citi field

drew carey is not as dumb as he looks

In an article for ESPN the Magazine, Austin Kelley wrote "Drew Carey, part comedian, part owner of the Seattle Sounders, said recently that his team would like to emulate FC Barcelona. As the MLS season starts tomorrow, with the Sounders hosting Red Bulls New York, American soccer fans must smile at such sentiments. Imagine the attacking panache of the Catalan side -- Messi's dazzling runs, Xavi's ingenious passing, Eto'o's sneaky finishing -- taking root in the Pacific Northwest.

But Carey wasn't talking about Barca's style of play. Nor was he talking about their commitment to charity (FC Barcelona's shirt sponsor is UNICEF. Sounders FC's is X-Box). Carey wants to copy the Spanish club's system of fan participation -- sort of. Sounders fans won't actually own the club like the Catalan fans (Carey & co. are taking care of that), but they will get to vote the general managers in and out, like Barca fans do."

Drew Carey's idea of having the leadership of a sports team in the hands of the fans who support the club is not an original one. Not only does FC Barcelona involve its fans, but Real Madrid, another world class Spanish league team, has also elected their team President in this fashion for years.

What if, the Detroit Lions fans got to elect who would take over their team? What if the millions and millions of Yankees fans got to elect who would control the future of the squad? It only takes a yearly fee to be a member of the FC Barcelona and Real Madrid election process. Drew Carey is looking to bring this interesting concept to American soccer with the Seattle Sounders.

Whats next? An American team paying a charity, like Unicef, to wear its logo on their shirts like FC Barcelona did in 2006.

this is pretty awesome...

This is a handmade lego figurine of Keith Hernandez from the 1986 Championship team by Mike at Planet of the Geeks.

He has also made Boston Red Sox Kevin Youkilis and Jonathan Papelbon, New York Ranger Brandon Dubinsky, Jason Giambi as a Yankee, New York Mets David Wright and Carlos Delgado, and Former Green Bay Packer Brett Favre.

coach joKes

Thursday was not only the first day of the 2009 NCAA tourney it was also when Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski broadened his coaching to politics as well as collegiate basketball players. Coach K, upon hearing President Barack Obama picked the University of North Carolina to win it all, responded by reminding our president that there are more important items on his agenda than filling out brackets, "Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four, and as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets."

President Obama followed Krzyzewski's criticism of his work in office with some b-ball analysis of his own, "Coach K, I think, is a great coach. And you know, Reggie Love, my assistant, played for Coach K. And so it's not surprising. I didn't pick him to go to the finals. Look he's a competitive guy, I just don't think they've got the inside game to go all the way. But I look forward to him proving me wrong."

Coach K relented finally, saying "Reggie texted back and said [Obama] wasn't offended," and then he iced the apology cake by continuing, "I love the guy, and I think he's going to be great."

Though the economy is still struggling, President Obama has only been in office for three months. It took George W. Bush eight years to get us into the mess we are in today. Its a good thing Coach K was only kidding, but its too bad that a lot of mainstream reporters and analysts are not, "The Obama administration clearly isn’t helping matters, given how markets have plummeted since Inauguration Day and continue to respond negatively to every so-called solution coming out of Washington," said Fox News' Noel Sheppard less than a week ago.

I, for one, can appreciate that taking five minutes to fill out an NCAA bracket won't hinder the President's work to correct the economy. And props to Coach K for knowing that too.

cinderella is a viking

While watching the Cleveland St. Vikings play the Wake Forest Demon Deacons it was hard to tell who was the 4th seeded team in the Midwest region of the 2009 NCAA tournament. Wake Forest, once the #1 ranked team in the nation during the regular season, was that team. It wasn't the team that got out to a nine point lead in the first two minutes of the game. That team was Cleveland State. Finding the three-point jumper friendly early on, the Vikings found themselves 17 points ahead (29-12) with 7:48 left in the first half. But it was the three 3-pointers that the Vikings hit in the first two minutes that spelled the end for the heavily favored Demon Deacons.

Hitting two of those first 3-pointers was senior point guard and floor general, Cedric Jackson. Jackson, a New Jersey native, transfered from St. John's before the 07-08 season and started 35 games for the Red Storm. After the transfer, Vikings head coach Gary Waters moved Jackson to the point and he has since led them to the Horizon League championship and their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1986. In 1986, the Vikings made it to the sweet sixteen upsetting the East region 3rd seed Indiana Hoosiers and 6th seeded St. Joseph's Hawks, eventually losing in the final seconds to David Robinson led Navy.

Cleveland State continued their history of upsets when they received their bid to the NCAAs. Butler, 26-6, was heavily favored to win the Horizon League and be the only representative from this mid-major. Though when the Vikings upset Butler, which got the 9th seed in the South region, they assured that there would be two Horizon League teams in this year's field of 65.

One of three Vikings in the Horizon League all-tournament team, was Cleveland State leading scorer, J'Nathan Bullock. Senior forward Bullock is from Flint, Michigan. He has led the Vikings in scoring three straight seasons and the 6'5" Bullock also led the team in rebounds (7.0) during the Viking's regular season schedule. Bullock scored 10 of his 21 points in the second half holding off a Wake Forest comeback attempt, including three key free throws in the last 3 minutes of the game.

The Vikings held Wake Forest leading scorer, Jeff Teague, to only 10 points in the game and their defense led to 18 Demon Deacon turnovers, to Cleveland State's six. "We're not the best shooting team," Vikings center Chris Moore said. "But we're up there with any team in the country on defense. Because of that, we're in position to win any game."

Will it be Cleveland State's defense or Jackson, Bullock, and Norris Cole (who scored a game high 22 points) and their hot shooters that will lead them into the sweet sixteen against the 12th seeded Arizona Wildcats, who upset the 5th seeded Utah Utes earlier in the day. "We believed from the start of the game that we could play with [Wake Forest]," Cole said. I bet they believe they can beat the Wildcats too, just like in 1986.

obamadness!

My Final Four:
Midwest - (1) Louisville
West - (2) Memphis
East - (1) Pittsburgh
South - (1) North Carolina

Key Upsets:
Midwest - (13) Cleveland St. def (4) Wake Forest
West - (11) Utah St. def (6) Marquette Marquette won
East - (11) VCU def (6) UCLA UCLA won
South - (12) W. Kentucky def (5) Illinois

syracuse's big east madness

With selection Sunday upon us, it is time to begin looking towards NCAA March Madness. The conference tournaments were great previews of what is beginning to shape up as one of the maddest Marches we've had in years. Teams like North Carolina, UConn, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma, and Michigan St. were all defeated prematurely in their conference tournaments.

There were a few surprise runs in these conference tournaments. One of the most surprising runs was Syracuse's Big East tournament showing. Going through Seton Hall, UConn, and West Virginia before losing to NCAA tournament #1 seed Louisville in the Big East final. Syracuse saw seven overtimes in the four games they played on their run through the Big East tournament. The highlight of the tournament was the six overtime instant classic between Syracuse and UConn.

The game's pivotal moment was a shot at the buzzer of regulation by Eric Devendorf, which was eventually ruled no good after extensive review. His fingertip was still touching the ball as the game clock expired. Through the numerous overtimes one player showed he was up to the challenge. Syracuse sophomore point guard Jonny Flynn was named the player of the tournament.

Six foot Flynn, who grew up in Niagara in upstate New York, had 17.5 points and 6.7 assists per game during Syracuse's regular schedule. These numbers increased to 19.75 points and 9.25 assists in the four games Syracuse played in the Big East tournament. The real statement, though, was Flynn's great leadership and clutch play in all of the close games throughout the tournament. He played 181 out of 195 total minutes in the Orange's four games. He also made 22 of 26 free throw attempts, going 16-16 in the UConn marathon game.

Cuse's Big East run has culminated in a #3 seed in the big dance. They are set to face the #14 seed Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin. Syracuse was obviously rewarded for their play in the Big East tournament. This is the Lumberjacks' first NCAA berth after winning the Southland tournament. Syracuse began their Big East run as the 6th ranked team. They leapfrogged Marquette who was ranked 5th in the Big East tournament and received a #6 seed in the NCAA tourney. Villanova, who was the 4th ranked team in the Big East tournament, is also a #3 seed.

With so many championship week upsets and such a prolific run in their conference tournament, Jonny Flynn and the Syracuse Orange will look to bring their March Madness to the NCAA tournament version.

charles barkley is not a role model

baseball's march madness

The 1980 Miracle on Ice, Appalachian State beats the University of Michigan, The New York Giants win Super Bowl XLII, now the Netherlands is moving on to the second round of the World Baseball Classic. After beating the Dominican Republic for the second time in pool play, the Sidney Ponson led dutch ball club are still alive.

The WBC has been waiting for a story like this since its inception in 2006. The Netherlands have suddenly brought a little bit of March Madness to Baseball's international tournament. A group of wily veterans like Sir Sidney and Eugene Kingsale and young A ball players like LA Dodgers catcher Kenley Jansen and Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman have shocked the baseball world by downing a Dominican Republic team making nearly $83 million more dollars in the major leagues in 2008 than their dutch counterparts. That didn't stop the dutch team sporting only one major leaguer, Florida pitcher Rick Vandenhurk.

In the team's first meeting the Netherlands won what was widely considered a fluke in a 3-2 victory in the tournament's opening game. It was a brilliantly pitched game by Ponson and dutch professional Rob Cordemans, who together held the vaunted Dominican lineup to only two runs. Then Tuesday night it all came crashing down around the favored Dominican team as reliever Leon Boyd and Washington Nationals second basemen Yurendell DeCaster, who last played in the major leagues in 2006, led the dutch to an unexpected victory.

This is exactly the kind of buzz that can bring the World Baseball Classic to the sports strata it aspires to be. Baseball people had hoped when the WBC began that it would bring the kind of global involvement to baseball that the World Cup brings to football. It is victories and stories like this that can make those ambitions a reality.

We will see how long the Netherlands can wear the glass slipper when the take on Venezuela tomorrow at 1 PM. Maybe the the World Baseball Classic has finally found its Cinderella. But dutch pitching coach and major league legend Bert Blyleven likens it to a different classic tale, "Now we look at this round, and hopefully, the same David-and-Goliath theory will continue, and good things will happen for us."

izod center: nets 106, knicks 101

The New Jersey Nets outlasted the New York Knicks in a great game between two struggling franchises. New Jersey stated its case for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They trail the current eighth seed, Chicago Bulls, by one game. The New York Knicks fell to 25-37. In a rebuilding year by the Knicks maybe it is time to begin paying attention to who is available in the lottery of this year's draft. Devin Harris led all scorers with 35 points and 10 assists. David Lee paced D'Antoni's Knicks with 19 points and 14 boards.

Though the real story was new Knick Larry Hughes missing an open 3-point jumper with less than 30 seconds left to tie the game. Hughes was able to solidify the New Jersey lead by turning the ball over to Devin Harris for an uncontested layup, then clunked the potential tying shot. Hughes, who came to the Knicks for almost nothing (Jerome James, Anthony Roberson, and Tim Thomas) showed his value by earning a new nickname, "Cap Relief" (coined by my friend, Sasha).

On a positive note for the Knickerbokers, Danilo Gallinari had a nice game. He hit two clutch 3-point jumpers towards the end of the game. He finished with 15 points, going 3-4 from beyond the arc. Though Gallinari's solid performance was overshadowed by the Knicks' awful ball control. 5 of their 19 turnovers came in the last five minutes of the game.

lasorda wants you (to support usa baseball)

Being an underdog and making it as far as they can is fine for the United States in one world sport tournament. For Tommy Lasorda, the World Baseball Classic is not that tournament. The United States always surprises in the World Cup and continues to improve to the point where they can contend every four years. Lasorda, though, maintains that the World Baseball Classic should be won every three years by the American team.

Lasorda, quoted by AP, lets the American public that they have a duty when it comes to the World Baseball Classic, "Remember one thing: In your hearts, you better pull for the USA or you may not get into heaven."

Even though at the Summer Olympics, which is the only other international baseball tournament, the United States has won only one gold medal. The most dominant team in that tournament is Cuba, which has won 3 gold and 2 silver medals in five summers. The United States has a total of 3 medals, adding 2 bronze medals to the one gold. Japan, defending World Baseball Classic champion, has amassed one silver and two bronze medals.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, puts pressure on the USA team in the World Baseball Classic to make this tournament different from the Summer Olympics, "It's our game. Baseball is America's game. It doesn't belong to the Italians or the Cubans or the Koreans or the Japanese," he said. "It's our game, and we're not going to let them beat us." He went on to talk about the one gold medal the USA won against Cuba in the Olympics, "When I took the Olympic team to Australia, everybody said to me, 'You've got no chance. Cuba has never, ever lost a tournament.' And I said, 'Did they ever lose a game?' 'Oh, yeah.' 'Then, they're going to lose one here in Australia.' "

Lasorda obviously believes that the Olympics is a barometer for who is the best baseball team in the world. His emotional response to this baseball tournament and his desire for the USA to win the World Baseball Classic, proves that he is disappointed in the less than dominant showing the USA team has brought to the Olympics year after year.

One might say the World Baseball Classic has major leaguers and is a better showcase of the true levels of talent in each country. While this may be true, it is also true for other countries and obviously helped the Japanese, South Korean, and Dominican teams who placed 1st, 3rd, and 4th respectively in the World Baseball Classic three years ago. The Cuban team, runners up in 2006, most likely fielded the same level team they have in the Olympics.

Tommy Lasorda wants the USA to show that with a full team of major leaguers they can be the best team in the World. He wants the Olympics to no longer be the barometer. He wants "to win this thing. And we've got to bear down and believe and be proud that you're wearing the uniform of their greatest country in the world."

From atop the Empire State Building, 81 year-old Lasorda may have blown more hot air than anything else that high in the sky.

are you smarter than a pro football player, pt. 2

To read: are you smarter than a pro football player, pt. 1

Jonah Lehrer takes on the Wonderlic Personnel Test from a neuroscience perspective. In his book, How We Decide, he devotes a chapter to Tom Brady's decision-making skills that led to winning Super Bowl XXXVI over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams, also known as the "Greatest Show on Turf."

The 199th pick in the 2000 draft and backup to Drew Bledsoe, Brady was facing an uphill battle as he led his team into the Super Bowl in 2002. With about a minute remaining in the game, Brady was looking at a championship if he could successfully decide which receivers to throw the ball to to get his team into field goal territory.

Brady made those decisions correctly in that minute and the rest has led to what looks like a future hall of fame career for Brady. Lehrer goes on to say that though Brady's draft profile had doubts about his physical prowess, his decision-making abilities were unquestioned playing his college career at the University of Michigan against the top competition in the nation.

Lehrer goes on to say the way NFL scouts measure a quarterback's decision-making abilities is the Wonderlic:

The underlying thesis of the Wonderlic test is that players who are better at math and logic problems will make better decisions in the pocket. At first glance, this seems like a reasonable assumption. No other position in sports requires such extreme cognitive talents. Successful quarterbacks need to memorize hundreds of offensive plays and dozens of different defensive formations. They need to spend hours studying game tape of their opponents and be able to put that knowledge to use on the field. in many instances, quarterbacks are even responsible for changing plays at the line of scrimmage. They are like coaches with shoulder pads.

The average score on the Wonderlic for a quarterback is 25. Though Wonderlic scores are not a concrete barometer of a quarterback's success in the NFL. Lehrer continues by saying vince Young reportedly scored a 6 on the Wonderlic and was successful at the time of Lehrer writing his book, before his breakdowns. Though there is a history of famously successful quarterbacks with below average Wonderlic scores which includes: Brett Favre with a 22, Dan Marino with a 14, and Terry Bradshaw at a 15. Lehrer also notes that Alex Smith and Matt Leinart both socred above 35 and have yet to make a name for themselves in the league so far in their careers.

Lehrer's point is that the Wonderlic does not address the kind of intelligence it requires to be a successful quarterback in the NFL:

The reason there is virtually no correlation between the results of the Wonderlic and the success of quarterbacks in the NFL is that finding the open man involves a very different set of decision-making skills than solving an algebra problem...The Wonderlic measures a specific kind of thought process, but the best quarterbacks don't think in the pocket. There isn't time.

Thus the NFL scouts that a wary of players who score low on the Wonderlic may miss out on the next Dan Marino or end up drafting a player based on an IQ score and not their football knowledge or decision-making ability.

But the Wonderlic is still a fun way for fans to measure their own intelligence versus their favorite football players.

law & order: new york giants

After a season of strife and disappointment dealing with Plaxico Burress and his constant legal troubles and distractions, the Giants made a move to fortify their line up of usual suspects, by signing two defensive players with histories of legal woes of their own.

Former Atlanta Falcon, Michael Boley was signed to solidify the Giants perceived weakness in the linebacking corp. Defensive Tackle Rocky Bernard was signed to give depth to a defensive line now boasting two starters who had surgery this offseason. This all sounds like the Giants have identified their weaknesses and addressed them quickly in free agency. Then one reads the last paragraph of the New York Times article detailing the signings:

Boley and Bernard have been arrested in the past year — Bernard in April for investigation of domestic violence and Boley in May for battery after the police were called to his home by his wife.

In an offseason where the New York Giant itinerary includes deciding what to do with talented problem child Burress, the Giants have seemingly abandoned their reputation as a team with no room for players with checkered pasts or futures. Boley and Bernard both fill needs, but one of the areas has already been filled spectacularly by Burress. Burress' legal troubles continue says Sports Illustrated legal analyst Michael McCann:

Assuming that the criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree charge against him is proven --and based on the purported information about what happened at the nightclub, his prospects for a defense seem limited -- a judge will have to sentence Burress to at least three and a half years in prison under mandatory sentencing. If Burress is cooperative and apologetic, prosecutors could elect to seek lighter charges against him. If he fights the charges and can somehow offer reasonable doubt that he wasn't in possession of the gun, then he would be vindicated. Bottom line: If the purported information is correct, Burress is poised to serve time.

Thus Giants fans have to hope that Boley and Bernard are reformed as Jerry Reese must. Winning the Super Bowl in his first season as GM has afforded Reese some leeway in his support from fans, but if Boley and Bernard end up at a night club with Plaxico Burress, then Reese may regret not learning from Burress' mistakes.

Update (3/2/09):
Jerry Reese has responded to these worries by signing DE Chris Canty, formerly a Dallas Cowboy. With Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Mathias Kiwanuka already roaming the edge, Canty will be moved inside where the Giants still lack depth and now have a seemingly overloaded rotation: Canty, Barry Cofield, Bernard, and Fred Robbins. (Robbins has been mentioned as a candidate to be traded or cut.) If the Giants do keep Robbins, which I believe they should do, this rotation would likely be able to keep all those involved healthy and playing down the stretch when Robbins and Cofield broke down last season.

But most importantly, according to Matt Mosely of ESPN, Canty's a good character guy.

And over the past four years, he's proved to be a high character guy for the Cowboys. I've spoken with his parents in the past. His mother is a Methodist minister in Charlotte, N.C., and Canty used to sing in her church's choir.

With a bunch of guys straight from central booking, its good to see a new addition having a close relationship with the Big Blue fan in the sky.

Update (3/3/09):
In a press conference with reporters, Jerry Reese responded to a question about the histories of Boley and Bernard:

That’s always a concern for us. We always look at character. There were a couple of isolated issues that are pretty much resolved. We did our homework on them. We’re pretty pleased with the answers we’ve got. We’re not afraid of what we’ve brought to the table with these two guys.