Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and Happy Holidays! First of all, to anyone that reads this blog, sorry for the very, very, long time in between this and my last post. With Christmas, and the end of a semester, I've been pretty busy.

 A lot has happened in the sporting world since my last post; the Yankees, somehow, solidified their place as my favorite to win the 2009 World Series with the signing of Mark Teixeira, the Celtics accomplished, and then lost, a 19-game win streak, the Bowl season has started, and the final week of the NFL is upon us. Since there are so many topics, I will attempt to live up to my blog's name by emulating Sport Illustrated's own Peter King and write a "Ten things I think".

-I had already written about how the Yankees were "buying" a World Series Championship, but, that was before the signing of THE most sought after free-agent; Mark Teixeira. Obviously, the Yankees have historically been the most apt to spend large sums of money to acquire the top free-agents, but, this year has been strikingly obnoxious. Prior to launching this blog, I decided to make my writing as unbiased as possible and not reveal what teams I root for. I will hold to that, but, I will tell you this; I am not a fan of the Yankees. And speaking for the millions of Yankees-haters in the country, this off-season has been disastrous. Even though Joe Maddon, manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, claims he is not bothered by the many moves the Yankees ave made, I know I am. This is going to be a very good Yankees team. The one thing fans of other teams can hang their hat on is this; if the Yankees do not win the World Series, this season will be one of the most disappointing. And hey, imagine if they don't (again) make the play-offs.

-Any mile-stone win-streak in any sport is an impressive feat. No, it is not the all-time record, but the Celtics 19 game win streak is certainly worthy of praise. In a sport that has so many games, and so much travel, to do what the Celtics did requires a true team effort, something which has been severely lacking in the NBA. Hopefully the Celtics the success triggers a new ideology in basketball...or is it bringing back an old ideology? Nonetheless, the Celtics are a great team, with great individual stars, who put their "act" together to play defense, and unselfish basketball. Despite their two-loss streak, I am confidently picking the Celtics to win the NBA Championship again.

-There are too many bowls. Regardless of whether you love the BCS-Bowl system, or hate it, there are simply too many bowls. A record of 6-6 should not merit post-season play. Allowing two 6-6 teams to play each other on National T.V., and attempt to pass it off as a great game is a disgrace to the sport. It is sending the message that mediocrity should be rewarded. Currently there are 34 bowl games, which means that 68 out of 119 D-1A teams participate in a bowl game. That is 57%. If you want evidence that there are too many bowls, go find a copy of this years Sheraton Hawaii Bowl between Notre Dame and Hawaii. I have picked on Notre Dame several times, so, I will let their mediocrity slide. Hawaii, however, who had a record of 7-6 in the less-than-formidable WAC conference, made Notre Dame's offense look like an SEC team, while their offense did not fare much better. Explain to me why this game gets the privelege of being aired on ESPN on Christmas Eve Day. 

-Not too much to say about the final week of the NFL. In my last post I posted my play-off predictions, which have already been proven wrong. Without elaborating on how much I love the NFL, this looks to be yet another great week. Will the Lions actually manage to go 0-16? Will the Broncos fail to clinch a play-off berth after being up three games with four games to play?  Who will win the NFC-South? Will the Bills keep the Patriots out of the play-offs? In short, I predict that the answer to these questions will be yes, yes, and Atlanta. 

The Hunt for the NFL Playoffs

Week 15 of the NFL proved to its viewers why it is by far the most entertaining sports league in the United States, if not the world. With only two weeks to go in the regular season, the playoff picture remains unclear. In only four divisions are the divisional leaders already decided (the Arizona Cardinals,  the Tennessee Titans, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the New York Giants), leaving four divisions yet to be decided. In the NFC South, Carolina (11-5) has a two game lead over Tampa Bay and Atlanta (both 9-5) and in the AFC West, San Diego (8-6) has a two game lead over the Denver Broncos (6-8). However, in the AFC East, where three teams, the New England Patriots, New York Jets, and Miami Dolphins (all sitting at 9-5), and in the NFC North, where Minnesota (9-5)  has a mere one game lead over the Chicago Bears (8-6), anything appears to be possible, and this is excluding the even more muddled wild-card scenarios. The situation brewing in the NFC South between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers acts as a microcosm of this year's drama. By current calculations, if both teams win their two remaining games, the tie-break between the, what would be, 11-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 11-5 Atlanta Falcons would go to the sixth tiebreaker; strength of schedule. In this situation, if, assuming both the Falcons and Buccaneers win out, Philadelphia has a better record than the Dallas Cowboys, then the Falcons advance to the playoffs. If, however, the Cowboys have a better record than the Eagles, then the Buccaneers advance. It is fair to say that NFL Fan's are in for a real treat as the last two games of the regular season have unexpectedly been turned into playoff-implication games, thereby becoming playoff games of their own. 

Prediction on playoff picture:

AFC: 

Divisional Leaders: 1.) Tennessee Titans 2.) Pittsburgh Steelers 3.) Miami Dolphins 4.) San Diego Chargers

Wild Card: 5.) Indianapolis Colts 6.) Baltimore Ravens

NFC:

Divisional Leaders: 1.) New York Giants 2.) Carolina Panthers 3.) Arizona Cardinals 4.) Minnesota Vikings

Wild Card: 5.) Dallas Cowboys 6.) Atlanta Falcons

Predicted AFC Conference Championship Match-Up : Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Predicted Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers)

Predicted NFC Conference Championship Match-Up: Carolina Panthers vs. New York Giants (Predicted Winner: Carolina Panthers)

Predicted Superbowl Match-Up: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Carolina Panthers (Predicted Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers).

College Athletes

For high-school and college athletes across the country, there is no dream more common than the dream of stepping onto a field, court, or rink, having your name on the back of your professional team's jersey, and having thousands and thousands of fans wildly chanting your name. In fact, it is a dream so transfixing that it has athletes eager to hit the "Fast-Forward" button and skip through the years, which according to many, are the "best years of your life"; College. Forget the fact that one's college years may be the best years of one's life and focus on the sad fact that many a student-athlete (primarily in football and men's basketball) do not finish all four years of college and earn a degree, and many who do receive their degrees fail to "earn" them (not mentioning the field of study, which is, typically, not ideal). At this point in the equation, we have either a year of college foregone, a less than ideal degree, or even the failure to earn a degree. If we add on the statistic that the average career in the NFL is three and a half years, and five years for an NBA player, it becomes clear that the solution is disheartening, to say the least. Furthermore, let us not forget that these are athletes, who regularly engage in physical activity, and are more than likely to have severe injuries throughout their careers which severely hinder their future lives. Adding on the simple variable that many professional athletes come from lower-class backgrounds and do not know how to correctly manage their newly-found wealth only makes the equation more bleak. The list of problems is so long that it has nearly exhausted my list of conjunction words. However, as I said earlier, many of the degrees "earned" by those who do remain in college for four years fail to earn a degree in a field which, following the athletes professional career, will actually allow the ex-athlete to succeed, or in certain cases, even survive. Unfortunately, the success of a few has overshadowed the underlying problems of the majority in professional sport. While there is no way to ensure that student-athletes remain in school for the complete four years, and obtain a use able degree, there must be a greater emphasis placed on the importance of the "student" element of "student-athlete". There are a schools who do manage to accomplish the extra-ordinary feat of high graduation rates, and there exist individuals such as Myron Rolle, the Florida State star safety and Rhodes Scholar who perfectly balance their academic and athletic careers, but simply put, there are not enough. The simple statistic that "players with degrees earn 20 to 30% more than players who don't have degrees. They also have a career that lasts about 50% longer" (nflplayers.com) should be enough of a deterrent to fore go college for a professional career. Sadly, the current equation of many professional athlete's career's does not add up;

Failure to earn degree (Foregoing senior year for professional career) + Short average length of professional career + Added health risks + Poor management of money +Difficulty of finding work after career = The Sad Reality.

 

The New New York Yankees

To the regret of many a baseball fan, the New York Yankees are back. After, by New York Yankees standards, a miserable season (during which they accumulated a record of 89-73 and failed to clinch a playoff berth), the Yankees have made quite a splash in the 2008 Free Agency period. At the conclusion of the 2008 regular season, there was no debate as to what was the demise of the Yankees, and what the Yankees must do going into the off season. Despite scoring 4.9 runs per game in 2008, the Yankees were unable to even clinch a playoff berth, all because of their sub-par pitching staff. Enter C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. After signing Sabathia to a seven-year, $161 million contract, the Yankees acquired one of the premiere pitchers in the MLB. In 2008, Sabathia produced a 17-10 record with a 2.70 ERA. However, his record of 17-10 certainly does not do justice to his dominance. After being traded from the Cleveland Indians to the Milwaukee Brewers, Sabathia racked up a dominating 11-2 record, including seven complete games, four of which were shutouts (one which was one questionable "hit" from a No-Hitter). While it has been argued that his production with Milwaukee was a product of the weak-hitting of the NL, no one can argue the control, and power with which C.C. pitched with (without even mentioning that he pitched for eight years with the Cleveland Indians, where he was also a premiere pitcher). For these reasons, there is no reason to lead me to believe that Sabathia will be a flop in New York, or even disappoint. 

While not as large a name as Sabathia, Burnett adds yet another (drastic) upgrade to the Yankees bullpen. After leading the AL in strikeouts  in 2008 (with 231), and compiling a record of 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA (accomplished in the A.L. East; home to the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Yankees), Burnett signed a five-year, $82.5 million deal with the New York Yankees. Burnett now joins a staff that includes Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees ace who is one year removed from a dominating 2007 campaign where he compiled a 17-9 record and a 3.70 ERA, the previously discussed C.C. Sabathia, the young, "ceiling-less", Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy, who now, because of a star-studded, excellent pitching staff, should flourish, or at least, improve from last year and be a more-than-suitable fifth-pitcher. Because of my previous blog post, you all know what I think about the Yankees extravagant spending, but there is no doubt that it has been a success, as the Yankees should now be able to leave the embarrassment of the 2008 season behind, and begin the 2009 season, in which, because of the drastic reformations, they are now my pre-season pick for World Series Champs. 

Sean Avery and the NHL

It is not often that I talk about the NHL, but, after hearing Sean Avery's comments, and moreover the reactions to his comments, I felt obligated to give my own, obviously expert, opinion. On Tuesday, the Dallas Stars Forward was suspended indefinitely after his comments regarding fellow NHL defenseman Dion Phaneuf and his current girlfriend (Avery's ex) Elisha Cuthbert. In a pre-game commentary with a camera crew, Avery, who is known for downright crazy behavior, churned out another one for the books: "Uh, I'm really happy to be back in Calgary. I love Canada. And I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about. Enjoy the game tonight." Were Avery's comments insulting? Most definitely. Stupid? Let's just say that we should add him to the list along side Plaxico...but, did his rant warrant the reaction it received? Within hours of Avery's comments, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman had  suspended Avery indefinitely. Obviously, his insulting comments deserve some form of punishment, but an indefinite suspension is too strict. In fact, it is so strict that it makes NFL Commisionner Roger Goodell seem leniant. A fine, a 1-3 game suspension, or an organization-given punishment would have all been more fair. However, this issue transcends the simple issue of Avery's punishment and develops into an apparent fundamental problem in the NHL. The NFL, the NHL, MLB, NBA, and even MLS are entertainment businesses. The NFL, the NBA, and MLB are all successful entertainment businesses. The NHL, prior to the strike, was successful. But ever since, it has all but disappeared from the map. In 2002,  the NHL Stanley Cup TV viewership was just under 6 million viewers, in 2007, this number didn't even reach 2 million.  Suffice it to say, the NHL has become a colossal failure, and indefinite suspensions on entertaining players such as Avery will not help its popularity. Yes, ethics do come into question, but, as I said, the NHL is a business, and unless they dramatically alter their course of action, they are headed for extinction. So, while the NHL should not erase all rules and regulations, for the sake of its preservation, and with the dream of one day returning to national glory, the NHL must allow entertainers to be entertainers, fighters be fighters, and "drama" play itself out. 

Thought of the Day

Notre Dame announces Head Coach Charlie Weis will return for the 2009 season.

While I am not surprised by this move, I certainly disagree with it. The Fighting Irish may (barely) be bowl-eligible at 6-6, but, of the six teams they have beaten only one has a winning record (The Navy Midshipmen, who went 7-4 on the season). Overall, the combined record of the opponents that Notre Dame has beaten this season is 21-49. Included in this list of opponents is the likes of the Michigan Wolverines, who went a historic-low 3-9 on the season, the Washington Huskies who went defeated at 0-11, and the San Diego State Aztecs who went 2-10 on the season. The two other Notre Dame victories were over the Purdue Boilermakers (4-8), and the Stanford Cardinal (5-7). With the exception of the senile Lou Holtz, no one could argue that any of these wins were resume builders. More bothersome than the wins, though, were Notre Dame's losses. Besides the losses to the University of North Carolina (ranked no. 22 at the time), Pittsburgh, and Michigan State, the fashion by which Notre Dame lost was anything but inspiring. In their game against rival Catholic school, Boston College, Notre Dame was pitched a shutout, losing 17-0. Against USC, Notre Dame's offense, under the offensive mastermind of Charlie Weis, did not get a first down until late in the 3rd quarter. They later went on to lose that game 38-3. Of all the losses though, the most disappointing was Notre Dame's shocking loss to the Syracuse Orange (3-12). The Orange, who were 19.5 point underdogs, not only won the game, but won the game on a touchdown pass by Cameron Dantley to Donte Davis with a mere 0:42 seconds left on the clock. All of this at Notre Dame Stadium. Forget the years during which Weis had Brady Quinn (previous coach Tyrone Willingham's recruit) at the helm, and concentrate on the present. Charlie Weis has been the Notre Dame coach for three seasons, during each of which Weis brought in a "top-10" recruiting class. Since the loss of Brady Quinn, Notre Dame has gone a paltry 9-15. Defend that.

Plaxico Burress

Over this past weekend, New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg. By today, the NFL, and the U.S. legal system had struck. Burress has been suspended four games by the NFL, and is now facing charges of illegal arms possession, as his gun was unregistered in the state of New York. Forget the fact that Plaxico Burress was suspended for four games, or that he is a major distraction to the New York Giants (even though, for obvious reasons, none of the Giants players want to admit that he is), or even the fact that Burress was carrying an unregistered gun, and could face time in jail. What shocks me, and what I believe we should all be focusing on, is how idiotic Burress must be. By no means am I an expert on guns, but, to me, it seems like it would be pretty difficult to "accidentally" shoot yourself. If you are handling a gun, wouldn't you be extremely careful with it? Make sure the safety is on? Not play with it, fiddle with it, or do whatever Burress was doing with it? In these hypothetical questions, I am referring to a general you, not Plaxico Burress, the New York Giants star receiver, a key piece to the Giants puzzle of success. If you were Plaxico Burress, wouldn't you double the efforts to ensure that your $25 million-self aren't injured in an accidental, self-committed, shooting? Plaxico Burress is just one example of many who have failed miserably in the realm of responsibility. Adam "Pacman" Jones, Michael Vick, half of the Bengals active roster, and to an extent, Ricky Williams all fall under this same category. They, with no regard to their importance to their respective teams, value to their owners, or second job as a role model, act stupidly and irresponsibly for no legitimate reason. Fine, suspend, and punish players who deliver "unnecessary" hits in football games, but it is the irresponsible few who are the ones damaging the NFL. It is these players which make many people to look at the NFL and deem the players to be "thugs", "morons", or whatever other other word they find appropriate. And all of this because a few players couldn't stay away from a strip club, not indulge themselves in dog-fighting, or shoot them self in the leg.  

Coaching Carousels..Already?

Agent L/my many many readers - Sorry for the slow update. 

In the modern sports era, the value most seemingly lacking from most major franchises is patience. It seems as if now a days, after one poor season, a coach is in jeopardy of losing his job. One season. One season is hardly long enough to implement a philosophy, certainly not long enough to acquire the right personnel for the system, and, in most cases, not long enough to build the camaraderie found on all championship teams. However, in the last few days, my current expectations were not only met, but exceeded as two NBA coaches were fired; P.J. Carlesimo (1-12), formerly of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Eddie Jordan (1-10), formerly of the Washington Wizards. Now, obviously, neither record is to be desired, but, in all honesty, regardless of the coach, were either team expected to do that much better? The Wizards, while in the last few seasons a play-off caliber team (in the weak East division), have been playing without starters Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood. The Oklahoma City, on the other hand, are simply a bad team. The Thunder are a team without any legitimate big men (Nick Collison is their leading rebounder with a mere 6.5 rebounds per game), and no true PG at this time to lead the team.  In fact, they rest their fate on the shoulders of the young and physically undeveloped Kevin Durant. As illustrated by the Cavaliers, you cannot build a team around one superstar, the only difference is that in the Cavaliers case they tried with a much superior LeBron James. Despite these factors, both coaches were fired before even reaching the 1/4 mark of the NBA season. These types of moves are not only seen in the NBA, but in the NFL as well, namely with the Oakland Raiders, who, in the last 6 years have had 5 coaches. This epidemic of impatience has also been prevalent in the NHL, where Barry Melrose, previously of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was fired after only 16 games after leading the Lightning to a 5-11 record. While certainly a bad record, does it really merit a change of coaches? Just to note, since his firing, the Lightning have only gone 1-3. Ah yes, much more impressive. I am not saying that all coaches should be kept based on the premise of patience, but there is something to be said for franchises that allow coaches to implement systems, philosophies, and a winning mind-set. Mike Shanahan, Tony Dungy, Bill Belicheck, Jon Gruden, Mike Sciosca, Terry Francona, Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, all of these coaches have been staples of their respective leagues for long durations of time, and each have had major success. There is certainly something to be said for longevity. 

The New York Yankees and the MLB

As the MLB Free Agency period looms over head, fans are wondering if their team will be able to make a run at some high-profile, sure-to-be highly paid free agents. Well, sadly, because of the overbidding of the New York Yankees, it appears that for many teams, the acquisition of some higher-profile, and even some middle tier free agents, might not be possible. I understand that the New York Yankees, after a miserable season (by their high standards) want to get back into the picture, become a relevant team again, but do they have to sabotage every other team in the MLB? Not even the Boston Red Sox have enough money to keep up with that type of spending, especially in this down-trodden economy. 

On Monday the Yankees offered free agent pitcher C.C. Sabbathia a reported record-breaking deal of six-years, $140 million. Now, by all means, C.C. is a great pitcher (however, a move back to the A.L. would most likely lead back to numbers similar to those which he experienced in Cleveland, which, while good, were not $140 million good), but, honestly, this is just ridiculous. There is no way that any team can keep up with this type of spending. Next thing, pitchers like Kerry Wood, Brian Fuentes, and Juan Cruz will be raking up the dough...who knows, maybe one of them will break the $100 million mark? 

Having said this, I am not saying that the New York Yankees will not spend more than any other team, but bidding $40 million more than the next highest reported deal (offered by the Milwaukee Brewers) is setting the wrong precedent, at the wrong time, and will have serious consequences on the game that America loves. Who knows, maybe C.C. will take the lesser deal in Milwaukee.. I know I wouldn't, but wouldn't that be great?

The NBA

Yesterday, I was complaining about how the 82 game NBA regular season was far too long. I felt that there was a lack of excitement during the first 60 games, that the players didn't give it "their all", and that there was no sense of urgency. In other words, I felt like the NBA regular season was a very, very elongated "pre-season". However, my opinion quickly changed after watching the Celtics game last night. What a great game. It had everything - Drama, stemming from the seven game playoff series last year, excitement, because of how close the game was throughout (with the largest lead being a mere 4 points), great teams, great individual stars, and for obvious reason, Paul Pierce's final 2 points (2 of a game-high 34, as Pierce went 8-15 from the field and 15-16 from the charity stripe) which came on a buzzer-beating fade-away jumper. Simply beautiful. No, this game did not completely change my belief that the NBA season is too long, or that the majority of games are more boring than watching Olympic Curling, but it did spark a bit of interest. Who knows? Maybe I will be lucky enough to see another game as exciting as that before the play-offs.

Edit: Thanks to an anonymous poster, I was informed that the largest lead was actually 16 points, not a mere 4 points. Sorry. Well, doesn't the fact that the Celts came back from this 16 point deficit make it an even better game?

Mid-season Awards - NFL

As I write my last article about the NFL before the second half begins, I feel it is necessary to hand out my own mid-season awards. After this article, I will hopefully begin to move onto a variety of other sports.

MVP - Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona Cardinals

There is no doubt in my mind that the 37 year old Kurt Warner is the mid-season MVP. While Drew Brees is putting up higher yardage (2985 yards for Drew Brees to 2760 yards for Warner), Kurt Warner, unlike Drew Brees, has led his team to a winning record, and has the higher QB Rating (106.4 for Kurt Warner and 96.1 for Drew Brees). Kurt Warner also possesses an outstanding 70.6% completion, a mere 6 interceptions, and a second-best 19 touchdowns (only behind Philip Rivers' 21). 7 years after the disappearance of the "Greatest Show on Turf" in St. Louis, Warner appears to have recaptured that magic, and brought it to Arizona.

Offensive Player of the Year - Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

While Drew Brees may not be the most valuable player in the NFL, there is no doubt that his staggering numbers earn him the recognition of "Offensive player of the year". With a league leading 2985 yards at the mid-way point, Brees is well on pace of breaking Marino's passing record (Set in 1984 with 5,084 yards). Any player that can break a record as hallowed as this is no doubt the recipient of the "offensive player of the year".

Defensive Player of the Year - Joey Porter, LB, Miami Dolphins

Most writers, columnists, and experts are handing this award to Albert Haynesworth on a silver platter. While I am convinced that he is an excellent player, I have to give this award to Joey Porter. Joey Porter has been the most disruptive player on defense this year, accumulating 12 sacks through 9 games. At this pace, he is going to have 24 sacks. That is simply amazing. When you consider that the Dolphins are only a year removed from posting a 1-15 record, you must give Porter a large portion of the credit, if not for the entire team, then at least for the defensive turn-around. Any team with a pass-rush is deadly in a pass happy league. 

Offensive Rookie of the Year - Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons

The last pocket-passer QB to win the "offensive rookie of they year" award was Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004. While Big Ben did lead his team to a 15-1 record, when you match up the statistics of Matt Ryan and Roethlisberger, it is clear that Matt Ryan has the edge. In the 2004 season, Roethlisberger had 2621 yards, 17 TD's, and 11 interceptions. In comparison, Matt Ryan is on pace for 3394 yards, 20 TD's, and 9 interceptions. Adding on the fact that he is putting up these numbers on a team that is one year removed from being a paltry 3-13 makes it all the more impressive. 

Defensive Rookie of the Year - Jerod Mayo, LB, New England Patriots

You simply cannot argue with Jerod Mayo's production on the field. In 9 games, Mayo has racked up an impressive 65 tackles, 50 of which are solo. That means that if he keeps on pace, he will accumulate 116 tackles. For any LB that would be an impressive year, for a rookie, it is all the reason I need to give him "defensive rookie of the year".

Coach of the Year- Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons through 9 games have doubled up on their victories from last season (Now at 6-3). This impressive mark has been accomplished with a rookie QB, a new RB, and many other new starters. To say that the Falcons rise to prominence has been quick and quiet would be an understatement, and the credit must be given to Mike Smith, who has done an excellent job in both his coaching and in earning the trust, and raising the confidence of a not-so-long ago mentally defeated team.

Race in Coaching

The BCA (Black Coaches and Administrators) recently issued a statement citing their disappointment in the number of African-American coaches being hired (however, they are satisfied with the number being interviewed). Prior to sharing my opinion, I would just like to say that I am 100% for equal opportunity in all aspects of life, and I am a strict believer of rules such as the Rooney Rule. However, having said that, am I the only one who thinks that there should be no quota for the amount of African-American coaches hired? Of course no Athletic Director or Owner/General Manager should reject someones candidacy based on their race, but, at the same time, it is not racist for an A.D. or G.M. to hire a white candidate over an African-American candidate if he feels that the white candidate is best suited for the job. "Hiring the best candidate possible" should be the only criteria in the hiring process as long as the NFL Owner's adhere to the Rooney Rule, and A.D.'s interview African-American candidates. If they do, it is my opinion that no one should take issue.  

This is all written under the naive assumption that there is no racism among NFL Owners and College Athletic Directors, and that the best person is always being hired for the job. In no way am I saying that white candidates are better suited for coaching jobs, and in no way am I disagreeing with the belief that there should be more African-American coaches. I am only saying that race, in no sense, should be the determining factor in the hiring of a coach. The best candidate should always be hired.

The BCS System

No, this will not be another opinionated post claiming that we should abandon the bowl system and move to a play-off format. While I do believe that this will ultimately become reality (for the best), this is not my largest criticism of the current format. Last night, #14 Ball State defeated Miami (OH) 31-16. Can anyone tell me what is wrong with this sentence? With no disrespect intended toward Ball State, can anyone believe that they are actually #14 in the country? While being undefeated is certainly a respectable, and even admirable, no one can tell me that Ball State is better than North Carolina, LSU, Florida State, Wake Forest, Michigan State, BYU, Pittsburgh...and the list goes on. And the #14 ranking is before they factor in their impressive victory over the power house of Miami (OH). Perhaps next week they will be #13, or #12. The possibilities are endless! Perhaps by the conclusion of the season we will be seeing a National Championship Bowl game between Ball State and Texas Tech. Wouldn't that be exciting? Again, I mean no disrespect to Ball State, but, there must be a better way. The only one I can think of is to, even more than they do now, account for the schedule and conference of each team. Furthermore, while I am using Ball State as primary focus, the busted ranking system can also be seen in the last two National Championships which have been blow-outs by SEC teams (Florida and LSU) over Big-10 member, Ohio State. After last weekend's game between #3 Penn State (now #9) and unranked Iowa, in which Iowa defeated the Nittany Lions with a last-second field goal, perhaps the media, the fans, and the voters will finally come to the delayed realization that the Big 10 is simply not what it is made out to be. Hopefully, after this realization, the top 25 polls will become a more accurate portrayal of the true top 25. 

Talking about overrated, after Boston College's 17-0 shutout of Notre Dame, maybe Lou Holtz will finally admit, or simply come to the realization that Notre Dame is not a good team.

My Conference Rankings:

1.) Big 12

2.) SEC

3.) Pac-10

4.) ACC

5.) Big 10

6.) Big East

7.) Mountain West

8.) WAC

9.) MAC

Final Predictions

NFC East

1.) New York Giants: Predicted Record: 14-2 - Playoff Bound.

The Giants are the first team in a while that has been better than they were in the previous season in which they won the Superbowl. Led by the highly acclaimed, and Superbowl winning QB Eli Manning, and a ferocious front four, the Giants have become one of the most feared teams in the NFL. The possibilities are endless for such a young team.

2.) Philadelphia Eagles: Predicted Record: 10-6 - Playoff Bound.

The Philadelphia Eagles are my dark horse to represent the NFC in the Superbowl. When Westbrook is healthy, the Eagles offense is as good as any. Unfortunately, he has not been able to stay as healthy as the Eagles would like. Still, even without him, with a resurgent Donovon McNabb and a Offensive Rookie of the Year Candidate in Desean Jackson, the Eagles are a dangerous opponent.

3.) Washington Redskins: Predicted Record: 9-7

The Redskins have been this years roller coaster team. After an abysmal start, they appeared as if they were on a roll, potentially a large enough streak that they might end up first or second in the division. Then, the train came to a shrieking halt when they lost to the St. Louis Rams. No offense to the Rams, but any team that considers itself a legitimate contender cannot lose to a team such as the Rams.

4.) Dallas Cowboys: Predicted Record: 8-8

The Dallas Cowboys have been riddled by injuries. However, even if QB Tony Romo was suiting up on Sunday's, I am not sure that the Cowboys would be a contender. There are simply too many problems, including a secondary which got lit up by the Rams. In addition to their horrendous secondary play, and shotty QB play, the run defense has not been much better. However, despite their major flaws, the Cowboys still have enough talent to pull themselves to a .500 record.

NFC South

1.) Carolina Panthers: Projected Record: 11-5 - Playoff Bound.

The Carolina Panthers are simply one of the NFL's best teams. Armed with a potent offense and an aggressive defense, the Panthers are simply overpowering teams. Do not be fooled by the NFC South, either. Predicted to be one of the worst divisions in the NFL by many, it has quickly risen to become, what is in my opinion, the top division in the entire league. 

2.) Atlanta Falcons: Projected Record: 10-6 - Playoff Bound.

The Atlanta Falcons are not only a very good team, but also a great story. Led by a new head coach, Mike Smith, a rookie QB, Matt Ryan, and a new RB, Michael Turner, the Falcons have quickly reached the 6-3 mark. If you still haven't seen many of their games this season, take a look at their games against Chicago, Greenbay, and Oakland. While Oakland is a horrific team this season, it is an accomplishment to pitch a shutout to anyone.

3.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Projected Record: 9-7

The Bucs, even though I have them missing out of the playoffs, are one of the best teams in the NFC, unfortunately for them, they are a member of the NFC South. Jeff Garcia has quietly put together a very solid season, and their defense has not been given enough credit in their 6-3 start. While I do have them finishing behind Atlanta, do not be surprised if the Bucs finish 10-6 and the Falcons 9-7, this one is simply very hard to call.

4.) New Orleans Saints: Projected Record: 8-8

How many divisions can make the claim that their last place team finished .500? How many divisional last-place teams can claim that they host the front-runner for the MVP award? The tough NFC South may not have a marquee team such as the Titans, but it's rank among divisions comes from the fact that it simply does not have a weak team. While the Saints defense is below-average, they possess one of the most potent offenses in the NFL led by QB, and MVP front-runner Drew Brees. Despite this, they end up last in the NFC South in my predictions.