Scenic City Sportsblog

Scenic City Sportsblog is Back!

2011-03-22T13:10:00.002-04:00

Hey Folks, the Scenic City Sportsblog is back, but it has new address. Find it here: Scenic City SportsBlog. Thanks!

Shutting It Down

2008-09-22T09:14:00.003-04:00

It has been a fun ride, but I'm shutting down the Scenic City Sportsblog. With UT football being a miserable subject and my current job demanding more time and energy than my previous one, my heart just isn't in keeping this thing updated with enough good material to justify a readership or existence.

To my loyal readers - thanks for the comments, criticism and for reading my sometimes good/sometimes lousy posts. You made this fun.

Until I get the itch again,
CC

Whatever Happened to the Tennessee Vols?

2008-09-20T22:20:00.002-04:00

Where to start?

In a game I, and most Vol fans, did not expect to be competitive, the Florida Gators were up 17-0 in minutes and never threatened by the terrible Tennessee Vols. My expectations were low and they were met.

I can't remember a worse quarterback in my Tennessee watching life than Jonathan Crompton. He is just awful. If there was any lingering doubt in my mind about his ability to be an SEC-caliber QB, it was erased on two plays today. The first was when the "athletic" Crompton scrambled forward to be lit up by a measly cornerback. Crompton was supposed to be a mobile quarterback, but his scrambles are less effective than Peyton's. The other play was Crompton throwing behind an open receiver as both Vols scrambled in the same direction. To miss a guy by that much at this level?

Those plays closed the verdict for me on Crompton (though for more evidence I could cite A: throwing a line drive to an wide receiver streaking past the Gator secondary that was picked off B: throwing a line drive that was batted down to a wide open tight end on a two-point conversion C: fumbling the ball on a routine hand-off D: throwing an interception on the one-yard line E: the entire UCLA game F: pretty much the entire UAB game).

Let's keep passing out blame for this afternoon's debacle:

The punting game has given up two touchdowns in three games.

Kickoff coverage gave up a short field to start the game.

The defense was decent, though Florida got chunks of yards at a time.

Demetrice Morley was a good five yards off Percy Harvin on the touchdown pass.

Montario Hardesty joined Fumbling Foster when he coughed up the ball in Gator territory (yes, he got killed on that hit, but he can't fumble there).

Arian Foster, our senior "leader", picks a fight on 3rd and 1 to create 3rd and 16.

Austin Rogers? Josh Briscoe? Lucas Taylor?

And finally, the coaching staff. I don't know what got Dave Clawson the OC job in Knoxville, but I haven't seen anything interesting out of his play-calling or philosophy. The only thing I see is a focus on getting the ball to the tight ends. I'm willing to give Clawson a pass because of how awful Crompton is, but it is a temporary pass.

Fulmer gets no pass. I love the guy and always will. He brought the Glory Days to Knoxville and truly loves the school. But these are all his guys. All his coaches. These guys look awful. Florida hardly seemed tested today. I'm watching Auburn/LSU right now and the skills, intensity and overall effort in this game are all greater than what the Vols gave today.

A few years ago, I was convinced that Randy Sanders was the problem. He was. David Cutcliffe was the solution. Now? I don't know. B.J. Coleman? Nick Stephens? Gerald Jones? Is it time to let loose with the play-calling on both sides of the ball since playing close the vest isn't going to get it done with the heartless, speedless, seemingly talentless group of duds on the field right now?

Basketball practice started today and I'm ready to think about Bruce Pearl instead of Phil Fulmer. This football season looks lost and beyond saving.

Tennessee Vols vs. Florida Gators - A History

2008-09-17T09:20:00.003-04:00

I'm going back in time to a post I put together last year about the Florida/Tennessee rivalry, updating it a bit and putting it into the blogosphere to once again wet your appetite for this weekend's big game. I could not have any lower expectations for the Vols' performance after the UCLA loss and UAB snoozefest, which probably means the Vols will win in a romp.

Let's hope so.

To the retrospective:

2007 Florida 59 Tennessee 20 - The Swamp has rarely been kind to the Big Orange, but it was especially humiliating in 2007. Future Heisman winner Tim Tebow scorched the Vols on the ground and through the air (while also making out with his roommate on the sideline) as Urban Meyer ran it up on a thoroughly-beaten Vols squad. Somehow, someway the Vols rebounded from this crushing defeat to win the SEC East. I'm still not sure how they did that. Let's forget about this one as much as we can.

2006 Florida 21 Tennessee 20 - This game is perhaps best remembered for a premature celebration and one of the gutsiest performances in Tennessee football history. Urban Meyer made his first trip to Knoxville and got his second win in a row over Phil Fulmer. The win was especially sweet for Chris Leak, who spurned Tennessee after the perceived mistreatment of his brother C.J. and remained bitter towards Fulmer about it during his tenure at UF. Justin Harrell played his final game as a Vol after suffering a season-ending injury the previous week against Air Force. He put off surgery to play the game, but wasn't especially effective with one arm. The most memorable moment of the game occurred when Vols QB Erik Ainge did the Gator chomp toward the Tennessee fans after a score put the Vols up in the 3rd quarter. It was way too early for taunts and celebration as the Tennessee defense could not figure out how to cover Dallas Baker or stop Tim Tebow's QB sneaks. Florida went on to win a National Championship.

2005 Florida 16 Tennessee 7 - This game featured several special teams breakdowns that cost the Vols, including a botched fake punt by a confused freshman (Britton Colquitt) and a blocked field goal. This was the first meeting between Urban Meyer and Phil Fulmer after Ron Zook's firing in the off-season. Meyer's tricky offense was on display when the Gators took a 7-0 lead on a reverse off the option to Andre Caldwell. The 2005 season was a terrible one for the Vols as the team fell to 5-6 behind Randy Sanders's clueless offensive scheme and the internal team war over whether Erik Ainge or Rick Clausen should be leading the team.

2004 Tennessee 30 Florida 28 - A classic game in the rivalry as Tennessee's James Wilhoit nailed a 50 yard field goal with 6 seconds left to give the Vols the lead. Wilhoit had missed an extra point earlier in the game, so hitting the game-winner was extra sweet. Many Florida fans remember a controversial call late in the game as Dallas Baker slapped Jonathan Wade (who had just slapped him) and got a 15 yard penalty that (incorrectly) stopped the clock. This was not the first time there was controversy in Knoxville between these teams. Vols fans thought they might have found the next Peyton Manning in Erik Ainge, but were also excited about starter Brent Schaeffer. It turned out they were wrong on both accounts.

2003 Tennessee 24 Florida 10 - Casey Clausen's senior season was mostly a disappointment, but this impressive win in the Swamp was a highlight. The most memorable play of the game was just before the half when Clausen found James Banks on a Hail Mary play that gave the Vols the lead. Florida tried to run the ball all game, basically out-Fulmering Fulmer, and it didn't work.

2002 Florida 30 Tennessee 13 - The score was embarrassingly lop-sided and so was the game. In fact, Phil Fulmer apologized afterwards for the performance. The Vols had 8 fumbles throughout the rain-soaked game, losing 3 of them, and could not contain Rex Grossman throughout. To me, this game was a sign of the sinking Vol ship. Casey Clausen was a junior, but looked no better than when he was a freshman. The special teams were terrible. The discipline was non-existent. It was becoming frustrating to watch the under-achieving Vols.

2001 Tennessee 34 Florida 32 - This game is remembered for several reasons: 1) it was moved back into December because of the 9/11 tragedy 2)#2 Florida was playing #5 Tennessee for the right to go to the SEC Championship game 3) Travis Stephens carried the Vols on his back with 226 yards and 2 touchdowns 4) it was an instant college football classic. It was a game of back and forth football, finally put into the hands Heisman-hopeful Rex Grossman for a two-point conversion play that was no good. Tennessee went on to lay an egg against LSU in the SEC Championship game, losing a chance to play for the National Championship in the Rose Bowl.

2000 Florida 27 Tennessee 23 - Controversy in Knoxville. The Volunteers ran the ball down the throats of the Gators, but were desperately holding on to a 23-20 lead when Rex Grossman threw a quick pass to Jabar Gaffney that he caught for .00001 seconds before it hit the ground. Touchdown? According to the referees, yes. According to 108,000 Vols fans, no.

1999 Florida 23 Tennessee 21 - The Alex Brown game. Tennessee's hopes of defending their National Championship fell apart in the Swamp as the Vols looked lackadaisical and slow compared to the Gators. Alex Brown had 5 sacks of Tee Martin. Tennessee fans remember a couple of mistakes down the stretch, most notably Deon Grant's decision to run out-of-bounds with a late game interception instead of turning it upfield and for the odd 4th & 3 sweep call with Jamal Lewis who turned it inside when the outside looked open. Would the Vols ever win in the Swamp? It would take a California kid to pull off the feat in 2001 in an instant classic.

1998 Tennessee 20 Florida 17 - FINALLY! After Peyton Manning failed to beat Spurrier's Gators for four years, Tee Martin got the job done in overtime. To be fair, the outcome had much more to do with Al Wilson and the Tennessee defense than it did Tee Martin, but he made one big pass to Peerless Price (while his arm was hit) and did not make the multiple mistakes the Gators made. Spurrier was revolving QBs throughout the game, but could not find an answer to the swarming John Chavis defense. I stormed the field with my friends and walked away with a Gatorade bottle from the Tennessee bench.

Monday Morning Football Frenzy

2008-09-15T09:29:00.002-04:00

Friday Night Lights

* Nothing shocking about Friday night's results, though Baylor has a running back that scampered for over 300 yards. The kid was just a soccer player and us McCallie folk are hoping he goes back to that sport exclusively before the October 3rd game.

* The Big Blue got its second win of the year on Saturday afternoon over some Charlotte team. I'll always use space to brag about a McCallie win.

College Saturday

* My thoughts on the UAB game are up in another post. It is worth noting here that UCLA, the team that beat the Vols, lost to BYU 59-0.

59-0.

Someone pointed out that UAB is probably about as good as UCLA, but I don't buy that. The Blazers had one player, a tough Tebow-like QB, and little else. There defense is miserable, but Crompton still couldn't carve it up. I'm almost dreading Saturday's game with Florida.

* The Dawgs escaped South Carolina thanks to a terrible fumble on the goal line and the continued terrible quarterback play for Steve Spurrier. Knowshon Moreno is freaking fast and so much fun to watch. For whatever reason, though, the Bulldogs leave me wanting. They are like that movie "Crash" with all the big stars and connected storylines and social commentary that comes together to be a cheesy, lousy flick. The Dawgs have the players, coaches and pieces for a title run, but it just ain't working right now like it ought.

* Was Arizona State looking ahead to the Dawgs? The Sun Devils lost at home to UNLV? For the weekend, the Pac-10 was 0-4 against the Mountain West. Yeesh.

* At least it can boast the USC Trojans who are so much better than any team I've watched all year. They are all Knowshon fast, from the backs to the linemen. Poor Boeckman had no prayer back there most of the time (Terrelle Pryor sure looked legit though). Back to the Trojans, they have back-ups who would star for the Vols right now. Pete Carroll might be the greatest hire in college coaching...ever. His reign in L.A. has been unbelievable and it looks like they are loaded for several more years of dominance.

* Ohio State gets killed again by a good team. And they wonder why they get so little respect from us Southern folk.

* UTC improved from scoring 2 against Oklahoma to 7 against Florida State. The biggest improvement for the Mocs from these games is in their bank account.

* 3-2? Auburn and Mississippi State set back the sport of football back thirty years with its horrible effort Saturday night. Exhibit A for what sucks about the Spread Offense was on display in Starkville. All Auburn needed to do to win the game was run the clock out, but there they are in the shotgun (!) playing cutesy football against an inferior opponent. Sure enough, the War Eagles fumbled the ball on a bad pitch (!!!) and were only saved by an amazing interception on the next play.

I'm about two weeks away from starting an anti-Spread Offense blog. My hatred of it is admittedly irrational, much like my disdain of Van Morrison and people who put bumper stickers on their cars, but each and every game I'm watching the same offense being run by this week's offensive coordinating flavor of the month. How long until the Spread sits beside the Wing-T and Run & Shoot in the pile of relic football offenses?

The Pros

* Here is my take on the end of the Broncos/Chargers game: yes, the Chargers got hosed. Yes, it was a fumble and yes, Hochuli and his massive upper body blew it. However...the Chargers did NOTHING to cause that fumble. The ball slipped out of Cutler's hand in a freakish play. The Chargers did not force that error whatsoever. They did benefit from it (or should have), but the idea that they did what it took to win and had it stolen is a bit dubious to me. Besides, they could have stopped Denver from scoring, stopped Denver from converting the two-point conversion and successfully gotten into field goal range to win in regulation. It was an injustice, but not a colossal one.

* Look at all the 0-2 teams right now: Vikings, Chargers, Jaguars, Seahawks, Browns - these were all supposed to be playoff contenders. Crazy start to the season.

* The Titans/Bengals game was tough to watch in that windstorm, but it played right into Jeff Fisher's hands with his run attack and defensive unit. Did anyone else get the feeling from the post-game handshake that Fisher figures he'll never be shaking Marvin Lewis' hand again as the head coach of the Bengals? They are awful.

* How long until the Vikings trade for Jeff Garcia? Give up a 1st-rounder for him. Whatever it takes to get rid of Taterrible Jackson.

The Cowboys ought to handle the Eagles tonight, though Donovan McNabb has typically owned the Pokes. If Dallas wins, it sets up a great game next week between the Packers and Cowboys that could preview the NFC Championship game. Is Aaron Rodgers really this good?

Vols/Blazers Thoughts

2008-09-14T21:36:00.002-04:00

My first game at Neyland Stadium in several years was a hot, sweaty, fairly frustrating afternoon as the Vols put away a pesky UAB team.

Did I mention it was hot?

After grabbing two tickets from a scalper, Martha and I entered Neyland Stadium to find much of the upper deck empty. In all of 10 seconds, I went from thinking I got a good deal to thinking I could have paid much less for my tickets. In all my years of going to Tennessee games, including several years with season tickets and four years with student tickets, I can't ever remember seeing the stadium so empty. While AD Mike Hamilton is chalking it up to gas prices and high definition television (really, Mike?), the palpable feeling of frustration in the air probably had more to do with the empty seats.

My dad got our family season tickets back when I was a middle schooler and nothing in the pregame show has changed a bit. I do remember a year or two when they gave the male cheerleaders a microphone for a couple of cheers that led to massive groans rather than the desired "orange/white" silliness. They killed that nonsense and have stuck with the tried and true set-up ever since.

It did not take long for a sun-soaked crowd to get fussy with the inconsistent Vols. Our section was overly supportive at times. An orange-clad idiot in front of us yelled, "I'll take that all day!" after Arian Foster rushed for...nothing. 2nd and 10. I'll take that all day.

(Martha and I spent most of the 2nd half proclaiming we would take various Vol failures all day).

By the 2nd quarter, the boo birds were out in our section. Actually, there was only one boo bird in our section - me. Not sure why our section was so kind to the terrible Tennessee team, but it was just me letting them have it. Most of my anger was directed at Jonathan Crompton, but Luke Stocker got his share as well (though I blamed Crompton for continuing to throw it to him). Crompton missed wide open receivers and the interceptions were just awful.

The good news from my view is Section AA was the secondary's stellar play, a slightly improved pass rush and the running game in the second half. Do I feel good about the Florida game after beating UAB?

Are you kidding?

My expectations are so low for Saturday I'm going to be pleasantly surprised with any points at all.

Monday Morning thoughts coming, well, tomorrow.

Is Tennessee Still an "Elite" Football Program?

2008-09-11T09:04:00.002-04:00

A group of us were talking up SEC football at lunch the other day when this topic came up: Is Tennessee still an elite program?

The guy across from me, who happened to be an LSU fan, argued they are since they played in the championship game of the country's toughest conference last season. Of course, that is a game they lost, but they did hang with eventual National Champion LSU and really outplayed them for most of the game.

The guy next to me laughed at the suggestion. The Vols have not been in a BCS bowl game since the 1999-2000 season. They have not won a meaningful bowl game since the 1998/99 season. They have not won the SEC in years. Right now, they are the 6th best team in their own conference - how can they be an elite program?

So who is right?

At this point, in the aftermath of the Horror in Hollywood (I really like that moniker, by the way, much more than the Collision in the Coliseum this Saturday), it is easy to argue against the Vols. They are on nobody's National Championship watch list, let alone SEC East watch list. While the Dawgs and Gators grab national attention with Heisman winners and contenders, the Vols can only boast a really good secondary.

And what about NFL talent? Elite programs like USC, Ohio State and Florida are sending player after player into the pros. Do the Vols have guys who will play on Sunday?

Yes - Eric Berry, Arian Foster, Demetrice Morley, Gerald Jones, Brandon Warren and Britton Colquitt all strike me as plausible professionals. I imagine we have a linemen or two as well. Fulmer has rarely lacked talent because of his outstanding recruiting abilities. The Vols are a national power each year on Signing Day, even if some of those big recruits (LaMarcus Coker, Jonathan Crompton) don't pan out as advertised.

Back to the question - is Tennessee still "elite"?

Yes - stadium, facilities, fan base, tradition, national exposure, recruiting, winning seasons, consistently in bowl games, marque victories.

No - unranked, middle of pack in conference, not contending for titles, dissatisfied fan base, lack of football creativity, lack of significant wins.

So which is it?

As orange as my blood runs, I think the Vols are a full step away from being an elite program at this point. There is no doubt that the SEC is the toughest conference in the country and being in the upper half of it says something. Heck, Florida and Georgia watched the Vols play LSU in the title game last season. But that was also a season that featured an admittedly lucky victory over Kentucky, an overtime win over a mediocre South Carolina team and three blowout losses. Elite teams don't get blown out three times in one season.

Maybe The Clawfense will turn things around. Maybe the big recruits will pan out. Maybe the Vols will find the heart they had in the 1990s. Until then, they are a good, not elite, football program.

Should Tennessee Play Cupcakes?

2008-09-09T15:56:00.002-04:00

Phil Fulmer and AD Mike Hamilton like to brag about the Vols' football schedule which includes future games with Oregon, Oklahoma and Ohio State. But is it a good idea for the Vols to play such tough out-of-conference competition, especially so early in the season?

The case for cupcakes makes good sense. The Vols are a notoriously slow-starting team that usually peaks in November (and not just because Kentucky and Vanderbilt are usual November opponents). For years, Tennessee fans longed for the Florida game to be moved back because the Vols were a better team later in the year. It makes little sense to open the year with teams that can beat the Vols - teams like California and UCLA. Why not get the Crompton kinks out against UTC instead of UCLA?

An opening cupcake also keeps spirits high for longer than four quarters. I'm expecting empty seats at the opening home game on Saturday because of post-UCLA frustrations. The Vols are out of the national polls and the laughing stock of the SEC (which is saying something with Arkansas and Mississippi State in the conference). Instead of losing to a 3rd-string quarterback across the country, the Vols could be 1-0 against an FBS team in the comfort of their own dorm rooms.

Playing tough out-of-conference teams in the season opener is like the politician who tells the truth: it might earn national respect, but it doesn't win elections. Ask Walter Mondale. Remember the National Championship season of 1998? Remember that the Vols were one generous pass interference call away from losing its opener at Syracuse? Most Tennessee fans don't, but that loss would have ruined any hopes of a national crown. The long-term costs outweigh the benefits.

The track record of opening up against a tough opponent dispells the myth that it prepares the Vols for the SEC schedule. Did losing to Cal help against Tim Tebow last year? Did beating Cal at home two years ago help the Vols against Urban Meyer a few weeks later?

Quick trivia - do you remember who the Vols opened up with the last time they beat Florida?

How many of you said UNLV?

Look around the country - Oklahoma plays UTC, Florida State plays Western Carolina, Alabama plays Western Kentucky, LSU plays Appy State, Ohio State plays Youngstown State...you get my drift.

There is no, okay not much, shame in playing a cupcake. The SEC is challenging enough without playing at UCLA, Oregon, Ohio State, etc. on top of it.

Monday Morning Football Frenzy

2008-09-08T09:42:00.001-04:00

The latest in a long line of short-lived weekly segments, the Monday Morning Football Frenzy will recap the weekend that was in the world of football. Enough introduction - let's get to the goods.

Friday Night Lights

Two impressive performances from Chattanooga private schools against Nashville juggernauts have me even more excited about their big October 3rd meeting. McCallie and Baylor were both over-matched in their meetings with Brentwood Academy and MBA, respectively, but both put up good fights in losses.

The end of Baylor's 14-3 loss to the MBA Big Red was puzzling. Baylor had three timeouts remaining as MBA tried to run out the clock. Instead of using those timeouts with the hope of a fluke fumble, a chance to get the ball back, etc., the Red Raiders decided to let the clock run out. What kind of message is that for the boys? There does come a point in the game where "quitting" is justified (i.e. not taking timeouts when down 30), but a two-possession game with two minutes left? Why not play it out and see what happens?

The other highlights of the high school weekend were Ooltewah's dominance of McMinn County and Soddy Daisy showing its win over Red Bank was no fluke as it beat William Blount.

College Highlights

No Vols this Saturday, but Tennessee schools had a good weekend as Vanderbilt beat South Carolina, MTSU upset Maryland (how bad is the ACC?) and UTC destroyed Cumberland.

Then, there was Memphis. I actually stayed up to watch the miserable ending of its game with Rice. The Tigers were driving for a field goal that would break at 35-35 tie, but instead the Owls picked off a pass and returned it for the game-winning touchdown. Tommy West looked like he was going to get sick on the sideline. What a miserable loss and miserable start to the season after getting spanked by Ole Miss last weekend.

Speaking of Ole Miss, Houston Nutt is doing a job in Oxford (and don't tell me its Ed O's players). The Rebels whipped rival Memphis, then nearly shocked Wake Forest in North Carolina. While I don't expect Ole Miss to contend against LSU, Alabama and Auburn in the SEC West, I imagine the Rebels will be bowling at the season's end.

Who won't be bowling? How about Bobby Petrino and Arkansas. They barely beat FCS team Western Illinois last week, then survived a missed field goal at the buzzer to beat Louisiana-Monroe. Why aren't the Hogs on Tennessee's schedule this year?

There is only one way to describe Petrino's start in Fayetteville - karma.

Either Miami is better than advertised or Florida is vulnerable. Tim Tebow did not look as strong as he did running the ball last year, despite ESPN's piece on his workouts. (And how long until the Erin Andrews/Tim Tebow sex tape hits the market?). I actually find myself liking Tebow more and more, but I think Urban Meyer is running his stud quarterback into Earl Campbell status with the constant and often unnecessary hits he is taking.

The BYU/Washington ending did not bother me at all. Remember when Arian Foster was penalized 15 yards in overtime for spiking the football after a failed 2-point conversion? Same thing. How can that kid not know that he cannot flip the ball up into the air after a touchdown? That has always been a penalty in college football and it should have been flagged. Blame the kid, not the ref.

East Carolina? If they were in the ACC, they would be the conference's best team. They dominated West Virginia on Saturday, who was one of my sleeper teams to make a national championship run (for full disclosure, West Virginia has been my sleeper team for about five straight years. Don't know why exactly, but I always like them). Where will Skip Holtz be next year - South Carolina? Maryland? Mississippi State?

Notre Dame? You heard it here first.

The Pros

I know the big stories are Brady and Favre, but how about them Cowboys? They dominated a good Cleveland team in Cleveland. Romo looked sharp except for a terrible decision in the end zone (I blame his bloody chin for it), T.O. was open all day and making big plays, Marion Barber and Felix Jones are studs and the defense held Cleveland to 10 points. I'm a happy Cowboys fan this morning.

I'm a happy Titans fan too. Tennessee once again shocked Jacksonville in the season opener despite the pitiful play of Vince Young. Kerry Collins is the future in Nashville. Okay, maybe not the future, but I think he ought to be the present. Young is holding the Titans back with his poor passing. Even the touchdown pass to Chris Johnson, who looks like a draft steal right now, was barely catchable. The Titans can be a playoff team once again with a big arm like Collins in the pocket, but will continue to struggle to score with the heartless Vince Young back there.

The Colts looked old last night.

Weird results all day - Bears over Colts, Bills over Seahawks, Panthers over Chargers...I don't know what to make of them. Flukes or parity? Good teams were losing at home yesterday. Weird.

Worst team in the NFL? It is not the Atlanta Falcons who blew out Detroit yesterday behind Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. Um, what? Vick who? Is Detroit just awful or is Atlanta okay?

The worst team must be Cincinnati. Did you see Joe Flacco's touchdown run? I can outrun that guy. It was the slowest football run I've ever seen in a professional game since Steve Bono ran a naked bootleg against the Cardinals last decade (my football memory is a vault of useless information).

Next Week

USC vs. Ohio State. Can you believe they are playing each other? Me neither. Plus I'm heading to Knoxville for the UAB game. If Crompton starts the game with an incompletion, I'm booing him the rest of the day.

Murray through to the Final

2008-09-07T23:19:00.003-04:00

Well CBS is probably a little disappointed that there will not be a Nadal vs Federer III in 2008, but rest assured the better player won in the second men's semifinal match today in Arthur Ashe Stadium. This match was as good as it gets in men's tennis. Andy Murray played a nearly flawless match, under ridiculous circumstances. He was up two sets to love yesterday when the rains came. Moments after the match was postponed, it was announced they would resume play on Sunday at 4:00 pm. Everyone under the sun was predicting this would help Nadal-- it was a forgone conclusion that he would compose himself in order to meet Roger in the final on Monday. Nadal certainly played better today, but it was not enough. Rafa managed to win the third set, but it was Murray who was dictating play throughout. I can't imagine the final will be as good as this one was today. Federer lucked out by playing a visibly dejected Novak Djokovic in his semifinal. Djokovic said some idiotic things to the New York crowd after his win over Roddick, and his heart was never in it on Saturday. That's not to say Federer doesn't have a chance on Monday-- he is the greatest player ever, but if Murray plays anywhere near the level he played on Saturday and Sunday, he should walk away with the first Grand Slam title for the British Isles since Fred Perry won here in 1936-- and I thought we Americans had a drought going!

The Cost of High School Football

2008-09-05T10:58:00.003-04:00

If you have a chance to pick up today's Times-Free Press, there is a terrific piece in the sports section about the costs and struggles to maintain a high school football team. Who knew that painting the lines all season costs $2500 or that outfitting a single player pushes $700.

The article outlines several ways coaches try to either increase revenue (pay to park, increased ticket prices) or decrease costs (re-use helmets, go without new practice uniforms), but there is no getting around the TSSAA decision that is having the greatest impact on football money: the across-the-state districts.

Several schools are mentioned in the piece, including my one-time home Ooltewah. The Owls play in Knoxville and middle Tennessee, so fuel costs for buses will drain a significant amount of the football budget. Many parents cannot even afford to make the trip to see their kids play ball.

The idea of raising ticket prices to offset these costs is hurt by the distance between schools playing. How many students from William Blount are going to travel to Ooltewah to watch their team? The limited attendance means less money even with an extra dollar added per ticket. Anyone who has been to one of these match-ups has seen the empty "Visitor" bleachers that come with them.

Here is the solution the TSSAA needs/must implement for next year: local districts. It will never be fair when schools with varying enrollments play each other, but it isn't fair to have kids missing class and running up huge fuel costs to play a more fair opponent in a game that means nothing to anyone outside of the two teams. We need to restore the local rivalries not just for the game's sake, but for the kids', parents' and environment's sake as well.

My school, McCallie, will play its third game tonight in Nashville. I haven't seen them play other than the jamboree because their games have been in Charlotte and Franklin. What a waste. I've written this before, but things were much better around here before the public/private split when real rivalries existed between schools like McCallie and Brainerd or Baylor and Red Bank. Those rivalries are dead.

Instead, we have games like Brentwood vs. McCallie and Ooltewah vs. William Blount. We have games that are half empty and extremely expensive. It doesn't make any sense.

Off the top of my head, I can list over a dozen schools in the area that ought to be playing each other instead of out-of-town teams: Ooltewah, Central, Hixson, Soddy, Red Bank, Baylor, McCallie, Notre Dame, Brainerd, Howard, Tyner, East Ridge, Bradley, Cleveland, Boyd Buchanan, Grace, Signal Mountain...you get the idea. In the name of fairness, whether that is public vs. public or enrollment sizes being equal, we're watching schools and teams struggle to properly equip their players and parents unable to afford the gas to watch their kids play.

Here is hoping that the TSSAA redraws the districts to make high school football relevant and affordable in the state once again. The playoffs can include trips across the state, but regular season games ought not to include lengthy jaunts that end up excluding students and parents.

A-Rod Playing Well in NY

2008-09-04T11:15:00.003-04:00

As predicted, Rafael Nadal and Scotsman, Andy Murray will clash in the semifinals of this year's U.S. Open. Both looked good but beatable in their respective quarter final matches yesterday. Federer should cruise this afternoon in his quarter final match against Luxemborger (and qualifier), Gilles Muller, even though Fed needed five sets to dispatch Igor Andreev in the fourth round. Don't forget, Adreev is no slouch on this surface-- he upset Roddick here a couple years ago.

Speaking of A-Rod, of the six men left in the tourney, he is by far playing the best tennis. He is also the only one in the Top 10 who skipped the Olypmics. Hmmmmm . . . coincidence? Seriously, Andy lost six points on serve against Olympic Gold medalist, Fernando Gonzalez, and hardly broke a sweat winning easily in straight sets. Tonight he goes up against the reigning Australian Open champion, and current #3 in the world, Novak Djokovic. And oh by the way, Novak lost here last year in the final against Federer-- a match he should have won. On paper, this looks like a tough match for Roddick, but Djokovic looked extremely tired, and was pushed to five sets in his fourth round match. Look for the brash American to make it through to the semis easily. Fed should be waiting, but if A-Rod serves the way he has been thus far at the Open he should be able to get by him this year. Just a few weeks ago, I was slamming the state of American Men's tennis. I boldly predicted that Federer would win another slam before any American male would. Well, I hope I was dead wrong. Good luck Andy, I hope you end this four year, slam-less drought for the Americans (the longest in history).

As for the Women, after watching Serena beat Venus last night, I don't think Dinara Safina will have enough to get past her in the Semis. That truly was a great match last night, probably better than their Wimbledon final a few weeks ago. Venus failed to convert set points 10 times, which was ultimately her downfall. All-American sweep in singles this year? We can only hope.

Post-UCLA Questions...Without Answers

2008-09-03T06:48:00.003-04:00

A full day after the Hollywood Horror, I've got lots of questions that need answering.

1) What exactly is the "Clawffense?" Is there something more to it than pre-snap motion?

2) When are special teams going to be a priority?

3) Why send Daniel Lincoln out to try a 55-yard field goal after he was short from 51?

4) Can Jonathan Crompton be a big-time college quarterback?

5) Check that - can Jonathan Crompton be a competent college quarterback?

6) Why throw the ball 41 times when they are getting over 5 yards with every rushing carry?

7) Why throw the ball 41 times when Crompton isn't close with 39 of them?

8) Why sit Crompton in the pocket when he is clearly athletic enough to roll out away from the UCLA pressure?

9) Why was UCLA able to get so much pressure on Crompton? Wasn't this the exact same offensive line that protected Ainge so well last year?

10) Why isn't the Vol defensive line able to ever get pressure on the quarterback?

11) Did Rico McCoy make the trip to the Rose Bowl?

12) How can the offense fail to score, fail to even attempt a field goal, after inheriting the ball on the UCLA 25?

13) Without any running game whatsoever from the Bruins, why wasn't the defensive line able to tee off on Craft?

14) What happened to the secondary in the 2nd half? The 4th quarter?

15) What is Arian Foster's problem in terms of hanging on to the football? His career is going to be remembered for the turnovers, not the rushing record.

16) Who approved the white tops/orange pants look?

17) When will we see B.J. Coleman?

18) What took so long to put Gerald Jones back to field kicks and punts? The guy is the most explosive player this side of Eric Berry - get him the ball.

19) Speaking of that, what happened to putting Berry on offense?

20) Is it time to panic or time to take a deep breath?

I wish we didn't have to wait so long until we start getting answers. The UAB game cannot get here fast enough.

UCLA 27 Tennessee 24

2008-09-01T23:58:00.004-04:00

Now is hardly the time to point out my astute predictions, but when I'm right, I'm right.

Glass half empty? My five concerns were:

Jonathan Crompton - awful. Just awful. I'm sorry, Bob Griese, but he wasn't inaccurate because of pressure. He was simply inaccurate. He looked lost and overwhelmed, getting little help from...

Dave Clawson - awful. Just awful. David Cutcliffe has forgotten more offensive imagination than we got out of Clawson tonight.

Neuheisal and Chow - clearly out-classed us, especially Chow who got smart with his plays in the 4th quarter and sliced us up.

Depth - the Vols looked gassed in the 4th because Fulmer could not sub throughout the night. It hurt us.

Meanwhile, our senior stud running back fumbles inside the 10, we still can't get a pass rush on the quarterback and the special teams lost us the game.

The good news is that we are still 0-0 in the SEC. For now.

First Week of the 2008 U.S. Open is in the Books.

2008-09-01T00:46:00.003-04:00

Some thoughts:

1. The U.S. Open is celebrating 40 years of the Open era and predictably had a really lame opening ceremony last Monday night, complete with—get this—the Jersey Boys doing a Four Seasons medley. They also invited 40 past champions to help celebrate. Inexplicably, the only two 5-time men’s champions, Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras, were M.I.A. These guys defined the U.S. Open during their respective eras. Not sure who’s at fault here, but it felt awkward to me. Also missing: Steffi and Andre.

2. As I mentioned in my preview, I was a little upset that James Blake had to play Donald Young in the opening round, but that ended up being a really enjoyable match—at least the last two sets were spectacular. On Saturday night, Blake had to face one of his best friends on the tour, fellow American Mardy Fish. They are such good friends, that Blake will be a groomsman in Mardy's September wedding. Fish, for those of you who don’t know, is two years younger than Blake and might be the poster child for wasted talent in the Men’s game, but he managed to get by Blake in straight sets to make the round of 16 at the Open for the first time in his career. While both players played well, this was not a fun match to watch. It seemed neither player was enjoying himself.

3. My two picks, Andy Murray and Dinara Safina looked less than invincible during the first week and both were pushed to the limit getting to the fourth round. Meanwhile, the Williams Sisters (who should collide in the quarters), Nadal, and Fed have all cruised easily through the early rounds. Good thing I’m not a betting man.

4. As good a story as Mardy Fish making the round of 16 a month before his wedding is, perhaps Sam Querrey’s (pictured) story is even better. The six foot-six inch, 20-year old from Southern California made a huge statement on Saturday by beating an even taller (6'10") Ivo Karlovic in straight sets. What sounds like a pretty boring match on paper, ended up being quite entertaining. Up next for Querrey? Unfortunately, he’s got to face Nadal.

5. Perhaps more than any other Open that I can remember, this tourney has been all about the Young Guns. There has been some electric play from guys who wouldn’t be old enough to buy a beer during their stay in Queens. I’ve already mentioned 19-year old Donald Young and 20-year old Sam Querrey, but there have been others. Guys like Marin Cilic - 19 (who is in the midst of a four set battle with world #3, Novak Jokovic as I type this), Ernests Gulbis – turned 20 during his match with Roddick (he had a chance to go up two sets to love against the big serving American, but eventually lost), Juan Martin Del Portro – 19 (who is still alive in the tournament!), Kei Nishikori – 19 (who is also still in and all he did was get by former #1 and current #4 David Ferrer!). The kids are alright, indeed.

Glass Half Full - Five Reasons to Feel Good About the UCLA Game

2008-08-31T22:59:00.002-04:00

1) Eric Berry - It is nice to have the best player on the field and his name is Eric Berry. I'm going to be disappointed with anything less than 10 picks and 3 touchdowns out of the sophomore. The Vols secondary ought to be good enough to allow John Chavis to blitz all year and leave his backfield in man coverage.

2) Arian Foster - Foster tested the professional waters after last season, but decided that the Tennessee River was just fine for another year. The word out of Knoxville is that he is working hard and being a leader in the locker room. He'll probably become the all-time rushing leader at Tennessee, which is odd to me since I wouldn't list him in my top 10 of all-time Vols backs (off the top of my head - Travis Henry, Jamal Lewis, Travis Stephens, Chuck Webb, Reggie Cobb, Jay Graham, Charlie Garner...okay, he is Top 10).

Foster is going to have a huge game running behind the Vols offensive line, which brings us to #3

3) UCLA's Offensive Line - UCLA has never been a physical football team in the past, but they are inexperienced and really inexperienced. Chavis will send his boys from all angles and repeatedly hit...

4) UCLA QB Kevin Craft - the community college transfer does not scare me. Ben Olson, yes. Kevin Craft? The guy threw three interceptions in a UCLA scrimmage game. What is going to do in the Rose Bowl with blitzing Vols and a defensive backfield of Eric Berry, Demetrice Morley and Dennis Rogan?

5) Phil Fulmer - call me crazy, but I think Phil still senses the Vols vultures hovering above him even after last season. The Vols have the potential to be a really, really good team this year and Fulmer knows it. To win the SEC East this year over Georgia and Florida would be feather in his cap and to win the entire SEC and go BCS bowling again would silence his critics for some time. With the addition of Dave Clawson, I think Fulmer is going to be energized and eager to put the Vols back into the national spotlight once again. It starts Monday night.

Glass Half Empty - 5 Reasons to Worry About the UCLA Game

2008-08-28T08:05:00.003-04:00

1) Jonathan Crompton - he was a big recruit, has tons of talent and showed great promise as a freshmen. So why worry?

Here is why: he stunk last year, is inexperienced and had to learn a brand new offense this off-season. Worried, now?

The Vols will go where Crompton takes them. I'm not sold that Arian Foster can carry the Vols on his back and I'm not sold that the Tennessee receivers are good enough to make plays on their own without great quarterback play. There is no doubt that Crompton will have weapons around him, but not the type of weapons that can mask his poor play.

If we see the Jonathan Crompton we saw against LSU two years ago, we'll be alright. If we see the Crompton that looked baffled and confused whenever he took snaps last year, we are in for a long season and a long night in the Rose Bowl.

2) Rick Neuheisel - the guy might be an idiot when it comes to common sense on the job, but he can coach. The Bruins will be fired up to impress their new coach, to usher in a new era in UCLA football and to pull off a major opening season upset.

Would I rather Karl Dorrell still be the head coach at UCLA? Yes, yes and yes. Neuheisel is an upgrade who might have a few tricks up his sleeve for Fulmer and the Boys.

3) Norm Chow - yes, that Norm Chow. The architect of the USC Trojans' National Championship offense. The architect of the Tennessee Titans...well, that wasn't his finest work.

Chow is a college guy and he'll be ready to exploit weaknesses in Tennessee's defense. He might not have the tools right now to do it, but once again the Bruins are better in the coaching department than they were six months ago.

4) Dave Clawson - the great unknown. Remember that great feeling two years ago when David Cutcliffe's offense crushed the Cal Bears in the season opener? We were finally out of the Randy Sanders Era and back to playing good offensive football.

We might have that feeling once again...or we might now. Dave Clawson brings plenty of success to Knoxville, but that success was at Villanova and Richmond. Those are not UCLA caliber teams. Is Clawson over his head? Does Clawson have the offense ready for his new system? It could be great, but it could also be awful.

5) Depth - the story of the scrimmage schedule has been dissatisfaction with the second and third units. Fulmer called them out, saying they were not ready to compete in the SEC. That would be fine if this was spring practice, but we are just days from the season opener.

If Tennessee is crossing its fingers for no injuries to expose its lousy bench, the Vols are in trouble. There will be guys hurt on Monday night and there will be a need for guys to come off the bench ready to play. Let's hope they are more ready than we have been led to believe.

Kotsay to the Red Sox

2008-08-27T00:01:00.002-04:00

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ge-kotsay082508&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

J.D. Drew's current trip to the DL apparently prompted this. I really liked Kotsay as a Brave-- I'm excited.

U.S. Open Starts Today!

2008-08-25T14:13:00.004-04:00

I don’t have a whole lot of time to do a comprehensive preview of the world’s premier hard court tennis tournament, so I thought I’d just jot down a few thoughts:

1. Who the hell made up this draw? I’m most annoyed by the fact that Donald Young (pictured) has to play James Blake tonight in the first round. That’s right, by tomorrow the number of African-American men in the draw will be cut in half. Even though I’ve been critical of the state of American Tennis, the lefty Donald Young is a true bright spot. He’s a charismatic 19-year old African-American, currently ranked 99th in the world.

2. Is this the beginning of a new era? Not only does the current defending four-time champion, Roger Federer, come in as an underdog, but he enters a grand slam tournament as something other than the number one seed for the first time since . . . since . . . I don’t know when. Hey Rafa, good luck being the hunted. Which leads me to:

3. Can Nadal win his third straight Grand Slam of the year? Yes. Will he? I’m not so sure. While Rafael has already proven he can win on hard courts, he’s yet to get past the quarters in New York. He is also on a collision course to meet Andy Murray in the semi-finals. Murray is currently ranked #6, but since his coming out party at Wimbledon this year, he’s been playing some amazing tennis. He’s also my pick to win the whole thing. You read it here first!

4. Who is going to win on the Women’s side? Due to Justine Henin’s early retirement, the women head into this tournament without a clear favorite. In fact, there are six women who have a shot at becoming number one in the world with a win here at Flushing Meadows. Even though Sharapova is out with an injury (you’ll still see plenty of her during the commercial breaks), I’m still making a bold prediction that this year’s winner will be Russian—the Russian women swept the medals in Beijing. My pick: look for Dinara Safina (Marat Safin’s younger sister) to win the first of many slams to come.

The Beijing Olympics - Peas From the Same Pod

2008-08-25T09:07:00.005-04:00

I'm not the biggest Olympic guy in the world, but the 2008 Games hooked me in at the opening ceremony and held me all the way through the Redeem Team's gold medal victory. In a year of great sports moments, these games had more than their share.

Michael Phelps dominated the games with his eight golds...until Usain Bolt lightninged his way to three world records. The basketball gold medal game was an instant classic, but the best American basketball team was probably the women's team that barely broke a sweat in Beijing. The American track team was a miserable disappointment, but the water polo guys came out of nowhere to grab a silver medal.

Even China, with its repressive government, mistreatment of the Tibetans, aid to the Sudanese government, censorship of the media and the rest, came across as a likable place. Going into the games I had serious reservations about the games highlighting today's China. I still do. But I've got to be honest: I enjoyed the heck out of the Chinese atmosphere and culture. With the exception of one nut, the games seemed to be safe for athletes and fans alike. China's government might be ugly, but it came through in regards to these Olympics.

The Olympics and China are peas from the same pod: they are as wonderful and beautiful as they are terrible and tragic. For every Michael Phelps there is a tae kwon do idiot kicking a referee, a racer tossed for juicing or wrestler throwing down his medal. For the beauty of the opening ceremony there are stories about inhumane treatment of the performers in preparation. It will be the same in four years when the game visiting London and the same four years after that as well.

The older I get, the more I realize that politics is sports and sports is politics. The only difference is that sports have more equipment. The good and the bad that comes along with both was displayed to the world for the last two weeks in China.

Gearing Up - SEC Talk

2008-08-21T11:25:00.005-04:00

Slowly, but surely, I'm gearing up for the football season. My loyal readers know how obnoxious I find the current "all football, all the time" lunacy, but I do love me some pigskin and am starting to gear up for the season.

I thought I'd get some football conversation going with an SEC preview that requires very little actual research from yours truly. Like I said, I'm not quite all the way in just yet, but getting there.

SEC Champion - Tennessee.

What?!? That's right - I'm picking the Vols to win the league this year. No, it is not because I'm a lifelong fan. No, it is not because I'm a graduate. No, it is not because I currently live in the Volunteer State. This is an unbiased, objective prediction.

Okay, not really. The Vols, however, are in prime sleeper position. All the talk is Georgia and Florida right now. You don't think that burns in the belly of the defending SEC East Champions? The Vols stomped Georgia last year in a non-competitive game. Tennessee hosts both Florida and Alabama this year, so revenge looks plausible against both. The Auburn game is a tricky one as Tuberville is usually tough in the big game, but if Tennessee beats both Florida and Georgia, it can lose the Auburn game and still be fine.

Fulmer is a better coach in the underdog role than the favorite. Much will depend on the transition to Dave Clawson's offense, but I'm expecting a better defense despite the loss of Jarod Mayo. The secondary is loaded, the linebackers look good and the D-Line could be much better if Bolden and Ayers step up as seniors.

Long story short - I'm feeling good about the Vols.

Last in the SEC - South Carolina.

I think this is it for Spurrier and the Gamecocks. Spurrier hasn't gotten anything going there as recruiting to USC is nearly impossible in this area of the country. The Fun and Gun has been pretty joyless since Spurrier left Gainesville, so I wonder if the passion is gone. Regardless, I think Spurrier is gone after this year.

Bold Prediction - Vanderbilt goes to a bowl.

They are due, right?

Fired/Quit - Steve Spurrier & Sylvester Croom.

Spurrier I covered, but I see Mississippi State having another mediocre year and the Starkville faithful finally saying enough is enough about Croom's tenure. You can win at Mississippi State which Croom has not done very often. He's gone.

Best Helmet - Arkansas

There is no reason for this category, but I like it. And I like Arkansas's helmet. The razorback on it is clearly too small, but that is its charm. The details in the animal set it apart.

Worst Helmets - Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and South Carolina

Pick one, you say. Here is the connection - they all once had better looking versions. Kentucky's K looked much stronger than the current UK design. Vanderbilt's black look was cool and accurately described the state of the program. Mississippi State and South Carolina have similar looking helmets which are both inferior to their previous red varieties.

Change is not always progress.

Best uniforms - Ole Miss

When the Rebels are wearing their blue tops and silver pants, it is a sharp look. If only their offense looked so smooth.

Worst Uniforms - LSU

If Tennessee consistently wore the orange on orange combo, it would be the Vols. LSU's problem is that despite a decent color combo, their uniforms always look like a mess. The helmet is too busy and the white tops on yellow pants is too plain. And I hate Les Miles, so there.

Player of the Year - Percy Harvin

Now that the world is dedicated to stopping Tim Tebow, get ready for Percy Harvin (if he stays healthy) to run wild.

Most Over-rated Player - Matthew Stafford

He might have an NFL arm, but he makes junior high decisions with the ball. I don't trust him and haven't been impressed by him. Word is that he is gone after this year. My guess is that he costs the Dawgs a couple of games and decides to leave before his stock drops even more.

Most Dumbest Player - Ryan Perrilloux

From a National Championship to Jacksonville State. Nice going, idiot.

Most Interesting Game - Florida vs. Georgia

The end zone dance ought to have the Gators motivated and added some bad blood to a fairly stale rivalry. This could be for the SEC East and the National Championship. A close second is Ole Miss vs. Arkansas as Houston Nutt tries to best his old team.

Least Interesting Game - Ole Miss vs. Samford

There are some embarrassing games on various team's schedules, but the Rebels vs. Bulldogs ought to be a real stinker. Auburn vs. Tennessee-Martin, Florida vs. The Citadel, Kentucky vs. Norfolk State and Georgia vs. Georgia Southern are all embarrassing match-ups for SEC schools.

Upset Pick - Kentucky over Georgia

The Kats catch Georgia in a brutal stretch of road games (at LSU, at Florida, at Kentucky, at Auburn), so I smell a trap.

Over/Under on SEC football posts over the next four months - 100

The Olympics

2008-08-19T10:45:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I started working at an elite private school with lots of boys and lots of money. Our athletes have tremendous advantages over most rivals in terms of coaching, equipment, facilities and funding. It is hardly a level playing field when we compete against local schools as they are more than happy to remind us.

It is just like America at the Olympics.

Right now, we are winning in the overall medal count over China, Australia and a few other podunk nations. It is a source of national pride with me and I imagine most of you whenever I see it or one of our athletes winning a medal.

In reality, however, it is hardly a value of our collective worth. We ought to be winning lots of medals. We are the big private school with lots of athletes and money. In 2008, who can compete with us other than China? Nobody. We are a huge country with lots of people and infinite resources. What is surprising is not the American dominance of the Games, but why we can't dominate each and every sport. Why can't we figure out how to win at luge and table tennis?

I don't mean to be a sourpuss about the Olympics, but there is something fairly hollow about the swelling of national pride we get when America does well.

Other random Olympic thoughts:

* Is there a more bankrupt sport in the world than gymnastics? We are watching underage kids win medals for landing on their knees. What about the tie-breaker that cost an American girl the gold medal? Gymnastics isn't even a sport, is it? It is a performance. What is the difference between the tango and a floor exercise? And aren't we all a little embarrassed that jumping on a trampoline can earn you an Olympic medal?

Here is my criteria for whether something is a sport or a performance: if the winner is determined solely by judges, it is a performance and not a sport. Gymnastics, diving, figure skating - performances. Some sports can come down to a judge's decision - like boxing for example - after the participants had the opportunity to win outright. That is a sport. If the only way to win is to receive scores from Simon, Paula and Randy, it ain't a sport in my book.

* I love the Redeem Team. If they don't win the gold, it won't be because a bunch of over-hyped, spoiled NBA players lost to a hungrier nation. These guys are getting after it on the defensive end to make up for their suspect shooting and lack of post-up game (which is basically non-existent in the Olympics because of the international lane). LeBron is the second best athlete in Beijing behind Mr. Phelps and Dwyane Wade is back to his 2006 form. Did you see his alley-oop to Kobe the other night? I love these guys.

* Why haven't I heard more discussion about Aaron Piersol giving Mark Spitz the bird after Phelps' 8th gold? Are we pretending he was really cleaning out his eye?

* Speaking of swimming, shouldn't they cap how many different events are held? I can think of a million different swimming scenarios involving different strokes, relays and distances, but that doesn't mean they ought to have that many. Phelps is great and all, but most athletes have no chance at eight medals because there are not eight varieties of their respective sport. All the variety seems a bit much to me as the quantity of races devalues a swimming medal.

* I have a issue with the bronze medal. 3rd place? When do we ever celebrate 3rd place? Some of these sports are only played by about three people in the hole world. I don't blame that wrestler for tossing his bronze - 3rd place is nothing to stand on a podium about. I guess the Greeks were more generous with their adulation than us Americans.

* Last rant: How are countries allowed to use athletes who are not actually from their respective countries? Chris Kaman played for Germany's basketball team - he isn't German. I watched a table tennis match between four Chinese women, only two of them were from "Singapore." Would we put up with recruiting another countries athletes to play for us? What if Rafael Nadal decided to play tennis for America? That isn't the same as Agassi or Sampras winning it, is it? I can't believe the IOC lets this happen. Is recruitment a part of the "Olympic Spirit" I missed?

AP Pre-Season College Football Poll

2008-08-17T09:40:00.000-04:00

1. Georgia (22) 0-0 1,528
2. Ohio State (21) 0-0 1,506
3. USC (12) 0-0 1,490
4. Oklahoma (4) 0-0 1,444
5. Florida (6) 0-0 1,415
6. Missouri 0-0 1,266
7. LSU 0-0 1,135
8. West Virginia 0-0 1,116
9. Clemson 0-0 1,105
10. Auburn 0-0 968
11. Texas 0-0 966
12. Texas Tech 0-0 786
13. Wisconsin 0-0 771
14. Kansas 0-0 707
15. Arizona State 0-0 631
16. Brigham Young 0-0 590
17. Virginia Tech 0-0 578
18. Tennessee 0-0 509
19. South Florida 0-0 496
20. Illinois 0-0 483
21. Oregon 0-0 366
22. Penn State 0-0 293
23. Wake Forest 0-0 227
24. Alabama 0-0 89
25. Pittsburgh 0-0 85
Others Receiving Votes
South Carolina 84, Fresno State 83, California 59, Utah 53, Cincinnati 44, Florida State 41, Michigan 36, Boston College 32, Rutgers 32, Michigan State 21, Boise State 17, Arkansas 14, North Carolina 14, Connecticut 10, Tulsa 7, UCLA 6, Oregon State 5, Mississippi State 4, Virginia 4, Arizona 3, Nebraska 2, Notre Dame 2, Hawaii 1, Washington 1.

High School Jamboree Report

2008-08-16T08:13:00.003-04:00

I arrived at the end of Boyd-Buchanan's 7-0 victory over Baylor (who is quite a bit down this year from what I hear) and left before Ooltewah's 7-0 win over Rhea County. In-between, however, was some good football from Finley Stadium.

* East Ridge beat Soddy-Daisy 3-0 in an ugly exhibition. Soddy's passing offense rarely connected, eventually resulting in a tipped pass interception that set up the game-winning field goal. East Ridge's offensive line avoided contact throughout the evening which cannot be said for the quarterback and tailback behind them.

* McCallie looked extremely impressive in its 14-0 domination of Brainerd. The Blue Tornado picked about the Panthers on the ground and forced a fumble on defense. It looks like Keenon Rush has settled in as McCallie's quarterback, though his ability on the ground exceeds his passing prowess. The key for McCallie, however, might be Joey Skogen who is eligible after transferring from Tennessee Temple last year. He had a touchdown and a big run to set up another one. Brainerd looked sloppy and overwhelmed.

* Walker Valley thoroughly dominated Notre Dame. The Irish look great in their green and gold unis, but they also look small and slow. Walker Valley racked up 20 points in 20 minutes against the Irish. The Mustangs were playing at a completely different speed in this one.

* It is fun to watch the guys on the sidelines during a high school game. They never quite know how to act. When something good happens for their team - a quarterback sack for example - only about three or four will celebrate. The rest are either a) bitter about being on the sideline b) not watching the game at all or c) so terrified about actually being in the game that they are frozen in their fear.

* I'm also amused by how oblivious guys are to what they do on defense. A cornerback will dive onto a falling runner and jump up like he just de-cleated somebody. Buddy, you didn't hit him hard and didn't even make the tackle. Bring it down a little.

* Abby will not wear what I saw high school girls wearing to the jamboree last night. Even on her honeymoon.

* Remember when you never saw passing in high school football? Not anymore - everyone wants to spread it out and run some variation of the spread option. I guess it is more exciting than the old wishbone offense that dominated high school ball back in my day, but some of the quarterbacks last night lack the skills to throw the ball more than occasionally.

* Finley Stadium really is a nice place to watch a game. There was plenty of parking and plenty of seats with backs. I'm looking forward to the October 3rd McCallie/Baylor game there.

The high school football season starts for real next Friday. The football, the rivalries, the cheerleaders, the fight songs, the drunk high school kids who think you can't tell - can't wait.

College Football Viewing Schedule

2008-08-15T11:04:00.002-04:00

For the past 20+ years of my life, Saturday afternoons in the fall have meant one thing - college football. I woke up to Gameday, ate lunch with the early morning games, got fired up for the 3:30 SEC contests, got my second wind for the prime time offerings and sometimes even stayed up for some West Coast football before bed.

Then I had two kids.

Last football season was the first hint towards my future. It was a little tougher to commit to 15 straight hours of college football with Abby running around. She needed attention. She needed food. She needed fresh diapers.

I know what you are thinking - what about your wife? Where is she? Good questions. She thinks that when I'm home, she is off-duty. It is truly disgraceful.

Okay, that is not true at all. I'm just not a big enough schmuck to sit on the couch and ask her to raise the young'ens all by herself.

I am, however, enough of a schmuck to ask her to do it for one game a day. So I'm looking ahead at the college football season for the one game I cannot miss. It may seem like a nightmare scenario for those readers without infants, but it is my reality.

One game a Saturday? I'll take what I can get.

I already have a process in place for this venture that I think will create the greatest football satisfaction possible. The first thing we must do is look for Tennessee's big games and commit to those. Then we go to big SEC games because a) it is the best football and b) those games matter the most to me. After that, we'll look for big match-ups and traditional rivalries to round out the year.

Looking at my calendar, there are about 15 college football Saturdays coming up. Not much to choose from, huh? This is going to tough, but we'll get through it together (and for the record, I'm doing this process as I write, so you really are on board for the entire experiment. I hope that adds something to posting, but it probably just means more spelling and grammar errers.).

The calendar looks like this:

August 30 -
Sept. 6 -
Sept. 13 -
Sept. 20 -
Sept. 27 -
Oct. 4 -
Oct. 11 -
Oct. 18 -
Oct. 25 -
Nov. 1 -
Nov. 8 -
Nov. 15 -
Nov. 22 -
Nov. 29 -
Dec. 6 -

Let's start with the Vols. Luckily, the UCLA game is on a Monday night so that opens up the first weekend. I'm planning on going to the UAB and Northern Illinois games, so that takes away two weekends that I might have skipped out on watching the Big Orange. Obviously, the Florida, Georgia and Alabama games are musts each year and this year we go to Auburn so chalk that one up too. I'm not going to initially commit to South Carolina, Vandy or Kentucky until I get a sense for how good each will be (this calendar is subject to change).

As a reasonably optimistic Vols fan, I'm going to block the SEC Championship game as well. I don't really believe it just yet, but if Gators keeps getting hurt and Bulldogs keep going to jail, we might have a shot.

So let's update the calendar as such:

August 30 -
Sept. 6 -
Sept. 13 - UAB at Tennessee
Sept. 20 - Florida at Tennessee
Sept. 27 - Tennessee at Auburn
Oct. 4 - Northern Illinois at Tennessee
Oct. 11 - Tennessee at Georgia
Oct. 18 -
Oct. 25 - Alabama at Tennessee
Nov. 1 -
Nov. 8 -
Nov. 15 -
Nov. 22 -
Nov. 29 -
Dec. 6 - SEC Championship

Now to the SEC. The Florida/Georgia game is a must, but so is Florida/LSU (same day as UT/UGA). Maybe we can get a baby-sitter on the 11th. The Gators also host Miami which probably won't be much of a game, but the slate is pretty thin that day.

LSU/Alabama looks great on paper, so I'll commit to that one as well as two more Bama games - the Iron Bowl and the opening game against Clemson. Georgia/Auburn looks like a winner too, so we'll add that one. I'm curious about the Arkansas/Ole Miss game (Houston Nutt vs. his old team), but not enough to actually commit to it.

Calendar update:

August 30 - Alabama at Clemson
Sept. 6 - Miami at Florida
Sept. 13 - UAB at Tennessee
Sept. 20 - Florida at Tennessee
Sept. 27 - Tennessee at Auburn
Oct. 4 - Northern Illinois at Tennessee
Oct. 11 - Tennessee at Georgia
Oct. 18 -
Oct. 25 - Alabama at Tennessee
Nov. 1 - Florida vs. Georgia
Nov. 8 - Alabama at LSU
Nov. 15 - Georgia at Auburn
Nov. 22 -
Nov. 29 - Auburn at Alabama
Dec. 6 - SEC Championship

Let's fill in the holes. Ohio State/Michigan is always fun and fits on Nov. 22nd (though I'm bummed about missing Ohio State/USC on the 13th as my calendar currently stands). That leaves us with one open date - October 18th - which is the Red River Shootout. That, my friends, fills in the calendar:

August 30 - Alabama at Clemson
Sept. 6 - Miami at Florida
Sept. 13 - UAB at Tennessee
Sept. 20 - Florida at Tennessee
Sept. 27 - Tennessee at Auburn
Oct. 4 - Northern Illinois at Tennessee
Oct. 11 - Tennessee at Georgia
Oct. 18 - Oklahoma vs. Texas
Oct. 25 - Alabama at Tennessee
Nov. 1 - Florida vs. Georgia
Nov. 8 - Alabama at LSU
Nov. 15 - Georgia at Auburn
Nov. 22 - Michigan at Ohio State
Nov. 29 - Auburn at Alabama
Dec. 6 - SEC Championship

Luckily, it looks like the Thursday offerings are much improved this year. I've already spotted Auburn/West Virginia, Clemson/Wake Forest, West Virginia/Colorado and Texas/Texas A&M for my Thursday night viewing as well as Kansas/South Florida and Memphis/Louisville on Friday nights.

At this point, I'll take what I can get. And I'm starting to want it to get here more and more.

Top 10 Future Olympic Events I'd Like to See

2008-08-13T16:16:00.006-04:00

1) Golf - seriously.

2) Supermarket Sweep - even seriouser.

3) Poker - this might actually be really fun to watch, but probably an idea three years too late.

4) Chess Boxing - I'm fascinated.

5) MMA Cage Fighting - that MMA is so hot right now.

6) Football - because there is no such thing as too much football.

7) Australian Rules Football - because I used to love it on ESPN as a kid.

8) Canadian Rules Football - because Doug Flutie is American.

9) Dancing With the Stars - two words: Kristi Yamaguchi.

10) Guitar Hero - rock music + video games = American gold

Others receiving consideration: Cricket (looks like it might be cool), Family Feud (always entertaining), Craps (I'd like to learn the rules), Wiffle Ball (the Cubans would probably dominate), Bass Fishing (USA! USA! USA!) and any other variety of women's beach volleyball (4 on 4, 6 on 6, 1 on 1 - any combo is welcome).

Goodbye, Skip Caray

2008-08-05T22:21:00.003-04:00

I have more wonderful memories of watching the 1980s Atlanta Braves than most people. Maybe it took being an 8-year old to enjoy the Chuck Tanner Experience...I don't know. I fondly remember Picture Day when my brother and I got our pictures taken with Dale Murphy, Glen Hubbard and Chief Knockahoma (I also remember insulting reliever Jim Acker when I told my dad I didn't want a picture with him because "he's horrible."). I learned about heckling during the last innings of another Braves blowout loss from a group of rowdy rednecks.

One of my favorite memories involves Skip Caray. For some reason, I really hated Harry Caray when I was a kid. I thought the Cubs were Atlanta's rival because they were both on television all the time. I hated Ryne Sandberg. I hated Jody Davis. And I hated Harry Caray.

I also had no idea that Harry was Skip's dad. I knew they had the same last name, but I thought it just added to my imaginary Cubs/Braves feud. So when I found out that we were going to Atlanta to see the Braves play the Cubs, I was really fired up. To me, this was Ali/Frazier or Tom/Jerry. This was Cubs/Braves.

In my excitement about the game, I came up with an idea that I pitched to Mom and Dad. Now, keep in mind, I'm a 2nd or 3rd grader at this point. My idea was a sign to hold up between innings that read:

"Hey, Harry, our Caray can "Skip" all over your cow."

Brilliant, no? I remember my parents' reaction like it was yesterday. There was laughter alongside a knowing look of, "We've got something special right here." It was the beginning of a promising writing career that climaxed in the 8th grade with my classic homeless people essay (won me $50 and got a rousing ovation from the patrons at the Community Kitchen) and has sputtered out with occasional postings on an insignificant sports blog.

Back to my story...

I held up that sign every half inning for the entire game, but never made the Jumbotron or TBS. It was not for a lack of trying. The people in front of us turned to read the sign and laughed approvingly, but I guess the Powers That Be on the SuperStation couldn't handle calling out that WGN drunkard.

I think of that sign often when I see Skip Caray. It is a fun childhood memory centered around a major part of my adolescence: my love of the Atlanta Braves. Skip Caray was part of the team along with Pete Van Wieren and Ernie Johnson. They taught me much of what I know about baseball, though mostly in the context of "Don't do what the Braves just did."

Plenty of people think of Skip Caray as a "homer" who openly pulled for the Braves during the TBS broadcasts. Those people never listened to him when the Braves were bad. He was a different kind of homer then, the type who whose voice deflated when the bullpen coughed up another lead or grounded into another double-play. He wasn't so much a cheerleader as a punching bag who took gut shots every night the Braves played their pathetic brand of baseball.

That is why the Skip Caray of the 1990s was so excited and so over-the-top. His most famous call - the Sid Bream slide to beat the Pirates - was the release of years of pent up frustration towards the Braves.

There is something sadly fitting about Caray passing during the same season that the Braves no longer play on TBS. It wasn't right seeing Caray on something called Peachtree TV and you could feel his boredom in the radio both simmering through the speakers (or that might have been his annoyance with Mark Lemke's nasal voice. It would have been mine.). For me, Caray and TBS went side-by-side, just like Skip Caray is indelibly linked to my childhood.

Thanks for the memories, Skip.

Coaches Poll - UT Ranked #18

2008-08-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

Thoughts?

1. Georgia (22);11-2;1,438;3

2. USC (14);11-2;1,430;2

3. Ohio State (14);11-2;1,392;4

4. Oklahoma (3);11-3;1,329;8

5. Florida (5);9-4;1,293;16

6. LSU (3);12-2;1,163;1

7. Missouri;12-2;1,143;5

8. West Virginia;11-2;1,008;6

9. Clemson;9-4;999;22

10. Texas;10-3;979;10

11. Auburn;9-4;888;t14

12. Wisconsin;9-4;747;21

13. Kansas;12-1;714;7

14. Texas Tech;9-4;644;23

15. Virginia Tech;11-3;568;9

16. Arizona State;10-3;560;13

17. Brigham Young;11-2;547;t14

18. Tennessee;10-4;506;12

19. Illinois;9-4;422;18

20. Oregon;9-4;399;24

21. South Florida;9-4;350;NR

22. Penn State;9-4;313;25

23. Wake Forest;9-4;203;NR

24. Michigan;9-4;112;19

25. Fresno State;9-4;91;NR

Others Receiving Votes: Alabama 83, South Carolina 64, Utah 60, Rutgers 53, Florida State 53, Boston College 47, California 41, Pittsburgh 34, Boise State 25, Oregon State 23, Nebraska 17, Cincinnati 13, Virginia 12, Connecticut 9, Michigan State 9, Mississippi State 6, Kentucky 5, Notre Dame 5, TCU 5, Maryland 4, Texas A&M 3, UCLA 3, North Carolina 3, Louisville 2, Georgia Tech 2, UCF 2, Tulsa 1, Oklahoma State 1, Arizona 1, Colorado 1.

Jason Bay to Braves...Almost

2008-07-31T22:21:00.002-04:00

The news from Atlanta on Trading Day is not nearly as exciting as the Cincinnati-Chicago or Boston-Los Angeles blockbusters. Braves news is the deal that almost was.

GM Frank Wren admitted that he thought the Braves had Pittsburgh's Jason Bay for four minor leaguers, including the light-hitting Brent Lillibridge and outfielder Brandon Jones.

Instead of Atlanta, Bay is off to Boston as part of the biggest trade of the day to try to replace Manny Ramirez. (I can't wait to hear Maximum Jack's thoughts on the deal that sent his dog's namesake to Joe Torre).

No doubt, Jason Bay is exactly the kind of player the Braves need. There might not be a team in the majors that gets less out of its left-fielder than Atlanta. Jason Bay would have been a big bat in the middle of the Atlanta order through next season. As miserable as this year has been in Georgia, the prospect of a Chipper-Bay-McCann middle of the order next year would have been a promising one.

Instead, Atlanta looks to be saving its pennies for a run at a primo free agent in the off-season. Who that will be...I don't feel like looking it up right now. Instead, I'm going to continue to wallow in my own "getting Bay would have been fun" funk for a few sentences longer. At the least, it would have taken the sting off today's Hudson needs Tommy John surgery news.

The silver lining - at least the Braves are not the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Adios, Tex

2008-07-29T21:40:00.004-04:00

I turned off the Braves game tonight. It was just too sad to watch. The season that was supposed to be officially had the plug pulled on it as Mark Teixeira was dealt to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

After giving up double-digit runs in three straight games, GM Frank Wren finally conceded that the Braves could not compete in the mediocre National League. Between the laundry list of injuries and poor performances from key contributors, Atlanta made the correct move in becoming a seller in the MLB market. Expect Will Ohman to be the next to go.

I'm a little confused by the trade. Casey Kotchman, who seems like a nice enough player, is a free agent just like Teixeira. Steve Marek has mediocre minor league stats, though I can't find much about him otherwise.

Is this the best Atlanta could get? Maybe so, but I sure wish the Braves were getting more than a couple of months out of Kotchman. It is quite a letdown from the possibility of Conor Jackson, though the D-Backs seemed intent on not letting that happen. It seems that Arizona realizes that this might not be their year with Chicago and Milwaukee playing so well, so better to hold onto their young stud.

Back to Atlanta, the Braves haven't been this irrelevant since 1990 under Russ Nixon. Yes, Russ Nixon. It is not even August yet and Atlanta is out of it. It is a sad day for a spoiled Braves fan.

On the other hand, there is something fairly relieving about this awful season. It feels like I've been dumped by a girl I always knew wasn't right for me. 1991 broke my heart. 1996 kicked me in the groin and then broke my heart. Kyle Farnsworth broke my heart live at Minute Maid Park. The 2008 Braves? I'll be over them in a couple of stiff drinks.

When does the football season start?

2008-09 Tennessee Basketball Schedule

2008-07-28T09:03:00.001-04:00

Thoughts?

UT basketball schedule

Date Day Opponent Site

Nov. 3 Mon. Indianapolis (exhibition) Knoxville

Nov. 7 Fri. Tusculum (exhibition) Knoxville

Nov. 15 Sat. UT-Chattanooga Knoxville

Nov. 18 Tue. UT-Martin Knoxville

Nov. 21 Fri. at Middle Tennessee Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Nov. 27 Thur. 1-Old Spice Classic Orlando, Fla.

Nov. 28 Fri. 1-Old Spice Classic Orlando, Fla.

Nov. 30 Sun. 1-Old Spice Classic Orlando, Fla.

Dec. 3 Wed. UNC Asheville Knoxville

Dec. 13 Sat. at Temple Philadelphia, Pa.

Dec. 16 Tue. 2-Marquette Nashville, Tenn.

Dec. 20 Sat. Belmont Knoxville

Dec. 29 Mon. Louisiana-Lafayette Knoxville

Jan. 3 Sat. at Kansas Lawrence, Kan.

Jan. 7 Wed. Gonzaga Knoxville

Jan. 10 Sat. at Georgia* Athens, Ga.

Jan. 13 Tue. Kentucky* Knoxville

Jan. 17 Sat. South Carolina* Knoxville

Jan. 20 Tue. at Vanderbilt* Nashville, Tenn.

Jan. 24 Sat. Memphis Knoxville

Jan. 28 Wed. LSU* Knoxville

Jan. 31 Sat. Florida* Knoxville

Feb. 4 Wed. at Arkansas* Fayetteville, Ark.

Feb. 7 Sat. at Auburn* Auburn, Ala.

Feb. 11 Wed. Georgia* Knoxville

Feb. 14 Sat. Vanderbilt* Knoxville

Feb. 18 Wed. at Ole Miss* Oxford, Miss.

Feb. 21 Sat. at Kentucky* Lexington, Ky.

Feb. 25 Wed. Mississippi State* Knoxville

March 1 Sun. at Florida* Gainesville, Fla.

March 5 Thur. at South Carolina* Columbia, S.C.

March 8 Sun. Alabama* Knoxville

March 12-15 SEC Tournament Tampa, Fla. Raycom & CBS TBD

To the Victorino Goes the Blame

2008-07-27T20:51:00.003-04:00

I like Shane Victorino. He plays hard and plays the right way. He's fast, athletic and exciting.

But he did not need to run over Brian McCann today.

If you haven't seen the replays, you will. It is a brutal collision on a play at the plate. The relay throw and Victorino were racing to home. Brian McCann fielded the throw cleanly, moved to tag the Phillie runner and was then knocked silly as Victorino lowered his helmet into McCann's head.

Before you tell me this is part of the game, consider this: Brian McCann was not blocking home plate. He fielded the throw and then dove toward the plate to tag what he assumed was a sliding Victorino. The play was a race to the plate which did not necessitate a collision. Beyond that, Victorino led with his helmet rather than his shoulder or forearm. He used his head as a battering ram to jar the ball loose from McCann, only instead of hitting glove he hit McCann's noggin. The Braves catcher has a concussion as a result of the play.

Victorino was rightfully concerned about the play, but that doesn't excuse it. There was no reason to plow over the Braves All-Star catcher. There was no reason to give the guy a concussion; we have all learned from Troy Aikman to Chris Benoit how devastating concussions can be to the human body and brain.

It makes no sense to me that throwing a baseball near someone's head is brawl-worthy, but running over a defenseless catcher is good baseball. It isn't. It is unnecessary and unfair to the catcher.

Here is hoping that when the Phillies visit Atlanta in September, the play is not forgotten. That will be good baseball.

The (Sad) State of American Tennis

2008-07-26T18:06:00.004-04:00

Non-Slam Tennis doesn’t get much coverage on SportsCenter, but in between the seven Favre stories on Thursday you may have noticed that Roger Federer was bounced early in this year’s Rogers (ironic?) Cup by Gilles Simon. Rest assured, the game’s greatest player is not finished. Yes, Nadal gave him a spanking earlier this year in the final of the French, and, yes, Rafa was able to do the unthinkable (at least to anyone who didn’t watch last year’s Wimbledon final) and dethrone the Fed Express at the All England Club. While it is no longer a forgone conclusion that Roger will break Pete Sampras’ record of 14 majors, I do believe he’s not going to retire with merely the 12 Slams on his current resume. In fact, I’m making a bold prediction that Fed will win another Slam long before we see another American holding up a champion’s trophy from any of the Slams.

In the same tournament this week, the top two Americans, James Blake and Andy Roddick, were also tossed out early. They are both still hovering in the top 10 in the world, but neither is on his way up in the rankings. Sadly, there is no one else even close. Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish are the only other Americans in the Top 50, #38 and #41 respectively. Contrast that with Spain— nine men in the top 50—or France—seven—and you start to see a gloomy picture of American Tennis. The women’s game isn’t much better. I mean the biggest splash this year from an American woman not named Williams, is the Tri-State area’s own Ashley Harkleroad, (pictured) who graced the pages of the August issue of Playboy Magazine.

Usually you’ll see an article similar to this one around the first week of the French Open. Americans traditionally do not do well on the red dirt of Roland Garros, but this isn’t the European Clay Court Season. This is the American Hard Court Season. This is our time to shine. Guys like Simon should not be winning tournaments in Indianapolis. I’m not saying he isn’t a good player—you don’t crack the top 25 or beat the world number one without a fair amount of talent, but still . . .

So, why are Americans lagging behind in a sport they have dominated for most of my lifetime? Over the last year I have been teaching tennis, mainly to juniors, at a semi-private tennis club here in the Scenic City. I have come to the conclusion that the developmental system in place for tennis in this country is seriously flawed, catering only to those who are financially secure.

You may be saying to yourself, tennis has always been an elitist sport. What’s the big deal? Surely someone will come along soon and reclaim our tennis supremacy. I’m not convinced. Much of the world has already surpassed us, such as Western Europe and the old Eastern Bloc countries and there is a large chunk of the globe, namely Asia, which is nipping at our heels. I don’t believe we will be able to compete on an international level if tennis continues to exclude a large majority of its population here in the U.S.

When I was growing up in Chattanooga in the late seventies and early eighties, tennis was at the height of its popularity in this country. It was truly a golden era in the sport. No one can deny the impact guys like Connors and McEnroe (and Borg) made on tennis. Public courts sprang up all over the place, and it was odd to drive by on a sunny, weekend day and not see them filled up with players of all levels. My, how things have changed. When was the last time you saw all the courts across from Red Bank Middle School being used? The city has already torn down two, leaving just five rapidly decaying courts for the entire city of Red Bank. The Red Bank High School team doesn’t even play or practice there anymore. Instead, they head over to Rivermont and use the six free courts closest to the baseball fields. Those courts are actually in decent shape, but it still seems odd that a town the size of Red Bank doesn’t have a decent public facility.

Those of you familiar with the area might know about the beautiful tennis facility know as The Champions Club, which is actually in the same city park as the Rivermont courts I mentioned. These courts are super, and there are 26 of them. My only problem with the facility is that you have to pay to play. If I would have had to pay to play when I was growing up, I never would have learned the game. I mean we were cheapskates. We used to buy Tretorn pressureless tennis balls because they would last forever—they actually got harder with age! So having to pay for court time would have absolutely stopped us in our tracks, and we would have found something else to do, which is exactly what is happening today.

The state of high-school tennis in this area is in shambles. The private schools are in pretty good shape, but other than that, the level of competitiveness is laughable. The USTA has instituted a “No Cut” Rule, which sounds egalitarian, but it just turns into a great big mess. You end up having 30 or 40 kids trying to share one or (maybe) two coaches and six courts. Ridiculous.

Even the private schools have some problems. Baylor’s two-time State Champion, Bo Seal, was forced to leave the area after his sophomore year because there just wasn’t enough competition for him here. He opted to finish high school at a private tennis academy in Florida. Imagine if someone had told B.J. Coleman in his junior year he would have to leave McCallie if he wanted to become a better football player. Nonsense.

Patrick McEnroe recently took the job at the USTA as Director of Player Development. He has a hard task ahead of him. I’ve heard rumors about other, more exclusive tennis academies on the horizon. I guess the feeling is if we can get the cream of the crop better prepared, they will go on to reach great heights. That may be the case in the short run, but for the long haul if the USTA doesn’t do something about making tennis instruction and courts more accessible and affordable, we may be heading for an extremely dark age in American Tennis.

Lerch's Guide to Fantasy Success

2008-07-25T07:59:00.006-04:00

Let's face facts... Most of us play fantasy sports to experience the success and sense of achievement that eludes us in our pitiless daily lives. A victory in one's fantasy league brings prestige, bragging rights, and sometimes even financial rewards. When your fantasy team loses because Brian Westbrook fell to the ground on the one yard line to allow the Eagles to run out the clock against the Cowboys, the emotional effects can be devastating.

As the defending champion of the "The Only League that Matters" in football and the current leader with a consistent 25 point cushion of "Below the Mendoza Line" in baseball, I think I have become Carpenter's fantasy ringer. He sets up these leagues for his friends and family to have some sporting competition, and this guy from Texas keeps dominating. Therefore, I've decided to put down some of my keys to success in fantasy sports as an olive branch to my competitors that read this blog...

1) "Value of High Draft Picks - Consistency Counts" - The current fantasy trend is to load up on running backs because you can always find quality receivers and quarterbacks later on. While this is true, the fact is that finding those guys is a bit of a crap shoot, and consider that starting running backs are dropping like flies with injuries in the current NFL. So, do you really want to pass on Peyton Manning, who is guaranteed to throw for a trillion yards every year, for Rudi Johnson, who is "projected" to run for 1200 mythical yards, and take your chances with Jake Delhomme. Really, think about that one for a second. Franchise quarterbacks and receivers are hard to find - Grab them while you can.

2) "Quarterbacks - 2008 is 2003" - Any passer can have a fluke year, but statistical consistency in the NFL is difficult to find. You want to find quarterbacks who have performed well over the long run. Right now, there is Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and everyone else. If you can't get one of those two guys, you have three options. One, my current choice, grab what you think is the franchise quarterback of the future, and pray to God something terrible happens to Jessica Simpson. Two, find a consistent veteran who may not have the stats of a Brady, but will usually get the job done, like a Donovan McNabb. Of course, the drawback here is most of these guys tend to be injury prone. Third, draft a young quarterback who has all the scouts and press saying the right thing, and may have even gotten hot in the playoffs so everyone thinks he's better than he is, and convince yourself he's the franchise quarterback of the future. I'm not going to say any names here, but it rhymes with "Eat my Fanning" and I will enjoy watching him throw 10 picks in his first three games this year. I hope you draft him.

3) "Runningbacks - 2008 is NOT 2003" - We've all been playing fantasy football for a while, right. Well, who remembers the big debate in 2001? Well, it was "Should I take Faulk, James, or Tomlinson?" (For the record, the correct answer that year was Faulk, and I took him) Alright, two of those guys are still alive, 10,000 tackles later. Have mercy on your soul if they are still on your fantasy team. Running backs have a short shelf life, and the sooner you realize this, the better. Subtract one round for every year a back is over the age of 25. Fill up your bench with a stable of young backs, and, eventually, everyone in front of them will be injured.

4) "Two Back Systems - Good for real teams, bad for fantasy teams" - As a football coach, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have two quality backs on a team. You're really lucky if you have a big powerful runner and quick little guy so you can name them "Thunder and Lightning" and make t-shirts for everyone. However, in fantasy, I avoid two back systems like the plague. Because fantasy scoring is so biased towards scoring touchdowns, the chances of your guy being the one to carry the ball into the end zone are divided in half. Even the so-called "goal line runners" who go in and just score touchdowns are unreliable because they gain 16 yards and no scores as often as they gain 32 yards and two scores.

- "The Maurice Jones-Drew Corollary" - The only exception to this rule is the running back who catches a ton of passes out of the backfield, doubling his opportunities to score points and thus negating the two back rule. However, remember rule #1 here - It's not the Reggie Bush Corollary because he is way over valued. Picking up Jones-Drew on waivers two years ago brought me a title.

5) "Two Receiver Systems - Good for real teams, good for fantasy teams" - NFL coverages tend to be focused on a single receiver. Therefore, for a passing team, the second receiver becomes a great option for your fantasy team. While Chad Johnson gets the press coverage, TJ Hooshmansomethingorother has been racking up incredible fantasy numbers. We all saw what happened last year with Reggie Wayne's numbers. Notice the emphasis is on "passing teams." The number ONE receiver on the Bears is a terrible option, let alone the second.

6) "Kickers suck in real life and fantasy" - No explanation needed on this one, right?

Why Hasn't The Teixeira Deal Worked?

2008-07-24T21:34:00.004-04:00

As Atlanta faces a decision about whether to deal away Mark Teixeira or lose him in the off-season to free agency, the question is no longer whether or not the Teixeira deal will work, but rather why it has not worked.

It started with such promise around this time last year as the deal looked to make the Braves front-runners in the National League. Atlanta had hung around all season long without any production from first base (Julio Franco?). The need was clear and Tex was the answer. He returned to Atlanta (a former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket) hitting home runs and driving in runs, but the Braves floundered in August and September to fall out of the race.

Several experts picked the Braves to represent the National League in the World Series in 2008, but as of July 24th, they are 4th in their own division. It has been a nightmare season for the Braves who have essentially gotten nothing from the Teixeira deal.

Why?

(I'd be lying if I said the success of the C.C. Sabathia deal for the Brewers isn't irritating me and did not inspire this piece. I really thought the Tex deal would do the same thing for Atlanta).

There is no getting around the injuries that have plagued the Braves this year. Smoltz, Glavine, Hampton, Soriano, Moylan, Diaz, Chipper, Yunel, Kotsay...you get the picture. Teixeira has been one of the few Braves to stay healthy. Perhaps if his teammates had been on the field rather than in the training room, the Teixeira deal would have worked.

For whatever reason, several Brave's offensive production has faltered since Tex's arrival in Atlanta. As the season wound down last year, the pop left Willie Harris's bat. This year, it left Matt Diaz's stick and then Jeff Francoeur's. I would add Corky Miller (currently hitting .106) to the list as well, but I don't think there was ever any pop in it. Teixeira cannot be blamed for the failures of his teammates. Baseball is not a sport where one guy makes everyone around him better. If it was, Tex would be Atlanta's own Stephon Marbury.

(On an NBA side note, how did the Hawks let Josh Childress go...to Greece? The Hawks are a heart-breakingly bad franchise that has followed up the brilliant Boston series with zero acquisitions and now the loss of Childress).

The Braves' pitching has been surprisingly good this year after last year's misery. Remember, Atlanta was trying to make a playoff push last year with Buddy Carlyle and Chuck James in the rotation. The pitching cannot be blamed for this year's struggles, but it certainly doomed the Braves in 2007

What about Tex himself? Doesn't he get some blame? Maybe. When the Braves were dropping one-run game after one-run game to start this season, Teixeira was slumping. He hit just three home runs in May while Chipper Jones was hitting over .400 in front of him. While the Mets were imploding and the Phillies were struggling, the Braves were losing series to the Nationals and Pirates. If Tex was hitting in May, the Braves could easily have 7-10 more wins right now in games that were decided by one run.

The bottom line, however, is that it makes no sense why the deal has flopped. Teixeira has been as advertised - really good. Sadly, the Braves have been pretty bad. The deal was a good one, but the results have been tainted by injuries, slumps and one of the weirdest seasons in Braves' history.

Why Greg Norman Will Win Tomorrow

2008-07-19T17:35:00.003-04:00

#1 - Nothing to Lose: If one thing seemed to haunt The Shark throughout his prime, it was his ego. He thought he was the best, told people he was the best and strutted, rather jetted, around the tour like he was the best. When it came time to show it, he often did so...for three rounds. Now, as he heads into another Sunday in the lead, there is no pressure to live up to his self-created hype. He is a 53-year old weekend golfer on the verge of winning the British Open. He has already succeeded - no pressure at this point.

#2 - Chris Evert: You don't think she knows what to do the night before a championship round? (Get your heads out of the gutter - that is not what I'm talking about). She has won Majors in tennis; she knows what it takes to win them. I'll bet Norman's ex-wife (who sounds like a pain in the butt from what I've read of their divorce and $100 million settlement) gave him advice like, "Don't blow it, Gregory" or "Maybe you should think about a new grip tomorrow." Evert, er Evert-Norman, is going to have him mentally ready to win.

#3 - No Tiger Woods.

#4 - Too Good of a Storyline: First Tiger the Gimp vs. Rocco the Rock Star, now the Shark Returns? How can he not win tomorrow? The PGA must be doing back flips about what is happening. If this was the NBA, I'd bet on some lousy calls against Harrington and Choi tomorrow. Since it is the PGA, I'm going to put my faith in destiny and a 53-year old man.

#5 - This isn't a fluke: Norman is clearly playing better than anybody else on the course right now. That might seem obvious from his lead, but he was a couple of putts and chips today that could have put him up four or five further ahead. While Choi, Furyk and Duval looked flustered and frustrated in the winds at Royal Birkdale, Norman is hitting fairways and greens. Did you see his drive on #17? After an obliterated tee shot, he was inches from a short eagle putt if the ball had held on the green. He is making shots. Nobody else is.

Racing to Ruin

2008-07-19T08:24:00.003-04:00

Take your time as you read this article. If you try to speed-read this piece, you might miss the point or overlook a hidden gem of wordplay.

Or you might do something even worse.

Something struck me recently as I raced to an appointment for which I was running late. I was driving too fast while trying to get myself organized without proper concentration on the road or drivers around me. I was endangering myself and fellow motorists. Why?

Because I was racing.

You see, racing causes us all to do things we normally would not. I do not normally drive too fast or recklessly, but because I was racing to be on time I did. It was not so much my fault as it was racing's.

We can look to the world of sports to see racing's destructive effect on morality.

The evidence:

*Three racers have been kicked out of the Tour de France this year for doping, two years after winner Floyd Landis was stripped of his victory for the same thing.

* Runners are some of the most notorious cheaters, from Ben Johnson to Rosie Ruiz to former Vol Justin Gatlin. The BALCO scandal included a variety of runners as well, most notably Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery.

* NASCAR cheating go hand-in-hand. It seems that each week someone gets caught trying to skirt the rules on fuel, restricter plates and other mechanical stuff I don't understand. In fact, the unofficial motto of the sport is unfortunately not "Rubbin' is racin'", but rather "If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying."

* Horse-racing has been plagued by some of the most horrific, pathetic cheating scandals of any sport. Horses have been given a variety of drugs, including cocaine, so they run faster and there have also been accusations of horses being hurt by rivals to slow them down. One of the most memorable scandals of recent years involved people shoving sponges into the nostrils of opposing horses to cut off their breathing during a race.

* Swimming has a history of doping as well (Eastern German women with beards and pimples come to mind), but the latest accusations of foul play involve the swimmer's suits. The Speedo Lzr has been called "technological doping" by those unfortunate enough to have endorsement deals with other companies.

Not convinced that racing is to blame for all this foul play? How about baseball's infamous Steroid Era? The most notorious dopers - McGwire, Sosa, Bonds - were in involved in Home Run "Race".

The "Race" for the White House often degenerates into deplorable behavior, from bugging the Watergate Hotel to Willie Horton ads to Swift Boat Vets.

The "Rat Race" in our capitalistic society for more money and prestige has led to numerous crimes and conspiracies that have ruined companies, families and lives.

The idea of "race" has always brought out the worst in people throughout history. Slavery, lynchings, Ku Klu Klan, race riots, Rodney King, etc. - all race related.

What about sports without racing? The most scandal-free sport of our generation is golf - a game where players call penalties on themselves. Golfers are not racing at all. They take their time reading greens and preparing to play instead of rushing to do it quickly. See the connection? No racing - no cheating.

I'm afraid we must throw out the baby with the bath water. To get rid of cheating in athletics, we must get rid of racing. We all need to slow down, take our time and do things right.

(Please excuse any spelling errors or plagiarism in this piece - I'm in a hurry to finally get this done).

The Best of Ideas, The Worst of Ideas

2008-07-16T16:15:00.002-04:00

In the world of sports, there is only one All-Star contest that anybody cares about - the baseball All-Star game. The past two days showed why - a fantastic Home Run Derby performance from Josh Hamilton followed by a 15-inning battle for home field advantage that included plays at the plate, dramatic double-plays and about fifteen errors by Dan Uggla (can you say Chuck Knoblaugh?).

It was baseball at its best...and worst.

There are so many good things about baseball's All-Star Break. It is the only exhibition game that can truly be played the right way. The Pro Bowl is a pitiful excuse for football - even Hawaiians can't be troubled to fill the stadium to watch guys gently tackle each other and run out of bounds play after play. The NBA All-Star weekend is a little too And1-ish for most basketball fans as defense is token and repeated alley-oops lose their luster. The NHL All-Star game is, from what I hear (has anyone here ever watched it?), a check-less goal-a-thon. We all remember what happened to Apollo Creed (R.I.P.) when he fought Ivan Drago in a boxing exhibition match.

Last night's exhibition All-Star game featured strategy, stolen bases, collisions at home plate, hard slides, etc. At no point did anyone seem to be playing the game any differently than they would during the regular season. This gives baseball is All-Star superiority over its major sports rivals.

The Home Run Derby is the best skills competition as well. The Slam Dunk contest is a close second, but it has become more and more like a Carrot Top routine with all the props involved to bring something original to the floor. The NFL seems to have thrown in the towel on skills stuff after Robert Edwards snapped his leg playing in an ill-conceived beach flag football game. I think hockey does some speed skating or triple axle competition or something, but who knows? No, from the little kids colliding in the outfield after pop-ups to the mammoth taters in the upper deck, the Home Run Derby is a blast to watch.

Unfortunately, the festivities have some major flaws as well. The Home Run Derby formula needs obvious tweaking after Hamilton wore himself out putting on a terrific show in the opening round and lost in the anti-climatic finals. Justin Morneau may have won the contest, but everyone is talking about Hamilton's 28 home run first round.

Why don't those home runs carry over? By the time of the finals (where both sluggers start back at zero), Hamilton had nothing left to clear the fence and his poor pitcher (a 70+ year old man) looked like someone throwing the opening pitch rather than throwing real batting practice. There is no reason for a finals - combine the two rounds and declare a winner.

The game itself has the most flawed idea - the home-field advantage aspect. The condition does give the game some actual meaning, but does it really need actual meaning? It is an exhibition of baseball's greatest stars. Isn't that enough.

By playing for home-field advantage, the managers are forced to put other team's players in precarious positions. Take Brandon Webb of the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks. He pitched Sunday in a real game, throwing over 100 pitches. He should not have pitched last night after that type of outing, but skipper Clint Hurdle was forced to put him out there in the 15-inning marathon.

What about the Braves' Brian McCann? Can you imagine the anger of my post had McCann's leg been injured as he tried to block Justin Morneau from the plate? What if Morneau pulled a Pete Rose and made McCann is own personal Ray Fosse? The game means something, so it would have been excusable, but that does not mean it is right.

Bud Selig overreacted to the anger over the All-Star game tie in 2002 with the nonsensical home-field advantage stakes. Last night it played out like a nightmare for the commissioner and a bunch of managers, players and fans who held their breath that nobody would get hurt during the extra innings. Let the game be fun, carefree and a true exhibition again.

Baseball has a monopoly on relevant All-Star games, but there is substantial room for improvement with some common sense ideas.

Worst Sports Weekend of the Year?

2008-07-13T21:07:00.004-04:00

It was the perfect weekend to vege out and watch some sports on television. After flying all night Thursday, the Carpenters were in full recovery mode this weekend without plans or an agenda. All I needed was something to watch...

Right now, I'm glancing at the Colorado Rockies/New York Mets game that is already 4-0 for New York. The Rockies are terrible and this game fails to hold my attention for more than a few pitches.

What else?

The Braves blew out the Padres this afternoon, which is great for me as a Braves' fan but lousy in terms of entertaining me.

My other choices today were beach volleyball, the John Deere Classic (any tournament named after tractors is unwatchable), a minor league all-star game and nothing else.

I'm so desperate for competition, I'm watching the Miss Universe pageant. It is like I can't get a cup of coffee, so I'm sipping on a flat Diet Coke.

With Lime.

No Wimbledon. No British Open. No All-Star Game. No EUFA Cup. No Olympics. No cars or horse racing that I care about (sorry, but the Tour de Farce is boring and the most morally bankrupt sport on the planet).

It might be the most boring sports weekend of the year.

Seriously, every weekend of the year seems to offer something for us sports nuts. It is a pretty good gig we've got. There are always championships or titles on the line (I guess the heavyweight boxing title was defended this weekend, but boxing is dead).

My vacation from sports was weird because I knew good stuff was happening even if I wasn't watching. Now I'm watching, but nothing good is happening.

Do you know what I did on my perfect sports watching afternoon? I cleaned out our garage. The garage! No air-conditioning, bugs everywhere and not a single overpaid athlete in sight.

Fortunately, things are looking up. The MLB All-Star festivities at Yankee Stadium start tomorrow night, the British Open starts Thursday and the Arena Bowl is this weekend as well.

Okay, I don't actually care about the AFL, but a championship is a championship. And part of the fun of the Arena League is spotting guys I remember from college football or even the NFL (Darius Watts, anyone?). And doesn't Jon Bon Jovi own the Philadelphia team? That fact alone is more interesting than anything on this weekend.

I guess we need an occasional weekend off to clean our garages. If every weekend was sports special, none of them would be sports special, right?

Off to read some Ayn Rand.

Top 10 All-Time Atlanta Braves

2008-07-13T10:30:00.002-04:00

Watching the game last night, I decided that Greg Maddux was the greatest Brave in the history of the franchise's stay in Atlanta.

The rest of my list:

1. Greg Maddux
2. Hank Aaron
3. Tom Glavine
4. Chipper Jones
5. John Smoltz
6. Dale Murphy
7. Andruw Jones
8. Phil Niekro
9. Fred McGriff
10. Dave Justice

F*ck Favre

2008-07-12T08:57:00.002-04:00

Are you kidding me?

I have no problem with a guy who has trouble hanging up his cleats (my hero, after all, is Muhammad Ali who fought about five too many fights). I have no problem with someone who walks away and then changes his mind.

But Brett Favre - I've got a problem with him.

There is something terribly self-absorbed about a player who annually holds his team hostage about his own future. Am I retiring? Am I coming back? Should you find a new quarterback or prepare for another season with me under center? Each season for what seems like half his career now, Favre has held the Green Bay Packers hostage while he mulled over whether to play.

Then, once on the field, Favre plays the game like a self-absorbed prima donna who cares more about the glory of a great highlight than throwing the ball into the stands to prevent a turnover. Remember that it was "The Gunslinger" who threw away the Packers' Super Bowl hopes with a miserable pass against the NY Giants that was picked off in overtime.

Like most football fans, however, I still liked and pulled for the guy. I was bummed out that the Packers were not going to the Super Bowl and bummed out that his last pass was such a devastatingly poor one.

Not anymore.

Reports from the always reliable Chris Mortenson are that Favre wants to come back.

Fine.

That he wants to leave Green Bay.

What?

That he wants an unconditional release so he can play for any team he wants.

WHAT?!?

Who does this guy think he is, Roger Clemens? An unconditional release? So he can sign with the Vikings or Bears - both in the Packers own division? So that the Packers lose a top caliber quarterback and get zilch in return?

Rhetorical questions aside, this report is one of the most baffling and angering things I can remember from an athlete. My sports cynicism is strong, but I sat up last night and sat stunned last night as I listened to the story.

The gist is that the Packers apparently were not entirely thrilled with Favre's return to the team next year. It sounds like Favre's ego was badly bruised by the lack of parade and immediate handing of the job as soon as his initial text message was received by Packers' management. So Favre's reaction is to screw them over.

Them - the Packers' management who let him dangle his "Will I or won't I?" nonsense each year, the Packers' teammates that rally around him each season despite his skipping of off-season duties and sometimes stupid play on the field, the Packers' fans who worship Favre like a deity.

Are you kidding me?

I try to avoid writing sports-radio rants in this blog, but if ever a story deserved one, this is it. I can't remember an athlete acting so douche-like in all my life. I can't remember an athlete revealing his true colors, ones he kept hidden from most for his entire career, so swiftly.

The story feels like a wrestling storyline where the tag team partner decides to punch his partner in the mouth rather than tag into the match. It is the ultimate sports swerve - a story we knew was coming (Favre's return) with an out-of-left-field twist (but I want out of Green Bay).

Just like in wrestling, I'm pulling for the wronged partner in the relationship to get revenge. I hope Green Bay uses the title for this post as its reply to their quarterback. I hope they refuse to release him. I hope they cancel his jersey retirement ceremony set for opening week. I hope that if they trade him, they send him to Atlanta or Arizona where he wallows in mediocrity. Better yet, trade him to New England or Indianapolis where he holds a clipboard all game long. I hope that if the Packers play Favre's new team, the crowd boos him the whole game and Packers intercept him repeatedly.

The goodwill is gone, Gunslinger. May you get what you deserve.

Francoeur's Frustrations

2008-07-09T14:16:00.004-04:00

Two days in the minors he stayed
But Jeff Francoeur thinks he's been betrayed

Nevermind the mounting facts
That Frenchy's holding Atlanta back

He's one of few not in a cast or sling
So what explains his worthless swing?

He's in the line-up everyday
So how come RBIs don't come his way?

The guy is big and the guy is strong
But the guy can't hit, so something is wrong

Cox moved him down the Atlanta batting order
Trying to hide his offensive odor

But Frenchy's numbers only dropped even lower
His swings more wild and bat speed slower

The organization was patient and tried to wait
For their right-field slugger batting eighth

But when the Phillies came back to town
And swept the Braves for the second straight time

Atlanta's season was going to waste
Behind the Phils, Marlins and Mets in 4th place

Though not fair to assign him ALL the blame
The fault for failure includes Francoeur's unique name

Bench him? Trade him? Continue to let him play?
Or try to fix things down in Double A?

The kindest of options was chosen after carefully weighed
But Frenchy told the papers he still felt betrayed

Betrayed? Like Michael Corleone by his brother Fredo?
Betrayed? Like an aged swimmer by his high school speedo?

Sorry, Frenchy, but betrayed you are not
You were given half the season to figure things out

Baseball is a game that requires you to actually produce
Otherwise the team continues to lose

Reality check, Jeff - the real world in which the rest of us dwell
Gives out pink slips to employees who consistently fail

Betrayed? Mr. Francoeur - you must be kidding me
You spent nothing more than 48 hours in Mississippi

Welcome back after your two demoted days away
Now please shut your mouth and drive in some runs
You ain't been betrayed

A Life Without Sports - My Life on Vacation

2008-07-07T17:26:00.002-04:00

I've been in California for over a week now, visiting with family and now attending a conference about journalism in high schools. I have had little/no time to watch or read about the sports world to which this blog is dedicated.

Here is what I've missed:

* Perhaps the greatest tennis match ever (or so I'm told and have read) between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

* The demotion and, as of today recall, of Braves' outfielder Jeff Francoeur. (Um, he sounds a little bitter...)

* Another Phillies sweep of the Braves

* Spain won some soccer tournament that had my attention BV (before vacation)

* Some 41-year old American mother breaking world records in the swimming pool

* NBA free agency opening up with Baron Davis leaving the Warriors

* The Brewers picking up C.C. Sabathia to become immediate contenders in the National League

* All-Star game rosters - snubs and surprises (Jason Varitek???)

And those are just the major stories. The sports world keeps revolving despite my inattention.

So what is life like without sports? I'm currently a cross between a heroine addict and a Buddhist. The addict in me is itching all over because I haven't gotten my fix. I need a score. Actually, I need scores. I need stats. I need acquisitions, transactions, injuries, controversies, firings. I need sports radio hosts screaming at me. I need to refresh ESPN.com every 10 minutes so I'll be the first to know something new. I need to also check out SI.com to see if ESPN missed something. I like Bubbles from The Wire after a day of sobriety - get me something involving a ball quickly!

But I'm also a Buddhist approaching enlightenment. You know, life isn't so bad without sports. I'm actually conversing with people instead of just listening to them and blogging about them. I'm actually playing sports (three rounds of golf, a few jogs and even a soccer game against my niece) instead of watching them. Instead of investing three hours in a meaningless, boring regular season contest, I get the quick 2-minute version on-line and spend time playing with Abby and Caroline. Perhaps the Fifth Noble Truth was that sports are neither necessary nor productive.

Wait, what am I talking about? I'm dying here. Who wants to converse with people? How long can I talk to people without talking about sports? Do I want to become one of those people who asks questions like, "Is Tony Gwynn still playing?" or "When did Shaq stop playing for the Lakers?"

No, I need sports. My wife and I went to Hawaii for our honeymoon a few years ago and I quickly decided I wanted to live there. After a week, I realized I was wrong. The rainbows lost their luster. The mangos and coconut on everything got old. The cost of everything was cold water on my face. It was a fun vacation destination, but not a permanent home.

Same for this vacation from sports. I'm counting down the days until I can get back to ignoring my wife and kids and spending my time with Mike & Mike, Chipper Jones and Peter Gammons. I'm counting the days until I get my score(s).

Frenchy to the Minors

2008-07-05T11:43:00.004-04:00

Jeff Francoeur to the minors? What has happened while I've been gone?

Actually, Frenchy's struggles have been season-long and this move did not shock me. The biggest disappointment is that this season offered Francouer a great opportunity to take a step forward into an All-Star caliber outfielder. Bobby Cox batted him 5th early in the year with Brian McCann protecting him against lefties. Chipper Jones and his .400 average gave Frenchy RBI chances every night. The Braves were seen as National League contenders partly because of the belief that Francouer would be a 25 HR, 110 RBI right fielder.

It did not happen. Frankly, Francoeur has escaped my blame for the Braves woes this season for no good reason. The biggest Braves bug-a-boo has been hitting with runners on base and Francoeur has been miserable in that spot. The guy looks like an RBI machine, but he's been hitting in the .220s with runners in scoring position all season.

Here is hoping the trip to Mississippi fixes Frenchy's flaws. I already miss his monster arm in right field, but can't say I miss his bat in the line-up.

What a weird, dramatic year this has been for the Braves.

Dave Clawson's First Major Recruiting Coup

2008-06-26T22:35:00.001-04:00

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2008/jun/25/qb-nunes-picks-vols/

Yay or Boo?

2008-06-25T14:56:00.003-04:00

The Georgia Bulldogs play a deciding Game 3 of the College World Series tonight against Fresno State. The contest brings up an interesting question:

As a Tennessee Vol, do I pull for or against the Dawgs?

On one hand, Georgia is an SEC school from the South whose championship brings extra bragging rights to the conference and area. Chances are I know something about the players on the team, be it their hometowns or high schools. I know UGA fans who would delight in the championship, so it makes sense to pull for happiness for my friends.

On the other hand, pulling for Georgia or any SEC rival goes against my Big Orange instincts. How can I pull against a team for 364 days of the year, then suddenly change my tune for one night? Being faithful to my wife for 364 days of the year does not do. It is a sin called adultery.

Not only am I committing an unnatural sin, I'm also subjecting myself to neighborly boasting. After the whipping the football and basketball Vols put on Georgia this year, the Dawgs are looking for a retort. An NCAA championship would be a nice comeback.

Another consideration is that this is baseball. Who cares about college baseball? I cannot name a single Tennessee Vol baseball player. I cannot name a single college baseball player. If Georgia wins the college baseball championship and no one cares, did they really win anything?

Hmm...

I'm going to watch the game tonight, but still haven't decided what I want to happen.

I do know this - I will be pulling for the Bulldogs.

Playing Hurt

2008-06-24T07:48:00.003-04:00

Watching last night's Braves/Brewers game got me thinking about the most unspoken aspect about athletics - injuries.

The Braves, picked by some to be World Series contenders, have been decimated by injuries this season. Smoltz, Hampton, Glavine, Soriano, Moylan, Chipper, Escobar, Kotsay, Diaz. The season has basically been ruined by tears, tweaks, strains, and pulls.

Meanwhile, the Brewers are playing great baseball behind ace pitcher Ben Sheets. Sheets is one of the game's greats, but injuries have plagued his entire career. Just yesterday I heard a baseball analyst mention the Brewers as Wild Card favorites, "as long as Ben Sheets stays healthy."

Success in sports is predicated on many factors. Strategy. Skill. Speed. We love to discuss these aspects of athletics. Games are won and lost because of these factors.

But what about injuries? Why don't we talk more about those?

For example, the most common cited reasons for the Lakers' loss in the NBA Finals were softness in the paint, the failure of the Triangle Offense against the Celtic defense, Phil Jackson's mishandling of the bench, and Lamar Odom no-showing the series.

But what about Andrew Bynum's absence? He would have solved the softness problem in the middle, taken the load off Lamar Odom, given the Lakers a post-up offense against the physical interior of Kendrick Perkins and P.J. Brown. He would have made a difference in the series.

To mention this, however, is to make an excuse. It is a legitimate one, but the reason both athletes and fans avoid mentioning injuries is because it sounds like whining. It is too easy as well. Who wants to read that the Braves' problems in one-run games is injuries in the bullpen? No, it must be young players, poor managing strategy and on-the-field breakdowns.

Injuries have derailed record-setting careers (Ken Griffey Jr.), Hall of Fame potential (Mark Prior and Kerry Wood) and team championships (Lakers). Yet, they are a largely unmentioned part of sports.

The Price You Pay

2008-06-23T07:58:00.000-04:00

Friday's Chattanooga Times-Free Press featured an inspiring story about Ooltewah High School softball coach Norma Nelson's chaotic year.

Nelson's team captured the state softball championship in May - the highest of coaching highs. Earlier in the year, however, Nelson suffered the lowest of lows when a former student intentionally burned down her house with a firecracker. Nelson lost everything in the blaze, including her pet dog.

Nelson's story is an extreme example, but coaching in high school is not quite what it seems. From the outside looking in, coaching is a dream gig. You spend your days and nights on the playing field, breathing in fresh air, competing and strategizing, and devoting life to sport. Sure beats sitting in a cubicle.

It does, no doubt, It also, however, fails to live up to the outsider's view of it. Coaching is often a joyless task that involves breaking hearts, angering kids and parents and repeated failure. Look around major sports for a moment and list the coaches that seem truly happy. It is not easy.

Jeff Van Gundy is a glaring example of what coaching can do to you. Van Gundy emerged this NBA season as a hilarious color man with personality and terrific insights on ABC's broadcasts. As a coach, however, Van Gundy was a humorless worry-wort who looked to be on the brink of a nervous breakdown at any moment.

Coaching is often a joyless grind with lows, lows, an occasional high and then more lows. The occasional high keeps them coming back, like a strung out junkie coming back for one more dose of the addictive drug.

Why else would Coach Nelson continue at Ooltewah after her home was attacked by an angry student? Why wouldn't she take a desk job somewhere? Why wouldn't she find something with higher pay, fewer hours and no threat of arson?

There is a price you pay as a coach. It is the dirty looks from people you like, the accusations of dishonesty and deviance from jilted players and parents, the cold shoulders after losses and even sometimes after wins. In my coaching career, I have been accused by parents of favoritism, racism, stupidity and causing permanent psychological damage.

I have never had my home attacked. I have never worried about the safety of my wife, kids and pets. In my coaching days, I have never experienced anything this low.

I have also never won a state championship. The price you pay ought to earn you rewards and it does - friendships, satisfaction, excitement. For Norma Nelson, the reward this season was the pinnacle of her profession - a championship.

She certainly paid a heavy price for it.

My Week On the Brink - Friday

2008-06-21T15:34:00.001-04:00

My Week On the Brink concluded Friday afternoon with awards, goodbyes and exhaustion. After my two-hour trip home, I collapsed into a long nap that will throw off my sleep schedule for days. It is ironic that sitting around makes you the most tired, but that is what happened Friday.

Friday was Play Day. No learning stations, but lots of contests and games. We even allowed some full court scrimmages which the kids love and coaches hate (I'll get back to this in a moment). Because there is so much playing, the coaches spent much of the day keeping score and organizing rather than coaching. It also means we spend much of the day on our backsides rather than burning calories as drill instructors. It has taken 30 years to learn it, but nothing wears me out like doing nothing. My body does not like a day that does not include a little sweating and exercise. When I got home yesterday afternoon from my final day of camp, I was less celebratory and more sleepy.

Full court basketball is true basketball, but it quickly falls apart with 5th graders. They stop running up and down the floor, stop using any cuts or screens and stop passing the ball entirely. Rather than refereeing the contest like I was supposed to be, I spent most of the game yelling, "Move!" at stationary kids with frustrated faces about their lack of touches. Talk about driving me to the brink - the kid who refuses to budge to get open but then whines about not getting a pass drives this coach crazy.

The next step in this basketball regression is that since nobody is moving to get open, the kids start driving into multiple defenders to throw up terrible shots. This has several negative effects that demonstrate why coaches often prefer working in half court situations. The defense realizes that there is no passing, so they all chase the ball. Defensive principles - out the window. On top of that, since it is so rare to touch the ball in this setting, there emerges an "I'm going to get mine" mentality of taking a shot no matter how far away or defensively contested. You can see it on the face of the kid who has not had the ball in a while and suddenly comes upon it. The face says, "I don't care if all of you a**holes are wide open, I'm taking this shot and there is nothing you can do about it." Finally, with kids forcing drives into traffic, the games quickly becomes a whine-a-thon of, "That's a foul!" No referee, let alone coach pretending to be one, is going to call a foul when a player drives into four defenders, but that is tough to explain to an angry eleven-year old.

Much of the day was spent figuring out the Campers of the Week. Yes, more prizes. COTW is awarded to one kid in each group who "embraces the camp." It is kind of like porn - you know it when you see it. For my group, one kid was clearly the most competitive, encouraging and ready to try new things. There was one group with several worthy candidates and another without a real strong one. Of course, they all think they might win it. They cling to that one time they yelled, "You can do it, Ben" and forget about the time they refused to shake someone's hand after a game or threw food across the table at lunch. I caught one kid's eyes welling up after he did not get my award. The kid was probably my second choice, but he got upset with a teammate and refused to play in our cutthroat game for several minutes. At that point, minus the rest of the group openly rioting or denying the Holocaust, he was not going to win Camper of the Week.

One of Coach Stroupe's best touches is not getting trophies or plaques for the winners. Instead, the winners get basketballs and dribble glasses (you can see forward, but not down so as not to look at the ball while you dribble). The last thing these kids need is a meaningless trophy, but it is amazing how many of them cherish that basketball.

As much as I vent and complain about aspects of the camp, it usually succeeds in renewing my basketball batteries. I'm already thinking ahead to the up-coming season and what I want to focus upon after seeing new things from other coaches this week. The money, for me anyway, was minimal after filling up the Civic tank twice to get from Chattanooga to Knoxville, but much of the week is invaluable. Being around good kids. Being around good coaches. Being around the best sport known to man.

It almost sounds like I want to do it again, which explains, I guess, why I keep coming back to basketball camp year after year.

My Week On the Brink - Thursday

2008-06-19T22:56:00.001-04:00

My Week on the Brink is winding down. Today at lunch, Coach Stroupe looked at all the coaches and said, "It's Thursday." We are all tired - tired of learning stations, tired of certain kids who continue to get on our nerves and just plain tired. Without meaning to sound too dramatic, being on your feet all day in charge of 60 campers does wear you out. I know that in the big scheme of things it is hardly manual labor, but we are all tired at this point.

The coaches this week are a solid group. It makes the whole week so much easier when the coaches are in complete control and keeping good order. Coach Stroupe runs camp like clockwork. Every minute is thought out and designed for the good of the camper. I cannot say the same for every basketball camp I have worked. Coach Mitchell is the former boys varsity coach and current girls middle school coach. He has been at Webb forever and knows his stuff. Coach K is the new boys varsity head coach. He is my age, played at Davidson and coached some in Sweden. I think we would be buddies if I lived in Knoxville and he did not work for a school that my school plays. There have already been a couple of conversations when we both stepped back before revealing too much about our program's respective philosophies. Brother Jim is the oddball coach of the camp. I have no idea what his credentials are, but his bald head and awful fashion sense provide some levity to the staff. Finally, we have a kid named Cameron Sharp who plays for Carson-Newman. He came to camp back when I first started working it and turned into a fantastic player. He is not tall, not too quick and not intimidating, but he was All-State at Halls in Knoxville and is a testament to where hard work will get you. All in all, I don't think there is a camp in East Tennessee that offers a better staff of coaches. That is why the camp is always full.

Today was "Favorite Team Shirt" day and, as you can guess since we're in Knoxville, the Vols were the most popular choice. I was pleasantly surprised to see several Chris Lofton jerseys on the campers. I don't wear jerseys because I'm a grown man, but if I did it would be a Chris Lofton one. There were also two Kevin Garnett Celtic jerseys on display which both looked to be fresh off the hanger. Something tells me those kids told Mom to drive them to Foot Locker to get a shirt for today's camp.

The highlight of the morning was a time-killing demonstration of a silly middle school game. We were waiting for some late arrivals, so Coach Stroupe showed them how to play some game called "Wah." I did not understand the rules at all, so don't ask. One of the kids demonstrating the game was least favorite camper. He routinely disrupts the drills at my learning station by walking right through the middle of them or by not realizing it is his turn. He is not a basketball player in any regard. He is, however, quite a "Wah" player. He was so over-the-top into this game that even some of the kids were laughing in an entertained-more-than-making-fun type of way. It might have been my favorite moment of the entire camp.

The big event of Thursday is the one-on-one tournament. There can be only one winner for each group, so that leaves 54 broken hearts. They all harbor hopes of winning it, not bothering to let reason or logic cast doubts on that happening. The worst player in my group was in tears after being eliminated from the loser's bracket. I guess that is admirable, but did he really think he might win it? What exactly were his expectations in this tournament?

Looking back, I think I was the same way as a kid. I can remember losing my mind about losing games in camp or with friends, but now I think about who I lost to and wonder what I was so upset about. One year at Ooltewah Camp, I lost to a freakish kid named Jason Green who was like 6'2 in the 5th grade (he never grew again). I was so upset about it. He drilled me like 16-0 and I took it hard. He was a full foot taller than me with a pretty decent mustache. Why did I have any hopes of winning? There is something charming about kids who are still naive enough to not recognize their shortcomings. There is plenty of time for that later in life.

The day ended with way too much 5 on 5 time before candy bars. The longer the scrimmages go, the more the kids push the foul limit. As informal referees, we only blow our whistles when someone is bloody or unconscious. If the games go on too long, the kids figure this out and just kill each other. I had to stop my game once today to address the fouling, but it only stopped because scrimmage time was over. At this age, they are completely Machiavellian in their playing - the ends justify the means. If fouling and pushing equals victory, foul and push. As Bobby "The Brain" used to say, it is only cheating if you get caught.

Friday is just hours away, so I'm off to bed to dream of all the things I'm going to buy with tomorrow's paycheck. Friday is usually a great day because the kids are all in suck-up mode to try to capture "Camper of the Week." Don't tell anyone, but my group winner is so obvious that I could have given it on Wednesday. My big job for tomorrow is to figure out his name.

My Week On the Brink - Wednesday

2008-06-18T18:51:00.000-04:00

I predicted meltdowns yesterday and was proven prophetic today. There was tears, much whining and quite a bit of general unhappiness on Day #3 of camp.

How did I know it would happen? Here is how camp generally runs in the mind of a 6th grade camper: Day #1 is full of promise as the week will surely prove Mom right that I am really good at basketball; Day #2 still has promise because most of Day #1 was spent sitting around instead of showcasing my skills; Day #3 is the first realization that Mom is full of crap because I'm not any good at basketball; Day #4 is coming to terms with my lack of athletic skills, my lying Mother, and instead focusing on goofing off and having fun; Day #5 is desperation in the hopes of winning some kind of contest to salvage what little pride is still left after a week of camp and salvage my relationship with Mom.

So today was My Mom is Full of Crap Day. There were many contests and lots of playing. Sounds like fun, unless you are losing. The losers took it tough today. One kid in my group went down like Michael Spinks after catching an elbow to the cheek. The wounded camper was mostly upset about not getting the ball (it would help if he occasionally moved on offense), but the cheek assault was a good excuse to let out a week of bottled-up frustration.

The biggest challenge at summer camp is trying to keep enough order for the kids who want to improve while also giving room for the kids who just want to have fun. After all, this is not prison detail or anything. I cannot ask a kid to run laps or get up in his face for goofing off in a drill. That kid won't come back, will get his refund and I'll be out my share of his fee. At the same time, there are kids who get frustrated by the idiocy of groupmates who ruin everything with their silliness. It is a fine line to walk as camp coach.

My usual solution is to ignore the idiocy as much as possible and give lots of feedback to the kids who are really trying. I also try to keep everything moving so fast that there is little time for silliness. For example, my station is using two lines to do perimeter moves. One line simply passes the ball and then rebounds it. There is no point to this line at all, but it does give a job to someone who would otherwise be standing deep in a line. That kid would be likely to goof off if he/she was not about to take a turn as passer. I wish I could say it prevents all silliness, but it seems to at least limit it a bit.

I wish I had a solution for the whining, but I don't have a fix for that one yet.

"Can we do something else?"

"Can I be on Timmy's team?"

"What about my 1st amendment rights?"

Today I made the colossal mistake of suggesting shirts and skins after we forgot to grab jerseys for our scrimmage games. These self-conscious 5th graders were ready to riot if I made them disrobe to play basketball. Since when did 5th graders get self-conscious? One particular kid was glaring at me like he was Robespierre and I was Louis XVI. Obviously, I saved my head and sent someone to find the jerseys. From that point forward, the whining was incessant throughout the entire game. Fouls, passes, travels - you name it, they whined about it.

I know this all makes basketball camp sound like some cross between Lord of the Flies and that whitewater rafting movie with Kevin Bacon. Not the one with Meryl Streep; the other one where Bacon fell into a hole and had to be rescued by the very kids he had been picking on for the last hour.

Anyway, the reason it sounds like that is because it is. If parents could see the humiliation, discouragement and embarrassment their $150 is buying, they would sue us child abuse. So how come we have 60 campers showing up each day?

Two words: candy bars.

These kids put up with all the shame of basketball camp in the hopes of winning a Kit Kat bar. Win one - the day was a success. Come up short - take your Zoloff. The genius of this particular camp are the rules that a) you can only win one candy bar a day and b) you can only win a candy bar at a particular contest once per week. That pretty much guarantees everyone at least one candy bar during the course of the week. We have an Indian kid (Asian, not Native) this week who might be the most clueless camper I have ever encountered. He is going into the 4th grade, but looks just a little taller than Abby. Every once in a while, one of his shots gets high enough to hit the rim. Not go in, mind you. No, just hit the rim. Even he will win a candy bar this week. We'll rig a game of dribble tag for him or give him "Best Stretcher of the Day."

Each camp day ends with coaches' comments and candy bars. The kids sit down all fired up from the scrimmage's injustices, but walk away 10 minutes later with smiles and Reese's Cups.

Pretty simple concept - if the campers are unhappy, let them eat candy.

My Week On the Brink - Tuesday

2008-06-17T21:10:00.000-04:00

The monotony of basketball camp has set in...and it is only Tuesday.

After another two hours of Scott McClellan, whose voice is not the best caffeine in the morning, I rolled into camp for another day of basketball. Tuesday always moves along more quickly which is both good and bad. The good is that the day goes by faster as it is jam-packed with activities. The bad is that there is less time to relax and enjoy the other coaches because every minute demands a camper's attention.

One of my duties is to stretch the campers. I earned this privilege during my first year as camp coach back in the 1990s and have done it every camp since. My trick? Fun counting. We count up to 12, down from 12, by two's, in Spanish, increasing volume, etc. The little kids love it; the other kids put up with it. I stole the idea from another camp I worked in high school, but nobody knows that in Knoxville.

Speaking of getting credit for things not mine, we did a drill today called the "Carpenter Drill." I'm serious. There are not too many drills named after people - Mikan Drill, Dantley Drill and Carpenter Drill. It is not mine either - I got it out of a Five Star Basketball book - but Coach Stroupe loved it and named it after me. The drill is simple - lay-up, run to free throw line, lay-up, run to free throw line, etc. I call it the Hustle Drill; at camp we call it the Carpenter Drill.

Today's learning station was using a change of pace to beat the defender. I even delved into my bag of basketball tricks to show them some subtle ways to trick their defender. Kids are funny - they cannot do the simple things you ask of them, but insist on trying difficult things that really good high school players cannot do. I asked them to dribble toward the defender (a trash can) slowly, then burst past (change of pace). A few of them decided that was beneath them and tried behind-the-back or spin moves instead. I asked one kid what he was doing and he replied, "I'm trying to challenge myself." The kid cannot hit the rim on a lay-up, but he wants to challenge himself with a behind-the-back move. Classic.

The coaches spent lunch debating Terrance Oglesby's shot selection for Clemson. If I could shoot like that kid, I wouldn't pass either. That was my two cents.

The afternoon was all about playing. 3 on 3, 4 on 4 no dribble and 4 on 4 live. Tempers flare and fundamentals are forgotten once we start playing real games. I had to stop the action a few times to settle disputes (usually between teammates) and correct bad play. The main goal with my group (the D group - you can guess how good they are) is to get them to move without the basketball. I yell "cut" over and over throughout the action at kids who are standing in one spot asking for the ball. Hopefully by Friday they figure it out.

Today's camp comments came from Sun Tzu (told you) about deceiving an opponent in war. They were a bit rushed today because we were running late and, frankly, they were not by best. The varsity head coach did a better job than me, though he piggy-backed off my previous days remarks. Plagiarism.

Tomorrow is Hump Day. Someone will melt down tomorrow - guaranteed.

My Week On the Brink - Monday

2008-06-16T16:27:00.000-04:00

This week I'm driving to Knoxville every day for the one week of the summer I dread - basketball camp week. Basketball camp is a necessary evil for basketball coaches across the country. The reason is simple - easy money. There are lines of kids who want to spend a week of their summer playing hoops and a line of parents ready to cipher their kids off to anyone else. They pay big bucks for the week in a deal that works out well for them (cheap baby-sitting) and us (summer stipend).

What is there to dread? Basketball camps tend to be pretty dull affairs. Most camps are for players in their middle school years who lack the basic fundamentals. While it is vital to teach these basics, it is also boring. I have taught the same footwork station at this particular camp at least a dozen times, five or six times a day. It is like Groundhog's Day (which happens to be my friend Glenn's favorite movie...weird) without the Sonny and Cher.

Rather than endure the week alone, I'm going to take you, the reader, deep inside the workings of a rising 4th-6th grade basketball camp. In the spirit of John Feinstein's classic A Season on the Brink about a season of Indiana Hoosier basketball, I bring you My Week On the Brink at basketball camp.

After an easy hour & forty-five minute drive to the sweet sounds of Scott McClellan's audio book, I arrived for Monday's camp session. The first day of basketball camp is the easiest day unless you are in charge. I'm not in charge this week - that responsibility belongs to my coaching mentor Elliott Stroupe. In many ways, he is the Bobby Knight of our Week on the Brink. He is a veteran coach in Knoxville, a stubborn, set-in-his-ways, my-way-or-highway kind of coach that doesn't put up with much from administrators, fellow coaches, referees or parents. He would have been run out of town long ago except for two things - he can really coach and he is great with kids. Coach Stroupe's Monday is a hectic one of organization, tweaking and decisions. He spent most of today's lunch walking around the cafeteria making sure nobody was eating alone while the rest of us coaches enjoyed our stale tacos and soggy corn.

Back to my easy day, the rest of the coaching staff spends most of Monday waiting around for the organizer to make decisions. Who belongs in which group? How much time will we need now that we are behind schedule? Where are the t-shirts? Who is this kid that just showed up at 11:30 in a "Computer Camp" shirt? These types of decisions belong to one man and it isn't me. He is the Decider. I am the Follower. It pays less to be the Follower, but it is a much easier gig.

The morning began with about 30 minutes of "knockout" (a classic basketball camp game that every kid knows, expects and loves) while we waiting for stragglers and late registries. We finally get together around 9:15 to go over introductions and camp basics. Having worked so many of these camps, I can finish just about every sentence out of Coach Stroupe's mouth. Every year, for some reason only he knows, he explains how the gym is air-conditioned using a "geo-thermal tap." Every year. Why? Beats me.

From introductions we enter into the evaluation stage of camp. This is where things get good. We try to group kids by ability so there is an A group (best players) through F group (young kids with no clue). Dreams are shattered by 10:00 a.m. at basketball camp when kids realize that they are not making the A group...or the B group...or the C group. Parents who paid $150 for their kid to have improved self-esteem got ripped off.

Picking groups takes forever. There are lots of little considerations we try to take into account, like not having one girl in a group or one 5th grader, but there is no making everyone happy. Coach Stroupe will have emails and phone messages tonight about how Jimmy wants to be in Tony's group. Again, there are advantages to working camp rather than running camp.

Finally, groups are picked and camp can really begin. The heart of any good basketball camp is the learning stations. The campers come to play games and make friends, but the value is in the stations. As a coach, this is easily the most fun part of the day as I get to impart my knowledge to eager learners.

Okay, there are only about 5 eager learners. There are about 45 campers who tolerate the stations to get to the games and contests. The other 10 campers goof off through the stations and can ruin them.

My station this week is Perimeter Moves to the Basket. The kids all picture a bunch of And1 moves like they seem from The Professor and Skip To My Lou, but their inability to dribble twice without looking down at the ball limits our ability to do freestyle moves. Instead, we worked today on getting low to breeze past defenders. I mentioned Paul Pierce's ability to drive past Laker defenders because he gets low. They stared at me with blank looks. So much for my "Be Like Paul Pierce" theme for the week.

After stations, it is time for lunch. I am a sucker for free food and always put too much food on my plate. Don't worry - it all gets eaten, but I am useless for the rest of the day. The coaches spend lunch venting about which kids are already driving them crazy, but also which ones have promise or are just nice kids. We laughed today about "PIFers" who are killing our drills; PIFers are Paid In Full kids who are terrible, but, well, paid in full.

Post-lunch starts with a lesson from Coach Stroupe about how to shoot an off-handed lay-up. This is Coach at his best - teaching impressionable youngsters the basic skills of the game. Unlike some coaches who can breakdown every offense or defense known to man, but cannot teach the fundamentals in an understandable way, Coach has the volunteer shooter slowly taking baby steps on his way to properly shooting a proper lay-up. Within 5 minutes, the kid is jumping off the proper foot and using his left-hand to throw the ball off the glass. Coach Stroupe is not a miracle worker (he ain't no miracle man) so the kid is not making the left-handed lay-ups yet, but he is well on his way.

We break back into groups to work on these lay-ups for a while before finally playing some actual games. You might think this would be the best part of the day for coaches - wrong. The good side of the games is that we mostly just sit back and call an occasional foul, so it is pretty relaxing. Why aren't we giving instructions on proper plays and such? At 1:00, the campers just want to play and not listen to us anymore. Today I stopped the action to explain how a simple screen away from the ball would get someone open and start an offense, but it was only used once by a kid who in all likelihood just ran into someone on accident.

The games are usually 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 in the half court. Running full court is a recipe for disaster as the worst players never touch the ball and kids quit running as soon as they get tired. It is camp, after all, why push yourself? We play 3 on 3 with no dribbles to teach cutting (which works) and screening (see previous paragraph). Once we allow them to dribble again, all the cutting is out the window. My favorite campers are the ones who dribble just for the thrill of it. They are not going anywhere with the ball - no purpose or rhyme to their dribbling. They often go straight backwards with it. They don't care. They just want to have the ball for a while and feel like a real basketball player. God bless 'em.

Camp winds down with final remarks from all the coaches before we hand out candy bars to contest winners and Campers of the Day (the kids who tried hardest or did something especially admirable). I get competitive about these talks and want mine to be the best. Today, I busted out Neil Armstrong, JFK and Lil' Jon in my closing remarks about getting low to get to the basket. Not bad, huh? I'm already thinking about tomorrow's talk. I'm thinking some Sun Tzu wisdom or perhaps Plato's Allegory of the Cave.

The day is done and the coaches make a mad dash for the door. I have mastered the "I'm in a hurry to get somewhere" post-camp walk to avoid talking to parents. It is not that I don't want to talk to them, it is, well, I don't want to talk to them. Picture a bunch of country club moms and dads with cell phones against their ears wanting to find out what their kid can do to make the team next year. Chances are that I worked with that kid for two minutes throughout the day, but if I say that it looks like their kid isn't getting quality attention. Nope, I just jiggle my keys, look at my watch and bust it to the car.

Punch in, punch out.

Tiger Style

2008-06-15T21:40:00.000-04:00

The most underrated golfer on the planet is Tiger Woods. We all know he is the greatest golfer of his generation and the most clutch performer down the stretch. He already has a reel of highlights as long as any athlete, let alone golfer, in sports history. He is an endorsement machine and multi-billionaire.

And underrated.

The guy is otherworldly. This weekend at the U.S. Open, the toughest test in golf thanks to the high rough, super-fast greens and brutally long layout, Tiger Woods played under par golf for 72 holes on a bad left knee that required surgery six weeks ago. He winced in pain throughout the four days of competition while playing in the most celebrated Thursday/Friday pairing in recent memory (alongside World #2 and hometown hero Phil Mickelson and World #3 Adam Scott), charging into the lead on Saturday and then sinking the final putt of the final round to force a Monday playoff.

It was a career-defining performance for mere mortals, but just another major championship for Tiger Woods. The guy has already won The Masters by 12 strokes, completed the Tiger Slam of four consecutive major championships and conquered the 2006 British Open just months after the emotional loss of his father. This weekend is a line on his resume, not the entire resume itself.

Regardless of whether Tiger or Rocco Mediate prevails during tomorrow's 18-hole playoff, this tournament was Tiger's U.S. Open. What is most amazing about it is how routine it all seemed: opening with a double-bogey on the bad knee, but rallying afterwards to stay in contention on Thursday; making a charge on the back nine Friday evening with a terrific and painful approach on the par-5 18th; the bombs for eagle on 13 and 18 on Saturday and finally the wedge from the rough and birdie putt to force the playoff.

Just another day in the career of Tiger Woods.

Chipper Reading Material

2008-06-13T20:57:00.000-04:00

When I fall behind with my writing, I turn to others to shoulder the load. I read a couple of good pieces about Chipper's quest for .400 I wanted to pass along.

This blog piece from the Wall Street Journal argues against Chipper's chances of hitting .400. If you are a stat-crunching geek, you'll enjoy the conversation here. There is one ridiculous quotation about how Chipper's last two improved seasons have been "luck" is quickly questioned and debunked. Two seasons of luck? Come on.

(Max Jack - Chipper has hit .331 over the last two seasons, much without Teixeira hitting behind him. I'm just saying...).

Next, from the fantastically named "One More Dying Quail" blog, here is a long, detailed entry about hitting .400. I'm only on Chapter 5 of it, but so far, so good. This piece is a reminder of just how tough hitting .400 is (nobody in 60+ years) and also a reminder that there are so many blogs out there better than mine.

Time To Trade Tex

2008-06-11T16:30:00.000-04:00

It is not even the All-Star Break yet, but I'm starting to think about convincing myself of the possibility that it might be a good, maybe, for the Braves to pack it up in 2008.

Hear me out.

The Braves are now a game under .500 despite an MVP-caliber season from Chipper Jones and Cy Young-caliber stuff from Tim Hudson (though he has not gotten much support from the Braves' bats). The starting rotation coming into the season (Hudson, Smoltz, Glavine, Hampton and Jurrjens) is now down to Hudson. That's right - four of the five pitchers in the Braves' opening day rotation are currently hurt.

(If you did not hear the news, Jair Jurrjens is missing tonight's start after hurting his ankle after last night's loss).

The line-up is not much better. Mark Kotsay is out hurt and reports do not look good. Chipper is battling nagging injuries across his .400 hitting body right now. Matt Diaz and his .200 hitting body are on the D.L as well.

Meanwhile, the Phillies are getting hot with a loaded line-up and piecemeal starting staff. The Wild Card is likely going to the Cardinals, Brewers, Dodgers, or Mets - all better than the Braves.

In a time like this, I think GM Frank Wren needs to know when to fold 'em. No, I'm not talking about getting Kenny Rogers from the Tigers. I'm talking about trading a switch-hitting, difference making 1st baseman - Mark Teixeira.

Why trade him? If the Braves are not in contention (which they are not), they ought to get what they can for the unrestricted free agent. There is no, no, no chance that Tex re-signs with the Braves. Atlanta won't be able to compete with offers from the big markets, nor should they. Teixeira is a fine player, but not one who deserves a big chunk of the Braves' change anyway.

So if the Braves are not contending and there is no chance they will resign Tex, they might as well get something for him. Remember - they let Jarrod Saltamacchia go to get him in a well-intentioned but ultimately unsuccessful deal. Instead of it being all for naught, the Braves could get a good prospect for Teixeira.

Of course, who would trade a good prospect for an unrestricted free agent? Baseball history teaches us that teams in contention will do just that. One example I remember off the top of my head is the Houston Astros trading for Randy Johnson. On a lesser scale, the Braves themselves did it last year for Octavio Dotel.

One quick look at the baseball landscape shows several teams that could use Teixeira. Maybe the Tampa Bay Rays would be willing to take their shot in 2008 to make the post-season. Perhaps David Ortiz's injuries will continue to plague the slugger, making the Red Sox willing to deal a young pitcher for Teixeira. The Angels could upgrade at 1st base. So could the Dodgers. There would likely be enough suitors for Teixeira to ensure a decent return for Atlanta.

If the Braves can get a good return on Teixeira, they ought to take the deal and start thinking about how to compete in 2009 and 2010.

Where There's Smoke...

2008-06-11T09:13:00.000-04:00

Last week, my buddy (and loyal SCSB reader) Glenn was robbed. The jerks kicked down his door and took his laptop, TV, DVD player...even his detergent and the Bud Light from his fridge. At least Glenn was not home for the burglary.

There is another theft in the news today after allegations from crooked NBA referee Tim Donaghy. The subject of the robbery is the 2002 Western Conference Finals game between the L.A. Lakers and Sacramento Kings. It has long been speculated that officials, who did a miserable job in Game 6, purposefully helped the Lakers in an effort to create a lucrative Game 7 and put Los Angeles (big market, big ratings) in The Finals instead of Sacramento (small market, low ratings). The game in question featured 27 4th quarter free throws for the Lakers as both Sacramento centers fouled out of the game.

This is not the only NBA conspiracy theory, though the first to be reported by an actual NBA referee (to be clear, Donaghy did not mention Game 6 specifically, but it is obviously the subject of his most recent claims). Whether one believes Donaghy or not, there is no doubt that an aura of dishonesty has haunted the NBA for years. David Stern's tenure as commissioner has been wildly successful in many ways, but also highly suspicious.

For example:

The Patrick Ewing Draft Lottery - The NBA conspiracy theories began in 1985 when Stern "randomly" pulled the New York Knicks card to receive the first pick. Everyone knew Patrick Ewing would be this first pick, the type of big man a franchise could build around for the next decade. Everyone also knew the NBA needed the Knicks to be one of the league's elite teams, so adding Patrick Ewing to the Knicks, rather than say the Milwaukee Bucks or San Antonio Spurs, would bolster the NBA in terms of ratings, interest and revenue.

Was the Knicks' envelope frozen so Stern knew which one to grab? Was the corner bent? The conspiracy theories began...

2002 Lakers/Kings game

We covered this on in the introduction. It remains the source of speculation among NBA and specifically Kings players who remain convinced that Sacramento was robbed.

2005 Rockets/Mavericks playoff series

This series is also mentioned in Donaghy's deposition. The source of the conflict here is Yao Ming. After the Mavs fell behind the Rockets 2-0, Dallas owner Mark Cuban complained about Yao's illegal screens. Sure enough, Yao was called for several cheap fouls in Game 3 and the Mavericks ended up winning in seven games. When Rockets' coach Jeff Van Gundy stated that he was told that officals were instructed to watch Yao more closely after Cuban's complaints, the league (Stern) fined Van Gundy $100,000.

2006 Heat/Mavs Finals

Another Maverick conspiracy theory, but this one goes against Cuban's club. After falling behind 0-2, Miami stormed back to win the next four games behind Dwyane Wade's seemingly endless trips to the foul line. No matter what the Mavericks did defensively, they could not avoid fouling Wade who continually drove to the basket to bounce off Dallas defenders. The Mavs' cried "foul" against all the fouls to no avail.

The Sonics Leaving Seattle

This conspiracy appears more legitimate all the time, The Sonics were sold to Clay Bennett with the promise he would keep the team in Seattle. After several "attempts" to get a needed new arena, Bennett is moving the team to Oklahoma City where he lives. Coincidence? David Stern applauded Bennett's efforts to keep the team in Seattle, but new emails show the Bennett group never planed to keep them in Washington from the moment of purchase. At best, Stern was duped by his friend into thinking Bennett would not move the Sonics. At worst, Stern was dishonest with the city of Seattle and the media about Bennett's intentions with the Sonics.

For years now, NBA fans and opponents alike have questioned the integrity of the game and specifically its commissioner. The question now, amidst the most recent allegation, is whether there is fire with all the smoke.

I'm afraid the answer, in several of these cases, is most likely yes.

Taking Stock of the Baseball Season

2008-06-09T08:57:00.000-04:00

In a long season sport like baseball, it is easy to lose track of the major storylines until long after they have developed. Thank goodness for the Scenic City Sportsblog to track down nine innings of news from the 2008 MLB season.

1st inning - Three Up

The National League division leaders are the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks. Anyone surprised? The cream has risen in the N.L.

The Phillies are one starting pitcher away from being the clear favorite in the league (C.C. Sabathia?). They are up 3.5 games in the East without getting much of anything from Ryan Howard so far (.214 average with 87 strikeouts).

The Diamondbacks are one hitter (Adam Dunn?) from being a favorite behind their dominant starting staff. Who wants to meet these guys in the playoffs to face Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and Randy Johnson?

Meanwhile, the Cubs are the best team in the National League. They have a legitimate Cy Young contender (Carlos Zambrano), a legit closer (Kerry Wood) and a tough line-up with established names (Soriano, Lee and Ramirez) and exciting new-comers (Fukodome and Soto). Could this be the year for the cursed Cubs?

2nd inning - Three Down

The Rockies, Indians and Tigers entered the season with great promise after last year's success (Rockies & Tribe) or big trades/signings (Tigers). They have all flopped. The Rockies have suffered from injuries and players coming back down to Earth after last year's magical post-season run. Only the Mariners have a worse record than the defending National League champions.

The Indians are simply not hitting. Their team average is .241 right now, 29th in the league. Only the Washington Nationals hit worse. Despite Cliff Lee's breakout start, the Indians need to refill Joe Boo's rum quickly if they are going to catch the White Sox in the Central.

The Tigers are the season's greatest mystery. They are now 10 games back of the Sox, 10 games under .500. They are in the top half of the league in most major offensive categories, but seem to be feast or famine with their offensive output. Their pitching, however, is another story. They are 12th in the league in ERA and the only team without a complete game from a starter. Nate Robertson cannot get anyone out, Kenny Rogers is starting to look less like the The Gambler and more like The Coward of the County, and Jeremy Bonderman is out for the year with a blood clot. The D-Train has been the Little Engine That Can't so far in Motown.

3rd inning - Warning Track Power

Besides the Tigers, a few other pre-season darlings have disappointed in the first half of the season. The Atlanta Braves are a remarkable 7-21 on the road and even worse in one run games (3-17). The Milwaukee Brewers got off to a slow start, but have battled back to contention in the N.L. Central. The New York Yankees and Mets both look old and vulnerable before the heat of summer has even set in.

If any of these teams have a real chance of contending in October, it is the Milwaukee Brewers. They have good starting pitching with a great ace in Ben Sheets. The Eric Gagne signing was the biggest mistake in Milwaukee this side of Bob Uecker's speedo, but the Brew Crew seems to be righting the ship with Solomon Torres closing the door and a line-up of slugger after right-handed slugger.

Two of the surprises of 2008 so far are running out of gas in early June. The Florida teams in Tampa Bay and Miami got off to great starts, but the Rays seem to be coming unglued after fights against Boston and among themselves (yesterday in Texas), while the Marlins lost 6 of 8 before winning the weekend's games against Cincinnati.

4th inning - Can of Corn

While several teams have been up and down throughout the first part of the baseball season, two of the early favorites in the American League are rolling along yet again. The Boston Red Sox have the best record in the American League with a 26-6 home record. What is remarkable about the BoSox so far is their ability to overcome problems with their superstars. Big Papi is not hitting - J.D. Drew has picked him up. Josh Beckett has been hurting - Dice-K and Jon Lester have picked up the slack.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in California, U.S.A. are already pulling away in the A.L. West. The Angels have six legitimate starting pitchers (just like the BoSox), four big-time outfielders and one of the best managers in the game in Mike Scioscia. The two teams seem to be on a collision course for the pennant (I'm not sold on the White Sox yet).

5th inning - Ladies Love the Long Ball

The home run leaders through 60+ games are a odd collection of names. Josh Hamilton? Dan Uggla? Carlos Quentin? While traditional sluggers like Lance Berkman, Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn and Jason Giambi are near the top of their respective leagues in dingers, the emergence of guys like Hamilton, Uggla and Quentin remind us that the Steriod Era is in baseball's past.

The only player with over 20 home runs so far is Philadelphia's Chase Utley. The second baseman might be the best young player in baseball (so says President Bush) and 2008 has been his coming out party. Playing in the shadow of MVPs Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins, Utley is quietly in contention for the Triple Crown as he leads the league in home runs and RBI. While Chipper and Berkman have garnered headlines in the opening months of the season, Utley is the early favorite for the league MVP on a championship contending ball club.

6th inning - Home Field Advantage

Weird, isn't it? Right now, there are only three teams (Angels, Phillies and the surprising Cardinals) who have a road record over .500. While baseball does give its home team the advantage of batting last, there is hardly an explanation for the disparity in home and road records throughout the MLB. Is it youth? Coincidence? How do you explain it?

7th inning - Time to Stretch

One of the emerging storylines of the season is the tiny strike zone being used by umpires in both leagues. Games are longer and pitch counts are up so far as the zone has narrowed from black to black while basically being the same from knees to belt.

The source of the change is the rating system used for the umpires that encourages them to call balls rather than strikes. The QuesTec system used by Major League Baseball determines whether each pitch is a ball or strike. If an umpire calls a ball (according to Q-Tec) a strike, he gets a demerit for missing the call. If he calls a strikes (according to Q-Tec) a ball, there is no penalty. The lesson? If the pitch is close, call it a ball. There is no longer much personality among umpire's strike zones (that guy has a wide zone, that guy won't call it low, etc.) as everyone is held to the QuesTec standard.

8th inning - Call to the Bullpen

The following players are currently on the Disabled List or out hurt:

Chipper Jones, John Smoltz, Curt Schilling, David Ortiz, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Travis Hafner, Matt Holliday, Jeremy Bonderman, Gary Sheffield, Kelvim Escobar, Chone Figgins, Rafael Furcal, Andruw Jones, Jason Schmidt, Nomar Garciaparra, Eric Gagne, Moises Alou, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Mike Sweeney, Frank Thomas, Xavier Nady, Jake Peavy, Jason Isringhausen, Chris Carpenter (nice name), Mark Mulder, Rick Ankiel, Carlos Pena, Michael Young, Hank Blalock, Shannon Stewart, Paul Lo Duca, Ryan Zimmerman and Chad Cordero.

(Exhale).

Will someone get these guys some HGH or greenies ASAP? I'm not sure how the Washington Nationals are fielding a team right now with the number of injuries in their dugout (five opening day starters are on the Nats' D.L.). The baseball season has always been a grind, but this year it seems to be grinding away some the game's best players.

9th inning - Start the Bus

The long baseball season gets really long when you are playing for pride in June. The Mariners, Royals, Tigers, Padres, Nationals, Giants and Rockies can already start thinking about 2009.

Swept

2008-06-08T22:19:00.000-04:00

So much for dominating at Turner Field. The Philadelphia Phillies rolled into Atlanta and, without even using their best pitcher, swept three games from the Braves.

What a frustrating series. The Braves were one out and a routine catch away from winning on Friday night, wasted a solid outing from Jo-Jo Reyes on Saturday and then left 23 men on base in Sunday's 6-3 loss.

Jeff Francoeur left six men on base himself as his clutch-hitting continues to be a maddening storyline of the season. With Chipper Jones and Brian McCann on the bench today, Frenchy needed to come through in the clutch. He did not. Francoeur batted 6th, behind Kelly Johnson for goodness sake, and once again demonstrated why Bobby Cox is losing faith in his big right-fielder. The guy has to deliver some RBIs.

The Braves have Monday off before a long road trip that starts in Chicago against the top-of-the-league Cubs.

Oh, To Be Young

2008-06-07T16:04:00.000-04:00

More than any game all season, the Braves showed their youth last night against the Philadelphia Phillies. There is no doubt that the young Braves are exciting, promising and fearless. They are also dumb, inconsistent and frustrating.

Yunel Escobar (25 years old) and Kelly Johnson (26) personified this youth movement in the opening game against the Phils. The two combined on a brilliant double-play to get Tim Hudson out of a bases loaded, one out jam. Escobar dove to his left to make a diving stop and flipped the ball to Johnson who made a fantastic turn to complete the twin killing. It was exciting, promising and fearless.

The two also made a pair of dumb, inconsistent and frustrating plays that spoiled Atlanta's chance of winning. With the bases loaded and one out, Yunel Escobar made a stupid mistake of not immediately tagging on Jeff Francoeur's line drive to the outfield (the rule is always tag up at third because you will always score if it drops). Escobar compounded the mistake by attempting to retreat and still tag up on the play. He was thrown out at home by 15 feet, killing the rally.

Kelly Johnson made the final, critical mistake in the 9th by one-handing a simple big league fly ball that would have won the game for Atlanta. The ball hit the palm of his glove, fell to the turf and allowed Eric Bruntlett to score the tying run.

Bruntlett was in scoring position because of the mistakes of Blaine Boyer (26) who walked two batters in the 9th and allowed Bruntlett to move into scoring position with a stolen base without the slightest effort to hold him close.

It is easy to forget, but while Chipper, Glavine, Hudson and Smoltz offer the Braves veteran leadership, the Braves are a very young ball club. Look at the names and ages of the guys the Braves are counting upon this year:

Yunel Escobar (25)
Kelly Johnson (26)
Brian McCann (24)
Jeff Francoeur (24)
Gregor Blanco (24)
Omar Infante (26)
Jo-Jo Reyes (24)
Jair Jurrjens (22)
Blaine Boyer (26)

To put it all into perspective, the Braves tonight will likely have a battery of Reyes (24) and McCann (24), Escobar (25), Johnson (26) and Blanco (24) up the middle, and Blanco, Infante (26) and Francoeur (24) in the outfield.

Fifteen players on the Braves 25-man roster were born in the 1980s. Tonight's opponent, the Phillies (who just happen to be in 1st place in the N.L. East), have just six.

Is it any wonder the Braves struggle on the road and sometimes give games away at home? Is it any wonder the Braves struggle in one-run games?

The fact is that the Braves are basically rebuilding with a handful of solid veterans keeping them in the playoff hunt.

Chipper Blasts 400 - Putting It Into Perspective

2008-06-06T09:22:00.000-04:00

Chipper's magical season continued last night by crushing his 400th home run. The story has gotten lost in the national media coverage of the Celtics/Lakers and the Red Sox explosion/implosion last night.

So what exactly does 400 career home runs mean? It puts Chipper into 43rd place in all-time home runs, just ahead of Dale Murphy, Al Kaline, and Andres Galarraga and just behind Duke Snider and Darrell Evans.

It gives Chipper more career dingers than Johnny Bench, Orlando Cepada, Tony Perez and Joe Dimaggio - all Hall of Famers.

He has the 3rd most home runs of any switch hitter, trailing only Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray. He is the only switch hitter in baseball history with a career .300 average and over 300 home runs.

He has more career home runs than any Atlanta Brave (remembering that Hank Aaron was a Milwaukee Braves for much of his career). Take a trip down memory lane here.

If there was any doubt about Chipper's Cooperstown credentials, this season has erased them.

NBA Finals Breakdown

2008-06-05T18:07:00.000-04:00

The NBA got the Finals match-up it wanted between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. It starts tonight, so let's breakdown the match-ups:

Point Guard - Advantage Lakers

Derek Fisher has been a key addition for the Lakers this year. Can you picture this team in the Finals with Smush Parker guiding it? Me neither. Rajon Rondo provides speed for the Celtics, but he has been shaky throughout the playoffs and continues to be left alone on offense as teams double Garnett and Pierce. Sam Cassell has been a bust as an addition to the Celtic backcourt, so the Lakers have a clear advantage here.

Wings - Advantage Lakers (barely)

Kobe Bryant & Sasha Vujacic vs. Ray Allen & Paul Pierce. The Series will be won or lost here. Can the Celtics hold Kobe in check for four games? Who will guard Kobe? Will Pierce go off again like he did in Game 7 against Cleveland. What about Ray Allen? Is he back or a question mark? Will Sasha give Pierce fits like he did Ginobili?

The answers to these questions will determine the outcome of the series. I cannot pick against the best player on the floor, so I'll go with Kobe and the Lakers here. If Ray Allen shows up, I might like the Celtics more in this regard.

Post - Advantage Celtics (barely)

Lamar Odom & Pau Gasol vs. Kevin Garnett & Kendrick Perkins. Garnett is going to bring energy, rebounds and points every night. Odom and Gasol can get lost at times (I watched Gasol no-show 12 straight playoff losses in Memphis). For that reason, I think Boston has an advantage here. Perkins is a non-factor. Again, I'll take the best player over two really good ones. Barely.

Bench - Advantage Lakers

The Lakers have a terrific bench led by Luke Walton. They bring energy with Rony Turiaf, Jordan Farmar, and Vladimir Radmanovic. The Celtics can only boast James Posey, P.J. Brown, and a bunch of inconsistent non-factors. The Celtics will have to play The Big Three (Allen barely counts these days) for big minutes in the series.

Coach - Advantage Lakers

9 Championship Rings vs. Doc Rivers. Next.

Motivation - Advantage Celtics

Kobe is playing for his first championship without Shaq, but he has to know that the future is extremely bright in Los Angeles for a run of Finals (remember, Andrew Bynum is out with a bum knee right now). For Boston's Big Three, this is their first and best (and perhaps only) chance for a championship.

Intangibles - Advantage Celtics

The biggest advantage here is the home court advantage in Boston. The Lakers will have to win at least one in Boston to win the series - no easy task. Posey could cause defensive problems for Bryant, but who can guard Garnett for the Lakers?

Prediction - Lakers in 7

In the end, I cannot pick Doc Rivers over Phil Jackson. I'm pulling for Garnett and Pierce to get rings (can't say I care about Ray Allen), but think the series will return to Boston at 3-2 Lakers and Kobe will take over in the final game to give Phil his 10th title.

The Griffey Legacy

2008-06-05T08:27:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard, and it is possible you have not with the lack of attention it has received, Ken Griffey, Jr. is one home run away from 600 for his career. There are only five players in MLB history with that many dingers - Bonds, Aaron, Ruth, Mays and Sosa. Two of the five names are clearly tainted. The next addition to the club is clearly not.

Ken Griffey, Jr. was destined to be the greatest baseball player to ever take the field. He had a sweet swing, amazing athleticism, a big league pedigree (his dad was part of the Cincinnati Reds' Big Red Machine) and a million dollar smile that graced multiple commercials and video games.

He also produced at the plate. Griffey put up monster numbers during the late 1990s during the height of the Steroids Era (he has never even been rumored to have taken the juice). It is easy to forget how good Griffey was during his prime, so check out these numbers:

1996 - 49 HR, 140 RBI, .303
1997 - 56 HR, 147 RBI, .304
1998 - 56 HR, 146 RBI, .284
1999 - 48 HR, 134 RBI, .285
2000 - 40 HR, 118 RBI, .271

Those are ridiculous numbers in any era. There was more to Griffey's game than just putting up numbers (ala Slammin' Sammy). Griffey was a 10 time Gold Glover with several signature catches in the Kingdome's centerfield. He was also a clutch performer, scoring the most memorable run in Mariner history as he raced home against the New York Yankees in the 1995 playoffs.

He had it all, though he was hidden from much of America while playing in Seattle. Many of us East Coasters knew Griffey was good, but didn't know just how good. The 1995 playoffs were his initial showcase, but Griffey was largely shined in obscurity in Seattle.

That was all supposed to change with The Kid's arrival in Cincinnati. The Griffey-to-Cincinnati deal was a steal for the Reds. Or so it seemed. After initial success in 2000, The Kid simply could not stay healthy in Cincinnati. Between 2002-2004, Griffey missed 260 games with a variety of injuries.

Now, as he approaches an amazing milestone, he barely gets mentioned as one of the game's all-time greats. Baseball rewards longevity, but it is also a numbers sport. With 600 career dingers, Griffey has the numbers to be considered one of the great centerfielders ever to play the game. If not for a string of unfortunate injuries, Hank Aaron's record 755 would have fallen to a classy slugger rather than an arrogant cheat.

Perhaps no athlete has suffered more from injuries than Griffey. His legacy has been tarnished by a body that broke down in Cincinnati after producing so much in Seattle. The injuries set back the Reds for a decade, but also set Griffey aside in baseball's collective mind. As he approaches 600, it is time to remember the brilliance, excitement and disappointment that is the Griffey Legacy.

Braves Mailbag!

2008-06-04T16:46:00.000-04:00

After the Braves blew a two run lead in the 9th inning Wednesday afternoon, I decided to open up the 'ole Braves mailbag to ease the pain.

(The letters are fake; the answer are real).

Hear the news today? I'm out for the year - more time to spend with Hampton - John S.

First, how did you get this letter to me so quickly? Second, please refrain from mentioning Mike Hampton because it makes me think we'll never see you on the mound again. In fact, I'm predicting this is it for you, Smoltzy. Are you really willing to go through surgery and recovery to come back to a team without Glavine (retired) or Tex (signed with Yankees)? The Braves are barely a playoff team now and it is hard to picture the team being better next year. Then again, if the youth continues to grow up and improve, the Tex money is well spent, Jordan Schafer is the real deal, Jo-Jo, Jair and Jorge (Killer J's?) mature into solid starters...it might be worth one more run at the Series. The closer role looks like it will still be up for grabs...

I'm starting to convince myself into believing you. Come back, John!

Miss me? - Matt D.

I wish I did. I wanted you to have a great year in left, but the evidence suggests you are not a full-time big league outfielder. You play hard. You run hard. You try hard. The results, however, scream platoon player/pinch hitter.

Why am I not batting lead-off? - Gregor

Because Joe Simpson keeps calling for it. You think Bobby Cox is going to listen to some crappy catcher-turned-analyst?

Actually, I'm not totally sold on you batting lead-off either. The positives are your speed, patience and pretty good OBP (.388 right now). The negatives are your youth and lack of pop (.352 slugging). Keep getting on base and making things happen with your legs and we'll see you up in the order soon enough.

What about me as lead-off? - Josh A.

I wish you showed the slightest bit of pop to justify it. You clearly have the speed to be a terror on the bases, but I have not seen a decent swing out of you yet. Back to Richmond soon, Josh.

What about me? - Yunel

We have a theme working here, don't we? Yunel - TAKE A PITCH! You swing at the first pitch every single at-bat. First, that is a lousy strategy because you are being fed first pitches out of the zone that you cannot handle. Second, lead-off hitters are supposed to work the count every once in a while. A base on balls is a good thing for a lead-off guy. Finally, you are hitting just .245 on the road this year, so something isn't working. Like Axl said - "Just a little patience...yeah, yeah."

Me? - Kelly

Are you serious? All these letters about the lead-off spot? You'd think the offense was sputtering...oh, yeah. It is.

You had your chance. You didn't get on base. Next.

Gregor - I'm starting to really warm up to the idea of giving you a look at lead-off. It isn't a pretty picture at the top of the order right now, is it?

Impressed? - Jo-Jo

You better believe it! You look like a legit major league lefty these days. And, on top of that, you are my daughter Abby's favorite player. She says, "Jo-Jo" all the time. Actually, it is more like JoJoJoJoJoJo. It might actually be a Buddhist chant that I don't know about. I'm not really sure.

Back to you, Jo-Jo, I'm very impressed. With Smoltz out for the year, you have a chance to step up as an every 5th day guy on a playoff contender. I was ready to send you to single A after last year, but there is something different about you so far this season. Keep it up.

Isn't it time I got some love for my work this year - Roger M.

Roger McDowell - you have done wonders this year. The pitching has been such a pleasant surprise - both starting and relieving. With all the injuries, the staff could have crumbled. Instead, the Braves are getting good pitching every night.

Kudos, Roger - The Second Spitter.

Why am I not getting more blame for the offensive woes? - Terry P.

Because we still and always will love you, Mr. Pendleton. You took us to the promised land in 1991 and we have not forgotten. For that, you are getting a pass.

Otherwise, I would point out that our hitters look lost on the road without any patience or game plan at the plate. It might not be fair to blame you, so I won't. I'll just use innuendo instead.

I feel a little better now. Time to close up the 'ole Braves mailbag.

Chipper Hits 399 in Braves Win

2008-06-04T09:26:00.000-04:00

Greg Norton was the hero last night in the Braves 5-4 win over Florida. Dan Uggla slugged two homers, but it was an 8th inning rallied started by Chipper and finished by Greg Norton that sunk the Fish.

Chipper hit his 399th homer of his Hall of Fame career last night in the 1st inning. We are into June and he is still hitting over .400.

At this point, the Braves have the best home record in baseball and the worst road record in baseball. Weird.

John Smoltz was not brought out for the save opportunity last night after complaining of pain Monday. Rafael Soriano closed the deal for Atlanta last night. In other pitching news, Mike Hampton...never mind.

Off to Great Grandma's with the girls - several articles in the works that will be up today and tomorrow. I'm working out the summer kinks right now (i.e. when to write without a 45-minute free period in the morning) and am thinking about some major overhauls of the site. Stay tuned.

Mixed Feelings About Mixed Martial Arts

2008-06-02T22:35:00.000-04:00

I have always been a lover, not a fighter.

The reason for this is not a moral high road or good up-bringing so much as common sense. I'm 5'10, 165 lbs and the least intimidating physical presence this side of Matthew Broderick (who people are most likely to say I remind them of).

Despite the fact that I'm no fighter, I do like a good fight. Anything in a ring is good by me. I love a good boxing fight. I have always been a wrestling fan. My short list of personal heroes goes beyond Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln to include Muhammad Ali and Ric Flair.

Which brings me to MMA - Mixed Martial Arts. It is exciting, brutal and the latest controversial craze. John McCain famously called it "human cockfighting" (he is also against gay marriage...I'm not the first nor will I be the last to make that joke). For everyone who finds it to be Roman gladiators Version 2.0, there is another who loves the combination of boxing, kick-boxing and all those martial arts I don't understand.

I've watched enough on television and the Internet to know that I don't know how much I like MMA. Like millions of others, I watched some of the EliteXC fighting on CBS Saturday night (EliteXC is a different company from the more popular Ultimate Fighting (UFC)). It has been the talk of the sports world as talking heads try to figure out if it is athletic competition or freak show.

I have no doubt about the athletic competition part. The appeal of MMA is that the fighters have a wide array of weapons to win the fights. There are stand-up artists, wrestlers, submission experts, guys with wicked elbows or knees. A fight can look to be going one way, the suddenly be over with a victory the other way (Brock Lesnar suffered this type of reversal of fortune in his UFC debut) because of the crazy submissions and counters in MMA. The guys are usually cut out of stone with less body fat than brain cells. They put their faces and bodies on the line for glory in the cage. I have always been inspired by seeing guys literally give their lives just to win a contest.

The problem I have with Mixed Martial Arts is the brutality. There are moments in the fights when I have a hard time watching it. The "ground and pound" aspect of the sport often leaves a man bloodied, broken and unconscious on the mat. Watching a man take multiple elbow strikes or punches to his unprotected face is disgusting, but it is also fairly common in the sport.

Proponents of MMA argue that the quick knockouts are better for the fighters than the slow, steady pounding of a boxing match. I have watched my fair share of Arturo Gatti fights and know these proponents are correct. Most of the time the fighters "tap out" before a submission hold chokes them unconscious or snaps their arm in half. Why don't I feel as uneasy watching a boxing fight that is more likely to end up in brain damage or death (there has yet to be a specific case of either in MMA) as i do an Ultimate Fight?

These mixed feelings about mixed martial arts make events like Saturday night feel like a horror movie. I cannot decide if I'm enjoying it or wishing it would just be over. Chances are I'll keep coming back for more as I figure it out.

Everything's Right in Atlanta Tonight

2008-06-02T22:25:00.000-04:00

Not really, but it feels that way after Yunel Escobar blasted a two-run 10th inning homerun to beat the Florida Marlins at Turner Field. The Braves had a lead, blew a lead, had a lead, blew a lead, tied the game and then won it in extra innings. Quite a night for the enigma that is the Atlanta Braves.

John Smoltz came of the D.L. and proceeded to blow the save with pitches up in the strike zone to the heart of the Marlins' order. Down 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th, the Braves rallied for a run behind two walks, a fielder's choice and a wild pitch. That's right - no hits.

The 10th inning began with Kelly Johnson drawing a walk and ended with Yunel Escobar blasting a home run off the top of the fence. Hopefully this is the type of win that can turn around a topsy-turvy season for the Bravos.

Series continues tomorrow night on the Peachtree channel. I actually have that one, thought it took me two months to find it.

Reds Sweep Braves

2008-06-01T21:36:00.000-04:00

After the 8-3 homestand, I had high hopes the Braves could overcome their road woes in Milwaukee and Cincinnati, but instead they come home losing five of six, six of their last eight. The bats cooled off, the pitcher's fingers blistered and the defense bungled outs in a miserable weekend.

The Reds, to their credit, are playing excellent, inspired baseball right now. Jay Bruce, the former Chattanooga Lookout, has given a shot in the rear to the struggling Reds. I cannot remember a debut as impressive as Bruce's this weekend. If Cincinnati can hit, they have pretty good starting pitching (ERA leader Volquez, stud Harang, solid Arroyo, sometimes brilliant Cueto). They are stuck in the tough N.L. Central, but there is no reason the Reds shouldn't be better than they have been.

But who cares about the Reds?

The Braves have been awful this week because of a line-up that is not producing runs. Yunel Escobar has been a disaster as a lead-off hitter (take a pitch!). It is time to change things up with the line-up, specifically moving Gregor Blanco to the lead-off spot. Other than that, the Braves just need to get some hits. This line-up is too good not to be scoring runs.

The injuries continue to pile up as Tim Hudson and Blaine Boyer both left yesterday's game in the 7th inning with hamstring and knee issues, respectively. The Braves have had more causalities this year than the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan.

In better injury news, John Smoltz returns to the team today likely in a bullpen role. The Braves host the Florida Marlins in a big series for Atlanta. The team has to keep winning at home until it can figure out how to do it on the road.

Vince Young is Restless

2008-05-29T09:01:00.000-04:00

For a few days now, I've been thinking about this story about Vince Young and his thoughts about retirement after his rookie year. I could not decide what to make of it - overly honest? overly dramatic? not a big deal? a huge deal?

Then I read this story about over-the-hill baseball players who cannot come to terms with retirement and still hope to find a team this season (the article leaves out a few names - Barry Bonds and Trot Nixon being glaring omissions).

(An aside - am I the only person who finds the "announced his retirement" headlines about guys like Bret Boone and Julio Franco to be ridiculous? Did they really retire or could they no longer find a job? Isn't that different?)

Back to my original point, the baseball articles convinced me that Vince Young's retirement confession is, in fact, a big deal for the Tennessee Titans. If he seriously thought about walking away from the game after one season, what does it say about his love of the game? What does it say about his desire to succeed?

If Vince Young was Tony Soprano and I was Dr. Melfi, here is what I would say about my patient: Vince is a charismatic guy who loves the spotlight that being a football quarterback provides, but does not actually care much about football itself.

Deep, huh?

We found out from Vince's Texas days and his Wunderlic test scores that he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Some have speculated that being an NFL quarterback is just too mentally tough for him. I don't buy that. Playing football is not rocket science - Vince is given a play that is practiced over and over again throughout the week. He makes a few reads and then either runs it, throws it or hands it off. Peyton Manning makes the position look like a professorship, but dumb guys can play quarterback in the NFL.

I think it has less to do with his intellect and more to do with his passion. Rather than loving football, Vince loves attention. He loves the admiration. He had it at Madison High School where he was highly recruited and easily BMOC. He had it at UT after a rocky start where he was a highly touted and BMOC. In the NFL, he is a run-of-the-mill quarterback on a run-of-the-mill team. The spotlight is on guys like Brady, Manning (take your pick) and Favre.

So Vince realized that his athleticism, size and skill sets were not enough to make him BMOC in the NFL; he was going to have to work hard to achieve it. His first instinct was to quit. I wonder if that feeling will return again. What happens if the Titans struggle to a 5-11 season this year with Young getting the brunt of the blame? Will his instinct be to improve or pack it in and hang with his boys?

Baseball has a starting line-up of guys who are dying to get back on the field, but Vince Young pondered quitting after one year. The question for the Titans is: Can they can win with a quarterback who does not really like football?

If that question was on the Wunderlic test, even Vince would get it right.

Braves Fall to 0-11 in One Run Games on Road

2008-05-28T23:11:00.000-04:00

Exasperating.

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-28T23:09:00.000-04:00

Chipper was 1 for 2 on Wednesday night.

Current Average - .418

The Milwaukee/Atlanta Connection

2008-05-28T08:57:00.000-04:00

While my students take their final exams in American history, I have been doing a little history myself about the history of the Braves franchise. The Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee to Atlanta, forever linking the three cities in baseball history. The Braves battle the Red Sox each year in interleague play for this very reason, and it makes a series like the one in Milwaukee this week more special because of the lineage.

The central connection between the two cities in many minds is Hammerin' Hank Aaron. The former homerun king started slugging in Milwaukee, moved with the Braves to Atlanta to hit #715, then returned to Milwaukee as a Brewer to finish his Hall of Fame career. Aaron's story links the two cities just like the Braves franchise, but what exactly is the history of that franchise?

The Braves started in Boston alongside the more popular Red Sox. Despite a pennant in 1948 (the famous "Spahn and Sain and two days of rain" team), the Braves followed several other teams, like the Giants, Dodgers and Athletics, to the growing populations of western cities. Milwaukee earned the Braves in 1953 after years of support for minor league baseball. The city also promised a state of the art stadium for the Braves.

The 1950s featured some of the best teams in Braves' history with superstars like Spahn, Aaron and Eddie Mathews. They won back-to-back pennants in 1957 and 1958, winning the World Series over the New York Yankees in 1957 for their only championship (they lost to the Yanks, despite a 3-1 series lead, in 1958). In fact, the Milwaukee Braves never had a losing record during their stay in Wisconsin.

Despite a championship and consistent winning product, attendance dropped after the '57 championship. There do not seem to be good explanations for what happened to baseball in Milwaukee. Some suggest the city was always partial to the teams in Chicago over their own Braves, while others suggest the city simply lost its fascination with baseball over time.

Either way, the Braves' ownership saw an opportunity to move the team to a growing population in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves would be the only MLB team in the South and play in a new stadium. There were concerns about moving to Atlanta among players who worried about the humidity as well as racial segregation in the South, but the paltry game attendance in Milwaukee made it difficult for anyone to fight to save the franchise.

Anyone besides used car salesman Bud Selig. The future commish successfully sued to keep the Braves in Milwaukee through its lease in 1965. It only delayed the inevitable as the Braves were heading for Atlanta despite hopes to keep the team in Wisconsin. The final year of the Braves' stay in Milwaukee was a miserable one as there were often less than a thousand fans at the games. Only 812 people paid to watch the final game of the franchise's existence in Milwaukee.

Bud Selig fought to bring baseball back to Milwaukee despite the city's pathetic record with the Braves and succeeded in 1970 when the Seattle Pilots became the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers franchise has failed to achieve the same success as the Braves, making its lone appearance in the World Series in 1982 (a seven-game loss to St. Louis) and switching from the American to the National League in 1998.

The Braves franchise, of course, has had tremendous success in Atlanta because of its geographic monopoly on baseball, the superstation TBS and the development of young players in the farm system.

The Braves and Brewers - forever linked in Milwaukee baseball history.

Braves Blow It Against Brewers

2008-05-28T08:11:00.000-04:00

I was excited about watching last night's game in Milwaukee. Not for the sausage races or to see Billy Brewer slide into the beer, but because the Braves were heading away from Turner Field after an excellent homestand to hopefully bash their road bugaboos.

It started well with a run in the first and another shortly thereafter on the Gregor Blanco homerun (his 1st career dinger), but fell apart late in the game. Tim Hudson was brilliant, but could not hold his lead late and the bullpen gave up the go-ahead run in the 9th for a deflating 3-2 loss to Milwaukee.

You just knew it would be Bill Hall in the end, didn't you? After being benched and making public comments about it, the demoted infielder got a less-than-impressive broken bat hit, moved to second base on a fielder's choice, stole third when Jeff Bennett inexplicably forgot about him and then scored on a sacrifice fly to end it.

There is an old adage in baseball that you win 60, you lose 60, and whatever you do in-between determines your season. Last night was a game that should have been a W, but became another road loss (the Braves are now 6-17 away from Turner Field).

What is especially frustrating are the multiple mental and strategic mistakes that led to the loss. For example:

* Bennett forgetting about Bill Hall on 2nd base - he stole 3rd and scored on a sac fly because of the uncontested swipe.

* Swinging at first and bad pitches - the announcers, who are almost always spot on with their commentary these days, pointed out that Yunel Escobar made three outs on first pitches...from the leadoff spot! He had never faced Dave Bush before - take a pitch or two! Mark Teixeira grounded into a double play when he reached for a bad first pitch in the 8th. The Braves too often show no plate patience.

* Not understanding situations - after Tim Hudson gutted his way through a tough 6th inning, Jeff Francoeur led off the 7th with an out on the first pitch. Matt Diaz followed that with an inexplicable bunt (after hurting his knee in the outfield the previous inning) on the first pitch to make the second out. Two pitches, two outs. Gregor Blanco did his job and battled a few pitches to give Hudson a rest, but Frenchy and Diaz ought to know better than to hack after a long defensive inning.

* The Diaz bunt - huh? Even with good wheels, he shouldn't be bunting. Like many Atlanta fans, I've soured on Diaz as of late. I cannot remember the last time I saw him hit the ball hard. Joe Simpson alluded to Diaz's poor play when he called for Omar Infante to get ready to play some left field which now looks like a reality because Diaz is heading to the D.L. with a posterior cruciate ligament strain.

These types of mistakes get you beat on the road. Last night was one for the taking as Tim Hudson was working the Brewers' hitters, but a series of mistakes cost Atlanta.

Lots of news:

Rafael Soriano will be activated today off the D.L. The already-solid bullpen just got its closer back.

Matt Diaz is on the D.L. I like Gregor Blanco, but I really like Omar Infante because he can bat leadoff.

Mark Kotsay was scratched again yesterday and will likely head to the D.L. if things don't improve. This is bad news as this injury kept him out much of last year as well.

Jo-Jo works tonight against the right-handed hitting Brew Crew. Bad news...

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-28T08:10:00.001-04:00

Chipper went 2-4 yesterday.

Current Average - .418

Ball Four - Today's Tiny Strike Zone

2008-05-27T08:24:00.000-04:00

Unable to locate the remote control at the conclusion of yesterday's victory over the Diamondbacks, I was treated to a quick interview session with Bobby Cox after the game. I was quickly struck with how exhausted he seemed after the game. He seems so calm throughout, just sitting there taking it all in. It is easy to forget how much the manager lives and dies with each sequence during the game.

The main topic of Cox's post-game thoughts was the game's strike zone. This is the elephant in the room right now for Major League Baseball. The games are too long, pitchers are throwing too many pitches and ruining their arms, and the hitters are allowed to take strikes with the knowledge that even behind in the count they will get something to hit.

The source of Cox's anger yesterday was a borderline strike to Eric Byrnes that would have ended the inning and given Jair Jurrjens a victory. Byrnes, who looks lost at the plate right now despite a couple of homers in the series, was clearly fooled by the inside pitch and should have been rung up. Instead, the Braves' rookie had to throw a better pitch that was laced for a hit. His day was over after 97 squeezed pitches.

Why has the strike zone gotten so small? On paper, the zone is supposed to be from the letters to the knees, but in actuality it is called from the waist to the top of the knees. You never see a high strike called anymore.

The problems with such a tight zone are many. The New York Yankees began a strategy that has been mirrored throughout the league of taking pitches to get into an opponent's bullpen. With strike zones so small, this strategy works well against any pitcher, even ones with good control. It forces the pitcher to sweeten up his pitches just to get ahead in the count which leads to big offensive innings. The alternative is to keep after the corners and run up a big pitch count while falling behind hitters.

The tight zone also lengthens the game. If every batter is getting 2-2, 3-2 counts, the time of the game quickly balloons to three, maybe four hours long. I love watching baseball, but not four hours of it.

What about the pitchers' arms? The list of arm and elbow problems among elite pitchers is so long I don't know where to start. It is known that the overhand pitch in an unnatural motion that tears up a man's shoulder and elbow, but don't you think there is also a connection between the sheer number of pitches thrown and the damage done? It takes 15-20 pitches to get out of an inning these days - and that is a good inning! Complete games are as rare as triple plays not because of the new closer strategy, but because the human arm cannot throw as many pitches as today's tight zone demands.

Why not expand the zone? The quick answer is that it would favor the pitcher too much and produce a bunch of 1-0 games. Ladies love the longball, right? People want to see homeruns and power at the plate. The game would be less exciting.

Here is why that is lousy logic: the current zone leads to bat-on-the-shoulder patience that is not exciting at all. The MLB once had wider strike zones that meant batters went to the plate ready to swing the bat. Isn't that better than today's game where batters go to the plate ready to take until the first strike?

Bobby Cox was right on the money yesterday with his critique of game right now in regards to the calling of balls and strikes. Widen that zone and we get a much better brand of baseball.

Braves Spin Webb, Split With D-Backs

2008-05-27T08:08:00.000-04:00

Atlanta finished its homestand 8-3 with a split of the Arizona Diamondbacks by knocking off Brandon Webb 7-3 on Memorial Day. The game looked like a solid pitching match-up between Atlanta's upstart rookie Jair Jurrjens and Arizona's Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, but a tight strikezone and hot bats knocked both pitchers out early.

The big play in the game was Brian McCann's solo homer to lead off the bottom of the 5th inning. The Diamondbacks had scored two runs in the top of the inning and knocked Jurrjens from the game, but with one swing McCann halted any Arizona momentum as he crushed a Webb offering into the right-center stands.

The Atlanta bullpen continues to be the most pleasant surprise of the year thus far. It did not give up a single run yesterday in protecting the early lead. Unfortunately, it did not protect a win for Jair Jurrjens who did not complete the minimum five innings for the W.

Mark Kotsay was a late scratch with back soreness. Seriously, can we get the Phoenix Suns' training staff down in Atlanta? It is easier to name Braves who AREN'T hurt than ones who are.

Atlanta visits Milwaukee to face the scary Brewers. It seems like those guys could get hot at any time, so hopefully it won't be this weekend. Speaking of scary, I'm a fan of the Diamondbacks. With that starting staff and young line-up, they will be a pain for somebody in the playoffs (in the pathetic N.L. West, I think their magic number is already 12). Fingers crossed it won't be Atlanta.

The Braves need to start winning on the road and have a host of right-handed pitchers waiting for them in Milwaukee and then Cincinnati. Time to win a few away from Turner Field.

Chipper Tracker - Larry Waynes Goes For .400

2008-05-27T07:50:00.000-04:00

Chipper went 1 for 3 with a couple of walks.

Current Average - .417

My Manu Crush

2008-05-26T10:19:00.000-04:00

It's true - I've got a Manu Crush.

Manu Ginobili that is. The San Antonio Spurs' sensation from Argentina used to drive me nuts with his flopping and whining, but I've come around on him over the last few weeks.

Why the change of heart? The Manu of Old annoyed my manly sensibilities with his flailing and faking every time he drew the slightest bit of contact. The New Manu charms me with his fearless drives into the lane and ability to finish among the trees.

The Manu of Old traveled every time he took it to the basket. The New Manu's European crossover is the most innovative finisher in the game (I would love to teach it to my players, but no middle/high school referee in America is going to believe it isn't a walk).

The Manu of Old was overly efficient and boring with the ball. The New Manu is dribbling between legs - other player's legs! - to get to the basket.

The Manu of Old struck me as a constant victim and complainer. The New Manu manned up after the Game 2 loss to shoulder the blame for the defeat (were you listening, Tracy McGrady?).

I have a love/hate relationship with most international players and their brand of basketball. There is a beauty to their game in that they are multi-dimensional, cerebral and ultra-competitive. This cannot be said about many, if not most, American players who specialize a skill (shooter, rebounder, defender) and compete during contract years only.

There is also an ugliness to their game. They tend to be the worst floppers and whiners in the league (Varajao, Ginobili, Nocioni). They make an effort to get under the skin of their defensive assignment in the hopes of drawing a retaliation - a prevalent strategy in soccer and hockey, but not American basketball.

The love/hate relationship I have with internationals is mirrored in my Manu feelings. Last night, I was won over with affection. Manu was the Man against L.A. with outside shooting and fearless drives to the bucket. A flop here and there is no worse than a prima donna American player's tendency to occasionally mail one in. I'm learning to forgive and forget the foreigners' flaws.

We live in a global society. The World Is Flat, you know? I'm expanding my mind like John Davis as I find the goodness in the NBA's international superstars.

Quite the Memorial Day lesson, huh?

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-25T20:10:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all. The Braves split a pair over the weekend with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jeff Francoeur launched a walk-off (David Bowie - "It's a walk-off...) homerun on Saturday for a 3-1 win, but Eric Byrnes went deep off Tom Glavine for a grand slam today that led to a 9-3 drubbing.

Chipper went 2 for 4 on Saturday, but sat out today with back spasms. The guy is like Mike Hampton with all his injuries, except he actually plays.

Current Average - .417

Lots of good blogging planned for next week - see you then.

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-24T09:23:00.000-04:00

What do you say about last night's game? The D-Backs were fired up for Doug Davis, making his first start since cancer, and jumped all over Jo-Jo Reyes. 11-1 final score.

Off the diamond, Bobby Cox signed an extension through 2009. I guess that means he wants to coach another year? These things always change. According to the guys on television last night, Cox wants to sign one year deals for the rest of his career as he continues to evaluate his health and desire to stay in the game. After watching the Mets under Willie Randolph, I'm more and more happy to have Cox as the skipper.

Chipper went 1-1 with a walk before getting pulled in the blowout.

Current Average - .415

Chipper Tracker - Larry Waynes Goes For .400

2008-05-23T10:36:00.000-04:00

SWEEP!!!

The Braves came from behind against Johan Santana to sweep a four game set from the nose-diving New York Mets. Tim Hudson was brilliant with the exception of two pitches to Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, going eight innings for Atlanta. The big hit of the game belonged to Omar Infante who punched a game-tying single to centerfield against Santana. I like Infante more and more all the time.

No beanball war last night as the game was too close. Tim Hudson took exception to a Santana high and tight pitch when he squared to bunt, but that was the extent of the drama. I still think the Mets will get one in the back from an Atlanta pitcher before the end of the season.

The four game sweep means the Braves are 6-1 on the homestand so far - all without John Smoltz, Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano and even Yunel Escobar for a stretch.

Yesterday I mentioned the fan who fell from the bleachers at Turner Field. He passed away from those injuries. He was 25 years old and initial reports indicate alcohol was involved. Sad.

The Diamondbacks come to town tonight with Doug Davis pitching for Arizona. Davis is making his first start since being diagnosed with cancer, so I'll be pulling for him and against him.

Chipper finished the series with a 2 for 4 night including the go-ahead RBI.

Current Average - .412

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-22T08:14:00.000-04:00

The Bravos are rolling right now as they blew out the Mets for the third straight game. It started with Jair Jurrjens, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite Braves, throwing strikes and challenging Mets hitters and finished with an offensive onslaught led by Jeff Francoeur, Brian McCann, Mark Teixeira and, of course, Chipper Jones.

It was a nice birthday for the Braves skipper. Happy 104th Birthday, Bobby Cox!

Beanball Alert! - Don't be surprised if the Braves buzz a Met at some point tonight. Bobby Cox was not happy with Ryan Church's late slide into Yunel Escobar on Tuesday that has the stud shortstop on the bench. Last night, Chipper Jones took a pitch to the shin that sent him off the field. As George W. Bush said, "Fool me once..."

If tonight's game gets lopsided near the end, I'm predicting the Braves will put Carlos Delgado or David Wright on their back.

In a terrible segue way, there was an accident at Turner Field last night that has a fan seriously hurt. It looks like the guy might have been sliding along the guardrail and fell down to the level below. Any doubt there was alcohol involved? Here is hoping the guy is alright.

Joe Simpson, in a painfully slow and overly careful explanation, pointed out that the Mets are basically a lesson in the problems of diversity. Basically the Mets are a Latin team that lets the white players take the brunt of the New York media pressure while playing for a black manager. See, Joe, was that so hard?

(You'd have seriously thought Joe was on the witness stand for murder with his delicate choice of words. He had visions of Al Campanis dancing in his head the whole time.)

The Mets are clearly a team that does not like each other. They don't like their manager, don't like their team leader (Delgado) and don't like their closer (Billy Wagner who ripped his teammates last week). It is a talented, World Series-contending mess.

I love it.

As for Chipper, homerun #12 was blasted to centerfield (is there anything prettier than a homerun to straightaway center?) as he went 1-2 with a pair of walks.

Current Average - .410

The Ballad of Mike Hampton

2008-05-21T13:17:00.001-04:00

"Here is the ball, Mike
It's time to throw."

I'm sorry, Skip,
But I just can't go.

While I was getting loose
I tweaked my left elbow,
And there is a throbbing sensation
In my right big toe.

I got a stomachache from eating
Too much cookie dough,
And a papercut from a book
About President James Monroe.

I pulled a hamstring while carrying
My daughter's cello,
And tweaked my back
Practicing my taekwondo.

I've got inflammation from my head
All the way to my toe,
And my ear is burning
Like I'm Vincent Van Gogh.

Coach, I begged the trainer
To please just let me throw.
But he looked me over
And told me no.

The doctors are concerned
About my blood circulation flow,
And the fact that on Thursdays
My fingernails won't grow.

Doc said, "You've got an open wound
In your chest, you know.
It reminds me of what happened
To Tony Soprano."

When he saw the swelling of my shoulder
He shouted, "Whoa!"
And told me the chances
Of pitching today were low.

(As a kid, I had a dream of becoming a pro,
And making it all the way to the show,
Signing a big contract to get paid lots of dough,
Then cashing my checks without actually having to throw.
Today that dream is coming true, you know...)

So I'm sorry, Skip, but I just can't go!

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-21T08:53:00.000-04:00

The Braves took two from the Mets yesterday behind excellent starting pitching from Tom Glavine and Jorge Campillo. The bullpen keeps getting guys out despite the absense of Soriano, Moylan, Gonzalez and Smoltz. The bats seem to be coming alive as well, most notably Mark Teixeira (which ruins my "Messin' With Tex" article about how he is the problem with Atlanta's offense...) who had an excellent day yesterday.

Jorge Campillo was the star of the day for Atlanta, throwing six shutout innings against the Mets. "This is the biggest thing that's ever happened to me since I've been playing baseball," said Campillo. It is nice to hear a major leaguer sound like a little leaguer.

From the "needed to happen" category, Jeff Francoeur sat out the nightcap which ended his consecutive games streak at 370. I love Frenchy, but his slumping bat was becoming a black hole in the line-up that needed a day off.

Chipper went 1 for 4 in the first game, 2 for 4 in the second. I know I jumped on the bandwagon with Monday's posting, but why is Lance Berkman getting all the love right now instead of Chipper? Where is the Larry Wayne love?

Current Average - .409

Spurs Make Shots, Hornets Don't

2008-05-20T10:15:00.000-04:00

Let's not complicate the simple. Basketball can often be boiled down to one thing - which team made shots. Last night, the defending champion Spurs made shots while the upstart Hornets did not.

Ball game.

Sure, there are a million different factors that lead to good shooting or bad shooting. Did the Spurs have more open looks through offensive efficiency and patience? Did the Hornets settle for bad shots or go too deep into the shot clock to get clean looks? Did the Hornets play lousy defense or did the Spurs play lockdown defense?

In the end, however, it comes down to converting opportunities. Here are the numbers you need to know to understand why the Spurs are advancing:

San Antonio - FG (39.5%), 3's (43%), FT (90.5%)
New Orleans - FG (40%), 3's (23.5), FT (70.6%)

Threes and free throws killed the Hornets' buzz. While San Antonio got clutch shooting from Manu, Parker and Robert Horry, New Orleans could not convert open looks at critical times.

The key moment was a wide open three-pointer for Jannero Pargo in the final minutes that would have tied the game. There was not a Spur within 10 feet and Pargo stepped into the pass ready to shoot.

It fell short.

The Spurs made shots and the Hornets missed them. Perhaps the moment of a Game 7 to advance to the conference finals was too much for the young Hornets. Perhaps the experienced Spurs used the confidence that comes with multiple championships.

Regardless, it was little more than making shots that decided the weird (this was the only close game of the seven game set) series.

We're down to the Final Four - Celtics, Pistons, Lakers, Spurs. There is a dream match-up in the Finals (Boston vs. L.A.), a decent match-up (Detroit vs. L.A.), a boring match-up (Boston vs. San Antonio) and a miserable one (Detroit vs. S.A.).

Which team is going to win a championship? The answer is the team that makes shots.

Weekend of Sports

2008-05-19T08:49:00.001-04:00

What a weekend of sporting action, huh? It begs for an entry of thoughts on all the happenings.

Celtics Advance Over Cavs - I caught the entire 4th quarter of yesterday's Game 7 between Boston and Cleveland and what a treat it was. It was two teams fighting for their seasons in a nip and tuck battle that Cleveland could never quite find a way to get over the hump. It was everything right with the NBA as guys were diving, fighting and clawing to avoid going home for the summer.

Beyond all that, it was Paul Pierce vs. LeBron James in an epic duel that brought back distant memories of Bird vs. Dominique. The play of the game, beautifully broken down by Jeff Van Gundy (who continues to be my favorite color guy), was a jump ball that Paul Pierce simply wanted more than LeBron James. He boxed out the stronger LeBron and got to a ball that was tipped between two Cavaliers. It was a veteran who has played on some miserable Celtic teams out-smarting the superstar youngster and giving up his body to get on the floor after a loose ball. That play and Pierce's Dikembe-esque celebration of it that will be the lasting image of the Celtics' win.

The East looks awfully interesting now as the Celtics/Pistons series promises to be a tight one. Meanwhile, there is another Game 7 tonight between the Hornets and Spurs.

Penguins Over Flyers - I flipped over to see the score was 6-0 Penguins as they finished the Flyers in five games. The win sets up a possible Red Wings/Penguins final that is, outside of the Rangers, the perfect climax for the Stanley Cup. Sid the Kid vs. the best franchise in hockey. It isn't easy to get into hockey these days, but this series has me excited.

Big Brown Wins - I don't care about horses, but I've never seen a Triple Crown winner in my life (technically, I was about 6 months old when Affirmed won it) so I'm pulling for it. Any other thoughts on horses and I'm just B.S.ing you.

Lance Berkman - We love Chipper here at the SCSB, but he might be the second best hitter in the N.L. right now. The Big Puma is pounding the baseball right now.

After three years in Houston, I love Berkman. He is an everyday kind of guy who puts up numbers and goes about his business in a professional way. The guy used to hit tires in his backyard as a kid and you can see it in his swing. I'm working on a Clean Team of guys who clearly never took the juice and yet continued to put up numbers in the Steriod Era. Lance Berkman is my right fielder.

NFL Draft - coming in April of 2009. Mel is working on his Big Board as we speak.

Tony Joiner Is Going to Be Jealous

2008-05-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Tim Tebow helps circumcise impoverished children.

Too easy.

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-19T07:30:00.000-04:00

The family and I scouted the Mississippi Braves yesterday afternoon before the rains came (they can swing the bats, but the pitching was suspect), so I saw very little of the Braves 5-2 win over Oakland yesterday. The bullpen continues to be a pleasant surprise for the Braves as they threw four innings of shutout baseball. Manny Acosta looks like a legitimate closer when he throws strikes. Yunel Escobar hopefully pulled out of his slump with a 3-4, 2 RBI game.

Chipper went 1 for 3 on the day.

Current Average - .410

An Open Letter to George W. Bush

2008-05-18T11:15:00.001-04:00

Dear President Bush,

Last week, you revealed to the world that you had put away your golf clubs out of respect for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. You've been taking quite a bit of heat for those statements. People have called them insensitive, hypocritical, pathetic, and disgraceful.

I imagine these characterizations have caused you quite a bit of stress. They may have even hurt your feelings. You know what I've found helps me when I'm stressed out and feeling blue?

A nice round of golf.

President Bush - this is an invitation to join me for a round of golf at your earliest convenience. As a school teacher, I have a little time off coming soon so we can play any time that is good for you. I prefer to play during the week as to avoid the weekend rates and crowds, but I'll splurge if you come into town.

With low approval ratings and what some people are calling a failed presidency, I cannot help but notice that things have soured for you ever since you gave up the great game of golf. You were golfing throughout your dramatic run to the White House in 2000. You were golfing at the beginning of the Afghanistan and Iraq invasions when the military successfully ousted the Taliban and captured Saddam Hussein.

At some point during this time, you quit golfing. Look at what's happened since: Mission Accomplished, heck of a job, Brownie, Harriet Myers, rising gas prices, Alberto Gonzalez, a failing economy, Dick Cheney shooting people in the face, etc. I don't mean to open old wounds, but you've made some bogeys over the last few years. Let's be honest - some double and triple bogeys. I'm not a scientific or political genius, but I see a clear connection here:

Lack of golf = disastrous presidency

If you had continued golfing instead of this silly boycott, you might have avoided the pratfalls of your presidency. I know it seems silly, so let me explain - your golfing habits and knowledge never left you even though you quit playing. They just transferred from the links to the White House. It explains so many of your mistakes.

For example:

Keep your head down: You did this, but instead of it resulting in solid contact with the golf ball, it resulted in your failure to see the horrible situation developing in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Your head must have been down while FEMA and Brownie bungled the relief effort in Louisiana. Your head was down while gas prices shot up. Heck, you had no idea gasoline was going to be $4/gallon this summer. Even I knew that! The problem - your head was down. If only you had still been playing golf...

Drive for show, putt for dough: Classic golfing mistake that you should have gotten out of your system on the links. Golfers know that a good tee shot is important, but it means nothing if you cannot put the ball into the hole. You have to finish the hole. President Bush, your war in Iraq started well, but it has not finished that way. You shanked your approach, duffed your chip and are three-putting your way out of the office. "Mission Accomplished" was great show, but what about the dough? If only you had still been playing golf...

Old people are stubborn: Nowhere is this truism more evident than on a golf course. Have you tried to play through the old folks' lowball? They won't budge, no matter how many holes are in front of them or how slowly they are playing their round. You thought you could convince them to let you tweak their Social Security? Mr. President, you should have known better - old folks don't budge. If only you had still been playing golf...

There are other problems that developed solely because you quit golfing, but I'll save those for when we play together. The key is that the golfer inside you never left; he just manifested himself in President Bush instead of Hacker Bush.

Here is the good news: you still have several months left in the White House to fix things. It all starts when you dust off the clubs and hit the links. I'm going to make a tee time at a lovely course called Moccasin Bend for next week under the last name "Carpenter." It is a public course that gives me a discount for being a teacher and is flat enough to walk. I know you are used to riding when you play, but with gas prices so high I can't afford to splurge on a cart. We'll talk about that one at the turn.

Mark Twain once called golf, "a good walk spoiled," but it is wiser to spoil a walk than an entire presidency. Tee it up, Mr. President. Tee it up.

Sincerely,
The Scenic City Sportsblog

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-18T11:02:00.000-04:00

I didn't watch any of the game last night, but you can read all about it here.

Chipper had a tough afternoon going 0 for 4 with a couple of strikeouts.

Current Average - .412

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-17T08:18:00.000-04:00

Mark Kotsay came up big against his old team to earn the Braves a 3-2 win over the Oakland A's. Hey - a one run win! Do the Braves lead the universe in grounding into double plays? I'm glad they won last night, but the Braves are frustrating the heck out of me.

Not frustrating anything out of me is Chipper Jones. He went 2-3, though he was still hurting from the groin problems.

Current Average - .423

Cheap Shot Bob Strikes Again

2008-05-16T08:19:00.000-04:00

The New Orleans Hornets have been one of the most pleasant, fun-to-watch surprises of the NBA Playoffs this year (which, by the way, have been miserable - how can the playoffs be this uninteresting after such a great regular season?), but their run is in jeopardy after last night's Game 6 blowout to the San Antonio Spurs.

It is not the prospect of Game 7 against the defending champs that is so daunting. The Hornets have dominated the Spurs at home all series. The prospect darkened late in last night's game when Robert Horry set an illegal, dirty back screen on New Orleans' David West that sent the big man to the locker room in considerable pain.

If you have forgotten, it was Horry who checked Steve Nash into the boards during last year's playoffs that ruined the best series of the playoffs and potentially cost the Suns their best chance at a championship.

Coincidence?

At this point, the 37-year old Horry moves like a grandpa and shoots like me. He is good for six fouls and the occasional cheap shot when Bruce Bowen isn't on the floor. These goons are rightfully loathed across the country and shamefully beloved in San Antonio. In fact, the idiots in the Alamo City chanted "Horry" after he knocked West out of the game.

Classy.

As for the specific play, don't let anyone fool you into thinking that was a legitimate play. Horry had West in his sights after West left to double the ball. It was a back pick, which is a great way to clean a player's clock in basketball. Not only did Horry set the pick, he moved himself into it with the force of his shoulder. He was blindsiding an unexpecting player - one who just happened to light the Spurs up for 38 points in Game 5.

This type of play could happen at any point in a basketball game. If you want to head hunt star players with back picks, you can. It is dirty basketball. It is Spurs basketball. Whether it is Bruce Bowen moving into a jump shooter's landing space (ask Vince Carter) or Robert Horry clobbering star players, the Spurs are hated as much around the NBA for their dirty play as much as their boring style of basketball.

Forget the big shots and the seven rings (it is nice to play with Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe & Shaq, and Tim Duncan), Robert Horry is a remorseless thug who plays for a franchise and before fans who lack class and basic sportsmanship. We are likely to be stuck with another round of the Spurs if David West cannot play in Monday's Game 7.

Kobe - watch your back.

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-16T08:16:00.000-04:00

Chipper sat out last night's game with groin problems. Fill in your own middle school joke here.

...

The Braves' bats also took the game off as Atlanta got blanked 5-0. The road struggles continue. It didn't help that Chuck James was awful, missing his spots badly and keeping the ball up in the zone. Chuck - you throw it too slow to miss up in the big leagues.

The Chipper Tracker will return when Chipper returns.

Manny Makes Catch, High Fives Fan, Throws Out Runner

2008-05-15T12:25:00.001-04:00

Manny Being Manny

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-15T12:14:00.001-04:00

It was a slugfest in Philadelphia last night as the Braves led 8-0 before holding on to an 8-6 win. Thank goodness the Phillies have no pitching because those boys can rake it. Apparently George W. Bush likes Chase Utley as much as any player in the game; that might be the best judgment the man has shown in his entire presidency.

Chipper went 2-4 with a 1st inning homerun. The average keeps climbing and his OBS is nearing .500. Insane.

Current Average - .420

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-14T07:32:00.000-04:00

The Braves are the worst road team in baseball, but outplayed Philadelphia in Philly last night for a frustrating 5-4 loss. Jo-Jo Reyes was pretty solid on the mound, but had some bad luck and lousy defense that hurt his cause. The Braves bats came out hot, but cooled off throughout the game as the Phillies overcame a 3-0 first inning deficit.

Bobby Cox switched up the line-up (I knew he read the Scenic City Sportsblog - I called for this last week) by moving Escobar to the leadoff spot, Kotsay into the two hole and Kelly Johnson down to 7th. It seemed to work early and I definitely like the switch.

Mark Teixeria sat out again with back spasms.

Chipper was 3-4 with his only out being a warning track drive off Brad Lidge in the 9th that would have given the Braves the lead. The guy is carrying Atlanta right now in every conceivable way.

Current Average - .415

Calling All Lawyers - Sue the College Athlete

2008-05-13T09:17:00.000-04:00

Another O.J. problem in L.A.

Reports surfaced earlier this week about O.J. Mayo's lucrative year at USC, including cash, clothing, etc. Raise your hand if you are surprised.

I didn't think so.

There are a million aspects to the story - USC's inability to police its athletics program (Reggie Bush, Jeff Trapagnier, Mayo), the continued exploitation of young athletes, the look-the-other-way mentality of overpaid coaches, the NCAA's one-year rule, etc.

What is the solution?

There is no policing the agents. There will always be agents out there trying to land the next big thing before he becomes a millionaire. These are clearly slimeballs of the slimiest order, but they are doing nothing wrong in a legal sense. They are giving gifts and money in the hopes of landing future agent contracts. Sleazy - yes. Illegal - no.

The athletes are tough to blame too. Many of these athletes come from broken homes and terrible poverty. Why wouldn't they take some new clothes and some spending cash?

Here is my solution - sue the athlete. Why can't USC sue O.J. Mayo for damages for the up-coming, inevitable NCAA sanctions. Why can't a university have its prospective athletes sign a binding contract that forbids taking outside gifts, cash, etc. lest they be sued for future earnings?

If USC is put on probation because of O.J. Mayo, it will lose scholarships, possibly television coverage, post-season possibilities and millions of dollars in lost revenues. Sure, USC is somewhat at fault, but so is O.J. Mayo.

Sue him.

Mayo is about to be a multi-millionaire. Sue him. Garnish his future wages. Mayo faces no punishment for his actions when the Trojans are put on probation. The agent who bought him clothes and cars faces no punishment. USC gets punished - why can't it seek compensation for their actions. The agent you can't get, but why not Mayo?

So far as I can tell, this is the only way to stop the problem. David Stern does not want straight-from-high-school kids ruining his league with terrible play and immature behavior, so all the crying about the age limit is pointless. The NCAA cannot, and should not, fix that. For every O.J. Mayo who uses and abuses his university, there are going to be dozens of kids who stick around and get a diploma because their games are exposed an not-ready-for-the NBA just yet. The rule, despite being blamed by reactionaries for Mayo's discretions, is not the problem.

Neither are the universities. Boosters and fans demand winning teams. To build winning team, these schools must recruit the best athletes - the same ones being preyed upon by sports agents. The environment is already set. What can universities do? Ask for receipts every time a kid wears a new pair of pants?

Coaches are now paid millions of dollars to win games. Can you blame them for looking the other way when their superstar meal-ticket drives up in an Escalade? Ask Tubby Smith what thanks you get for running a good, clean program.

If people really have a problem with this situation, holding the player financially accountable is the best and only way to stop it. When a player signs his letter of intent, he also signs a binding legal document that outlines his culpability if he breaks NCAA rules that put the school on probation. If a player like Mayo does not want to sign it, he can play in the NBDL or overseas instead of college ball. If he wants to play in the NCAA, he has to follow the rules or risks giving up future earnings.

You want to fix this problem, listen the wisdom of AC/DC. Money talks.

Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400

2008-05-12T21:14:00.000-04:00

Atlanta split a pair with the Pirates today. They lost the first game while leaving 15 men on base. 15! No help for Jair Jurrjens who was pulled early to go on three days rest this Friday. Tim Hudson came up big in the last game of the series to prevent the sweep.

More injuries...Mark Teixeira left the first game with back spasms. Oh, and Mike Hampton is still hurt.

Chipper hit well during today's double-header, going 4-8 on the day. By the way, good seats are still available in Pittsburgh. There might have been 1,000 people in the stands for the second game.

Current Average - .406

Sports and Marriage

2008-05-12T12:42:00.000-04:00

It has been a long time since I have cared anything about the NHL. From what I can tell, I'm in the majority. The sport has suffered from inexplicable expansion and an awful television deal with Vs. As a southern boy, hockey is not an important sport locally and rarely mentioned unless someone has been brutally bloodied in a brawl.

For the last week, however, I have returned to being a hockey fan for one reason: my favorite team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, are in the conference finals with a chance to play for the Stanley Cup. When some Penguin I have never heard of scored a goal past some Flyers goalie I have never heard of, I jumped off the sofa with excitement and pumped my fist with a fan's satisfaction.

As much as I am currently excited about the NHL, this article is not about hockey. It is about the fact that I consider myself a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Why is a Chattanooga kid a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins? And how can I go from caring nothing about the team to setting up my week around Games 3 and 4 in such a flash?

The simple, and sad, answer is the same one that explains my loyalty to the Dallas Cowboys and Boris Becker. In fact, let's take a second to look at several of my loyalties as we psycho-analyze my peculiar preferences and what they mean:

Tennessee Vols - Easy one. My dad is a UT graduate and rabid Vols fan. We had season tickets to football games when I was a kid, would occasionally drive up to see good basketball games (the word "occasional" describes the frequency of our trips and the freaquency of good Vols basketball games) and attended all types of local Vols functions like spring football and women's SEC tournament games. Some of my earliest memories are the Sugar Bowl against Miami and going to a UT/Vanderbilt basketball game at Memorial Coliseum when I was probably six years old. I'm a Vol because of my dad.

Atlanta Braves - Pretty much the same story as my dad is a big Braves fan. The difference here is TBS. The Braves were always on TV, so like many Braves fans I got attached to the team by familiarity. Back in the 1980s, the Cubs and Braves were always on. Some people got attached to the Cubs; I got attached to Dale Murphy and the Braves. The 90-minute drive from Chattanooga to Atlanta helped too.

Dallas Cowboys - I liked the star on the helmet. Seriously. That is it. When I was a kid, the Cowboys were good, not great. Danny White. Tony Dorsett. Randy White. Too Tall Jones. Tom Landry. Good, not great. Then, the Cowboys were just awful. Gary Hogeboom awful. I stuck with them for the simple reason that I like the helmet. They are still my team today for that reason.

Pittsburgh Penguins - Same story. I liked the Penguins logo and the black/yellow color combination. I used to watch highlights on SportsCenter and liked the skating penguin. From there, I became a fan of Super Mario, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, Sergei Zubov and the rest. I was an excited little kid when the Penguins swept the Blackhawks for the Cup, probably the only Chattanoogan who cared a thing about it.

Tennessee Titans - I was not a Houston Oilers fan, but when the Titans moved to Nashville and became a contender, I jumped on-board. This is an interesting one because I did not follow them during their one year in Memphis or through the Chris Chandler years. They were close in proximity, but not as close as the Falcons. They were on television here every Sunday, but so were the Falcons. The only difference is that they were a winning franchise and Atlanta was not. Proximity + victories = fan loyalty.

Phoenix Suns - Steve Nash. I did not like them before Nash (never cared when Jason Kidd or Stephon Marbury ran the team) and expect I won't like them when he is gone. I like the entire team because I like Steve Nash.

Muhammad Ali - I read a book about him and fell in love. I always pulled for Joe Frazier when I watched replays of the Thrilla in Manila, but after reading Thomas Hauser's biography on Ali, I became a passionate fan of the man and boxer.

Greg Norman - Norman was probably the best golfer of his time, but rubbed lots of people wrong and, of course, choked away a few major championships. I loved Norman's look, especially the cheesy hats he wore (my dad even sported one for a while, though I don't remember him being a Norman fan). I tried the Norman follow-through for years, slamming irons against my back after contact. With Norman, the appeal was pretty much the same as the Cowboys and Penguins - purely visual.

Boris Becker - He was left-handed. I am left-handed. There you go.

(My memory failed me here - Becker was not left-handed. Now I have no idea why I liked him).

Rather than simply being a self-indulgent sports biography, I think my odd collection of athletic loyalties basically boils down to three things - proximity, personal affection and appearance. The first explains my loyalty to the Vols (my dad went to Tennessee because he grew up in Chattanooga), Braves and Titans. Personal affection explains my support for the Suns and Muhammad Ali. These are both predictable and understandable reasons for fandom.

Appearance, however, as a reason to support a team or person is superficial, silly and stupid. I pulled for Jimmy Johnson, Jerry Jones and Barry Switzer because I liked the helmets? I copied The Shark's swing because of his hat? Appearance in sports, beit uniforms, batting stance or facial hair, is a vital part of any fan's make-up. It is embarrassing to admit, but sometimes years of heartbreak and elation comes down to the right color combination or mascot.

In many ways, choosing a sports team is like choosing a wife. This has been on my mind since my wedding anniversary last week. Four years in the books; hopefully many more in the future.

It all boils down to three things - proximity, personal affection and appearance. I fell in love with my wife because a) she lived in the same town as me, so I met her b) she had personal qualities like kindness, intelligence and honesty that appealed to me and c) I found her physically attractive.

In fact, choosing my sports' marriages were some of the first times in my life when I made any real choice of preferences. With hundreds of teams to choose from, I narrowed it down to these few. Over the years, I stuck with them through thick and thin, good times and bad, injuries and salary cap limitations and will be with them until I'm gone. My sports loyalities prepared me for marriage better than anything else. Before Martha came along, I had years of practice with this marriage thing even if I didn't realize it until I found myself cheering like crazy last night after seeing my first Penguins goal of the season. Sports fandom, like marriage, is forever.

Unless, of course, I neglect Martha like I neglected the Pens from around 1998 until last week in which case she will leave me faster than Sidney Crosby skating up the ice on a breakaway...

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T21:26:00.000-04:00

Travis Henry sends out a special Happy Mother's Day wish to all 29 of his babies' mommas.

Braves were rained out today - play two tomorrow.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there.