USC, Pete Carroll Have Never Benefited from the BSC Process
Recently, USC head coach Pete Carroll has spoken out against the BCS basically calling it unfair and unclear on how it works. Fans and broadcasters have railed against the BCS in the past, but it’s nice to see a high profile head coach speak up on the matter. Unfortunately, many in the media are dismissing his statements as sour grapes since USC seems unable to earn it’s way into the BCS title mix with 3 or 4 weeks left to go in the season. Even if they end the season with only one loss, they’re still likely to miss out because of the perceived dominance of the Big 12, and the SEC to a lesser degree. Penn St. is sitting happy with an unblemished record, and if they continue the season without defeat, they will no doubt represent the Big Ten in the title game. But if the rest of the season plays out as expected, their opponent will be one of many one loss teams in the current top 10. This, of course, is the ultimate dilemma that plagues the BCS every year. How does one decide who is most deserving to make a title game appearance?
That’s a much larger topic than I’m prepared to discuss at the moment. I’m more disturbed at the claims that USC has benefited from the BCS process in the past. This is completely false, and I think the media is forgetting some crucial points in this argument.
Fact: USC has appeared in the BCS title game twice since the BCS began. In both cases, they went undefeated to earn their way in.
Fact: LSU has also made 2 appearances in the title game. In both cases, they’ve had at least 1 loss. They had 2 losses in in 2007.
Fact: Oklahoma has also made 2 title game appearances…each with at least 1 loss in the regular season.
Fact: Florida made the 2007 title game with a single loss.
The point: The BCS isn’t a factor for BCS teams that go undefeated during the regular season. It only plays a roll when there is only one or no undefeated BCS teams to select from. Therefore, Miami, Ohio St., and USC have not benefited from the BCS in seasons where they went undefeated on their way to the title game.
Oklahoma benefited when they appeared in the 2003 title game with 2 losses ahead of a 1 loss USC team. The same goes for Florida, LSU and any other teams who were magically selected amongst a host of other single loss teams to play for the BCS title.
This may seem like a small distinction, but it’s an important one to note if the media is going to suggest that Pete Carroll or any other coach is now speaking out against a system from which it has benefited. That’s a fair claim against Les Miles, Urban Meyer or Nick Saban if they were to make such statements, but give coach Carroll a break.
NBA is Back, and I Couldn’t Be Happier
All hail the National Basketball Association! It’s great to see the NBA back on television once again. This season begins with questions just like every season, but that’s why it’s fun. We have until next June to figure everything out.
The Boston Celtics look even stronger this year than the were last year. Of course they’ll miss James Posey (signed as a free agent to the New Orleans Hornets), but Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen remain, and they look much more comfortable together at the start of this season then a year ago.
The Los Angeles Lakers are still the best team in the west. With a healthy Andrew Bynum, they’re likely to repeat as Western Conference Champions and should be a greater threat to win the NBA title.
Good, young point guards are a year smarter and more experienced. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Baron Davis, Tony Parker, etc… We can finally add Chicago Bulls Rookie, Derrick Rose to the mix.
Speaking of rookies, I’m excited to see Derrick Rose and Miami Heat’s Michael Beasley begin their NBA careers. These are 2 bright talents and look seasoned enough to make some noise early.
Will the New York Knicks begin to resemble an NBA franchise again? New coach Mike D’antoni should bring some excitement and a new attitude to the organization, but they still have some bad seeds on the team. Gotta get rid of Marbury, gotta get rid of Eddie Curry.
LeBron James is still LeBron James. He’s probably the single best prospect in the league…the perfect combination of speed, size, and ability. But that’s not enough, he added intelligence and leadership to the mix. Now the Cavaliers just need to find some pieces to add so they can compete with the Celtics.
Should be fun. The season is young and there’s a lot of good talent around the league. Enjoy!
College Football: Week 7 Observations
1. Texas QB Colt McCoy and Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford are extremely overrated. I watched Texas vs. Oklahoma this weekend and couldn’t help but notice that neither of these 2 quarterbacks took their eyes off the intended receivers for most of the game. And in both cases, if they did make a read, it was generally on the same side of the field. It’s no wonder Texas and Oklahoma quarterbacks haven’t fared well in the NFL. Quite simply, they aren’t being coached to make defensive reads and progress through their receivers. Where the hell are Major Applewhite and Jason White? Hell, even Vince Young looks inept at the next level.
Mark my word, if either of these teams make it to the BCS title game, they’ll get CLOBBERED by whatever defense they’re up against…unless it’s BYU. If I can see it, I know Pete Carroll, Nick Saban, (insert brilliant defensive mind here) can as well.
2. Why can’t USC get it together? They beat Arizona St. 28-0, but didn’t look nearly as dominant as they should have. Why is it that LSU blows out cupcakes by 40 or 50 points, but SC has regular lapses against teams like this? I can’t figure that one out.
3. How is Joe Paterno doing this? The guy is in his eighties, and he’s still coaching his brains out. This has to frustrate Bobby Bowden to no end. 2nd on that frustration list ought to be Steve Spurrier. He isn’t nearly as old, but it sure looks like he lost his mojo a long time ago.
4. The mighty Michigan Wolverines are just sad at this point. It was Notre Dame last year, and now Michigan that just look uninspired, outmatched and flat out confused. Their 13-10 loss to Toledo last week is worse than last season’s loss to Appalachian St. I get that they have a new coach this season, but effort and a handful of offensive plays should be enough to beat Toledo. damn…
5. Last year’s darlings, West Virginia, Rutgers and Hawaii have all returned to relative obscurity. It was fun while it lasted, right guys? Truth be told, college football is more fun when these lesser known programs make some noise. But it goes to show you, it’s tough to be on your game season in and season out.
Quick, Someone Please Save Jerry Jones from Himself
The Dallas Cowboys just acquired wide receiver Roy Williams from the Detroit Lions for 3 draft picks. What….for? They already have their dynamic deep threat in Terrell Owens, who has remarked many times that he doesn’t get the ball enough. And now their adding a second dynamic deep threat?
I fear Jerry Jones is going the way of Al Davis, and the Steinbrenners. He’s getting old, and it’s beginning to look like the game is passing him by and he’s unable to recognize that fact. So, instead of employing younger minds to build out his team, he’s simply throwing more money and bigger names at the problem and making some awfully strange decisions in the process. Remember, this is the same team that’s paying its assistant coach nearly as much as the head coach to keep him from bolting at the end of last season. That’s a clear admission that he doesn’t have full confidence in Wade Phillips and is hedging his bet. The downside of this is that it holds a cloud over Phillips and in some ways will handicap his ability to effectively manage the team.
The point is, the Dallas Cowboys are still relevant, but Jerry Jones is increasingly showing signs of panic and paranoia in an era in sports where consistency and reason have become hallmarks of success. One wonders what this franchise might look like 4 or 5 years from now.
Manny Ramirez Reminds Me of What’s Wrong with Sports Today
His antics on and off the field, his sometimes lackluster in-game performances, his apparent disregard for authority, his apathetic attitude toward perceived underachievments….on & on. In my honest opinion, these are NOT examples of what’s wrong with sports today.
We often hear from fans or members of the sports media that today’s athletes are selfish, arrogant and overpaid. The general consensus seems to be that today’s athletes have forgotten that baseball, basketball and football are games meant for fun. They’re supposed to enjoy themselves on the field, and us fans are supposed to enjoy watching. But, the truth is, the FANS have forgotten this. Yes, I said it. Fans are what’s wrong with sports, not the athletes!
I Love Manny Ramirez!
Why? Because he seems to be the only guy who remembers why he plays the game. He enjoys himself visibly. There’s no doubt about that. He refuses to make a big deal out of whatever happens on the baseball field. If he makes an error in the outfield (which is a recurring, comical event), he shrugs it off with a smile. Of course, this angers his teammates, fans and sports writers.
Sports is a Business
Of course, Ramirez and the rest of the league aren’t JUST playing to have fun. Sports is a business, and these guys are playing for their fair share…or unfair depending on your perspective. Ramirez’s recent exit from the Boston Red Sox is a sad reminder of that fact. Basically, he wanted more money from them than they were willing to pay. His response was to basically make life unpleasant for all involved until the organization was forced to trade him to another team. He went on to the LA Dodgers, and have sparked that club and led them past the Cubs and into the National League Divisional Series.
But These Athletes are Paid Millions….
The rising salaries for today’s athletes are always a sticking point for fans and the media. The reasoning being that they’re paid so much money that they should be eternally grateful and generous. They should work their asses of season in and season out. They should show humility and class when successful, and be contrite and apologetic when they fail. They are, after all, making SOO much money, right? True, but that too is the fault of the fans. We’re the one’s fattening their pockets by paying outrageous price for game tickets, parking, souvenirs and mediocre stadium food. When our favorite team shows sustained success and raises ticket prices on us, we happily oblige. And when they fail, we DEMAND someone is held accountable. We call for the firing of head coaches, front office management, players, you name it (perhaps we should direct that energy and passion toward our government officials, but that’s another story for another time).
It’s Entertainment People!
Purchase your tickets, enjoy the game, cheer for your team…then go home. That’s it. Hell, STAY home if you don’t want to pay for the tickets. That’s even better. But make sure you remember what the games are here for. They’re entertainment and meant for enjoyment. If you’re not enjoying the experience, do something else with your time.
OR
Next time you purchase a movie ticket and are disappointed by what you see on the silver screen, dial up Entertainment Weekly or People Magazine and demand that someone get fired for it. Call your local radio talk show and rant about how you wasted your hard earned dollars and deserve a better product. Sure, it sounds absurd when you look at it this way, right? But at least you’d be consistent.
Why MMA Won’t Last
Admittedly, I’m not a hardcore MMA fan. Casually, sure. But I don’t know its history nor can I recount any legendary matches or rally off today’s top 5 fighters. My knowledge is limited to Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell and most recently, Kimbo Slice. I’ve heard of some guy named Shamrock, but I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. As a casual fan, MMA has been sold to us as the next big thing, but I’ve always been a tad skeptical. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it, but I felt that something was holding it back from gaining the popularity that’s been long expected. After watching Kimbo Slice fall to Seth Petruzelli last weekend, it occurred to me what’s missing in MMA, and why it will always be in its own way.
Most NFL fans can’t tell you what a cover 2 defense is or how the west coast offense operates. Likewise, you’ll be hard pressed to find an NBA fan who can detail what Phil Jackson’s triangle offense looks like, or a baseball fan who understands what a hit and run is designed to do. The simple fact of sports is that we cheer for players, not plays.
The NBA enjoyed its greatest success in the 1980’s because of engaging personalities and athletes like Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, etc… Sure, they were all excellent players, but their appeal is more of a result of the fan/athlete dynamic that was so strong with the leagues most prominent players. They were accessible, interesting, fun and articulate. That’s why we watched, and that’s why the league was so popular. Don’t believe me? No team has played better basketball in the last 10 years than the San Antonio Spurs, and yet, their finals appearances have garnered some of the lowest ratings ever for the NBA Finals. There simply aren’t enough engaging athletes on the Spurs, so we don’t care that they play a quality brand of basketball. We’re more interested in watching Kobe Bryant go 1 on 5 every night on his way to 81 points, or witness LeBron James dragging 3 defenders through the lane.
The NFL and MLB are also full of similar examples. Brett Favre, LaDainian Tomlinson and Terrell Owens are the reason we watch every Sunday. They’re great players, but also engaging figures that are fun to watch and cheer for. Even Boxing’s best decades were a result of interesting characters like Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leanord and of course, Muhammad Ali. Whether we cheered for or against these guys, we always tuned in…not necessarily because of the athleticism displayed, but because of our affinity for the athletes themselves.
This brings me to MMA. I’m sure there are engaging, interesting and fun athletes in that sport as well. The problem is…and always will be, that they never last long enough for us to get to know them. UFC hyped Chuck Liddell up for months before his bout with Rampage Jackson. And within seconds, he was on his back and the fight was over. Goodnight everybody, thanks for coming! Then MMA gets another chance when Kimbo Slice emerges as the next fighter to bring the sport to the mainstream. He literally saw one punch before that fight ended as well…incredibly short order. So, before we get a chance to relate to the fighters or learn what makes them so special, they become yesterday’s news.
The problem is with the nature of the sport itself. Liddell and Slice were both victims of a single punch that rendered them incapable of defending themselves, and ultimately led to their defeats as their opponents pounced on them immediately before the referee’s called the fights. Game over. Game over??? We’re not even sure if the better guy won the fight. I know, I know…they better guy or team doesn’t always win anything. That’s true, but in a 4 quarter football game, we’re at least shown WHY one team was able to overtake another. Even in Boxing, most matches last beyond a single punch. That’s because the fighters are given the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and adapt as the fight is carried out. Boxing’s been criticized for being too slow or boring, especially when compared to MMA. But a consequence of that pace is that my favorite boxer will generally have a chance to figure out his opponent and be competitive in the match. And hell, even if he loses, at least I cheered for him for about 5 or 6 rounds first.
Boxing’s lost a lot of appeal lately, but that’s a result of poor marketing and an antiquated business model. As a matter of fact, it’s boxing’s failing business model that has allowed for MMA to gain some notice in the mainstream. Who’s going to pay $50 for a pay-per-view boxing match to watch someone they’ve never seen? MMA has been smart to place highly marketed events on network or cable television and it’s served them well.
So here we are at the proverbial turning point for MMA. It’s been well marketed, continues to satisfy its hardcore fan base, and is incredibly accessibly to marginal fans. The next frontier is to conquer the mainstream which, as I’ve stated, requires engaging personalities more than anything else. My suggestion? Change the format of the fights themselves. Of course, this flies completely into the face of the sport’s no holds barred premise, and alienating one’s base is always a risky proposition. But I don’t the think the sport can reach its desired heights if it keeps playing musical chairs with its brightest stars. MMA needs a Brett Farve or Magic Johnson to make it, but if Magic gets his teeth knocked out in the first 15 seconds, then it’ll be almost impossible to gain the mainstream following to reach its goals.