The Ed Hochuli Bowl

As ESPN refuses to let anyone in earshot of a TV forget, its Capital One Bowl Week! 

And while nothing gets me more excited than the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl there are two dandies in San Di-ago this week.

First you have the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl featuring BCS snub and 9th-ranked Boise State against 11th-ranked TCU. Money talks and there is no disputing that but its a shame that the BCS darling Broncos and Ian Johnson who shocked the Sooners in 2006 are playing this early. 

Considering the fifth BCS game is Cincinnati (ranked 12th) and Virginia Tech (ranked 21st) based on giving berths to conferences that have no good teams this game is a de-facto fifth place game as long as I'm concerned.

Then comes Sunday. While the Broncos-Chargers tussle interests me very little, two side stories do. First you have the hangover from the Ed Hochuli call. The uber-referee who inexplicably blew a play dead while Jay Cutler fumbled making it un-reviewable and giving the Broncos a chance to win all the way back in week 2. 

But more on that in a second.

Chris Berman said on Sportscenter last night that the play was pretty much excused now because the Chargers (7-8) have a chance to win the division this week if they beat the Broncos (8-7) based on the tiebreaker. 

While I am a strong believer in things never unfolding the exact same way, uh, Boomer are you kidding me?

If that call goes the other way like it should have the Chargers would be 8-7 and the Broncos 7-8. In other words, the Chargers would have already clinched the division via the second tiebreaker.

After head-to-head which would be 1-1 - if the Chargers laid down this week and rested their players for the playoffs - the second divisional tiebreaker is winning percentage within the division. San Diego is 4-1 (would be 5-0) while Denver is 3-2 (would be 2-3).

So in no way is Hochuli vindicated yet. Does San Diego still have a chance to take care of business and win the division on Sunday? Sure, but they shouldn't have to.

So we are left with the Ed Hochuli Bowl. But here is where the sponsors need to step in. Every other bowl has some absurd 10-word corporate moniker preceding its title so why not this one?

GNC is the first logical choice in honor of Hochuli's governator-esque physique but it seems too succinct. So does HGH.

My front-runner to this point would be BALCO. Despite the San Francisco steroid studio's dubious past I think it would be very fitting. Something says Bud Selig might not agree.

Imagine Al Michaels saying, "Live from San Diego its the Chargers and the Broncos in the Bay Area Labratory Co-Operative Ed Hochuli Bowl! Will the Broncos get one call? Stay tuned to find out! Its Sunday Night Football on NBC!"

If they can bump Leno to 10 pm they can't be above this right?

Road trip yields two more losses for LBSU

Some early season Pyramid-induced momentum did not follow the 49ers to San Francisco, Ogden or Syracuse. 

While LBSU is a perfect 3-0 at home the 'Niners fell to just 1-5 on the road with losses to Weber State and Syracuse.

While a loss to the 13th-ranked 'Cuse 2700 miles from The Beach after a 9 a.m. Pacific tip-off is nothing to be ashamed of, the trend of leaving opposing buildings on the wrong side of the score sheet is.

If this team wants to contend in the Big West they are absolutely going to have to win away from home. 

While maybe the four-game winning streak got the year-two-leap-under-coach-Monson hysteria whipped up a bit too quickly this team is good and can play much better.

Full details on the rematch against Weber State

LBSU hangs with Orange early, gets left in the dust late

Montana State comes to town Saturday then on Monday Christmas comes early to The Beach.

Not the jolly fat guy with the beard or that white stuff seen on top of the mountains but Dionte Christmas and the Temple Owls.

Christmas dropped 35 on Bruce Pearl and the 8th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers en route to a 88-72 beatdown.

How's that for some holiday spirit?

Prior to Saturday afternoon I thought Temple, who was just 4-3 at the time and had lost by 16 at home to Miami (OH) would provide little more than a marquee name on the schedule but Scrooge and co. look a little more daunting now. 

It's off to play Ernie Kent and the Oregon Ducks before New Year's and Big West conference play greets Long Beach promptly in 2009 with a Jan 2 battle against UCSB.

Win streak comes to end at hands of the Dons

LBSU's four game win streak is no more. Then again, the 2007-2008 squad only won six games all season, so progress is relative.

Most importantly Long Beach's three losses have been by a combined 20 points, a far cry from the blowouts endured last year. Being competitive in every game is a huge step forward.

The key to being in the Big West race come late February will be the 'Niners play on the road. After going 1-16 away from the Pyramid in Dan Monson's first year, this year's team fell to 1-3 with the loss to USF. 

Playing BYU and Wisconsin in their own buildings and scaring the hell out of them means a lot but not unless it pays dividends (i.e. wins) on the road in the Big West. 

Simply holding serve at the Pyramid wont be enough to get it done.

USF 78, LBSU 74 (Double OT) December 6th

LBSU gets two more wins, runs streak to 4

The 'Niners take down New Mexico State and Pepperdine at the Pyramid, head to San Francisco to take on the Dons. 

Weber State and Syracuse next week before returning home for Montana State and Temple before Christmas.

Tons of links, got the NMSU game story. News and notes, including recruiting, the 76 Classic and Donovan Morris' Big West Player of the Week award. That comes with the Pepperdine preview. Also got the recently completed recap for that one.

Look for a quick game story about the USF game on Sunday and a preview of next week's games Wednesday afternoon. Go Beach!

LBSU 81, Pepperdine 68

News and Notes, Pepperdine Preview

LBSU 82, New Mexico State 77

Sharks off to record start

Through 25 games this NHL season the San Jose Sharks have won a staggering 21 games. With a 13-0-1 mark at home they have notched a point in their last 23 regular season games at The Tank.

After having one of the best teams in the league since the lockout but falling short - three straight 2nd round exits - in the playoffs, this team is the best of them all.

With more scoring from the likes of Devin Setoguchi, Ryane Clowe and Joe Pavelski to go with the already dangerous Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo the Sharks lead the league in scoring.

But that's not all.

GM Doug Wilson also brought in two of the best defenseman in the league in Dan Boyle and Rob Blake. Behind them is one of the top-3 goalies in the world in Evgeni Nabokov.

Now that is one hell of a team.

Then again its December. Hockey matters most in May and June for this team.

I dont care how hot it is when summer hits the playoff beards better still be in full affect.

Best 25 game starts in NHL History

Year        Team         Pts Record Result

2008-09 Sharks        43   20-3-1             ?
1943-44 Canadiens      43   20-2-3  Won Stanley Cup
2006-07 Sabres           42   20-3-2   Lost in conference finals
2005-06 Senators        42   21-4-0   Lost in second round
2001-02 Red Wings     42   20-3-2  Won Stanley Cup
1979-80 Flyers            42   18-1-6   Lost in Cup final
1929-30 Bruins           42   21-4-0  Won Stanley Cup
1984-85 Oilers           41   19-3-3   Won Stanley Cup

DMo goes off, LBSU gets the W

There is nothing new to say about Donovan Morris so I'll let the stats speak for themselves.

14 points, 3-for-3 from the field and 7-for-8 from the line.

And those were just the five minute double OT stats.

LBSU runs their record to 2-2

The road win ties their road win total from last year and the W brings them within four of tying last year's 6-victory campaign.

It appears early on the progression in year 2 of the Dan Monson era is steady.

Picked to finish near the bottom of the Big West this season, the 'Niners should challenge for the top of the standings.

Most importantly they have begun to found ways to win. Last year's squad found every way possible to lose.

The 2008-2009 team seems to want to win, and that's exactly what they have started doing.

49ers strike gold in last 10 minutes

LBSU got their first victory in the 2008-2009 season by upending the Weber State Wildcats despite trailing by 21 with 11 minutes to go.

The 'Niners are in Idaho to take on Idaho St tomorrow night and return to face New Mexico State Sunday afternoon.

Preview of those two match-ups

LBSU loses it late to Wisconsin, Big West teams getting screwed on the road

Long Beach dropped a second close game Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center in Madison.

They play their first home game at The Walter Pyramid Saturday night and its homecoming, should be an exciting one to watch.

On to other issues...

Its absurd that Big West teams are forced to travel to play big schools and have to face that conference's officials. It's bad enough for Long Beach to have to fly to Utah and Wisconsin to get a marquee game but to have to play against the zebras on top of the other team's players and fans is too much.

LBSU had twice as many fouls called against them on Sunday and Northridge has it even worse tonight against Stanford.

In 31 minutes thus far in Palo Alto, Northridge has been whistled for 29 fouls. Each guy only gets 5!

Can they really be that aggressive? Think I am biased to the Big West?

You want bias? I was born and raised in Palo Alto and root for Stanford more than any college team in that country but this is ridiculous!

By contrast Stanford has 13 fouls. Its one thing for a perimeter-laden team like Long Beach not to garner a bunch of whistles in their favor all the time if they continue to launch the long ball and not force contact inside but that's not Northridge's M.O.

Hows 38 free throws to 10? Seem fair?

Didn't think so.

They need to have these games officiated by neutral parties like the bowl games are. To expect these teams to have any chance in a hostile environment that is also being manipulated is unfair. The Big West is better this year and its premier teams have already been plagued by shoddy and unbalanced officiating that undermines the game's integrity.

Update: Stanford 103, CS Northridge 85
Or in another way: Stanford 47, CS Northridge 12 (FTA's)

At BW Media Day Bobby Braswell, head coach at Northridge seemed upset when asked about all the non-conference road games. "Nobody will play us at home," he said. Looks like home-court advantage really is an advantage thus far for the power conferences when they host Big West schools. What a shame.

Long Beach falls in Provo

'Niners play well early but fall late

All-American BYU forward Lee Cummard was just as good as advertised.

This past off-season he turned down the NBA to return to Utah for his senior season much to the delight of everyone but the black and gold.

Behind his career-high 36 points on 13-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds BYU (1-0) erased a seven-point halftime deficit to down the 49ers 75-65, in both team's 2008-2009 season opener.

LBSU (0-1) was led by senior forward Cornel Williams who also registered a double-double on 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Guards Donovan Morris (13 points) and Stephan Gilling (12 points) also scored in double figures for the Beach. Both Williams and Gilling knocked down three 3-pointers.

But the story of the night was Cummard. "He's a complete player," LBSU Coach Dan Monson said. "He literally led BYU by himself. They had a lot of guys not play well but he had a great game."

Jonathan Tavernari added 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Cougars. The Cummard-Tavernari duo combined for 55 of the 75 Cougar points.

The rest of the team shot just 5-of-23 from the field.

A slow start to the 2nd half by LBSU let BYU back in the affair after the Beach headed into the break with a 38-31 lead. The 'Niners shot just 10-for-29 in the 2nd half and managed only 27 points.

"We put ourselves in a position to win but just weren't experienced enough to get it done," Monson said. "They are a more experienced team and I think that showed down the stretch."

For a 6-25 team a year ago this was a huge step in the right direction despite the loss. BYU embarassed the 'Niners at the Walter Pyramid last November in a 74-34 romp.

That game was never in doubt. This one wasn't decided until about the 2-minute mark of the 2nd half.

Two big areas of concern headed into this game for Long Beach were rebounding and free throw shooting.

Those categories remain an issue. LBSU was outrebounded 43-35 and shot just 50 percent (7-for-14) from the line.

For a team that struggled both on the road (1-17) and in close games (2-11 in games decided by six points or less) last year these are areas still in need of improvement.

Freshman Casper Ware started at point guard scoring seven points and dishing out three assists. He also had five turnover's.

"Tonight was a difficult game for (Ware) which is good," Monson said. "That's why we're starting him that's why we're sticking with him because he needs to learn. That's why we are playing in these games, for all our freshman. They need to understand that every possesion is vital."

Eugene Phelps added eight points and three rebounds off the bench.

The win runs BYU's home winning streak to 48 games. That is the longest such streak in the nation.

The 22,000 seat Marriott Center was less than half-full despite a paid attendance of 15,753.

The 'Niners travel to Madison, Wisc., for a Sunday game against the University of Wisconsin. That game is a 1 p.m. Pacific tip-off and will air on the Big Ten Network, DirecTV channel 610.

'Niners kick off season Friday night in Utah

LBSU Men's basketball kicks off its season this weekend with games at BYU and Wisconsin. The team is coming off a tough season but is a much more talented squad in 2008-09. Check the blog frequently for updates on their progress this season including photos, game stories, links and much more.

Here's the first few links...

For more on their first two opponents

Season Preview for LBSU and the Big West

First Look at the team at open scrimmage

The BCS is B.S.

But you knew that already.

Somebody always gets screwed. Left out of the title game or the crazy computer rankings leave them out altogether.

It's been bad in the past but this year could be the apocalypse.

Let's consider some scenarios and breakdown what's wrong.

Of the three big undefeated teams (Alabama, TT, PSU) all could lose. 

Alabama and Texas Tech will lose. 

Tech has to beat Oklahoma St, win at Oklahoma and defeat Missouri (maybe Kansas) in the Big 12 champ game to run the table. Sorry, not going to happen.

Alabama has to win at LSU and beat Florida in the SEC champ game. Florida is the better team, LSU is tough at home. They are going down before bowl season comes.

That leaves Penn State. Now although the Nittany Lions schedule is a joke, Michgan State could give them problems but they get them in Happy Valley. Win or lose we are stuck with a big problem.

We will have a Big 12 champ with at least one loss but coming out of the best conference in college football and the toughest in recent memory. Behind them there will be three or four really good teams that may all belong in the Top 10. 

If Oklahoma wins out do they get in? Texas loses on the last play of the game at Texas Tech after knocking off OU, Missouri and OK state in consecutive weeks. OK State's only loss to this point was by four points at Texas. All four play in the same Big 12 division and no more than two will make the BCS.

There could be a one loss Florida team emerging from a very good SEC conference that features three other Top 15 schools. Alabama could be 12-1 having won at LSU and Georgia. 

USC could have just one loss but touts a defense that has allowed more than 10 points just once so far this season (27 in a loss at Oregon State) and has give up just 10 points in their last four games combined. 

Boise State is undefeated in the WAC and the Moutain West boasts a trio of teams Utah (9-0), TCU (9-1) and BYU (8-1) that should all not be overlooked. Even Ball State is 8-0 right now and leading the MAC. 

The consensus among pro-playoff advocates is a 8 team system. I disagree.

Unless you are willing to do away with automatic bids for weak conferences like the ACC - Honestly, whoever comes out of that mess would be like the 7th best team in the Big 12 or force the Pac-10/Big 10 to play title games -  There has to be more than 8 spots. 

Having 2 at-large bids with these stacked conferences is absurd.

My suggestion is a 12 team playoff like the NFL does with the top-4 teams getting a bye. Have the Pac-10 and Big Ten do title games and give those winners and the winners of the Big 12 and SEC byes. Then there are 8 spots left. 

If you want to give auto bids to the ACC and Big East that's fine but they don't get to host a game unless their seed warrants it. Most importantly that leaves 6 more spots for your cinderella types like Boise State and your really good non-conference winners like say Texas and Florida that might be in a fifth place game under the current BCS umbrella but should no doubt get a crack at the National Championship.

If Fresno State and George Mason have a chance in college baseball and basketball it can't be too much to ask for 12 teams including the likes of TCU or Ball State to get that opportunity in football. 

First and second round matchups would be home games for the lower seed. The final four would be at regional sites like the basketball is.

Based on that formula and the current BCS Standings a 12-team playoff would look like this:

Byes 

(1) Alabama 

(2) Texas Tech 

(3) Penn State 

(4) USC

First Round games 

(5) Texas vs (12) West Virginia

(6) Florida vs (11) North Carolina

(7) Oklahoma vs (10) Boise State

(8) Utah vs (9) Oklahoma State

If everybody wins who is supposed to Utah goes to Alabama, Oklahoma to Texas Tech, Florida to Penn State and Texas to USC. 

The four winners advance to the semi-finals. 

The wild card weekend so to speak is the week/weekend prior to Christmas. The Elite Eight takes place Christmas week/weekend. The Final Four with the two big semi-final games take place back-to-back on New Years and the championship game occurs the following week like the BCS champ does currently.

Not only does this system decide the best team, afford more home games to the schools, but it also ensures a better quality product/game since the layover between the final regular season games and the first round would be about three weeks maximum. 

The Big 12 gets four teams in but that reflects the strength of that conference so far this season. Next year it could be three Big 10 or SEC teams but it leaves the door open for some flexibility and most importantly room for the most competitive, deserving teams.

World Series Breakdown

The case for Philadelphia....

The Philadelphia Phillies caught and passed the New York Mets for the second year in a row en route to the NL East crown. This time around they are making the most of their playoff appearance. 

With the hopes of an entire championship-starved city on their shoulders, the Phillies look to bring a title home to the City of Brotherly Love for the first time in a quarter century. Here's how they will make that dream a reality.

Cole Hamels  - The NLCS MVP has been unhittable this postseason. With a 3-0 record and 1.23 ERA in the playoffs, he has clearly been the Phillies ace.

He has 22 strikeouts in as many innings and is the one guy who can win this series almost single-handedly. The San Diego native will start Game 1 and could make two more starts if the series goes the full seven games. 

While the rest of the rotation behind him and Brett Myers are unreliable if Hamels can keep the Rays at bay with his breathtaking change-up he could set-up the Phillies to only need one win when he is not on the bump.

The big bats - The powerful lineup that propelled the Phillies all season has yet to really break out. A World Series 

championship could be theirs if they finally do. 

Behind Long Beach Poly and UCLA grad Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell loom. The trio belted 114 homers during the regular season but has just four - three from Burrell and one from Utley - through the first two rounds. 

Howard, the 2006 NL MVP and leading candidate for the award again after a torrid September, is streaky. If he can get hot again, the Rays will be in trouble. 

At the top of the lineup, the reigning NL MVP Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino set the table for the sluggers behind them. If both speedsters can get on and wreak havoc on the basepaths, the Phillies can put up a ton of runs - especially at home in Citizens Bank Park.

The bullpen - One thing you need to win in October, or even early November, is a great bullpen. Closer Brad Lidge is perfect 46-for-46 in converting save opportunities this season.

Long Beach native Ryan Madson has given up just one run in nine innings of work and the Phillies haven't blown a lead after eight innings all year, with a record of 86-0 headed to the final frame on top. With Madson's emergence they are lights out after seven innings. 

On the other side of the field Tampa's David Price has only been in the big leagues a month and Grant Balfour has a shaky psyche. The Rays lack a proven closer and that should be a big key. 

If Hamels and Myers can get the ball to Madson and Lidge with a lead the duo can shut the door and get Philadelphia a win. That will be the recipe for success.

Prediction: Phillies in 7

Tracy McDannald's take

The case for Tampa Bay...

Tampa Bay Rays rookie third baseman Evan Longoria was still in disbelief after defeating the Boston Red Sox to advance to the World Series.

“I’m sure nobody picked us to go to the World Series,” the former Long Beach State Dirtbag said after Sunday’s 3-1 win in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. “For me to be in this situation, I really can’t believe it.”

He’s right — nobody picked them to play in the Fall Classic at the beginning of the season. The team started the season as an 80-to-1 longshot to win the World Series, and the franchise hadn’t made the playoffs in its previous 10 years of existence.

But, I’m giving them a shot to win it all.

Youth trumps experience - Everyone can stop saying that the Rays are too inexperienced to perform in the postseason.

How about this for experience? Manager Joe Maddon was on the coaching staff when the team formerly known as the Anaheim Angels won the World Series in 2002.

Maddon has done an excellent job guiding the young, talented Rays to the AL East title, AL pennant, and now, a shot at the big prize.

Longoria and center fielder B.J. Upton — 23 and 24 years old, respectively — have powered the offense in the middle of the lineup, combining to hit 13 home runs in the postseason.

There’s also that unknown fireballer who emerged from the bullpen in Game 7 …

Price is right for Tampa Bay - David Price was thrust into the national spotlight Sunday night and responded well.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick was called up in September and appeared in just five regular season games. But, Price struck out J.D. Drew with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning and preserve the 3-1 lead. 

The rookie left-hander continued to baffle Boston in the ninth, fanning Mark Kotsay and Jason Varitek before inducing the series-ending grounder to eliminate the defending champions.

With questions swirling about Tampa Bay’s arms in the bullpen — particularly the closer role — Maddon should think back to an electric Francisco Rodriguez mowing through lineups in the Angels’ 2002 run.

Price can dart the outside corner with a 97 mph fastball or jelly-leg batters with an 88 mph slider, and hitters can’t hit what they can’t see. As the least experienced member of the Rays, Price surely hasn’t been seen by any of the Philadelphia Phillies’ hitters.

Depth in the starting rotation - Cole Hamels and Brett Myers have delivered for Philadelphia, combining to win five of the team’s seven postseason games to reach the World Series.

There really isn’t much beyond the Phillies’ No. 1 and 2 starters, however.

In two postseason starts, 45-year-old Jamie Moyer is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in just 5 1/3 innings. It’s a struggle for him just to hit 88 mph on the radar gun with his fastball, and the Tampa Bay lineup is more than capable of turning the game into a home run derby.

In Game 4 of the ALCS against Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, the Rays scored five runs on six hits — three homers — in just 2 2/3 innings.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay will throw four quality starters: ALCS MVP Matt Garza, Andy Sonnanstine, Scott Kazmir and James Shields.

Prediction: Rays in six

(Cole Hamels and Evan Longoria, Photos Courtesy of MLB.com)

Champion of the past

The story of Jack Johnson

Long before there were “Banana Pancakes” or you were humming the tune to “Upside Down” the name Jack Johnson was synonymous with one thing, boxing.

One hundred years ago he was the heavyweight champion of the world and the baddest dude around. But there was a problem, Johnson was black.

In a time still filled with racial oppression Johnson’s color and even worse his brash personality and blatant disregard for a manner in which he was supposed to conduct himself clashed with white authorities.

A century later efforts are underway to right an egregious wrong.

A bi-partisan effort includes two bills, one in the House and another led by Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain is in the Senate. Both are awaiting approval.

In a letter to the President McCain wrote "Johnson’s conviction was motivated by nothing more than the color of his skin. As such, it injured not only Mr. Johnson but also our nation as a whole."

If the bills go through the dream of a posthumous presidential pardon for Jack Johnson, a great American champion could finally be realized.

While Governor in Texas Bush tabbed Johnson’s birthday as Jack Johnson Day in the state for five consecutive years.

Legendary American filmmaker Ken Burns produced a documentary entitled “Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson” that aired on PBS back in January.

This movie has only furthered the effort to clear Johnson’s name.

Johnson was a larger-than-life American pop icon in the early 1900s.

Born in 1878 to former slaves in Galveston, Texas Johnson’s meteoric rise and fall from failed Reconstruction America to heavyweight champion of the world does not have a happy ending.

In 1913 Johnson was convicted of taking a woman across interstate lines as a violation of the Mann Act.

Officially the White Slave Traffic Act the obscure and controversial measure was passed to combat prostitution at the turn of the 19th century.

The Progressive Era bill was being so broadly interpreted for anything other than spousal relations that any interstate travel, especially for “undesirables” could mean prosecution.

After authorities were unsuccessful in nabbing Johnson on two occasions they accused him a third time despite the consensual nature of his relationship.

These first two occasions, marriages to white women, sparked anger amongst a Jim Crow era America.

Under law, once married, the women the authorities sought to testify against Johnson were no longer permitted to do so.

After sentencing Johnson posted bail and fled overseas to Europe.

He tried to continue fighting while living in Paris but the marquee fights eluded him. The war was going on and Johnson was not the celebrity he was back in the states.

A convoluted title fight took place in Havana, Cuba in 1915 where Johnson lost a 26-round fight. Johnson’s loss meant the return of the title belt to a white man.

It would take 22 years for an African-American to have a chance to capture the title of heavyweight champion of the world again.

Jack Johnson returned to the United States in 1920 and served his sentence.

Once out of prison he tried to resume his boxing career but he was never the same man, or the same fighter upon release.

He spent the rest of his days trying to live off his fading celebrity status. From exhibitions to entrepreneurship he continued on.

Johnson was killed in an automobile accident in 1946.

Intelligent but flashy, charismatic and proud. Johnson was a victim of circumstance, torn-down by the times.

Amendments have been made to the Mann Act in recent years most notably in 1978 and 1986 but the bill has never been repealed.

Notable stars like Black rock-n-roller Chuck Berry, actor Charlie Chaplain and architect Frank Lloyd Wright were all prosecuted under its auspicious umbrella.

Florida vs Arkansas

I went to Arkansas this past weekend to catch the Florida Gators take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. For a complete rundown of the trip and to see a photo slideshow here's the link. New post coming soon!

Gambling and fantasy, making the NFL what it is

NFL football is far and away the most popular sport in America right now, but it's less about the players and the game itself then it is the gambling and fantasy aspects that go with it.

Case in point, the injury to New England Patriots QB Tom Brady. With one of its big stars sidelined the NFL barely skips a beat. New stars are born, new fantasy football greats emerge and the Patriots give less points in Las Vegas.

In the NFL stars are not only marketed differently but they just plain don't mean as much. In a sport where players were helmets on the field and the average career is shorter than a presidential race, it really is "the name on the front of the jersey that matters."

This issue of being recognizable can't be ignored. NBA stars like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are not only easier to market but their faces are more familiar due to their non-intrusive apparel. Even baseball players just wear hats. Hidden inside that helmet is not a star but the key to hitting that "over" bet or getting enough points to beat out your old college buddy in your fantasy league that week.

None of this is to say that there are no true NFL fans, who root hard for their team win or lose and don't play fantasy football or bet on the games each week. It's just that they are in the minority.

"Americans like to wager," John McCain said with a sheepish grin and a laugh earlier this week to ESPN cameras. The answer was in response to his failed legislation to ban gambling on college sports. For all the wagering American sports fans do on college sports or professional ones like baseball and basketball, NFL football is king.

According to the Las Vegas Sun, Nevada sportsbooks took in more than $92 million in bets for last year's Super Bowl alone - a figure that doesn't even include all the money wagered online.

With pro football, though, there is more than just betting on the Super Bowl. Every week millions of eager Americans pour over the lines hoping to find that right combination to hit it big. The anticipation and betting action builds all week until Sunday finally arrives.

I can sum it up best with this story. Late last Sunday night I got two expletive-laced text messages from friends that in essence said, "Why didn't the Steelers kick that field goal?" Up four points with 30 seconds to go, the Pittsburgh Steelers had elected to go for it on fourth down in Cleveland territory due to the windy conditions instead of attempting a tough field goal try.

Considering the situation, it was a logical move. For the people who bet money on the Steelers, this was not a sufficient argument. See, according to the sportsbooks Pittsburgh needed to cover a 6.5 point spread - win by seven points - if you chose them. A field goal would have filled this void.

Instead, Pittsburgh won by four. It was a nice, hard-fought road win on a brutal night in Ohio. For those, including two of my friends who had laid money on them to win by seven or more this reasoning meant a lighter wallet.

In other words in an arena where even a half of a point can mean the difference between winning and losing, the way football games are watched even when the outcome is set, means a whole different standard of rules.

In addition to the gambling the other vice is fantasy football. This is where the NFL really distances itself from the college game. Because of the roster turnover in college football, fantasy is not nearly as feasible as it is for the pro game.

Fantasy football started as an archaic exercise for diehards in small underground circles. With the internet it has exploded as a full-fledged phenomenon and everyone is in at least one league.

Most major sports sites like yahoo! offer the game for free, but most people ante up an entry fee that goes to the top couple finishers. Like the gambling and the TV contracts that make football what it is, fantasy football is a business too.

It also hinders business. Chicago-based employment consultant, Challenger, Gray & Christmas concluded in a recent study that fantasy players are costing employers as much as $1.1 billion per week during the NFL season.

In other words in floundering economic times, plenty of time from 9-5 Monday through Friday is spent scouring the waiver wire, reading up on injuries and talking trash to next week's opponent - all from guys who won't get within one hundred yards of the field on Sunday.

While most American sports are played at least a few times a week, football is not. It is that limited exposure, the once-a-week format that makes it so special.

While the NFL rules Sundays across living rooms and local watering holes from coast-to-coast, it is the betting and fantasy football that keeps the nation on edge from Tuesday morning until just before kickoff.

From that last-minute parlay to the decision of who to start at running back, the intrigue of the NFL for most fans goes way beyond the white lines. While ultimately the action on the field dictates the way we react to the extra curricular, the way we watch pro football, shaped by these endeavors, is unlike any other experience.

Top-10 fall baseball story lines

Top-10 Story Lines as MLB heads towards the Postseason

10. Yankee Stadium hosts its final baseball game in September (this Sunday). The Yankees failure to clinch a 14th consecutive berth means no playoffs for the most famous postseason venue in all of sports, 100 world series games in all.

9. Next year's free agents. Will Ben Sheets, CC Sabathia, Manny Ramirez or Pat Burrell to name a few have that Carlos Beltran-esque post-season that takes them from the 100 to the 200 million dollar range?

8. Do more fans show up at the Trop when postseason play begins? I'm sure they do, but why now? The Rays have been playing well since May and are a young, exciting team. They are 19-1 when playing in front of more than 30,000 fans this year in St. Pete. Now that bodes well for October.

7. Does the American League take home the trophy home again? Despite blips to the AL's dominance in South Beach, St. Louis and the desert the senior circuit is once again inferior to the AL and won't have home field either thanks to another defeat in the midsummer classic.

6. The wild cards. Wild card teams have wreaked havoc on the playoffs this decade especially in a short best-of-5 divisional series format. Could either Tampa Bay or Boston in the AL and anyone from the New York/Philadelphia/Milwaukee/Houston logjam emerge as the final entry and find its way into late October hardball? I say yes.

5. The Dodgers. With the star power of Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez the team has been hot since August and looks destined for the divisional round. Can they make it out? Does Torre really deserve the credit if they win 84 games and get bounced in the first round? Should be a very interesting offseason no matter how they finish for Ned Coletti, Frank McCourt and the blue crew.

4. The races. Will the Mets collapse again? What will the Mets look like next spring if they do? Can the Rays hold off the Red Sox? Does the NL West winner get more than 85 wins? Can the Twins make it back to the playoffs? Who gets the best record in the AL and secures that home field?

3. The hardware. Who will take home the awards from the regular season? Ryan Howard has hit 45 home runs for the 3rd year in a row and despite his paltry .250 average and 200 strikeouts his impact has been remarkable over the last 6 weeks. If the Indians finish around .500 doesnt Cliff Lee deserve MVP consideration? If A-Rod can win it for the last place Rangers then what about Lee? Cleveland loses 100 games without him.

2. The NL Central. The Brewers fired their manager and the Astros have been in a post-Ike tailspin. The Brew-Crew hasn't been to the playoffs in my lifetime and the Astros were on fire until a hurricane tore up Houston and their home series against the Cubs. There are much more important things than baseball but it looks as though the storm is taking its toll on the team as well.

1. The Cubbies. It's been a century since the North-siders captured baseball's biggest crown by beating Ty Cobb and the Tigers in the 1908 fall classic. The "lovable losers" are in ownership flux but have been one of the game's biggest spenders the last few offseasons and are knocking on the doorstep. The scene in Chicago following a Cubs championship could make a European soccer celebration look tame by comparison.

Going Back

"Get up baby! Get up!"

....

It did get up. Up and out of Busch Stadium and into the record books.

Ten years ago Mark McGwire smashed Roger Maris' home run total of 61 with a low rising liner that could have been shot out of one of those t-shirt guns.

....

It was a hectic summer. In a flash I left my entire childhood behind. Thrown into boxes while I was away at summer camp, when I did return I came home to a house I barely recognized and a life that would never be the same.

It took two weeks to drive to St. Louis. On the way we stopped in Utah and Oklahoma City. Arriving in St. Louis was like running into a wall. Not only was this place a far cry from the crowded bustle of Northern California but the August humidity was nothing short of suffocating.

Big Mac changed all of that. Major League Baseball was still pulling itself out of the shambles of the 1994 strike-shortened season that cost the game and its fans the annual Fall Classic.

Once McGwire and Sammy Sosa started lacing baseballs into bleachers all over the National League the whole sports world stood up and noticed.

As a lifelong baseball aficionado, despite my tender age of 11, this was the perfect storm and St. Louis was the eye. At one point in August with McGwire's assault on the record book a near formality my dad and I carefully mapped out the date in which number 62 would find the Busch Stadium cheap seats.

Going to games in the interim was just surreal. The energy in the ballpark, the buzz that began to rise as soon as McGwire ascended the dugout steps, was unlike any sound I have ever witnessed. The anticipation, the eagerness to explode with the crack of the bat could not possibly be measured.

Then there was the flashbulbs. If Hollywood made a movie about this event there are no manner of special effects that could possibly emulate the feeling that every person in the stadium must be holding four cameras at once and clicking them in mass confusion.

....

We missed the record breaker by a week. Sitting down the left field line on the night of September 15th we watched number 63 clear the fence and cascade into a sea of outstrectched arms that seemed to resemble a rock concert.

I will never forget the flight of that ball from my perch in left as it bounced into the crowd and after much jubilation a collective sigh was felt the whole metro-area over. The drought was done.

McGwire had been pressing. He had gone a week without homering and Sosa showed no signs of letting up. The magic snowballed from there with McGwire pounding 70 total moonshots and Sosa a remarkable 66.

Baseball was back. It seems almost sacrilegious now to consider all the allegations around that era. We were duped. But that can never change how it made you feel.

Every homer that year seemed to be hit further than the next. Like two guys repeatedly trading baskets, neither Sosa or McGwire wanted to be outdone by the other and even McGwire who had been standoffish at best for much of his career embraced the spotlight, celebrated with Sosa and genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself.

....

Baseball needed saving. We knew that and so did Selig. We will never know how much ignorance and naivety played a role compared to simply turning a blind eye but America needs baseball and we got it back with all the passion, glory and enjoyment the game has brought for more than a century.

I have never thought baseball could top the summer of 1941. On the brink of the greatest world conflict mankind has ever known Joltin' Joe Dimaggio hit in 56 straight games and Ted Williams became the last man to hit over .400 when he finished this season with a .406 clip.

1961 brought us the Mantle/Maris assault on Ruth's record. Hallowed and historic, the drama ended with a new home run king and the asterisk that accompanied the new benchmark of 61. Roger Maris overcame remarkable odds to beat out his Yankee teammate and the ghost of the Bambino.

Yet those two tremendous summers were far ahead of my time. As a bystander to that history only in a book I had a front row seat to the events of 1998.

Tainted as they may seem to some now, with the innocence of an 11-year old they were as magical then as they are still, ingrained in my memory for a lifetime.

Somewhere between those white lines and the smell of spring grass everything just makes sense and that summer brought that spirit back for generations to come.

The case for CC

School has started as September has descended upon us.

This can only mean one thing.

The baseball races are heating up.

Teams are battling for a playoff spot, with most of the usual suspects still in contention.
(At least if you swapped the Rays with the Yankees.)

It's also a great time to start thinking about the individual awards.

Of course these things are usually won or lost in the last month as a great September can spell doom or catapult a relative unknown into the thick of the race but its still fun to consider the contenders with four weeks to go.

The MVP is the award that hinges most on a playoff appearance. Player of the year is never too difficult to figure out but the most valuable player is a whole different animal.

With that in mind lets focus on the Cy Young. In the American League the debate is just about closed. Pitching in the minors at this time last season Cleveland's Cliff Lee is going to run away with this award barring a disastrous September. A 20-2 record and a league leading 2.32 era will do that for you.

His 20 wins represent a staggering 30 percent of Cleveland's total of 67 and he is having one of the most dominant seasons of recent memory that evoke recollections of Clemens, Carlton, Gibson and Koufax.

Roy Halladay and Francisco Rodriguez deserve some consideration after Lee but even 12 complete games or 65 saves for those two respectively will not be enough to unseat the tremendous turnaround of Lee.

The National League race is full of intrigue. Much like the American League there are three main candidates. The first is Arizona's Brandon Webb.

Webb could have been the first big leaguer to reach the 20-win plateau in 2008 but scuffled mightily in his last two outings. His 19 wins are still three more than anyone else and armed with his trademark sinker already has the hardware to prove his mettle on a mantle somewhere.

The Giants Tim Lincecum has been spectacular in his first full major league campaign. His 2.60 era is the lowest on the senior circuit and his 216 strikeouts are the most of anyone in baseball. He has been about the only bright spot for a dismal San Francisco team but his win total, 15, is not yet Cy Young worthy territory.

The most unique candidate for any baseball award this season is the case for recently acquired Brewers big man CC Sabathia. In 11 starts since being traded from Cleveland mid-season CC has been practically unhittable.

The Brewers, in the middle of a pennant race have won 10 of those games as Sabathia has compiled a perfect 9-0 mark. His downright stingy 1.43 era is only dwarfed by his 6 complete games, which are two more than any other NL starter has amassed over the whole season.

If CC continues to dominate, like 13-0 or 12-1 with 8 complete games and a 1.50 era, coupled with a playoff berth for the once moribund Milwaukee franchise he will have to be seriously considered for the NL Cy Young as the catalyst for their success.

Pro football in LA

Football season is almost here.

With it brings a question that hangs over the Southland like the marine layer or afternoon smog.

Why doesn't Los Angeles have a pro football team? If you ask me, they already do.

There is just one major difference. They play on Saturdays.

I give you the Southern California Trojans. Consider the following factors.

They play their home games in a stadium that used to house the local NFL franchise. Famous for hosting the Olympics twice, the L.A. Memorial Coliseum has also hosted the Super Bowl and World Series. Not your run-of-the-mill college football venue, it also holds the record for the largest crowd to ever watch an NFL game.

Their coach, Pete Carroll, came to the Trojans from the NFL's New England Patriots. He brought notoriety and fanfare back to a floundering program and, more impressively, a ton of success. He has built a powerhouse and recruiting to the sunshine and palm trees of Southern California can't hurt.

They frequently send players to the NFL Draft, including three Heisman trophy winners in four years between 2002-05 and could probably play with a handful of the NFL's worst teams.

They play in the second biggest market in the country and are covered accordingly. Like Fernando Mania, Gretzky fever, the Showtime Lakers and the arrival of David Beckham, the USC Trojans are football in L.A. despite what UCLA or Rick Neuheisel may say.

The players are treated like stars. From the press to the paparazzi, these guys are the toast of the town. They own Hollywood in the fall before the Lakers or Bruins really get going and after the Dodgers have faded again. They are celebrities in their own right, think Nick Lachey sleeping on the floor of Matt Leinart's dorm room.

They have guys that are professionals. If you count the perks heaped upon some of the players by agents-to-be and university boosters, from the well-publicized, like Reggie Bush, and more commonly unpublicized, these guys get the royal treatment.

Lastly, there are the demographics to consider. So many of Southern California's residents are not locally born. In other words, a trip to the corner tavern on a Sunday afternoon in the fall yields a collage of colors made up of jerseys from around the country. From the classic black and yellow Steelers gear to the silver and black of the Raiders, there is no lack of NFL support around.

In other words, the NFL doesn't need a team in Los Angeles to keep its product relevant here.

On Sunday, many locals root for the San Diego Chargers or even for the individual players that comprise their fantasy football teams.

Yet on crisp, fall Saturday afternoons, the red and gold Trojan horse lines chests and flies on flags waiving brazenly from Newport Beach to Ojai, sweeping the whole region in a football frenzy.

While the NFL logo departed with the Raiders and the Rams, the Trojans have brought back the professional pigskin to the hearts and minds of Southern California.