Winter Classic / Classic Rivalry

For the past six seasons, nothing has flip-flopped more than the infamous "who is better?" question. Is it the playmaker from the 'Burgh or the sniper from D.C.? Sid the Kid or the Great 8? Even though hockey is by far a less popular sport than most in our country, I don't believe any rivalry is more debated. And it is by far the best one that hockey has ever had. Yes, even better than Lemieux or Gretzky. Le Magnifique and the Great One rarely played each other, which left their rivalry much more open for debate and was a bit of a guessing game. Not the case with these two. They are in the same conference and we get to see them play all season. Plus, they have played in a playoff series against each other. Another thing that makes it great is that these two guys genuinely don't really like each other. Which, as far as I'm concerned, is the most important ingredient in any real rivalry. Rarely do two players, who came into the league together, compare so closely. They are so different, on the ice and off, in character as well as playing style. Sid is cool and collected while Ovechkin is wild and charismatic. Sid is quiet, Ovechkin is loud. Sid is the Beatles, Ovechkin is the Stones. Polar opposites, but so comparable. In their six years in the league, they have EXACT same amount of points for God's sake. They are both ultra-competitive. They legitimately want to be "the best".

Okay, now I'm going to be biased and tell you why Sid is better. Until this season, it was always a toss-up. But Sid is playing out of his mind and Ovie is having by far his worst season. Their teams are following suit. The debate is over... for now. Although their talents are comparable, Crosby has proven to possess a winning pedigree that Ovenchkin simply does not. Crosby has been playing for, and winning championships since high school. He has captained two Stanley Cup Finals teams. The first lost to powerhouse Detroit. The second got their revenge a year later, making him the youngest captain in history to hoist the Cup. Oh and he has an Olympic gold medal too. On the other hand, Ovie has been a loser at all levels. He has a gold medal from the '03 World Juniors, but he was 16 and was not a leader on the team, and he has an '08 World Championship gold... from a tourney that Crosby did not play in. Sid was busy leading his team to the Cup Finals while Ovie was already sent packing. Which bring me to their respective team's playoff records. Sid's Pens are 38-24 with two trips to the Finals. Ovie is 13-15 which is not totally awful, but they have only won one series out of four. Ovie's Caps also blew a 3-1 series lead to the Pens and he is 1-3 in game sevens. Sid shines brightest at the biggest times, where it seems Ovechkin takes it all upon himself and crumbles under pressure.

I think you must next look at the all-around play of each guy. Obviously they both play on the power play. But sid has a regular shift on the PK where Ovechkin does not. This should hurt Sid's +/-, yet this yer he is a +16 where Ovie s a +8. Sid has also improved his face-off percentage from 45% in 05-06 to 56% in 10-11. That's about 200 more faceoff wins per season. On top of this, Crosby is a much better defensive player that Ovechkin. A lot of this has to do with the fact that he is a center and Ovie is a winger, therefore it is in Sid's job description. But he has learned in just a couple years what it took guys like Sakic and Yzerman much longer to realize - the importance of defense. They did not become the all-around player that Crosby already is until much later in their careers. Because of this, Bylsma is able to put Crosby's line up against opposing top lines, simply because he is so good on both ends of the ice.

Another thing that we have to take into consideration is the fact that they have similar numbers year in and year out, but Crosby does it with less talented linemates. In five of six seasons Sid has outscored both of his linemates combined. Ovechkin has only done it twice. Ovie's linemates have 733 points in those six years, where Sid's only have mustered 389. And even despite this, Sid still has a higher career points-per-game average.

Age is another factor. Sid is two years younger than Ovechkin and has four less years of professional experience because Ovie played four pro seasons in Russia before joining the NHL. Sid's game is constantly improving where Ovie's seems to have stalled for now.

Style of play is another important component that falls in Crosby's favor. Sid makes everyone around him better. Ovechkin makes everyone around him irrelevant. He hogs the puck, takes bad shots, and tries to do it all himself when things get tough.

While Crosby has taken the indisputable lead in this race, it is by no means over. If and when Alex Ovechkin makes the effort to become a better all around player, and learns to use the extremely good players around him, he and the Washington Capitals have the potential to become an even more dangerous team. And Ovie might be considered the better player. Until then, no one can deny that Sidney Crosby is the best player in the world. Bring on the Winter Classic

Forget Spaeth, Arians Really Dropped The Ball

First off, I am far from a professional football coach. But the problem for Pittsburgh is, it seems Bruce Arians is too. The obvious play call that I am referring to is his genius shotgun draw in our own end zone that ended up going for a Jets safety and ultimately sealed our defeat. Anything but a safety, man! There are so many things wrong with this play, and it seems to me that anyone with the slightest sense of offensive football would know that. First of all, we are the Steelers. We play power football, so go under center, turn around and hand it to your running back. Second of all, that running back should be your horse that went for over a hundred yards, not Mewelde Moore who touched the ball four times all game. Thirdly, run a play where your big boys up front power block straight ahead. You certainly don't pull a guard and try to trap block with a debilitated offensive line, that up until that play had overachieved all game. They avoid that safety and we can go for a field goal to tie on that final drive instead of needing the touchdown. Man, this guy sucks. But aside from this moronic play, there was so much wrong with the Steelers offense yesterday that I honestly don't know how Arians made it into the locker room without being fired. What was up with all the passes to Matt Spaeth? In case no one noticed in the last three years, he stinks. He catches five balls a year, he's slow and he can't block anyone. And after yesterday we might as well throw in the fact that he can't catch. He was targeted nine times against the Jets. Heath Miller has only had that many targets one time all season. Spaeth now has as many touchdown catches as Heath Miller this season, one. And Matt Spaeth, you are no Heath Miller. We don't throw to one of the best tight ends in the league all season, but we throw to our bum of a backup nine times?

Meanwhile, we have a guy like Hines who only had three passes thrown to him all game, none of which were in the red zone, where he is third among active receivers with 47 TD catches. Makes sense. I wouldn't throw it to him either. Apparently he can't find the end zone.

Another stat that I found interesting was the fact that the Steelers were carrying the ball for 6 yards a pop, and throwing it at the same clip. Yet we threw the ball 44 times and only ran it 25. What happened to the power football playing Steelers? We have struggled to find a consistent running game for weeks, then when Mendenhall is running like a horse, we abandon it. In case they don't know, six yards a run is good, six yards a pass is not.

And finally, I am going to bitch about ol' Mike Tomlin a little bit. What happened to the swashbuckler that used to go for it on 4th down once in a while. In the first quarter, we punted from the Jets' 34 yard line on 4th and 5. It would have been a 52 yarder for a guy who hasn't missed a kick yet in the black and gold. Or maybe sack up a little bit and try to take control of the game early. The punt was returned to the 22, a 12 yard difference. Not much faith in the defense anymore or what, Mike?

I'm not usually one to believe that one guy can make a difference in winning and losing in a sport like football, but if Troy Polamalu were in the lineup, the Steelers would be 11-3. The Sanchize was floating and fluttering balls all over the field and no one seemed to want to go after them. Troy would have had a pick or two and also never would have missed the sack that Mundy whiffed on on third down of one of New York's scoring drives. If anyone in the league can be labeled a difference-maker, it's Polamalu. Good news for us, Mike Tomlin's injury update was optimistic for not only Polamalu, but also potentially Aaron Smith to be back for the playoff run, that we somehow clinched with a loss yesterday.

On a good note, the Steelers have only lost to the Jets, Pats, Saints, and Ravens, four good playoff teams. Problem is, that's who you play in the playoffs. The Steelers should cruise through their last two cream puff games and take the #2 seed and home field advantage, and hope someone else beats the Patriots (don't even act like you think we can beat them). But the emphasis on that statement is "should cruise", you never know what kind of losing game plan Arians can whip up for 2-12 Carolina.

Wannstedt Fired.... er, uh Resigns

So Dave Wann-stache will announce his "resignation" tonight. And can I just say, Thank God. Not that he's a bad guy, but because he's just not a good football coach. Plain and simple, the Panthers didn't win enough games under Wanny. They never really had a bad season, but they couldn't get over the hump. They underachieved annually, and couldn't make it to that next level. The program is in the exact same spot it was in 6 years ago under Walt Harris. Pitt has been in neutral while programs like Cincy under Brian Kelly, WVU under Rich Rod, and Louisville under Petrino passed them by. To be fair, Pitt has won 26 games in the past three seasons, not horrible. but the fact remains that Wannstedt was a big-game failure. I bet off the top of their heads most Pitt fans can name at least four or five bad losses in big games, without being able to name one signature, big-game win. And 13-9 against WVU doesn't count. That game was more about knocking WVU out than actually accomplishing anything for their own program. Despite having the best talent and facilities in the conference, they have not won an outright Big East title under Wannstedt. Not that they didn't come close. This is where those big-game failures come into play. They had it in the bag in '08 but lost to Cincy. They were in the top 10 last year and fell in the Backyard Brawl in the last minute, then lost to Cincy on a missed extra point. This season, as mediocre as it was, still would have resulted in a BCS berth if they had beaten either UConn or WVU, but they lost to both and finshed 7-5 and are playing in the Compass Bowl, whatever the hell that is. All the better, Pitt would have been embarrassed in a BCS game. How would that have helped recruiting? Probably about as much as getting blown out at home by WVU on national TV did this year. If ever there was a year that Wanny couldn't lose the brawl it was this one, especially in the fashion that they got trounced, with top recruits in the crowd. Honestly I'm kind of tired of hearing about what a great recruiter he was anyway. If they had so much talent why did injuries doom their season? Where is the depth? Why did this great recruiter never land a phenom at the most important position? I think a great recruiter would have gotten a marquee quarterback at some point. Maybe Terrelle Pryor. You have to land that Dorsett or Marino type local talent. You can't let that guy go. Look at his recruiting tools. The best facilities in the conference, an NFL stadium, an automatic BCS qualifying conference, and they practice right next to the Steelers. Yet the best we get is Stull and Sinseri. Come on, Dave.

With all that being said, Wannstedt was still on solid ground coming into this year. He signed an extension after a 10 win season last year and was picked as an overwhelming favorite to win the Big East. They were a preseason top 20 team. They came in flat on a season that only they, themselves could doom. And they did just that. If ever the Big East was more winnable than 2010 I can't remember it. But here we are, playing Kentucky on january 8th while a basketball school is repping the Big East in a BCS bowl. He lost the Pitt fans, and this year's Backyard Brawl was the icing on the cake for his dismissal.

Now it's not all bad. Wannstedt did a lot of good for Pitt. He was a great ambassador to the program and obviously has a deep love for the University of Pittsburgh. Nothing shows this more than the fact that he wants to stay in the athletic department, even after being canned. He took Pitt to three straight bowl games but just couldn't ever get things going enough. He's a good guy, but the fact is he wasn't the coach to get the program over the hump. To sum up Wannstedt in one word: underachiever. I'm just happy to see Pitt isn't taking the easy way out and sticking with a guy they know can't cut it just because he's under contract. For once they aren't accepting mediocrity, and I have to praise them for it.

Sometimes It's Okay to Laugh

If anyone happened to watch the Monday nighter last week, and actually still had the game on in the 4th quarter, then you saw the moment when the cameras caught Cardinals QB Derek Anderson sharing a smile with one of his O-lineman while getting shit-stomped by the Niners. If you didn't see it then, you definitely have seen it since, as well as the post game presser tirade that ensued. Jon Gruden felt it necessary to call out Anderson and question his competitive drive on national television, and then some moron, who I highly doubt was ever an athlete, badgered Anderson repeatedly after the game about the topic until the QB finally lost his cool. This is yet another one of the instances in sports where I really wish people would just kindly shut their cake hole because they obviously don't know the first thing about being an athlete. I will say this first and foremost, there is not a quarterback in the NFL who is not fiercely competitive. I highly doubt that Derek Anderson is any different. I'm sure this dude takes pride in his job and his performance, and he knows that the wins and losses generally fall on his shoulders. So he and Deuce Lutui shared a light moment in the midst of an ass-kicking. It happens. Would you rather he be crying or firing a Gatorade bucket on the sidelines. Yeah, Anderson was playing like shit. Do you think he didn't know that? Maybe his buddy did what normal people do when their friend is having a bad day... tried to cheer him up a little and have a laugh. This isn't a crime, it's a non-issue.

The main reason for this non-issue is a guy I thought I liked, Jon Gruden. But now I feel he is nothing more than a blowhard football robot who thinks a loss in the NFL is the biggest tragedy one can imagine. Yeah, he knows his stuff, but now I'm convinced he will throw players under the bus. And if he did it to Anderson on national television, imagine what he was like to his own players behind closed doors. But Gruden's Freudian moment of psychology only got the ball rolling for some other unathletic dick. That dick is Kent Somers. Heard of him? Me neither. But he pointed questions at Anderson and made it sound like the QB thought losing was funny. Does anyone who knows shit about sports really think he was laughing about the game or his performance? Of course not. But this putz who spends 18 hours a day hunched over his laptop studying stats apparently does. I love when journalists think they know what it takes to be a good athlete, or the way an athlete should behave. If this guy thinks that Anderson's laughing says something profound about his will to win then he is a complete idiot. Instead of just being realistic and assuming that these guys just saw or said something humorous, we question a guys character. And because it was pushed too far, a grown man was pushed to lose his cool and drop shit-bombs all over TV. So now the made-up media perception of Anderson is not only that he doesn't care about losing, but also that he's a hot-head. What do they wanna do now, run his ass out of town? I think maybe some of these other so-called experts need to learn to laugh it off a little.

A Rivalry for the Fans, Not the Pundits

I consider myself a thinking man with an intellectual approach, and in the realm of sports and life alike I am a stats man.  I look at the cold, hard facts instead of convention.  Punt on 4th down at your opponent's 45?  Not a chance, the numbers are obvious.  Field goal from the 1?  Please.

The pundits talk about the Colts-Patriots rivalry as the greatest in the game, and I must agree to a certain extent.  With arguably the best coach-quarterback combination in history (Belichick/Brady) facing off against Manning, the closest thing to General Patton to ever put on the pads, it is always a great game to watch.  High scores, long passes; it's the definition of efficiency and finesse.  But I'm no Colts fan, and I'm certainly no Pats fan.

I appreciate the tactics, the strategy, and the cold, machine-like efficiency, but I'm a Steelers fan.  Rivalries aren't about finesse.

Rivalries are about pain.  Rivalries are about knowing the guy lined up six inches away and breathing through your facemask hates you, wants to break you in half, and eat your children with Mike Tyson sauce.  It is for this reason that the Steelers-Ravens rivalry is far and away the best and most entertaining in the league.

This Sunday Dec. 5th our boys in black and gold head back to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore to continue the rivalry, avenge the loss from early October, and take control of the division.  If the Ravens can out-muscle the Steelers in this one, they'll be in undisputed control of the division at 9-3 (to our 8-4) with a sweep of Pittsburgh for the season.  Our only hope would then be a likely wild-card spot and a third try at our nemesis in the playoffs.  Of course, we don't play in the NFC, and there's no playoff guarantee with 8 wins.  With the Chargers and Chiefs going strong in the West, the loser of this game could get pushed out of the playoff picture very easily.

It's been a wild n' crazy season for just about everyone, and the Steelers are no exception.  For example, the 9-2 Patriots got their asses handed to them by the lowly Browns in week 9, then rebounded to embarrass our Steelers in week 10.  It's pure guesswork at this point.  However, all things considered, the Steelers have certainly remained stable.  We've beaten the teams we should (Browns, Bengals, Bills, etc) and even put away a few contenders early (Falcons, Buccaneers).  Our problem has been when the big boys come to town, including those bastards in purple.  With a Big-Ben-less loss to the Ravens, and a couple more to the Patriots and Saints, we have yet to prove ourselves as actual league contenders.  The game this week is our proving ground.

To the winner: bragging rights, control of the AFC North, and a shot at home field advantage.
To the loser: A black eye, a seat at the kid's table, and a shot at a wild-card berth.

Despite the litany of injuries, the Black and Gold should be able to pull this one out, though it will be close.  Baltimore's Run D is a shadow of its former self, and Mendenhall should continue the stampede he started a couple weeks ago.  Expect big plays out of the two best Safeties in the game (Polamalu, Reed), expect some cool throwback uniforms, and expect about $50,000 worth of fines for Harrison sometime next week.  And please, for the love of Tomlin, there better be some long bombs to Wallace.  Prediction: 26-20 Steelers.

-Dan Gleeson-Prata

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Playoffs Would Only Cheapen the Regular Season

Rarely do I agree with anything regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, so it came as a shock to me that the University's president is echoing something that I have been saying for weeks, if not months. OSU pres E. Gordon Gee, who was formerly president at WVU, Colorado, Brown, and Vanderbilt, says that TCU and Boise State, even if they run the table, do not deserve a shot at the national title. Thanks dude, you're singing my song. And why have I been saying this? Because playing in one of the big conferences, like the SEC, Big 12 and Big 10, is a full-on brutal schedule. It's not one big game at the beginning of the year like Boise played against Virginia Tech. They think one game in front of 80,000 people in a hostile, road-game environment makes them legit. You know that they call that in the SEC? Saturday, every stinking Saturday. Gee quotes, "Well, I don't know enough about the Xs and Os of college football. I do know, having been both a Southeastern Conference president and a Big Ten president, that it's like murderer's row every week for these schools. We do not play the Little Sisters of the Poor. We play very fine schools on any given day. So I think until a university runs through that gantlet that there's some reason to believe that they not be the best teams to be in the big ballgame." THANK YOU! He could not be more right. It's asinine to think that teams who generally play the likes of Idaho and Wyoming belong in the big game. You can give me a one-loss Bama team that wins the SEC any day. Why should teams like Boise and TCU get to play grown up football with a JV schedule. You can't ask for that company when bowl season rolls around when you don't play it all year long. Boise can move to the Pac 10, and TCU can move to the Big 12, and if they still go undefeated then I'll be convinced that they belong. Until then, go play Fresno State.

This is also why I am one of the few believers that the BCS is better than a playoff system. The BCS is not designed to make all the bowl games exciting. It's made to do one thing: put the two best teams against each other for the national title. Guess what, ol' E. Gordon agrees with that too. "It's not about this incessant drive to have a national championship because I think that's a slippery slope to professionalism," he said. "I'm a fan of the bowl system and I think that by and large it's worked very, very well." Yes it has. Well said sir. Going to a playoff grossly decreases the chances of the two best teams playing for the title. Say the playoff has eight teams, four on each side of the bracket. Then, let's say a couple teams get upset and both four seeds are playing for the national title. Who wants to see the presumably 7th and 8th best teams that season play for the title, when they are clearly not the best teams in the country. The BCS has 4 criteria, three of which are a major factor in assuring the two best teams play each other. First is wins and losses, which is about the only argument that teams like TCU and Boise have. They run the table against teams that are generally... well... shitty. Which brings us to number two, strength of schedule. Ahhh, there it is. That's your dagger mid-major schools. You don't play anyone good, so we don't care that you never lose. Boise State's SOS is 80th and TCU's is 84th in the country. Auburn and Bama's SOS are 19th and 9th respectively, and LSU's is 11th. You couldn't hang in that conference, I'm sorry. Texas is 13th and Oklahomma is 4th. Yup, you'd get killed in the Big 12 too. I could keep going but why bother. Point proven. Not that it's even necessary to the argument anymore, but opponents strength of schedule is third, which makes even less of a case for you. So, if you go undefeated and end up #3 again, that's just too bad. Of course if you did play in the SEC or Big 12 we would probably never have this conversation because you'd probably be the third or fourth best team in those conferences with at least 3 losses a season. So if you want to play with the big boys in January, you have to play in a big boy conference. Until then, we'll never know if you can really hang. My guess is, you can't.

Totally Ri-Vick-ulous

Mike Vick has been like watching a video game this year. Ever since he took over for injured Kevin Kolb, he's the number one QB in the league in just about every category. He's a legit candidate for MVP. He has downright owned every team that has lined up against him this year. So why aren't people loving it? I'll tell you why, because for some reason the majority of sports fans are, for lack of a better term, assholes. They have this made-up subjective criteria for who they deem "acceptable". Could anything have been more predictable than Vick's success directly leading to fans turning into smug pricks. People say, "I'd be ashamed if he was MY quarterback", or "I wouldn't want him on MY team." Really?(Read some message boards, this stuff is actually being said.) These people can't be serious. I can't stand uppity fans who think that no matter how good Vick plays, he's not acceptable for THEIR team. It's the most ridiculous logic I have ever heard. Stop pretending you're his mom. If you are watching sports because you want the athletes to be good people then you better stop watching, because guess what boss, YOUR team isn't stocked up with the most perfect, moral citizens in the universe either. These folks just happen to know more about Vick's transgressions than others. You might be a Dolphins fan and say you would never want him on your team, but you have no clue if there's some jerk ON the Dolphins who is a way worse person than Vick. Maybe Chad Henne throws kittens in his wood chipper. How the hell do we know? Trying to apply any ethical standard to sports is just plain stupid. We don't strictly root for the guys who spend time at children's hospitals or don't cheat on their wives. If this was the case Jeff Reed would have been every one's favorite Steeler. Obviously we like those guys more, but if the biggest dick on my team does his job, I cheer for him too. But seriously stop trying to boost your own self-esteem. You're just tricking yourself into thinking your a good person because you don't cheer for guys like Vick, or that YOUR team would never dare employ such a horrible guy. It's a crock of shit. If Vick were a Steeler right now and playing the way he is, I'd be rocking that Vick black and gold jersey every week. Why try to make a stand when the dude is lighting up the whole league like a Christmas tree? Enjoy it, because he has proven he can do something totally idiotic at any time. But so could anyone else on the team. I don't know them personally. And to assume that Vick is the only bad person in the league makes you an ignorant dip shit. Give the guy a break. Ray Lewis killed a couple dudes, and I'd take him on my team too.

Maybe We Don't Have It So Bad

Alright Steeler fans, I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but you are the most spoiled fans in pro sports. Listening to Pittsburgh sports talk radio this week has been ridiculous. I have never heard so much bitching and complaining... over a win. Yeah, try not to forget we won. We're also 6-2 and widely considered one of, if not THE, best team in the league. AND with our $102 million QB suspended for the first four games. 3-1 with him, 3-1 without him. So why are we complaining so much? I know everyone hates Bruce Arians and could do a much better job. I hear it all day long. And our kicker is terrible too, so I hear. I mean I'm guilty of it occasionally as well but let's try to keep this in perspective. Only one person needs to trust Bruce Arians and that is Ben Roethlisberger, and he obviously does. If he comes out and passes a lot then everyone complains that we don't stick to "Steeler football". If he runs a bunch then he is playing it too safe. The NFL is a damned if you do, damned if you don't business, and Pittsburgh is a prime example. Granted, this team definitely has its flaws, and a couple of our wins could even be considered lucky as of late. But as the old saying goes, a win is a win is a win. Sometimes the offense wins one for you, sometimes the defense wins one for you, and sometimes special teams and a trick play wins it for you.

As far as Jeff Reed goes, obviously his percentage is down a little, but he has not missed a kick inside of 40 yards. Reed is 14 out of 20 on the season which is not horrible but keep in mind two of those misses were over 50, one of which was a 56 ayard attempt at the end of the half. The problem is that he has missed big, important kicks thus far, like Baltimore, New Orleans, and just Monday night in Cincy. But to the people who think he should be shipped out of town, I think you are forgetting some important points. First, he has an 82.2 career percentage and hasn't been below 87% for a season since '06. That's nine years in Heinz Field, a place that makes kickers quake in their mis-matching shoes. Also, he is about the only guy who can bang them through in December and January at the Big Ketchup Bottle. And if that is not enough for you, he's fun. He's a drinker, a public pisser, and a paper towel dispenser abuser. Get off his back, the season is only half over. You'll forget all about this when he is kicking cinder blocks into gale-force winds when its 4 degrees in the 'Burgh. Think Mike Vanderjagt can still do that?

Since Skippy and B.A. are not worrying me, I will tell you my concerns. Other than Ike, our corners can't cover their own bed. It's like Bryant McFadden is being taught to run four steps behind the receiver he is "covering". And when Troy guesses wrong, that can be trouble.

The O-line is hobbled and that's never good. Starks isn't a Pro-Bowler, but he's the best we have by far. If Kemoeatu is out for any period of time things could get shaky. Thank God Pouncey's injury was nothing serious. Could be an interesting week or two up front until we get it all figured out.

With Aaron Smith out, the outside pass rush may suffer. Smith takes up two blockers at all times and allows Woodley to get free on the outside. With Smith out, Woodley will draw some double teams allowing the other team to roll away from James Harrison. The good news for us, we have Dick LeBeau and he will figure out how to get around this. I noticed they lined up Harrison and Woodley on the same side a couple times the other night against Cincy.

Even with all that being said, I'm pretty sure we are still tied for the best record in football. We have a very good, if not great, defense, an elite quarterback, a feature running back in the making, and perhaps the best possession and speed receivers on each side of the field. So cheer up. I mean did you see the Bengals on Monday? They're a train wreck. That could be your team. So Spanky from Blawnox,leave Mark Madden alone. It's all going to be alright.

Don't Be THAT Guy

I used to swear I would never do it. I had an affiliation to my Steelers and nothing could make me cheer for others. I avoided it like the plague, but eventually I gave in... to fantasy football. Now I'm THAT fantasy guy. Endlessly scouring free agency and watching the waiver wire. Spending hours deciding on a lineup, only to lose sleep over whether I started the right guys or not. I am that guy, the one who leaps off the couch for a first quarter field goal by a kicker in the NFC West. The guy who checks the injury report to see how long a guy will be out. And if that's not available fast enough I'll check WebMD and see how long it takes turf toe to heal myself dammit. Why do I stress so much? A few reasons: 1. I'm competitive and I don't like to lose, 2. I am in a league with nine friends and myself, so there is always trash talk and bragging rights, 3. In the words of Randy Moss, "Straight cash homie." That's right, I want to win that money. But I have noticed that my hobby has turned into my mania. At one time, I would watch the Steeler game and then have a productive Sunday. Now I annoy the wife with constant flipping between the one o'clock games, then watch the 4 o'clock game, then the Sunday nighter, and the sometimes crucial MNF (this week I was down 17 going into Monday night and Arian Foster picked up 22, and a win). No wonder I named my team after the guy (Foster's Arian Nation). I was fist pumping like the Situation when he put up those numbers. And then it hit me, I was way too excited about a Colts Texans game. But that's what fantasy football does to you. Thank God I don't have Sunday Ticket or the RedZone channel or I'd probably be divorced already. I couldn't even peel myself away from the TV to answer the door for the trick or treaters... "Honey, can you get that? Jay Feely is attempting a 32 yarder." God, I'm sick.

I started out thinking I would just do it to occupy myself, you know, for laughs. I refused to become obsessed. Well, that didn't last. This year we had a live draft party and there I was with my own laptop and my homemade cheat sheet, three different color highlighters, and one serious problem. I actually had guys in my head that I knew I would take if they were still on the board in the 14th round. Tell me that's not ridiculous. But if you don't go all in, you get your ass beat, as I found out in my first season. And I wasn't going to let that happen again. I research, I add and drop, I maul the waiver wire for every last drop of talent I can get. But there is the part of me that thinks it just might ruin the games a little. My favorite team lost? My favorite player had a bad day? That should really bother me, but now it's "who cares, I don't own them." I go to the bar and everyone is cheering for the Steelers, as am I. But I'm secretly hoping they can win without any major contribution from Rashard Mendenhall because he's playing against me that week. It sucks. And sometimes it can be just plain confusing, especially to the wife. "Babe, why are you cheering for Maurice Jones-Drew, but against Mike Sims-Walker? Aren't they on the same team?" Honey, you obviously just don't get it. It's a sweet misery that only the fantasy freak can relate to. So this year, she decides to get involved in an all girl league. What a waste. It's honestly proof that fantasy football was made for men. Men like to give each other shit, girls don't. We like to taunt each other and nothing presents that chance better on a Tuesday than downing one of your boys in fantasy over the weekend. One good thing that came from it, though, she at least understands what I'm talking about now. She doesn't share my mania, but she is starting to get it. Besdes, you don't get to be 7-1 without a little addictive obsession, right?

Sorry Folks, The Yankees Aren't Playing

The Giants and Rangers are like a breath of fresh air to me. This series is going to be ridiculously sick, and I personally think it's nice to see two fun, young, exciting, and most importantly, DIFFERENT teams playing in this year's World Series. But it seems I am in the minority. Apparently "baseball fans" are disappointed in what this season has boiled down to. That being two terrific and deserving teams playing some top-notch baseball. Why would we want to see that? I mean who in their right mind wants to see a series full of pitching duels, clutch hitting, and great defense. Sounds awful, apparently. Tonight two of the best pitchers alive are going to toe the rubber and most people won't watch. Not just ordinary people, baseball fans won't watch. I think the problem is that there's no villain, no one to hate, in this series. Each team took out the Goliath of their respective leagues. We were cheering for both of them last week, how do we pick one now. There is no one to cheer against. A fan either wants a team to pull for, or have the chance of relishing a losing performance of a team they loathe. Even if the team you hate wins, it gives you all the more reason to hate them and their fans even more. But not this year. We have two evenly matched, likable teams. What a bummer.

I am respectfully disagreeing with the sentiment of my fellow baseball fans. I think this has the potential to be one of the most extraordinary series that I have witnessed. It will be a refreshing change to see the energy and passion these guys bring to the field. Won't it be a welcome change from the usual powerhouse teams with their ho-hum, "I already have 4 rings" attitudes. It's going to be thrilling. The fresh faces of electric players like Lincecum and Andrus replace the Pettites and Jeters of past years. There are Cy Young winners on the hill as well as MVP caliber players like Josh Hamilton swinging the lumber. You think that guy ever thought he'd be here? I bet you one thing, he's going to take advantage of it, and do his best to put on a show. But not everyone sees it my way I guess. According to a New York Times/CBS poll, 54 percent of the country called the potency of the Rangers lineup and its hitters' ability to change the complexion of a game with one swing "a total killjoy," 42 percent said they would rather watch the Boston Red Sox beat up on a small market team than watch Cliff Lee continue his Koufax-like postseason run, and 84 percent said the only way they would watch a single game of what is sure to be the most exciting baseball of the year would be if 79-year-old Willie Mays suited up to start in center field. When asked how they felt about the depth and complexity of both teams' bullpens adding another fascinating element to the World Series, a majority of those polled were silent for approximately seven seconds before hanging up the phone.

This is a quote I found regarding the same poll. "The worst thing about this World Series is that with the outstanding ability of the Giants and Rangers to hit, run, and field, and with no real asshole to root against, it just feels like a celebration of baseball," Paul Rockwell of Uniontown, PA told reporters. "And that sucks. Do you know why that sucks? Because I'm a horrible, shallow person, and while I like to think of myself as a fan, I only get off on story lines and personalities completely unrelated to the game itself."

This is a shame and I hope by the end of the series people change their tune a little because this will be good baseball. And shouldn't that be the most important thing? What's wrong with a celebration of basball, anyway?

A Real Head Case

This the the NFL right? Football, a sport where you are told from the first time you strap on your helmet that it is dangerous and violent. If your dad was like mine you probably heard something to the effect of "If you don't want to get hurt, then don't play." This is because it is bound to happen. It's not for the faint of heart, in fact it's designed to reward the most violent men on the field. But dare I say, since Roger Goodell has taken over, it has become sissy-fied. Jack Lambert was quoted as saying "This game is designed to reward those who hit the hardest, if you can't take it then don't play. Sounds an awful lot like my old man doesn't it. But not anymore Jack. In fact, you get fined for hitting people hard. Three players were fined for hits on "defenseless" receivers this past week and, in my opinion, only one of those hits was actually illegal. Todd Heap of Baltimore was overthrown and took the crown of New England's Brandon Meriweather's helmet right in the chops. That was a missile shot and was completely illegal. But the fines imposed on Dunta Robinson of Atlanta and James Harrison are ridiculous. But I have a different take on why these hits were legit. In the case of Heap, he was in the air going for a ball that was badly overthrown. But on the other two hits, both defenders separated the man from the ball. Last time I checked that's the defender's job. Robinson's hit wasn't even helmet to helmet. Granted, he laid a shoulder hit on Desean Jackson that may have him drinking his dinner through a straw for a couple weeks, but that doesn't make it illegal. Every receiver knows what can happen when they go across the middle and they still do it. You know why? Because this is football, they know what they signed up for. On the James Harrison hit, video shows that the ball hit Massaquoi's hands while he was standing in an upright position. At this point Harrison is only a few feet from the receiver and fully committed to the hit. But Massaquoi then bobbled the ball and bent down to try to gather it. From the time the ball hit the receiver's hands to the time Harrison hit him was less than half a second. So apparently a defender is supposed to be able to adjust his tackle on an upright receiver with the ball in a half second if the receiver decides to bend down. It is impossible to tell a guy to change what he has been taught to do since pee-wee football.

In these three cases only one receiver was actually defenseless, the other two literally had the ball in their hands. Yet the NFL deemed each case to be a hit on a defenseless receiver. No wonder these guys don't understand what they're supposed to do anymore. The rules in sports are supposed to be clear cut, legal or illegal, black or white. But the NFL has by far the most gray area. I am as typical an NFL fan as you are going to find and i know you are pretty much all like me. I watch football to see guys like James Harrison and Ray Lewis blow up dudes. The NFL sells pictures and videos showing the "All Time Biggest Hits" and ESPN used to glorify guys getting "Jacked Up!" In fact, until today, the NFL was selling photos of the very hits that they fined this week. Talk about hypocritical. Like James Harrison said, it's a money issue and they want to make money on the front end and the back end. Of course they probably aren't moving a lot of copies of "All Time Greatest Arm Tackles".

Week 6 Review... Week 7 Predictions

So I went 8-6 in week 6. Not exactly stellar. The Chargers are in shambles and Kolb played much better than I anticipated. But I do have to say if not for a questionable pass interference call my upset special, Denver, would have knocked off the Jets. At least I came away with a winning record though. I did predict a Steeler beat down of the Browns, but who didn't?

Let's see what I can do in week 7.

As usual I'll start with the Steelers, who will be traveling to Miami to take on the Fins. I have to think that our defense is as stout as any in the league and to borrow an old cliche, defense wins championships. I think this one may stay close early but the Curtain will close the door in the second half. Plus, there's a good chance James Harrison will knock out at least three receivers. I'll take the Steelers 24-14. Oh and just a heads up, I'm going to pick Pittsburgh every week.

Cincy at Atlanta: Even with the Bungles coming off a bye I don't think they can hang with Atlanta. Their offense can be electric though so this game could be an upset special. I still like Matty Ice and the Falcons to take this one 21-17

Washington at Chicago: The Skins hung with the Colts on Sunday night and the Bears can't block anyone. Cutler has been getting hit like a pinata on Cinco de Mayo lately. I'll take the Skins to win on the road, 19-13

St. Louis at Tampa: The Rams have been tearing it up on defense. I think they get to Freeman and Bradford continues to play well. 23-14 Rams

San Fran at Carolina: Panthers stink, and they changed QBs again. Niners continue to rebuild their season. 31-10

Buffalo at Baltimore: Baltimore wins... by a lot. I'll guess in the vicinity of 34-14

Philly at Tennessee: Kolb has reeled me in. I'm a believer and I think the Titans are overrated. Eagles 28-20

Jags at KC: The Chiefs will win this game strictly because the Jaguars can't score or cover anyone. Not a good combination. Chiefs 31-10

Cleveland at New Orleans: Colt McCoy was better than expected but they won't beat the defending champs. Lil Breesy and his boys should have a pretty easy day against the Brownies. 30-13

Arizona at Seattle: In my "who cares" game of the week. both teams are from the awful NFC West. The Seahawks will win this battle of "who sucks less." I'll say 17-10 I guess.

New England at San Diego: Man, SD looks awful. But this is one of those games where you think they will get killed and then they come out and tear it up. I still think the Pats win, but a close one. 28-24 Brady Bunch.

Oakland at Denver: Another game that could go either way. Oakland is better than people think, but I still don;t think they will win in Denver. Broncs win 24-17.

Vikes at Green Bay: I keep saying that Green Bay is in trouble because of all those injuries, and they keep proving me wrong and winning. So let's do it again. Im taking the Vikings over the Pack. Favre beats his old squad in their house, 27-21.

Giants at Dallas: I don't know why, but I think Dallas is going to win this one. The dumbest team in the league has to straighten it out and the Giants are inconsistent. I'll take the 'Boys 20-17.

Predictions That Are Sure To Be Wrong

Okay, weddings, honeymoons, and every other possible event you can think of are all officially over for me for the remainder of the year. I am hereby announcing my return to the blog on a much more steady basis. I am back. And I'm sure I was greatly missed. So what shall the first topic be? I mean I have been gone a while and missed alot. I think I will now dedicate my Tuesdays to the NFL, both the previous week and the week to come. That was I can make predictions this week and then talk about why I was wrong next week.

First of all it's only week 5 and no one is undefeated (aside from my fantasy team). This may be the earliest the '72 Fins have ever popped the champaigne. But not only are the good teams losing, they're losing to bad teams. What is the deal? The Cardinals beat the world champs with a rookie QB and lead their division. The Chargers have lost to the Raiders and the Chiefs. Rivers and Romo threw for over 400 yards this week and lost, but Todd Collins threw for 32 yards and won. The Colts are 0-2 in their division. The Cowboys and Vikes are perhaps the two most talented offenses and are losing to everyone. Good gracious this is making my head hurt.

So week 5 was nuts, what about week 6? Here's what I think for the upcoming games:

The Steelers are going to pummel Cleveland, especially if Colt McCoy has to play. He better hope they bust out brown pants in this week's uniform. I will say that the fantasy everyone is envisioning of Big Ben coming out and throwing the ball all over the field is distorted. Mendenhall will wear down the Browns and Ben won't have to do much. And chalk up at least one pick for Polamalu. Steelers 34-10

Chicago vs. Seattle: Word is Cutler is back, and Matt Forte has been lighting it up. Plus, Julius Peppers is back to his game-changing form. Seattle is too inconsistent at the skill positions to hang. I'll take the Bears 24-13

Miami vs. Green Bay: Rodgers, Grant, Finley, Matthews... all hurt. Matt Flynn may be able to hang for a while with his receiving corps but the injuries are too much to overcome. Fins 24-20

Chargers vs. Rams: Sam Bradford was building a nice relationship with Mark Clayton, who is now out for the season. The Rams got rolled 44-6 by the Lions in week 5. I'll take the Chargers in somewhat of a rout. 31-13

Ravens vs. Pats: Brady will prove that he doesn't need Moss. Ed Reed is still out. How bout some fantasy points Tom? 17-13 Pats

Saints will redeem themselves on the road against Tampa: 31-10

I think the good Giants will show up and beat the Lions: 24-17

Falcons at Eagles may be the game of the day. I like Matt Ryan over Kevin Kolb. If Vick was playing it may be different but I'll take Hot-lanta 28-17

Texans will play much better and beat the Chiefs. KC's defense is great but Matt Cassell isn't. I'll take Houston 17-10. How 'bout some yards Arian?

The Niners can't go 0-6 can they? I mean it's the Raiders. This is a tough one but I think San Fran has to get out of this funk. Singletary's boys will hold onto the ball this week and beat the Raiders 22-13

Upset of the week. The Broncos will beat the Jets in Denver this week. The Jets have had some big, emotional games this month and may just overlook the Broncs a little. I'm taking the fighting Tebows 27-24

Dallas and the Vikes play in Minnesota, and someone has to actually win. A full week of practice for Moss and Favre, and let's not forget All Day Adrian Peterson. I'll take the Vikes over the Cry-boys, 30-20

Indy will play the Skins in Washington on Sunday night. This should be a good game. Donovan has turned around the trainwreck that the Redskins have been and Peyton struggled against KC. Neither team has a running game, so I guess I'll take the hotter hand. Skins over the Colts 31-28

Monday night, Tennessee at Jacksonville. Vince Young is the king of the 12-completion win. Chris Johnson and the Titans D will carry them. I could use some yards from MJD though, I won't lie. I'll take Tennessee 23-13

Just Some Stuff On My Mind

So it's been a while since the last post, but I promise I wasn't just being lazy. I'm now married, live in a new house, and have a new dog. But I'm back and I have some stuff to discuss. Some of it I like and some of it has really been burning my ass. Which would you like to hear first? Let's go with some good stuff.

A-Roid hit his 600th homerun, which is not a good thing. The fact that no one cared is. I hate this dude for two reasons. One, he was self-admittedly at one time a cheater which has to tarnish his power numbers, and two he's a Yankee which makes him undoubtedly one of the 25 biggest douches in baseball. He ranks in the top two on my list.

Roger Clemens is going to go to jail. Let me say this first, I used to love the Rocket, then came the whole Yankee thing. Are you starting to see a trend of the guys I don't like? Same story as above, he cheated and his numbers are seen as B.S. now. Well he says he didn't cheat but he's the only one who believes that. Either way, seems like the government and supreme court should have more important stuff to do. Like, I don't know, ANYTHING!

Terrelle Pryor is apparently favorite for the Heisman. Can I be the first to ask why? This dude has been as consistent as Zach Duke in his first two years. One good Rose Bowl game makes him the favorite? Lest we forget his five completion performance in last year's loss to Purdue. He's mediocre, period. If he plays well, the Buckeyes should win the Big Ten and then get smoked in a bowl game. Same old story. But Pryor isn't winning the Heisman.

I'm tired of Boise State. You play a garbage schedule and feel entitled to go to the National Championship because you're undefeated. Just shut up. You play one decent game and 12 cupcakes, get over it. You're probably not even one of the ten best teams in the country. All the good teams are in the major conferences and beat on each other. So you have an undefeated record against San Jose State and Wyoming, powerhouses indeed. Your biggest rival is Idaho for God's sake. Get over yourselves. Your the best team in a bad conference. Oh and get rid of the blue turf. You wanna play big boy football with everyone else then lose the gimmicks.

Why are they trying to take Reggie Bush's Heisman? His parents are the ones that screwed up and that doesn't change the fact that he was by far the best player on the field in '04. Does the fact that his parents took cash make Vince Young deserving? Absolutely not. Bottom line is Reggie Bush could screw defenders into the ground when he was poor too.

A new thing that I have decided I hate is the term "body of work". Brett Favre shouldn't get out of training camp just because he's old, no matter what his "body of work" says. I also don't like how it only applies to certain guys. No one wants to talk about the "body of work" for Manny Ramirez, and that's sad. He's one of the greatest right handed hitters of all time. He was an absolute RBI machine, hit for power to all fields and was one of the most clutch players in the game through the 2000's and all anyone wants to talk about is his behavior. He's been a pain in the ass for 20 years and everyone knows that. I bet you knew that when you signed him too.

And finally, the thing I am most sick of... The New York Jets. Has any team in the history of the NFL been more overrated going into a season. This is a team who was 7-7 going into the final two weeks of the season last year and ran into a gift. The Bengals and Colts were both resting their starters and the Jets got lucky and snuck into the playoffs. Now they're the AFC favorites in some people's eyes. These people better give whatever the're smoking back to Santonio. Mark Sanchez is not even in the top half as far as the best QBs in the league. Oh yeah, the best cornerback in football is holding out too. Mark my words, the Jets aren'g going to the Super Bowl. They might not even make the playoffs. All they have going is Hard Knocks, and that's only entertaining because I get to watch Rex Ryan's fat ass waddle around with a pocket full of m&m's and drof F-bombs all day. I can't wait til they start getting pounded and Sanchez gets picked more than Snoop Dogg's afro.

The Replacements: A Primer to the NFL Labor Dispute

As you sit at home and prepare for your fantasy football drafts, follow Big Ben's road to redemption, and laugh as Brett Favre holds the Minnesota Vikings hostage, please savor every second of it because there will NOT be an NFL season next year. Well let me rephrase that: next fall there will not be an NFL season with the superstar athletes that are on your fantasy rosters this year. Your starting RB1 might be a guy similar to Rod “He Hate Me” Smart or your QB1 may be cough Tommy “Gun” Maddox from the XFL several years ago.

Many people are aware of the growing labor dispute between the NFL and the NFLPA (National Football League Players Association), but the average fan doesn't know what the jockeying and negotiating is about. I am going to highlight the bargaining positions of both the NFL and NFLPA in order to explain why these groups are willing to argue over this $9 billion per year industry. $9 billion – that is 9 zeroes after the number 9 or roughly the Gross National Product of Jamaica.

As the old adage goes; “History finds a way of repeating itself.” Just as in 1982 and 1987 the main sticking point in the labor negotiations between the NFL and the NFLPA is the percentage of gross revenues that the league is giving back to the players in the form of player salaries. Currently the players receive 60% of the Gross National Product of Jamaica – sorry of the $9 billion revenues. The NFL claims that it is in bad financial shape because of the shrinking economy and that it wishes to reduce player salaries by between 18 and 20 percent.

The real problem arises because the NFL is refusing to “open the books” to the Players Association in order to prove exactly how bad of financial shape they are in. Well technically one team already has. The Green Bay Packers are a publicly held team and therefore are required to disclose their financials to the public. Although the Packers are showing a declining profit and rising player costs they still have a net profit and show no signs of falling into the “red” any time soon.

To highlight just how well the NFL is doing it may be necessary for one to look at the assets of the NFL as a whole. The assets owned by the NFL have grown over 500% in the last 15 years. It is difficult to compare this number to any other industry, as economists have had a hard time finding any business that has grown at such a rate.

Why won't the NFL open its books to the Players in order to come to an agreement? The answer is two-fold. First, the NFL claims that during the labor disputes in '82 and '87 they never had to open the books and an agreement was made. Second, and most likely the real reason, the NFL is making a ton of money, but wants to hide it from the players in order to keep rising player salaries down. This absolutely cannot be said for certain and I am not taking either position on the issue, but this is the way that it looks to people who are following the labor strife.

Another battleground of the labor negotiations between the NFL and NFLPA is the 18 game schedule. NFL owners wish to add two games to the current 16 game schedule by reducing the preseason schedule by two games. Superstar players aren't used in all of the preseason games anyhow and the owners would be able to capitalize on their investment by having “real” games that fans want to attend and watch. On the flip side, the Players are against the 18 game schedule. An 18 game schedule brings more injuries and increased risk to the players. This would be offset by a boost in pay to the players, but it also brings increased roster sizes and another dark hallway that the NFL and NFLPA has never been down. Personally, I see the 18 game schedule on the horizon.

Finally, the one thing that most certainly will be included in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is the introduction of a rookie pay scale. This is the one area where the NFL and NFLPA agree and this may be the one thing that may bring them together. Rookies coming out of college are “slotted” at a certain amount of total money and a certain amount of money guaranteed. For example, Sam Bradford this year's number one overall pick will make $86 million over 5 years and $50 million is guaranteed. He can never take a snap in the NFL and he pockets $50 million. Last year's number one overall pick, Matthew Stafford agreed to a $72 million dollar deal with $41.2 million guaranteed.

I personally believe that every man is worth every penny that someone is willing to pay them, but there is something wrong with this rookie system. Currently, Tom Brady – yeah the guy that seemed to beat the Steelers every year in the early 2000's and won 3 Super Bowls – is having a difficult time getting a new contract from the New England Patriots. Brady is a sure fire Hall of Famer and one of the best quarterbacks to ever play. But when he signs his new deal with the Patriots, he is not going to get anywhere near $50 million or even $41.2 million guaranteed. Currently Brady is set to make $6.5 million this season and can become an unrestricted free agent next season.

The Players Association desires an agreement which allows players, like Brady, to be taken care before the rookies who have never played an NFL down . This plays right into the hands of the Owners who want to reduce the overall pay to players in order to increase revenue. Both sides agree that rookie salaries are out of control and this is the one place where both parties are able to come together to begin their negotiations.

Although the NFL and NFLPA have a place to begin negotiations, both parties have “drawn a line in the sand”. The head of the Players Union, DeMaurice Smith and the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell (Washington & Jefferson graduate) have barely had communication with respect to getting a deal done so that there will be an NFL season next fall. In 1982 the Players strike lasted 57 days and the regular season lasted only 9 weeks. In 1987, the players struck for roughly a month, during which time the Owners fielded teams of “scab” players. The Owners during this season were able to crack the Players Union and force them to comply with the Owners' demands.

With this cloud of uncertainty hanging over the NFL for next season, I believe it is fairly safe to say that there will a work stoppage of some sort. MLB and the NHL both endured similar work stoppages in the 90's and 00's respectively and the NFL experienced stoppages the last two times that there were labor disputes. So please enjoy the 2010 NFL season because there is no telling when this $9 billion dollar per year industry will field the Superstars that we watch on Sundays this fall. It is more likely that we will be cheering for players similar to those in the movie “The Replacements” such as Danny Bateman, Nigel Gruff, Clifford Franklin and Shane Falco. More realistically, when the Steelers find a “scab” player to replace Ben Roethlisberger, his name will rhyme with Shane Falco but in fact be former high school super athlete – Tyler Palko. Haha.

Hate to See Her Go... But I'd Love to Watch Her Leave

I don't know what I love more, softball or watching Jennie Finch play it. There is just something about a six foot gorgeous blond that could strike me out on three pitches that gets me going. But sadly on Monday, perhaps the most dominant, and by far the hottest female softball player of all time hung up her Mizunos. Jennie Finch called it quits after mowing down batters for roughly ten years, from the University of Arizona, to the U.S. National Team, to the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch softball league. And not to mention making guys like me everywhere bite our lip wondering what's going on under that uniform. But it's definitely not all about looks, this girl can flat out rock and fire. At U of A she was a two time Player of the Year. In 2002 she set a record of 60 straight victories, spanning nearly two full season and including thee straight wins in the '01 College World Series. Oh yeah, she took home the Most Outstanding Player at that CWS. She finished her career with 119 total victories (12th all time) and recorded 1,028 strikeouts in her college career. That's a lot of whiffs. Her career ERA was 1.07. Needless to say, her number 27 has been retired by the Wildcats.

In 2004, the blond bombshell toed the rubber twice, taking the win in both appearances. She struck out 13 batters in eight innings, giving up only one hit, no walks, and no runs in leading the U.S. to the gold. Throughout her career on the U.S. National Team she pitched a total of 239 innings, giving up only 14 earned runs. That's a ridiculous ERA of 0.42. She had 397 Ks to only 36 walks and 71 hits.

Aside from softball, let's not forget how incredibly hot she is. I'm sorry this just can't be overlooked. It's like a mix of a Victoria's Secret Model and a decathlete. She beat out Anna Kournikova, who is not too shabby herself, as the most attractive female athlete. She has graced the pages of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition and has also been asked to appear in Maxim and Playboy, both of which she declined. What a shame.

I'm not sure that this was a necessary article, it gave me an excuse to post an over sized picture of this gorgeous chick on my blog. Enjoy... and hopefully she will re-think that Playboy thing. And if she is ever hurting for work, the Burgettstown Auto team of our local fastpitch league has an opening for a bat girl.

A Tribute to Our Annual Mid-Summer "Representatives"

I will never forget the day, June 12, 1994. I was warming up on the baseball field at McDonald Park. 8 years old and destined to become a professional baseball player. I mad at my father; 1. For not getting me tickets to the All-Star game in Pittsburgh which was that night and 2. For even having the audacity to call a practice on the day of the All-Star game. I was like any other normal 8 year old; I could name the starting lineup for every team in the league, the starting rotation for every team in the league, every manager, every mascot, and used to keep a scorebook and calculate batting averages for players when I played backyard baseball with my brother. Normal – anything but. But I didn’t have tickets to the one game that I would never have a chance to see again.

After the beginning of a routine infield drill, I can vaguely remember my mother’s car pulling into the parking lot. This was odd for several reasons. First, she never came to practices. She was the mom who would support at games, but practices were out of the question. Second, it was about 6:10 and she usually didn’t get home from work until about 7. She walked over to the field and after a brief conference with my dad; he called me towards home plate. My mom pulled an envelope out of her purse which contained two tickets to the game! Now this may not seem like a big deal to a lot of people for whatever reason, but this is one of the most memorable and exciting moments of my life.

After hurrying off the baseball diamond, and hopping into my dad’s truck, we drove us straight to Three Rivers Stadium. That night I got to witness all of my childhood icons, most of which I had on my team in the backyard; including Frank Thomas, Cal Ripken Jr., “The Crime Dog” Fred McGriff, and everyone’s favorite Ken Griffey Jr.

I had absolutely no idea what was about to happen next…Or should I say for the next 17 years. The elation that I felt when I opened those tickets has changed dramatically over the years. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game has turned into me sitting around, on a muggy night in July, watching a game full of players that the Pirates at one time passed on in the June amateur draft or players that we didn’t want to spend the money on in free agency.

If you can’t remember the Pirates only All-Star in 1994 was Carlos Garcia. If you don’t already know, Major League Baseball has a rule that requires every team in the league to send at least one “representative” to the mid-summer classic. Over the course of the next 16 years, including 2010, the Pittsburgh Pirates have sent the “mandatory” one “representative” 13 times!

This means that our organization has sent “two or more” All-Stars to the game just three times in 16 years. (The two or more is sarcasm as we have not sent more than two All-Stars since 1990.) One of the three times was last year when Zack Duke replaced Matt Cain because Cain was injured. Freddy Sanchez was our second representative in 2009 and he did not even play. So if Freddy Sanchez wasn’t even good enough to play last year, how often in these 20 years have we had a player good enough to start?

The answer: 2. And both of these occurrences come with their own asterisks. Remember in 2000 when Roger Clemens beaned Mike Piazza in the head? I do. So does Jason Kendall. He got to start in place of Piazza in the All-Star game. Remember 2006 when Jason Bay got to start in the All-Star game? I do. The game was held at PNC Park and Pirate fans did all they could to stuff the ballot boxes in order to get Bay onto the field for the opening pitch.

Let me use a numbers approach to put the Pirates “representatives” into perspective. (I am only going to use the last 10 years because it was just too painful to go back any further.) Since 2001, the Yankees have sent 45 players to the mid-summer classic; the Red Sox – 44. As for a National League comparison; the Cardinals - 32, the Braves - 27, and the Phillies a lowly 26. Since 2001, the Pirates have sent 12. In that span the Yankees have had 21 All-Star Game STARTERS; the Red Sox – 19, the Cardinals – 15, the Phillies – 9, and the Braves - only 6. The Pirates had 1. (See ballot box stuffing incident of 2006).

I don’t necessarily mean to cast the “representative” tag in a negative light. Since our last winning season in 1992, the Pirates have had many legitimate All-Star “representatives”, including 2006 National League batting champion Freddy Sanchez. Others include Jason Kendall, Brian Giles, and Jason Bay. But boy are there some funny ones. In 1997, Tony Womack was our “representative” with a .274 batting average and 109 strikeouts. He did swipe 60 bags, but that wasn’t even a career best. My favorite Pirate All-Star has to be the 1999 “representative” Ed Sprague. Sprague had a career year in 1999 posting a .267 average, 22 homers, and 81 RBI. All-Star numbers? – absolutely not. Finally, there is Mike Williams. Williams made the All-Star team in 2002 and 2003. Williams’ career ERA is 4.45 and he remains the only pitcher to play in an All-Star game while having an ERA of over 6.00 during the same regular season. (As a side note on Williams – The Pirates traded him away in 2001, reacquired him, and traded him away again in 2003. Both times for one single prospect who never made it to Triple A.)

I always think it is funny that our only “representative” those two years was a relief pitcher. Don’t get me wrong. Sending a relief pitcher to the All-Star Game would be fine if it was, say, Mariano Rivera. Well, history sure does find a way of repeating itself. It is 2010 and Evan Meek is the Pirates lone representative for tonight’s game. Evan Meek is not and will never be Mariano Rivera. Meek was a Rule 5 draft pick of the Pirates in 2008. (Rule 5 pick - means that a player spent either four or five years in another team’s minor league system, was not good enough to be in the big leagues, and other teams are now allowed acquire the player’s rights as long as he spends all of the next season on that team’s big league roster.)

Evan Meek has been projected as the Pirates closer of the future as we assemble a young core for our push “in 2 years”. For the 8 year old future major leaguer still in me, I hope more than anything that Evan Meek turns out like fellow Rule 5 Draft pick and 4x All-Star, Johan Santana. Or better yet, I hope he turns out to be a 15x All-Star like a former Pittsburgh Pirates Rule 5 Draft pick; Roberto Clemente. Here’s to hoping we don’t trade him for a prospect that never reaches Triple A – twice.

It's Already The Best, Let's Make It Even Better

I find it to be of absolute certainty that the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is far more entertaining and more relevant than that of any other sport. The NHL turns into a penalty shot contest and the NBA is a 140 point dunk fest. They both stink. And don't even get me started on the joke that is the Pro Bowl. The Mid-summer Classic is the closest to the real thing as it gets. But like all of the others, it still has its flaws. I thought of a few changes that I would make.

First, fan voting is a joke. I'm not saying completely get rid of it, but why do these guys automatically have to become the starters? Just because Yankee fans stuffed the ballot box for a guy like Mark Teixeira who is hitting .229 does not mean he should start over the player's pick, Miguel Cabrera who is hitting .328 and smashing Teixeira in every other category as well. It's not Cabrera's fault that Tiger fans don't vote like Yankee fans do. The guy is a candidate for the AL MVP and has a shot at the triple crown, but he's not the starting first baseman? It's ridiculous. You can't turn this game into a popularity contest or we are going to end up with Lil Wayne playing centerfield and Lady GaGa at shortstop. Give the fans their vote, and give the players theirs, then the guy with the better stats for the first half of the season gets the starting nod. Seems pretty simple to me. It really makes no sense to take the fan's vote more seriously than the player's anyway, does it? If I were a player I would rather get the player's vote than the fan's. I would rather have the respect and recognition of my peers than have my vote stuffed into the box 283 times by some fat slob wearing a mustard stained Jeter jersey with a cheese steak hanging out of his mouth. And along the same lines, just as I value the player's vote for other players, I think the player's should vote on the umpires too. Give them a little reward and respect for being the best at their jobs too.

My next idea is a real gem. With the steroid era gone, at least for the most part, the home run derby is full of shortstops and undersized outfielders. There aren't anymore McGwires and Sosas with bodies full of livestock steroids bashing 500 footers. For God's sake the Yankees number nine hitter, Nick Swisher, is in the derby. Generally, people are uninterested in watching these guys hit fence scrapers. You wanna keep it exciting? Let them use metal bats for the derby. Think about it, you already love that "ping", now we get to see if Big Papi can hit one 600 feet, and maybe some of these other guys won't have to live with the embarrassment of putting up a goose egg. Hell, If I would have thought of this earlier, maybe even Jason Bay would have hit one a few years ago.

Next, I say you put a microphone on every player. I mean sure give it a little tape delay so you can bleep out all the four letter stuff, but think about the great chatter you would hear. I would love to hear what Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols talk about at first base, or hear why Joe Girardi is going to make a pitching change. Even hearing the conversation between the catcher and the home plate umpire would interest me. You want to make the game about the fans, give them a little inside access for a night. I know I would be glued to my TV to hear live chat between some of the game's greatest players.

Get rid of mandatory representation. I know where baseball is coming from on this one, but it's not the U.S. Senate. There should not be automatic spots for players who don't deserve it. There are definitely some teams who do not have one single player worthy of being an all-star. Just think about how many times our own Pirates have only sent the mandatory one player who probably didn't really earn it. Being the best player on a horrible team should not guarantee you a spot in the All-Star Game. I think if a team just doesn't have anyone who is good enough that year, then too bad, it happens. You want to represent every team, then invite all the mascots.

I also think they should get rid of this stupid World Series home field advantage garbage. Their heart was in the right place, but it makes no sense to have the All-Star Game determine anything that has to do with the World Series. I understand it was MLB's attempt to make their All-Star Game more relevant and meaningful, but do you really think an RBI single by Marlon Byrd in July should be the reason the Yankees don't get home field advantage in October? Seems dumb.

Here is another idea that would make the game more fan-accessible. Say in the 8th inning Charlie Manuel comes on camera and says that he will be bringing in a new reliever, either Jonathan Broxton or Matt Capps, and then the fans get the next half inning to vote. It's pretty harmless, the manager picks two guys that he's comfortable bringing into the game, we just get to pick which one. Same could be done for pinch hitters if the pitcher's spot is coming up in the next inning. It's a simple way to keep fans involved. You can't tell me you don't think that would be pretty cool. I know I'd vote.

I'm sure there are a hundred other ideas out there on how to improve the game. Let me hear some of yours, as long as they don't have anything to do with instant replay. And tell me what you think about mine while you're at it.

My Obligatory LBJ Article

Let me make one thing clear before I get started. I am not a fan of the NBA. I'm from Pittsburgh and we just don't care about basketball very much. I am familiar with the teams and players, I just don't watch the games. But unless you live in a tool shed you are aware that LeBron James is going to tell the world who he is choosing to sign with tonight. I have listened to ESPN radio at work for about 4 straight days and this is all they have talked about. Of course that could be because he is having an hour long special on ESPN to give us ten seconds worth of information. I hate to say this because I like LeBron, but this is one of the most narcissistic things I have seen an athlete do in a long time, and it's not really his style. I don't know who talked him into believing this was a good idea but I really have a feeling he is going to get a serious backlash from this. Let's face it, he's making himself bigger than the game. Granted, it's probably the biggest decision in NBA history, but still. I think it's just too much and he should have handled it another way. As for the decision itself, let me say I do not envy Bron Bron. Sure the dude is going to bag hundreds of millions of dollars, but he is in a no win situation with the media and fans.

If he stays in Cleveland he is going to hear that he is not concerned with winning and that he is afraid of the big city spotlight of New York or Miami. A lot of people still believe he will be a Cav but I just don't see it. They have cornered him with teammates who are average at best and have made absolutely no moves in free agency. Sorry Cleveland, he's out.

If he leaves Cleveland, which is almost assured, he will destroy the city. Believe me, I'm not saying I care, I hate Cleveland. He is literally the only bright spot in that horrible town. But imagine growing up in a town, being an icon in high school, getting drafted by your hometown team, winning two MVPs but no championships, and then having to bail on the people you love. I don't care how much money is involved, it will be hard to go from the most loved person in Ohio to the most hated overnight. But every player plays to win championships and it isn't going to happen where he is now.

If he picks Miami he will hear that he is just trying to piggy-back onto a loaded team just to win a championship. They signed D-Wade and Bosh so everyone will say LeBron didn't think he could win one on his own. Well he's already proven that he can't win one on his own, that's why he's leaving Cleveland. Even with Bosh, Wade, and James there is still no assurance they will win the championship, or even make it to the finals. I think the Lakers still match up better, and perhaps the Celtics and Magic do as well. Wade and James' styles are too similar and Bosh cannot be your only big man. Even with these three superstars, they do not have a center or a point guard. Miami is the sexy choice, but I don't think it's the proper one.

If he goes to the Knicks people will say that he is not concerned with winning a championship. I think the Knicks are a great fit because he can personally resurrect one of the worst teams in the league and at the same time be playing in one of the best markets. If he can make the Knicks a relevant contender in three or four years then I consider that a success. And if he wins a championship or two within five years he can show all the doubters that he single-handedly took a bad team and made them great. Sound like another number 23 to anyone else?

If he goes to "da Bulls" he will fit into a good lineup immediately. They have a legit point guard in Derrick Rose and just picked up Carlos Boozer who may be the most underrated free agent of the off-season. I'll take Boozer over Amare' Stoudemire any day of the week because he does the things to help you win, like rebound and play defense. Amare' may be good for the highlight reel but he doesn't perform in the playoffs and that's a fact. You take those two and add LeBron as a swing man and I think they automatically become a top two or three team in the East. The only thing that may get to him are the constant comparisons to Jordan, but he hears those anyway.

If it were me I would go to either New York or Chicago, most likely Chicago. I just feel the Bulls are the closest team to a cahmpionship with the addition of LeBron. But as far as i have heard the Bulls are barely even an option anymore, so what the hell do I know? He will more than likely be in South Beach by the weekend as a member of the new most overrated team in the league. Believe me if he goes to Miami you are going to see a guy with five or six MVPs and still no championships. And you thought they called him a choker in Cleveland?

Don't Give In America

For the first time in my life, I actually cared about soccer. Too bad it only lasted a week. I should say that I made my best attempt to care about soccer, but I just don't. I hate it. It may be the most popular sport in the world, but I feel it is by far the most un-American. It's sickening to see grown men flailing to the ground like the were just picked off by a sniper every time an opposing player kicked them in the shin. In my opinion there is nothing more embarrassing than blatantly faking an injury, but apparently in this stupid sport, it's actually rewarded. I don't know how it works in the rest of the world, but here in our country, we value toughness, not bitch-ass-ness. I feel like the rest of the world is trying to sucker us into believing this is a real sport just because they aren't any good at anything else. So you beat us in soccer, how good is your baseball team, Ghana? With our economy in a decline, I feel we as Americans need to hang on to our last bit of rugged individualism. That being, that we are the only nation who overall doesn't give a shit about the World Cup. But the problem is, soccer is gaining popularity in the U.S. How can this be? I have figured out exactly whose fault this is. I personally blame the moms of American. Yup, that's right, it's the fault of women. It's those overprotective moms who don't want their child to ever have to bear the failure of a bases-loaded strike out or take a puck to the teeth like a man, who direct their kids to soccer, where the only boo-boos are the ones you fake to get a penalty. Wouldn't want your kid to actually snap a femur, just pretend he did. Moms feel that getting hurt isn't a part of soccer, but pretending to get hurt is. I don't know about any of you, but I remember when I was little and the things my mom didn't want me to do were the fun ones, and the things she deemed safe usually sucked. So if mom thinks soccer is safe, how cool can it be? Okay sure, I'll admit I cheered for the U.S.A., but that's because I'm an American, not a soccer fan. And in a nail-biting scoreless tie in the elimination game, I fell asleep. You think would ever happen during the Super Bowl or the World Series? Hell no! For God's sake I could watch curling without falling asleep. That's why I feel it is our duty as Americans to regain our defining characteristic, and that is that we could care less about the sport that is worshiped everywhere else. South America and Asia can keep it because I just don't get it. What is there to like? People go nuts over this sport and I struggle to stay awake. Other people see endurance and skill, I see moppy haired Communists grabbing their shins every time someone breathes on them. Oh and let's not forget, NO ONE SCORES! They run around for three hours, and sometimes, if you're lucky, someone ALMOST scores. I watched a few games, and here is what my American eyes saw. First off, the fans are ridiculous. There are way too many grown men wearing capes. I knew people who wore capes in high school, they were nerds, and so are you people. They see soccer game, I see renaissance fair. Secondly was the stupid horns the fans blew into for three straight hours. It sounded like a swarm of bees. I thought something was wrong with my TV. I mean in America we have our own sounds that we play, like "We Will Rock You" or even "Sweet Caroline", but nothing played at a constant annoying level for hours on end. Another thing I hate is how excited guys get when they score. If you feel the need to take your shirt off and do a belly flop when you score then you are way too excited. Of course you are probably this excited because you only score two goals a month in your sport. The player is basically saying "I'm so amazed someone scored that I can't even stay dressed." I can't even say it enough, soccer sucks! The fans suck, the girly players suck, the referees suck for letting the players be such girls, and the sport just in general sucks. By writing this I have done my duty as an American for the day. Salute

Nobody's Perfect

Two nights ago, umpire Jim Joyce blew a call at first base. No big deal, right? It happens. The baseball purists like myself will argue that human error always has been and always should be part of the game. We argue with those who want to institute video replay into our tradition-filled sport. But this blown call is a bit different than any other. Armando Galarraga of the Tigers had sat down 26 Cleveland Indians in a row. One batter away from a perfect game, he gets Cleveland's Jason Donald to roll a grounder between first and second. First baseman Miguel Cabrera fields it and throws on to Galarraga who was covering the bag. Donald is out, game over, perfect game. But to quote myself watching the replay on Sportscenter, fully expecting to see that this kid threw a perfecto, "Holy shit, he called him safe." So my real point of this is the dilemma that I have putting myself in the umpire's shoes. There is an old baseball saying that says sometimes there is a difference between the right call and the proper call. The right call in this case doesn't matter because he got it wrong, but let's say Donald did beat Galarraga to the bag by a split second. Do you call him safe? I mean Donald hustled up the line hard. His job was to break up that perfect game, so do you take that away from him? The right call is safe. But, in my opinion, I think the proper call is out. There are certain situations where you give a player the benefit of the doubt when you are the umpire. This was a situation where even if you think he was safe, you call him out. And please don't think I'm immoral, umpires do this all the time. An infielder will make a spectacular diving stab, get up and throw to first and in a bang-bang instance the runner beats it. But sometimes when a fielder makes a play like that, he gets the benefit of the doubt. It's strictly situational. If this play at first happened in the 3rd inning, then feel free to call him safe. But in my opinion, the umpire needs to know the magnitude of the situation. There have been millions of infield singles in baseball history, but only 20 perfect games. Joyce single-handedly took a perfect game away from a Armando Galarraga.

"How could that idiot call him safe." Well, that's easy. He called him safe because he genuinely thought the runner beat the pitcher to the bag. So here comes the replay talk. Baseball is a sport like no other as far as action. I have always said, you're either a baseball fan or you aren't, there's no in between. People hate it because it's "boring". And as much as I hate to admit it, it's the majority of people who think this. Sorry purists, I think we're in the minority. So how do you take a slow game and add replay? You can't use it on every bang-bang call because there are so many. It would be like challenging the spot on every play of a football game. Guys like me will tell you that replay should not exist in baseball, but a situation like this comes around and makes it hard to argue. So here is my argument. Watch baseball and you will see that these guys get 99% of those calls right. They are major league umpires for a reason, they are very very good at it. This is a freak situation. It is going to happen when an umpire misses a call, it just usually isn't the biggest call of his, or a pitcher's career. I have heard people say that you give a team one challenge per game. Well this play is on the 27th out of the game, even if they had a challenge they probably would have used it by then. Even after a history-changing call, I am still completely against instant replay in baseball.

Finally, I wanted to give some credit to those involved. Jim Joyce made what he thought was the right call. He watched the replay and saw that he blew it. He then did what most umpires would never dream of doing, and perhaps the most admirable and professional thing I have ever seen. He went to the Tigers clubhouse where, at the moment he was public enemy number one, and apologized. He quoted that "Galarraga had every right to be in his face, but he didn't say a word." He's right, not a word. Armanda Galarraga handled the most heart-breaking moment of his career with grace that you do not see in sports. A moment when most of us would have at least argued, if not exploded and gotten tossed, he did none of that. He sucked it up, and went and got the last out. And in yesterday's game, with Joyce behind the plate, Galarraga took the lineup card out during pre-game and patted Joyce on the back. It brought tears to Joyce's eyes. Both of these men have turned this bad situation into a little bit of a warmer story, strictly out of the professionalism and respect they have showed each other. This is a perfect lesson in "nobody's perfect". I just hope next time, Jim Joyce makes the proper call.

Describe Ken Griffey Jr in one word..... Smooth

Its a sad but great day for the game of baseball. Ken Griffey Jr, the greatest baseball player I have ever had privilege to watch play the game is calling it a career after 22 one of a kind seasons. Numbers wise he is no doubt one of the greatest players of all time and in my opinion a modern day legend. He finishes with 2671 games, 630 homeruns, .284 batting average, 10 consecutive gold gloves, and 1 AL MVP Award.

The problem with remembering Griffey is that he played for 22 seasons and most people will only remember him playing for the Cincinnati Reds since the year 2000, and that's a shame. The Griffey in Cincinnati isn't the same Griffey that played for Seattle for the first 10 years of his career. Most of my middle and high school days were in the 1990s and that's the time in my life when I was the most enamored with sports. I would watch sportscenter every day for hours on end, and when the baseball highlights came on there was one guarantee.... Ken Griffey Jr. did something spectacular. Griffey had a skill set and a game that you haven't seen since him in his prime. He didn't just hit for power but he hit for average, take away the last few years and he is up around .300 for his career batting average which is ridiculous, not to mention the fact that he was all over the field defensively. It seemed like every game he played he was climbing the wall to rob a homerun or making some ridiculous diving catch at the batters expense.


Not only did Griffey make all of the plays in the field but he made them look easy, he played with such grace and elegance that he made the hardest play look routine. Watching him play defense was like watching animal planet. He was like a cheetah sitting and waiting for his prey to walk out in the open. In his case his prey was a baseball, he would just stand there... waiting... finally it would happen, someone would get a hit.... and he would take off. Striding and stalking it, closing ground with every step he takes, you think to yourself there is no way he can get to it, and just as you think the ball is going to land safely on the ground he dives, getting his leather just under the ball, eating it up like the cheetah when it catches the gazelle. It was a thing of beauty, pure instinct and skill, pure baseball the way it should be.

Smooth, that is what I have been waiting to talk about, the thing Ken Griffey Jr. is known for.. his sweet, smooth swing. His swing was smoother than Bill Clinton hitting on an intern, and his stance never changed once throughout his career. He would stand there with a slight knee bend, hips turned in, elbow up with the bat at shoulder level rotating it slightly. His bat was Potential energy just waiting to be converted to Kinetic energy, the pitch would come and in the blink of an eye he would decide if he was going to swing, what kind of pitch it was, and where its location would be. Then he would uncork a swing so smooth that it looks like he is barely even swinging the bat, as if he were taking batting practice off a high school pitcher before the game. He would make contact and the ball would jump off of the bat like a rubber bouncy ball bouncing off concrete, and as he finished with a one handed follow through he would drop the bat. He did this 630 times for a HR, simply beautiful to watch.

Its a sad day because Ken Griffey Jr. will never grace the field again, but its a great day because he is leaving as one of the greatest players of all time. He finished his career where it all started, with the Seattle Mariners, the team that drafted him number 1 overal in the 1987 draft, its only fitting that he heads to Cooperstown playing his final game for them. It wont be long after he arrives in Cooperstown that he will be considered a legend, and guys like me can sit and talk about how we got to watch arguably the best center fielder of all time, with the smoothest swing of all time. To quote the movie The Sandlot "Hero's are Remembered, But Legends Never Die." and neither will Ken Griffey Juniors game.