LA should look really hard at drafting a future PG. Luckily for them there's one with those exact qualities... and he's about 10 miles away from Staples. Darren Collison should be the pick. The Lakers should trade up if they have to (and they probably will have to since PGs will go fast). I love watching Collison at UCLA. His stock was really high following his junior year but last season slipped following the arrival of Jrue Holliday and the Bruins' uneven play. Ben Howland runs a very slow and uninteresting offense, so Collison's strengths weren't on display much in 2008-2009. To me he's a real gem and worth a low first-round pick. Bottom line, the Lakers team isn't great and could use multiple improvements. They don't have to settle for one championship and there's too much volatility and not enough talent to simply do nothing.

Speaking of championships... the Clippers. David Stern rewarded Donald Sterling's perchance for Asian women by giving the Clippers the top pick in this month's draft. Blake Griffin should be and will be the selection. His downside is a Carlos Boozer who won't betray blind people and have his mansion remodeled with purple shag carpets by Prince. Yes, Carlos did both those things. Griffin possesses tremendous inside game and an outstanding work ethic. He's like a Bizarro Olowokandi and should develop into a perennial All-Star.

As for the rest of the Clippers... sigh. Unless LA can pull off some miracle trade it's better off throwing away this year to look toward 2010-2011. Hopefully Baron Davis will stay away from Ruby Tuesdays and Zach Randolph will accumulate several more DUIs. At least Gordon and Griffin will form a fun tandem.

And around the league we go:

* Danny Ferry and Mike Brown should both be fired. The Cavaliers had the third-highest payroll in the league this season with LeBron, Mo Williams and piles of crap. That team is so horrifically bungled. Hopefully James will go to the Knicks in 2010 because Gotham is doing some very interesting things...

* My crystal ball says Chris Paul will not stay in New Orleans through his contract. Probably stays through next season but eventually something will happen. It's like the Amare thing but slower. It's building... and when it happens every team should give up the farm for him. He's well on his way as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I saw him in person last year... astounding is probably the best description. I'd have to think about this but if there was a league-wide draft I might take him with the first overall pick. Over LeBron, Kobe, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, all of them. Okay I probably wouldn't but on an average team he averaged 22/5/11/3 while shooting 50%. He might join Kobe in the pantheon one day too.

* Speaking of LeBron, I worry about the mileage he's putting on. 80+ games, 40+ minutes and all the work for Team USA. He's a freak and all but even freaks have limits. Physically there's no question he has the skills to surpass MJ and Magic but will he ever develop a post game and refine his jump shot? Personally I think he'll eventually surpass Kobe but remain behind His Airness and Earvin. Those guys won a combined 11 championships and 9 Finals MVPs. And of course, Michael never lost in the Finals. LeBron already has two losses in the Finals (same as Kobe), so his margin for error is slim to reach the top.

* I hope Larry Brown gets fired by the Bobcats so he can stop wasting his genius on a bad team. Actually he should coach a really bad team and come back to college to lead USC.

* Golden State is an ABA team. Moped Ellis, Biedrins, Maggette, Stephen Jackson, Turiaf, Brandon Wright, Anthony Randolph and possibly an elite PG from the draft. 150 points will be scored multiple times by that reckless Don Nelson crew. ESPN should show this team 50 times next season.

* The Bulls are building one hell of a baseball team with a bunch of guys who can do a lot of things. Too bad that doesn't lead anywhere in the NBA. Trade for better parts Paxson.

* The fact Marko Jaric married and knocked up Adriana Lima is more proof that life isn't fair. Not that I deserve her or anything but neither does Marko.

* Looks like the Spurs era is over, which is a shame. They played phenomenal team basketball and were a pleasure to watch for anyone who appreciates the game. Duncan still has some time left but regardless he's obviously already in the pantheon. 2 MVPs, 3 Finals MVPs, 4-0 in the championship round and one hideous tattoo. Who represented the NBA better?

* I love Barkley but he's been a real dumbass lately. Memo to Chuck: calling your producer a pussy on live TV is idiotic. Also, driving drunk to get a blowjob from a lady that isn't your wife is also idiotic.

* Amare Stoudemire is going to get traded. It's not Jon and Kate bad between him and the Suns, but yea it's not going to work. He's probably gone to the Wizards. I can't believe how badly Sarver screwed up the Suns over the years. It's actually worse than the Clippers in a lot of ways...

Looking back, all in all it was an okay season. Refs were as horrible as ever. ABC coverage has improved immensely in the past few years. Shaq dancing at the All-Star Game was funny. The playoffs extend themselves way too long.

Anyway, time to gear up for the draft. Looking forward to ridiculing whoever picks Jordan Hill.