Jimmy's Blog

Most Famous/Infamous Body Parts in Sports

2007-05-10T12:52:00.006-04:00

You can thank Gary Thorne, a rabid Red Sox Nation and a pitcher who thrives on being in the spotlight for this list. When you're done reading my top 10, be sure to send me yours.

1. Evander Holyfield's left ear: Mike Tyson's erratic behavior came to a head on a summer night almost 10 years ago when he was in the ring with Holyfield. During their rematch, boxing's bad boy couldn't resist the urge to chomped down on Holyfield's ear, which stopped the fight.

2. Curt Schilling's right ankle: Some would say Schilling's mouth (or should it be fingers, now that he's a blogger?) could be on this list, but his right ankle became a storyline in the 2004 postseason and still causes much discussion.

3. P.J. Carlisemo's neck: Who can forget the scratch marks left on Carlisemo's neck after the Warriors head coach was strangled by Latrell Sprewell?

4. Mel Kiper's hair: A slew of sports figures can make this list based on hair (Dennis Rodman, David Beckham, Don King, etc, etc), but nobody -- nobody -- can talk about the NFL Draft without mentioning Kiper's hair, which I don't really understand because after watching this year's Draft, I thought his hair looked normal.

5. Antonio Alfonseca's extra fingers and toes: He hasn't had a distinguished major league career, but the current Phillies reliever, who has polydactylism, will always be the answer to a triva question: Who is the only pitcher in history to have six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot?

6. Rich Garces' stomach: There have been plenty of baseball players of large girth, but for some reason, the former Red Sox pitcher became the poster boy for those living large in the late '90s.

7. Orlando Brown's right eye: You never know what you're gonna get when NFL referee Jeff Triplette makes a call, but he'll always been known as the ref who threw a flag into Brown's right eye, causing the Cleveland offensive lineman to miss three seasons.

8. Mike Tyson's face: Maybe Tyson was jealous that he caused Holyfield to make this important list. Whatever the case, as soon as Iron Mike got that massive tatoo on his face, he locked up his spot.

9. The Rock's eyebrow and elbow: You may not consider wrestling a sport, but you'd have to admit, for a period of time starting in the late '90s, the WWE's popularity exploded, let in most part by The Rock. And two of his trademarks were the "People's Eyebrow" and "People's Elbow."

10. Anna Kournikova's everything: She's still enormously popular even though she hasn't played tennis since 2000. Enough said.

What famous/infamous body parts have I left off? Let me hear from you.

Blame Torre for Yankees mess

2007-04-25T08:51:00.000-04:00

Manager Joe Torre deserves the criticism for the Yankees' slow start.

I'm going to riff on the Yankees' awful start, but in the interest of full disclosure, let me remind you that I'm a diehard Yankees fan. So while you may be completely sick of baseball's most written about, most covered and most talked about team, this will at least give you a chance to tell me the Yankees suck.

OK, now to the Bombers. Blame for their awful start (and five-game losing streak) is being thrown in a lot of directions. They've been hit by injuries, their starting pitching is terrible, their bullpen is overused. This has been the mantra in 2007. Players who have barely been with the team (Carl Pavano), players who have been with the Yankees for five minutes (Kei Igawa and Doug Mientkiewicz ), hereos from last season (Melky Cabrera) and a legend in the game (Mariano Rivera) have all been beaten up on talk radio. And you can bet that if Alex Rodriguez wasn't off to one of the best starts in history, he'd be getting publicly flogged, too. Oh, and every single day, fans and some media members publicly beg the team to bring back one of the most popular figures in club history (Bernie Williams) because even though the Yankees lead the majors in runs scored, a 38-year-old part-time player will solve all the problems.

But the one person who escapes the criticism, especially from the media, is the person I blame the most for this mess: manager Joe Torre.

This is not easy to say. What Torre has done in New York is special. Part of me thinks that if a manager wins four World Series, he should never be criticized. However, Torre has never been a master at using the bullpen, but this season his cluelessness has hit another level. In the past, he's burned out Steve Karsay, Tanyon Sturtze, Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill. It looks like Scott Proctor and Luis Vizcainio will be next.

But here's what Torre's biggest sin has been: He showed that he's scared of the Red Sox. It was blatantly evident last weekend. A lot was made in New York about how Torre managed the series opener like it was Game 7 of the World Series. Well, he also managed like he had a one-run lead when he had a four-run lead. He showed all of Boston that he was petrified of losing that game. And there's no doubt in my mind that the Red Sox (and their fans) could see it and smelled blood -- and got it.

After Proctor bailed out Andy Pettitte in the seventh inning (of course Torre had a quick hook with Pettitte for no reason. In Torre's book, allowing a starter to go seven innings is a criminal act) by getting two outs, Torre then decided to have Mike Myers start the eighth inning. Why? Because Myers is a lefty and David Ortiz was leading off the inning. As if Ortiz, one of the best hitters in the game and an absolute monster at the plate who owns the Yankees, is really going to be affected by a lefty. There's not much difference between Ortiz' average against lefties (.264) and his average against righties (.290).

But it wasn't about numbers and matchups (things to which Torre is a slave to). It was about pushing the panic button when you had a four-run lead and needed six outs to get a win.

Now, the Yankees have gotten off to terrible starts under Torre before and have always rebounded. But things have changed. When Torre came to New York in 1996, the Yankees weren't run like a corporation the way they are now. Torre also was nearly fired after the Yankees lost to Detroit in the first round of the playoffs last season, and does not have a contract past this season. He hasn't been in that situation with the Yankees before. Lastly, Torre will turn 67 in July. Is it really wrong to ask if: a) Torre, for the first time in his Yankees tenure, can't handle the pressure; and/or b) the game has passed him by? I'm not 100 percent sure it has, but I'm closer to believing that now than ever before. Am I wrong to blame Torre for New York's poor start? Do you think it's a valid point? Let me hear from you.

Other quick thoughts:

1. I don't want to get into a whole steroids debate, but I'll just throw this out there: Barry Bonds hit 26 homers in just 367 at-bats last year. This season, at age 42, he's hit six in 46 at-bats this year. There is steroid testing in baseball. I haven't seen anything that says Bonds has failed one of those tests. So when is it OK to say you are impressed with his performance? Are we allowed to say that Bonds is still an amazing hitter without people looking at you like you're crazy? I'll say this: Barry Bonds is the best hitter I've ever seen -- period. Is there anyone else out there, not from the Bay Area, who feels this way? Let me know.

2. I'm not one of these people who watches The Sopranos but always complains about it. I know many folks who do, but if I don't like something, I don't watch it (Lost lost Season Pass status after three week's this season). Having said that, I'm getting frustrated with the show. When there are a finite amount of episodes left, you have to make each count. This means you can't have shows where main characters are missing. Dr. Melfi has only been in one of three episodes this season. Carmela was on for two seconds this week, while A.J. and Meadow were nowhere to be found. Bobby was a big part of the season opener, but this week, nothing. Same with Janice. And now I'm worried that we've seen the last of Uncle Junior. His final scene on Sunday felt like his swan song. Anyone else agree? And what do you think about the show after three episodes this season?

Braving the Elements

2007-04-11T09:25:00.000-04:00

As you know by now, snowy weather in Cleveland wreaked havoc on the Mariners-Indians series last weekend. Clevleand is now in the middle of playing a three-game set against the Angels at Miller Park in Milwaukee because Jacobs Field is a winter wonderland. And while unpleasant conditions in many cities was a big story during the opening week of the baseball season, most fans I know don't mind dealing with bad weather.

Sports fans are tough and they put up with a lot of crap -- exorbitant ticket prices, players who won't give fans the time of day, games that go on too long and networks that don't care about scheduling games at ridiculous hours, among other things. What's the big deal about snow and cold temperatures?

Having said that, I'm turning the blog over to my fellow readers today. I want to know your best story about going to a game in inclement weather. Would you do it all over again? Do you remember the game like it was yesterday? Was it a fun experience, or were you miserable?

The worst weather I've ever experienced at a game was Royals-Yankees, Yankee Stadium, Opening Day, 1996. The game took place during a blizzard, and I spent about $50 on hot chocolate. But it was worth it. You felt like you were apart of a something special, and the fans were happy to go with the flow make it a fun afternoon. There's no doubt that the snow and cold made for a memorable atmosphere.

Quick side story: The Yankees decided to reward fans who sat through the terrible conditions by giving them free tickets to an upcoming game (you had a choice of a few games to choose from). I picked a random Mariners-Yankees game that turned out to be Dwight Gooden's no-hitter. But I didn't use the tickets. I was on a baseball stadium road trip with a few buddies and we were in Cincinnati that night watching a Rockies-Reds game. To make matters worse, I bet on the game and took 8.5 as the over and the final was 5-3. Two morals to the story: One, if you have tickets, use them. Two, don't bet.

But this story ties into the snowy day at Yankee Stadium, making it even more memorable for me. So if you have tales of sitting through rain, snow, cold or even oppressive heat, let me hear from you.

MORE SOPRANOS

I received a ton of great comments off The Sopranos blog entry. Since most of you seem to be into the show, here are a few thoughts on this week's episode. It was slow going, but executive producer David Chase set up a few things. Will Tony have Bacala killed for the sucker punch? Will Bacala, who mentioned how criminals get caught fairly easily these days thanks to DNA testing, be done in by having his shirt ripped by the guy he shot? Will Bacala want revenge on Tony for making him commit his first murder by turning on Tony? The seeds have been planted for Tony's downfall. Other highlights were watching the two rotund men duke it out; a monopoly game that was eerily similar to ones that take place in my family; Carmela and Bacala -- two Italian-Americans -- talking about how the United States should not let any immigrants into the country; and Frank Leotardo's welcome home party that evoked memories of Billy Bats' welcome home party in Goodfellas. Of course, actor Frank Vincent, who plays Phil, also played Billy. What did you think about this week's episode?

Most Memorable Sopranos Moments

2007-04-05T16:03:00.000-04:00

Carmela, Tony and Meadow have just nine more episodes left.

Photo by Stephen Lovekin/WireImage.com

The past couple of weeks have been a fun time to be a sports fan. We've had the NCAA Tournament, Opening Day in Major League Baseball, WrestleMania and the Masters. This Sunday night another event takes place. It has nothing to do with sports, but it should still be discussed -- the first episode of The Sopranos' final season.

When all is said and done, The Sopranos will go down as one of the top five dramas of all time. And while recent storylines and absurdly long hiatuses have hurt ratings and upset viewers, nobody should forget that for the first three or four seasons, this was the most-buzzed about show of its time. With that, here are the 10 Most Memorable Sopranos Moments. When you're done reading my list, be sure to send me yours.

1. Pine Barrens: This was the episode in which Christopher and Paulie had an altercation with a big Russian and ended up chasing him through the woods and snow. It was the funniest episode in the show's history, but also one of the most frustrating since fans wanted the Russian to reappear. Hmm, maybe this season. The entire episode is on YouTube, but here's a short clip (WARNING: this clip and others that follow are filled with profanities) that sums up a show that's nothing short of genius.

2. Tony, Silvio and Paulie kill Big Pussy: We knew it was going to happen, but it was still riveting television. From the foursome sharing tequila shots on a boat to Pussy asking not to be shot in the face to Tony, Silvio and Paulie throwing Pussy's dead body overboard, this was The Sopranos at its peak.

3. Janice shoots Richie Aprile: Unlike the previously mentioned shooting, this one was a shock. Richie had become a big headache for Tony, so you knew he'd be "taken care of." Nobody could've guessed Janice, who had just been punched in the face by boyfriend Richie right after cooking and serving him dinner, would be the one to do the job.

4. Uncle Junior shoots Tony: Part of the reason The Sopranos was so good during its first few seasons was Uncle Junior. The character always had the most memorable lines. But once the show gave him Alzheimer's, the character was wasted. He briefly returned to the spotlight in the first episode last season, when, in a state of confusion, he shot his nephew and then hid in a closet while Tony bled and struggled to phone for help.

5. Tony and Christopher put Ralphie's head in a bowling ball bag: Ralphie had become a thorn in Tony's side, but it wasn't business that caused Tony to snap. It was Ralphie burning down a stable in which Tony's horse, Pie-O-My, resided. After denying his involvement, Ralphie finally snapped, and said, "So what, it was only a horse." Bad move. Next thing you know, Tony strangled Ralphie to death after a scuffle in which Ralphie's toupee came flying off. To cover up the murder, Tony and Christopher chopped up Ralphie and put his head in a bowling ball bag.

6. Silvio kills Adriana: The storyline where Adriana was forced to become a government informant was one of the show's best. It culminated with Tony's crew creating a clever scheme (telling Adriana that addict boyfriend Christopher -- or, as she says it, Christafa -- had suffered a relapse) to get her alone. When Silvio picked up Adriana to take her to see Christopher, everyone knew the brass tough girl was history. And no one will forget the way she crawled away, begging for her life -- to no avail.

7. Janice steals her mother's caretaker's leg: I'm not sure what else needs to be said. Tony had hired a woman to look after his mother, Livia. The aide had a prosthetic leg. After Livia died, Janice wanted the caretaker to return Livia's record collection (which Livia gave to the aide). When the caretaker refused, Janice stole the woman's leg -- and held it for ransom (the records).

8. Carmela throws out Tony: Some fans thought this episode was too "soap opera-y," (Carmela got wind of yet another one of Tony's affairs after his mistress' friend who used to be Tony's old mistress called the Sopranos' home), but I disagree. The performance by Edie Falco, who couldn't have done a better job conveying Carmela's raw pain, was unforgettable.

9. Dr. Melfi gets raped: Like the episode with the Russian in the woods, this one left fans frustrated because they wanted Dr. Melfi to tell Tony she was raped. But that doesn't mean the show didn't leave an impression. The rape scene was disturbing and you had a hard time believing it was happening. Still, it was the episode's final scene that I'll never forget. Tony sensed something was wrong, prodded Melfi to tell him what happened, but, knowing Tony would kill the rapist, she kept the incident to herself. Powerful television.

10. Horrible special effects used to show Livia: I don't know if many people remember this, but after actress Nancy Marchand passed away, her character Livia appeared in one episode thanks to special effects that turned out to be anything but special. The show took past dialogue from Livia and poorly synched it up with and old scene of her sitting on a chair. The results were awful. You couldn't focus on the dialogue because the effects were so distracting. And it was even creepier to watch when you remembered that Marchand was dead. This Newark Star-Ledger article explains this mess better than I did.

What are you most memorable Sopranos moments? Let me know.

(Update: 3:30 p.m., ET -- Remember to keep the comments clean. A lot of good comments aren't getting posted because of words or content that can't be published. Using three of the four letters of a curse word with one asterik won't make the cut. If you're quoting the show, and you need to mention a curse word, just use "blank." Thanks)

Ranking the "Frat Pack" movies

2007-03-28T08:45:00.000-04:00

Jon Heder and Will Ferrell play rival figure skaters in Blades of Glory, opening March 30.

Photo by Dreamworks

Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson have formed a clique so powerful that girls I went to high school with would be jealous of it. The group dubbed the "Frat Pack" have dominated comedies for the past six years or so, and they're about to release a new one.

Ferrell's Blades of Glory, a movie about rival figure skaters, co-starring Napoleon Dynamite's Jon Heder, comes out on Friday. Also making an appearance in the film, to no one's surprise, is Luke Wilson. It seems that none of the guys in this posse can be in a movie without another one of the other "fratters" making at least a cameo.

In honor of Ferrell's newest movie, I thought it would be fun to look at the recent comedies involving this group and ranking them from best to worst, and then getting your take. Using the guideline that at least two of the Frat Pack had to be in the movie (which eliminates Talladega Nights, which was not bad, not great.), here is the list I came up with:

(One side note: It's interesting to see that this group has an affinity for "sports" movies. I put sports in quotes because personally, I don't consider any of these flicks sports movies. Blades of Glory, Dodgeball, Kicking & Screaming and Talladega Nights are comedies, not sports movies. But I'm glad everyone puts these flicks in the "sports" genre because then I have a reason to discuss with you.)

OK, on to the list. Be sure to send me your rankings when you're done reading mine.

(WARNING: There are a ton of YouTube links to clips from the movies throughout the blog. Most, if not all of them, contain profanity. So if you're at work, plug in the headphones or turn down the volume a little bit.)

1. Old School (Ferrell, Vaughn, Luke Wilson): A no-brainer for No. 1. This was a classic from start to finish. Old School is known as Ferrell's breakout film, thanks to the lovable, yet psychotic Frank the Tank character, but there were many other memorable performances. Vaughn brought many big laughs, highlighted by the earmuffs scene. Jeremy Piven, pre-Ari in Entourage, was great as the villainous dean, and Sean William Scott made the most of a very brief role. And any movie with American Pie's Scott (except for Dukes of Hazzard) is OK in my book.

2. Wedding Crashers (Owen Wilson, Vaughn, Ferrell): I hated the last third of this movie, when it turned into The Young and the Restless. But the first two-thirds, especially the middle, was so funny that it still ranks No. 2. Ferrell's cameo was a surprise, and it was the only good thing about the end of the movie, thanks to his repeated demands for meatloaf. Wilson was fine as the sensitive guy. But the real showstopper was Vaughn, who did his best work since Swingers. His performance in the middle of this movie (from the touch football game, to getting his knee fixed up, to the brother coming on to him to his rant the next morning) was top-notch. And thanks to the must-read biglead.com, I'm reminded that Vaughn's character coined the current in phrase "make it rain" long before Pacman Jones.

3. Meet the Parents (Stiller, Owen Wilson): The highlight of this movie is Robert DeNiro showing off his comedic skills, highlighted by the volleyball scene (You gotta spike that, Focker!). But Wilson's role in this movie is underrated. The scene in which he refers to Jesus Christ as "JC" always makes me laugh. And even though Stiller mainly plays Ben Stiller, he was still funny.

4. Starsky & Hutch (Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vaughn, Ferrell): This is an underrated movie. The interrogation scene is a classic that had me rolling the first time I saw it. There's also a danceoff. How bad can a movie be when it has a danceoff? Lastly, Carmen Electra and Amy Smart make out in this movie. I rest my case.

5. Dodgeball (Stiller, Vaughn): I don't know many people who are fans of this flick, but I am. I'm such a Vaughn fan that I pretty much find anything he does funny (except for The Break Up), and his role in this movie -- as a slacker who needs to organize a Dodgeball team to save his gym -- is no exception. And as I touched on earlier, I think any Ben Stiller movie is better when he's playing a wild character, which he does in Dodgeball, and not Ben Stiller, a la Along Came Polly.

6. Zoolander (Stiller, Owen Wilson, Ferrell, Vaughn): I didn't get this movie at all. I know people who love it, and while I did laugh a few times, I thought it was dumb more than funny.

7. Anchorman (Ferrell, Luke Wilson, Stiller, Vaughn): OK, here's where I'm going to become Public Enemy No. 1 with most of you. I hated this movie. I didn't laugh once, and found it almost painful to sit through. Many people, including SI.com NFL producer and a staple of Dr. Z's mailbag, Andrew Perloff, says that I have to watch it again, and it gets funnier. Maybe he's right, but I don't know if I have it in me.

8. Night at the Museum (Stiller, Owen Wilson): I didn't see it, and don't plan to, so I can't comment, but if any of you saw it, let me know.

So, here are my questions for you guys: How would you rank these films? And do you consider yourself a Ferrell person or a Vaughn person? I'm a Vaughn guy. The movies he's carried -- Dodgeball and Wedding Crashers -- are better than the movies Ferrell has carried -- Anchorman, Kicking & Screaming and Talladega Nights. They both carried Old School, so it's a draw on that one.

Evaluating Top Announcers

2007-03-13T19:53:00.000-04:00

Marv Albert and Bill Raftery make us stay tuned in longer. Joe Buck makes us reach for the mute button.

Graphic by Randall Grant

Let's talk announcers. With ESPN morning radio team Mike (Greenberg) and Mike (Golic) handling Arena Football League duties on television, and Billy Packer about to invade our homes for the next few weeks, there are a couple of questions I have for you.

1. Are there any announcers who will: a) make you watch a game you had no intention of watching; or b) make you stay on a game a little longer than you would have had someone else been behind the mic?

2. Are there any announcers who will make you: a) not watch a game; or b) watch the majority of the game on mute?

I thought it would be fun to go through different networks' top broadcast teams for various sports and do an evaluation based on these questions. When you're done reading my thoughts, be sure to send me yours.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

• Jim Nantz and Billy Packer, CBS: Packer is a "Lightning Rod Announcer" -- someone most people have very strong feelings about one way or the other. (Most of the top analysts fit that criteria, so from here on out, I'm just going to use "LRA.") Oddly enough, I'm indifferent to Packer. He doesn't bother me (good sign), but I can't say he makes me enjoy a game any more than I would have. Nantz is a solid nuts-and-bolts play-by-play guy. Nothing more, nothing less. Final word: I can't say this broadcast team adds or subtracts from my enjoyment of a game.

• Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery, CBS: I wish this was CBS' No. 1 team. Lundquist is the definition of a grizzled veteran. He brings passion to each broadcast, without making it about himself. He knows when to let a moment speak for itself, as evidenced by this famous clip. Raft sometimes makes things about himself, but he toes the line, doesn't cross it, and that's what I love about him. I think he's the best analyst in the sport. He brings a lot of fun to the booth, without going too far, and he can still analyze the X's and O's. Give me more man to mans, onions, kisses, lingeries and my favorite, send it ins. Final word: This team gets an A+. They keep me from flipping the channel.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

• Brent Musburger, Bob Davie, Kirk Herbstreit, ABC: Last season was the first for this crew, and it quickly became one of my favorites. Musburger seems to be an LRA, but he does a very good job on play-by-play and seems genuinely excited to be doing games. (Plus, he's not afraid to show that he's up on today's technology and is down with "this Google thing.") Davie and Herbstreit had some chemistry, and provided a good mix of serious analysis and light-hearted banter. I don't expect any Michigan fans to agree with me on this, but that's OK. Final word: This crew should only get better with time.

• Lundquist and Gary Danielson, CBS: Last season was also the first for this team, but I preferred the previous team of Lundquist and Todd Blackledge (who left for ESPN/ABC). Danielson seems to go over the top with his preaching. He sang the praises of the SEC all season long (and rightfully so), but it was hard to take him seriously when he never felt that passionate before about the conference, since he worked for ABC, which didn't air SEC games. Final word: Overall, Lundquist adds to my enjoyment of any game, but CBS could use a bigger personality as its top college football analyst.

NFL

• Nantz and Phil Simms, CBS: Simms gets points for not talking down to his audience. He talks football like a fan would, and doesn't over-analyze a game. He often brings up his experiences as a player and makes it relevant to what's going on at that moment, which is the important thing. Final word: A solid, yet unspectacular team. CBS should've gone after Simms' former coach Bill Parcells and added him to this crew.

• Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, Fox: Aikman has grown into one of the best analysts in football. His biggest strength is that unlike most former players, the ex-Dallas QB isn't afraid to rip anyone. Buck seems more toned down on NFL telecasts than MLB games (maybe the lack of down time means there's less time for his stand-up routine?), and that's helped put him and Aikman in the same class as other top NFL broadcast teams. Final word: Another solid, yet unspectacular team.

• Al Michaels and John Madden, NBC: I can't say there's much different between the three network's top broadcast crews. Michaels and Madden, like Buck and Aikman, and Nantz and Simms, do a good job, keep the nonsense to a minimum and don't make you reach for a mute button. I think that's all you can really ask for from announcers. Final word: Madden is an icon, someone we grew up listening to. For that, his voice alone brings a special feel to a game. Makes it feel bigger, more important. That quality can't be ignored.

• Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser, ESPN: I wanted to give Kornheiser a chance last season, but I couldn't make it more than a few minutes without having to mute the games because of Theismann. Tirico is a fine play-by-play guy, but Theismann destroys the broadcast because he never stops talking. I could go on, but I'll just let this tremendous letter do it for me. And he never stops talking. Final word: You have to mute Monday night games.

MLB

• Buck and Tim McCarver, Fox: Both of these guys are LRAs. I don't mind McCarver. I grew up listening to him do Mets games in New York, so I have a soft spot for him. Does he belabor points? Sometimes. Does he say things every now and then that make no sense? Yes. But he still knows the game and can still teach you a thing or two. That's what he does best. Buck, however, is unlistenable on baseball. I'd say 90 percent of the time I'm watching a baseball game on Fox, I have the sound muted because of Buck. The lame jokes and corny sense of humor are impossible to stomach for three-plus hours. Final word: Gotta mute this team.

NBA

• Mike Breen and Mark Jackson, ABC: They're working together for the first time this season and I'm going to hold out judgment until after the playoffs. I'm able to catch both men in action on local broadcasts. Breen, who does Knicks games, is a Nantz-type. No frills, straight play-by-play. Jackson, who does color on Nets games, is a must-listen. He's smart, witty and will get on players. Final word: TBD

• Marv Albert and Steve Kerr, TNT: Marv is the premier broadcaster in sports. (he's come a long way from his days as a sports anchor on the local news), and he hasn't lost his touch one bit. And it seems that no matter who is paired with Albert (Mike Fratello, Doug Collins, Kerr), that person seems to shine, and that's been the case with Kerr. Final word: This duo keeps me tuned in longer than I would be if another crew were doing the game.

What do you think of these announcing teams? Who makes you hit the mute button? Who makes a game more enjoyable for you? Make sure you let me know.

Most Gruesome/Bizarre Injuries

2007-02-28T09:02:00.000-05:00

They say things come in threes. That's certainly been the case with gruesome sports injuries the past week. Clippers point guard Shaun Livington tore four ligaments in his knee Monday. Wisconsin lost forward Brian Butch on Sunday for four to six weeks because of a dislocated elbow. And Chelsea captain John Terry was knocked unconscious Sunday after being kicked in the face during a match against Arsenal.

Fortunately -- or in many cases, unfortantely -- all of these cringe-worthy incidents can be found on good ol' YouTube (just click on the links above). With that, here are the 10 most gruesome/bizarre injuries found on YouTube. (Some famous injuries aren't on the list i.e. Tim Krumrie, because there isn't a YouTube clip.) Let me warn you: Most of these are nasty. They will make your stomach turn. So if you're eating a meal, be careful. And if there are any other clips of injuries that I missed, please send them along.

1. Redskins QB Joe Theismann suffers broken right leg: This is the granddaddy of gruesome sports injuries. Lawrence Taylor's reaction is unforgettable.

2. Alabama WR Tyrone Prothro suffers broken left leg: The interesting thing about this clip is that the cameraman actually shoots a close-up of Prothro's leg. One thing you'll notice in most of the following clips is that the announcers usually tell the cameramen to turn away.

3. Dodgers pitcher Kaz Ishii gets hit in face with line drive: This isn't as nasty as when Red Sox pitcher Bryce Florie got hit with a liner, but it will still make you cringe. Make sure you stay with the clip and watch the "demonstration" that takes place afterward.

4. Villanova guard Allen Ray gets his right eye poked out: This is just nasty. While it's on my list, I don't recommend watching it.

5. Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk gets his neck cut by skate: This is probably the worst injury, but luckily you can't see it. There's a collision and then some blood. But that's more than enough. The announcers' reactions are a must-listen.

6. Mets outfielders Mike Cameron and Carlos Beltran viciously collide: The amazing thing about this play is that Beltran only missed a week of action. Cameron ended up with a broken jaw and broken nose.

7. Celtics guard Tony Allen suffers torn ACL: This get filed under the "bizarre" category. Allen attempted a dunk after play was whistled dead and then blew out his knee. He's out for the season.

8. Tennis player Mary Pierce ruptures her ACL: You can't really see how bad the damage is to Pierce's knee, but just listen to her scream.

9. Wrestler Sid Vicious suffers broken left leg: Wrestling may be fake, but this injury is not.

10. Miami running back Willis McGahee suffers broken left leg: Helmet on knee. Nothing more needs to be said. If you're not queasy after viewing these clips, let me know which one you think is the most gruesome. And let me know if I've left any out. One thing to remember, though: There has to be a YouTube clip of the injury.

Swimsuit '08 Suggestions

2007-02-18T21:07:00.000-05:00

Stacy Keibler

Photo by John Shearer/WireImage.com

Sports Illustrated's annual Swimsuit Issue has been out for a few days now, so it's time to do what sports fans always do -- look ahead and discuss the future. I'm here to give the magazine some help for 2008. The editors made a buzz-worthy cover choice this year in Beyonce. If they want to go the celebrity route again, I have 10 recommendations, and a bonus choice, for next year's cover. It's an eclectic group, and each woman has an audience she appeals to. As always, send me your suggestions after reading my list.

1. Salma Hayek: Personally, this would be my No. 1 choice. If you need to see why, just go to YouTube and search "Salma Hayek on Ugly Betty" and you'll see why. I'd include the link, but it's probably not safe for work.

2. Jessica Biel: She's currently a Hollywood "It" girl, and she recently caused a stir by dating Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, and pictures of the two of them enjoying some fun and sun on the beach quickly spread all over the Web, and with good reason: Biel in a bikini is a sight to be seen.

3. Stacy Keibler: This former Dancing with the Stars contestant and WWE wrestler got her start as a Baltimore Ravens cheerleader. The theme of this year's Swimsuit Issue was music. How about a cheerleading theme next year, with Keibler on the cover? You couldn't go wrong featuring her legs. While on Dancing with Stars, one of the judges referred to her as a "weapon of mass seduction" thanks in part to her never-ending gams. The 5-foot-11 beauty has said her legs are 42 inches from hip to ankle.

4. Minka Kelly: My fondness for the Friday Night Lights star already has been chronicled in this space. While many people might not know who Kelly is since the show unfortunately has received low ratings, putting her on the cover could give the Lights the boost it needs if it's around for a second season. Plus, she'd be a natural fit for a cheerleading-themed issue.

5. Alyssa Milano: This was the first celebrity crush for most of the guys who grew up in the '80s, so she'd add a sense of nostalgia to the cover. And athletes would be interested in seeing her on the cover since it seems like Milano has dated about half of them.

6. Jennifer Lopez: She has one of the most famous body parts in the world, so this would be the easiest cover in the world to shoot. Get her in a thong bikini, have her stand with her back to the camera, face turned around toward it. Snap the picture and put it on the cover.

7. Mallory Snyder: This is a sentimental choice for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, she was in SI's Swimsuit Issue in 2005 and 2006 and was smokin'. Second, the former Real World castmember is probably the only sane female to ever appear on that show.

8. Erin Andrews: If SI wanted to pick a covergirl who has a connection to sports, who better than the one sideline reporter who fans don't mind seeing on camera? The ESPN broadcaster continues to build a following, as evidenced by this YouTube appreciation.

9. Shakira: This could be a stretch because to fully appreciate Shakira, you have to see her move, especially those hips. But after watching her performance at last week's Grammys, we say she'd be more than worthy for SI's cover.

10. Giada de Laurentiis: The Food Network chef not only has beauty, but she can cook, too! What man wouldn't appreciate that combination? She looks damn good in a bikini, too.

Bonus pick: Britney Spears: Before you write in to tell me I'm crazy, hear me out. I don't want this skinhead version of Britney on the cover. But if she can clean up her act, get some help and get her career going again, the SI cover would be a nice way to cap a comeback. But she needs to get back to the Britney who wore that snake around her neck at the MTV Music Awards or the Britney who kissed Madonna.

Since I'm a nice guy, I've also put together a photo gallery of this list. After you've told me who your choices would be, check it out here.

What's in the news?

2007-01-31T09:57:00.000-05:00

Before I get into today's topics, I want to ask for your help in putting together an upcoming project that will feature ... you.

Left: Jimmy's friend, PT. Right: Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

Here's the deal: My friend PT lives in Chicago, and often gets asked if he's White Sox catcher A.J. Piersynski. Upon recently hearing another tale of his mistaken identity, I thought it would be cool to see if you or anyone you know closely resembles an athlete, or any celebrity, for that matter. Consider this a version of lookalikes, featuring SI.com readers.

So, e-mail me your pics at siwriters@simail.com. Put "Attn Jimmy" in the subject line and please include your name, the name of the person who resembles the athlete or celebrity, your relationship to that person and your hometown. I will gather the pics and put together a photo gallery that you will see on the Scorecard Daily page in the near future.

Now on to some thoughts on items in the news:

1. Item -- MLB's Extra Innings to DirecTV
So Major League Baseball is reportedly set to announce that it is putting its Extra Innings package exclusively on DirecTV. Obviously this is a bad move that can't be defended. It makes no sense to shut out millions of fans, and once again, as usual, baseball screws up. What's hard to take, though, is how MLB is bashed mercilessly for doing something that the NFL does. You barely hear a peep about Sunday Ticket only being offered through DirecTV. And what's even worse is that the NFL doesn't offer its games online -- Major League Baseball does. But that doesn't stop people from hammering MLB while just accepting the actions of the NFL. No matter if it's steroids, bad TV deals or anything else, the NFL only comes away with a bruise while MLB gets put in a body cast. My question to you: If you're going to bash MLB for this decision, shouldn't the NFL get just as much heat?

Would you mess with this man?.

Photo by AP

2. Item -- Tank does Media Day
Speaking of the NFL's ability to avoid getting ripped, let's discuss Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson. Johnson was arrested Dec. 14 after police raided his home and found three rifles, three handguns and 500 rounds of ammunition. His bodyguard, Willie Posey, was shot and killed two days later during an early morning fight at a nightclub in Chicago, where Johnson was present. Oh yeah, all this happened while Johnson was on probation. So how does Johnson explain this during Media Day? He says the media have "overblown" the story, and that it's the media's job to "hype the hot story." The NFL should ban him from playing in the game just for those comments. One more thought: After seeing Johnson at Media Day, I just have one question -- why does he even need a bodyguard or guns? Who would mess with this 6-foot-3, 300-pound guy? My question to you: Should Johnson be allowed to play in the Super Bowl?

3. Item -- Grossman in the Super Bowl
Rex Grossman has been getting bashed for a long time now, so I'm not going to pile on. But he's proving something I've always believed: Theories about what it takes to get to a Super Bowl are dumb. You usually hear "a running game and defense wins titles" or "you can't go far without a good quarterback." It's all nonsense. The Bears and Colts have completely different styles of play. All that matters is staying healthy, peaking at the right time (look at the Colts defense) and getting lucky. My question to you: Do you believe in theories about what teams need to reach a Super Bowl?

4. Item -- Movement underway for Super Bowl holiday
There now is a Web site -- with a petition -- devoted to making the Monday after the Super Bowl a national holiday. I hope they succeed, but let's be honest, the chances aren't good. And while I'm all for adding as many holidays to the calendar as possible, wouldn't a better idea be to put more pressure on the NFL to move the Super Bowl from Sunday to Saturday night? Since the league is intent on having the extra week off in between Championship Games and the Super Bowl, there is no reason not play it on a Saturday night so fans can enjoy it without having to worry about getting up early for work the next day. My question to you: Would you want the Super Bowl played on Saturday instead of Sunday?

5. Item -- NHL in trouble
Two weeks ago, Sports Illustrated detailed the slew of problems -- attendance is down, ratings are down, newspapers aren't staffing road games for certain teams -- that have hit the NHL. Now we get word that ratings for the league's All-Star game were down 76 percent. I asked colleagues if they thought we could actually see a major sport fold in our lifetime? Most said no. I'm not so sure. I don't see how the league can turn things around. My question to you: Do you think there's a chance the NHL will fold in the next 10-15 years?

Most Unforgettable Musical Performances

2007-01-17T08:51:00.000-05:00

When you think of an artist that a college football crowd would like, doesn't Ashlee Simpson come to mind right away?

Photo by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.com

With Prince set to perform at halftime of Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4, it's time to look at the most unforgettable performances (in no particular order) from various sporting events. These aren't necessarily the best performances, but a combination of the best, worst and most controversial.

1. Janet Jackson at Super Bowl XXXVIII: We start with the performance that caused more buzz and trouble than any another in history -- Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction. When Justin Timberlake sang the line, "Gonna have you naked by the end of this song," and then carried out the promise by ripping part of Jackson's top, it became the most rewound moment in TiVo history and changed the standard guidelines for TV broadcasters.

2. Whitney Houston at Super Bowl XXV: Before the singer's most famous moment on television -- telling Diane Sawyer that "crack is whack" -- Houston was best remembered for her emotional rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner during the Gulf War.

3. Marvin Gaye at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game: While Houston belted out a traditional version of the national anthem, it was Gaye's unique and soulful rendition that whipped the Great Western Forum crowd into a frenzy. How many times have you heard a crowd actually clap along to The Star-Spangled Banner?

4. U2 at Super Bowl XXXVI: On Feb. 3, 2002, just four months after the Sept. 11 attacks, the band performed Where the Streets Have No Name while the names of the victims scrolled upward on an enormous backdrop during the song. The result was an uplifting, moving and emotional rememberance.

5. Ashlee Simpson at the 2005 Orange Bowl: Before Ashlee got some plastic surgery and became hot, she was known as Jessica's younger sister who was busted for lip synching on Saturday Night Live in October 2004. A few months later, Ashlee took to the stage at halftime of the Orange Bowl, but unlike the folks who were in the audience at SNL, the Miami crowd let Simpson know what it thought of her screeching performance and booed her off the stage. For you maschochists reading this, here's a longer version of the clip.

6. Michael Jackson at Super Bowl XXVII: In what has to be the most bizarre Super Bowl halftime performance ever, Jackson sang a medley of his hits while being joined on stage (around the stage, actually) by 3,500 children. Michael Jackson and 3,500 children. I'll leave it at that. The best part of the clip comes at the 1:20ish mark when Michael is giving a speech about remaking the planet into a haven of joy while holding a microphone, but then quickly has to start singing and completely botches the lip synching.

7. Caroline Marcil at a 2005 U.S.-Canada exhibition hockey game: In a clip made famous on the Internet, poor Caroline twice botched the words to the anthem, went to the dressing room to get the lyrics, came back and fell hard onto the ice before leaving without trying to sing the song for a third time.

8. Carl Lewis at a 1993 Nets game: Lewis attempted to put his own spin on the national anthem, but from the first looooong note, you knew he was in trouble. And so did he. Midway through the song, Lewis promised to make up for his shaky start. Moral of the story: Lewis can run, but he can't keep promises.

9. Roseanne Barr at a Padres game in 1990: The sitcom star screamed the national anthem, spit, grabbed her crotch and almost caused a riot at Jack Murphy Stadium. The incident became a major news story and Barr received death threats. Could you imagine someone trying to do this today. Unfortunately -- or maybe fortunately -- there is no video of the incident online, but this link is more than enough.

10. Borat at the Rodeo: In his recent hit movie, the Kazakhstani reporter started off as a hit when he addressed the Salem, Va., crowd and told them he supported America's war of terror. However, when Borat tried to sing Kazakhstan's national anthem and said all other countries are run by little girls, the fans quickly turned on him.

Are there any performances I've left off the list? Which version of The Star-Spangled Banner is your favorite -- Whitney Houston's or Marvin Gaye's? Which performance is most disturbting -- Michael Jackson's or Roseanne Barr's?

Random thoughts for the new year

2007-01-02T21:37:00.000-05:00

First Carrie Underwood won American Idol. Now she's landed herself the Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback.

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Ten random thoughts, observations and questions to kick off the new year ...

1. Can you think of an athlete in any sport who had a quicker rise and fall than Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo? Think about it. He became a starter in Week 8 and went 5-1 in his first six games -- throwing just four interceptions -- and somehow got named to the Pro Bowl despite being a non-factor for about half the season. But now he's lost three of his past four games -- throwing six picks in that span -- and it's Armageddon in Big D. One interesting theory I've heard about Romo's struggles: The Saints did a number on him in Week 14 because New Orleans coach Sean Payton was Romo's former offensive coordinator and he knew the quarterback's weaknesses. Since then, opponents studied the film and did whatever the Saints did.

2. It's hard to feel bad for Romo, though, when he's reportedly gone from dating Jessica Simpson to Carrie Underwood. Of course, the latest rumors are that the Romo-Simpson coupling was just a scam orchestrated by her father for free Cowboys tickets.

3. If you like to bet on college football, I seriously hope you've been riding the 'dogs since the weekend began. Starting last Friday with Kentucky's Music City Bowl win over Clemson, underdogs have covered 12 of 15 games. And Auburn, one of those favorites, covered a two-point spread with a three-point victory against Nebraska while looking as unimpressive as a bowl winner could look.

4. One 'dog who bit hard was Boise State. Here is the last 3:30 of the memorable Fiesta Bowl. Since this game was on Fox, I assume we won't be seeing it again on ESPN Classic anytime soon, so bookmark that clip. And give analyst Charles Davis credit. He called the Broncos going for a two-point conversion to win the game right away. However, we could've done without the tired and played-out discussion on college football's need for a playoff as the thrilling game was reaching its peak.

5. Speaking of that unbelievable game, how would you like to have missed the finish because your girlfriend was making you watch Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel? That's what happened to the guy who runs must-read site, thebiglead.com. Now, I'm a big fan of The Duel. I have it on season pass. But MTV shows each episode approximately 750 each week. You have to explain that to your girlfriend, man.

6. Oh, no. Make it stop. After enduring relentless "will he or won't he" retirement talk about Brett Favre and Tiki Barber this season, Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor now is threatening to hang it up. So if he comes back for the '07 season, we'll constantly have to hear about what he'll do in '08. Great.

7. One thing about Favre. Can someone explain to me why he should come back next season when clearly he's just an average quarterback these days? He threw 18 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions this season and lost five fumbles. Last season, he threw 20 touchdowns and 29 picks and lost seven fumbles. Can the media please stop perpetuating this myth that Favre is still an above-average quarterback? And before any Packers fans write in to tell me a) I'm an idiot and b) Favre has no help, just remember this: Tom Brady barely has any decent wideouts and he threw 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season. So just write in to tell me I'm an idiot.

8. While I'm picking on the media, here's one more complaint. Can we not bother asking coaches, managers, GMs, etc., if they're staying or going? They all lie. And when they say they don't know, that means they are leaving. This could be good news, however for Lions fans. General manager Matt Millen said Tuesday he'll never quit. In sports lingo, that means he'll step down by next week.

9. Nobody loves the NFL more than I do. But if the league doesn't think it has a serious issue that needs to be addressed about the behavior of its players, then it is sadly mistaken. Maybe the NFL knows it has a problem but also thinks since it's the king of sports and basically untouchable, the problems don't need to be fixed. But from the Cincinnati Bengals to Bears defensive end Tank Johnson to the horrible tragedy with Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, the amount of dangerous off-the-field incidents involving NFL players is happening at an alarming rate.

10. In case you've been wondering what Kevin Federline has been up to while Britney Spears hits the town without underwear and passes out, excuse me -- "falls asleep" -- at nightclubs, and allegedly canoodles with Matt Leinart, just go to WWE.com to find out. K-Fed spent New Year's Day by getting attacked by WWE Champion John Cena. The video clip on the site is pretty amusing.

Gift list for sports fans

2006-12-12T20:55:00.000-05:00

TiVo can save a sports fan from having a lot of arguments with their significant other over what to watch.

Courtesy of Tivo

I'm not embarrassed to admit that many things in life baffle me. For example, people who find Jay Leno funny. Or why I'm still drawn to watching the Real World even though I'm in my early 30s (side note: this may be the craziest cast yet). Or why Carson Palmer wants Kevin Federline's CD for Christmas.

But one thing that I can't comprehend is when someone tells me that I'm hard to shop for. I'm a sports fan! That automatically makes me easy to shop for. Get me anything with a Yankees logo on it and I'm a happy camper. (But make sure there are no signs of a No. 13 or the word "Rodriguez" on it. That would be the equivalent of putting coal in my stocking.)

And that's how most sports fans feel -- for some reason we'll like anything if it has our favorite team's name or colors somewhere on it. So if you're still trying to figure out what to get someone for the holidays, all you have to do is find out which teams they root for and presto, your shopping problems are solved. And the best part about buying a gift for a sports fan is that you can always find something within your budget. You can be extravagant or you can be cheap. Either way, you don't have to give a gift that the person won't appreciate.

So, if like me, you're dreading the fact that shortly you'll be putting on a fake smile and acting like you love the scarf that some relative bought for you, maybe this list can help. Print it out and give it to people. Or if you're somebody who has to buy a gift for a sports fan, use this list as a guide.

(Here are two other sources that can help: SI's 2006 Holiday Gift Guide and our Game Room Holiday Gift Guide for the video game player in your life. So without further ado, here are 10 basic gifts -- in a variety of price ranges -- for any sports fan. When you're done reading, send me your suggestions.

1. HDTV: If you spend big bucks on gifts -- or if you're just trying to impress someone -- this is the way to go. Sports and HDTV are a perfect marriage. No matter what sports the person you are shopping for likes, they will be grateful for this gift. Plus, chances are, you'll get some use out of it, too.

2. TiVo: This is simply the greatest invention since electricity. Unlike HDTV, this won't cost you an arm and a leg, so if there's a sports fan out there who doesn't have TiVo, you need to get him/her up with the times.

3. Jersey: All you need to know is the person's favorite team and their size and you instantly have a great gift. If you can't find out which player's name and/or number to get on the jersey, just buy one with no name or number on it. The person won't mind, because it will be better than giving them a jersey of a player who is not too popular. Once again, think A-Rod.

4. Tickets: Another easy, but always successful gift. If the person you are shopping for is a baseball fan, Opening Day would be perfect. If you really want to go all out, you can plan a road trip to see the person's favorite team on the road. Which leads to ...

5. Road Trip: If planning out the trip on your own is too daunting, this site will do it for you. Or you can take the easy route and get a gift certificates. If the person you're shopping for is a college football fan, you can send him or her to a bowl game with the help of this site.

6. NFL Sunday Ticket (or other sports packages): This one may sound odd, but it would go over well. The Sunday Ticket on DirecTV, depending on when you order it, can cost anywhere from $199 to $249. Anyone who subscribes to the Ticket would be thrilled if someone offered to pick up the tab for the 2007 season. One thing to keep in mind: You can only give this gift to someone who has DirecTV. Other sports packages available on cable (MLB Extra Innings, NBA League Pass, etc), aren't as expensive, so you can consider those, too.

7. Recliner: Every sports fan needs a comfortable chair to sit in. It doesn't have to be those space age recliners you see in Brookstone, but make sure the one you pick out one that goes way back. One that rocks back and forth is a plus.

8. Sports Night DVD: I mentioned this in a previous blog as one of my favorite sports shows of all time. The complete boxed set has been out for a while, but the show still holds up today.

Who better to give lessons on sharing than Terrell Owens?

Courtesy of Benbella Books

9. Gag gift: Everybody likes a gag gift, and there are plenty to choose from just based on recent events. Derek Jeter has a new cologne, Driven, on the market. A Yankee hater could have a field day with that. Terrell Owens recently released a children's book, titled Little T Learns to Share. Seriously. Stephon Marbury's new sneakers cost less than $15, but if the kicks make you play like him, it's a great gag. Let's not forget about the sports fan who is a music lover. Ron Artest's rap CD, My World would be perfect for that person. Lastly, if the person you are shopping for is into collector's items, you have two great choices. Leon Washington's football card, on which he's giving two middle fingers, or the new NBA ball (made of microfiber) which will be the old NBA ball on Jan. 1.

10. Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Calendar: Yes, I work for SI, but everyone can use a calendar, especially one that features models in bikinis.

So what are some gifts you'd like to get this holiday season? What should be on this list. Let me know.

Where does LaDainian Tomlinson stack up?

2006-11-29T09:04:00.000-05:00

LaDainian Tomlinson has scored two or more TDs in each of San Diego's past five games.

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The emergence of Tony Romo. The reemergence of the Saints. The dominance of the Bears defense. The perfect marriage between the Ravens and Steve McNair. These all have been major themes of the 2006 NFL season, but they all take a back seat to the No. 1 storyline: LaDainian Tomlinson's complete domination.

This season, the Chargers running back already has set the NFL record for reaching 100 touchdowns faster than anyone in history. He's also set the league record for most TDs (16) in a five-game span. And he's five touchdowns away from breaking the single-season mark (28) held by Shaun Alexander. Hopefully, you're not expecting a tight race for the league's MVP award, because LT already has it won.

And LT isn't just dominating this year. In his six-year career, he never has rushed for fewer than 1,236 yards in a season (which he did as a rookie). He has scored double digit TDs in each of those seasons. He's also averaged 475 receiving yards per season. The man who does it all also has thrown six TDs in his remarkable career.

So my question is this: Where do we rank Tomlinson when discussing the best offensive players in recent history? I'm talking about the most dominant, impossible-to-stop guys. I came up with a top-10 list based on the past 25 years (since that's how long I've been watching football). I'm also not going to include "rings" as a criteria (If I did, the list would be filled with nothing but Cowboys and 49ers.) but I will give credit to players who performed exceptionally in the postseason.

Here's my top 10:

1. Jerry Rice
2. Peyton Manning
3. Tomlinson
4. Dan Marino
5. Emmitt Smith
6. Barry Sanders
7. John Elway
8. Thurman Thomas
9. Marshall Faulk
10. Brett Favre

A couple of notes: I limited this to players who started in 1982 and beyond, so that's why Joe Montana and Walter Payton are not on the list.

I debated adding Randy Moss but he's only caught more than 82 passes in a season twice and has done nothing the past three years.

I really wanted to add Terrell Davis, because he ran roughshod through the league in his short time in it, but he only had four great years.

Lastly, I was reluctant to put Favre on the list. To me, his career has always been a little bit overrated -- relax, Packers fans. I said a little bit. I know announcers don't care that Favre just chucks the ball into double and triple coverage on a regular basis because "he has fun out there" (whatever that means), but he has averaged 20 interceptions over the past six seasons. That's just not good. However, I'm not a complete idiot. Favre's run from 1994-97 is remarkable and he's the NFL's only three-time MVP.

So that's my top 10. How good or bad is it? Let's see yours. Remember, keep it to offensive players and keep it limited to the past 25 years.

Light It Up

2006-11-15T08:38:00.000-05:00

Minka Kelly is just one reason -- a BIG one -- to tune into Friday Night Lights.

Photo by NBC

Are you watching Friday Night Lights? If the answer is no, start now, especially if you have any interest in football. The show was just picked up for a full season, so you don't have to worry about investing your time into a program that will get canceled a few weeks later.

There have been seven episodes so far, and none have disappointed. (The show is not on next week, so you have two weeks to watch all episodes over at NBC.com.) While there are a couple of minor things I can nitpick because TV shows have to take dramatic license (If the actor who plays Voodoo can pass for a high school student, I can pass for a high school student. And the coach constantly listening to his critics on sports talk radio seems like a stretch. Wouldn't he just change the channel?), overall, the show does things right and entertains, mainly because of its impressive cast. Every character brings something to the table -- even minor ones, like Matt Saracin's grandmother -- and the acting is top notch. Kyle Chandler as coach Taylor, deserves major kudos for not taking his character over the top, like most coaches you see in TV or film. In fact, most of the performances on the show are understated and subtle, and that makes Friday Nights Lights all the more enjoyable.

Another reason to tune is smokin' hot Minka Kelly, who plays Lyla Garrity, the cheerleader who was dating the star quarterback but is now sleeping with his best friend after the QB suffers an injury, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down (see, I told you it's a good show).

I spoke to Minka yesterday about the show, her life and many other things. After you read the interview, be sure to let me know what you think of the show.

SI.com: The show was picked up Monday for a full season. Congratulations.

M.K.: Thank you. We're so excited. I believe in the show so much and I've had such a good time and I've learned so much. If it would've ended, I would've been proud of what we did and kept moving. But I'm so glad to be able to keep it going because I think we have so much more to show. You haven't seen nothing yet.

SI.com: Since you went there, let's discuss your character. She started out as the model girlfriend, but then turned into a -- How can I put this? -- slut. What happened?

M.K.: I didn't see it [Lyla sleeping with her boyfriend Jason's best friend, Tim] as a slutty move. I absolutely understood it because Lila was so lost and so alone at the time. I don't think she was able to grasp what was going on. Everything was happening so fast. And the only person who understood her was Tim. Her, Tim and Jason were best friends and no one else understood the pain she was going through or the love that she had for Jason, except for Tim. He had the same love for Jason and they both hid their feelings and their pain from everyone except each other. For some reason, they have an understanding with each other. So to go to each other, there was an unspoken understanding because they were desperate for real feelings that just happen. I think it's normal thing that unfortunately happens for people that age. They don't know what they're doing and they act out in this kind of way. I understood it.

SI.com: Were you nervous that people would turn on your character because of her actions?

M.K.: I was very concerned and worried about being able to make people understand why they did this. It wasn't just a cheap shot or slutty thing. There was so much more meaning behind it. I wanted people to understand why she did it. I was afraid of people not understanding.

SI.com: So now Jason knows something is up. Can you tell us what's going to happen?

M.K.: I can tell you that it's not all gonna happen in one episode. It's going to take a few episodes for Jason to come to terms with what's going on. He doesn't want to believe Lila would cheat with his best friend. They'll be some questions and some denials and some fighting and some crying and some panicking. It'll be a fun thing to watch unfold.

SI.com: I'm nervous that Jason is going to make a miraculous recovery, leading to a "Lila is pregnant. Who is the Daddy" storyline.

M.K.: (Laughs) The thing that's so great about Scott Porter who plays Jason Street is that he's so dedicated and adamant about playing out the character as real as he possibly can. He gets together with other paraplegics and he studies them and talks to them. He tries to play the character as authentic as possible, all the way down to the way his hands move or don't move. So there won't be a miraculous walk out of the wheelchair. That's just unrealistic.

SI.com: Obviously football is a huge part of the show. Are you a big football fan?

M.K.: I'm getting there. I wasn't when I first started doing the show, but now, of course, I'm quite a fan. I watch all the UT games. Out here you can't help but care about it.

SI.com: You shoot the show in Austin, Texas. Are you surprised how big high school football is in that part of the country?

M.K.: I didn't understand how much meant to a town like this until I came to Texas and attended some high school football games. I talked to some of the people in the stands and asked them questions and I felt like they were rehearsing lines from the show. I was surprised to see how dramatic it all really is. I would just randomly ask people "so these games are a big deal out here?" and they'd be like, "OH YES, IT'S A BIG DEAL," and then they'd ask me if I ever heard of that show, Friday Night Lights.

SI.com: They didn't recognize you?

M.K.: Well, this was when the show first started. And I was wearing a hat.

SI.com: How's the night life in Austin?

M.K.: It's great. There's so much going on. There's a huge live music scene. In L.A. everyone is an actor. In Texas, everyone's a musician. Any night of the week, you can find music and it's all so good and soulful. The people are great and so nice. It's been a fun transition from L.A.

SI.com: According to IMBD.com, you are 26 years old. I think that's good because you don't want guys who watch the show fawning over high school girls. But you also run into that Beverly Hills 90210 problem where they had cast members who looked like they were 40 playing high school characters. How is it playing a high school character at your age?

M.K.: If I were to play a high school student at a high school student's age, I think you'd deny the character a lot of turmoil that they go through because at that age you don't admit to many of the emotions you're feeling because you don't fully understand them or you're embarrassed by them. And I think having already been through a lot of those things, I have an understanding of those feelings and emotions a lot more fully and can portray them more honestly.

SI.com: Were you a cheerleader in high school?

M.K.: I wasn't. I was more into softball and kickboxing. I was a tomboy, not a girlie girl.

SI.com: Do you have a boyfriend?

M.K.: I don't.

SI.com: What do you look for in a guy?

M.K.: I think the most attractive thing for me when I meet a guy is confidence and him being comfortable in his own skin. I like someone who doesn't need approval or validation. Just has his own thing going on. I also like someone who is smart. I have to learn things from anyone who I surround myself with.

SI.com: And what do you like to do in your free time?

M.K.: Whenever I have the chance, I go to the lake. I like to go wakeboarding. It's my new favorite sport. It's like skiing but on a snowboard that has little shoes on it. But I stay home a lot. I'm a huge homebody. I've only gone out a handful of times since coming to Austin. When I don't work I go to the movies or I go go-carting.

SI.com: Did you see Borat?

M.K.: I did and I loved it, but it was very sad the way they made our country look. I just think they went into the pits of the pits. Very sad, but very funny.

SI.com: You have a unique name. Any backstory there?

M.K.: My mom just made up. I could make up a cool story for you, but I want to be honest. She just made it up.

SI.com: Well, I appreciate your honesty. Thanks for taking the time to speak with me.

M.K.: Thank you so much. It was fun talking to you.

A November To Remember

2006-11-01T08:54:00.000-05:00

His name is Borat. He like U.S. and A.

Photo by AP

Sports is about hype. Games are hyped, players are hyped, coaches are hyped, recruits are hyped, trades are hyped, broadcasters are hyped and on and on. If it has to do with sports, it will be hyped. It's the nature of the beast, but it's also a reason why we're all sports fans.

We thrive on looking forward. When's the next big game? Who is going to be traded? Who will make the playoffs? Well, if you like hype and like looking forward, let me throw this at you: This November could go down as one of the most thrilling and exciting months ever. (How's that for hype?) Let's look at calendar.

Actually, before I even get to sports, let's be clear about one thing: November could be memorable for one simple reason: the release of Borat. Speaking of hype, what was the last movie to generate so much buzz? The anticipation for this flick has been off the charts, and rightfully so. I haven't been this pumped for a movie since American Pie II. And I have no doubts Borat won't disappoint. Here are the first four minutes of the movie and here is Borat's very own MySpace page (thanks to SI.com college football guru, Stewart Mandel for passing that along). Enjoy.

On to the November to Remember:

Thursday, Nov. 2: No. 3 West Virginia (7-0) at No. 5 Louisville (7-0). If the winner of this game runs the table, they'll likely face the winner of the Michigan-Ohio State showdown in the national title game.

Friday, Nov. 3: Borat opens in theatres (Yes, it deserves to be mentioned again)

Sunday, Nov. 5: The league's best rivalry over the past few years takes center stage when the unbeaten Colts visit the suddenly surging Patriots. Let the Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady debates begin.

Sunday, Nov. 12: Bears at Giants. With Chicago hosting Miami the previous week, I'll go out on a limb and say the Bears will enter the Meadowlands 8-0.

Saturday, Nov. 18: Michigan at Ohio State. Just the most anticipated college football game in ages.

Sunday, Nov. 19: Falcons at Ravens, Colts at Cowboys, Chargers at Broncos. This Sunday is about quantity more than quality. You don't have one outstanding game, but three solid ones. Michael Vick faces a dominating Baltimore defense. San Diego and Denver battle for AFC West supremacy and if the Colts get past New England on Nov. 5, they'll likely enter Big D 9-0 (Indianapolis hosts Buffalo on the 12th).

Thursday: Nov. 23: Thanksgiving is always a special day, even though one of the two NFL games always features the Lions. However, this Turkey Day is even more special because the NFL finally made the smart move of adding a night game. After you've watched the Macy's parade, after you've fought with the family and after you've eaten enough to make you unbutton your pants, sit back and relax with Broncos-Chiefs.

Friday: Nov. 24: There aren't any must-see college games this day, but anytime you can watch college football on a Friday afternoon, things are good. Texas A&M (8-1) at Texas (8-1) isn't a bad game, and neither is LSU at Arkansas.

Saturday: Nov. 25: Notre Dame at USC: The game lost a lot of its luster with the Trojans' loss to Oregon State this past weekend, but this will still be a must-watch with plenty on the line.

Sunday, Nov. 26: Bears at Patriots: Could Chicago enter Foxboro 10-0?

A month can't get much better than that, especially when you consider there are no playoff games involved. So, here are my questions for you guys: Which of these games will live up the hype? Which won't? Which games are you most excited to see? Have I left out any must-see events? And finally, are you ready for Borat?

Best Meltdowns

2006-10-18T09:50:00.000-04:00

What in the name of Mariah Carey is going on around here? Has this been the week of meltdowns or what?

It started last Friday, when Albert Pujols decided that seven innings of shutout ball from Tom Glavine against St. Louis wasn't impressive. Pujols, whom most in the media seem to love because they assume he hits a lot of home runs without the benefit of steroids, tarnished his image by saying of the veteran left-hander, "He wasn't good. He wasn't good at all." John Harper of the New York Daily News also revealed that Pujols' star is beginning to tarnish among some of the folks who cover the Cardinals.

Then on Saturday, news broke that Fox had fired baseball analyst Steve Lyons for making a "racially insensitive comment." Lyons apparently mocked fellow broadcaster Lou Piniella, who was speaking Spanish during Game 3 of the A's-Tiger series.

(Total aside here, but it needs to be said: I thought Joe Buck sounded like a complete idiot when he went crazy over Randy Moss' fake moon to the Green Bay crowd a couple of years ago. And this Lyons incident strikes me the same way. Fox and people who work for Fox have no credibility when it comes to political correctness, good taste or telling people what's right and wrong. This is a network that aired a show called The Littlest Groom. It aired The Swan. It aired Who's Your Daddy? And the newspaper owned by Fox suffered something much more serious than a meltdown by publishing this cartoon after Cory Lidle's death.)

Back to the crazy week that was. A few hours after Fox canned Lyons, all hell broke loose during the Miami-Florida International game. This lead to Hurricanes analyst Lamar Thomas acting like a kid on Christmas morning because there was a massive brawl taking place.

Then on Monday, after a stunning collapse by his Arizona Cardinals, Dennis Green went bonkers in his postgame news conference (warning: that link is the unbleeped version), treating his poor podium like a punching bag.

While some of these meltdowns are more serious than others, the bottom line is that sports fans love them. People can't embarrass themselves enough. The more a sports figure flips out, the better. It may not be the right thing to say, but we love to analyze and discuss meltdowns almost as much as we love to analyze and discuss games.

So what are some of the better meltdowns in recent years? Here are 10 of my favorites. Send me yours when you're done reading my list.

1. Lee Elia's infamous tirade against Cubs fans has to top the list. (Warning: link contains cursing -- lots of cursing.)

2. Bobby Knight has a bunch, but I'm partial to him flinging a chair across the court.

3. I also loved Temple coach John Chaney telling UMass' John Calipari that he'd kill him.

4. Jim Mora had a classic meltdown with his "Playoffs. You're talking about the playoffs?" rant.

5. Anyone remember when Devils coach Jim Schoenfeld told referee Don Koharski to have another donut?

6. Few managers can go crazy when arguing calls like Piniella. And we're sure Lou will have many more classic meltdowns now that he has agreed to manage a team that hasn't won a World Series in 98 years. Still, it'll be hard for even Sweet Lou to top this performance.

7. This minor league manager, though, tried to give Lou a run for his money last season.

8. Unfortunately there's no YouTube clip of it, but another classic meltdown that caused quite a stir was Roger Clemens' flinging a bat in Mike Piazza's direction. Obviously this was a dangerous act, but it was so bizarre and surreal that it stands out in most baseball fans' memories.

9. Two words: Woody Hayes.

10. A more recent meltdown came courtesy of a Michigan State radio host who went bonkers after the Spartans collapsed against Notre Dame last month. Search this blog for the audio clip.

There are thousands more meltdowns that have taken place in sports. What are you favorites?

Anti-gambling folks=phonies

2006-10-04T09:05:00.000-04:00

Sports Illustrated did a feature story about gambling in 1986, but it's a whole new world now thanks to the Internet.

Photo by Lane Stewart/SI

Many of you probably saw the end of Sunday's Colts-Jets game, which featured eight laterals and concluded with an Indianapolis defender recovering a fumble and taking off with the ball, only to be quickly tackled. Well, if the player hadn't been stopped and managed to score, the Colts would have covered the spread. More shocking, NBC's Bob Costas addressed this on Football Night in America.

I was stunned when I heard Costas explain why that failed runback was important, because the NFL likes to give the impression that it is against betting. The league is paranoid about the subject, to the point of absurdity. For example, after signing a deal with NBC, the league banned the network from running promos for the show Las Vegas during NFL coverage. Yet, go to NFL.com and there is a huge fantasy football section. Now, of course, the NFL would claim that people play fantasy football for fun and not for cash -- but that's like claiming guys buy Playboy to read the articles.

While the NFL doesn't have to support betting, it can't ignore it (and luckily, Costas didn't on Sunday night). Lines are everywhere; office pools are popular; talk radio, TV and newspapers have handicappers (and swamis) giving out picks every week. The NFL knows its sport is top dog in large part because of betting. The league needs those lines in the papers and it needs people making those bets. It just has to act like it doesn't support it. Sort of like the U.S. government.

The day after Costas' candid observation, I saw this story, which says that President Bush is expected to sign a bill that will make it even tougher to bet online -- something that's already illegal.

I've been torn on the issue of whether gambling should be legal for a long time. I believe that obsessive gambling is a disease and that it's a dangerous addiction. But I believe the same thing about smoking, and that's legal. Where should the line be drawn? Who should draw the line, if anyone? As the story linked above states, credit-card companies are getting killed because people are using plastic to pay off debts. Clearly, online betting leads to a new set of problems. However, the government's proposed bill will do nothing. You can still add funds to a Neteller account via your credit card. You can wire money to a gambling Web site via your credit card. You can fill out a blank check that credit-card companies send you, deposit it in your bank account and use the money for your online gambling account.

The government's involvement in this is completely disingenous. Forty states currently offer lotteries. If you go into a stationary store these days, they offer a wider variety of scratch-offs than they do magazines and cigarettes combined. Why is this OK? Where's the government on this issue? You especially start to wonder about that when you see stories like this. But governments make money on lotteries, so they are OK. But offshore gambling sites, not operated in the U.S., are not.

The real reason is simple, and it has nothing to do with protecing credit-card companies. The government is unhappy that the money people are losing on gambling Web sites is going overseas. The government is pro gambling when it makes money off lotteries, horse racing and casinos. It just doesn't want the money going to operators of these overseas Web sites.

So in the end, the government and the NFL are both phonies when it comes to betting. But it doesn't matter. Scratch-offs will be bought. Lines will be in your newspapers. And people will keep betting. Heck, I'm off to Vegas tomorrow with about a dozen good buddies for our friend Drill's wedding and all anyone can talk about is betting college football on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday. I just wish all the posturing and grandstanding and fake outrage in regard to gambling would stop.

So here are my questions for you: Should betting be legal? Should the government tax it and make a profit off it? If it were legal, do you think players would fix games? If people couldn't bet, how much of a blow would it be to the NFL? Let me hear your thoughts.

Early NFL Pregame Impressions

2006-09-20T09:45:00.000-04:00

We've lived through the hype ("When your readers see this set on Sunday night, it'll be unlike anything they've ever seen before, starting with the plasma high-definition screens that frame the talent on the set." -- NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol). We've heard the aggrandizing ("I knew Joe [Buck] was really, really good, but I didn't know he was that good. And that's the God's honest truth.... He's the best in the business." -- Scott Ackerson, coordinating producer for FOX's studio show). We've seen the changes. Now it's time to judge a key part of our NFL Sundays: the pregame shows. I didn't want to rush to judgment and offer critiques after one week -- so I waited two whole weeks.

In my last blog, I criticized FOX for dumping Jillian Barberie and hiring Buck, who already calls the network's top game each week, to run the pregame show. FOX is also taking Buck, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson on the road each week this season. All these changes have made me jump ship. I used to be a FOX guy, but I've given this new version a shot and I'm not a fan. I still keep FOX on one of my TiVo tuners so I can flip back and watch Frank Caliendo, but the show doesn't work on the road and it doesn't work with Buck. You have fans screaming and yelling in the background, thus causing Buck to scream and yell, which makes his sense of humor even harder to stomach. In Week 1, the crew kept harping on the fact that it was hot in Jacksonville. In Week 2, Buck was egging on the Philly crowd to boo Johnson, which got old after the second time they did it. None of this was entertaining or informative.

Despite Michael Irvin's presence, I'm sticking with ESPN for my pregame information. Ron Jaworski is now in studio and Steve Young is gone, and the change is paying off. At least with Tom Jackson and Jaws, you have two people who know the game and don't insult viewers. I know Chris Berman is a lightning-rod personality, but -- please don't hate me for saying this -- I like him. Yes, he's goofy. Yes, he's corny. Yes, some of his jokes are stale. But for some reason, I have soft spot for Berman. Maybe it has to do with the fact that he's been around since I started watching sports. Either way, Berman is pretty toned down on the pregame show and does a solid job as traffic cop.

I'm a James Brown fan, so I gave CBS a chance. I really did. But the show just doesn't have any spark. You don't get that exciting feeling that kickoff is one hour away when you watch the CBS crew. Plus, it seems like all Boomer Esiason and Dan Marino do is talk about quarterbacks. It gets old fast.

I don't really consider NBC's new Football Night in America a pregame show; it's more of a highlights show. The biggest issue facing the program is that football fans who have the Sunday Ticket are always going to miss the first 20-30 minutes because they're watching the end of a 4 o'clock game. I've yet to catch the opening of Football Night in America, but I've seen their highlights segment. My only thought is: It's no Primetime.

Here's what I want to know from you: Do you even watch the pregame shows? Which one or ones do you watch? How long do you watch for? Do you even care about who is on them?

More important, what do you want from the pregame shows? I'd assume 90 percent of you, like me, want infomation on injuries and weather for fantasy and betting purposes. True or false?

Likes and Dislikes

2006-08-22T22:32:00.000-04:00

Things I Don't Like This Week

Who will Terry Bradshaw lust after now that Jillian Barberie is done with the FOX pregame show?

John Iacono/SI

1. FOX hires Joe Buck for its pregame show and cans Jillian Barberie: The FOX pregame show has been my pregame show of choice for several years. ESPN's Sunday Countdown used to be a great watch, but then it hired Michael Irvin. And few "commentators" are as boring as Steve Young. Speaking of boring, Dan Marino and Boomer Esiason make the CBS pregame show a snoozefest. That leaves FOX. James Brown (who bolted to CBS this season) was a great traffic cop, Howie Long spoke to fans without insulting their intelligence, Jimmy Johnson added the coaching element and was never afraid to rip players and/or coaches, and Terry Bradshaw, for all his wackiness, was entertaining. Throw in the very funny Frank Caliendo (and, before him, Jimmy Kimmel) and some eye candy in Barberie, and you had the formula for a decent hour of television. But now Buck is in and Brown is out. (And quite frankly, between MLB games, NFL games and the NFL pregame show, there's just waaaay too much Joe Buck.) Buck is annoying enough during games; I can only imagine he's going to step up the lame attempts at humor during the pregame show. Plus, he's going to have to battle Bradshaw for yuks. It's not going to be pretty. Just as upsetting is the loss of Barberie. With the pregame show going on the road to accommodate Buck, the FOX higher-ups claimed it would be "too hard logistically" to have Barberie as part of the crew. Simply put, that stinks. Barberie's interaction with the hosts was amusing. And for people worried about fantasy and (shhh) betting, the weather is important, so why not have the person delivering that news be someone men like to look at? Barberie got a bad rap in the mainstream media, but I found the banter and innuendo between her and the co-hosts funny. It was lighthearted fun and it showed that the FOX team didn't take itself too seriously. Jillian, I'll miss you.

2. The Falcons give up T.J. Duckett for Ashley Lelie in a three-team trade: In Lelie and Roddy White, the Falcons now have two of the most overrated and underachieving wide receivers in football. Atlanta also lost its security blanket in case Warrick Dunn gets hurt. People have wondered throughout his career if Dunn could be a 25-carry-a-game back (last season he averaged 17.5 carries per game). I guess now we'll find out. Either way, trading Duckett, a solid No. 2 back who gave Atlanta a nice change of pace as a bruiser to Dunn's scat-back style, for Lelie is a bad move.

3. Having the fourth pick in the SI.com Fantasy Football draft: The consensus is that Larry Johnson, LaDainian Tomlinson and Shaun Alexander will go 1-2-3. So of course, I get the fourth pick. Who do I take? Clinton Portis? Tiki Barber? Terrell Owens? Anyone have any suggestions?

Newly acquired running back Chester Taylor went from being on a team that had one of the coolest jerseys in the league (the Ravens) to a team with one of the worst.

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

4. The Vikings' new uniforms: Has anyone seen these yet? From the highlights, it looked as if they were wearing those hideous Pro Bowl unis.

5. John Gibbons' chances of returning as Blue Jays manager next season: Two player scraps in one season is a ticket out of town. Of course, if Toronto was in contention for the AL East title or a wild-card spot, these skirmishes would be chalked up to a "family fight." But expectations for the Jays were high, and they're basically out of playoff contention with six weeks left in the season. So now the skirmishes will be chalked up to "losing the team."

Things I Do Like This Week

1. Two-A-Days: This MTV "documentary" series following the 2005 Hoover Buccaneers (a high school football team) debuts tonight, and I already have the TiVo set. From the promos I've seen, the show looks like the sports version of The Real World and Laguna Beach. Sounds like a winning formula to me.

2. Seeing Peter Gammons at Fenway Park during Saturday's Yankees-Red Sox game: The ESPN baseball analyst looked to be in good shape, a miracle considering what happened to him. Now let's just get him back on Baseball Tonight.

3. Kevin Federline's performance the Teen Choice Awards: This long-anticipated debut didn't disappoint. It was as bad as anything you can imagine -- no, make that worse than anything you can imagine -- thus giving us great train-wreck TV. My only complaint: He didn't sing PopoZao

4. Reggie Bush selects L.J.: I'm not a big fan of commercials. I rarely watch any (thank you, TiVo), but I caught ESPN's spot with Reggie Bush, and it actually made me laugh out loud.

5. The Yankees taking five games from the Red Sox: Sorry, Yankee-haters. I had to say it.

Best Non-Game Sporting Events

2006-08-08T14:57:00.000-04:00

Draft Day seems to bring all the characters out of the woodwork.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Last week's MLB trade deadline didn't yield as many deals as fans would've liked. It never does. That doesn't mean, however, that the weeks before the deadline aren't as fun as any in sports. Fans love rumors. And they love trades. Give them rumored trades, and it's heaven on earth.

This got me thinking about the best times to be a sports fan, other than when you're watching a game. Here's my list of the best non-game sporting events. Send me yours after you've read mine.

1. NFL Draft: We read mock drafts, we check reports from the combines, and we scour all sources for rumors of teams trying to trade up or down. This is when your team has the chance to improve itself in a variety of ways. Do they take a sure thing? Do they go for a risk? Do they trade a good pick for a bunch of lower picks? The two-day event is filled with intrigue, and few things in sports are covered more. The Draft has become a major event, and the ratings show it. There's also the bonus of seeing those "unique" Jets fans every year, too.

2. Your fantasy football draft: This may be the best part of being a sports fan, period. Few days are better than the day you select your fantasy football squad. Unless you win your league and make some cash, everything goes downhill after your draft. You have to suffer through injuries, benchings and slumps. Not to mention, you have to deal with people in your league who make you dumb trade offers or who stop managing their team after starting 0-4 or who decide it would be fun to trade LaDainian Tomlinson and Anquan Boldin for Rex Grossman and Ron Dayne. But despite all this, you wouldn't trade draft day for anything. For starters, every single person before the draft thinks they're going to win their league. Second, we all have draft traditions we wouldn't give up for anything, such as mocking the guy who takes forever to make his picks or ripping the guy who thinks it's 1999 and drafts Brett Favre and Stephen Davis. Your draft, especially if you're lucky enough to do it in person, is basically 4-12 hours -- depending on the characters in your league -- of hanging out with your friends and making fun of each other. What more could you want?

3. MLB trade deadline: As stated above, the actual deadline day is usually a dud, but the period leading into it is exciting. You check that box on the bottom right-hand corner of ESPNews every five minutes to see if a deal was made. You wonder if your team will add the big star for the pennant race; or if your team is rebuilding, you hope your club will add a bunch of promising rookies. Like the NFL Draft, this is a chance for your favorite team to improve. Fans also love second-guessing, something trades are tailor-made for.

4. One Shining Moment: The NCAA tournament may well be the best event in sports, and the ending of the whole shebang just adds to its appeal. While you relive all the top moments of the tourney thanks to highlights and the emotional song One Shining Moment, you also realize that the season is over and you become overtaken by feelings of melancholy. The only question is, which rendition do you prefer? David Barrett wrote the song and sang it from 1987-1993 and then again from 2000-2003. Teddy Pendergrass' version was used from 1994-1999. Luther Vandross began singing it in 2003.

5. Swimsuit Issue: I'm not saying this because I work for SI, but the release of this issue (and section here on SI.com -- you're welcome for the link) is still a yearly event. It's become a part of Americana. There's a buzz about who will be on the cover. All the major entertainment shows and newspapers pick up the story. And the debate about whether a sports magazine should show models in bikinis comes out of the woodwork for a few days before going back into hibernation.

So, what would be on your list? The Heisman Trophy ceremony? The Green Jacket ceremony at the Masters? The ESPY's? Let me know.

Commissioner for a Day -- Fans edition

2006-07-26T09:18:00.000-04:00

The snow didn't stop Patriots defensive lineman Bobby Hamilton from having a blast in the famous "tuck-rule" playoff game against the Raiders in 2002.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

In case you missed it, a couple of weeks ago SI.com ran a Commissioner for a Day feature. Various writers chimed in with their thoughts on how they'd change the sport they cover. Since I was the person behind this idea, I figured I'd weigh in with the things I'd fix if I were commissioner of anything and everything involving sports, with the changes geared specifically toward improving fans' experience. Some of these are pretty realistic and some are far-fetched, but make no mistake -- if I could change these things, I'd do so in a heartbeat,and fans would benefit. When you're done reading my list, send me one of your own. Anything goes.

1. No football stadium should have a roof: Inclement weather adds so much to a football game. Think about how much more fun Vikings home games in December would be if they were played outdoors in freezing temperatures and snow. Weather, when possible, should be a factor in football games.

2. Every baseball stadium should have a retractable roof: It's 2006 -- there should be no such thing as a rainout.

3. No more neutral sites for the Super Bowl: The team with the best record gets home-field advantage. Two reasons for this: 1) Clubs should be rewarded for having the best regular-season record. 2) The biggest game of the season would see a dramatic increase in the intensity of the atmosphere if there were some home fans involved.

4. Limit the number of timeouts in the NBA and college basketball to two per half: This is a no-brainer. Every sports fan hates watching the end of close basketball games because of all the stoppages.

5. Keep the clock running after first downs in college football: I love college football. I'm up for watching as many games as possible. But when contests hit the four-hour mark, it's a bit much. Plus, with the long running times, games are always overlapping, and if you're staying tuned into a game that started at noon, you end up missing a good amount of the game that starts at 3:30.

6. During a televised sporting event, there can be no more than one graphic on the screen at a time: Between the score box, the scroll, the trivia questions, the player's stats and any other wacky, useless feature (I'm thinking that insightful doodad that shows that a hitter is batting .230 on pitches down and away but .480 on pitches thrown right down the middle -- who would've guessed that?!?!), sports fans are gonna end up going blind just trying to find the area of their screen that actually has the game.

7. No more referees or umpires over the age of 55: Is this age discrimination? Yes. Do I care? No. The refereeing in all sports is as bad as ever. I understand that people are going to make mistakes; it's human nature. But there should be a requirement that the people running up and down a football field or a basketball court are in optimal shape.

8. No more All-Star Games: They are exhibitions. They don't count. Players don't care about them. Why should fans? Instead of playing an actual game, maybe the All-Stars can just assemble and do a meet-and-greet with fans -- where they don't charge for an autograph.

9. If you are at a game and people haven't taken their seats by a certain point, those seats should be up for grabs: This one is wacky, but hear me out. You're at a baseball game. You have crappy seats. You see a row of seats down below, near the field, with nobody in them. The first inning passes. The seats are empty. Second inning passes. Seats still empty. Third inning passes. Seats still empty. Now it's the fourth inning and you try to move down. The security guard tells you to get your butt back to your crappy seat. Why? You're already in the park. Why should anyone care if you upgrade to better seats? Fans get shafted left and right. Just look at the prices of concessions and parking. So why not make the experience a little better for those who have already paid for their ticket by letting them move closer to the field?

10. Legalize gambling: It's not like people who want to place a bet can't figure out how to do it -- at least that's what I've heard.

Do you like these choices? Got some of your own? Let's hear 'em.

Jumping the Shark

2006-06-27T22:11:00.000-04:00

If you tuned into ESPN at any time on Monday, the network's scroll featured vital, crucial, breaking-news information -- the ESPY Award nominations.

My first thought when I saw this was, "They still do the ESPYs?"

Didn't the ESPYs jump the shark years ago? How are they still around? Why are they still around?

This got me thinking about other things in sports that have jumped the shark. Here are my top six. Be sure to send me yours after you read mine.

1. SportsCenter: I'm not trying to pick on ESPN, but this show went from appointment television to unwatchable television over the past few years. Highlights are hard to find, anchors try too hard to be funny, half the show is spent pimping things that will be on ABC and with ESPN airing games from the top three pro sports leagues and college basketball and football, you never know when SportsCenter is going to be on. ESPNews also has helped decrease the importance of the main network's signature show.

2. The national anthem being sung before every single sporting event: This has nothing to do with patriotism, it has to do with common sense. First off, do they play the anthem before movies or broadway shows? Why play it at ballgames? They're all forms of entertainment. Also, the song is played at every baseball game, football game, basketball game, hockey game, college football game, college basketball game... I could go on and on and on, but I won't. It'd be overkill -- which is what the anthem has become at sporting events. It's played too often and the meaning and significance has been lost. I was at a Yankees game three weeks ago, and I made it a point to see what people did during the anthem. I saw someone sending a text message. I saw someone talking on his cell phone. I saw someone eating a hot dog. I saw people walking to the concession stand. I saw several people leave their hats on their heads. The bottom line: save the anthem for championship games or just stop playing it altogether.

3. Athletes dating Paris Hilton: Listen, I can't fault any guy for being intrigued by the woman who's famous for a certain videotape, but if you're an athlete a) you can do better and b) isn't it time to stop going where so many others have gone before? Brian Urlacher, Matt Leinart and most recently Jose Theodore have gotten caught in Paris' web (with Theodore getting in some trouble on the home front). Is a baseball player next, or will she try her hand at the NBA? So little time, so many athletes.

4. Teams adding third, fourth, fifth and sixth jerseys: This has been out of control for a while, but now it's downright offensive. Want a Colorado Rockies jersey? Which one? Home? Home Alternate? Alternate 1? Alternate 2? Road? Or the new Cool Base? How about a New York Mets jersey? Home? Alternate 1? Alternate 2? Road? Road Alternate? Cool Base? Stop the madness!

5. The NBA Draft: Remember when this used to be a must-see event? It almost generated as much excitement as the NFL Draft. I used to know each first-round pick. But now -- and let me know if it's just me -- I wouldn't know half of the first-rounders if they fell on me.

6. Sports blogs: They're everywhere. You can't escape them. Everyone has one, including me.

Agree or disagree with any of these? What do you think has jumped the shark in sports? Let me know.

Most painful loss

2006-06-21T18:55:00.000-04:00

Yankees fans were shocked when Arizona pulled off a comeback against Mariano Rivera in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.

Photo by Al Tielemans/SI

The NBA Finals and Stanley Cup wrapped up this week, and while both series provided excitement, neither had that "Oh my God, this can't be happening" moment.

Edmonton did a valiant job of coming back against Carolina in the series, but Game 7 wasn't memorable. And Miami's title win will be remembered just as much for the bad officiating as it will for being Dwyane Wade's coming-out party. Plus, the series ended in six games and Dallas' collapse was slow and gradual.

The bottom line is Mavericks fans and Oilers fans suffered some pain, but not real pain. Not that feel-like-you-got-kicked-in-the-stomach pain. I'm talking about the losses that keep you tossing and turning after a game, giving you one of those nights when you get three hours of sleep.

As a fan of the Yankees, Jets and Knicks, I've had a few of those losses in my lifetime. John Starks' 2-for-18 performance against Houston in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals made me nauseous. The Jets collapse in Denver in the 1998 AFC Championship game was another defeat that left me wondering what the hell happened, especially since they had a lead at halftime.

But the most painful loss, the one that I'm still bitter about, the one I still can't watch highlights from, is Game 7 of the 2001 World Series when Mariano Rivera blew a one-run lead against the Diamondbacks. The way they Yankees lost that game still has me shaking my head. New York took a 2-1 lead on Alfonso Soriano's homer off of Curt Schilling in the top of the eighth. But things came apart in the ninth. Tony Womack, who later caused even more pain for Yankees fans when he joined the team in 2005, hit a double, Rivera threw a comebacker into center field for an error and Luis Gonzalez hit a bloop that barely made it out of the infield to score the winning run. I'm shaking just from typing this paragraph.

So sports fans, let's commiserate. Let's relive some pain. It'll be cathartic. Tell me what has been the worst loss you've experienced. What's the game your friends still bring up to push your buttons? What's the one game you'll always remember for being your lowest moment as a fan?

Favorite Wrestlers of All Time

2006-06-12T09:50:00.000-04:00

Flipping through the channels this weekend, I saw several promos for Jack Black's new wrestling movie, Nacho Libre. I also caught a few minutes of Hogan Knows Best on VH-1. I've seen the show many times before and quite frankly, the only thing on television that comes across as more scripted is professional wrestling. But putting that aside, there are few people from my generation who don't have a soft spot for Hulk Hogan. Not many stars were bigger in the '80s. And not many things were as big in the '80s as pro wrestling. So who were my all-time favorite wrestlers ('80s and beyond)? Read my list below and then send me your list.

1. The Rock: This list will be dominated by wrestlers from the '80s, but when wrestling had another boom in the late '90s, The Rock was at the forefront. While others before him could cut a promo just as good, no wrestler was as funny as this pie-eating, people's-elbow-dropping, jabroni-hating wrestler who always wanted to know if we could smell what he was cooking. Here's one clip of the Rock at his finest.

2. Ric Flair: The Rock was the most entertaining good guy, but nobody was a more entertaining bad guy than the Nature Boy. He could rant like a lunatic during his promos and then deliver those nasty chops that you heard come right through your television speakers.

3. Rowdy Roddy Piper: Probably the only man who could give Flair a run for his money as best bad guy. Piper's Pit was always the best part of the Saturday morning show. And who could ever forget Piper breaking a coconut over Jimmy Snuka's head? Which leads me to ...

4. Jimmy Snuka: From wrestling barefoot to flashing the "I Love You" sign as he prepared to soar in the air, the Superfly will always be best remembered for jumping from the top of a steel cage.

5. Rick Rude: Nobody, I repeat, nobody fired up the crowd better with his pre-match mic work than the Ravishing One, who would ask for quiet from the fat, sweaty, smelly crowd while he took his robe off. Take a look for yourself.

6. Hulk Hogan: The Hulkster's act got tired after a while (I mean, he ALWAYS won), but he's an icon. He's part of Americana. He got thousands of kids to say their prayers and eat their vitamins. And he had two great entrance songs. First, Eye of the Tiger, then Real American. Not to mention, he also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

7. Bobby Heenan: The best manager ever. He tried so hard to find a guy who could beat Hulk Hogan and always failed, which made the Brain even more maniacal -- and more entertaining.

8. Andre the Giant: He was a lovable giant whose hand covered everyone's face. He was 7-foot-4, 500 pounds and appropriately nicknamed the Eighth Wonder of the World. And he was involved in perhaps the biggest match ever, when he lost to Hulk Hogan in front of 90,000 people at the Silverdome at Wrestlemania III.

9. George "The Animal" Steele: The man's entire body was covered in hair and he ate the turnbuckles. Enough said.

10. tie: Howard Finkle/Mean Gene Okerlund/Gorilla Monsoon: They're not wrestlers, but their voices are synonymous with the WWF/WWE. When I was a kid, I'd always be on the edge of my seat when Finkle would announce the results of a match that had just ended because time ran out. It was ALWAYS a draw. ALWAYS. Yet, I'd wait for that announcment with bated breath just in case, and Finkle was a master at stringing you along with his "Ladies and gentleman, the result of this match is ... ... ... ... ... ... A DRAW!!!" Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura were simply the greatest announcing team ever, the Madden and Summerall of pro wresting. And Mean Gene was a character. His outrage over the shady actions of the bad guys was laughable.

I know a lot of great wrestlers were left off this list, but it's my top 10. Send me yours.

Most memorable calls

2006-05-30T15:48:00.001-04:00

You can hear Vin Scully's voice just by looking at this photo.

Richard Mackson/SI

So Barry Bonds hit his 715th home run on Sunday and we have no radio call of the historic blast. In case you haven't heard, when Dave Flemming, the Giants' radio play-by-play guy, started to describe the shot, his mic went dead. Chances are, though, with Barry being enemy No. 1 in the sports world (and in some cases, the whole world), the call wouldn't stick in fans' minds.

So the question I have for you guys is, what calls do stick in your mind? What are your favorite calls of all time? Which are the calls that instantly bring you back to where you were when you watched a particular game? As a Yankees fan, I always will remember Joe Buck's call of the final out of the 1996 World Series: "And the Yankees are champions of baseball!" I also have about a million John Sterling calls that I love. But for this discussion, I'm thinking about calls that have a national appeal.

My top five are:

1) Vin Scully's call of Kirk Gibson's home run in the 1988 World Series: "High fly ball into right field, she iiiiis ... gone!!!. In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!"

2) Scully's call of Bill Buckner's error in the 1986 World Series: "There's a little roller up along first, behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!"

3) Verne Lundquist's call of Christian Laettner's buzzer-beater against Kentucky in 1992: "There's the pass to Laettner -- he puts it up -- YEEEEEESSSSS!"

4) Jack Buck's call of Ozzie Smith's walkoff home run in Game 5 of the 1985 NLCS: "Smith corks one into right! Down the line! It may go ... Go crazy, folks! Go crazy! It's a home run, and the Cardinals have won the game, 3-2, on a home run by the Wizard!"

5) This one is cheating because it's not really a call, but I have to give props to Brent Musburger for the way he used to open the old NFL Today pregame show on CBS: "You are looking live..."

Honorable mention: Boom goes the dynamite (the good stuff comes at the 2:26 mark). Those are my favorites. What are yours?