Kinsler Ends 2008 in Pain

Ian Kinsler has been awesome in 2008, and has taken a major step forward. But, his nemesis reared its ugly head again – health. For all of his progress, it must be noted that Kinsler still is good for missing a month per season:

2006: 120 games
2007: 130 games
2008: 121 games

His final stat line of .319/.375/.517 is off the charts, and to have 102 runs in 121 games is wonderful. But as we go to 2009, it is becoming fair to ask the question if Kinsler’s all out style is not conducive to being an “every day” player over the course of the 6 month meat grinder.

My friend, Ralph Strangis once offered me a cliche' that I doubt he came up with but applies so often in sports:

"The trouble with injury-prone players is that they tend to get injured"

Not saying Ian is injury-prone yet, but he is 3 for 3.

This time, the evil sports hernia …

The final prognosis isn’t in, but Ian Kinsler and the Texas Rangers are preparing for the worst.

The All-Star second baseman might miss the rest of the season.

An MRI revealed that Kinsler has a sports hernia, and he was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday. He will visit a specialist as early as today to determine if surgery can be delayed until after the season.

If not, the Rangers will play the final 37 games without their leadoff hitter and MVP candidate.

"We can’t replace him," said All-Star shortstop Michael Young, Kinsler’s double-play partner. "We’re not going to be able to duplicate the things he’s been able to do on the field. We’re just going to have to pick up the pieces and fight our way through it."

Even Kinsler was finding it difficult to cling to hope, saying he has prepared himself that the next time he plays will be in 2009. He first felt discomfort Sunday after snaring a first-inning grounder and twisting to throw to first base.

The injury grabbed again, he said, as he ran out a grounder in the seventh inning. He left the game with what was diagnosed as a strained left groin, and the pain hadn’t dissipated by Monday morning.

"Hopefully, I don’t have to get surgery," Kinsler said. "You can try to fight through it, but it always leads to surgery. Hopefully, this doctor " says, 'It’s not as bad as we thought.’

Kinsler joins outfielder David Murphy and third baseman Hank Blalock as Rangers position players who have landed on the DL since the All-Star break.

While Milton Bradley hasn’t been on the shelf this season, he has missed 12 of the past 19 games and is perpetually day-to-day. A lineup without Kinsler, Murphy and Bradley would be missing 53 homers and 208 RBI.

After Monday’s 8-7 loss to Detroit, the Rangers (62-64) dropped to 12-18 in the second half and are two games below .500.

"It is difficult," Young said. "It just goes to show you that in order to win the division and win championships, you have to have a little luck. We haven’t had much of that on the injury front."

The Rangers have replaced Kinsler with Joaquin Arias, who was recalled from Triple A Oklahoma. Manager Ron Washington said that Arias and Ramon Vazquez will platoon at second base.

But they won’t be able to match the production of Kinsler, who entered Monday as the American League’s leader in hits, runs and total bases. He was one of four Rangers All-Stars this year and was considered along with teammate Josh Hamilton as the first-half MVP in the AL.

He could remain in the MVP mix with Hamilton and Chicago outfielder Carlos Quentin if the injury isn’t a season-ender.

"I wanted to steal the MVP from Hamilton," Kinsler said. "There’s a lot of things I still want to accomplish. You prepare to play a whole season. That’s your goal coming into the season. When it’s cut short, you feel like you have things you still want to prove.

"At the same time, I’m having a great season. I guess I’ll just have to do it again next year."
________________________________________
All-Star (bad) breaks The Rangers have seen five players land on the disabled list since the All-Star break. Ian Kinsler is the latest to join the list, and he could miss the rest of the season.

Kevin Millwood, groin (July 26) Veteran’s absence was costly to pitching staff

Hank Blalock, shoulder (July 29) He could be activated late this week as a first
baseman

Eric Hurley, shoulder (Aug. 1) Rookie right-hander had been nice contributor to rotation

David Murphy, knee (Aug. 7) Lineup went in funk after rookie outfielder went down

Ian Kinsler, sports hernia (Monday) Loss of All-Star, leadoff hitter is biggest blow yet

If you have great interest in the topic of Rangers pitching, you should read this entire essay from Baseball Time in Arlington: Is Brandon McCarthy screwed up because of Mark Conner …and did Nolan Ryan just try to fix it?

Flash forward to August 2008: less than one week after reportedly serving as the major “driving force” behind the dismissals of Connor and bullpen coach Dom Chiti, team president Nolan Ryan, along with new pitching coach Andy Hawkins and new bullpen coach Jim Colborn, personally oversaw a special bullpen session in Arlington during which the Hall of Famer advised McCarthy “to use his lower body more and make his delivery more fluid.”

Some particularly damning quotes from an reinvigorated McCarthy, who now believes he has finally put his mechanical issues behind him:

According to McCarthy, these mechanical issues didn’t just pop up since he began his rehab assignment. He said he hasn’t felt mechanically sound the past two years.
“I’m not an injury-prone guy, and I’ve never had any problems throwing strikes,” McCarthy said.
[…]

McCarthy threw more than 40 pitches during the bullpen session, and he was noticeably excited with the results afterward. The righty had no explanation for why it took two years to make these necessary adjustments to his mechanics, but he’s hoping the issues are behind him now.

“I have no idea,” McCarthy said. “Maybe my mechanics weren’t right, and they just kept slipping and led to a downward spiral. But at least now I’m on the way back up instead of holding steady where I was.”

Since that bullpen session, McCarthy has fired 13 consecutive scoreless innings across two starts for the Oklahoma RedHawks, yielding just four hits and a pair of walks while notching 11 strikeouts and tossing 68 percent of his pitches for strikes. His most recent triumph against the Pacific Coast League’s Omaha Royals at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark on Sunday evening may have already positioned him to make his first Major League start of the 2008 season later this week.

That’s a whole lot of real, tangible progress in an extremely short period of time after 16 months of failure, frustration and time-consuming visits to team physician Dr. Keith Meister.

And at the end of the day, I legitimately have to wonder if Ryan didn’t join the Rangers in his present capacity, realize that Connor was something of a detriment to not only McCarthy’s progression but to several of the club’s other young pitchers as well, and begin to personally take the bull by the horns with regard to the grooming and development of the future lifeblood of the franchise.

The primary reason cited for Connor’s firing, of course, was the need for a “different voice,” and I’m not going to rebut the widely held notion that Connor is a highly respected pitching coach across the game of baseball. There’s a reason why his departure (as well as Chiti’s) did not sit particularly well in the Rangers clubhouse, and it’s going to take some time for Hawkins and Colborn to rebuild relationships with Connor’s and Chiti’s former disciples.

But McCarthy, perhaps more than any other pitcher during Connor’s six-year reign in Texas, exemplified what can only be termed as one of Connor’s most crippling weaknesses: the apparent need to fix what ain’t broken.

And if Mark Connor alone was the main difference between McCarthy remaining perpetually injured and ineffective and becoming a reliable, top-flight big league starting pitcher, then I’m glad he’s gone.

Congrats Rangers fans, Forbes thinks you are loyal …I think that is a compliment, but I am not positive...

Chicago Cubs fans are legendary for loving their team no matter what the scoreboard says, or how many consecutive days the home team trails the division leader. Kids who can't get tickets wait for home run balls on Sheffield Avenue. And regardless of how many beers the bleacher bums consume, no one forgets the words to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

Cubs fans are some of the most loyal in baseball.

But they're no Texas Rangers fans who flock to the Arlington ballpark through last place finishes and playoff runs alike. The Ranger faithful don't care if the team trades away its best players or spends $252 million to sign an MVP-caliber batter like Alex Rodriguez. No team's attendance is less tied to its on the field performance than the Rangers', and nowhere else in the country do fans peel off at a slower rate when the club has thin years.

(Of course, had owner Tom Hicks studied the attendance numbers a little closer back in 2001, he might not have offered what has come to be known as the worst contract in baseball history.)

The Boston Red Sox are right behind the Rangers. Apparently, the highest ticket prices in the league can't turn away Boston fans. The Atlanta Braves ranked third, followed by the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Cowboys must figure out the receiving options – quickly …

Miles Austin will be lost to the team for "4-6 weeks" (between Sept. 15 Eagles and Sept. 28 Redskins games), and how phat have the Cowboys gotten that losing a Miles Austin merits a red alert?

Admit it, backup receiver is a major cause of our mid-August angst. It’s not the 0-2 record, we all know better than that.

"Hey, T.O., get your wide receivers ready!" That’s really what this preseason is all about.

Patrick Crayton currently has the No. 2 job nailed down, even the way Austin played these first two preseason games.

But when a third-year speed receiver makes the coaching staff sit up and take notice of his ability to catch contested balls like a mixed martial arts fighter, then they’re going to miss him in the mix.

Terry Glenn is gone, Sam Hurd is in the throes of a preseason slump (sort of an oxymoron), Isaiah Stanback is feeling his way like a rookie in his second NFL season, and every other receiver on the roster is greener than grass.

But Crayton and Hurd talked Monday as if the wide-receiver train was still on the track. That’s what I like best about Crayton: He gushes confidence while knowing his place.

"In this offense, I get the No. 2 title," Crayton said. ... but the third option." "Technically, I’m the No. 2 receiver Jason Witten, of course, is the all-world tight end and second option to T.O. in this offense. You’d have to be dumber than a fifth-grader not to know that.

But the question isn’t so much about No. 2 WR. The question is: How much of a presence does a "third option" in this offense really have to have?

I went to the defensive side of the ball to find some answers.

Defensive coordinator Brian Stewart’s job each week is to prioritize a game plan to try and stop a team’s series of options.

"The Patriots were the best at that last year," Stewart said. "Their No. 1 option was [Randy] Moss. If you had him covered, No. 2 was [Donte’] Stallworth, and then they’d run plays just for their No. 3 option, [Wes] Welker."

But not all NFL offenses have a rock-solid third option.

"Are you counting the quarterback?" asked Roy Williams.

Good question. Why not? T.O. and Witten are this team’s first two options. But a case can be made for Tony Romo’s improvisation in the moving pocket as the Cowboys’ third option.

Whatever a team’s third option, it should force an opposing defensive coordinator to have to spend more than 10 minutes learning his name and finding a way to defend him.
But the No. 3 option doesn’t have to be a wide receiver.

In three meetings with the Giants last year, Stewart started out trying to stop Plaxico Burress deep, then tight end Jeremy Shockey across the middle, then running back Brandon Jacobs on runs or screens.

Against the Eagles, numero uno for Stewart and the Cowboys to try and take away was Brian Westbrook.

Crayton is gung-ho to be the Cowboys’ third option.

"It’s important," Crayton said. "You don’t want defenses overloading T.O., although I don’t think '81’ feels any pressure, anyway."

The now-departed Glenn left town with nearly 500 more career catches than Crayton, and maybe that’s why Austin’s progress was so intriguing.

"All our young receivers are good: Hurd, Austin, Crayton," said Williams, adding not to worry. "There always has to be something [people worry about]. Honestly, fans only have what the media says to go off of — that’s the media’s job."

Just part of our jobs, Roy. We also draw conclusions.

Here’s one: Crayton’s dropped pass in last year’s one-and-done playoff loss to the Giants seems to be ancient history to him. He no longer uses it as a club across his brow.

"I don’t dwell on it," Crayton said.

One fan’s reason for skepticism is another man’s source of motivation.

Can Marion Barber carry the load? ….

Another year, another question about the Cowboys' running game. But this time, there's a little more certainty as to who's getting the bulk of the carries. Despite not starting a game in the regular season in 2007, Marion Barber scored 12 total touchdowns and led the Cowboys in rushing. Barber's emergence over the past two seasons is why Julius Jones is now fighting for carries in Seattle.

With Jones out of the picture, there shouldn't be any questions about Barber's playing time, so the major question now becomes whether Barber is capable of carrying the load on a full-time basis and live up to the top-10 billing he now gets in fantasy drafts because of his featured role in the Cowboys offense.

Barber's greatest asset is his versatility. He established himself as a third-down back who can catch passes out of the backfield, but he's also a hard-nosed runner between the tackles, which made him the go-to guy at the goal line. But he can also rip off the big play, as he's averaged 4.8 yards per carry each of the past two seasons. You can't pull off an average like that if you're only getting carries inside the 20.

In 2007, Barber carried the ball 160 of 204 times outside the opponent's 20-yard line. In those carries, he averaged a whopping 5.3 yards per carry. That includes a crazy 8.5 yards-per-carry on 44 attempts between the 40s. So obviously, he can be trusted upon to carry the ball anywhere on the field.

However, because of the presence of Jones last season, Barber had just one game in the regular season where he got more than 20 carries; that was Week 16, where he had 22 rushes for 110 yards and a touchdown. By then, the Cowboys had pretty much given up on Jones. Barber then finally got a start in the NFC Divisional playoff game against the Giants, carrying the ball 27 times for 129 yards and a score. When given the carries, he can produce. Although despite just the one 20-carry game, he still had three 100-yard rushing outings (and another at 96 yards).

While the numbers say he can carry the load when given the opportunity, Barber's approach to the game might be his biggest hurdle. He's been nicknamed "The Barbarian," given his very tough style on the field. He turned heads in training camp this year with a gigantic hit on teammate, linebacker Tyson Smith, during a blitz pick-up drill. As a inside runner, he draws plenty of contact and takes a lot of hits. That punishment could add up over time, but the way the Cowboys have kept his touches in check during his career, this might delay a physical breakdown. Plus, he shared carries in at Minnesota with Laurence Maroney, so in some ways, he's still relatively fresh, compared to many other backs who were the main guy in college.

June Jones with a bold move …

The SMU quarterback derby reached a stunning conclusion Monday. Ultimately, execution overruled experience.

Coach June Jones announced that Bo Levi Mitchell and Braden Smith, both true freshmen, would be the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart as the Mustangs prepare for their season opener at Rice on Aug. 29.

Assistant head coach/offense Dan Morrison, Jones' right-hand man in evaluating quarterbacks, said Mitchell is the No. 1 for now.
Justin Willis, a junior who has started 22 of the last 23 games and holds the school record with 51 career touchdown passes, is the third-stringer.

"Bo and Braden, after going through all of the tapes, I feel like they have a better understanding in executing a little bit better, so we're going to give them the reps," Jones said. "We'll continue to give the other guys reps, too, but those guys will get the focus."

Jones said Willis and redshirt freshman Logan Turner would both be the No. 3 quarterbacks, receiving limited reps. Freshman Winston Gamso will redshirt.

Morrison said he and Jones focused on accuracy, quick releases and a thorough understanding of the Run and Shoot offense. Mitchell and Smith fit the bill perfectly. Having poise didn't hurt, either.

"Their maturity level is well beyond what most freshmen truly are," Morrison said. "They have that same kind of moxie, that same kind of confidence and maturity that we have to see and, truthfully, the other players have to see, too."

CBS has the SEC until 2024! …

The Southeastern Conference has agreed to a 15-year contract extension with CBS
Sports to broadcast football and basketball games.

The agreement announced Thursday takes effect next year.

CBS will carry a football game of the week along with prime-time games and doubleheaders and continue to broadcast regular-season SEC basketball games.

Why do we have age minimums in gymnastics? …

Amazing Race details from Terry, the popsicle stick chick …

For no reason other than I am watching this on again HDNet, Here is the episode guide for one of my favorite all-time shows – Arrested Development …


Office “That’s what She Said” Compilation



Kimbo and LT?

EPL - Round 1

At the risk of losing part of the audience, I would like to bring a brand new feature to Bob’s Blog, assuming I stay with it. It is an effort to track the Big 4 teams in the English Premiership as the season goes on. Yes, there are 20 teams in the top flight of English Football, but for the last million years, these 4 teams have finished 1-4 in some order pretty much every year. Manchester United wins all the time, Chelsea has won a bit lately, Arsenal a bit before that, and Liverpool won back when Air Supply was good. But, now it is 2008-09, and since the season started this past weekend, I thought we could all enjoy this year through the blog – mostly on Mondays with a quick wrap up.

First, my predicted order of finish:
1. Evil Man United
2. Chelski
3. Tom Hicks’ Liverpool
4. The Arsenal

Well, round 1 of 38 is in the books, and here we go:

Arsenal 1, West Brom 0 as some dude named Samir Nasir has joined the team and scored a goal. Great, just what Wenger needs is another kid who can play.

Liverpool 1, Sunderland 0 as Liverpool gets a rare road win in a game in which they did not spend much time impressing until Nando Torres scores another wondergoal to save the day. I think they are the same as usual. Ok, but nowhere near the top 2…

Then Sunday, Chelsea 4, Portsmouth 0 with Big Phil’s debut going incredibly easy against an always pesky Pompey. No Special One, no problem as the Blues roll on…

And finally, in the only result of note from the Big 4, Manchester United 1, Newcastle United 1 - no Ronaldo, no Tevez, so no win for the Red Devils at home. Before we all go ahead and celebrate, United always starts slow, and then goes on a 4 month winning streak so it will take more than a home tie to rattle Sir Alex.

So, Round 1 is complete:

Chelsea 1GP 3Pts
Liverpool 1GP 3Pts
Arsenal 1GP 3Pts
Man United 1GP 1Pt

Round 2 Fixtures this upcoming weekend:
Sat: Middlesboro at Liverpool, 9am - Setanta
Sat: Arsenal at Fulham, 11:30am - Fox Soccer
Sun: Chelsea at Wigan, 7:30am - Setanta
Mon: Man United at Portsmouth, 2:00 - Setanta

(Long story short, you might need to get Setanta)

Monday, Monday

Last I checked, we won 13 games last year. I don't know why you are all making a big deal about all of this! - Wade Phillips imaginary quote

Short Monday Morning Blog with plenty of Cowboys reaction to the preseason loser in Denver from various voices around the web (you may call it cut and paste – I call it a valuable service):

Rafa Vela’s review …

So, which scenario grabs your attention more — an opening game in which the starters look great in limited play and the second and third teamers look weak, or the second game, where the starters look ragged but the understudies show tremendous improvement?

That was the performance Dallas served up in a 23-13 loss to Denver Saturday night. The Cowboys starters, so effective against San Diego, lost their edge; they could stay with the Broncos but could not make the deciding plays. The defense allowed two long scoring drives because it could not stop a sharp Jay Cutler from converting on third down. And on the series where they defenders came through, Bradie James handed Denver a “continue your drive free” card by commiting a personal foul after Denver conceded, calling a draw on third and long.

The offense made some plays, with Tony Romo and Terrell Owens connecting for the first time this campaign, but could not string together the good plays and could not overcome 20 yards of penalties on the opening drive.
On the other hand, this was a strong night for new Cowboys. Let’s run down the list of draftees, trade pickup and young players on the edge:

1. Felix Jones — continued to show dazzling open field skills. He took a short opening toss from Brad Johnson, made two Broncos miss, and turned a likely seven or eight yard gain into a 28 yarder.

2. Mike Jenkins — was beaten on a stop and go by Eddie Royal on Denver’s second drive, and by an option route in the end zone by Brandon Marshall. The rookie was solid, however and made some big stops as a gunner on special
teams.

3. Martellus Bennett — made the most of his limited opportunities, showing tackle breaking ability on Dallas’ initial 3rd quarter drive. He also made a stop on a kickoff return at Denver’s 26.

4. Tashard Choice — blocked a punt in the third quarter and showed toughness as a runner and receiver.

5. Orlando Scandrick — Had a 32 yard kickoff return and almost blocked the Broncos’ half-ending field goal attempt and forced it wide. Scandrick later put a wicked hit on a Denver receiver inside the Dallas ten, keeping the Broncos out of the end zone.

6. Adam Jones — was much, much better tonight than against San Diego. He was much more in tune with the game’s pace. He gave up a handful of catches but tackled his man for minimal gains of two to three yard. His tackling was much better this week. He just missed an interception for a score and got the Cowboys’ collective pulse racing with a brilliant 24 yard punt return.

7. Miles Austin — had another strong game, making two impressive catches on Dallas’ lone TD drive, the first a 38 yarder down the right sideline that beat tight Dominique Foxworth coverage and the second a fade over Foxworth for the score.

Austin is also the biggest question mark. He tackled Broncos returner Andre Hall on the play immediately after his score and took Hall’s shoulder pad directly on his right knee. The initial diagnosis was a “sprain” and Austin will be re-evaluated today. Hope the scans don’t find serious damage, because he’s making a serious push for more playing time.

8. Isaiah Stanback — Had a winding 32 yard kickoff return and caught a tough Johnson skipper just off the turf. He appears to be making slow, steady progress.

9. Bobby Carpenter — made a lot of tackles behind the second line, which played much better as a unit this week.

10. Keon Lattimore — made some big runs in the 4th quarter playing with the third teamers. He’s earner a more serious look the last two weeks.

11. Bruce Read — you notice all the big special teams plays today? His units were vastly improved from last week, showing strong play across the board. Dallas got big kickoff and punt returns, blocked a punt, forced a bad field goal and had strong punt coverage.

If Read’s guys can bottle this week’s performance, they’ll be in great shape going forward.

It was a fuzzy game for the starters but the backups gave the coaches plenty to study this week.

Mickey loves him some Brad Johnson …

But did anyone bother to smell at least one rose Saturday night, the one that those perceptions seem to smother because few can work past the guy's age or his mounting years in the league?

Tony Romo did, coming up from behind the team's oldest player, throwing his arms around his 39-year-old shoulders, and with the biggest smile you've ever seen proclaim, "That's 2001 right there; that's Brad Johnson 2001."

Romo spoke of his immediate backup, the soon-to-be 40-year-old quarterback who had a vintage year in 2001, leading his Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl title, basically playing the same style of football then as so many are quick to criticize and want to retire him for now.

Johnson, who was afforded the opportunity to play behind the Cowboys' first-team offensive line, the one which includes three Pro Bowlers, led the club to 10 points in three possessions of work. And on the one he didn't, only that weird tripping call on a blocking Felix Jones stalled the drive that was going places.

Johnson was razor sharp, and against the Broncos' first-team defense, mind you, completing nine of 12 passes for 114 yards and one touchdown.

To those who say his arm is shot, we give you the mighty fine 37-yard pass to Austin streaking down the right sideline. To those who say he won't hang in the pocket, we give you the perfectly thrown five-yard fade to Austin for a touchdown. And for those who wanted to insist after the San Diego game that he is so old he can't make good decisions anymore, we give you the 11-yard pass to tight end Martellus Bennett, a nine-yarder to Isaiah Stanback and the six-yarder to Tony Curtis, showing he's patient enough to take what the defense during a two-minute drill will give him.
But for the record, just don't think the criticism dents his skin. Heck, he's heard it before.

"I've fought (the perceptions) from middle school to high school and for 17 years in the NFL," Johnson said. "I'm used to it. Nothing I do is ever good enough, but I sleep well at night because I know how hard I work, and that's good enough for me."
That Johnson is their backup quarterback is evidently good enough for the Cowboys, too. Because more than anything, they value his experience and place a premium on having the guy behind Romo able to come into a game in a moment's notice without the benefit of a boatload of practice snaps during the week.

They also value his penchant for not making mistakes, realizing the role of the backup quarterback is more not to lose the game than to win it all by himself. You heard that from offensive coordinator Jason Garrett mid-week while the Cowboys were practicing against the Broncos.

And now you're going to hear very similar sentiments from the owner.

"We look at his experience, and look at how he does in practice, and know he's physically able to make plays and are betting on his experience to not make bad plays," Jones said. "We know what to expect to see. That's why we have him."

Let's total the two-game preseason numbers, and remember the majority of the ones from the San Diego game came from operating behind the backup offensive line, with the backup running backs and tight ends. Johnson isn't afforded the luxury of playing with Marion Barber and Terrell Owens and Jason Witten during preseason.
Barely gets to play with Patrick Crayton.

So in these first two preseason games, Johnson's QB line reads like this: 17 of 27 for 203 yards, one touchdown one interception and three sacks, although two of those were the responsibility of rookie blockers who whiffed against the Chargers. He's led the club to three scoring drives, totaling 13 points.

And let's face it, he hardly got to play last year, throwing only 11 passes in 2007, which is no way to ever get any better, especially when working in a new offense.
That is why the Cowboys thought it fair to give him some work behind the first offensive line Saturday night- just give Johnson a fighting chance to succeed. This wasn't an ultimatum of any sort, like "By gosh you had better play well against the Broncos or else."

Michael Lombardi with some quick observations that are nice …

…The Cowboys have to be nervous about their secondary after Jay Cutler torched them last night. They should be very worried—without a pass rush, the Cowboys get exposed. Pacman is not a shut down corner…please accept this.

…The Broncos can throw the ball with Cutler. He is really a great player and is the best QB of that draft. Not sure yet who will be the Denver ball carrier.

…I have always liked Miles Austin of the Cowboys and last night he looked great. I think with his return skills and run after the catch ability, he should be a very good player. And it is not because he is from New Jersey. I have blinders on for Jersey, but I temper them at times.

…Felix Jones is really going to be a home-run hitter. He has great power and great speed.

Oh dear …

Miles Austin's stellar training camp and preseason has come to an end because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee suffered Saturday, and it's unlikely he will be able to play in the regular-season opener Sept. 7 at Cleveland.
Generally speaking, MCL tears (anytime you hear a sprain that means something is torn, by the way) take 4-6 weeks to heal depending on the severity.

So what happens now?

Sam Hurd had been the No. 3 receiver anyway, although Austin had been on the rise since camp started. But now guys like Isaiah Stanback, Mark Bradford, Danny Amendola, Daniel Polk, Mike Jefferson and Todd Lowber move up a step.

It also affects the special teams units because Austin covered kickoffs and punts too. He's also proven he can return kickoffs too, so now you see the domino effect of losing one player.

As for the final 53-man roster, it almost has to mean the Cowboys keep six wide receivers if Austin is out. I was thinking the Cowboys would go with five receivers - Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Hurd, Austin and probably Stanback - before the injury. Now it's six, which takes away a spot from somewhere else - maybe tailback, maybe a No. 3 quarterback, maybe an O-lineman.

And then there is Pat Crayton’s take …

Leave to Patrick Crayton to save the day.

Regardless of what you think of the Cowboys receiver's skills or ability, God love him for his mouth.

We were talking about penalties after the game, Crayton questioned some of the calls that were made.

"You know what? Some of the penalty calls they made too will make some things happen, too," Crayton said.

"Yes. The one where they jumped off sides and were in the neutral zone; I'm standing on the line so I'm sitting here looking at it and Andre Gurode is not going to snap it unless they are in the neutral zone," Crayton said. "Colombo's late hit."

I then made reference to a close call on a late-hit penalty assessed to Bradie James that resulted in a Broncos' first down.

"Those are three completely bad calls right there," Crayton said.

Crayton then wondered if NFL official Ed Hochuli was just looking for more air time.

"I think Mr. Hochuli likes to get himself on TV a little bit. I know he likes to work out, but c'mon Mr. Hochuli," Crayton said. "We don't gotta see that much of you."

If you don't know, Hochuli is a fitness fantatic and looks big enough to be a tight end. Today.

Confusing development from Rangers land …But, they made me quite happy by getting Justin Smoak done late Friday. Well done!

– The Texas Rangers are swapping corner infielders.

Chris Davis is moving to third base and Hank Blalock is going to first when Blalock returns to the active lineup, which could be as early as Friday against Cleveland.

Blalock's shoulder is the reason for the flip-flop. Blalock talked to manager Ron Washington and general manager Jon Daniels on Sunday and said his shoulder isn't progressing enough for him to realistically expect to play third base this season. So to get Blalock in the lineup, the Rangers asked Davis to move to the left side of the infield, where he played in 2007.

"It was the only way to get both guys in the lineup," Daniels said. "We're committed to Chris as a big part of our club going forward. If he shows he can play at third base, that gives us an option. It's hard to imagine a 2009 team without him in it at one spot or the other."

Blalock is scheduled to go to Double-A Frisco tonight for three rehab games at first base. If he hasn't any setbacks, he could start for the Rangers on Friday.

Daniels didn't want to speculate on whether Blalock would ever be able to play third base fulltime.

"He's 27 years old, and I'm not going to rule it out long term for him," Daniels said.
Blalock has a club option for next season at $6.2 million, but the team can buy him out for $250,000. If Daniels and his staff feel Blalock can stay healthy and contribute, an option is to buy him out and try to negotiate with him as a free agent.

"All options are on the table," Daniels said.

Daniels isn't worried about Davis making the adjustment back to third.

"Chris told us he feels more confident over there in the physical shape he's now in," Daniels said.

At the risk of losing part of the audience, I would like to bring a brand new feature to Bob’s Blog, assuming I stay with it. It is an effort to track the Big 4 teams in the English Premiership as the season goes on. Yes, there are 20 teams in the top flight of English Football, but for the last million years, these 4 teams have finished 1-4 in some order pretty much every year. Manchester United wins all the time, Chelsea has won a bit lately, Arsenal a bit before that, and Liverpool won back when Air Supply was good. But, now it is 2008-09, and since the season started this past weekend, I thought we could all enjoy this year through the blog – mostly on Mondays with a quick wrap up.

First, my predicted order of finish:
1. Evil Man United
2. Chelski
3. Tom Hicks’ Liverpool
4. The Arsenal

Well, round 1 of 38 is in the books, and here we go:

Arsenal 1, West Brom 0 as some dude named Samir Nasir has joined the team and scored a goal. Great, just what Wenger needs is another kid who can play.

Liverpool 1, Sunderland 0 as Liverpool gets a rare road win in a game in which they did not spend much time impressing until Nando Torres scores another wondergoal to save the day. I think they are the same as usual. Ok, but nowhere near the top 2…

Then Sunday, Chelsea 4, Portsmouth 0 with Big Phil’s debut going incredibly easy against an always pesky Pompey. No Special One, no problem as the Blues roll on…

And finally, in the only result of note from the Big 4, Manchester United 1, Newcastle United 1 - no Ronaldo, no Tevez, so no win for the Red Devils at home. Before we all go ahead and celebrate, United always starts slow, and then goes on a 4 month winning streak so it will take more than a home tie to rattle Sir Alex.

So, Round 1 is complete:

Chelsea 1GP 3Pts
Liverpool 1GP 3Pts
Arsenal 1GP 3Pts
Man United 1GP 1Pt

Cannot believe they traded him…how could you trade a guy like this?



Wow. Words cannot express what you are about to watch.

This Man Hates Dallas

One of the biggest questions facing the New York Giants in 2007 was how well would Brandon Jacobs do replacing Tiki Barber? Most of us thought that it was a stretch to assume he could go from a part time bowling ball to a full time producing RB on a good team.

Well, the verdict was somewhat mixed due to his health, but when Brandon Jacobs was on the field, he was the truth. 10 full games in 2007’s regular season, and he rushed for 1009 yards. More impressively, in 8 of those 10 games, he averaged better than 4.5 yards per carry to get where he needed to get. Only Dallas (4.0) and at Phil (3.2) were able to keep him below that number – very impressive.

Oddly, in the 4 game Super Bowl run of the post season, he put up these pedestrian performances:

At TB – 13 carries, 34 yards – 2.6 avg – 1 TD
AT Dal – 14 – 54 – 3.9 avg – 1 TD
AT GB – 21 – 67 – 3.2 avg – 1 TD
Super Bowl vs NE 14 - 42 3.0 avg 0 TD

Of course, in the post season, he was joined in the backfield by young rookie Ahmad Bradshaw, who after running for 190 in the regular season, broke loose for 208 in the post season, compared to the 197 yards Jacobs had in the playoffs.

In the 14 games Brandon Jacobs played (not counting the 1 Quarter he played at Texas Stadium before he left injured), the Giants were 11-3. Pretty strong.

The down side was that he missed 5 ½ games due to various injuries. But, if he can stay on the field, the Giants have a solid running game with the assumption that Bradshaw will improve.

Now, we may understand how they didn’t need Ryan Grant.

And guess what? He loves to chat about the Cowboys …

It appears that the war of words between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys will spill over into the 2008 season. When last seen at Texas Stadium, Giants players were enjoying some postgame popcorn in honor (mockery) of Terrell "Getcha Popcorn Ready!" Owens.

Earlier in the season, Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton had taunted the Giants in print, which led to an entertaining verbal matchup between he and running back Brandon Jacobs.

Since arriving at Giants training camp, I've been told that several members of the organization plan their Wednesday evenings around watching HBO's "Hard Knocks" in an effort to find more bulletin board material.

Apparently Jacobs has already seen enough because he went off on the Cowboys while appearing on WFAN's mid-day show earlier this week. After calling the Cowboys an "arrogant group," Jacobs followed with this:

"I guess they won their Super Bowl rings in training camp, because they didn't win it last year," he said.

I'm not sure whether the Giants have heard about Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips referring to them as "last year's champs" during training camp in Oxnard, Calif., but I'm certain it's something they can work with. As GM Jerry Reese told the NFC East Blog on Wednesday, the Giants "play the role of the underdog as well as anyone."

Can the defending world champs play this role with a straight face?

So far, so good.

If you can bear to watch, the playoff game Giants - Cowboys will be shown on the NFL Network twice on Friday (7:30am and 1:30 pm)


Obligatory ”We almost had Romo” story from Denver …

Two of the Cowboys' best players, quarterback Tony Romo and defensive end Chris Canty, were almost Broncos.

Remember when the Broncos took running back Maurice Clarett with the final pick in the third round of the 2005 draft?

They wanted the 6-foot-7, 304- pound Canty.

"I had heard that," Canty said, laughing. "I'm going to leave that one alone."

Canty had suffered a detached retina in college, and the Broncos' physicians wouldn't clear him. Clarett was an enormous bust and is now in prison. Canty has started every game for a strong Dallas team the past two years.

Romo was an undrafted free agent coming out of Eastern Illinois in 2003 when he was deciding between offers made by the Broncos and Cowboys. Broncos coach

Mike Shanahan, who also played quarterback at Eastern Illinois, offered a better signing bonus, but Romo picked the Cowboys anyway.

"When I went into it, the choice I was trying to make was, 'What team could I make?' " Romo said. "I felt Dallas gave me the best opportunity. I loved Denver. Denver was right there at the end."

Denver’s undrafted gem is Selvin Young …Longhorn homer Chill is on the case….

Selvin Young plans to rush for 2,000 yards in 2008.

Yes, that Selvin Young.

The one who was largely a backup running back during an injury-riddled college career at the University of Texas. The same one who went undrafted by all 32 teams in 2007 before latching on with the Denver Broncos as a rookie free agent.

“Everything I said is legitimate from my thought process,” Young said while walking off the field after a joint practice between the Dallas Cowboys and Broncos. “That is something I would like to accomplish. I understand a lot of things have to come together for me to accomplish that goal. So if it comes to pass, it’s going to be great.”

However, before you scoff — and many will since there have been only five 2,000 rushers in NFL history — consider that Young has already done more than anyone thought he would.

He came out of nowhere to start eight games as a rookie and become the first undrafted player to lead the Broncos in rushing with 729 yards.

It’s the third-most rushing yards for an undrafted rookie in NFL history.

He survived a gang-infested upbringing in Houston’s Fifth Ward, including a gunshot wound at age 8. He criss-crossed through 19 elementary and junior high schools before moving to Jersey Village for high school.

Blame it on a broken home, poverty, moving back and forth between his mother and father while staying with other family members in between. Young said he has “been to damn near every school in Houston.”

To that end, he believes he already has been a success.

It’s also why he doesn’t let the doubters bother him. It was his belief in his own dreams and abilities that got him this far.

“Early on I understood that my life and the cards I was dealt wasn’t all aces and spades,” Young said. “So I had to deal with what I was dealt with and the obstacles that came and overcome those things. For a person like myself to get in college, coming from poverty and from a neighborhood where guys don’t even understand what college is, I feel like I was ahead of the curve.”

Young got a boost in his quest for 2,000 yards when was promoted to the starting lineup in the off-season.

The Broncos showed further confidence in Young when they released former troubled starter Travis Henry in June.

It’s safe to say that Young is buoyed by a running back-friendly offense in Denver under coach Mike Shanahan.

In Shanahan’s 13 previous seasons as head coach, the Broncos have finished among the league’s top 10 teams in rushing 12 times, with seven different running backs having led the team in rushing in a season.

“Selvin Young was obviously injured at Texas, but he came in here, stayed healthy and took advantage of an opportunity,” Shanahan said. “Anytime you get a scholarship and are averaging about 5.5 to 6 yards per carry at Texas, you know you have a big upside, and he is taking advantage of that opportunity here.”

Asked what he expects from Young in 2008, Shanahan joined in on the fun:
“Well, he guaranteed 2,000 [yards] I think, so he is going to be much better.”

Selvin’s Rookie Year Highlight Film



To college football…

The Aggies new starter is their old starter …Honestly, he never did anything for me but show admirable courage in getting his head bashed in and running back to the huddle for more, but I am trying to remember that Coach Fran and the Shermanator see football 100% differently, so let’s see if McGee can recapture his passing ability from High School that we always hear about…

Stephen McGee was named Texas A&M's starting quarterback on Thursday, ending what Coach Mike Sherman called an open competition with sophomore Jerrod Johnson.
The 6-foot-3 McGee, a senior who started the past two seasons for Dennis Franchione, threw for 2,311 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007. McGee is 16-11 as the Aggies' starter.

"Everybody wants to play," McGee said. "I want to play football for as long as I possibly can. I'm excited to be in the huddle again."

Sherman, who became A&M's coach after Franchione resigned last November, said McGee had a firm grasp of his pro-style offense and had not yet thrown an interception in fall workouts.

"In the end, Stephen was the most consistent," Sherman said. "It was day-to-day stuff going back to the spring. I tried to be oblivious to last year. I wanted to see what he could do."

The Aggies ran an option-style offense under Franchione and were often criticized last season for not passing enough. McGee, who threw for 8,256 yards in a record-setting high school career at Burnet, says Sherman's offense is a better fit for his skills.

"I love it," said McGee, who has a 58.8 completion percentage in college. "It's a lot of fun to be in this offense and the amount of stuff we can do, the different formations and moving people around. It really gives us a lot of options."

The 6-5, 229-pound Johnson, who threw only seven passes last season, is the backup, though Sherman said he's been impressed with redshirt freshman Ryan Tannehill during preseason practices. Sherman has also been using Tannehill as a receiver.

Sherman spoke to the quarterbacks on Wednesday night to inform them of his decision.
"In explaining it to Stephen, I said you've got two guys behind you who want your job," Sherman said. "And if we struggle at times during the season, we may go in that direction. It's your job today and you've just got to keep holding onto it.
"Nothing is just set in stone, other than the fact that he is the starter in the first ballgame."

McGee said he doesn't feel like he's still fighting for his job.

"I'm not really worried about that," McGee said. "I just have to go out there, have fun and be me."

Sherman said Johnson improved his footwork and decision-making over the summer. Johnson took Sherman's decision in stride.

"Any situation, I'm one play away from playing," Johnson said. "I think I am ready to lead the team when called upon. That doesn't change my mindset at all. I'm just trying to be the best quarterback I can be every day."

Sooners have a talented DL …this just in….

The Sooners' front four should be among the most feared in the nation, led by Big 12 preseason defensive player of the year Auston English. The junior defensive end who possesses a lethal first step led the conference a year ago with 9 ½ sacks despite missing three games because of injury.

Two Dallas-area products – sophomore Jeremy Beal of Carrollton Creekview and senior Alan Davis of Colleyville Heritage – are competing for the starter's spot opposite English. Beal appears to have the edge right now.

OU ranked 17th nationally a year ago in run defense (110.3 yards allowed), and that ranking should improve with the return of starting defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Kimball-ex DeMarcus Granger.

"We know we're a talented group. But you can be the most talented group and not play hard and not be as good as the other groups," Beal said. "We just have to play hard, and if we do that, we'll be one of the best defensive lines out there."

OU has plenty in reserve up front as well. The Sooners rotate their defensive
linemen to keep players fresh against today's pass-happy offenses.

Yesterday on the show, we featured the Coach K audio where he coaches up the Redeem Team. Many have asked for it, and Here it is …

4 new coaches in the NFL – 0 head coaching experience ….

Jim Zorn synchronized the clocks. John Harbaugh rearranged the locker room. Tony Sparano became a billboard. Mike Smith couldn't find a dinner companion on his own coaching staff.

Such are the privileges, surprises and hazards of becoming an NFL head coach.
Procuring one of the 32 jobs isn't easy, and none of these men had been able to do so until this past offseason. Young hotshots they are not. They are longtime assistants averaging 49 years of age and more than 23 years of pro or college coaching experience.

They wondered if this chance would arrive. Now that it has, they're solving problems they've never encountered.

"There's a new challenge every single day, whether it's an X-and-O challenge or a personnel challenge or a relationship challenge with the players," Harbaugh says. "You've got to be able to come up with an answer. And you've got to be able to do it fast."

Zorn, 55, replaces Joe Gibbs, a Hall of Fame coach who led the Washington Redskins to the playoffs in 2007. Harbaugh, 45, takes over the Baltimore Ravens from Brian Billick, a Super Bowl winner who made the Ravens a respected team.

The Atlanta Falcons' Smith, 49, and the Miami Dolphins' Sparano, 46, have longer roads ahead of them. Their new teams had serious issues last season.

In Atlanta, the aftertaste of the Michael Vick dogfighting incident lingered. Then Bobby Petrino unceremoniously quit as the Falcons' coach with three games left in the season.

Smith and Sparano evoke similar language when they talk about trying to shake their franchises from the mind-set of losing.

"When you change the culture, you have to change people's behaviors," Smith says. "And when you change behaviors, you change their habits."

Some might view team vice president Bill Parcells as the new face of the Dolphins franchise, but it was Sparano's mug looking down from a billboard that nearly caused the new coach to run off the road.

The Dolphins were 1-15, coming dangerously close to a winless finish in what became their only season under Cam Cameron. That one victory didn't come until Week 15.
"Everybody in this building — administrators, everybody — we've told about changing the culture," says Sparano, who was the Dallas Cowboys' assistant head coach last season. "It can get easy to get comfortable losing and easy to say, 'It's not my fault.'

"When I look at it and see the team starting to come together and starting to form a personality and maybe the personality it's taking on is a little bit of the head coach, I start to say, 'Hey, we really are doing this.' "

The message has been received. "I think you either live up to it or you'll be shipped out. That's kind of the way it's going to be," Dolphins cornerback Will Allen says.

Of the four new head coaches, only Smith has been a defensive or offensive coordinator in the NFL (from 2003-07 with the Jacksonville Jaguars) and only Sparano has been a head coach at any level (from 1994-98 at the University of New Haven). Will they find success? They are establishing philosophies and implementing systems they believe will make them winners in the NFL.

The Generation Kill Glossary is back at ya …

Sad Day as Mike and the Mad Dog get a divorce …for real...

Hard Knocks – Awful Announcing’s version - Naughty Word Warning

Hard Knocks 2
Uploaded by bsap11

Soft Knocks?

Ok, 2 things on Hard Knocks-

1) It is just a TV show that can be edited in anyway. It should not be confused with a complete reflection of reality.

2) If that is anywhere close to the business-like atmosphere that Wade Phillips is conducting, I don’t blame you for being a little concerned.

Wow. Talk about the Anti-Parcells. Funny thing is, I was there for 2 weeks and I am wondering if it was as casual and easy as it looked last night.

But seriously, let’s all remember that it is in the eye of the beholder and more importantly the creator. If they wanted, they could have focused on the tougher elements of camp instead of Jamie Foxx, Dennis Miller, Jerry’s Grandkids and the dude who thought he should shove a soda bottle into his spandex.

I am guessing the enemies of the Cowboys are having a good time this morning with that episode.

This Cowboys blogger was extra disturbed by the Martellus Bennett stuff …and I cannot say I disagree completely.

That laugh was so bad.

All John Garrett is trying to do is coach up this guy so he can become a professional football player.

If the entire staff and owner and anyone else under the sun has to constantly give the kid good feedback when he does what he's supposed to do then this kid will never make it.

Magic Johnson was trying to talk to the kid, then Jerry was trying to talk to him and still he's looking past them at some BS going on across the field.

In the end the only person who is going to turn Martellus Bennett into an NFL player is Martellus Bennett. Right now for anyone to say they have seen anything that leads you to believe he has what it takes is just being a homer for the Dallas Cowboys.

Cut him? Of course not. Expect him to be a big part of what this team does in 2008?
Heck no. He isn't interested in blocking right now.

When Shaun Phillips runs by him like he's standing still I was cringing. That's a guy you want on the field when Tony Romo is out there playing QB? No way in the world would I trust him in that spot. And it's not like he was giving a full effort and just got beat, he just stuck his arms out and then gave up. T me that's worse than the dropped pass because it could mean we lose our star QB to an injury.

What has to be done?

For starters I bring him into a room with the entire team and the coaching staff. I throw on that clip of him laughing at Coach Garrett and embarrass him. Let him own that moment in time where he thought it was funny to laugh at a grown man who is trying to help you become a professional football player.

Then Wade Phillips has to take over from there. He's the head coach so it's up to him to deal with this how he sees fit. If he wants to let some of the veterans get up and speak to the kid then so be it. If he wants to let his coaches, John Garrett in particular, let this kid have a piece of his mind then that's fine as well.

The point of doing this? Because the last thing you want to do here is sweep it under the rug as if it never happened or as if it's not a big deal. That will only lead to more problems down the road for Bennett and maybe for the other players who think similiar behavior is acceptable.

Meanwhile, Mickey defends Brad Johnson a bit much …

Think back to when Garrett arrived last year, back to when the Cowboys had committed to Romo becoming their starting quarterback. They were in need of a backup then, and at the time Joey Harrington was available. Many bemoaned the Cowboys passing him.

Did it ever cross your mind Garrett knew all there was to know about the Atlanta quarterback, having served as the Miami quarterbacks coach when Harrington was there the previous year? Surely if the Cowboys trust Garrett's judgment to sway the decision on their first draft choice they must trust his judgment on the backup quarterback.

The Cowboys signed Johnson.

Then even more of you began stumping, and might still be, for the Cowboys to sign Daunte Culpepper. Again, Garrett knew intimate details of Culpepper's knee
rehabilitation since the two also crossed paths in Miami.

Yet the Cowboys signed Johnson.

Then this off-season Culpepper was available again. The Cowboys passed.

Cleon Lemon was available. The Cowboys passed.

Josh McCown was available, the Cowboys passed, and then so did the Dolphins after signing him and naming him their starter, backtracking to instead sign Chad
Pennington once he was released.

Kelly Holcomb was available, and still is. The Cowboys passed.

And on top of all that, Byron Leftwich was available, and still was until the other day, but it took the great Charlie Batch to suffer a broken collarbone in Pittsburgh for Leftwich to find a job. Yes, the Cowboys had been passing on him.

The Cowboys have stood pat with Brad Johnson, who turns 40 in September, evidently the magic number for all good quarterbacks to lose their arms, or at least what many would have you believe.

And then this: That confirms Spears is now running with the 2’s ….B-U-S-T

Tank Johnson was getting first-team reps at nose tackle. Marcus Spears was getting second-team reps at nose tackle. Jay Ratliff was first-team defensive end.

Michael Phelps likes to eat …

By comparison, the average man of the same age needs to ingest about 2,000 calories a day.

Phelps, 23, will swim 17 times over nine days of competition at the Beijing Games - meaning that he will need all the calories he can shovel in his mouth in order to keep his energy levels high.

Phelps' diet - which involves ingesting 4,000 calories every time he sits down for a meal - resembles that of a reckless overeater rather than an Olympian.

Phelps lends a new spin to the phrase "Breakfast of Champions" by starting off his day by eating three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise.

He follows that up with two cups of coffee, a five-egg omelet, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar and three chocolate-chip pancakes.

At lunch, Phelps gobbles up a pound of enriched pasta and two large ham and cheese sandwiches slathered with mayo on white bread - capping off the meal by chugging about 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.

For dinner, Phelps really loads up on the carbs - what he needs to give him plenty of energy for his five-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week regimen - with a pound of pasta and an entire pizza.

He washes all that down with another 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.

Reminds me of Tony Mandarich’s diet …

The Olympics have some announcers in China, most others in New York …

The announcers are at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, nearly 7,000 miles from Beijing, sitting inside 14-foot-wide booths that are equipped with 24-inch HD monitors and headsets that pipe in the ambient sounds from the game sites in China. Every bit of 13 sports, and some of basketball, is called in this fashion on MSNBC, USA and CNBC.
The announcers never see anything more than what the viewers see.

There is no deception afoot here. The announcers make it clear that they are in New York, as do the studio hosts Bill Patrick, Melissa Stark and Matt Vasgersian, who is taking a break from the dismal fortunes of his usual employer, the San Diego Padres.
This sportscasting from afar is an odd yet modern spin on the nearly ancient practice of baseball games called by radio announcers who read off ticker tape.
Games are supposed to be called from arenas and stadiums, not in booths far from the action.

But NBC’s arrangement is not unique. ESPN has shown World Cup games that were being called by announcers at its Bristol, Conn., headquarters, and NBC called some Olympic events in Athens off monitors at the international broadcast center. The New York Times sometimes blogs about live events from its offices.

But an agreement by NBC in 2003 with the International Olympic Committee to cut the size of its Olympic contingent, combined with the technology to send all high definition signals from Beijing, led to the Studio 8H operation.

So, live from New York, it’s archery, badminton, baseball, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, handball, shooting, soccer, softball, table tennis, tennis and weight lifting (none of which matters a whole lot to NBC’s prime-time strategy).

Barry Horn’s Hard Knocks take …

If rookie Danny Amendola is a long shot to make the Cowboys as a wide receiver, Todd Lowber is a no shot. That's what makes him so appealing to the Hard Knocks story tellers.

The second installment of HBO's preseason with the Dallas Cowboys spent as much time focusing on Lowber, a free agent who played basketball in college, as anyone. Forget the sagacious Jim (father of Jason) Garrett's endorsement. Any episode now the Cowboys are going to lower the boom on Lowber, and you will be there to eyeball it.
That's football. That's what training camp is for. That's why Lowber has gotten more play than Tony Romo. That's the genius of Hard Knocks.

If last week's season debut was slow coming off the line, Week II picked up steam. We learned second-round pick Martellus Bennett is wowing no one while top pick Felix Jones has the Cowboys brass patting itself on the back. Amendola? Impressed in practice, depressed in the exhibition opener.

The filmmakers took a page from The Godfather trilogy and focused on family – Jerry Jones', Wade Phillips' and Jason Garrett's. Who would have guessed the only Hollywood ingénue to get face time would be Wade's daughter, Tracy, who could teach the Cowboys cheerleaders a thing or two about belly dancing?

Romo continues to be a bit player while the cameras appear to love Terrell Owens almost as much as he loves himself.

Almost halfway through the series and not a single tense moment. Things will heat up just as they did in The Godfather. They have to. Or else they'll have to change the series name to Soft Knocks.

I need some of these: Michael Phelps Speedo Goggles …

Here are some sweet Fantasy Football Adverts that I thought you may enjoy…

Chris Chambers



Chris Cooley



Mason Crosby



Laurence Maroney

Hard to Believe those Rangers

Embarrassing.

Ridiculous.

Incredible.

Sad.

Amazing.

All of the above.

Words cannot express the Rangers performance both last night and honestly in 2008. I am optimistic of the direction this team, but there is plenty of work yet to be done. Let’s look at the numbers as of this morning…

Hitting

Batting Average = .282 – 1st (2nd is Boston .280)
Slugging = .460 – 1st (2nd is Chicago .447)
OBP = .353 – 3rd (1st is Boston .356)
Home Runs = 147 – 5th (1st – Chicago, 168)
Total Bases = 1960 – 1st (2nd – Detroit, 1860)
Runs = 684 – 1st (2nd – Cubs, 627)
Hits = 1202 – 1st (2nd – St Louis, 1172)

Pitching

ERA – 5.39 – 30th (29th – Pitt, 5.14)
Hits Allowed – 1228 – 1st ( 2nd – Pitt, 1216)
Runs Allowed - 725 – 1st (2nd – Pitt, 651)
Earned Runs Allowed - 641 – 1st (2nd – Pitt, 612)
Home Runs Allowed – 139 – 3rd (1st – Houston, 158)
Walks Allowed – 487 – 2nd (1st – Baltimore, 492)
Strikeouts – 682 – 29th (30th – Baltimore, 679)

Fielding

Fielding Percentage - .978 – 30th (29th – Florida, 979)
Errors – 104 – 1st (2nd – Florida, 93)
Total Chances – 4629 – 4th (1st – St Louis, 4754)

So, at the top of every pertinent batting statistic, at the bottom of nearly every pitching and fielding statistic. Amazing. How things change, but never change is truly the curse on this franchise’s head.

The amazing story of scoring 17 and losing …

When the Rangers officially bury their faint playoff hopes – which might just happen before the week is out – there will be no doubt about the cause of the demise.

It always has been and always will be about the pitching.

Ultimately, that's why the Rangers fell, 19-17, to Boston on Tuesday night, fell eight games behind the Red Sox in the wild-card standings and may have fallen much further back in the mental playoff race. On a night when the lineup staged a massive, historic comeback, the Rangers instead walked away as the first AL team in at least 50 years (research does not go back any further) to score at least 17 runs and lose.

After the Rangers took a 16-15 lead to the bottom of the eighth, Kevin Youkilis slammed a three-run homer off Frank Francisco to give the lead back to the Red Sox. They had surrendered leads of 10-0 and 12-2 to the resilient Rangers offense.

"I just don't know how many times you can do this," acknowledged outfielder Marlon Byrd, who went 5-for-5 and reached on an error in his sixth at-bat. "To be 10 runs down, to come back to take the lead and then to lose, it's just too mentally and physically draining. It gets old."

The Rangers are 1-3 on their current road trip. They have surrendered at least nine runs in all three losses. The game they won? They held Baltimore to seven runs. The staff ERA now stands at 5.37, the worst in the AL by more than half a run. The starting rotation ERA is 5.63; since 1900, only 14 teams have finished a season with a higher rotation ERA.

All season, the Rangers rotation has been a mélange of green rookies and struggling veterans.
And it has been full of one complication after another.

The most recent – at least until Tuesday's game started – was the return of inflammation in the joint that connects the sternum and clavicle on the right side of Vicente Padilla's chest. He left the team Monday, received a cortisone injection and is unlikely to pitch Thursday, which potentially throws the rotation into more disarray.

The Rangers had hoped to skip rookie Tommy Hunter, but now it looks like he'll have to pitch. The Rangers weren't thrilled with Kevin Millwood's rehab start on Sunday, but now it looks like they may be forced to activate him.

All those worries were temporarily halted Tuesday and not for a good reason. Scott Feldman, one of the few success stories in the rotation, fell flat on his face. He allowed 10 runs in the first inning, setting a Rangers record for most runs allowed by a pitcher in one inning. He gave up two three-run homers to David Ortiz in the inning.

"It's pretty embarrassing actually," Feldman said. "We know we're never out of a game, and our comeback tonight tells me a lot about our team, but it also tells me that I've got to do a lot better job."

The Rangers did come back, scoring twice in the second, eight times in the fifth and five more times in the sixth to take a most improbable lead. Had the lead held up, it would have tied the club's record for biggest deficit overcome in a win.

They were six outs away and holding a 16-15 lead when manager Ron Washington gave the ball to Francisco, his most reliable reliever over the last two months.

Francisco walked pinch hitter Jacoby Ellsbury with one out, then allowed Dustin Pedroia's fifth
hit of the night to score one run. He intentionally walked Ortiz to face Youkilis, who struck out twice in the first inning but also homered in the fifth. Youkilis drove a 2-0 fastball over the Green Monster.

"I think everybody in the stadium and in Massachusetts thought it was over when they got up 10-0," Washington said. "But one thing I can say about my guys is they never stop fighting. I'm proud of that. We never stopped fighting, but we just couldn't stop them tonight."

You have to wonder if that last sentence will be the epitaph on the Rangers' 2008 season.

This Michael Phelps is something …

Michael Phelps has left swimmers gasping in God only knows how many languages so far this Olympics.

Ejha! Remek! Miau!

Wa!

Sacrebleu!

Very loosely translated, all mean “holy cow, this Phelps dude is fast” or some variation thereof. Almost every swimmer that has been in a pool with him has experienced this feeling of trying to beat what seems to be an unbeatable swimmer.
On Wednesday morning at the Water Cube, Phelps added a “miraculous” in broken English to this chorus after beating a multinational group of contenders in world-record time in the 200-meter butterfly for his fourth gold medal of this Games.

“It’s a miracle,” New Zealand’s Moss Burmester said. “He’s an amazing guy. He wins eight gold medals; I think so.”

Phelps followed that by joining his American teammates, Peter Vanderkaay, Ryan Lochte and Ricky Berens, in destroying the 4x200 meter freestyle relay in a world-record six minutes and 58.56 seconds. Or better than four seconds faster than anybody has ever gone.

Russia, which finished second, was almost five seconds behind.

So golds No. 4 and 5 for Phelps? Check.

Three to go to best Mark Spitz? Working on it.

Become The Greatest Olympic Athlete Ever? Done, by winning more gold medals (11)
than any previous Olympian. He now has more gold medals than anybody else.

“I think I’m kind of almost at a loss for words,” Phelps said. “I think growing up I always wanted to be an Olympian … and now, to be the most-decorated Olympian of all time, it just sounds weird saying. I have absolutely nothing to say. I’m speechless.”

He had called this “a pretty big morning” going in. And he was not without challengers on Wednesday. Burmester stayed with him for a long portion of that 200. He had to have Phelps at least be thinking. “I tried pushing,” Burmester said. “He’s too fast.”

and now, a look at the Olympic Ratings …

Three words for NBC's Beijing coverage so far: boffo box office.

Forget the kind of dramatic time zone difference with the U.S. that hampered ratings for Sydney's 2000 Summer Games and Nagano's Winter Games in 1998. And enough about how the Internet age makes taped TV sports obsolete: Just because life in other galaxies can find out what happened in various events before NBC airs them on tape in prime time doesn't mean people — or perhaps aliens — won't watch.

First, the numbers: After drawing 17.9% of U.S. households in prime time Sunday — up 16% from comparable coverage of the 2004 Athens Games — NBC's prime-time average so far is 17% of U.S. TV households. That's like a rating for a really big college football bowl game or a late Sunday afternoon NFL game.

That three-night average also is up 21% from the 2004 Games and the highest three-night average for a Summer Olympics held outside the United States since the 1976 Montreal Games.

Michael Phelps might be in a position to get NBC to promise he can be Jay Leno's replacement in return for continuing to show up for NBC's live prime-time races. If that's what Phelps wants.

And — for a moment, anyway — NBC is challenging the notion that today's TV landscape is inevitably fragmented. NBC says it drew 107 million viewers for its Olympic coverage Sunday, up from 91 million for the first Sunday of the Athens Games. (But it shouldn't get too cocky: The research firm CSM Media Research/TNS Media estimates 184 million viewers in China tuned in for the U.S.-China men's basketball game Monday.)

NBC says its research shows about 90% of Olympic viewers watch only on TV, with the remaining 10% watching online as well. With NBC offering the first live online Olympic action ever in the U.S. — outside of a single hockey game during the 2006 Winter Games — it's still hard to gauge online impact, which will become apparent this week as office workers look to goof off. Through Monday afternoon, NBC's online video coverage had drawn 11.1 million streams — including 1.1 million streams of the dramatic U.S. swimming victory in the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay — a 405% increase over total streams during the 2004 Games.

NBC lucked out by getting all swimming finals as well as men's and women's team and individual gymnastics finals live for the 82% of U.S. households in the Eastern and Central time zones. West Coast viewers get the so-called live action on tape — despite the "live" onscreen logos — as they did during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games, when West Coast affiliates didn't want to air live coverage that would cut into local news and would not draw as many viewers as prime-time coverage.

And golf appears to miss Tiger ….

The PGA Championship took a double hit over the weekend: Tiger Woods wasn't there to defend his title and the tournament went up against NBC's Olympics coverage.

Golf's fourth and final major earned a 3.0 rating/6.0 share Sunday on CBS, a 56% decline from 2007. Saturday's broadcast from Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich., was down a whopping 78% from the Saturday broadcast a year earlier, but that's because bad weather canceled much of the day's action.

With Woods recovering from surgery following his victory in the U.S. Open in June, networks carrying golf are taking a big ratings hit.

Padraig Harrington's wins in both the PGA and British Open are not resonating with audiences. Harrington's triumph at the British in July registered a 15% decrease from last year's British, despite the comeback story that saw Greg Norman making a run for the title.

Other events this summer shedding viewers were the Buick Open (down 12%) and the AT&T National in suburban Washington, D.C., a tournament Woods hosts and participates. His absence this year meant a 48% drop in the final round.

So sad …so very sad….

Brett Hull properly honored as a good American …even if he is Canadian…

Brett Hull, who decided to play for the United States at the 1986 world championships because his native Canada didn't invite him, heads the 2008 class for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

Hull, whose 741 goals are third best in NHL history, is joined by former NHL stars Brian Leetch and Mike Richter and pioneering women's player Cammi Granato. Granato will be the first female among the Hall's 138 members.

The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Eveleth, Minn. The Hall of Fame induction
will be Oct. 10 in Denver.

Hull had two dominant seasons at Minnesota Duluth, scoring 52 goals in 1985-86 as a
sophomore -- a total not reached in college hockey since. Despite being born in Belleville, Ontario, the dual citizen played for Team USA at the 1986 world championships because he was invited, and spent the rest of his career playing for U.S. national teams, including the Olympic silver medalists in 2002. Hull was the NHL's MVP in 1990-91 with St. Louis after scoring 86 goals, was a nine-time All-Star and won Stanley Cups with both Dallas and Detroit.

Email from my buddy, after we tried to remember who the Cowboys took instead of Zach Thomas in the 2006 Draft:

So after breakfast I was curious about who was drafted ahead of Zach Thomas (in the fifth round) in 1996. Just for fun, here they are:

1st round
No picks

2nd round:
Kavika Pittman (DE)
Randall Godfrey (LB)

3rd round
Clay Shiver (C)
Stepfret Williams (WR)
Mike Ulufale (DE)

4th round
No picks

Hindsight’s 20/20

John

Georgia and Russia on the Rugby Field – they don’t like eachother much



Barack Roll

The Big Uglies

I spent a little time in the last few days pondering the strength of the Dallas Cowboys, the offensive line, and the size and health of this unit that put 3 of the 5 guys in the Pro Bowl last year. First, the size.

LT – Flozell Adams 6-7, 340
LG – Kyle Kosier 6-5, 305
C – Andre Gurode 6-4, 316
RG – Leonard Davis 6-6, 353
RT – Marc Colombo 6-8, 318

Shocking. How humans are routinely this size in the NFL is a demonstration of how this is not your father’s pro football.

Now, to the health.

2007 starts by position:

LT Adams (16)
LG Kosier (16)
C Gurode (14), Proctor (2 – Wk 16, Wk 17)
RG Davis (16)
RT Colombo (16)

2006:

LT Adams (16)
LG Kosier (16)
C Gurode (16)
RG Rivera (16)
RT Colombo (16)

I could not believe this when I found these numbers. So, in a possible 160 starts by Cowboys offensive linemen in the last 2 seasons, they only had to start a reserve twice? That’s it?

When someone suggests that the Cowboys have had a certain amount of good fortune with regards to injuries the last few years, that may qualify as to why. In fact, 2 years ago this month I wrote about the biggest weakness on this team was the OL . They have really turned this around.

Anyway, what got me onto this was a conversation about the quality of Flozell Adams with a colleague. My position on Flozell has always been that his annoying false start penalties are easily counterbalanced by the idea that Flo rarely allows Tony Romo to get sacked. In the DMN story about his signing below, they show how he stacks up against his NFC East counterparts …

FLOZELL ADAMS VS. THE NFC EAST

How Flozell Adams' statistics compared to his NFC East peers last season:

Player, Team G-GS Pen-Yds / F Start / Holding /Sacks allowed
Flozell Adams, Dallas 16-16 / 14-95 / 9 / 5 / 3 ½
Chris Samuels, Washington 16-16 / 5-24 / 5 / 0 / 5
David Diehl, NY Giants 16-16 / 6-40 / 4 / 2 / 13 ½
William Thomas, Philadelphia 15-15 / 3-15 / 3 / 0 / 7

14 penalties is too many, and the 5 holds in particular are not something to be proud of, but look at those sacks allowed. David Diehl almost got Eli Manning killed last year, and William Thomas was allowing McNabb to taste the pain. Meanwhile, less than once a month, Flo would allow Romo to get sacked.

This is why I defend the guy. In fact, in 10 years as the Cowboys tackle, he has allowed about 45 sacks…or less than 5 a year. That is quality from your left tackle, who routinely is matched up against the premier pass rushers of the league every single week.

Is he the best LT in the division? I think I would take Chris Samuel first, but he sure deserves his pro bowls and his insane money. In February, he signed his 2nd monster contract extension with the Cowboys…

The Cowboys have made sure to secure the blind side of quarterback Tony Romo.
Starting left tackle Flozell Adams signed a six-year deal worth more than $43 million – $15 million guaranteed – on Thursday, hours before he could have hit the free agent market.

The length of the contract coincides with Romo's deal, which ends in 2013.

And when Adams put his signature to paper at Valley Ranch, he received a phone call from the quarterback.

"Flo's happy and the team is happy to cut that off at the pass before it got into a free-agent scramble," said Jordan Woy, Adams' agent. "I know he didn't want to go into it and really travel around and do that whole deal."

With NFL free agency starting at 11:01 p.m. Thursday, the Cowboys also tendered one-year offers to running back Marion Barber and defensive end Chris Canty.

Adams' deal puts him financially with some of the league's top left tackles. In 2005, Seattle signed Walter Jones to a seven-year, $52.5 million contract with a $16 million signing bonus, and St. Louis signed Orlando Pace to a seven-year, $52.8 million deal with a $15 million signing bonus.

Recently, starting right tackle Marc Colombo said he was hopeful the team would keep Adams, who has started 146 games, to build consistency with the offensive line.

Starting outside linebacker Greg Ellis said toward the end of the 2007 season that Adams' leadership was valuable to the club. Adams, who is normally soft-spoken and rarely talks to reporters, told his teammates how important it was to win a playoff game and to keep sharp in the latter half of the regular season.


FLOZELL ADAMS' CAREER STATISTICS

Year G-GS Pen-Yds False Holding Sacks allowed
1998 16-12 4-33 2 1 1 ½
1999 16-16 9-60 6 3 5
2000 16-16 6-45 3 0 5
2001 16-16 5-25 5 0 2 ½
2002 16-16 5-50 1 2 7 ½
2003 16-16 8-50 6 1 4 ½
2004 16-16 12-75 9 3 7 ½
2005 6-6 3-25 1 2 2
2006 16-16 6-35 5 1 7 ½
2007 16-16 14-95 9 5 3 ½

Matt Mosely with good stuff with Donovan McNabb ….

McNabb caused a mild stir early in camp when he basically suggested that the Eagles shouldn't have lost a game to any of their NFC East opponents last season. In his mind, they were just a few plays away from being a playoff team. He doesn't feel like an 8-8 quarterback heading into 2008.

"I still put us at the top of the NFC," he said. "I feel confident in saying that because all the best teams are pretty much in our division. The Giants and Cowboys are coming off great seasons and the Redskins had a decent year."

McNabb went through last year's NFC East games one-by-one and explained where all of them went wrong. How does he justify the Giants' dominating 16-3 victory in September?
"We were missing our starting tackle," he quickly said. "If we eliminate the mistakes in the red zone and do some better things on defense, it's a different story."

With a healthy L.J. Smith and the addition of rookie DeSean Jackson, McNabb thinks he'll have more players he "can call on" at key moments in the game. He talked about how Dallas can plan around getting the ball to Terrell Owens, and he wants to do that with some of his teammates -- other than running back Brian Westbrook, who's a constant threat.

Since he brought up T.O., I felt like a follow-up question was necessary. Does he ever sit around and think about what the two of them could have accomplished together?

"You mean if he'd realized the situation he was in?" McNabb shot back. "In his situation, he's finally maturing at age 35 [actually 34]. Sometimes it's you, sometimes it's me. [T.O.] thought for so long it was someone else, but at some point, maybe it dawns on you that it's not everyone else's fault. I think once Bill [Parcells] left, T.O. realized that Jerry [Jones] truly loved him. And now he has a quarterback that he feels comfortable with. He's listening. Sometimes you have to understand the reality of the whole situation, and I think he did that."

McNabb stopped to think about it for a moment longer, not wanting to change a subject that will always follow him.

"It could've been great," he said. "What did we have, 30 TDs? You don't see that type of combination very often. That's like Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. We would have been up there."

Does all that sound patronizing? Absolutely. But there's probably some truth to what McNabb's saying. What amazes me is that T.O. has been gone since midway through the 2005 season and his former teammates still bring him up on a regular basis. Tight end L.J. Smith called him a "different kind of guy," but he said he never thought he was a poor teammate.

"If you think about it, that locker room fight he got into here was with a non-player," Smith said Sunday.

In other news, McNabb said he no longer worries about the fact that quarterback Kevin Kolb is waiting in the wings. He let it bother him when the team first selected Kolb in the second round, but it's not something he thinks about anymore.

"We needed to draft another quarterback," he said with no trace of sarcasm. "That's the way the organization's going. I understand that."

As he climbed into his black Escalade truck, McNabb said he wanted to finish his career in Philadelphia. But he said the Favre story reminded him that the Eagles might be ready to move on at any minute.

"I might end up somewhere else," McNabb said. "And I'm prepared for that."

Jayson Stark looks at J-Ham as a MVP …

"With seven weeks left in the regular season, who's your pick to win the American League MVP award?''
________________________________________

Well, it's getting to be that time, all right -- that time to start debating which players should be clearing space on their shelves to fit a very large, very prestigious trophy in a few weeks. And of all of baseball's major awards, American League MVP might be tougher to decipher than any of them. So let's examine the main contenders:

THE CASE FOR JOSH HAMILTON

Hamilton has been leading the planet in RBIs for so long, it's easy to lose track of just how many he's piled up. He's on pace to drive in 153 runs -- a number topped by only four players in the division-play era: Manny Ramirez, Sammy Sosa (twice), Juan Gonzalez and A-Rod. And Chipper Jones (among others) has never knocked in more runs in any full season than Josh Hamilton has driven in already this year (111) -- by Aug. 11. Oh, and Hamilton also ranks in the top eight in the league in homers (second), runs scored (77), extra-base hits (fourth), slugging (sixth), on-base percentage (eighth) and runs created per 27 outs (fifth).

THE CASE FOR CARLOS QUENTIN

What a year this guy is having. Quentin ranks first in the league in homers (32), second in runs scored (82), third in RBIs (90) and third in OPS (.952). He's also having a gigantic second half, with 10 homers (most in the big leagues), 20 RBIs and a 1.164 OPS. If you toss the RBI column out of this argument (which, granted is tough to do), Quentin leads Hamilton in home runs, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS and runs. And let's note one other fascinating number on the old stat sheet. The batting averages of these two men with runners in scoring position (.324 for Quentin, .326 for Hamilton) are nearly indistinguishable.

THE VERDICT

If we were all voting for Best Story of the Year, Josh Hamilton might win that award unanimously. But Hamilton's cinematic back-story isn't the kind of criterion we're supposed to use when we choose our MVPs. So as we sit here right now, with seven weeks left, I'd cast my vote for Carlos Quentin.

Not that Hamilton is his only competition, by the way. You can make excellent cases for Justin Morneau, Milton Bradley, Ian Kinsler, Jermaine Dye, Francisco Rodriguez and that Kevin Youkilis-J.D. Drew tag team in Boston. But if Quentin and Hamilton are the top two contenders, and we stack up one against the other, what do we find?
We find that Carlos Quentin's team is in first place, despite pesky, season-long offensive issues -- while Hamilton's team is 14 games out of first place.

We find that, in the second half, as the games have gotten bigger, Quentin has out-hit Hamilton by 54 points, has out-OPS'd him by 232 points and, in fact, has topped him in every significant offensive catetory.

And we find that, aside from RBIs (and cinematic back-stories), Hamilton really hasn't greatly outshone Quentin in any major offensive department over the first four months of the season.

So for me, this is now Carlos Quentin's award to lose. But I'm betting some of you might beg to differ. And of course, that's what we're here for.

He doesn't have a single RBI since the all-star break that didn't come via a home run. (You can find that one in today's Elias Says column.) And he has come to bat with 51 more runners on base than Quentin (261-210). So in this day and age, with all the great numbers and info available to us, we shouldn't be using RBIs as our No. 1 offensive criterion anymore, should we?

Were the opening ceremonies somewhat staged? …

Part of the elaborate Olympics fireworks show broadcast to the world in the opening ceremony was altered, done digitally in 3-D computer graphics, according to several news reports.

While the dramatic display actually happened as portrayed on television, members of the Beijing Olympic Committee said it was necessary to replace live video with computer-generated imagery because the city’s hazy, smoggy skies made it too difficult to see, according to The Beijing Times, which first reported the story.

Committee members also said they were concerned that the helicopter pilot who would have flown overhead to film the fireworks would have been “at risk by making him try to follow the firework route,” according to a quote from a committee member reported in a Daily Telegraph story.

And now, in the interest of equal time….

Bob,

As a native Houstonian and unabashed Astros/Rockets/Texans/Oilers apologist, there is no faster way to draw me offside than to denigrate the Rockets' '94-'95 titles. Though your comment in today's blog was not quite as backhanded as Hunter Mahan's before the British Open - Hunter Mahan is now my arch-nemesis for life and the 81 he shot to miss the cut this week brought me great joy - I felt a call to action anyway.

I don't have my head completely buried in the sand here...believe me. I am more than happy to recognize the patently obvious: that Michael Jordan played basketball better than any man ever has and that his hiatus came during his prime. What annoys me to no end is that the sports world, by and large, seems to consider it a foregone conclusion that the Bulls' 6 titles would have been 8 had Jordan not taken the time off. I present the following tidbits for why the chances of the Bulls winning both titles were something less than 100% and the Rockets' chances of claiming at least one of the two better than 0%:

- In '91-'93, the Bulls' first run, the Rockets and Bulls met 6 times. The Rockets took those games 5-1, sweeping in '91 and '93 with both teams taking their own home game in '92. Both teams were at full strength for all 6 games. Regular season. I know.

- Jordan's would-be adversary at the 2 spot in '94 was Vernon Maxwell who, though remembered only as a psychopath now, actually was one of the better perimeter defenders in the game in the early and mid-'90s. Locking Jordan down was obviously impossible, but against Maxwell and the Rockets, Michael averaged 29.1 ppg on .480 shooting over the 6 games. Those numbers are below his career figures of 30.1/.497, but more pertinently are below his scoring/FG% numbers for each of the years in question: 31.5/.539 in 1991, 30.1/.519 in 1992, and 32.6/.495 in 1993. Again, regular season. I know. But when doing East/West analysis, it is the best we can do for direct comparison without stepping into dangerously shaky hypotheticals.

- Jordan's would-be adversary at the 2 spot in '95 was Clyde Drexler, a 32 year-old in the twilight of his prime, but prime nonetheless during the Rockets' late run that season. Clyde, as we all know, was a HoFer and one of the NBA's Top 50 at 50. Jordan had already bested Clyde in the Finals by this time so alpha dog status had been established clearly. But Clyde was still what he was, and that was an historically significant off-guard in his prime hungering for that first title and doing it alongside his old college buddy and in his hometown. And it is worth noting that he was no spare defender himself, averaging better than two steals a game for his career and nearly a block per game as a perimeter player.

- Most importantly, and probably what people fail to consider most often, is that Hakeem Olajuwan ascended to the throne as the NBA's best player in '94 and '95. Hakeem's ascendency, though the ceiling would have been #2 league-wide were Jordan still around, still would have happened. Hakeem was not only the best post man in the game, but one of the best ever when he peaked those two years. A Rockets/Bulls Finals in '94 and/or '95 would have pitted a team anchored by the world's best player against a team anchored by the world's best post man. Jordan's killer instinct was obviously the stuff of legend, but ask Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal, and especially David Robinson - the three who presented Hakeem's best challenges in those days and three who had careers that were historically significant, to say the least - about Hakeem's ability to step up in the playoff cauldron. Bill Cartwright would not, I dare say, have presented a comparable challenge.

I hesitate to try to put a number on it because that gets way more subjective, but I think it is not unfair to put the chances of the Rockets winning at least one of those titles anyway somewhere in the neighborhood of 3:1 or 4:1, i.e. a 20%-25% chance that the Bulls still would have had less than 8 titles from '91 to '98.

Proud Houstonian but even prouder P-1,

Jason Reed
-=======

Hey Bob,

Long time P1 and avid Bad Radio listener here. I thought I would let you know that The Wire seasons 1-4 is today’s Amazon gold box deal today. $95.00 seems a pretty good price.

Since you like pimping The Wire to us P1s maybe you should let them all know about this deal.

There’s the link.

Kyle
P1 in Greenville, TX

DeMarcus Ware is a bad man – and if you don’t like the highlights, just look for all of the spelling errors…



And now, I leave you with our moment on Hard Knocks, episode 1 (courtesy Jennifer):