Why do they hate fun?

 The NCAA obviously hates fun and although they are greedy they don't understand they can make more money. This year four NCAA division 1 football teams should finish the season undefeated. Boise State, TCU, Oregon, and Auburn all have a claim to being the best team in the country. Sadly only two of these teams will have a chance to prove it.

Auburn has the toughest road to glory. They still have to beat defending champ Alabama and South Carolina. If they run the table they undoubtedly deserve a spot in the National Championship game. Oregon has been the most fun team to watch. They have blown out all but one of the teams they've played. They have games left against two solid opponents, Oregon St. and Arizona. Boise State is my personal favorite team. They are fun to watch. They tried to make a tough non-conference schedule and won those games. They also beat up on all their conference opponents. They have two games left and should easily finish undefeated, again. TCU is a tough team to rap your head around. They blew out an excellent Utah team, but followed that up by only beating San Diego St. by 5 points at home. They are a tough team, but it is tough to decide if their schedule is good or not.

My prediction: Boise, TCU, and Oregon finish undefeated. Auburn loses to Alabama. So Boise St. and Oregon will be in the National Championship game. TCU gets screwed.

My Hope: Oregon and Auburn lose, Boise and TCU finish undefeated. I would just love to hear the description of why TCU and Boise St. cannot play each other, because you know they won't allow it.

What will probably happen: They all finish undefeated. Oregon would play Auburn in the National Championship. TCU and Boise get screwed.

If that is the case and they all go undefeated the NCAA's eyes should light up and their pockets should get heavier. They should realize that in that case Oregon should play Auburn for the official National Title. While Boise plays TCU in another bowl game. The winners of those games should be offered a chance to play one another just to rest any disputes. It could be considered an exhibition game that no official record is kept. Sponsors would come out of the woodwork. All the major networks would die for the rights to broadcast the game. There is no doubt both teams would accept the invitation and that single game would bring in almost as much money as the other bowl games combined. More importantly all the college football fans would know who the best team in the country is.

Sadly we know this won't happen.

Absolutely absurd!

Kyle Singler is a freak. I have always loved Duke's strategy - get white kids that can pass and shoot. Singler is exactly that.

Good Riddance.

Jeff Reed is gone, its about time. Skippy was a drag on Steeler nation over the last two years. He has been an embarrassment, from beating up a Sheetz towel dispenser to constantly having pictures of himself drunk with half naked girls on the internet. He had no respect for his teammates and didn't care for the reputation of the Steelers.

The best kickers are the ones you never see or hear about, except Vinatieri. A kicker is suppose to be an invisible member of the team. That is just the nature of the position.

That being said the Steelers are now in a horrible position. Shaun Suisham is the next guy to get booed and probably cut. It is never a good thing when you cut a kicker in mid-season. Usually when a team cuts a kicker it starts a merry-go-round for scrub kickers. There are about 20 good kickers in the NFL and 30 teams, you do the math.

Rank... Top 10 All Time NHL Players

I recently picked up the collector's edition of The Hockey News. This edition covered the top 100 players of all time, the top 20 at each position. A lot of surprises in the list, but there always are in things like that.

The 3 biggest surprises came from the wings. Jarome Iginla is ranked the 17th best right wing ever, I have never thought of him as a great player. Ilya Kovalchuk is the 19th ranked left wing. Yeah, he is a great player right now, but he has never won a playoff series. We will see at the end of his career if he stays on the list.  Right behind Kovalchuk at #20 is Henrik Zetterberg. Really? I mean he is a good player and helped Detroit win some cups, but I don't see it. He was never even the best player on his team. The one player that really doesn't belong on this list is the 10th ranked defenseman, Chris Chelios. He was a really good tough d-man in the early and mid 90's, but he is far from an all time great. I am sure that him staying in the league for 26 seasons got him on this list more so than his offensive production. A few notable players: Alex Ovechkin #8 LW, Sidney Crosby #18 C, Jaromir Jagr #4 RW, Mario Lemieux #2 C.

So this list has inspired me to start what I hope to be a bi-weekly special on the blog, called "Rank". The first Rank will be the top 10 NHL players of all time.

10. Mark Messier - LW/C - 1979-2004

6 time Stanley Cup winner, 2nd all time in points and games played, 2 MVP awards, and 15 All-Star games.He was the quintessential power forward of the 80's. He is an undeniable all time great, with or without Gretzky. The reason he is not higher on this list is mainly because he was never really the best player in the league at any specific time. He always had to deal with Gretzky and Lemieux. Messier's eye-popping statistics are also more a by-product of his longevity than skill. He only scored 50 goals in a season once, and never had more than 129 points in a season. Keep in mind he played in the 80's and early 90's when the true greats were scoring near 200 points a year.

9. Doug Harvey - D - 1947-1969

No his point totals are not outstanding with 88 goals and 540 points in his career, but Harvey is the basis for which every great defenseman is judged today. He won 6 Stanley Cups with Montreal, 7 Norris Trophies, and was an 11 time All-Star. He didn't score goals like Orr and Coffey or lay guys out like Stevens, but he did exactly what a d-man is suppose to do. Keep the winger from scoring. Harvey was a brilliant player even though he was not a scorer he controlled the pace of the game.

8. Maurice "The Rocket" Richard - RW - 1942 - 1960

You have to be a pretty special player to have an NHL award named after you and Maurice Richard was. In 1944 The Rocket scored 50 goals in just 50 games. He led the league in goals 5 times, won 1 MVP, and played in 14 All-Star games. He won 8 Stanley Cups and was the reason the Canadiens became the greatest NHL franchise. Surprisingly Richard only had one 50 goal season in his career.

7. Bobby Hull - LW - 1957-1980

The original superstar was Bobby Hull. He had all the skill and charisma to light up any arena, and he did it almost nightly. Even if you forget about Hull's outstanding numbers he would still be on this list. He was the first player to have a curved blade and was a key figure in fighting owners to improve player's salaries. He played 16 NHL seasons, with a 9 year gap in the middle. Hull scored 610 goals, 1,170 points, won 3 Art Ross Awards, 2 MVP's, and played in 12 All-Star games. It is believed that if Hull did not take a 9 year break from the NHL he would have been the leagues first 800 goal scorer.

6. Ray Bourque - D - 1979-2000

Bourque could literally do it all. He is the all time leader in points for defensmen, 1,579, and goals, 410. When people hear about great scoring defesnmen they immediately think of lacking in the defensive zone, but Bourque was equally great. He finished his career as a +528. He also won 5 Norris Trophies, played in 19 All-Star games, and won 1 Stanley Cup while in Colorado. He could play in every situation and that is why he is great.

5. Gordie Howe - RW - 1946-1980

He is Mr. Hockey for a reason. He was the first player to score 800 goals, first grandfather playing in the NHL, first player to play after being inducted into the Hall of Fame, and first player over 50. Who knows how high his records would have been if didn't play nine seasons in the WHA. Howe is one of the most feared players in NHL history. He was just as physical as he was skilled. He led the league in scoring 6 times and won 6 MVP's. The only reason I don't put Hull higher is his statistics are based on longevity. Like Messier he scored 50 goals only once and only eclipsed 100 points once. Howe changed the game and is maybe the most celebrated player of all time.

4. Patrick Roy - G - 1984 - 2003

The greatest goalie of all-time. He won 4 Stanley Cups and 3 Conn Smythe Trophies. He was the ultimate big moment goaltender. When Roy retired he had more wins and games played than any goalie before him. Not only did he win, but he revolutionized the position. He made the butterfly style famous, and now nearly every elite goalie uses it. When his teams won it was because of him, not his teammates.

3. Mario Lemieux - C - 1984 - 2006

If you were trying to build the perfect hockey player it would be Mario Lemieux. A 6'4" 230 lbs superstar. He had more size than almost any defensmen with skill equal to Gretzky. He led the league in scoring 6 times, won 2 Stanley Cups, 3 MVP's, and played in 9 All-Star games. Mario could score in any situation. Not only could he score five-on-five, but he holds the record for shorthanded goals in a season. Mario's accomplishments are even more shocking because he was always injured. He never played a full season in his career. Actually he averaged only 54 games a year in his 17 seasons. If Lemieux was able to stay healthy he undoubtedly would have broken all of Gretzky's records.

2. Wayne Gretzky - C - 1979-1999

4 Stanley Cups, 10 Art Ross Trophies, 9 MVP's (8 in a row), 2 Conn Smythes. All time leader in goals (894), assists (1,963), and points (2,857). The most amazing statistic I have ever heard is that even if Gretzky had never scored a goal in his career, he would still have more points than anyone in history. He truly was "The Great One". It is easy to say that Gretzky always had superstars to play with, he did, but he was the best player on his team no matter what team it was. Watching old Oiler games is like watching Barry Sanders playing against a high school football team. Gretzky's greatest impact on the game came when he went to LA. He made hockey exciting in Los Angeles and it is likely he single-handedly created 4 NHL franchises in the sun belt. There was never before a player like Gretzky, now every player attempts to emulate him.

1. Bobby Orr - D - 1966-1979

Simply the best player ever. Bobby Orr played the game like no one before him ever has or will. His career was short and breathtaking. He scored 100 points in six consecutive seasons, as a defenseman. He is the only d-man to lead the league in scoring and he did it twice. His awards are numerous 2 Stanley Cups, 9 All-Star games, 8 consecutive Norris Trophies, 2 Conn Smythes, 3 MVP's. He still holds the record for the most points in a season by a defenseman. He was the first player to have 100 assists in a season. Bobby Orr used his skating ability to control every game. He is the reason the term "end to end" was created. It did not matter who he was on the ice against they weren't going to catch him. Orr was the best at every aspect of the game and every situation.


Bonus Picture (Too good not to share):

Pacquiao For Progress

Apologies for my extended absence and I hope to do better in the future but I couldn’t let this one go by without a word.

Anyone who has ever read my work will know where my sympathies extend regarding Pacquaio and Margarito. The two are basically the avatars – polarities – of my boxing worldview so I won’t pretend to offer much nuance or reasoned insight.

I want Pacquiao to give Marg’s a royal beating. Not in some moralistic sense, “the jolly Filipino damaging the cheating and surly Mexican,” though I won’t pretend there’s not some of that here.

No, Pacquiao to me has always represented physical inspiration – man as body-electric, that thin-wild-mercury.

I’ve perhaps been a little eager to overlook his obvious intelligence and refinement of craft; partially due to language issues and his outsized friendliness and good-nature but I make no apologies for that. He’s compelling to me because he’s so physical, joyous, and righteous in his movements. The loveliness and freedom and excitement that comes from seeing a human body so perfectly suited to its task.

In the same way it’s transfixing to watch a nature show featuring a bird of prey in descent, a leopard giving chase, or more apt in this context, a regal steed at the races – Secratariat powering down the tracks while onlookers weep in the stands; that’s what Pacquiao is to me. A human body honed and suited to its purpose. I can’t remark enough on what a rare and perfect thing that is, a true joy for us muddlers and tumblers lurching about in the muck; those of us for whom moments of completeness are so rare and profound in our own lives they are often only spoken of in a religious or drug-filtered context.

Pacquiao represents a fullness of being that is rare and special, which I call inspiration. A gift from the void that only the select have and is a blessing and joy to watch.

And Margarito? Well, he’s something of the opposite. I’ve always found him unwatchable and unsympathetic, a rebuke to the way I try to justify and enjoy and filter the callous blood lust of this sport. For people like me it’s important to build narrative filters and deeper subtexts to the sport so that it goes beyond blood and bone and moves into history and manhood and craft and the unstoppable forward march of progress.

And Margarito brings all of that into question. A crude slugger, slow, impenetrable. He lacks class not in the sense that he’s a poor kid from Mexico, (Erik Morales, another poor kid from the same streets Margarito emerged from is also one of my talisman of regal overcoming,) but in the sense that he is a move away from boxing as sweet science and towards the crudity of sheer force and muscle. He’s a step away from progress and refinement.

I’ve used the quote many times before, but A.J. Liebling’s take always seems apt to me when speaking of Margarito, “If the animal could beat even a fair fighter, it meant that two hundred and fifty years of painfully acquired experience had been lost to the human race; science was a washout and art a vanity.”

Science a washout and art a vanity. That’s what’s on the line here. Some see it as a moral contest between the loathsome Margarito and the virtuous Pacquiao, but something far deeper is at stake; the narrative history of the sport and progress. The sanctity of class and worth.

True, Margarito will be a full 15-20 lbs larger, but Pacquiao has now taken over the mantle of genius, the surpassing quality of incandescent ability over and above the utility of force. Margarito is trying to queer the game, to turn it around and backwards; Pacquiao is the clever defender of the library facing the torch-wielders.

Of course the moral overlay is heavy and I won’t ignore it. Margarito is a cheater and just generally unlikable and slimy. The vicious pleasure of his loss will be undeniable.

But it’s secondary. Though I greatly admire Evander Holyfield, his worldview wherein the right-cross of the righteous is superior to that of the wicked is deeply flawed.

My own – deeply flawed – worldview can perhaps be framed by the Obama/King Jr/ Parker quote that, “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.” (The disappointing midterm elections being – of course – a reminder of the cutbacks in the bend)

Only in my world, and in boxing, it bends towards class and beauty. Do you get it? Do you see what’s on the line. It’s much the same thing I felt when Manny fought Ricky Hatton, only with Margarito’s deeper textures of degradation and Pacquiao’s now inflated importance.

So, with the stakes being defined, am I nervous? Yes, a little. The customary pre-fight antics with a supposedly inferior Pacquiao training camp are unmoving to me, but the size difference is daunting. I can envision Pacquiao trapped against the ropes and damaged by a body shot, unable to appropriately respond and it fills me with dismay.

But I just can’t move beyond my respect for speed and skill. I mean, we’re talking about no less than the co-equal fastest fighter of his day against the slowest elite-level fighter in recent memory. That’s got to tell doesn’t it?

And more importantly I just keep feeling that bend towards justice, that bend towards the big happening. It doesn’t work the way it should, but Pacquiao is clearly meant for bigger things than to fall to a crude villain. Isn’t he? We need more answers than this will provide. Its important to boxing’s ragged march.

Of course that’s a construct, but it’s how I’m taking this one. I won’t hide that my lack of writing on boxing of late has been partially due to the fact that we’ve had a few dour months here. I haven’t liked it a bit and in lieu of real analysis sometimes I just think it’s important to filter ones hopes and pleasures as they come.

And so it is that I see my little Filipino muse standing victorious tonight, arms raised in joy at the surpassing pleasure of being a triumphant body, a genetic and evolutionary gift unsurpassed in his time and a step towards the inevitable victory of grace and science and art in the face of an otherwise directionless universe.

Pacquiao fighting!

All Star Change

A very interesting improvement to the NHL All Star game was recently announced. I, for one, am very excited about it.

Apparently there will be two captains (Crosby and Ovechkin) that will pick their entire teams. The whole thing will be broadcast live. I won't lie and say it will be great live drama, it will not. It will be interesting to watch though. All the Penguins will end up on one team and the Capitals will be on the other. So it will be some more bragging rights for Crosby. I hate most "throwback" ideas in sports, but this one is cool. This really makes it like the frozen ponds in Canada. The only way it could get any better is if they threw all their sticks in the middle and tossed them on each side.

I am not saying this is any miracle or ratings will be bigger than the Super Bowl, but it is what I like about the NHL. They are always open to change and adding to the sport. The All Star game in all the pro sports is struggling, this is the only attempt to improve it that is good.