Saints' Rant

Okay, let's me honest. The New Orleans Saints are 0-3. START PANICKING!

0-1, that's workable come on they lost to the Super Bowl Champs!

0-2, alright so Tampa Bay creamed them, still only 2 losses it's manageable.

0-3, pray.

The Saints were clobbered on live television 31-14. All the goodness surrounding this new era of Saints football is now gone. Pretty crazy how in one year things can swing to being absolutely awful. And let's face it N'Awlins is not just losing they are getting destroyed.

The Offensive and Defensive Line are looking a lot like folding chairs. So hey Brees has got about 0.5 seconds to make something happening. It doesn't help that the one play Brees does get time, he throws a boneheaded INT.

Coach Payton must feel fortunate for a bye week because I frankly am sick of all the losing. Since losing 39-10 in the NFC Championship game. The Saints have been outscored an astounding 142-48. Since walking into Soldier field Saints are losing to opponents by an average score of 36-12.

What's that you want to know how they are doing this season? So far in 2007, Saints are getting outscored 103-38, that comes out to an average whoopin' of 34 to 13.

The thing that really gets me is N.O. had the Tennessee game. Bush just scored his second TD and the stands where rocking. It was 14-10 N'Awlins and it looked like the offense was finally in sync.

Wrong!

Defense gives up a TD so it's 17-14. Well that's fine Saints will just have to do this Old West shootout style. Then Drew Brees fumbles and just like that it's 24-14.

Okay, still time! C'mon Brees! Cha-ching another pick and shortly another touchdown for Tennessee.

Saints feel over and croaked hard. Shame, shame shame. Bottom line: What the hell is going on Coach Payton? I wouldn't get too discouraged because LSU is winning (Geaux Tigers!), but still I'm lost for words.

Don't know why I'm saying this, but it's only been 3 games! C'mon they can turn it around! Is it really too much to ask for in having back to back seasons with playoffs appearances?

(4 weeks later, "Hey they are only 0-7!")

Well that's my Saints' rant now please do me the honors and push the button labeled PANIC.

Damaging Effect

For second time in a month LSU reserve linebacker Derek Odom got engaged with the law, unlike the first time, I do not agree with the decision made by Coach Les Miles regarding Odom's future.

Odom should of been kicked off the team. End of story.

For those of you unaware of the situation Derek Odom seems to be a common name under Police Encounters in Baton Rouge. First during the month of August, Odom was at an apartment complex where he lost he temper. Odom wanted to enter some one's apartment, but that person was not having it...and neither was Odom. Long story short, Odom did damage to this person's property as well as key his car.

The apartment complex had every reason to press charges against Odom. He was an idiot and was not apologizing. But considering the apartment landlord was probably an LSU fan, he did not want to cause trouble. The charges where dropped and Odom would apologize...eventually.

Strike 1.

As for his most recent encounter with law enforcements, Derek Odom has done that in this recent, beautiful month of September. Odom was hanging out with former LSU wide receiver (and current professional track runner) Xavier Carter. Apparently Carter and Odom were not too pleased with the views by a certain girl. She was sitting in her car when Odom proceeded to ram himself into this female's car as well as shatter a window with his fist. To make matters even better, Carter was jumping on the hood of the car.

Strike 2.

Two strikes for Mr. Odom surely had to spell an end to his LSU career, right? Wrong! Coach Miles has only suspended Odom an extra two weeks from playing on the field. He can practice, but come game time Odom is on the sidelines all four quarters. This simple decision by Miles is echoing farther than he can imagine. When a coach starts letting the "loose cannon" players stay on the team, a certain aspect of a school's credibility is lost.

A prime example is Miami-Florida. The University has always been heavily criticized for letting troublemakers play on the team while getting only a slap on the wrist. All the negative thoughts about Miami players reached it's peak when the FIU/Miami-Florida brawl broke out last year.

The same can be said for Florida State. FSU is not as bad as Miami, but let's just say it's not uncommon to hear about serious charges against Seminole players being dropped because Coach Bobby Bowden said, "they learned their lesson."

Now do not jump to conclusions. I am not implying LSU is anywhere near the level of Miami-Florida or Florida State for that matter. All I am saying is Miles's seems to be handling discipline in some manners and little lighter than previous LSU coaches, and in time that will take an effect on the University's image to the college football world.

And believe me, that is something more damaging than Miles realizes...

Daily Checklist for the Typical Rapper

[] Ho, where is she?
[] Cristal: 1 or 2 bottles?
[] Polish rims
[] Pick up machine gun at shop
[] Use random method to decide what rapper I will start beef with; he stole my song, he is a rapper, etc.
[] Make music video with (new) hos, cars, and guns
[] Open bottle of Hennessy
[] Randomly fire shots outside house to start chaos
[] Officially start new "beef" with rival rapper by making a song
[] Include in song deep thoughts I have about this individuals mother and possibly girlfriend
[] Think of a typical CD cover name. Something ordinary, but catchy like "Da Future"
[] Buy new rims
[] Drive by "beef" guy's house and shoot at his house with new machine gun
[] Visit kid with Baby Momma #1
[] Feed pit bulls
[] Start preparing basement for dogfighting competition tonight
[] Visit other kid with Baby Momma #2
[] DVR Spongebob
[] Go to bed...with polished gun under pillow

Analysis on 1st Week of NFL Games

First week of football is over, and contrary to what I would of expected the scoring was definitely a bit lower than usual. Well, I will cut the small talk and get going on just what exactly I thought about certain team's performances.

41 Colts 10 Saints

-As you know I am a Saints fan. Was thinking a good game was going to break out here, and it was...for the first half. Then in the second half the snowball effect occurred and before you knew it N'Awlins fans were calling for Jason David's head just like they did for Fred Thomas's back in January.

16 Packers 13 Eagles

-The Pack showed that they picked up right where they left off from last year. It was not a pretty win, but Favre did show his old magic and that he still can win the tough ones. I'm starting to think Philly was victim to a very underrated GB defensive unit.

15 Broncos 14 Bills

-Buffalo has a Top 5 defense. Amazing how DEN was able to get the snap off in time as the clock ran out. Still lots of kinks in Cutler's play...as well as Losman's.

20 Texans 3 Chiefs

-Everyone has been saying it for a while, but Kansas City could be in some serious trouble this year. I mean who's the QB? Brodie Croyle, eek! Texans are not that impressive. Just watch because by Week 6 Matt Schaub will be spending more time on his butt than on his feet. It's a Houston Texans offensive line ritual.

34 Steelers 7 Browns

-I am friends with a Browns fan who said Romeo's team would be ready. Sorry, Grizzly I would have to say they were more pathetic if anything. Pitt looked good with their new coach, but keep in perspective Steeler fans CLE could be bad this year. Bad.

13 Titans 10 Jaguars

-Tennesse must have a vastly improved D, or David Garrad was not the right choice. I will have to go with choice A. Fantasy owners are grasping for TEN running back Chris Brown. Sunday Brown had a monstrous 19 carries for 175 yards. His effectiveness gave TEN a chance to pull out the win.

24 Vikings 3 Falcons

-Now this is a case of two very bad teams. Without Vick, Atlanta is really going to be abismol this year. For a second I was convinced that Joey Harrington maybe could lead this franchise to countless victories. Than I woke up.

38 Patriots 14 Jets

-Guess Jets are not as close to New England as we all had thought. It was close, then came the old Randy Moss. Most interesting aspect of this game is the mysterious video tape NFL officials found in the hands of a New England Patriots staff worker. Don't want to spoil the story so go to SI.com.

27 Panthers 13 Rams

-Quite the defensive slugfest for while. I was impressed on the Jake Delhomme's 3 TD day. Maybe bringing David Carr was a good thing for him. Also, Marc Bulger completed 22 passes for a measely 162 yards. Now that's defense!

16 Redskins 13 Dolphins

-Not the most exciting game if you ask me. It was another game decided by a field goal. Jason Campbell keeps growing into what could be a solid NFL QB. Sunday he was 12 of 21 for 222 yards. Not fantastic, but hey the team won! Up next: Philly.

36 Lioins 21 Raiders

-Well Kitna your team has nine more games to win to match the guarantee you made in the summer. Lions put up a lot of points, but again they also let Oakland stay in the game for a while. When's the last time a Oakland offense looked, dare I say, decent?

20 Seahawks 6 Buccaneers

-Jeff Garcia could not get things going against a stingy Seattle D, but again keep in mind lots of analysts have Garcia not doing nearly as good as he did in Philly last year. Also, Shaun Alexander looks like he is regaining that previous MVP form he had. He could definitely be a MVP sleeper this year.

14 Chargers 3 Bears

-Two things: 1. San Diego's D could end up being better than last year's and 2. Rex Grossman could still be the same impatient player he was last year. But I guess 12 for 23 for 145 yards is not a 0 rating on the QB scale so maybe it wasn't that bad.

45 Cowboys 35 Giants

-I knew NYG would not have a D, but Dallas? Come on Wade Phillips! The team almost blew a comfortable 31-19 because the defense seemed to a have taken a nap...or vacation. Eli showed glimpses of that QB everyone is praying he will turn out to be. As for Romo, he completed only 15 passes for 345 yards and 4 touchdowns. This once unknown player seems to have a favorite target in TE Jason Witten (6 catches for 116 yards).

27 Bengals 20 Ravens

-Cincy got some forunate calls at the end of the game, but regardless Chad Johnson's TD celebration was hilarious. Anyway, Steve McNair is nowhere near as productive as he use to be. If anything, Air McNair could be the factor that holds the Ravens from achieving their greatness potential. Kyle Boller, second chance? One more thing, do not be fooled yet. Cincy does have a lousy D. Just let the season carry on.

20 49ers 17 Cardinals

-Alex Smith (as well as Matt Leinart) played subpar games, especially Smith. With that said, Smith still did come through when most needed. He team was down by 4 and they were 86 yards away from glory. Smith lead this down the field for the victory. Also, the Edge seemed to be showing his destructive force again as the Miami grad finished with 26 carries for 96 yards.

The Mysterious Tabloid

You see them everywhere. Gas stations, grocery stores, and pharmacies. They represent all that is wrong with the media.


They are the tabloids. Pages and pages of nothing more than straight up lies.


It was not too long ago when I picked one up and began pondering the history and thinking behind these packages of trash. Through further research I began to see that some "famous" tabloids such as the National Enquirer have been around since 1926.

And believe it or not the magazines use to be legit! But why did the owners all of a sudden turn to the dark side and begin manifesting lies?


In the 1950-60s the media industry in the US greatly expanded. More companies were starting up with their own newspapers and tabloids, while the existing ones where seeking more power.


So National Enquirer choose to separate itself from the pack...


...in the most gutless of ways.


The solution was to blatantly lie about current issues. In time, The National Enquirer soon began to have some competition as tabloids such as Star and the World News sprouted up. Regardless of being a complete joke to most of society, the tabloids still bring in lots of profit in America.

You can not help but think do people honestly believe the garbage inside them? Sadly that answer is yes.

The more popular tabloids such as Star are prized by females ranging from teenagers to middle-aged women. As for the outrageous covers such as the black and white World News, which recently proclaimed Vice President Dick Cheney goes to the hospital so often because he needs his gears changed because in fact the Vice President is a robot, they are beloved by the senior citizen class.

It is a shame that in America "news" has come to this, but at the same time you really must analyze how one acquires a position working for one of these newspapers.

I mean really how hard could it be to completely make up a story once a week? Right now I was able to think of one, "Tom Hanks is Caught Cheating With Pamela Anderson!"

That's money is the bank right there. All I need to do now is make up some quotes and photo shop a picture and wa-la you have got your newest tabloid.

I can already see the cover of Star magazine when nuclear war breaks out globally,

"Aliens Attack Planet Earth; Want Revenge!"

The Spark American Soccer Needs

Soccer is the world's most popular sport, and for people like me that is an understandable statement. With that said, I do not find it as exciting as football or basketball, but by all means it surpasses the standing-around sport of baseball.


Even with my satisfaction in watching the sport, most of America still finds the sport not entertaining. Not enough scoring, too long, but really it does not matter because I have the solution; the spark that will make soccer a success in the USA.


(Again, I can not understand the above statement about how soccer is boring, but baseball is not.)

Getting great soccer players to come to America such as David Beckham will greatly help soccer in the USA, but that is not my solution. My solution is to create rivals. Bitter rivals.

Now I am not talking about your D.C. United vs. L.A. Galaxy game. I am talking about international games. Games I am not sure have ever been played. In America, rivals exist everywhere and by all means they are a vital part of a sport.

Examples would be Michigan vs. Ohio State in college football, the Yankees vs. the Red Sox in the MLB, the Colts vs. the Patriots in the NFL, and the Hawks vs. Bobcats in the NBA.

Ha ha, sorry I made that last one up. Thought you might enjoy it. Well, anyway as I was saying a bitter rival in soccer would definitely boost America's interest in the sport even if a viewer did not have much knowledge of the sport. Why? Because as a viewer seeing passion in a sport is one of the most addicting things about a sport.

Here are some great examples of bitter rivals Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) should arrange....


1. North Korea vs. South Korea

These two countries still remain hostile towards each other even though the Korean War ended over 50 years ago. What better way for these two sides to release some anger than on a soccer field? South Korea would love nothing more than to crush their evil brother that always seems to be in the headlines North Korea's Kim Jong Il is ruthless leader, but if he could take down a top 5 team in South Korea he certainly would gain some respect...in the soccer world.

Location: Hopefully, the Demilitarized Zone which separates North and South Korea.

2. Iran vs. Iraq

Again, I enter uncharted waters when I suggest former enemies of war should engage in a soccer match, but please remember these match ups are meant as a way for these countries to interact in a nonviolent (non-nuclear war) manner. In the 1980s these two nations engaged in a bloody war that lasted for eight years. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems to think he is all big and bad. Well if he indeed is, he will easily be able to defeat his arch nemesis in a friendly game of soccer. As for the Iraq team no American citizen could play on it. Only Iraqis would be able to suit up. Winning this game would be a huge boost for Iraq, it would be a giant step in the right direction for a country in rebuilding mode.

Location: Bahrain, a small island in the Persian Gulf. It's an isolated area, but do not worry plenty of transportation would be provided for the Iraqi and Iranian fans.


3. Pakistan vs. India

Pakistan use to be a part of India, but now find themselves independent. Nonetheless, the two countries are still engaging in hostile situations year in a year out. Nuclear war is even talked about between the two countries. Perfect alternate? A 90 minute game of soccer filled with passion and pride. Come on it could be a yearly showdown! Each year their would be more and more hype for the slug fest on the Indian Ocean.

Location: This would be a tough one considering the ground is not flat where Pakistan and India meet. Solution? China, a country East of Pakistan and North of India. And of course transportation costs would be provided for.


4. Ireland vs. Northern Ireland

Not a lot of love between the Irish and Northern Irish, in fact it is straight bad blood. What better way to settle these constant disputes about religion than a soccer match for some of the world's most passionate fans: the Irish? Unlike any of the previous bitter rivals I have been talking about, this match up would really need top notch security. I am talking about metal gates that separate the two fan bases, and a little limit on how much alcohol one fan is allowed to consume.

Location: Wembley Stadium in London, England. This state of the art structure would definitely fit the needs for a grudge match up to par with the yearly Florida/Florida State fist fight.


5. Israel vs. Palestine

This would be the match up of the century. These two types of people have been fighting since the beginning of time. No end seems to be in sight. It would be a clever way to sort of cease the tension between the two nations. Why do I say this? A soccer game is important, but not nearly as important as say the possibility of a bomb being dropped in your home country. Let me put it this way the loser of the soccer game would not be exterminated.

Location: Security here would have to be the Super Bowl x 50, which would mean one heck of a neutral site. Perfect spot? None other than Cyprus, the small island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is isolated which would mean chaos would be easier to prevent. Contests would be held to select the winners for fans who will attend the game. Transportation costs would be set up by FIFA.


6. Taiwan vs. China

So Taiwan wants to consider itself independent of China? Well then defeat them in the ever important soccer match up. China watches Taiwan's every move, if Taiwan wants to show they are ready to be free of Chinese rule (which will never happen) they will need to take down their big brother. Taiwan wants to prove it is capable of supporting itself, China wants to prove it will squash any oppositions...even if it lies within itself.

Location: If you think this match up is big I can not imagine the importance it would have in Asia. The world wants to see this game and no better place to watch it than Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese are excellent hosts who would love being in the spotlight of a bitter rival.


7. USA vs. Cuba

For the rest of the world this might not be as big of a game as say India vs. Pakistan, but certainly tension is present between the USA and Cuba. Ever since the Cuban Missile Crisis, America has stopped accepting any assets from the Caribbean nation. Furthermore, Castro is on his way out so what better way to end his awful relationship with the US than a soccer match? Absolutely nothing.

Location: I was thinking Mexico City, but as an American I want our national soccer team to get the whole experience. This game is going to be played in Havana, Cuba. Let's give the Cubans the home field advantage they desire. That will make victory even greater.

Hope you enjoyed my dream match ups that will give soccer the necessary spark. Though the more I think about it the more I realize everyone of these matches needs to be in Level 5 security. In no way do I want passionate fans blowing these games out of proportion. I mean a few fistfights after the games will be unavoidable, but let's not overdo it with suicide bombers and guys throwing beer bottles. Sports have no room for sore losers. Except for Terrell Owens, he can do it because he was made fun of in grade school.

Pick Your Poison

As far as this summer goes this has to be one of the worst concerning sports. The MLB has it's whole mess with Barry Bonds and the steroid investigation, the NFL has players constantly running it trouble with the law (Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson, the entire Cincinnati Bengals roster, and almost forget Michael Vick and his dogfighting allegations), and finally the NBA has a scandal involving a 13-year veteran referee possibly fixing games.

Earlier this week on OnSports with JP & Kevin on FoxSports 1230 WCWA, JP proposed the question which commissioner would you rather be?

Would you want to be Bud Selig of the MLB who is now face-to-face with Barry Bonds, a steroid user, breaking one of the most hallowed records in sports?

Or how about Roger Goodell of the NFL who now has PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protesting outside his office for the immediate punishment of Vick following claims that the Virginia Tech grad was allegedly connected with dogfighting in someone way or another?

Or how about David Stern of the NBA? Since taking over as commissioner of the NBA, Stern has worked nonstop on the integrity of the game. He is now realizing that under his watch, 13-year veteran referee Tim Donaghy was making certain calls during games, depending on the point spread.

So if you had the choice of choosing which commissioner you would like to be at this moment who would it be? (And NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is not an option.)

Before you start brainstorming your thoughts take a look at my explanation for the poison I would choose.

First off, no way would I want to be in Bud Selig's shoes. Let's remember Selig knew that steroids where involved in baseball during the 1998 home run chase, but still let did not do anything. Even though Barry Bonds knowingly took steroids, it was Selig who did not step up and stop this mess from growing into what it is now - a disaster. In some ways, you can look at Selig as Frankenstein and this steroid investigation as the monster he created. (Just a little FYI, Frankenstein was the scientist, not the monster.)

As for the next person I would not want to be in the shoes off, that award would be given to David Stern. The reason for this is the referee scandal is something, like the steroid investigation, that will echo for more than one season. Also, it damages the one thing in basketball that could take some time to heal: the integrity of the game. Yes, Stern is not as responsible as much for this nightmare like Frankstein above, but Stern was still the man in charge.

By eliminating Selig and Stern, that leaves NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as the commissioner who's shoes I would have to be in. The reason for my decision includes two parts:

1. Even though there is a lot of controversy surrounding the NFL with Pacman and Vick's alleged dogfighting charges, these stories will only echo for this year. Granted they are terrible stories, but you will not be watching an NFL game several years from now questioning the integrity of the game like you will for the NBA and MLB. That's the key, the controversies in the NFL will not affect the integrity of the game.

2. Legal troubles are always present in sports. I am not saying this is in anyway acceptable, but it is a fact that professional athletes are always getting in trouble with the law. Look at the NBA, Ron Artest will miss the first 7 games of the 2007 season because of spousal battery, and then there's Stephen Jackson, a Golden State Warrior who will be suspended for the first 7 games of the 2007 season as well because of pulling a gun out in a parking lot dispute. As for the MLB there are the countless legal investigations of trainers, doctors, and players who were involved in the BALCO steroid ring.

All in all, choosing to fill the shoes of anyone of these men is one most people could do without. With that said, I am forced to choose the commissioner who I feel is facing more of the "normal" situations. That winner is Roger Goodell. Now by all means I am not claiming Goodell has an easy dilemma on hand. (PETA is at his office. PETA!) But his situation as compared to Selig's and Stern's never in anyway damages the most important thing for a professional sport: the integrity of the game.

And like I stated earlier, that truly is the most important aspect of a sport.

Magazine Downer

During the summer months there is a certain day all college football fans anxiously await. The day the elite college football magazine comes out. Street & Smith as this magazine is called comes out not too early or not too late into the summer, but rather at the perfect time. You have just enough time to gather all the season's information right before the football year finally kicks off.

Yes, I understand there are numerous college football magazines (Athlon Sports) out there from the beginning of the summer, but Street & Smith is in a different league. Best way to explain it is with a Street & Smith college football preview magazine, you the reader are actually interested in reading about "great" teams such as Duke and Temple.

That's powerful.

This past Friday my dad got home from being out of town. He said he had seen Street & Smith's at a airport newstand. My whole day was set. I was getting my Street & Smith issue and for the next 72 hours my eyes were not leaving that magazine. But more importantly, I would finally be able to cease watching reruns of the Cosby Show.

I raced to the nearby Kroger, weaving through traffic like Stevie Wonder was behind the wheel. I ran into the store and looked down the magazine aisle. Nothing. Some NFL magazines, 400 fantasy football issues, and some low-quality college football magazines that seemed to only focus on the Big Ten.

I began to panic so I got in my stallion of a car and drove over to Barnes & Noble. As I raced inside, I bulldozed over any living creature in my way. Looked around and found the magazine section of the store. Once I arrived at my destination I saw to my dismay that again there was not a Street & Smith issue. Something was wrong. I called my dad asking for reassurance that he did indeed see a Street & Smith at the airport. I explained to him all I was seeing were Athlon Sport magazines.

Then I heard the words that will haunt me forever.

"Geez I thought I had seen one, maybe I was mistaken."

I bought the Athlon Sports copy and drove home. I still find myself waiting for the Street & Smith issue to arrive, but when I do I can't help but remember the day my dreams were crushed..

...crushed by a man who had simply mistaken one magazine for another...

Where's the Justice?

Today it was announced by the NCAA that the University of Oklahoma football team will be forfeiting all of it's 2005 season and for the next two football seasons the Sooners will lose a combined 4 scholarships. Once again it is crystal clear the NCAA did not rightfully serve justice.



As the story goes, Rhett Bomar the quarterback of Oklahoma at the time, and teammate J.D. Quinn were accepting money from a local car dealership, despite the fact the two men where not actually doing any work. Turned out the teammates had accepted around $8,000 a piece. Oklahoma found out this past season prior to the kickoff of the college football year. In response to the situation, Coach Bob Stoops booted Bomar and Quinn off the team.



The NCAA's so called "justice" in this circumstance is nothing short of garbage. That image we all use to have that the NCAA administration consisted of a bunch of righteous, noble employees is about as true as OJ Simpson is innocent. (Keep in mind these "noble" NCAA men were accepting $400 just to let people in through the gates without a ticket at the Texas/USC National Championship. How do I know this? My older brother went to the game and witnessed it.)



Remember back in 2006 when scandals were popping up involving Reggie Bush and how he accepted money while at USC? The figure was somewhere around $300,000. My question is whatever happen to that situation? Simple: it's USC. Before you bash me on my ridiculous comments let me assure you there are indeed certain teams that do get "favored." (Cough! Notre Dame for sure.)



So simply put the USC scandal "rolls over" and the Oklahoma one does not? Say what you want but even in the world of sports, the NCAA being biased towards another school does exist. If the NCAA wants to pose the image to the public that they are an effective organization, they must follow one rule: fairness. Favoring big time schools such as USC is not a myth, rather a well-known fact. Just look at Norman, Oklahoma where the University of Oklahoma is being severly punished for illegal actions by some former players.

As for Los Angeles, California home of USC? Well come on don't be silly! It's USC, they can do no wrong.

My Rebuttal to Stewart Mandel's Comments

This past Friday on the front page of SI.com there was an article written by Stewart Mandel and his thoughts regarding LSU football coach Les Miles's comments about USC. I felt obligated to post my own thoughts because it seems Mr. Mandel is "confused" on certain aspects dealing with LSU and USC.

Mandel starts off by saying that Miles's claim USC has an "easy" schedule is not legit. Mandel goes onto to say that USC did have to play Arkansas, the SEC West champions, last year. USC would win that game 50-14.

That is a good point Mr. Mandel, but you forget one important thing: injuries. Darren McFadden, the stud running back for Arkansas, was not even playing that Saturday. That alone made a huge difference in the final score. Plus, the quarterback was Robert Johnson a young man who would end up starting one more game the rest of the season. Very deceiving when you get down to the facts.

The other two USC opponents listed as "difficult" in Mandel's mind are Nebraska and Notre Dame. Notre Dame finished the year ranked 17th, but more importantly the Irish had three losses that came by an average score of 44-20. As the season ended "overrated" went right along with an Irish team that proved to be over matched in some of their biggest games. As for the Nebraska team I would say they are a solid team, but not yet an elite opponent.

So, Mandel those where USC's three "tough" opponents last year? Weak.

Good ole Stu would continue on by saying LSU had no room to talk considering they had played easy teams like Fresno State, Kentucky, and Mississippi State at home. That statement is indeed true, but again Mandel failed to point out some important bits of information. LSU played (for the first time in history) four Top 10 football teams on the road. Now try and explain to me that playing Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, and Arkansas on the road makes LSU's schedule "easier" than USC which included home games against Nebraska and Notre Dame, and (like LSU) a road game against Arkansas? But as you know LSU had to compete against a Razorback team with Darren McFadden on the field and a quarterback comfortable with his roll in Casey Dick.

Must of slipped your mind Mr. Mandel, it must of...

My second example of Mandel's idiocy comes later in the article when he asks the reader: "Why doesn't Pete Carroll bash LSU and how they have to play Vandy and Mississippi State?"

Well other than the fact Carroll is a soft spoken coach, the reason he does not criticize how LSU has to play those two mediocre-at-best teams is LSU has more difficult opponents. In an unbiased view it has to be realized the SEC is one of (my opinion the toughest) the hardest conferences.

Looking back at the final 2007 AP College Football poll, in the Top 15 the SEC had 4 teams (Florida, LSU, Auburn, and Arkansas). The Pac-10 had a mere two, USC was 4th and the next closest was California at 14th. The thing with the Pac-10 is numerous teams always start off the year good. This past year Oregon jumps out to a 4-0 record, but come the end of the year the Ducks would finish 7-6 and in that the Pac-10 loses credibility.

Stewart Mandel's misinterpretation of LSU's anger towards USC was most clear during his talk about the 2003 season. For example, Mandel states,"by virtue of [LSU's] victory over Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, [LSU] earned the top spot in the coaches poll."

This statement baffles me because to me it comes across as saying LSU was given the top spot in the coaches poll because the coaches felt obligated to do that. Why is it not pointed out that USC claims themselves national champions even though the Trojans never won the BCS trophy? LSU did! Yes, Trojans had a very good team, but keep in mind that USC, LSU, and Oklahoma all finished with one loss. Someone was going to miss out. Overall, disrespect, is the best way to describe the way the media and snobby online magazine writers (cough!) treat LSU's 2003 National Championship. Credit is rarely given where due, but I do congratulate Mandel on making that segment of his article seem unbiased. Come on! Completely one-sided statement Stu!

All in all, let me say I do indeed think USC is one heck of a football team. They have got the talent and coaching to year in and year out compete for the National Championship. The problem I have is the relatively lackluster schedule the Trojans seem to play each year. USC does have there road tests, but it seems too often the Trojans are going up against Pac-10 teams that start strong, but finish poorly. Les Miles boldly said what so many coaches, analysts, and fans feel across the country. "USC is a great team, but they do not seem to be in a particularly difficult conference." For me, it is frustrating for a team of that caliber to not seem challenged in their own conference.

One more thing Stu, your Tiger Bait, so by all means continue your suckling of USC and stay the hell out of Louisiana...

Tainted Record

I work as a board operator at 1230 WCWA in Toledo, Ohio. This past week the two hosts of the station's sports show had a guest on air who said something I feel fails to be mentioned.

I consider myself a basketball and football fan. I do not pay particular attention to baseball, except during playoff time. With that said, I still do engage myself in the sport's national issues such as the steroids controversy.

The guest on the show was Christine Brennan of the USA Today and her comments were ones I can only begin to compliment. Paraphrased, Brennan said the Major League Baseball's handling of the Barry Bonds situation has been nothing short of pathetic. One of the greatest records in sports is being approached by nothing more than a cheater. Brennan continues to say Commissioner Bud Selig knew this was going on during the Sosa/McGwire homerun bash, but failed to act. A record has been tainted forever by a cheater.

As for my thoughts on Brennan's remarks, I could not agree more. The media and public fails to blatantly realize that Barry Bonds was and is a cheater. Yes, he was a solid hitter prior to when he began taking steroids, but once he started dosing Bonds was transformed into a power hitter. In fact his head grew three sizes in one season.

I understand lots of people still feel Bonds is innocent considering he has not been convicted. That is where your wrong. As stated by Brennan on the 1230 WCWA sports show, leaked information from a grand jury stated that Barry Bonds did indeed confess to a jury he had taken steroids.

So why has action not been taken? Simple, Bud Selig choose not to in 1998 and sure is heck is not going to be doing it now. He failed the sport of baseball, but more importantly the fans and the game. And it did not help that Barry Bonds cheated a record Hank Aaron earned rightfully.

There are three scenarios I hope happen to Barry Bonds:

1. A pitcher smokes him in the knee and his career is called before he gets the record.
2. No one cheers for his record breaking homerun.
3. Barry Bonds is never elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

It really is unthinkable how bad things have gotten for baseball. Selig failed to act, and Bonds desired to cheat. Result? A huge asterisk next to the 700 something homeruns Barry Bonds hits.

Dear Tim Duncan

Dear Tim Duncan,

Hey man it's me Chris. We have never met, and probably never will. Just wanted to say I am sorry. Sorry for being a part of the group of people who have consistently under appreciated your talents.

Well I am here to say you have convinced me that you are indeed one of the greatest power forwards to ever play the game. Heck, when you probably hang up your shoes you will be the greatest.

Not sure why you had to win 4 championships before I gave you your credit. Most likely it's your quiet demeanor you operate with, or that goofy look you get on your face during a game.

As a basketball fan who loves to study the game, I have come to realize just how exceptional of a player you truly are. Your passing is that of a guard, and that textbook bank shot is a thing of beauty. Through all the criticism, you have kept your head up and continued working hard.

Nothing seems to rattle you, or for that matter make you the least bit upset. At 31 years old most NBA players may be on the down slope of your career. Well believe me, I am convinced you are still very capable of winning a couple more championships.

In fact, I guarantee when you retire you will have at least 6 NBA Championships.

One of the most incredible aspects of your game is not your fluid, grace-like post moves, but rather your instinctive ability to consistently play better come playoff time.

In 10 NBA seasons, you have averaged 21.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. Pretty good, yet come the postseason, Mr. Big Fundamental, you are putting up 23.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. An astounding increase that leads directly to all the hardware you at your home in San Antonio.

Well I think I have said everything that needed to be said. Bottom line, you are the most underrated player in the NBA today. If not in history. Honestly, has anyone in history ever been under appreciated as much as you have? Really can not think of anyone along those lines who is also a 4 time world champion.

You are the perfect ball player as you do not care about individual awards or stats, you simply care about doing what is absolutely the best thing for the team.

Come to think of it, last guy to do that did not turn out all bad. Ain't that so Bill Russell?


Sincerely,


Your Servant