Bleacher Report - Front Page

The Fate of the Leafs Rests on a Pogge Stick

Daniel Sallows — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:46:51 -0700

As brainless as the acts have been outta the Leafs camp over the last two years, they have done the smart thing in developing their goaltender of the future.

Justin Pogge has spent the last two seasons progressing with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL after being a stand-out junior player in the CHL with the Calgary Hitmen.

He broke out in the World Junior Tournament in 2006, backstopping the Canadian team to an upset gold medal win over Team Russia, stopping all 35 shots he faced for a 5-0 win and was named Team Canada MVP.

Pogge also won WHL player and goaltender of the year in the 2006 and finished with incredible stats for a junior hockey goaltender going 38-10-2 with 11 shutouts and a sparkling 1.72 goals against average in 54 games.

Is it any wonder the team saw fit to part with Finnish sensation Tuuka Rask?

Pogge was nothing short of brilliant this season in leading the Marlies to first place in the AHL's North(50-21-3-6), finishing the year 26-10-0 with 4 shutouts and a 2.34 goals against average.

He is getting better, which is all you can ask when developing a highly touted player, let alone a goaltender.

Look at the rough years Pittisburgh had with Marc-Andre Fleury, or in Leafs history look at what happened to Felix Potivin after being rushed in straight out of junior.

The signing of Curtis Joseph may just mean Pogge will return to the Marlies for this season as well, a smart move considering the team will struggle this season. The last thing a young promising goaltender needs to stay confident and focused, just look at what a mess Andrew Raycroft is after his Leaf stint.

Justin Pogge is going to be the backbone of the Leafs rebuilding process, it was quite clear at the draft they are starting in goal out drafting defenceman Luke Schenn with their first pick.

With a circus act in Toronto that rivals that of the Ringling brothers, it seems there may just be some management smarts after all, and they may just have their very own Yak woman in Justin Pogge.

Kansas Football: Rustin Dodd Q&A

Ricky Hawkins — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:55:57 -0700

Bleacher Report's Big 12 Liaison Ricky Hawkins sits down and talks with Rustin Dodd, the Sports Editor for Kansas' Student Newspaper, the University Daily Kansan.

1.) Many Kansas fans have been talking about an "upset" victory over the Texas Longhorns this year. Some have cited the fact that the Longhorns have a depleted secondary with only one senior, have lost star running back Jamal Charles, and should have lost in Lawrence last year. Do you think beating the Longhorns is a possibility and what will it take to pull off the feat?

Fans will probably have a better idea of whether the Jayhawks can beat the Longhorns once October rolls around and the non-conference season is over. Kansas has an early test at South Florida on Sept. 12, and that will be a great litmus test to see if Kansas is for real. Kansas doesn't play Texas until November 15, and although it's not likely, a victory against Texas is definitely a possibility. The last time Kansas played Texas at home was 2004, when Kansas lost 27-23 to Vince Young and Texas. And although Kansas lost at Texas in 2005, 66-14, both programs have undergone huge changes since then.

First, Kansas has been dominant at home in the past two years, going 7-0 last season and 12-2 during the last two seasons. Second, any Kansas victory this season is going to begin with defense. Kansas returns 10 defensive starters, including what many believe is the best linebacking trio in the country in seniors Joe Mortenson, Mike Rivera and James Holt. Junior safety Darrell Stuckey gives Kansas a playmaker in the secondary and sophomore Chris Harris should help replace First Round draft pick Aqib Talib at cornerback. Kansas has a tough conference schedule. They play four teams - Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Missouri and Texas - who'll probably be ranked in the preseason top 15. And while this may sound unbelievable to fans who don't follow the Big 12, the Texas game might be the most winnable game for Kansas. With Todd Reesing at quarterback, a defensive unit that should be in the top 10 in the country in total defense, and the Memorial Stadium advantage, the Jayhawks should have a healthy shot at knocking out the Longhorns.

2.) Quarterback Todd Reesing was recently interviewed on KLWN, stating that he believes that Big 12 QBs are what make the Big 12 so great. How justified is this statement and is there any reason to believe that the Big 12 has better QBs than the rest of the country?

Judging solely on statistics, Reesing's statement is not only justified, it might be an understatement. The Big 12, which was once a running back dominated league - Ahman Greene, Ricky Williams, Adrian Peterson, Cedric Benson, Chris Brown - has turned into the Pac-10-midwest. The numbers speak for themselves. Texas Tech's Graham Harrell (48 TD's, 14 INT's), Missouri's Chase Daniel (33 TD's, 11 INT's), Texas' Colt McCoy (22 TD's 18 INT's), Reesing (33 TD's, 7 INT's), Oklahoma's Sam Bradford (36 TD's, 8 INT's) and Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson (23 TD's, 9 INT's) were all in the Top 25 last season in Quarterback rating. Even the second tier of quarterbacks - Nebraska's Joe Ganz, Colorado's Cody Hawkins, and K-State's Josh Freeman - have the ability to put up numbers. Can any other conference boast a crop of quarterbacks with that much experience and success? In fact, don't be surprised if the Big 12 distances itself from the Pac-10, Big 10, ACC, and Big East as second best conference in the country behind the SEC.

3.) Kansas has already had great success in recruiting the Class of 2009, having 11 commitments thus far including 4-star CB Prinz Kandle. Some people believe that this success is purely based on Kansas' successful season last year and the commitments will begin to decline from here. Do you see that being the case?

Well, Kansas' Orange Bowl victory is certainly the No. 1 reason why Mark Mangino is finally picking up commitments from 4-star recruits. In the past, Mangino had to scramble to land even a couple of 3-stars in a class. Obviously, Kansas has to maintain some degree of success this season. But another reason Kansas has started to become more of player on recruiting scene is the new multi-million dollar football facility that Kansas built in the offseason adjacent to Memorial Stadium. Athletics Director Lew Perkins has found ways to build revenue and the sparkling new weight room, players lounge and practice fields will play a huge role in continuing the Jayhawks' recruiting success.

4.) Many people believe that Kansas' success last season was based largely upon a week conference schedule (they avoided playing both Texas and Oklahoma). This year, Kansas faces both of those squads. How much do you think their relatively weak conference schedule helped the Jayhawks last year and will it finally catch up with them this year?

Kansas' weak non-conference schedule in 2007 was both its greatest asset and its biggest weakness. The young Jayhawks utilized the cupcake schedule to build confidence and chemistry, but in the end, the national media was so preoccupied by Kansas' early season schedule, that they missed the fact that Kansas was a legitimate Top 5 team. Would Kansas have gone 12-1 if Oklahoma and Texas were on the schedule? Maybe. Maybe not. But if you followed the Big 12 closely, it'd would have been obvious that Kansas was the most consistent team in the conference and it could be argued that Oklahoma and Texas were lucky they didn't have to play Kansas. But last year is over, and this season Kansas will have a chance to prove itself with a schedule that includes five potential Top 25 teams - at South Florida, Texas Tech, at Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri in Kansas City. Will Kansas duplicate its 2007 season? Not a chance. But if the Jayhawks can figure out a way to go at least 2-3 versus those five teams, then some might consider a 9-3 2008 record to be even more impressive than their 12-1 mark in 2007.

Pac-10 Football Is Better Than SEC Football: A Letter To My Haters

Thomas Brown — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:33:53 -0700

I've recently had the pleasure of reading an article entitled, "SEC Envy" by Bleacher Report's own Donald Fincher.

It brought up some very interesting and irrelevant points as to why Mr. Fincher believes that SEC football is superior to Pac-10 football. I am here to dispel them and make SEC football look even worse than I already have done in my first five editions of "Pac-10 Football Is Better Than SEC Football," the series.

SEC Fans Must Label Themselves "SEC Fans" Because Their Not Good Enough Alone

In Mr. Fincher's profile, he claims that he is, "a college football nut, a SEC fan, and a Arkansas Razerbacks fan." I find it interesting that every fan of an SEC team has to represent for the entire SEC. Why is that?

No other conference in college football needs to talk about their conference more than the SEC. If an Oregon fan were on this site, they would say, "I'm an Oregon fan," not, "I'm a Pac-10 fan and an Oregon fan." And its not just Donald Fincher who feels the need to represent the SEC all the time - it's every single person associated with the SEC.

Prior to the 2006 California-Tennessee contest, there were chants of SEC coming from the Tennessee huddle. Why can't you just play football, do you have something to prove? Why can't you stand alone and have pride in your program? Why do you always have to bring your conference into the mix?

Auburn Tiger fan Liger called me out on "Pac-10 Football is Better Than SEC Football: Part One" when he said, "Sorta reminds me of car commercials that go on and on about how thier cars are better than Mercedes...I'm thinking, heck, the fact that you must compare yourself to Mercedes tells me you think they are the best," due to the fact I was comparing the Pac-10 with the SEC.

Liger, sorry buddy, but I'm comparing the SEC with the Pac-10 because everyone has a misperception that the SEC is somehow a better conference than the Pac-10.

Now, let's take a look at some of the dubious and irrelevant points that Donald Fincher makes in his attempt to derail my series that is turning people's minds upside-down.

"We Should Discard the Pac-10 and SEC's Head-to-Head Matchups"

Many of Mr. Fincher's arguments are one-sided and therefore I can hardly take them seriously. The first quotation I have a problem with is: "...The Pac-10 is 5-2 against the SEC since 2000 [discounting LSU and USC's wins]. Now, consider that Mississippi State (a perennial SEC cellar dweller) and 'Bama (during their NCAA probation and coaching-carousel years) account for four of those five losses and you get a different story."

Well now, let's take one more look at those games, listed below for convenience.

2000

Alabama 24, UCLA 35 {PAC10}

2001

UCLA 20, Alabama 17 {PAC10}

2002

Auburn 17, USC 24 {PAC10}

Mississippi State 13, Oregon 36 {PAC10}

2003

USC 23, Auburn 0 {PAC10}

LSU 59, Arizona 13 {SEC}

Oregon 42, Mississippi State 34 {PAC10}

2004

Oregon State 21, LSU 22 {SEC}

2005

Arkansas 17, USC 70 {PAC10}

LSU 35, Arizona State 31 {SEC}

2006

USC 50, Arkansas 14 {PAC10}

Washington State 14, Auburn 40 {SEC}

Arizona 3, LSU 45 {SEC}

California 18, Tennessee 35 {SEC}

2007

Tennessee 31, California 45 {PAC10}

Interesting how Mr. Fincher mentions the low-rated teams that the Pac-10 beat, but fails to mention the sub-par teams from the Pac-10 that the SEC played.

With the exception of the 2006 California-Tennesse game, the SEC (less LSU) beat the Pac-10 one time. And that was when Auburn beat a Washington State team who finished 6-6 and 4-5 in the Pac-10 in 2006.

Why don't we just throw out every head-to-head matchup between the two conferences? Because it would certainly be better for the SEC to rid themselves of all those head-to-head losses! Yes, Mr. Fincher, it would be good to just discard all those games because the bottom line is that the Pac-10 has beat up on the SEC when they have battled head-to-head since 2002.

"The SEC Has Done Spectacular Post-Season Play"

Mr. Fincher goes on to claim, "the SEC went to nine bowl games last year and won seven including their two BCS bowls...which means they are beating quality teams from other conferences in the postseason as well."

If this claim is supposed to mean that the SEC can compete with teams out of conference, then think again. One, the fact remains that the SEC does not schedule quality teams out of conference. When you play a bowl game, you must play a certain team, you don't get to chicken out with who you face. Two, playing a team in a bowl game coming off three or four weeks rest is a whole other animal than playing a game with injuries in the grind of a season.

Also, these are not necessarily quality teams that the SEC is beating. Yes, Auburn over Clemson, Tennessee over Wisconsin, and LSU over Ohio State are all impressive wins. But the rest of that 7-2 record? It includes an embarassing loss to Michigan, a blowout win by Missouri, and wins over 6-7 Colorado, UCF, and roster-depleted Florida State.

To make things worse, Mr. Fincher goes on to try and justify these losses (a true SEC fan always does). He says, "the bowl losses were by Florida to a Michigan team that was playing lights out because their seniors (Henne, Hart, etc.) had never won a bowl game, and the whole team wanted to send Lloyd Carr out with a win." This is the same type of resistance I met when I said USC smacked the same teams LSU barely beat. Nic Gulas told me, "Four of the games that you picked out for comparison [between USC and LSU] are rivalry games for LSU. Arkanas battles for the Golden Boot year in and year out and Auburn-LSU is quite an intense and defensive game."

Again, what in the world makes you think that a team doesn't try as hard against non-SEC opponents? What makes you think that just because Michigan wants to win a game that's how they won it? Didn't Florida also want to win that game, or did they just say, "Oh, Michigan wants it more because of their seniors and their coach, so we should hand them the game"? What makes you think those Florida seniors didn't want to go out victorious?

When you ask yourself these questions, you begin to see how dumb that argument is.

"The SEC Schedules Tough Non-Conference Games"

Another rediculous claim made by Mr. Fincher in "SEC Envy" states that the SEC plays a rigorous non-conference schedule. He says, "While the SEC is still playing some cream puffs in the early non-conference, so is everyone else."

Well buddy, as I stated before in "Pac-10 Football Is Better Than SEC Football: Part One" the SEC has scheduled ten FCS games this year as opposed to the Pac-10's two.

To make matters worse, you go on to say that the SEC has some great non-conference games this year. For a full discussion of how a Pac-10 schedule dominates the SEC's schedule, take a look at "Pac-10 Football Is Better Than SEC Football: Part Two." In brief, here are some of the games you list:

Arkansas vs. Texas -- This is the exception. A quality non-conference opponent in Texas.

Tennessee vs. UCLA -- The same UCLA that the entire Pac-10 plays every year?

Georgia vs. Arizona State -- The same Arizona State the entire Pac-10 plays every year?

Alabama vs. Clemson -- Play week one so as not to hurt Alabama's final rankings. If Alabama plays decent in the SEC, they will finish the season Top 25.

Florida vs. Miami -- The same Miami that has turned in 7-6 and 5-7 seasons the past two years?

Florida vs. Florida State -- The Seminoles don't have more than eight wins in a season since 2004.

South Carolina vs. Clemson -- A quality game.

Georgia vs. Georgia Tech -- The Yellow Jackets have gone 7-6 every year since 2002 with the exception of 2006.

Auburn vs. West Virginia -- A quality game.

Why don't you take a look at those non-conference games and compare them to the non-conference games the Pac-10 plays this year. #3 Oklahoma? #2 Ohio State? Notre Dame? Penn State? #25 Fresno State? #20 Virginia? Michigan State? Maryland? The list goes on.

Irrelevant Point Number One: The Heisman

Mr. Fincher, presumably running out of ammunition about half way through his article says, "an SEC player won the Heisman last year (Tebow), and an SEC player was also the runner up (McFadden). In fact, McFadden was the runner up two years in a row."

First off, I don't really care who wins the Heisman. How does that make you a better conference? But if you really want to argue, then we can.

The Pac-10's won the Heisman three out of the last five years, while the SEC has won it once. The Pac-10 has 11 Heisman Finalists (top 10 in Heisman votes), while the SEC has four since 2002. So I guess that Pac-10 is superior in that category as well.

And let me also say that before everyone jumps to say that all three Heismans were won by USC players, those eleven finalists come from USC, Washington State, Oregon, and Cal. The SEC's four come from Arkansas, LSU, and Florida.

Irrelevant Point Number Two - The SEC Produces More Pros

One other point Mr. Fincher states is that, "the SEC has more players in the pros than any other conference." I don't care how much talent you produce; the only thing that matters is how good the players are in college. USC receiver Mike Williams was a great college player but a terrible professional. How does that affect how he did at USC?

Irrelevant Point Number Three - SEC Coaches Own More National Championships

The next irrelevant point is that, "the SEC has five coaches who have won national championship games (twice as many as any other conference)." How does that make a difference? It may mean that the SEC has more tradition, it may mean that they put together better gameplans, but the bottom line is that production on the field makes you a better conference, not how many national titles your head coaches have combined.

Irrelevant Point Number Four - Attendance and Money

The author of "SEC Envy" continues to babble on about nothing that has anything to do with the Pac-10 versus SEC debate when he mentions that, "the SEC has by far the highest attendance of any league..." and that, "the SEC is by far the highest revenue-producing conference of any league." That has nothing to do with how well the teams play.

I look up to the sky and ask myself, "Why do SEC fans constantly have to defend themselves that they are the best conference?" But the answer comes time and time again that they are just not. The Pac-10 is. And in the famous words of Mr. Fincher, "now if I could only figure out why that seems to be such a bad thing to so many people. That keeps eluding me."

Yankees Hold On Tight to Beat Red Sox

A.J. Martelli — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:39:33 -0700

Coming off back-to-back losses to the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees held on to beat Boston Saturday afternoon, 2-1.

The Yankees turned to Mike Mussina to stop the bleeding, and he certainly did. Mussina lasted six innings, allowed no runs on four hits, walked one, and struck out five.

Boston starter Justin Masterson also turned in a good game. Masterson went six innings, gave up two earned runs on six hits, walked two and struck out two.

The Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, getting a two-out RBI single from Melky Cabrera. Jason Giambi scored the first run of the game.

The Yankees struck for another run in the bottom of the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly and RBI from rookie left fielder Brett Gardner. Wilson Betemit scored the Yanks' second run.

Boston threatened in the bottom of the ninth. With Mariano Rivera on the mound, the Red Sox loaded the bases.

Mike Lowell knocked in a run, cutting the Yankees' lead in half to make the score 2-1.

However, Rivera was able to wiggle out of the jam, getting Julio Lugo to strike out swinging to end the game and give the Bronx Bombers a much-needed win.

On another side note, this game featured seven hit-batsmen. Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, and Jose Molina were each plunked from the Yankees. Kevin Youkilis and Manny Ramirez (hit three times) absorbed welts for the Sox.

Mussina matched his win total from last year with his 11th victory of the year, improving to 11-6.

Masterson took the loss and fell to 4-3.

Jose Veras and Kyle Farnsworth of the Yankees each recorded a hold, and Rivera picked up his 23rd save of the year.

The Yankees will look for a series split tomorrow night at 8:05. The Yankees will turn to young flamethrower Joba Chamberlain (2-2, 2.22 ERA). The Red Sox will go with veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (5-6, 3.72 ERA).

Raycroft's Avalanche Ride to the Bottom Will End in Colorado

Jansyn Craig — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:20:25 -0700

I'm sure many Avalanche fans disagree with the signing of Andrew Raycroft to a one-year deal, but I, on the other hand, believe this could be a blessing in disguise.

Andrew Raycroft just came off his worst season in the NHL and is looking to redeem himself in a new country. He's moved from one of the most hostile cities in hockey to a slightly more relaxed environment. This should allow him to play his game better and more effectively.

The Colorado Avalanche are known for making goalies who were struggling into superstars once more. Some of the names they brought back to the top are Patrick Roy and Jose Thedore.

Many people forget that Patrick Roy struggled in his last season with Montreal, and did not become better until he played in Colorado. And with Colorado, he became one of the best, if not the best, goalies of all-time.

More recently, Jose Thedore was also traded to Colorado from Montreal after struggling for a season. It took him a little longer, but with Colorado behind him he returned to the solid No. 1 goalie he once was. He then began to put up solid numbers, which allowed him to leave Colorado and become a starting netminder elsewhere.

With the success Colorado has had rejuvenating goalies, there is a good chance this will be the beginning of the Raycroft era in Colorado. If they are able to make him the solid No. 1 goalie they need, then he will receive the money and glory that Colorado Avalanche goalies receive.

And, due to this, I believe this could be one of the more underrated signings that helps the team the most.

The All Star Game: The AL Team

Michael Hicks — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:19:17 -0700

Here is the starting lineup for the 2008 American League All-Stars. The All-Star game is July 15 at Yankee Stadium.

Catcher: Joe Mauer, Twins—Hitting .326 with 36 RBI Mauer is the best catcher in the league right now.

First Base: Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox—Youk as outslugged Twins first baseman Justin Morneau (.532 to .438) so he gets the nod at first.

Second Base: Ian Kinsler, Rangers—He as been red-hot the first half of the season, batting .323 with 50 RBI an 13 home runs.

Third Base: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees—A-Rod is among the league leaders in average (.321) and doing it only 66 games. He had a hot June, batting .366.

Shortstop: Derek Jeter, Yankees—Even with his .275 average, he is still the best shortstop in the AL.

Outfielder: Josh Hamilton, Rangers—An easy choice, Hamilton leads the league with 82 RBI. He is also the best story in the majors.

Outfielder: J.D. Drew, Red Sox—Drew as filled in nicely in the absence of Big Papi. Batting .304 with 16 home runs. Drew also ranks among the top in the league in runs and OPS.

Outfielder: Carlos Quentin, White Sox—Quentin is second in the AL in home runs (16) and fourth in RBI (61).

Designated Hitter: Milton Bradley, Rangers—With 17 homers and 51 RBI Bradley is having an amazing season for the Rangers.

Starting Pitcher: Cliff Lee, Indians—With an 11-1 record Lee as been the ace of a struggling Indians staff. A 2.26 ERA and 93 K's Lee is having a career year.

Football: The One Player Your Team Shouldn't Sign?

Jonathan Marum — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:52:21 -0700

Reports surfacing in Italy recently have suggested that Juventus fans are less than happy with the proposed signing of Dejan Stankovic from rivals Inter Milan.

It appears the crux of the issue relates to Stankovic's overzealous celebrations of Inter Milan's Scudetto win after the "calciopoli" match -fixing scandal in 2006 which saw the Bianconeri relegated to Serie B.

What is surprising here is that Stankovic is actually a talented and experienced footballer who is captain for his national side, Serbia.

This got me thinking: Is there one player out there who you really wouldn't want your team to sign?

As a Manchester United fan, there are some players from rival teams that I probably wouldn't be too keen on seeing at Old Trafford. However, transfers between rival clubs in England are less frequent than in Italy.

The one player above all I really hope doesn't sign for Manchester United, though, is Bastian Schweinsteiger. It's nothing personal, it's just that I don't think he is as good as he's made out to be.

In the event that Cristiano Ronaldo's contract is sold, I really hope Sir Alex Ferguson targets other transfers than the German winger.

So what about everyone else? Who is the one player your club shouldn't sign?

Brandon Jennings and the NBA’s Age Limit

Brandon Hoffman — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:47:01 -0700

Due to a revision in the NBA’s 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement, players must be at least 19 years of age during the calendar year of the NBA draft and at least one year removed from high school in order to be eligible for the NBA.

Brandon Jennings signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Arizona, but is contemplating a professional career in Europe if he falls short of the necessary SAT score.

Opting for a pro career overseas would fly in the face of conventional wisdom. But wisdom has nothing to do with the NBA’s age limit that prohibited Brandon from entering the 2008 draft.

A few months ago, I wrote an article for RealGM that broke down the success rate of players drafted into the NBA straight out of high school. From 1975 to 2005, 41 high school players were drafted into the NBA. Of the 41 players drafted out of high school, only 10 of those players failed to make it in the league.

A large number of those players went on to become superstars. Four-fifths of this year’s All-NBA 1st team was drafted straight out of high school.

No, the NBA’s age limit has nothing to do with the welfare of the young men who dream of playing in the NBA. It has everything to do with the NBA and NCAA’s best interests.

So why shouldn’t Jennings do what’s best for him?

A one-year professional contract in Europe will net him a six-figure salary. As the first high school player to make the jump from the States to the Euroleague, his every move will be documented. Companies will line up to sign him to endorsements. The competition will be greater and the fundamentals focused Euro game will help Jennings fine-tune his skills before declaring for the 2009 draft.

In 1975, Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby became the NBA’s first two high school draft picks. Dawkins was drafted fifth by the Philadelphia 76ers. Willoughby was the first pick of the second round (19th overall). Both players enjoyed long NBA careers.

Despite their success, it would be another 30 years before another high school player was drafted. That kid’s name was Kevin Garnett. From 1995 to 2005, 38 players followed KG’s path.

How many players will follow Jennings if he opts for one-year contract in Europe?

Whether Jennings chooses to play in Europe or not, it’s only a matter of time before players begin to sidestep the NBA’s age limit rule.

Jennings’ situation reminds me of a blog that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wrote in 2006 titled ‘Making Money in Basketball….‘. Cuban wrote on the subject of minor league basketball in the United States and how a new league could flourish if they “copied the player development and contractual relationships of foreign leagues.”

That means signing teenaged phenoms to professional contracts with the intent of developing them and collecting on their buyouts when the NBA or Euroleague comes calling. The Euroleague has thrived upon this business model for years. Tony Parker (2007 Finals MVP) and Dirk Nowitzki (2007 regular season MVP) were professional players long before they turned 18.

I don’t think a minor league (like the one Cuban suggested) that creates the majority of their revenue through ticket sales can thrive in the United States. And I don’t think a minor league is the best option to truly develop young players.

The NBA’s development league, the NBADL has been moderately successful, but it’s little more than a testing ground for the NBA. The CBA folded seven years ago.

But I like Cuban’s idea of a system that signs players to professional contracts before they turn 18 and develops them as players AND people. If built properly, the system would pay dividends to the angel investors and/or venture capitalist who choose to fund the program while succeeding in preparing young men for the rigors of a life in and out of professional basketball.

I’ll admit, this could be a public relations nightmare. But is it worse than how the NCAA and AAU currently operate?

Programs like the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) claim to operate under amateur status, but have become entrenched in big money college basketball recruitment and athletic apparel endorsements. Two months ago, Kentucky Coach Billy Gillispie signed 15-year-old Michael Avery, a 6-foot-4 eighth-grader to a basketball scholarship.

Like Cuban wrote, the key would be signing players at a young age and providing them with year round basketball, scholastic education, and life skills training. In recent years, basketball ‘purists’ have decried the lack of fundamentals in today’s game.

Players have become bigger, stronger, and faster. But fundamentals like shooting, passing, and dribbling have declined. Teaching the fundamentals and shielding players from the me-first mentality that has permeated professional sports would be priority number one.

Developing the infrastructure would be complicated but could be shortcut if combined with an established company like Better Basketball. Correspondence schools or personal tutors could be contracted to ensure that players receive an education that is equal to, or greater than that of a public or private school’s high school diploma.

Unsavory characters like free agent “runners” and duplicitous AAU coaches could be kept at an arm’s length.

Players and their families would be taken care of until the moment they sign with their first professional franchise. The amount of investment would vary. And the investment would carry risk. But what investment doesn’t?

Repayment—with interest—would come when/if a player signs their first professional contract. Repayment could also be negotiated through a percentage of the money made throughout a player’s career.

David Stern felt that an age limit was in the NBA’s best interests. Brandon Jennings is going to do what’s best for him. My proposal would benefit everyone.

Read more of my NBA blogs at BallerBlogger.com

Ohio State Football: How Good is Good Enough?

Eleven Warriors — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:22:52 -0700

I think we're all in agreement that there's a pretty good chance Tressel could have his best Buckeye team this fall. No apparent weaknesses. Yet, will his best be enough to topple the premier team of this decade, in their place?

A veritable Florida State of the aughts, the Trojans are so consistently good that whenever there's an uncertainty about who should start as the preseason No. 1 team in America, USC is thrown in as part of the top cluster.

Sure, Southern Cal only returns 11 starters from a team that was supposed to win it last year, but that's all good—the last four recruiting classes were ranked 1st, 1st, 2nd, and 8th on signing day.

We'll break this game down in due time, but over the course of this summer, these five things keep popping into my head and are scaring the crap out of me:

1. Taylor Mays

USC's free safety is gigantic for his position at 6'4" and 230 pounds. Oh, did I mention that he's run a 4.25? He's a Pryor-like super freak on the defensive side of the ball. The Trojan secondary isn't expected to be quite as good as it was last year, but Mays may be the best defensive back in the nation. Think Sean Taylor, but Bigger, and hunting Boeckman ducks.

2. Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing

The West Coast version of Laurinaitis and Freeman, but bigger. Maualuga passes out pain and Cushing has earned all-conference nods at two positions. The loss of Rivers is not insignificant, but the fact that the Trojans are well positioned to take on the strength of the Buckeye offense should give pause.

3. Those Running Backs

When most teams spell their workhorse, the drop-off in talent is evident when the backup takes the hand-off. When USC spells a running back, the guy getting the carry was likely the nation's top-rated running back at one point in high school.

Johnson, McKnight, Gable, Tyler—the Trojans are loaded. Granted, USC's line shouldn't be as good as it's been in recent years, but with that kind of depth, the Buckeye defense can't afford a play off.

4. Pete Carroll and His Gigantic Big Game Gonads

Pete's the one coach that's pretty hard to hate. Chill guy, good with the players, and absolutely money in big games. Since he's turned around USC, the only big game he's lost was to arguably the greatest college football talent of the last quarter century. And that was to prevent his team from three-peating.

While his teams drop the occasional game to inferior competition, they simply do not lose big games. And the game on 9/13 is a tad big.

5. Will Ferrell

I haven't trusted that guy since Elf.

Who or what is on your nightmare list for the USC game?

The Bottom Line: A Look at a Lineup of Overpriced NHLers

Daniel Sallows — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:21:57 -0700

Ah, free agency, where you too can be a millionaire if your coming off your first big season in the show.

Right Ryan Malone?

With that in mind here is a list of overpriced NHlers that makes it look like anyone can be the general manager of a pro hockey team.

RW Jonathan Cheechoo (San Jose Sharks) $3.5 million

Wow, talk about big blunders! The last time a mishap in judgement on talent was this bad Ruben Studdard won American Idol. Cheechoo went from 57 goals, to 37 goals, and this season 23 goals. At this pace he may hit 10 goals next year, that's if he see's power play time.

C Brad Richards (Dallas Stars) $7.8 million

Okay, so Brad Richards plays great as the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup(even though Martin Gelinas scored the actual cup winner in game 6 for Calgary), then signs an outrageous deal, and the Lightning don't learn from their mistakes as they turn around and give the same money to Ryan Malone. Don't get me wrong Richards is a good player, but at $7.8? Come on now, he has never scored 30 goals, and broke the 80 point barrier once. it's contracts like this one that make me sick to my stomach when I think about players like Howe and Bobby Hull that never even made that in a career.

LW Dustin Penner (Edmonton Oilers) $4.25 million

Sorry Kevin Lowe, but I gotta take Brian Burke's side on this one, and in a small hockey market like Edmonton this move may eventually bite you in the butt like he said. Isn't that why the NHL locked out it's players, so that the Canadian franchises could compete with teams like the Wings and Rangers. Instead you ink Penner to a hefty $21.25 million dollar contract after his first season in the NHL. Whats he do for you, well scores 23 goals, 24 assists and is a minus 12. Yeah those numbers are well worth $4.5.

D Bryan McCabe (Toronto Maple Leafs) $6.5 million

No wonder the Leafs want him to waive his no-trade clause, the king of the can opener can play the point on the power play, but he is horrible in his own end. His offensive flair has declined as well, so now the Leafs are just stuck with basically playing short handed every time McCabe jumps over the boards. McCabe looks like he couldn't cut it in the ECHL let alone the NHL of late. Another brilliant move on the part of John Ferguson Jr.

D Derian Hatcher (Philadelphia Flyers) $3.5 million

This big oaf was washed-up before the lockout, yet the Flyers brass through a wad of cash at him, this move may just be why Clarke ain't the GM any longer. Without the cross-checking, hooking and other stick work this guy was famous for he is about as useless as tits on a pig. Hatcher has scored 9 goals in three seasons with the Flyers and been on the ice for probably about 200 against in that time. Makes it tough to go to work for $20 bucks an hour doesn't fellas.

G Mikka Kiprusoff (Calgary Flames) $5.8 million

It happened with Roman Turek after he put up big numbers, and now it happened with Mikka Kiprusoff. Sure he won 39 games this season, but he lost 26, his save percentage was just over .900 and his goals against average was 2.69 which was good enough for 28th overall in the NHL goaltender leaders. He faltered in the playoffs letting in a bad goal pretty much every game, and went form being the most calm and collective goaltender in the league, to one that could be easily rattled off his game. This all while playing behind maybe the best defensive core in the NHL that was worth $23 million. Maybe he was shaken by Mike "Captain Hook" Keenan's presence this season, but he definitely wasn't the goalie he was over the past three seasons in Calgary.

New York Yankee Meltdown: The Lenny Kravitz Effect

Dan Boone — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:18:12 -0700

But what I really want to know is
Are you gonna go my way ?
And I got to got to know

Who, even those lost in the midst sweet smelling Jamaica vacation, would have imagined the profound effect Lenny Kravitz would have on the world of sport?

A Rod is mad for Madonna. Meanwhile the spurned Mrs A Rod is smoking something sweet along the Seine with Lenny Kravitz.

She's said she's just checking out his Chateau.

All's fair in love and war the poets say.. But using Madonna is against United Nations Protocols. Just like poison gas. Just like Dum Dum bullets.

But the Kravitz counter attack was so purely vicious that old Hannibal himself, the Carthagian not the cannibal, would have grinned.

The cannibal Hannibal would have grinned too. Tis a tasty tale, after all.

Its that hard Holyfield left hook to burly Buster Douglass exposed chin.

Pay back is a snarling she dog especially in the big leagues.

Will the thoughts of Mrs A Rod banging along the Bastille, basking in the soft light of a quiet cafe listening to Lenny laugh about lighting up in the Louvre, effect A Rod's ability to hit a curve?

Team Unity?

Hal Steinbrenner's blood pressure?

Joe Giradi's job status?

Brian Cashman's cash flow?

Is Paris Burning up A Rod?

Has Kravitz KO'ed the Yankees?

Lenny has leveled Professional franchises before.

What's worse words can a besieged coach hear from his franchise player then

"Yo'Coach Mon I'm quitting, mon, smokin' the rope and touring the Caribbean and Bahamas with Lenny Kravitz. Just hanging, out mon. No problems."

"And by the way coach mon good luck with the Patriots..."

Dour Dave Wannstedt downed his drink and knew he was doomed as soon as Ricky Williams sang those words into his phone.

His stomach hollow, destroyed Dave hoped it was a dreadlocked joke.

"No Coach Mon, No joke.." Sound of a deep inhalation over the phone then Ricky began to sing Bob Marley's Three Little Birds...

Singin': "Don't worry 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."
Singin': "Don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

That sweet smelling summer concert tour with Kravitz sank the sea mammals for the season.

Doomed Dave, sent into a Kravitz started death spiral, resigned after a 1-8 start.

Then hapless Wannie went to Pitt. Putting that pitiful program under his ill-starred sway.

As Pittsburgh Panther football fumbles and stumbles sadly along sad eyed Pitt fans can thank Kravitz whose friendship with Ricky delivered them Dave.

Lenny is a New Yorker but maybe a Met. Or maybe he knows not what he has unleashed.

The law of unintended consequences...or the Kravitz Effect.

Will Lenny lay low the Bronx Bombers as he did the Fish?

And in a round about way made Pitt pitiful?

A Rod atomizing on Page Six of the Post.

Steaming Steinbrenner slowly melting down.

The Yankess collapsing.

Lenny you Devil Ray, you...

Somewhere in La La Land Joe Torre is sipping a green tea, smiling softly, and singing Let Love Rule.

NFL 08-09: NFC Preview

Taylor Gram — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:13:07 -0700

Last year in the NFC we had a lot of surprises. The Cowboys getting the #1 seed, Green Bay doing so well, the Giants pulling off three road games to get to the super bowl and upsetting the Patriots. So what will happen this year? Well who really knows? I think I'm going to try a crack at it.

St. Louis Rams - Last year the Rams were injury stricken and went no where with all the expectations people had for them. The Rams have an easier schedule according the rankings; I would say a seven out of ten. They play the NFC East and the AFC East. In there they have the Patriots in Foxborough, and the Cowboys at home. Other notable games are the Seahawks twice and the Eagles in Philly. Although they do have the Bills, who are up and coming but not quite there yet, as well as the Jets and Dolphins, who are both hopeless. Overall, this will be a good year for the Rams and I'll be glad to see them in the playoffs again soon.

Green Bay Packers - Last year the Pack had a break out season and snagged a 2nd seed in the playoffs and a trip to the NFC Championship game. They had an unbelievable season from Ryan Grant and great contributions from their secondary, along with the leadership of Brett Favre. This year they could have Favre or Rodgers starting at QB. If Favre comes back and isn't traded, look out for the Packers to be yet again a dominant team. If Rodgers takes the place via trade of Favre or retirement, then the Pack will be playoff contenders but not Super Bowl winners.

Seattle Seahawks - The 07 season was a poor one for Shaun Alexander and he paid for it with his release from the team this off season. This year they brought in Julius Jones, who was released by the Cowboys and will get a good amount of carries. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck should stay healthy the whole sason and lead the Hawks to a good year. Look for Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson to step it up and their defense to be as good as always.

Chicago Bears - From a super bowl trip to a losing season, nothing last year sits well with Chicago fans. Neither will this season. The Chicago Bears play the great rivalry twice a year against the Packers. Last year they went 2-0 and this year doesn't have much promise for a repeat. The Bears are on a hard decline down the drain. Rex Grossman has almost become worthless, their D has come up short from expectations and Chicago is not happy. The Bears will face off against the Saints, Bucs, Colts, Jags, Titans, and Panthers. This will not be a good year.

Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys are back to glory. Last year they went 13-3 but had a bad loss to the Giants in the 2nd round of the playoffs. They fought hard and beat the Packers in the middle of the season and put trust into Tony Romo. With the great off season they had signing Zach Thomas (voted smartest defender in the league by coaches) the trouble stricken Adam "Packman" Jones to help fix the poor secondary, I look ahead and see a great season on the horizon. The only thing that worries me is the Cowboys might have too many players that could clash heads. Terrell Owens, Pac-man, and Tank Johnson, but this is what Dallas is known for; picking up players who others teams are scared of because of attitude problems. But in the past this has always worked out. Keyshawn Johnson, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Tony Dorsett and many others. Next year I see the 'Boys competing for a sixth Super Bowl banner.

UFC: Why Josh Koscheck is Dreaming of BJ Penn

Dorothy Willis — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:59:12 -0700

Before his upcoming fight with Chris Lytle, Josh Koshceck admitted he has been dreaming of BJ Penn and the possibility of dropping to 155 lbs. to challenge him for his belt.

Little did I realize when watching BJ Penn beat Matt Hughes in their first fight, that the "Prodigy" had prepared for his match against Hughes by training with the Division I NCAA wrestler Josh Koscheck, who was still a college student at the time.

Josh stated "I love BJ Penn to death." Then admitted to having a dream of fighting him for a chance to win the Lightweight Championship belt.

"I want to win a title at 155, 170, or 185," admits Koscheck, and he will go up or down a weight class to do it.

Having been a four time Division I NCAA champ, Koscheck is well versed in the techniques to use to drop down a weight class without sacrificing his strength.

Although he considers BJ Penn a close friend, that does not preclude him from challenging him for the belt.

Apparently, this is something BJ has considered too.

When asked if he would fight one of his friends or former training buddies BJ remarked that he has been aware that it could happen someday, and he would not be adverse to taking such a fight. Indeed he would welcome it.

Many different fighters have been invited to train with BJ in the Hawaiian Paradise he calls home; most currently Uriah Faber the 145 lbs. championship belt holder who just defeated BJ's old nemesis, Jens Pulver, to defend his title.

Even though Koscheck is ready for Penn, BJ is hoping his next fight will be the winner of the Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch fight. Penn will go up to 170 lbs. for the fight and has his eye set on being an owner of two belts simultaneously if he can accomplish the feat of knocking off the belt's holder.

So Koscheck may have a little longer to dream of meeting the "Prodigy" in the octagon.

At the same time, he needs to win his fight against Chris Lytle first if he indeed wants to put this baby to bed.

Formula One: Bernie Ecclestone - The Master Plan

Ben Auty — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:26:37 -0700

I have had a late night over this one so I am hoping that it makes sense, if not just ignore me, I am babbling on thinking of a sleepier place with fluffy pillows.

Bernie Ecclestone as of late has been somewhat under fire for his decisions, the more high profile ones being:

Still no Grand Prix in the USA.

Brazil no longer the last race of the season, now it's Abu Dhabi.

Silverstone given the chop, Donington Park in.

These are the big ones, but rest assured I could go on. Dealing with all kinds of on goings, the little niggly things that really make us ask that big question, just what the hell is Bernie playing at?

I have been doing a lot of research into why Bernie is dropping the tracks that he is dropping and why he wants to move certain GP’s away and hand a deal to less established GP countries like Russia and India. I am trying to get on his level (which is hard because I am 6’2” tall) and understand what his mindset is with these changes.

Well it just so happens that I think I might know what is going on in that little man’s head, I have a theory anyway. Obviously I don’t know for sure because I don’t know the guy, but this is just my attempt to fathom out what he is doing to our sport. Read on to see what I think and see if you agree.

See below the breakdown of the GP’s up to and including the 2007 season:

1) Australia - Albert Park - 12 GP's (96-07)
2) Malaysian - Sepang - 9 GP's (99-07)
3) Bahrain - Bahrain - 4 GP's (04-07)
4) Spain - Circuit De Catalunya - 17 GP's (91-07)
5) Monaco - Monaco - 54 GP's (50, 55-07)
6) Canada - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve - 25 GP's (82-86, 88-07)
7) USA - Indianapolis - 8 GP's (00-07)
8) France - Magny-Cours - 17 GP's (91-07)
9) Great Britain - Silverstone - 41 GP's (50-54, 56, 58, 60, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87-07)
10) Europe GP - Nurburgring - 16 GP's (54, 61, 68, 74, 84, 95-96, 99-07)
11) Hungary - Hungaroring - 21 GP's (86-07)
12) Turkey - Istanbul Park - 3 GP's (05-07)
13) Italy - Monza - 56 GP's (50-79, 81-07)
14) Belgium - Spa-Francorchamps - 40 GP's (50-56, 58, 60-68, 70, 83, 85-02, 04-05, 07)
15) Japan - Fuji Speedway - 3 GP's (76-77, 07)
16) China - Shanghai - 4 GP's (04-07)
17) Brazil - Interlagos - 25 GP's (73-77, 79-80, 90-07)

TOTAL – 355 World Championship Grand Prix held.

Looking at the list, we have a number of well established tracks who have been key players on the F1 calendar for years. Big guns like Monaco, Canada, Silverstone, Hungary, Monza, Spa, and Interlagos. Tracks that you would think will never be dropped from the calendar, BUT a giant has been slain, Silverstone fell at the hands of the David in this Goliath story.

Bernie is a lot bigger than he actually seems. He has now proven that he won’t take any back chat from the BRDC and warning after warning has been launched, but they have fallen on deaf ears. Now Bernie has lost his cool and taken action, so it’s goodbye Silverstone and hello Donington Park in 2010.

So let's compare 2007 to 2009. There is still no mention on a USA GP and we are getting more new tracks confirmed in the shape of Abu Dhabi, Valencia, and Singapore. The 2009 calendar shapes up below:

1) Australia - Albert Park - 14 GP's (96-09)
2) Malaysian - Sepang - 11 GP's (99-09)
3) Bahrain - Bahrain - 6 GP's (04-09)
4) Spain - Circuit De Catalunya - 19 GP's (91-09)
5) Monaco - Monaco - 56 GP's (50, 55-09)
6) Canada - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve - 27 GP's (82-86, 88-09)
7) Great Britain - Silverstone - 43 GP's (50-54, 56, 58, 60, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87-09)
8) France - Magny-Cours - 19 GP's (91-09)
9) Germany - Nurburgring - 23 GP's (51-54, 56-58, 61-69, 71-76, 85)
10) Hungary - Hungaroring - 23 GP's (86-09)
11) Turkey - Istanbul Park - 5 GP's (05-09)
12) European - Valencia - 2 GP's (08-09)
13) Italy - Monza - 58 GP's (50-79, 81-09)
14) Belgium - Spa-Francorchamps - 42 GP's (50-56, 58, 60-68, 70, 83, 85-02, 04-05, 07-09)
15) Singapore - Street Circuit - 2 GP's (08-09)
16) Japan - Suzuka - 21 GP's (87-06, 09)
17) China - Shanghai - 6 GP's (04-09)
18) Brazil - Interlagos - 27 GP's (73-77, 79-80, 90-09)
19) Abu Dhabi - Yas Island - 2 GP's (08-09)

TOTAL – 408 World Championship Grand Prix held.

Yes I know the figure is higher, BUT we haven’t lost Silverstone on this calendar remember. We have gained Nurburgring, plus there are another two races on the calendar. So because nothing has been predicted for 2010 yet, we can only work on rumors.

Let’s say that Magny-Cours gets dropped, that's 19 total GP’s gone. Then Silverstone has gone the journey, scratch 43 out. That’s 62 less in total, already dropping us below the level of 2007.

I hope your still with me.

It’s rumored that Korea and India will both get a GP in 2010. So does Bernie want to make the season longer or is he going to sacrifice more big guns? If he sacrifices more of the long players, then your GP total will be dropping out of the 300s. And lower still, with the Canadian, Hungarian, Turkish, and Italian GP all still without a confirmation for 2010, it looks likely that we could lose one of them.

So why Bernie? What are you doing?

Why have all these new circuits in place of older more established ones, surely we lose the history, the nostalgia. These are tracks that the regular true fans of the sport come rain or shine, win or lose. The ones who sit or stand there every Sunday that a race is on have come to know and love.

We have many, many great stories about races that have taken place on these tracks. Yet it looks more and more increasingly certain that we will have to say goodbye to old tracks like we say goodbye to old friends.

My thoughts on this is that he is trying to give the sport a brand new fresh face, a new era for Formula One. For the first time ever, I am getting on board with Bernie, I think I kind of understand his methods and what he is thinking.

Let’s think what happened to Formula One while Michael Schumacher was dominating proceedings. As great as he was, we lost a lot of publicity and people lost interest. Ratings dropped and the sport was dubbed as “boring.”

Love him or hate him, when Lewis Hamilton was promoted to the ranks of F1 as the McLaren rookie, the ratings, especially here in the UK, rocketed. They quite literally exploded.

People could relate to the youngster. Not only as a young man with a talent who could succeed alongside the world champion at the time, Fernando Alonso, but as a young, mixed race man in a sport predominantly competed in by white males.

This injected a new passion for our sport, we captured a whole new audience. Not only the original male audience, but a younger male audience, a young female audience, and of course an older female audience. The type who would love to mother Lewis and maybe bag themselves a boy toy in the process.

The UK have a driver in a competitive car who has a great chance to win something. Us Brits like to win but it's unfortunately something that we don’t get to do so often, so when it comes around you can be sure we will be right there behind our hopeful.

So, in the same vein let’s look at the new guys coming through who are dominating the headlines of this sport. Of course we have Lewis Hamilton, also Robert Kubica, Sebastian Vettel, and Heikki Kovalainen, sorry if I missed anyone. But let’s not get sidetracked, you know what I am getting at.

These are the drivers of tomorrow making an impact today, they are the future of the sport. New guys coming through the ranks in GP2 like young Bruno Senna is nipping at the bud to get to drive.

So, what next? Let’s have a look at car technologies. With the traction control taken away, the slicks being added next year, and the introduction of KERS (See my article on “2009, a new era for F1” for details), the sport is becoming more exciting and faster, also I suppose in some ways more unique to all other motorsports.

These are big changes. Which other sport can boast about being at the very top of the pyramid, the top of the chain when it comes to groundbreaking technology advancements.

Can anyone see where I am going yet? I hope so because my head hurts.

So with all this taken into consideration we then have Bernie and his new tracks. It now seems to me that bit by bit he is trying to give F1 a complete overhaul, a brand new look, a re-design, a fresh outlook for the future.

New drivers, new technologies, and new tracks. Maybe it is time to move to a new era of the sport and capture even more of an audience. With that being successful, surely there will be more money, more sponsors, more media interest, and on the whole all of this can’t be bad for the sport.

Ultimately Bernie Ecclestone is “future proofing” the sport of F1, it’s his “master plan.” Now do you see where I was going with this? I think if I am right, then I am actually behind Bernie.

But surely he must know the bad name he is getting for not only himself but for the sport by not really giving reasons for his decisions. He should be out there beating a drum about what his future vision is.

Now that I have looked at things from Bernie’s point of view I am nearly onboard with Donington Park being the temporary new home for the British Grand Prix, it kind of makes sense. But as it stands, I am still sore and I still want to see a Silverstone track on my calendar. Let's get it updated and get our British Grand Prix back at the home of British motorsport.

So there you have it, my point of view from the man who goes by the name of Bernie Ecclestone, the 77-year-old F1 Supremo, the “Big” chief, the gaffer, the man who holds all the cards.

Do you agree with me? Do you think you can get on board with him should this actually be his master plan? What would you maybe do differently? How would you like to see the future of F1 go? Do you think that all these new tracks are good or bad news?

Let me know people, this is your soap box, use it!

Ben, Over and Out!

Formula 1: Donington Park: A Fresh Start

Matt Thomlinson — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:21:28 -0700

It's controversial, it's provocative. Donington Park's position as post-2010 British Grand Prix host has caused both surprise and horror, yet maybe there are some advantages to this change.

The fans, teams and drivers have been complaining about Silverstone for years. The carparks are muddy, the hotdogs expensive and, since 2003, the racing turgid.

Yet Donington? Personally i've never been there but from what i have seen, it reminds me of Jerez. With sweeping corners and a relatively small infield, it will certainly be a change for Formula One, now populated by Tilke-esque sharp corners.

Silverstone is undoubtedly tops for full throttle acceleration, but what will happen with the post 2009 wing technology removals? Could we see Donington as a place of dramatic overtaking? At the moment it is far too early to speculate, with BTCC and MotoGP not serving as useful examples, yet i can see change being useful to the sport.

A new, testing challenge (in 1993 even Michael Schumacher beached his Benetton in the gravel) awaits the F1 fraternity- even the most biased fan would struggle to suggest that every Silverstone race has been exciting

Bernie has certainly been riled for this recent switch. Even MotoGP has declared Donington as unsuitable for major events, but i am certain that things can be sorted out after two years of committed effort.

To those complaining, just think; would you rather have no British Grand Prix? Maybe confiscating the European Grand Prix from Spain (giving Valencia the race and binning the traditional snore-athon of Catalunya) on account of their abhorrent winter-testing racism and giving the event to Silverstone would placate the fans, along with showing the World that discrimination of any kind has no place.

Spanish Formula One is all but over; unless Fernando Alonso gets his act in gear (rumours are circulating linking him down to Honda), it may be time to give the crown to someone else. Hamilton-mania makes Britain the obvious target.

Donington is close to the East Midlands Airport (and M1), is in a central position, and has proven it can deal with a major Formula One race, albeit one back in 1993. With an increase in infrastructure, and a possible extension, the at present 2.5 mile circuit has the potential to be one of the greats.

Attempting to look positively on this situation, i feel the 2010 British Grand Prix will be what the fans, and of course the organisers, make of it. All i can say is good luck to them.

NFL Dynasty Killers and You: What Every New England Patriots Fan Needs to Know

Mike Dussault — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:19:57 -0700

NFL Dynasties

1960’s: Green Bay Packers

Titles: Five (including first two Super Bowls)
Length of Dynasty: Seven Seasons (1961 – 67)
Coach/QB : Vince Lombardi/Bart Starr

1970’s: Pittsburgh Steelers

Titles: Four Super Bowls (in six years)
Length of Dynasty: Six Seasons (1974 – 79)
Coach/QB : Chuck Noll/Terry Bradshaw

1980’s: San Francisco 49ers

Titles: Four Super Bowls
Length of Dynasty: Nine Seasons (1981 – 89)
Coach/QB: Bill Walsh/Joe Montana

1990’s: Dallas Cowboys

Titles: Three Super Bowls (in four years)
Length of Dynasty: Four Seasons (1992 – 95)
Coach/QB: Jimmy Johnson/Troy Aikman

2000’s: New England Patriots

Titles: Three Super Bowls at least (in four years)
Length of Dynasty: Seven Seasons (2001 - ????)
Coach/QB: Bill Belichick/Tom Brady

Love them or hate them, there’s no denying that the New England Patriots are the NFL’s dynasty of the new millennium and personally, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

But like all good things, the Patriots dynasty will one day come to an end and Pats fans everywhere will be reminded once again of what it’s like when your team sucks.

When we look back at the dynasties of decades past we find there are three factors that figure the most in their downfalls. Despite what many Pats-haters may believe, someone figuring out a “blueprint” like “put relentless pressure on their quarterback” is not one.

Here they are in descending order of importance:

Injuries – A back injury prevented Joe Montana from at least one, and probably two more Super Bowls. He missed all of the 1991 season and nearly all of 1992. That opened the door for Steve Young but was the end of the original 49ers’ dynasty.

The Steelers also experienced a rash of injuries in 1980 after their fourth title and never rebounded.

The Patriots were lucky last year with Rosevelt Colvin being the only major loss during the season. There’s nothing that can derail a dynasty more abruptly than an unexpected injury to a key player. I’m going to stop even writing about it to prevent any kind of jinx to my team.

Core Group Departures – The 49ers and Cowboys dynasties were the guiltiest of this. Both let players get away who formed the core of their respective dynasties. Ronnie Lott and Roger Craig both were allowed to walk south to the Los Angeles Raiders and the 49ers were never the same.

Jerry Jones decided to let Alvin Harper, James Washington, Mark Stepnoski, and Jim Jeffcoat leave via free agency in 1995 after their third, and final Super Bowl. That was the end for them.

Troy Aikman hating Barry Switzer had something to do with it too.

Some were surprised to see Tedy Bruschi resign for two more years but I was excited, and not just because I wear his jersey on game days. He is the heart and soul of this Patriots’ dynasty, even if some say he’s lost a step.

The Patriots have been skilled in the past for replacing the irreplaceable, like Willie McGinest, Adam Vinatieri, and Ty Law. Bruschi is the last link to the older generation, aka The Crappy 90s. When he leaves his signature leadership will never be replaced.

Departure of the Head Coach/Architect - Say hello to the number one dynasty killer. The Packers quickly became an average team when Vince Lombardi left, even with their core group of players still intact.

Walsh and Johnson’s teams were so soundly built they both won Super Bowls two years after their departure. However by the third year both teams missed the playoffs.

Luckily for 49ers fans they were able to quickly rebound to grab another Super Bowl under George Seifert and Steve Young, though it’s been lean times since then.

The Cowboys haven’t been so lucky.

The coach is king in the NFL and when a brilliant coach leaves, in most cases, it is back to mediocrity within three seasons. Only with a hand-picked successor who continues to run the team under the same system can a dynasty prevail for a few more seasons.

A second consecutive Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm doesn’t hurt either.

When the Hooded One and Brady leave the fun will be over for Pats fans. Brady will be 31 when 2008 starts. He should have another 4-5 seasons of high caliber play left.

Belichick is rumored to be under contract until 2013.

Perhaps someone like offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is being groomed to take over in a Seifert-like succession. Maybe fourth round pick Kevin O’Connell could prove to be a Steve Young to Brady’s Montana.

Only time will tell. We only have about five more years left, barring injuries, so enjoy it while it lasts because one day our dynasty too will be dead.

Question for you readers: Where would you rank the Patriots dynasty now? If they won another Super Bowl?

Discuss below, and if you’re going to make a Spygate comment at least make it original and funny or somewhat insightful please.

patriotspropaganda@gmail.com

Flyers, Ottawa and Vancouver apparently pass on Boyle

Dan Smith — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:14:51 -0700

The Philadelphia Flyers were on the short list of teams that Dan Boyle was willing to be traded to, as was Vancouver, Ottawa and obviously San Jose. However Paul Holmgren was apparently not willing to part with young assets to acquire an over priced veteran defenseman.

Good for him.

There was no realistic way the Flyers could have gotten Boyle and still remained under the cap. Any trade scenario that could've come down here is not what the Flyers would have needed.

It is true the Flyers do need a capable puck moving defenseman but not one with a six year $40 million contract and, for what its worth anymore, a no trade clause. To get Boyle they would have undoubtedly had to have given up players like Braydon Coburn, Mike Knuble or Joffery Lupul and a first rounder.

Ottawa also appears to have shot down any trade for the same reasons. It is not known for sure who Tampa wanted, but a fair guess would be Vermette and Meszaros and a first rounder.

I highly doubt Vancouver ever really threw itself into the mix since they already have seven NHL defenseman and their most pressing need is to bolster their offense. It was probably just a wish list from Boyle.

Which left the Sharks free to get their man. It is a very good deal for them. They get the offensive defenseman that they needed. And while they had to give up Matt Carle, a prospect and a first to get him the move didn't leave their team depleted.

They still have a great physical presence in Mclaren, Blake and Murray. And still have a promising future on the back line with Vlasic and Ehrhoff. A definite win-win situation for the Sharks and their fans.

British Grand Prix: First Career Pole for Kovalainen.

Francois Gendron — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:09:09 -0700

Tomorrow's Grand Prix on the Silverstone track promises a lot of unexpected results. There is some rain expected for tomorrow and the starting grid for the race is as ecclectic as it can get.

The McLaren-Mercedes had slipped in the constructors championship during the last few races. Lewis Hamilton has not scored points in the last two races. This weekend, the car looked to be the fastest of the plateau.

Unfortunately Lewis Hamilton missed a great opportunity to start from the pole as he pushed the limits of his car a little too much during the final qualifying stage. At the opposite, Heikki Kovalainen was brilliant and he registered the fastest time. A first pole position in career for him.

Mark Webber in his Red Bull shocked the racing fans only a few seconds before the end of qualifying when he registered the fastest time. But Kovalainen was just behind him and took back the pole a few seconds later. Webber will start in second place, a very good starting position for the Red Bull.

Silverstone top ten on the grid:

Pole: Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren) 1:21.049
2-Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1:21.554
3-Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1:21706
4-Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 1:21.835
5-Nick Heidfeld (BMW-Sauber) 1:21.873
6-Fernando Alonso (Renault) 1:22.029
7-Nelson Piquet Jr (Renault) 1:22.491
8-Sebastien Vettel (Toro Rosso) 1:23.251
9-Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1:23.305
10-Robert Kubica (BMW-Sauber) --------

(Picture: Heikki Kovalainen, Getty Images.)

Mark McGwire: Remember Me?

John Lewis — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:06:36 -0700

The last time we saw Mark McGwire he was raising his right hand at the 2005 Congressional Hearing and not talking about the past. Since that time he's stayed away from all things baseball waiting for the steroids controversy to die down.

Well, we may see him in uniform as early as next year, this time as a hitting coach for the Colorado Rockies. According to sources, McGwire almost took the job two years ago but decided at the last minute not to accept it.

This time around, things may change. He's said to be the front runner for the struggling team in an effort to get them back on track.

During the winter, Big Mac is coaching names like Matt Holliday, Chris and Shelley Duncan, and Skip Shumaker, so a transition to hitting coach would be pretty easy.

Those close to him are amazed at how much he truly knows about hitting, just ask the pitchers he faced over the years. He did manage to hit 583 home runs during his 16 year career.

Injuries certainly slowed down his pursuit for 600 or even 700 home runs. It's estimated he lost 320 games which could've translated into around 156 dingers, easily putting him over the magical 700.

Whether McGwire will ever get into the Hall of Fame still remains a mystery. He received just 23.5 percent in his first year and 23.6 percent in his second time on the ballot.

www.rawsportsblog.com

NASCAR: Toyota Domination

Brian Kirby — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:05:33 -0700

What a year it has been for Toyota in NASCAR this season. After a tough start in their first season in 2007, Toyota has surged to the front as NASCAR's best manufacturer.

In 2007, Hendrick Motorsports dominated the Sprint Cup season mainly with two drivers: Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. The two combined for sixteen wins and finished first and second in the standings with Johnson bringing home the title.

Hendrick's other two drivers, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears, both had decent seasons. Busch won the Spring Bristol event while Mears won the 600 at Charlotte.

Going into the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Hendrick looked to continue their dominance with newly added Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt filled Busch's seat after he announced he would leave D.E.I. Then Busch left Hendrick to go to Joe Gibb's Racing.

In 2007, Joe Gibb's Racing announced they would switch manufacturers for the 2008 season. After a long relationship with General Motors, Gibb's left for Toyota. Many questioned the move on whether the change would help them or hurt them.

Halfway through the season, the change has definitely helped them. At Daytona, Denny Hamlin posted Toyota's first win in a non-points event in the second Gatorade Duel race. Hamlin has one win this season at Martinsville and sits seventh in the Sprint Cup Standings.

Gibb's newly acquired driver, Kyle Busch, won Toyota's first points event at Atlanta in the spring. He then has backed that up with wins at Talladega, Darlington, Dover, and most recently, Sonoma. Busch is also the points leader and shows no signs of giving that up as the season grows closer to the chase.

Tony Stewart hasn't had a bad year, he's had bad luck. Stewart has no wins this year so far. In the Daytona 500, Stewart looked as if he had it won until Ryan Newman made a move on the final lap to take the win away from Stewart.

He had great run in the 600 at Charlotte until a flat tire with four laps to go ended his chance of victory. At Bristol, Stewart had a chance to win until Kevin Harvick took him out with three laps to go. If not for the bad luck, the 20 team should have a couple of checks in the win column. He sits ninth in the standings.

Seventeen races into the Sprint Cup Season, there is no letting up for Toyota and Joe Gibb's Racing.2008 is their year not only in Cup but in the Nationwide Series. Joey Logano won in his third start and Hamlin, Stewart, and Busch have combined to win twelve races.

All you can say is pure domination.

Chevy, Ford, and Dodge have their homework to do. Chevy and Dodge have four wins, Ford has three. Toyota has six leading the charge.

2008 may have been the start of the "Toyota Takeover."

Do The Cincinnati Bengals Need Chad Johnson?

Bryan Weigel — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:23:10 -0700

"How do you stop 85?" My answer is to ignore him and act like he doesn't exist. Then when he finally realizes that instead of seeing more money, he begins to see none of it, receive him with open arms. The city of Cincinnati does not hate Ocho Cinco, they are are just tired of how he thinks that no one likes him. I guarantee in the words of Chad that Cincinnati will love him if the Bengals reach the playoffs again. The Bengals would be amiss without Johnson. With the concerns of not having a healthy running back and having a poor defense, the Orange striped cats must score higher than any team in the league.

Carson is the city's golden boy. Johnson is comparable to the court jester, but this writer still believes that he is the most pivotal player on the team. Chad is the tone setter of the whole team. When he is jumping around after a touchdown or psyching his team up before the game or moping around by not getting the ball, his emotions are seen in every other players eyes.

T.J. Housyourmamma "Championship" is not the number one receiver that he thinks he is capable of. Chad would run the deep routs, draw a safety or linebacker out of the center and free up T.J. I am not doubting that he is a great receiver. He is! At Oregon State he was the number one over Chad, but since he does not have the explosive top end speed a number one receiver needs, he is not the premier receiver on this team. You cannot replace Chad's 1440 yds, 93 Receptions, 90 yards/game, or 8 TDs.

I will admit that his TDs were down but he will produce more than that with the addition of Ben Utecht to the roster. Adding a receiving tight end could allow T.J. and Chad to go deeper, spread the offense, and allow Rudi to have one of the best years of his career. He has been rested and a revamped line with Stacy Andrews as the leader is the most underrated, but effective line in the NFL.

I do belive that Chad is valuable. He will set the tone this season, but we will have to see how Chad and Carson react to each other when training camp opens at the end of this month.

NFL Preview Part Two: AFC East

Hudson B — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:14:17 -0700

This is the second of eight NFL previews. This is another tough division to call because we have two team that will be significantly better, in Miami and New York. Another question is whether the Patriots will even be close to what they were a year ago. It should be a very interesting season in the AFC East.

1. New England Patriots. Last Season: 16-0. Offseason Grade: B- Predicted Record: 14-2.

This is a tough team to predict. I think that they will, again, be a force in the AFC and will run away with the division. They lost Asante Samuel, but they took Terrance Wheatley in the second round. Wheatley will be good, but he isn't Asante Samuel. At WR, they will be amazing again this season.

The linebackers they brought in should be very successful. They took Jerod Mayo with the 10th overall pick and brought in former Jet, Victor Hobson. Mayo is a beast and should prove it to the country very quickly. Hobson is not a bad signing either. They get depth, and possibly a starter with Hobson. He was part of Eric Mangini's similar defense in New York and has displayed leadership in the offseason mini camps.

The team is still great, but I could never predict a 16-0 season. They play the Colts, which will be another classic and could go either way. Best case, they go 16-0. Worst case, they lose three games. Easy division winners.

2. Buffalo Bills. Last Season: 7-9. Offseason Grade: D. Predicted Record: 5-11.

The Bills got Leodis McKelvin, a good player from Troy, but other than that, the team made no big moves. They didn't lose any significant players and the only player that they brought in was Kawika Mitchell. Mitchell should be a good player in their defense, but not enough to make them competitive.

They have yet again failed to make themselves significantly better. I can’t say too much about their offseason because they really didn't give me too much to write about. The team has to be doing something that is not being reported. They are likely just developing young players. In a few years they may be tough, but I just can't see it right now.

3. New York Jets. Last Season: 4-12. Offseason Grade: A. Predicted Record: 8-8.

I love what the Jets did this offseason. They got rid of players who weren't getting the job done (Justin McCareins, Erik Coleman, etc.) and acquired a great deal of good players via free agency and the draft.

On draft day, they got Vernon Gholston, Dwight Lowery, Erik Ainge, and Marcus Henry. Gholston should be an immediate impact player. The rest will make decent backups.

In free agency, they acquired G Alan Faneca, TE Bubba Franks, LB Calvin Pace, FB Tony Richardson, and G Damien Woody. They picked up two starters on the offensive line, a good blocking offensive player, in Franks and Richardson, and a good linebacker in Pace.

They shored up many of their weak points and may be semi competitive this season. I don't think that they are good enough to be in the playoffs yet, but they certainly took some big steps.

4. Miami Dolphins. Last Season: 1-15. Offseason Grade: B. Predicted Record: 4-12.

This project will take at least three years for Bill Parcells to make successful. That Parcells fella isn't a bad drafter though. Jake Long and Phillip Merling are sure locks to be very good players. I also like the picks of Henne and Langford a lot too.

Langford is the player that I think will be a steal in this draft. He's not an amazing pass rusher, but he will make a very good 3-4 defensive end because of his strength and ability to tackle the running back. He is relentless and should prove to be a good pick.

They didn't add any great players through free agency, but Parcells has a plan and a few tricks up his sleeve. This year they won't be very good because they lack experience. Look for this team to be competitive in the coming seasons.

This division will not produce three playoff teams anytime soon. But it has got a lot better this offseason. It should be fun to watch.

Minnesota Twins: Average Pitching Is All That's Needed

Andrew Kneeland — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Minnesota had a great offensive night last night, racking up 12 runs against Paul Byrd and the Indians. Livan Hernandez took the mound for the Twins and performed admirably. He went a full six innings while giving up only three runs.

Thanks to the hot offense, the Twins' pitchers aren't asked to pitch seven innings of shutout ball as they wait for Minnesota to score twice in the eighth and hope to win the game. That was the strategy last year.

This year, the Twins' pitchers can, and are, recording extremely hefty ERAs, but are getting the wins.

Livan Hernandez, the supposed "ace" of this rotation, has an ERA of 5.18 to go along with his impressive record of 9-5. Hernandez was signed for this year to take on the veteran role that was left empty after the departure of Santana. While no one can replace Santana, Hernandez has certainly tried.

The 10-year veteran has done a great job in providing a veteran presence on this young, pitching rotation.

The battle for the No. 2 position in this rotation has been between Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey. Both have nearly identical ERAs, and both have the same number of wins in the same number of games. Slowey, at 5-6, has four more losses than his counterpart, forcing me to place Baker as the No. 2 pitcher in this young rotation.

Baker has an ERA of 3.65 posted through 12 starts this season. He had first felt a tweaked groin on his April 26 start against the Rangers, when he was pulled after just four-and-a-third innings. The front office considered putting Baker on the DL, but re-evaluated him and gave him two extra days of rest before his next start.

Again he felt the tweaked groin, not as severely as before, and was again pulled after just three innings. After being re-evaluated yet again, Gardenhire decided to place Baker on the disabled list. He missed all of his next starts until June 5, when he went a solid five innings, giving up just two runs.

Because of this absence, Baker has pitched just 69 innings. This ranks fourth on the list of total innings pitched from Minnesota starters this year.

Kevin Slowey ranks third on this list with 72.7 innings pitched. He has the best ERA of all Twins pitchers so far this year with 3.47. As I remarked earlier, this is strangely higher than last year. With the decrease in offense this year in the American League, it would be expected that a team's ERA be lower as a result.

Not so with Minnesota, but they still get the job done.

Slowey, after a brief DL-stint on April 4, has been a regular fixture in the rotation. The team is 6-6 when he is pitching, but has won six of his last eight appearances. Slowey will take the mound tomorrow against the Indians. He is coming off a complete-game shutout of the Milwaukee Brewers.

This is his second complete game, his first coming on May 29 against the Royals. Slowey pitched nine innings and gave up only one earned run in a Twins win. He is trying very hard to de-throne Baker and earn that No. 2 spot, and is well on his way.

As usual, Slowey has great, almost scary, control over his pitches. He has only allowed nine walks so far this season through 12 games, making his BB/9IP an astonishing 1.107.

Nick Blackburn may be the biggest surprise in the Twins' rotation this year. Going into the year, Blackburn was thought to be the next starter in a rotation with Liriano, Hernandez, Baker, Slowey, and Bonser. With the horrible play of Liriano and Bonser, whom I'll touch on later, Blackburn has moved nicely into the fourth hole, and Perkins, whom I'll also touch on later, has become No. 5.

Blackburn has been somewhat sporadic this year (his sophomore season). He has an ERA of 3.78, which is certainly not bad compared to the rest of the starters. His K/BB ratio is currently sitting at 3.625, which is also great. Blackburn has also displayed great control this year, as his BB/9IP is 1.375.

On June 27, Blackburn gave up six earned runs to Milwaukee en route to a 7-6 loss. He also surrendered seven runs to the White Sox on June 6. He has had only two previous games where he has held the opponent to no runs. He has allowed three runs or more in seven of his 17 starts.

While Blackburn's stats are very attractive, he has a tendency to give up a big game every so often. Then again, this young man is only 26-years old and is in his second season in the major leagues. He has made 23 career starts, and is getting better with every start.

In a few years, when this rotation has really solidified itself and gelled together, I think Blackburn will be one of the better pitchers in the league.

Glen Perkins was also called upon to take the place of the ineffective Liriano. After "The Franchise" gave up 13 runs in 10.3 innings, Perkins was plucked from the 'pen and placed in the rotation.

Perkins has also had mixed success this year. His 4.31 ERA is nothing to be proud of, but he has a K/BB ratio just over two. His BB/9IP is also good, meaning he hasn't lost control of his pitches. He is prone to the home-run ball, though, just like Santana was. He has given up 10 long balls in just 11 starts.

Perkins has only one game where he allowed one run. The rest have ranged from two runs allowed in six innings to five runs allowed in four innings. Inconsistent is the one word I think best describes Perkins. However, Minnesota has found ways to win during his starts, going 6-5 when Perkins is on the mound this year.

Francisco Liriano was thought, by me mostly, to be a savior for the Twins in 2008. When he came on and, as I mentioned earlier, gave up 13 runs in only 10.3 innings, I knew something needed to happen.

Liriano was sent to AAA Rochester to figure out his problems and achieve inner-peace. He has been rocky as of late, but he is expected to show up in Minnesota some time before the season is over.

Boof Bonser also started out the year in the rotation. After having an ERA of 5.97, Boof was demoted to the bullpen. Since then, his ERA has gotten even worse. His is currently allowing an average of 6.15 base runners to cross home plate for every nine innings of pitching.

I expect Bonser to be heavily shopped around the league this year. His stock is the highest of any pitcher Minnesota wants to part with, and the Twins could use some minor-league help.

Just like tonight, when Hernandez went six innings and gave up three runs, Minnesota is working with what the pitchers are offering them: average starts. It appears they are making the most of it. Minnesota has now won 17 of their last 19 games.

America's Pasttime on America's Birthday

Beat Mike Network — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:58:53 -0700

Everyone's favorite summer past time is baseball. Friday was America's 232nd birthday. Here's how everyone did in Major League Baseball on the 4th of July (home teams in bold):

Boston 6, New York Yankees 4

Seattle 4, Detroit 1

Baltimore 10, Texas 4

Tampa Bay 11, Kansas City 2

Oakland 7, Chicago White Sox 1

Minnesota 12, Cleveland 3

Los Angeles Angels 8, Toronto 2

Cincinnati 3, Washington 0

Milwaukee 9, Pittsburgh 1

Los Angeles Dodgers 10, San Francisco 7

Philadelphia 3, New York Mets 2

Atlanta 6, Houston 2

Colorado 18, Florida 17

Chicago Cubs 2, St. Louis 1

San Diego 5, Arizona 1