MLB Preseason Predictions: National League West Predictions

San Francisco Giants celebrate World Series title

The NL West lost one of it's biggest stars in Adrian Gonzalez but it is still one of the deepest divisions in baseball. The San Diego Padres will surely find it harder to score runs without Gonzalez but their pitching will still be top notch. Colorado is a scrappy team and San Francisco has it's core group back from their World Series title team in 2010. Also, the Dodgers still have a good team but with all the problems going on in the front office it wouldn't be surprising to see them perform like they did last year. The Diamondbacks have struggled to win games the past few years but they do have some young talent.

1. Colorado Rockies

Ubaldo Jimenez wowedthe crowds and baffled the hitters in 2010 but can he do it now that people are starting to figure him out? Last year he was somewhat of a surprise and he struggled as the year went on. The Rockies have four other pitchers who are steady and get the job done. At the plate, Carlos Gonzalez flirted with the Triple Crown last year so we will see, like Jimenez, if he can do it again now that people have figured him out. Troy Tulowitzki is a player on the rise and leads the Rocks. Colorado nearly made it to the World Series a few years ago and don't be surprised if they are contending for it this year also.

2. San Francisco Giants

The defending champs are looking strong once again because everybody is back. The crazy thing is, they won the NL West last year but barely. It easily could have been somebody else and we would have had a different World Series champion. This year the race will be close again and the Giants will rely on their pitching of Tim Lincecum, Johnathan Sanchez and Matt Cain. Brian Wilson is scary in the bullpen and the lineup is filled with good hitters. All in all, it could go either way between the Rockies and Giants and we should see a great race down the stretch.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

Such a talented roster should never have the kind of season the Dodgers did last year. Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and James Loney can all hit the ball and the same can be said for Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal. All those players mentioned are good players but for some reason it just wasn't working last year. Clayton Kershaw heads a rotation while Jonathan Broxton is a force in the bullpen. LA should be better this year and hopefully the drama in the front office doesn't affect the performance on the field.

4. San Diego Padres

As mentioned before, the Padres will feel the loss of Adrian Gonzalez and so will their ballpark seats. Who will put people in the seats? There is no superstar on this team anymore and that is a problem. Rarely does a team of everyday players with no superstar win their division, much less the World Series. Mat Latos and Clayton Richard will have to carry the Padres if they want to win the West.

5. Arizona Diamondbacks

Perhaps they can climb out of the basement this year if they can find some hitting...and some pitching. They don't have much of either. Justin Upton needs to break out and be the superstar we are waiting for him to be. Chris Young and Melvin Mora are decent but definitely not the players to carry a team to a division title.

Best Lineup: Colorado Rockies
Best Pitching Staff: San Francisco Giants

Best Player: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies

Best Pitcher: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

MLB Preseason Predictions: National League Central Preview

Aroldis Chapman

The National League Central division always goes four or five teams deep that could contend for the division title and this year will be no different. The Reds are the defending champions and it seems they have finally climbed out of the Central Division cellar for good. Their usual counterpart, St. Louis, was shaping up to be a very strong team this year until they received the bad news that Adam Wainwright would need Tommy John surgery. Obviously, the Cardinals can not replace him (see previous article from February) but they should still be able to contend. Keep an eye on the Milwaukee Brewers who have a very strong lineup and added former Cy Young award winner Zach Greinke in the offseason. The Chicago Cubs always look good on paper but then they play terrible during the season and miss the playoffs. This year is no different, they have a new manager and a lineup that should score in bunches but we can't count on that. Houston is still trying to get back on their feet after losing all of their stars from the 2005 National League Championship team and the Pirates hope that young talent can finally get them a winning season but that won't be this year.

1. Cincinnati Reds

It was a hard choice for number one until Wainwright was declared out for the year. Now, without a doubt, the Reds should win the Central Division for the second year in a row. Joey Votto is fresh off an MVP year and some think he is just as good as Albert Pujols. He still has a long way to go before he reaches the level Pujols is on but he is an incredible young talent. The Reds have the best pitching staff in the Central with Edinson Volquez, Travis Wood, Bronson Arroyo and Homer Bailey. Perhaps the most intriguing of the starting five is Aroldis Chapman, a Cuban import who has a fastball that hits triple digits routinely. This will be his first full season and hitters aren't happy about that. Dusty Baker got an extension as manager and he has a club that could stand atop the Central for quite a while.

2. St. Louis Cardinals

It has been a dramatic offseason for the Cardinals, something this organization is not used to, but once they get out on the field and can just play ball they will be the same old Cardinals. Albert Pujols didn't sign an extension but that shouldn't affect his production on the field and he's my preseason MVP pick. Matt Holliday had a good year in 2010 and he and Pujols will need to score runs to support an average pitching staff. St. Louis also added Lance Berkman and Berkamn needs to play like he did in Houston and not in New York. If he does then the Cards definitely can be a contender.

3. Milwaukee Brewers

This is my team to watch in the National League this year because it seems they are ready to breakout. Actually, they need to break out because their window is closing. It's hard to keep a team together more than a few years and some of these young guys are going to leave the Brew Crew if they don't win soon. Winning shouldn't be a problem this year. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are back in the middle of the lineup along with Rickie Weeks. Milwaukee also has two big arms at the top of their pitching staff in Greinke and Yovani Gallardo which means that this year should be the Brewers year.

4. Chicago Cubs

Poor Lou Pinella. The man had all the right pieces, or so it seemed, but he couldn't get his players to produce. Now Mike Quade takes over in the dugout and he inherits the same group of players plus a few ex-Tampa Bay Rays who know what it's like to be in the World Series. Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome and Carlos Zambrano better put up good numbers this year or they may find themselves traded at the deadline. If the Cubs are to win they should rely on three young players in Starlin Castro, Tyler Colvin and Darwin Barney to get the job done. Also, Carlos Pena and Matt Garza both signed in the offseason and they are from a winning franchise in Tampa Bay. They ought to teach the Cubs veterans how to do that thing they call winning.

5. Houston Astros

There isn't much to get excited about in Houston and this is going to be another down year for the Astros. Unless Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn can become muster up Herculean efforts the 'Stros will be in a contest with the Pirates to see who can be last place in the Central. Wandy Rodriguez is a talented pitcher but has no help in the rotation.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates

The night I was born back in 1991 the Pirates were facing the Braves in the NLCS and the following year in 1992 they had a winning season but since then they haven't had one. Most years they aren't even close and this year will be more of the same. The roster is filled with young players but the only one worth noting is outfielder, Andrew McCutchen. Other than that the Bucs will be playing in a beautiful ballpark with no one their to watch because they can't win.

Best Lineup: Milwaukee Brewers

Best Pitching Staff: Cincinnati Reds

Best Player: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
Best Pitcher: Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

MLB Preseason Predictions: National League East Preview

Cliff Lee

The NL East is always one of the most competitive divisions and this year should be no different, however, we will see if anybody can hit off the Phillies pitching staff. Philly signed the biggest name on the free agent market this offseason when they inked Cliff Lee. Lee pitched for the Phillies for half of a season but loved the city and decided he would take less money to be in Philadelphia than be in New York with the Yankees. Atlanta will look a little bit different without Bobby Cox in the dugout but Fredi Gonzalez is a nice replacement. Washington is trying to be a player and they threw a lot of money at Jayson Werth but they lost a good power hitter in Adam Dunn. Florida won't be as strong as they have been and the Mets are a lost cause.

1. Philadelphia Phillies

The "Phab Four" as they have been named are going to be scary good (see previous article from December) with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels making a four headed monster on the mound. There are few staffs ever that can compete with this one but maybe we're getting too hyped about the Phils. They still haven't played yet and who knows if they can all four have good years. They should get run support but that's if the Phillies bats can hit. Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard have struggled and Chase Utley may have to sit significant games with a knee injury. Bottom line: The Phillies may not have to score that many runs with their pitching staff.

2. Atlanta Braves

The Jason Heyward Show enters season two and what does the man do for an encore? Well, he can win the Braves a World Series title, something the organization and fans think is very possible. Chipper Jones came back for another year because he believes the Braves can win the Fall Classic and he wants to be a part of it. The signing of Dan Uggla will boost the offense as he is a power hitting second baseman and he will man the middle of the infield with Martin Prado. Prado hit well last year and is good at the top of the lineup. The Braves pitching is underrated because they don't have the big names like the Phillies but they are all solid.

3. Washington Nationals

Maybe it's a risk to pick the Nats this high in the division since they usually have the bottom spot in the division sewn up by July. They have made huge headlines by drafting Bryce Harper but he will start the season in the minors. Stephen Strasburg will be back on the mound and he was impressive in his first season before getting injured. The Nats have signed players who have won with other organizations and hope they can bring that winning attitude to D.C. Jayson Werth will provide much of the power in the middle of the lineup with Ryan Zimmerman. Rick Ankiel can put up power numbers and the Nats should be much improved.

4. Florida Marlins

The Marlins have solid players and one promising young player in Mike Stanton but losing Dan Uggla hurts. Hanley Ramirez can be one of the top players in the game but sometimes he doesn't play hard. When he is at the top of his game though he is the best player in the division. Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez are a good 1-2 punch in the rotation. The Marlins will be decent this year but we shouldn't expect more than a .500 record from the Fish.

5. New York Mets

Ah, the Mets...for some reason they can't figure it out. They tried the Yankees strategy of buying the best players such as Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana but that hasn't translated into wins. In fact, they have turned in some of their worst seasons in typical New York Mets fashion. This season they must avoid injuries and get production from their big names. If that doesn't happen then it's going to be a very bad year in Queens.

Best Lineup: Atlanta Braves
Best Pitching Staff: Philadelphia Phillies

Best Player: Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
Best Pitcher: Roy Halladay/Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies

Photo courtest of phillysportscentral.com

MLB Preseason Predictions: American League West Preview

Felix Hernandez

The Texas Rangers are the defending American League champions and they will still be strong this year, but they don't have Cliff Lee at the top of their rotation anymore. C.J. Wilson is now expected to to carry the load and he will need to improve on his record for that to happen. The Los Angeles Angels are the perennial power in the AL West and added Vernon Wells to their lineup. Mike Scoscia knows how to manage a team and everybody knows that at the end of the year the Angels will be near the top of the division. Also, don't ignore Oakland. They have a young pitching staff and they are always a sleeper team with new talent Billy Beane brings in. Seattle had a disastrous season in 2010 but had the Cy Young award winner in Felix Hernandez. This year doesn't look much better for them but the other three teams could be in a close race.

1. Texas Rangers

The Rangers have a lineup from top to bottom that would scare any pitcher. Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus and Michael Young get on base for Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton and the Rangers score runs at an impressive rate. One thing that Texas will have to figure out is how to blend in Adrian Beltre, an offseason acquisition from Boston. There has already been some unrest between him and Young because both play the same position. Young feels that he can still play third but it will be interesting to see how Texas works it out. Wilson is the ace of the staff now with Lee gone and the Rangers hope former Diamondback Brandon Webb can be the elite pitcher he once was.

2. Los Angeles Angels

The Angels outfield packs some pop with Torii Hunter, Bobby Abreu and Vernon Wells. Howie Kendrick is a good bat in the lineup as well as Erick Aybar. Also returning to the Angels lineup will be Kendry Morales. Morales suffered a season ending injury last year when he broke his leg celebrating a walk off home run. The pitching staff consists of mediocre pitchers who could be really good. Ervin Santana, Scott Kazmir, Dan Haren and Jered Weaver are solid but Weaver needs to step up and be a 20 game winner and Haren needs to be up there as well.

3. Oakland Athletics

Get to know the A's pitching staff because the could be making headlines for years to come. Andrew Bailey and Gio Gonzalez are young and talented and Dallas Braden is known as well for his perfect game last year against the Yankees. Coco Crisp and Hideki Matsui bring championship experience to a young team at the plate. Other than them the A's will rely on players like Kevin Kouzmanoff and Cliff Pennington to score runs. Reality is, the A's lineup is behind their pitching and, despite the talent they have in the rotation, they are very young and a few years away from winning the division.

4. Seattle Mariners

Did any team have a worse year than the Mariners had last year? Milton Bradley was consumed in negative headlines all year and nothing has changed in 2011. Don Wakamatsu was fired and Eric Wedge has been brought in to try and maximize the talent on the roster. Chone Figgins, Erik Bedard and Bradley are all big signings that have produced minimal results. Hernandez is one of the best pitchers in the game and he, along with the always consistent Ichiro, are the lone bright spots on the team. Don't expect much from Seattle this year. There are too many headcases and underachievers for them to succeed.

Best Lineup: Texas Rangers

Best Pitching Staff: Oakland A's

Best Player: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
Best Pitcher: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners

MLB Preseason Predictions: American League Central Preview

As always, the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox are going to fight to the death for the division crown while the Detroit Tigers shouldn't be far behind. Those three teams have become a model of consistency, especially the Twins, and all three bring much of their respective players back from last year. The White Sox added Adam Dunn to beef up an already dynamite lineup and they get Jake Peavy back from injury. Peavy could be the X-factor for Chicago. Minnesota will need Justin Morneau to be healthy to succeed. If Miguel Cabrera can have another stellar year and the Tigers' pitching staff can improve then they could be in the hunt. Kansas City lost their lone bright spot in Zach Grienke and Cleveland is, well, Cleveland so don't expect much of either team. Let's get on to the picks and breakdowns now shall we?

1. Chicago White Sox

Jake Peavy

The South Siders look big and bad with their lineup and on the mound with a pitching staff that is tops in the league. Mark Buerhle needs to return to form after an inconsistent season but he will find help from former Cy Young award winner, Jake Peavy. Peavy missed almost all of last season due to injury but has looked strong so far in spring training. Gavin Floyd, John Danks and Edwin Jackson round out the rotation and all are capable of being 15 game winners. At the plate the Sox have some serious pop with Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn and Carlos Quentin in the middle of the lineup. It's not ridiculous to say that Chicago could get another World Series trophy to go along with that 2005 one.

2. Minnesota Twins

The Twins are the defending champions of the Central Division and bring all their key parts back. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau will be the power in a pesky lineup that includes Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer and Jim Thome. Thome contributed more than expected last season, his first in Minnestoa, but he is not slated to start this year. Francisco Liriano has gotten his nasty back after a bad injury a few years ago and he and Carl Pavano are a good one-two punch at the start of the rotation but the Twins need good outings from the other three starters, who are not as good as the Sox bottom three. The bullpen is good with Joe Nathan and Matt Capps to finish games.

3. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers added Victor Martinez to their roster to go along with Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera and, like Chicago and Minnesota, should be able to drive in runs. Austin Jackson is a promising young talent in centerfield and Brandon Inge is steady at third base. Carlos Guillen will also be back in the lineup. Justin Verlander is one of the best in the league on the mound and his fastball still has the zip on it.

4. Kansas City Royals

5. Cleveland Indians
Not much to say about either of these teams besides that they aren't very good. Neither one has pitching and they have no star player. Grady Sizemore can be a star if he stays healthy in Cleveland but the bottom line is, these two clubs are looking up at the other three.

Best Lineup: Chicago White Sox
Best Pitching Staff: Chicago White Sox

Best Player: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
Best Pitcher: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

MLB Preseason Predictions: American League East Preview

Carl Crawford                            Adrian Gonzalez

For the next several posts I will be breaking down the MLB, division by division and giving my preseason picks and predictions. After last year's unlikely World Series matchup and some huge offseason signings by the Red Sox and Phillies, the 2011 year has big storylines and should be a competitive year. I will start with the American League East which is, once again, going to be the power division in baseball. The Red Sox upgraded with offseason signings and the Yankees still have one of the meanest lineups in the game. The Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles should be interesting to watch for different reasons. The Rays lost a few key players and we will see how they respond while the O's added a slugger in Vladimir Guerrero. Toronto has made a home with being mediocre and we shouldn't expect anything different this year. So, without further ado, let's get into these predictions and breakdowns.

1. Boston Red Sox
After an injury plagued 2010 the Red Sox are looking to get back on track and back in the postseason. The usual core is back of Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia but two offseason free agent signings have made the BoSox lineup even scarier. Carl Crawford, from the Tampa Bay Rays, and Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres both signed for big bucks and Boston should score runs in bunches. The pitching rotation is strong and the Sox added Bobby Jenks to the bullpen. If this year's club stays healthy they should be playing in the Fall Classic.

2. New York Yankees
As always, the Bronx Bombers are going to drive in runs with Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixiera in the middle of the lineup but what could set the Yankees back is their pitching. They failed to sign Cliff Lee but C.C. Sabathia is a clear-cut ace and we know what to expect from him. Phil Hughes was excellent last year and should pitch like that again but A.J. Burnett, the Yanks other huge free agent signing a few years back, had a rocky 2010 and needs to bounce back. Otherwise, New York could be in trouble. The American League is loaded this year and it won't be a cakewalk to the playoffs like it normally is. It's no secret that Derek Jeter's career is coming to a close in the next few years and it would be nice to see him get another ring, however, the Yanks will need the bottom of their rotation to step up.

3. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays lost Carlos Pena and Matt Garza to the Cubs but rookie pitcher, Jeremy Hellickson, is a player to watch. He dominated in little action last year and is expected to be in the rotation from Day 1 in '11. Carl Crawford also left but two former Red Sox, Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, have joined the Rays in hopes to keep them in the playoff hunt. Both are up in their years but can still hit the ball. David Price is always a Cy Young candidate and will anchor a rotation that has been strong the last few years.

4. Baltimore Orioles
This is a risk picking the O's anywhere but the basement of the division but they seem to have added enough bats to their lineup. Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero have both been great hitters in their respective careers and the O's hope that they can produce in a lineup of young players. Luke Scott provides pop and Felix Pie and Corey Patterson have shown flashes of brilliance. Pitching is suspect in Baltimore but perhaps they can score enough runs to put fans back in the seats of their beautiful ballpark.

5. Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays dwell in mediocrity and this year shouldn't be much different. They have a superb lineup and it will be interesting to see if Jose Bautista's 2010 season was a fluke. Juan Rivera was added for some extra pop along with Adam Lind. Vernon Wells left for the Angels and that hurts. The Blue Jays can never seem to get over the hump and I don't think that will happen anytime soon.

Best Lineup: Boston
Best Pitching Staff: Tampa Bay

Best Player: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Best Pitcher: David Price, Tampa Bay Rays

Superpowers Good for NBA

Much has been made lately about the superpowers forming in the NBA. It all started with the Boston Celtics acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to go along with Paul Pierce, which created the first Big 3 in the East. The Los Angeles Lakers have put Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol out on the floor for a few years now and the result has been two championships to date. This summer, Miami re-signed Dwyane Wade and plucked LeBron James and Chris Bosh from the free agency market while Chicago was able to sign Carlos Boozer to help Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. Before the deadline the Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups and those two have teamed up with Amare Stoudamire to become a legit contender in the East. Out West there is the Thunder, Spurs and Mavericks as well and it is clear that the competition in the NBA is the best it has been since the mid-1990s.

To fans this is the best thing for the NBA because interest in the league was dwindling. After the Jordan-era, fans turned away from the NBA because the stars of the 90's were retired but now a new generation of superstars is in their prime and viewership has spiked. Also, there are finally a number of teams who have a legit shot at the title, whereas in recent years there have been few contenders. In both leagues there are four or five teams that have a chance to advance to the Finals. Boston, Miami, Chicago, Orlando and New York look strong in the East and out West the Lakers, Thunder, Spurs and Mavericks will fight for the conference crown. It is this intense competition that brings fans to their television sets because there are a number of can't-miss games. For example, Miami played Orlando last night, San Antonio tonight and then Chicago on Sunday and all those games are/will be on national television. These matchups of power teams have rekindled interest in the league.

Like the NFL, the collective bargaining agreement expires for the NBA after this season and there could potentially be a lockout next year. Enjoy this season while it lasts because owners are going to try and make the league more balanced, in hopes that every team will have a shot at winning the title. That's exactly what the league doesn't need though. What the NBA is creating now is good because they actually have competition and that creates so much more for them. It means more people tune in to watch, rivalries are created, stars go head-to-head every night and the playoffs are buckle-your-seatbelt action from start to finish. The NBA had become so watered down in the early part of the millenium because there are too many teams and stars were spread out. It made for a lot of bad games that nobody was interested in. Now, the stars have joined forces and the quest for the championship should be the best it's been in a long time.

It's hard to pick a Finals matchup because of how evenly teams match up and that's what makes the games fun. Nobody wants to see Charlotte play Toronto because the starpower just isn't there but almost half the league has players and teams worth watching. I would imagine the playoffs should get the highest ratings it's had in awhile. Also, many stars have free agency coming up and that will mean more alliances being formed. It's an exciting time for the NBA and one that they should cherish, not try to destroy.

Can the Big East Win the Big One?

Since the Big East grew to 16 teams a few years ago they have dominated the college basketball landscape, put the most teams in the tournament and churned out NBA lottery picks in mass numbers. The only thing lacking is a national championship, something the conference has not won since 2004, which came before expansion. In 2005 several teams from Conference-USA joined the Big East and many had quality basketball programs. Louisville, DePaul, Cincinnati, Marquette and South Florida made the league 16-strong and with their addition the conference the Big East boasts 40 Final Four appearances and 10 national championships. Of the 16 teams, South Florida is the only one who has not reached a Final Four, an incredible feat for any conference. Despite all these stats, the Big East has not won a title since their expansion and that leaves many pondering the question, "Why?"

The number one reason no team has been able to win the big one is because the regular season is too hard. Think about it, with so many teams playing at a high level and numerous teams ranked, they beat up on each other. I saw a stat a few games ago that said Villanova was 4-5 against ranked teams in their conference. That's nine conference games against ranked opponents with more to come, especially in the conference tournament. By the time the tournament rolls around everybody is wiped out from the competition in the regular season. They have just played potentially 4-5 games in their own conference tournament and then they are trying to win six more games against quality opponents in order to win the national championship. That's hard for a team to do.

Pittsburgh is the winningest team of the 2000s and they have never even made a Final Four. This year could be their year but they have already started to tail off in the last week of the year. A team who must endure that many tests is weaker at the end of the year and that is why we have not seen a Big East champion since the expansion. UConn, led by Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon, won down in San Antonio in 2004 and since the next year the five C-USA teams joined. Since then the Big East has had five Final Four teams (Villanova, Georgetown, UConn, West Virginia and Louisville) and every single one of those teams lost in the semi-final game. Before expansion the Big East had titles in 2004 and 2003. Obviously, the additions make for great conference play but the league can not reap the benefits in postseason play.

This year the Big East could break their own record of eight teams getting NCAA bids this year but none of them seem to be a formidable national title contender. Pittsburgh has the best shot but no one else could go up against Kansas, Duke or Ohio State and expect to win. I would guess that none of the Big East teams will even make the Final Four this year because a lot of them are good but not great and that has been the theme in the Big East since expansion. Reality is, they need to divide into divisions or something to lighten up the schedule because, even though it makes for great television, the top 25 matchups every night aren't helping in the postseason. It's one thing to be battle-tested, but it's quite another to be worn down.

So to answer the question in the headline, no I don't think the Big East can win the big one anytime soon because they hurt their own chances with the regular season schedule. It would take a great team to do that and one that is very mentally and physically tough. I think the only team out of the Big East who could do that would be Pittsburgh but they should focus on getting to the Final Four first. For this year I would shy away from picking any team from the conference to hold up the crystal ball in Houston.

The Youth Sports Nation Has Gone Soft

Exactly one month ago I wrote an article titled "The Never Ending Argument on Running Up The Score" about Coach Phil Washington of Highland Junior High School and his team's blowout victories. The 8th grade team was repeatedly beating teams by 20 or 30+ and ended the year 26-2 with an 6th place finish in the state of Indiana. Highland administration was unhappy with Coach Washington because they said he was running up the score and trying to win at all costs. I argued that instead of complaining they should enjoy the season and be happy that they have a good coach for their team because a lot of people, myself included, didn't have that back in junior high. Rarely does a team experience success like that and, instead of cheering for the team, it seems like administration scolded them, specifically Washington.

Before I go on I want to admit that I have little knowledge of this specific situation but I do have strong feelings from what I have learned. As stated before, the Scots finished the year with only one loss and earned a third place trophy at the state tournament. However, next year they will take the floor without Coach Washington on the sidelines because he was fired. The school said they would like to move in another direction from the "win at all costs" direction Washington was going. I went to one of the team's games and I saw Washington coach those kids. What I saw was a young coach who had total control of his team and had obviously coached his kids well because every single one played hard, ran the offense and put forth the required effort on defense. I think these kids will definitely have success at the next level because they have been taught to play the right way. As silly as that sounds, there are few junior high coaches who can teach their players that. I know that my 8th grade team won games but we weren't as good in high school because we lacked fundamentals and we had low basketball IQs.

It bugs me to see this man fired from his job because his team won by too much. Since when did winning not matter in sports? I understand that winning the game doesn't matter when the kids are young and first learning the game but this is 8th grade basketball and they keep score for a reason. That state tournament isn't just there for fun, it's there for the best teams. But, then again, that's not how American youth sports works anymore and that's not how kids think these days. We have made kids think that winning doesn't matter that much that I think the skill and effort has declined greatly.

I hate losing.

I hate losing more than anything in the world and it doesn't matter what sport or game it is. If I could beat the other team or player then of course I would do it. It doesn't matter by how much but I would get it done. I know alot of my friends and teammates think that way too. Every athlete should hate losing more than they love winning. Nowadays, we get mad because teams score too much, some kids didn't get named to all-star teams, and only one kid was named MVP. We want everybody to be a winner and a champion and that's fine...when the kids are five years old. Once they are in junior high it's a competition and they keep score--no more of the feel-good-here's-your-trophy stuff. The Highland kids were taught the right way because they were taught to compete and to give full effort for the entire game. What coach wouldn't want that from his players? Because these kids were taught to play the right way in junior high they now have a chance to do some special things in high school.

The worst part about this whole situation is that, after one of the greatest seasons the school has ever experienced, the administration twisted it into a bad situation and fired their coach. I hope that wherever Coach Washington ends up he coaches the same way and teaches his players to be competitive and give full effort because that's really what sports is all about. Losing is part of sports and sometimes you get your tail kicked, but we play because we love the competition. If only more people thought that way...

I Support Coach Washington.