Evans Mouths Off; Eats Words After Beatdown

Plenty of athletes have made a name for themselves after mouthing off to the media about their peers. Some of them, such as Joe Namath, have made bold predictions and backed up their words by winning the game. Others, such as the Brooklyn Nets' Reggie Evans, have made bold comments only to look like a fool after not living up to the previous words. In Evans' case, the bruiser of a center told the New York Daily News that the Miami Heat's championship, "doesn't prove nothing. It was a lockout shortened season." If that wasn't enough, he went on to say that guarding LeBron James is no different than guarding Joe Johnson or Andray Blatche.

Well, there are a lot of things I could say about Reggie Evans, but I'm sure he feels dumb enough already. After all, King James heard his comments then proceeded to put up 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a 105-85 thrashing over the Nets. Evans, a role player who prides himself on doing the dirty work, scored zero points and grabbed six rebounds, none of them on the offensive end. Following the game, LeBron ripped Evans for his comments and Evans left the Barclays Center without speaking to the media.

Today, Evans did the typical move that athletes pull after putting their foot in their mouth by saying his quotes were misinterpreted. Seriously? It's pretty hard to misinterpret what Evans said and there's no way he would have claimed that he was misinterpreted had the Nets won. However, he successfully angered the greatest player in the NBA and fueled the defending champs' fire which led to his Nets getting royally spanked in their brand-new arena.

I could respect Evans if he would have stuck to his comments and said that was actually what he thought. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I could respect Evans if he gave credit to James and the Heat following the game and said they were simply better than he anticipated. However, he tried to backpedal and say that he never really meant those words he said. I cannot respect him for that at all. For a guy who acts tough on the court, he has never been more of a coward. I'm all for speaking your mind, but at least stand by your comments.

Take Randy Moss for example. There's no way in the world that Moss is the greatest receiver to ever play, but those were the comments he made and he stood by them. No matter how dumb you think he is for saying it, you have to respect him for standing next to what he said. That's at least the sign of a man. A man wouldn't try and pin his errors on someone else.

Reggie Evans is a role player. He is a guy that comes off the bench and rebounds, sets good screens and plays solid defense. He is not a game-changer, a star or a player that draws a double team. Chances are, unless you are an avid NBA fan, you probably hadn't even heard of him. That didn't stop him from attacking the best player in the league and making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Hopefully it's a lesson learned that if you are going to open your mouth then you better be ready to back up the talk. Evans looked like a fool after the loss and looked even more foolish today for trying to pin it on the media.

So while you may not have heard of Reggie Evans at the beginning of the week, chances are you will hear about him for the next few days. He can thank himself and the King for that.

Thomas Confident in Hall of Fame Resume

Former Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas recently told the media he was confident about his 2014 Hall of Fame candidacy at the annual SoxFest. Such a positive outlook for The Big Hurt could be perceived as strange after a grand total of zero players were elected to the Hall on this year's ballot. Thomas' name will appear on the ballot for the first time next year and his confidence may be justified for one reason: steroids.

Frank Thomas belted 521 home runs in his 19 seasons and ended his career with a .301 batting average. Those are easily Hall of Fame numbers and they may look even better now that the wave of Steroid Era players has littered the ballots. Thomas never did steroids and when the Mitchell Report was released in 2003 he was the ONLY player who volunteered to be interviewed. He has passed every drug test and has hardly been in question, which is ultra-rare for a player that laced up the cleats in the 2000s.

Despite his numbers and his two MVP awards, Thomas still may not get the call in his first year. Craig Biggio surpassed the 3,000 hit plateau during his career, but he came up short in his first year. Biggio has not been linked to steroids and 3,000 hits is a number that ensures enshrinement, but voters have balked at nearly every player who played during the infamous Steroid Era.

Thomas deserves to be in on his first try and voters need to recognize and celebrate those who did things the right way. Today's fans have a skewed vision of 500 home runs. It's almost as if Thomas' 521 home runs aren't that impressive because we saw the likes of Bonds, McGwire and Sosa belt far more. However, they had the aid of PEDs and Thomas did it through pure talent. That's something we should celebrate.

These guys like Thomas, Biggio, Glavine and Maddux should all be inducted next year. In an era where there are fewer Hall of Fame-caliber players to abstain from PEDs than take them, the amount of players voted in may be slim. To hold out on electing those who were clean would be a true tragedy. Yes, there were those who did things the wrong way, but that's no reason to forget an entire era of players. My advice to the voters: reward the men who were clean and elect them immediately.

It will be a sad summer for baseball with no Hall of Fame election weekend and the game needs some good news. The game needs a celebration. Why not celebrate Thomas and others who are Hall of Fame worthy and are clean? The game and its fans need that sort of celebration.

Frank Thomas has a right to be confident, but I can't say I share his confidence fully. I want him to be elected next year and I think he should be, but after this year I'm unsure of what the voters will do. One thing is for sure: Frank Thomas is a Hall of Famer and he will be in Cooperstown before it's all said and done.

The Idea of "Team" Has Gone Missing

UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad making quite a fashion statement

The most basic lesson athletes are taught from the time they begin sports is the concept of team. It is perhaps the most important aspect of team sports. A team is like a machine and all components of the machine must be working together if it is to succeed.

There are several aspects of the quality of team, but one that may not be noticed by everyone is the way a team looks. It can be considered a small thing, but a team that dresses the same can truly be considered a team. Why? Because nobody looks different and nobody stands out. I'm specifically talking about the shoes and socks that players wear on the court. The idea of the team shoe seems to have run its course and now it appears that if you play for a team that wears red, white and black you just have to make sure your shoes are close to those three colors. There is no matching anymore and shoes is just the beginning of the problem.

Socks have always been a form of fashion on the basketball court, but there was a period of time where teams all wore the same socks. Throw that out the window now too. There ought to be a fashion show just for basketball players and their socks. There are socks with vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, wide arrays of color and even some tie-dye ones. Did I tune in to watch this college basketball game or did I tune in to watch the Sock Fashion Show 2013? Sometimes I can't tell. The NBA, for all their faults, got this one right. Every player in the NBA wears NBA socks and they are white or black. Nobody stands out in that department.

However, where the NBA and college basketball have really gone wrong is the accessories. Some players have more accessories on than a sixth grade girl going to her first junior high sock hop. Whether it be the arm sleeves, leg sleeves, knee sleeves, shin sleeves, headbands, or even the long sleeve Under Armour underneath the jersey, players today are after the "cool" factor. If a player has an injury and needs a pad on his knee or elbow that's fine. If something needs to be wrapped up that's fine too, but the idea that your whole body must be covered in Nike Pro Combat doesn't make you look like the world's next top baller. It makes you look like a classical dope.

Perhaps this isn't a big deal to everyone and I can understand if you don't agree, but here's why I took the time to write this post: a team that dresses alike can lessen the egos. That sounds ridiculous, but it's true. If the coach says the team will wear the same shoes, socks, ankle braces and no one can have any accessories unless prescribed by a trainer then nobody tries to look cooler than the guy at the locker next to him. Nobody is focused on what the people will say about their socks and consequently they might worry more about what people will say about the hustle rebound they grabbed in the final minutes.

It's a trend that will only continue and one that will only get more flamboyant. Call me old-fashioned, but I will never be a fan of it. There's something to be said for all five players looking the same and being after the same goal. That's not to say that teams who dress different can't or won't win, but if a coach wants to get everyone on the same page it starts with the way the team dresses because remember, you're out there to play basketball. Not to look good.

Kentucky, North Carolina, and a New York State of Mind (Part 2)

We have discussed Kentucky and the struggles they have endured while trying to find a leader and also find their way to the NCAA tournament. Next stop on our two-team mid-season assessment is North Carolina.

Chapel Hill is used to rockin' and rollin' all the way into the end of March. With Roy Williams taking the program to three final fours in his tenure at North Carolina, while also coaching two recipients of the Player of the Year award (Shawn May, 2005 and Tyler Hansbrough, 2009). In a word, UNC has been successful to say the least. After being so spoiled by success, it's easy to see why North Carolina fans may be a little flustered this year at how the unranked Tar Heels season is shaping up. At 13-5, which clearly is not a bad record by any means, the Tar Heels have seldom made any noise and the NCAA tournament is starting to be a question mark. Joe Lunardi last had them at a nine seed but with a 3-2 record in conference and 5 games against ranked opponents (at press time) North Carolina definitely needs to come out ready to finish strong.

But is it fair to assume that North Carolina should be performing better than they are? As I have said, 13-5 is not a record to be ashamed of and they don't boast the recruiting class that Kentucky does. Not to mention they lost four HUGE parts of last year's team in Kendall Marshall, Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Tyler Zeller. Yet what North Carolina does have that Kentucky doesn't are guys with more experience and more opportunities to step up. Though the Tar Heels lost their four studs, sophomore stand-out James Michael McAdoo and junior veteran Reggie Bullock are each averaging fourteen points a game, and sophomore PJ Hairston is chipping in eleven points a game. The Tar Heels have shown that they have what it takes to attack from any position, so why is this team so different than last year's?

At this time last year, UNC was 15-3, not much different than the Tar Heels' current record. Yet what IS different about this year's team is the inability to win big games. Last year's squad beat nationally ranked teams such as Michigan State and Wisconsin while losing at Rupp Arena to the number one Kentucky Wildcats by one point. An Anthony Davis block saved what could have been a game-winner for the Tar Heels. This year's team has struggled to perform on the big stage. After trailing by seventeen at the half to the then-unranked Butler Bulldogs, North Carolina eventually fell 82-71 which dropped them from their national AP ranking of ninth in the country. I won't dwell on the butt-kicking they were given at Assembly Hall by Indiana because the Hoosiers were number one at the time and play in one of the toughest venues in the nation, so that loss was one to expect. But the near-twenty point loss to Texas? That definitely doesn't help your tournament resume.

Ultimately, I think the Tar Heels may just squeak into the tournament. And let me say this, in no way am I implying that this North Carolina team should be performing to the same level as last year's team. I'm not saying that at all. But I am saying that North Carolina does have guys who should know what being successful takes; they have guys that got meaningful minutes last year. There is still plenty of time left in the season to rise from their current fourth place standing in the ACC. In order for a run into late March, though, Reggie Bullock and the boys will need to step up or they'll find themselves playing in Madison Square Garden.

Fun Fact: There has not been a year in which both North Carolina and Kentucky have NOT made the tournament since the seeding era began in 1979.

Kentucky, North Carolina, and a New York State of Mind (Part 1)

This season has been a season of change for both North Carolina and Kentucky. Two of the nation's most historic programs have found themselves in the rebuilding process after displaying two of the most talented teams in the country last year. However, for these two programs, being in the rebuilding process has never been quite as confusing as it is this year, especially for Kentucky.

After capping off one of the best seasons in history with a championship win in New Orleans, the Kentucky Wildcats lost a total of six players to the NBA Draft. Not to worry, Kentucky is a so-called "basketball factory", right? The top recruiting class comes in to Lexington, ends with a top five regular season ranking, then leaves to go to the NBA. John Calipari has become an expert at achieving with new talent year in and year out, no matter if he's doing it legally or not. Regardless, he hasn't been caught and his players do become above-average NBA players.

This year's team is different from any other Kentucky team that Calipari has coached, however. Very different indeed. Yes, it still boasts the nation's top recruits but as I've watched the Cats play this year I've noticed that this team is immature compared to his past few teams. Not immature in whining in complaining but immature as in lack of leadership and having a sense of urgency. Yes, I realize that point guards such as Derrick Rose and John Wall don't exactly come along every year, but by the same token, it doesn't take skill to be a leader on the floor. So far, Archie Goodwin has proved to be a skilled point guard, yes, but it doesn't seem that he takes control of the offense as well as Rose and Wall and even Brandon Knight did. Success starts at the point guard position and if you don't have someone that's going to take charge late in the game then it's going to be tough to win in crunch time.

This particular situation was shown in Kenucky's loss to Alabama the other night. When it came down to the end, no one for Kentucky looked as if they wanted to step up and be "the man". Part of that can be contributed to the fact that, with players leaving every year, Kentucky rarely has a true leader. Last year's team had Darius Miller who was the only senior and a true veteran. This year, who does Kentucky have to look to for leadership? Kyle Wiltjer? He's one of the few returning players but how can you put that kind of pressure on a kid who only averaged eleven minutes per game last year?

Again, classes like those that consisted of Derrick Rose and John Wall don't come around very often. Those two point guards are guys that are winners, they're willing to step up late in games and take charge and they make their teammates better. I just haven't yet seen an attempt to step up by any of these UK freshman. They sit at sixth place in the SEC with a 3-2 conference record and have not yet beaten a ranked team. Joe Lunardi's latest Bracketology had the Wildcats seeded tenth which now has people wondering if Kentucky can even make the Big Dance. It will take a big push and it doesn't get any easier as they still have four games against ranked opponents. It's hard to believe, but New York City and the NIT might just be calling Kentucky's name this year.

Noah's Growth Deserves Recognition

It was June 28th, 2007, and the NBA Draft was scheduled to take place that night. Headlining the draft was Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, two dominant college players who would soon be the top two picks. Oden went to the Portland Trail Blazers at number one overall and Durant quickly followed after he was drafted to the Seattle Sonics. A little farther down the line, at number nine, sat the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls had not been relevant lately and were building from the ground up at this point. Many people expected Spencer Hawes to be the name that left David Stern's mouth when he announced the Bulls' pick. However, David Stern did not announce Spencer Hawes' name until the tenth pick which belonged to the Sacramento Kings. With the ninth overall pick in the draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Joakim Noah, a two-time NCAA champion and, to many, a kid that would never be mature enough to be a professional. I can remember people being upset and even mad that the Bulls would "waste a pick". Maybe it's because I like players that bring energy and heart and maybe not as much skill, but I could see Joakim Noah being a young Dennis Rodman right off the bat. Tenacious on the boards, a team player, and a garbage man.

Clearly, I'm a Bulls fan and living near Chicago is going to make me a little biased. However, nobody can deny that now, nearly six years later, Joakim Noah has performed to an All-Star level and has stepped up more than anyone could have expected in Derrick Rose's absence. Averaging a double-double at 12 points and 10 rebounds a game, Noah has shown improvement every single season. In fact, Noah has doubled his averages since his rookie year and that comes with his unbelievable work ethic. Not to mention his free throw percentage has gone up and he has brought a little jump shot to his game, regardless of how unorthodox it may look. You can see it in his game that Noah is a competitor and a winner. People thought he was nuts in college for the yelling after made baskets or the crazy celebrations. That's just Joakim Noah, always ready to play.

Yet Noah's stats are not the only thing that make him a special player and, to me, an All-Star. What makes him so fun to watch is the hustle. Stacey King says it best when he says Noah is composed of "Heart, hustle, and muscle". I couldn't say it better myself. If you watch Joakim Noah, he has a hand on nearly every rebound, and he never gives up on a shot. Take tonight's game for instance: the clock was winding down and the Bulls needed a bucket. Marco Belinelli took the shot and the ball came off the rim, bouncing toward the camera men on the baseline. Joakim dove and kept the ball in play and Belinelli laid it up for two points and, ultimately, a win. It's plays like that that make Noah stand out among other big men. Noah continually puts his body on the line and really doesn't care about the recognition he may or may not get. That's what makes him special and that's why the Bulls are where they are, despite the fact that Derrick Rose is still recovering.

I really hope Joakim Noah earns a spot in the All-Star game. Actually, let me rephrase that: I hope Joakim Noah is voted into the All-Start game, he's already earned the spot. You can hate his energy and you can hate his colorful personality, but you can't hate his game. He brings energy to the game that very few, if any, players bring in today's game. He has a tenacity and a willingness to get better every single day. I can remember last year when he suffered a hand injury WGN showed a clip of him in practice doing jump hooks with one hand covered in a cast. Joakim Noah is a warrior, and a player that is good for the league. Here's to hoping he gets to put on an All-Star jersey this year.

Stan the Man: The Greatest Cardinal of Them All

Forgive me for the tardiness of this post, but it wouldn't be right to not acknowledge the great Stan Musial's passing. The Man passed away at the age of 92 on January 19th and his death meant a part of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise died as well. Stan Musial is widely considered the greatest Cardinal ever and the baseball world lost one of the best hitters to ever pick up a bat.

Stan the Man played all 22 seasons in St. Louis and is one of the few players who is defined by a franchise, but also defines the franchise. Stan Musial and the St. Louis Cardinals are synonymous. There aren't many players who have that element to their career, but the Man enjoyed his entire career in the same number six Cardinal jersey.

What a career it was too. Musial has impressive numbers with 3,630 hits and a lifetime .331 batting average, but in some ways its the numbers that he came up just short of that stick out. He belted 475 career home runs and batted in 1,951 runs, falling just short of the 500 home runs and 2,000 RBI plateaus. Interestingly enough, there's almost no doubt that Musial would have surpassed both feats had he not lost a year of his prime in 1945 due to military service. Like many ball players, he enlisted in the armed forces during World War II and his absence from the diamond that season is the reason he is short of two other milestones. However, that's not to take away from his decision to enlist. In fact, it's even more respectable that he left the game to serve his country.

Despite not reaching those two milestones, Musial has plenty of other numbers to focus on. He batted over .300 in 18 of his 22 seasons and led the league seven times with his personal best (.376) coming in 1948. Six times Musial led the league in hits and he was tops in RBI twice. He led the league in runs scored five times, doubles eight times and perhaps most shocking: triples five times. Musial could flat out hit and he was named MVP three times and was a 24-time All-Star. He also led St. Louis to three World Series titles.

The Man played in an era with some of the most decorated hitters the game has ever seen such as Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Joe Dimaggio and Ted Williams. Last year I had the privilege to spend time with former Dodgers pitcher Carl Erskine. Erskine pitched 12 seasons for the Dodgers and as I sat and talked with him over breakfast last spring the question I wanted to ask the most was who was the best hitter he ever faced? I'm not sure you could really pick someone from that list, but I decided to pose the question to Erskine anyway.

He sat back and pondered the question for quite some time and even told me that I didn't know how hard it was to pick just one player. However, he eventually leaned forward and explained that Musial was the greatest hitter he ever faced. Although Erskine's numbers against Musial are exceptional he still feared The Man. His reasoning for giving Musial the award was that there was no good place to pitch the ball. Musial, as Erskine said, had no weak spots in the strike zone and he didn't rely on his power to get on base. He was a complete hitter. Considering the players that were also in the game at the same time as Musial, for a pitcher to say that he was the greatest is extremely high praise.

Regarded as one of baseball's true gentleman, Musial was respected by everyone from teammates to opponents, but perhaps no one loved Musial as much as the city of St. Louis. Not one, but two statues stand outside of Busch Stadium. In today's game it is unheard of for a player to play his entire career for one team and so the likelihood that a player will ever be so ingrained in a franchise as Musial is nearly impossible. He was loved in St. Louis, but he was also loved in opponents' parks as well.

Baseball lost a legend on Saturday and the Cardinals lost their greatest player ever, however, he is immortalized outside Busch Stadium and inside the hallowed halls of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He's a prime example of how the game should be played and how a man should behave on and off the field and there is no doubt that he is deserving of simply being called The Man.

The Lake Show is now a Circus

Tonight was just another miserable night if you were an NBA player dressed in purple and gold. The Los Angeles Lakers fell yet again, this time to the Chicago Bulls. And not just fell, they were embarrassed. They played awful, they looked awful, the Lakers as a whole...are just flatout awful. I will say this, I did not mind one bit that the Lakers joined forces. I supported the Lakers and Kobe even up until maybe a week or two ago. I supported the Lakers (sort of) even after they made the dumbest decision any front office could make in turning down Phil Jackson for Mike D'Antoni. Now, when I look at it, I don't respect the Lakers. Why should I?

As incredulous as this is, and I'm even shocked to say this myself, I believe the Lakers' biggest problem is Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant is one of, if not the most selfish player in the league. Not necessarily in his play, but in his attitude. This year has shown Kobe to be one of the worst teammates that I have heard speak this season. I don't mind constructive criticism toward teammates, I've done it myself, but to continually call out your teammates in the media and to continually place blame on others for the lack of success is beyond me. You're one of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA, the Lakers are your team. Yet you're gonna treat people like that? How do you expect guys like Pau Gasol, who it would appear that you have no respect for, to want to perform along side you? You're supposed to be a leader, and yet it looks like you're the cancer of that locker room.

Let me continue on that point. Why all of the sudden does Kobe decide to get a Twitter account? I'm not saying that he did it just for extra attention, but it could come across as looking that way. Not to mention the fact that he's going to be tweeting during NBATV's airing of his 81-point performance. How conceited does that look? Instead of watching film from past seasons, film that's only focused on you, why don't you get in the film room and try to figure out why your team is off to an embarrassing 17-24 record?

My next topic would have to be Dwight Howard. The former Defensive Player of the Year doesn't seem to be quite as big a force anymore. He's averaging two less rebounds and two less points a game as opposed to last year when the drama queen was running Orlando. That may not seem like much, but those two points could be a difference in a game and two rebounds could prevent a possible six total points for the opposing team. Those numbers can add up late in games. And speaking of late-game situations. That 50% free throw percentage is dismal. Not to mention the fact that it was reported that he turned down Steve Nash's help when the future Hall of Famer tried to give the big man advice. How stubborn can you get? One of the best free throw shooters of all time is going to offer you help and you turn it down? I'm not a math wiz, but 90% for a career (Nash) certainly seems better than 58% (Howard).

During tonight's game it just looked silly. The Lakers had some plays that were literally laughable. I can remember a play in the first half where Kobe made a jump pass to Howard and Howard fell to the floor trying to receive the pass. Zach Wadley said it best when he said the Lakers "looked like the Bad News Bears". This team should not be playing like this. There is literally no excuse. I'm not rooting against this team at all, I would be ecstatic if they succeeded, but with the personalities and the failure to have any sense of urgency on defense, there's not a real reason to respect the Lakers right now. And as sad as this is to say, Kobe doesn't look like he's going to be giving any advice or leadership any time soon. Let the man worry about himself and work his way toward that scoring record and he'll be just fine. At this rate, it would take a miracle for the Lakers to earn even the eight seed in the West.

The Struggles of the Windy City

A few years back, Sportscenter did a contest in the summer to see which city in the United States was "Titletown". It was created to see which city had enjoyed the most success and, being from a town fifty miles south of Chicago, I naturally began to wonder if Chicago could contend. They have all the major sports and then some yet when I looked at it, not many titles have come to the Windy City. Here's a run-down of Chicago sports and the struggles they have experienced.

Chicago Cubs: I'll start here since I'm a die-hard Cubs fan. Anybody who even knows the slightest little thing about sports would have to know that it's been 100+ years since the Cubs have won the World Series. They have had chances but they were few and far between. The last chance they had was in 2008 when they were embarrassed by the Dodgers. But before the Cubs were swept by LA, there was the infamous year of 2003. The Cubs looked so promising; they were up 3-2 on the Florida Marlins and in game six it all came crashing down when Moises Alou ran over to that left field wall in foul territory. You know the rest, Steve Bartman became Chicago's Most Wanted and is said to have cost the Cubs not only the game but the series. Many forget that Alex Gonzalez made an error on the next play, though. The Cubs are quite a special case, but it's no secret that they haven't helped Chicago win a title in quite some time.

Chicago White Sox: Yes, I know they won in 2005, but the Sox are not much better off than the Cubs. People continually point out the Cubs' failure to win in over 100 years when they forget to include the fact that it had been 88 years since the South Siders had brought home a trophy. The Sox have won three World Series titles which, between the two Chicago baseball teams, gives the city only five World Series trophies. I'd say that's much less than impressive.

Chicago Bears: The past two years the theme for the Bears appeared to be "Start hot, cave late". Last year's season was plagued with injuries for the Bears with Jay Cutler and Matt Forte having to be sidelined during the season. They finished with an 8-8 record and did not enjoy any playoff ball. This year, the Bears started off 8-1 and finished 10-6. Not exactly the record of a Super Bowl contender. Again, the Bears did not make the playoffs. Throw this in with the Super Bowl loss in 2006 and Chicago's 1985 Bears are the only NFL champions Chicago has had in the Super Bowl era.

Chicago Blackhawks: The Hawks are two years removed from their last Stanley Cup victory and the fourth in franchise history. Four is a decent amount but when you take into consideration that it was nearly 40 years since they last won it makes the Hawks just fit right in with the rest of Chicago's teams. We'll see what the Blackhawks can do with the shortened season this year.

Chicago Bulls: I was born in '94, so I wasn't old enough to enjoy the Jordan days. But six titles in eight years? Wow. I wouldn't hesitate to say that if Jordan hadn't retired then they could have hoisted up eight straight banners. It's a new millenium now, though, and the Bulls have struggled. The Baby Bulls back in '03 were nothing short of a disappointment and, though they put up a tremendous and respectable fight against the Celtics in '08, the Bulls were ousted in the first round. Fast forward to 2011 and the year the Bulls looked like title contenders, yet fell to the Heat in five games. With that in mind, the Bulls fought to earn the best record in the league in 2012, yet fell short in the first round to the 8th-seeded 76ers. Derrick Rose exited game one early with a torn ACL and later in the series Joakim Noah suffered a sprained ankle. Without two very key starters, the Bulls' chances at a title were very slim to none.

I don't mean to come across as negative, it had just simply occurred to me that there haven't been many parades in downtown Chicago. In fact, since the new millenium started, there have only been two (White Sox and Blackhawks). Other cities have had numerous parades such as LA, San Antonio, and New York. Chicago has always seemed to have teams that could contend, but something seems to always go wrong. I would hate to see the city of Chicago continue to struggle to win the big one, in any sport that is.

Bizarre Te'o Tale the Strangest Yet

Sports have been around for hundreds of years and in that span there have been stories of heroics, humor, inspiration, victory, defeat and mystery. There may never have been a story as strange and bizarre as the tale that is unfolding in South Bend, Indiana involving former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o though. By now, the details of the story are well-known and I won't go through them again on this post, but as I was reading an article about the latest developments I couldn't help but wonder why this is so newsworthy?

In the grand scheme of things this story, whether Te'o created/participated in the hoax or not, shouldn't affect the star linebacker that much. Sure, he will be embarrassed and humiliated by the media and fans, but his draft stock shouldn't drop that much, if at all. He won't be in any trouble with the law or anything like that and so it begs the question: why do we care? There are men in the NFL who have murdered people yet they continue to get picked up by teams so the idea that Te'o will see his draft stock drop because of this is silly to me. If the kid is a player then teams will want him.

The reason that this story is so interesting is because it is so mind-boggling. Online relationships are a reality in today's world and people are tricked everyday on who they are actually conversing with. There is an entire television program devoted to stories of online relationship fraud and lying which proves it is a very real thing. However, there was little thought that something like this would ever happen to a celebrity. Yet, here is Te'o claiming to be the victim of someone's sick joke and there was Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick almost daring someone to challenge Te'o on his role in this.

Manti Te'o was all that is right in sports. In a world where athletes take banned substances like candy, have frequent run-ins with the law and college programs are hit with sanctions almost weekly, Te'o was special. He was the All-American linebacker for the country's most recognizable team who had close ties with his family and endured enormous grief to orchestrate one of the greatest seasons we have seen from a defensive player in college football. In a six hour span on September 12th his grandmother and "girlfriend" passed away, but his play only improved as the year went on. He was a hero.

Now, he is the center of perhaps the strangest story to ever hit the sports world. People are fooled by others in online relationships every day, but what makes this one different is that is wasn't just one guy who was fooled by someone behind a computer screen. It was literally the entire nation. All of America watched Te'o produce big game after big game and then talk about his "girlfriend" in postgame interviews. We all believed it until a few days ago.

We may never know how someone could get away with something like this, but it truly is fascinating how it has all played out. There will be many more details to come, but it's my hope that Te'o didn't participate in this hoax for attention and I certainly hope he wasn't a part of creating it. If he was simply a victim then he is just a foolish college student who engaged in a relationship with someone he never met. If he participated or created this hoax then he is an attention-seeking fraud and this will leave a stain on his career and life forever.

So if he did participate/create the hoax then I hope the few months of fame and attention were worth it because forever is a long time. Forever is permanent.

Carmelo Finally Cracks Under Garnett's Pressure

Carmelo Anthony has erupted this season and is playing his best ball yet. The man is a serious MVP candidate averaging 29 points per game to go along with 6 rebounds and 2 assists. His play this year has been nothing short of extraordinary. Lately in the media, though, Melo has been drawing attention for negative reasons.

It started with Kevin Garnett trash-talking Melo into oblivion last week when the Celtics visited the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. KG, as only KG could, finally said the magic words to Anthony and the two had to be seperated not only on the court, but after the game as well. Melo took it upon himself to go to where the Celtics would be loading the bus and wait for Garnett. Are you serious? Every sports analyst I listened to after that incident reiterated the point that "it stays on the court". I believe those analysts are right. Why on earth would you think it a good idea to try to confront a guy outside of the basketball court, especially Kevin Garnett who you know his only goal is to get you to lose focus on the game. That's absolutely childish.

So we discovered that Melo can't handle trash talk. Then why after the Knicks third loss to the Chicago Bulls was he running his mouth about Luol Deng and the Bulls in general? Luol Deng had one of his best games of the season and dropped 33 points on Carmelo Anthony. Yet after the game Melo said he "didn't think Deng did anything". Excuse me? He also said that he wasn't worried about the Bulls at all. I would be worried, they clearly had your number the three times they played you. Why after you just threw a fit about being trash talked would you go do something silly like talk down an athlete that has done nothing personal to you?

I'd like to think that the bad week for Melo stopped after those comments but I would be incorrect. News came out today that the Knicks organization placed microphones at either end of the court in order to listen in on the talk that went on between the players during the game. The decision to do so was in order to "protect Anthony". Now we're going to babysit a 28 year old man? What happens if the Knicks find out that in some way Carmelo is instigating the trash talk. How do you plan to protect him then? This whole situation has gone much too far all because Melo let Garnett get in his head. I'm sure Garnett was being nasty with his talk, that's how he is. But Carmelo should know that and have thick skin. He's one of the best players in the league, his play should do enough talking for him, especially this year.

This past week has really shown Melo in a negative light. Everybody already knew he couldn't be tough on defense, but his mental toughness had never really been challenged. Garnett took it upon himself to see just how mentally tough Melo is and well, we know how that worked out. Melo's a great offensive player and a guy that kids look up to. I'd like to see him stop and think before he acts or speaks because he doesn't need to miss any more games to suspension with the Knicks looking like title-contenders. Just shut your mouth and play, Melo.

Bench Players Hold Key to Winning Teams

I was watching the UConn/Louisville basketball game tonight and at one point there was a fast break for the Huskies. DeAndre Daniels brought the ball up the floor and a Louisville defender met him at halfcourt. Glancing to his left, Daniels saw Shabazz Napier standing wide open at the free throw line. Daniels ignored his point guard's call for the ball and instead drove in with the defender on his hip. Jay Bilas could be heard saying "Give it up, give it up" on air, but the play finished with Daniels throwing down a dunk and Napier standing at the free throw line with his palms facing up.

At the next commercial break, as the replay of the dunk was shown, Bill Raftery said "Daniels was thinking 'You know what? When's the last time somebody made the cover of SI (Sports Illustrated) for making an assist?! I'm taking it myself!" That sparked a thought in my head about how role players are rarely appreciated.

I am now a freshman in college and I come from a high school basketball experience of being a role player. Grab rebounds, set screens, do the little things. My job was not to drop fifteen points a night, we had other guys that were much more capable than I was of doing that. It took me a while to get used to not being the first or second scoring option. Yet as the seasons progressed I realized how important my play was, despite the lack of recognition my role was given.

My point is this, most of the time athletes (especially at a young age) overlook the importance of role players, or of players that do not start. If you look at the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011-2012 or the Chicago Bulls right now you would see two of the best bench players in the game between James Harden and Taj Gibson. James Harden earned the Sixth Man award last year and was just as significant to their run to the Finals as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were. He provided a spark off the bench, played hard defense, and did the little things correctly. Could he have started? Absolutely. And even though he didn't get the recognition of Durant or Westbrook, he went about his business and helped the Thunder win the Western Conference.

Taj Gibson, though in the same position as Harden in being the sixth man, plays a different role. Harden came off the bench to average 16 points per game, Gibson is more of a do-it-all forward. He scores seven points and grabs five boards every game, all while shooting nearly 50% from the floor. On a team with a superstar like Derrick Rose, or a colorful personality like Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson's name does not come up often when people think of the Chicago Bulls. However, if you think Gibson is just another player on the bench you would be incorrect. Is he worthy to start in front of Carlos Boozer? Some might say yes. To me, he can't afford to be a starter because then his energy isn't there off the bench when the game comes down to the end. Anybody who pays attention to the Bulls will notice that at the end of the game, Gibson is the one on the floor for the final minutes. He's bought in to what Tom Thibedeau has asked him to do and is now one of the better bench players in the league.

Athletes need to understand that just because your name is not in the newspaper does not mean you don't contribute. Would you rather be the kid that hits five threes in a loss? Or would you rather be the kid that sets the screen for your teammate that hits five threes in a win? It really comes down to how selfless of a teammate someone wants to be. I was once told "It's not how you start, but how you finish." What's the difference between starting and being subbed in midway through the first quarter, anyway? You get your name called for starting lineups, that's the only perk. Other than that, it's still a game that you're trying to win.

Raftery's comment was not negative or in bad taste at all. But what he said brought to my attention just how under-appreciated the little things are. As my last point, does anybody know who made the pass to Christian Watford last year when he sank the game-winning three to take down Kentucky? Verdell Jones, a bench player. Without him, Assembly Hall doesn't go ballistic after Watford hits that shot.  Bench players and role players are just as important to the game as the starters. If you're not a starter, don't be discouraged. Keep working hard because I guarantee that you are of value to your team. It's not how or if you start a game, it's how you finish a game.

Armstrong Next in Long Line of Fallen Heroes

On Thursday morning when America turns on Oprah they will hear the sad and disappointing news come from Lance Armstrong's mouth that he used PEDs during his magical, yet now fraudulent, domination of seven straight Tour de France titles. Though the news is disappointing, is it really that surprising? Can we as fans really be surprised by this news? To me, Armstrong is the next superstar in a long line who have let us down. Heroes who we held on a pedestal constantly let us down with their actions off the field or their actions of cheating. It's a disturbing cycle in American sports today.

How does a man who has apparently been doping for years vehemently deny it to the media over and over again? Sure, Armstrong is still a hero and an inspiration, but he is also a fraud, a liar, a cheater and a snake. He flat out lied for years and he led us on a trail of glory only to run us into a dead end like so many others we idolized.

Who can we trust in today's sports world? The baseball Hall of Fame voting was marred by the discussions of steroids and players we once held up as heroes such as Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Roger Clemens were left out because of their PED use. Sosa and Mark McGwire took us on a journey during the summer of '98 that was unlike any other. Nothing was more fun than watching those two bash home runs unfathomable distances day after day, but now we look back on that summer in disgust and view it as one big lie.

Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were two of the main Idiots on the loveable 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series team and they helped the team beat the Curse of the Bambino. The two terrorized opposing pitching staffs with clutch home runs, but like McGwire and Sosa, that all seems like a fraud now. It's another positive memory that has been made negative by the findings later on.

It's not just cheating that turns us away. Tiger Woods let us down perhaps more than any other athlete when his life came crashing down on Thanksgiving weekend a few years ago. While athletes are free to do what they want with their personal lives, we love those who hold themselves to a higher moral standard. We thought that was Tiger Woods. The clean-cut, well-spoken, family man who collected major championships like a 10-year-old collects baseball cards no longer was the model athlete. He was a man with a dark, hidden private life and he became tabloid fodder. Again, we suddenly couldn't look back on those clutch putts with the same joy we once did. There was something different.

Let us not overlook the wrongdoings and downfall of the Penn State football program and Joe Paterno as well. The model program in State College went down in shambles when the news broke of Jerry Sandusky's child abuse scandal. Paterno was the perfect coach, but even he could not escape the blame and the scandal led to his firing and his records have vanished. Are those glory years at Penn State still viewed the same? It would be hard to ignore the once covered up sins.

And we look at all these examples of athletes letting us down and it makes you wonder why we choose to attack a guy like LeBron James. On this very blog we have criticized the man, but in the grand scheme of things what has he done wrong? If anything, LeBron is a ray of hope. He has no off-the-court incidents and we would love to keep that way. The same can be said for guys like Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Kevin Durant and Aaron Rodgers. They are our heroes who have never let us down.

So when Armstrong admits to years of doping he will just be the next man in a long line of athletes who have disappointed us with their actions. Is he still a symbol of hope and inspiration? Sure he is, but something tells me we won't look back on those Tour de France titles the same way we once did. Something tells me we won't ever look at the Livestrong brand the same way. But most importantly, something tells me he won't be the last of our heroes to let us down.

Playoffs Still in Sight for Lakers

If the Los Angeles Lakers were to miss the playoffs this season it would go down as perhaps the biggest failure in recent sports history. Sitting at 15-20 and 11th place in the Western Conference, the Lakers have battled multiple coaching changes, injuries to their star big men and a media circus all year long and have become the top story on every sports network for all the wrong reasons. Relatively speaking, it's still quite early in the year, but LA must kick it in gear now or the offseason will begin early for the purple and gold.

Missing the playoffs in any year is viewed as a crime for the prestigious Lakers, but to miss the playoffs this year after acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to go along with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace would be down right disastrous. As superpowers become a more common thing in American sports, America has changed the view on what is failure for a team loaded with superstars.

On a smaller scale, take the Miami Marlins for example. The franchise went through an entire rebirthing operation by building a new ballpark, changing their name and colors, hiring a new manager and signing some of the top talent available. Yet they turned in one of the worst seasons in the MLB and became a laughing stock by the third month of the season. On a larger scale, but in the same city, look at the Miami Heat. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh teamed up with the goal in mind to win multiple championships, but failed to win it all in their first year. They still won the Eastern Conference and still had a fantastic season, but they became an example of what will happen to teams that add multiple superstars and come up short of the ultimate prize. The Heat were blasted for an entire summer for not winning the Finals and considered a failure despite achieving enormous success.

Can you imagine what the media and fans will do to the Lakers if they don't even make the playoffs? LA trots out five all-stars in their starting lineup, but has looked so discombobulated on some nights that you wonder if there are any all-stars on the floor. However, if the Lakers are to make the postseason then they must focus on the future and change the things needed to win ball games.

That means getting everybody healthy first and foremost. LA has never had their full lineup in uniform and that's why they have struggled at times. At the point guard position Nash missed seven weeks with a leg injury and reliable backup Steve Blake has missed all but the first five games with an abdominal injury. Inside, Howard has never looked quite the same since his back surgery and now has a torn labrum that will sideline him. Gasol is out with a concussion and Jordan Hill has been day-to-day with a hip injury.

Those injuries are a recipe for disaster and it has been one in the city of angels. Getting healthy must be the key priority for the Lakers and once healthy they can focus on the X's and O's. It's silly to think that this is a team that can't win with Mike D'Antoni on the sidelines. While I believe it was down right dumb to not hire Phil Jackson, it's not as though D'Antoni can't win. With the talent on the roster, it shouldn't matter who is the coach. The guys on that team are good enough to win no matter who is coaching them.

While a 15-20 record is a terrible start for the Lakers, it definitely is fixable. They have never played with a full lineup and have gone through multiple coaching changes. If they can get everyone healthy and settle into D'Antoni's system then there will be playoff basketball for the Lakers. There's far too much talent on that roster for them to be sitting at home come playoff time. I would say it's time to panic, but not to the point where changes must be made.

Perhaps I'm stubborn, but I'm not counting the Lakers out of the playoffs nor will I count them out of another title run. I haven't mentioned it yet, but any team with Kobe Bryant on the roster is a team I will refuse to count out. 15-20 doesn't look threatening, but get this team healthy and the West may be the Lakers'.

Big Ten is College Basketball's Elite

If anybody watched college football this year, it wasn't hard at all to pick up on the fact that the Big Ten was less than impressive. It was a rough year for every fan of a Big Ten team, even if you were an Ohio State fan you had to sit back and realize their undefeated season meant nothing due to bowl ineligibility (Shout out to Terrelle Pryor and Jim Tressel). All in all, life as a Big Ten fan was pretty rough in the fall.

But the fall is over and winter is in full swing which means one of the worst conferences is now the best. The Big Ten has taken the world of college basketball by storm and it looks like it's here to stay. With six teams in the top 25 (no team being ranked lower than 18), it's plain to see that the Big Ten has talent that other conferences can only dream of. Take the Naismith Player of the Year award for instance, four players from the Big Ten have been mentioned in the discussion. DeShaun Thomas of Ohio State, Brandon Paul of Illinois, Cody Zeller of Indiana, and Trey Burke of Michigan have all been named possible winners or contenders. These players also come from teams that, right now, look as if they could contend for a trip to the Final Four.

Yet it's easy to base a conference off of the elite teams, but here's a look at the teams people may be overlooking in the midst of the talk about the six ranked teams:

Wisconsin: The Badgers are off to an 11-4 start with very few eye-opening wins. They lost by double-digits to Florida, Creighton, and Marquette. Yet they started the conference season with two wins. Granted, those wins came against Nebraska and Penn State, but if you think the Badgers won't give teams trouble, then you don't know Bo...Ryan that is. In my mind, Bo Ryan is a very underrated coach. He's not on the level of Tom Izzo but he does have five Big Ten titles and a record of 268-101 in his eleven years at Wisconsin. Not to mention that the Badgers are one of the toughest teams to beat at home, boasting an astounding 116-15 record at home under Ryan. They may not be ranked, but you'd be stupid to overlook the Badgers.

Purdue: A team with six freshman and only two seniors? What's to fear about a team so inexperienced? Well, if you were able to catch the Purdue/Illinois game, there's alot to fear. This squad of Matt Painter's is going to be an impressive one. They won't contend this year or maybe next year, but freshmen Ronnie Johnson and A.J. Hammons are showing great promise. Johnson is a quick guard who's averaging almost nine points, four rebounds, and three assists. Not bad for a freshman guard. As for Hammons, the kid looks like the second coming of JaJuan Johnson; very long and raw at a young age. Yet he presents a presence in the paint that will even make All-Americans change their shot. That's exactly what Hammons needs to understand. He doesn't necessarily need to be a shot-blocker. He can work wonders just by putting his hands up and standing there. Throw that in with the fact he's grabbing almost seven boards a game and you've got a player with some real potential. The Boilermakers already upset Illinois and gave Ohio State a great game. The old saying goes "Age is but a number", and this Purdue team is out to prove that no matter how young they are they're here to compete.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes currently have an 11-4 record and, if you look closely, they have only beaten cupcake teams. They don't have any impressive wins thus far and are 0-2 in conference play. With that being said, Roy Devyn Marble and Aaron White can still lead the Hawkeyes to a handful of conference wins. Marble averages just over fifteen points a game and White averages thirteen. Together, they led the Hawkeyes in a four-point loss to the nationally-respected Indiana Hoosiers. The final score was 69-65 and there were numerous times that Iowa had Tom Crean's squad on the ropes. Iowa is presented with another test tonight as they try to topple Michigan State at home. Again, the Hawkeyes are not likely to contend for the Big Ten crown, but there's no doubt they will be the spoilers when it comes down to the end.

I've heard plenty of people try to say that the Big Ten is not the best conference. I can respect opinions, but I can't see how someone could go against the talent, coaching, and flat out domination the Big Ten is showing this year. The ACC is Duke's for the taking. The Big East will, most likely, be Syracuse's once again, the SEC will come down to either Florida or Missouri, the Big 12 will no doubt be won by Kansas, and the Pac 12 will come down to UCLA and Arizona. Of the Power Six conferences, only the Big Ten has more than two teams that can contend for the title. Between Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State, Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan State there is no clear-cut winner, not to mention the depth this conference has. Don't be surprised if the Sweet Sixteen has five or six Big Ten teams in it.

Hall Shuts Out PED-Dominated Class

Sosa, Clemens and Bonds didn't get the call to the Hall 

It was perhaps the most highly decorated class in history of the Baseball Hall of Fame and, despite that, there will not be one new plaque hung up on the wall in Cooperstown this summer. It's almost unbelievable to think that the all-time home run leader, a 300-game winner and 4,000 strikeout pitcher and a 600 home run hitter weren't even close to getting the call to the Hall. Yet that's the reality for Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa today.

Looking at the statistics and awards it's impossible that those three players wouldn't be elected, but they made their decision years ago when they decided to take performance-enhancing drugs. The talk of steroids has swirled around the Hall of Fame talk for years and, for some, this is a sad day for Major League Baseball. There's no doubt it's a tough discussion and coming up with a solution has proven to be an even tougher ordeal.

Here's the way I believe the Hall should handle their dilemma and it's a good point ESPN's Buster Olney made earlier today: let them all in. If they are Hall of Fame worthy then let them in, but just say on their plaque that they admitted steroid use and give that information as well. No asterisks, no snubs, no separate wings. Hate on Bonds and Clemens, but they were Hall of Famers before the PED use. I would suggest putting them all in and just stating on their plaque that they were steroid users and if they were convicted of perjury or something of that sort then state that as well.

The Hall of Fame is in a pickle and it's created a challenge for itself because there will be no induction weekend. The numbers show that as many as 20,000 fans flock to Cooperstown on that weekend, but there will be no such weekend this summer. Cooperstown has seen less than 300,000 fans come through the museum the past five seasons after 12 straight years of eclipsing that number. The museum isn't much of a museum if the fans don't come to see it and what they have done is just left their biggest weekend off of the schedule.

The other side of the coin today is that players who have never been linked to steroids such as Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza and Curt Schilling were left out as well. While that has some fans in an uproar consider that Biggio's fellow second basemen Ryne Sandberg, Roberto Alomar and Barry Larkin weren't inducted on the first ballot either. Biggio's time will come as it will for the other three. It's rare that players are inducted on the first ballot, but their is reason to believe that they will soon get the call.

For as unfortunate as today was for the game of baseball, next year could be the exact opposite. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Mike Mussina and Jeff Kent will all be on the ballot for the first time and that could mean that there will be a large class next year.

Today is an unfortunate day for baseball, but the message has been sent that voters will not tolerate those who used performance-enhancing drugs. While those not linked to steroids will most likely get in eventually, it's not so clear for those that have been linked. As fans, we can also expect that next year should be a much more joyous day for baseball and that's a good thing because the Hall needs some good news after today.

"If this was a prize fight they would have called it off"

Brent Musberger couldn't have said it better after Alabama scored at one point in the second half. The Crimson Tide rolled all over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in route to their third title in four years. It's a dynasty that hasn't been seen since the Nebraska teams of the late 90's and the scary thing is that like Kirk Herbstreit said, they might only be in the middle of it.

It was over after the first quarter as Bama led 21-0 and at halftime Brian Kelly seemed to be searching for answers just like the rest of America during an interview with Heather Cox. The reality seems to be if you give Nick Saban over a month to prepare for a game then he will make sure his team is ready and they will dominate the competition. We have seen it two years in a row and there's little reason to think that it won't continue.


The SEC has won the last seven national titles and they have a choke hold on the college football scene. Has their ever been a run this impressive by one conference in any sport? It would be tough to think of one. The idea that the SEC championship is the national championship has never seemed truer. It's also never seemed more obvious that a playoff system is needed in college football.

However, don't take that last statement as a slight to Notre Dame. The Irish deserved to be in the championship game after an undefeated season and people who argue that Oregon or Kansas State should have been in the title game must remember that no matter the schedules, those teams cost themselves the chance. They didn't do what was necessary to be in the title game and Notre Dame did. That said, it's still a better idea to do a playoff and thankfully college football has one coming soon.

I would imagine the television ratings plummeted in the second half as the Tide clearly had the game wrapped up. Fans complain that there hasn't been a good national title game in a few years and while a playoff won't be fool proof it certainly will put two teams in the championship that have won their way there in a playoff fashion that we are accustomed to in America.

When the playoff system is implemented don't be surprised if these two teams go head-to-head again. Both schools bring in remarkable recruiting classes and Notre Dame is still in the process of coming back on the national scene. This year, despite the blowout, will no doubt help the recruiting as the Irish finished undefeated in the regular season and Manti Te'o finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Hate on ND or Bama all you want, but the reality is that the game is better when both of them are good. They are the traditional titans of college football and they bring in the money for the sport. Their simultaneous greatness will help the sport as times do seem tumultuous with conference realignment and other money-hungry issues dominating the headlines.

With a playoff system on the brink, we can hope that routine beatdowns in the national title game are in the rear view mirror, but with the way Alabama looked Monday night in Miami, maybe that's not a sure thing.

Shanahan's Error in Judgement Costs 'Skins

It was an agonizing three quarters of football watching Robert Griffin III hobble around on a bad knee in the Washington Redskins' defeat at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks. The rookie quarterback quite possibly could be the Rookie of the Year in a few weeks, but he could whip up no heroics on Wild Card weekend and his injury led to the Redskins' demise.

Griffin injured his knee earlier in the year, but continued to play while wearing a brace on his right knee. That right knee is the same knee in which he tore his ACL back in 2009 while at Baylor and the early inclinations are that he may have torn it again. It's devastating news and leaves 'Skins fans with a bitter taste in their mouth despite feeling so hopeful just 24 hours ago.

RGIII came out hot last night, leading Washington to two straight scores and opening up a 14-0 lead. However, it went south from there and it was plain to see Griffin's pain as he scrambled right, stepped awkwardly and fell to the sloppy turf late in the first quarter. He limped back to the huddle and remained in the game, but he was never the same.

Consider this: in the first quarter Griffin was 6-9 for 68 yards and two touchdowns, but the rest of the game he was just 4-11 for 16 yards and no touchdowns. Despite his obvious pain and lessened mobility, the Redskins continued to run plays such as read options and pass plays that required him to roll out in one direction. It was poor play-calling and it was part of the reason they 'Skins lost the ballgame.

Mike Shanahan said in the postgame that he might have been wrong to leave Griffin in for as long as he did, but let me assure Shanahan that he was 100% wrong. Here's why: while Griffin may have said he was good to go, his play said otherwise. The playoffs are win-or-go-home scenarios and there's not much time for error. After RGIII aggravated his knee in the first quarter the Redskins should have limited him to a pocket passer. A quick look at his stats tells the tale. He simply wasn't the same and it's not as though Washington had Joe Webb sitting on the sidelines. They had Kirk Cousins, a more than capable backup who had shown promise in his playing time earlier in the year.

Shanahan refused to make the switch and the offense sputtered, failing to score for the rest of the game. I understand that football is a man's game and there's something to be said for being a warrior for your team. RGIII was a warrior. He tried to continue on, but the reality is that he wasn't the best man for the job after the first quarter and it was visible. The reason people (including me) criticized Jay Cutler two years ago is because his pain was never visible. No one knew he was hurt; he just didn't play the second half. With Griffin we could see the limp, see the grimaces every time he ran and see the statistics plummet.

Shanahan made an error in judgement and it cost his team the game. However, blame is hardly what matters here as we all hope the 22 year old star gets good news about his knee and can heal quickly. It seems that we have seen far too many young stars go down with knee injuries in the past couple years. Derrick Rose, Ricky Rubio, Blake Griffin, John Wall, Adrian Peterson and perhaps Griffin all have been sidelined for long periods of time. Injuries are realities of the games we play, but this one hurts especially because it seemed obvious that it was only a matter of time before RGIII crumpled to the ground in pain.

In the fourth quarter when his knee gave out on him and he laid on the ground, it was as if the entire nation held their breath, hoping he would get back up. He finally did and he walked off on his own power, but there's a certain gloom over the sports world today. Hopefully this will serve as a lesson to coaches in all sports that when a player is injured he must be taken out. The game means a lot, but a career means more.