Baseball Cards

Looking through an old old box of baseball cards my dad hadn't thrown away from the house I grew up in (circa 1980 Topps). Among other notable nostalgia it elicited, here's an observation: With rare exception, the three-headed "Future Stars" card was just the absolute kiss of death on the player fulfilling the card's promises. Just a batch of duds...remarkable. - D.S.

Saturday 06/21 (Very) Quickie

Is the NFL partnering with ESPN to turn ESPN Classic into a place for NFL, including the coveted Thusday/Saturday games?! Wow. (H/T: WSJ and my guy Sam Schechner)

Story of the weekend, by far.

Online.wsj.com/at_leisure/sports

Meanwhile, Aramis Ramirez and (of all people) Kyle Lohse as MLB studs.

And Turkey!

-- D.S.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Friday 06/20 A.M. Quickie:Tiger, KG, Joba, Rays, Barkley, More

As compelling storylines go, I didn't think that anything could top KG and the Celtics winning the NBA title this week -- then Tiger happened. I wouldn't want to compare them, but we will probably look back and recognize both stories as two of the Top 3 of 2008. Maybe Top 5. We'll see. That's the gist of the lead of today's Sporting News column, which also...

Totally reverses course on Joba...
Stays on the Rays bandwagon...
Continues to get ready for the NBA draft...
Rips Charles Barkley on gambling (again)...
Rips the NBA age limit, as compared to the NHL (again)...
Declares my Euro 08 knockout-round rooting interest as Holland...
Laments the demise of Blog Show...
And generally gets ready for the weekend.

There's a lot more, as usual. Check it out here.

I'll be posting over the weekend, as usual.

-- D.S.

Sports Bloggers vs. MSM, Part Infinity

This was attempting to be even-handed, but more than anything it was overly simplistic -- not to mention creating something where there really isn't.

(Let's just clarify: By extensively quoting Simmons, Adam Reilly actually frames the debate as newspaper vs. online, not MSM vs. bloggers. Bill isn't a blogger; never has been. Rick Reilly was just being a douchebag when he called him that, revealing his own ignorance about various forms of sports media and their leading practioners.)

What I should have done was give this the FireJoeMorgan treatment. Maybe later.
-- D.S.

UPDATE: Do you know why I love sports blogs? Because Fire Joe Morgan just DID give this column their treatment. Here you go.

Thursday 06/19 A.M. Quickie:Tiger, A-Rod, NBA Draft, Michigan, More

Sorry for the delay today. Tiger's absence obliterates golf's relevancy. Brett Favre is so obviously coming back to the NFL. A-Rod is the new Marcus Thames. Michael Beasley is the linchpin of the NBA Draft. Michigan stopped Northwestern signal-stealing. I got something wrong yesterday (big surprise there). But if it's 2:30 already, you should have already seen the column earlier this morning, right? RIGHT?! -- D.S.

Tiger Woods Done For the Year

Wow: Kind of makes his US Open win that much more impressive, doesn't it?

Golf is in trouble. Fundamental national irrelevance for the remainder of '08.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 06/18 A.M. Quickie:Yes, Yes, the Celtics Rule. Sigh.

I may not be a fan of the Celtics or their fans, but I can appreciate a great champion when I see one -- particularly one that wins a close-out game by a record 39.

I feel good for KG. I feel less good (but still good) for Pierce and Allen. You can see just how good I feel about them in today's Sporting News column.

What I am mostly struck by is the turnaround, perhaps the most dramatic in sports history. Credit Danny Ainge for pulling it off.

I have said for a while that anything less than an NBA title for this Celtics team would be a failure. That set them up to merely MEET expectations -- never exceed them.

But I think that, in this case, meeting the expectations -- given how massive they were -- is amazing in and of itself.

Meanwhile, Marcus Thames. It's not the 5 straight games with a HR. It's the fact that his last 8 hits have all been HR. THAT is the ludicrous part.

Michael Beasley is "only" 6-7 and I contend that will be enough for Pat Riley -- who never liked Beasley anyway -- to take OJ Mayo ahead of him. We'll see.

There is a ton more in today's SN column, so check it out here. It's a getaway day for me, but I will try to have another post later.

-- D.S.

NBA Draft 1998: 10 Years Later?

About 8 job lives ago, I was a columnist and editor for SI.com. I was looking up something else via Google and ran across something: Look at this NBA draft superlatives list I did in 1998. Check out the insanely dated references! The wince-inducing wordplay! (I can't believe I actually correctly predicted that Paul Pierce would be the king of the draft class.) Cripes, has it really been 10 years? I'm so freaking old. -- D.S.

Tuesday 06/17 A.M. Quickie:Mets, Tiger, Rocco, Hank, NBA Draft

Stories that break overnight are fun, because when I file my column -- whether it was the Quickie or like today in my SN column -- I was among the first with an opinion. (Now, whether that opinion is worthwhile or not is another story...)

With Willie Randolph getting axed -- strangely, after a road win against a division-leading AL team -- you just got the sense that the moment typified the maddening mediocrity.

What should have been a big win instead merely put the Mets one game UNDER .500, with their season just shy of 70 games complete. Was Willie about to turn it around?

Obviously, the Wilpons thought he wasn't. Not sure why they took him on the road trip, though, because this feels like it was a done-deal.

Meanwhile, the opposite effect is in play for Tiger: With the epic 19-hold playoff over by 5, the topic was beaten into the ground by this morning.

"Tiger is awesome."

"Best Tiger major win ever."

"Who else stopped working?"

Even David Brooks used the event as column-fodder in today's NY Times (always interesting when non-sports columnists dive into sports, even if Tiger transcends sports at this point).

I am actually far more fascinated with Rocco. (It's just "Rocco" now, by the way.) It is possible to lose the match -- the major -- and win the day. In Rocco's case, the fame from taking Tiger to the edge should more than make up for the missed major.

Meanwhile, in MLB, Hank Steinbrenner hates the NL pitcher-bats rule. Given that Wang is out until September, I don't blame him, but his frustration is misplaced. Yeah, they're going to change the rule, just for you, Hank.

The NBA Draft was notable more for who dropped out than who stayed in: UNC's trio of players (Lawson, Ellington and Green) went back to Chapel Hill, making UNC the overwhelming No. 1 team next season. Of course, look at all the good that did them at this past Final Four.

There's a bunch more in the column, of course. Here is a link to the main column page, but you'll have to click through to see the whole thing.

-- D.S.

Monday 06/16 A.M. Quickie:Tiger, Lakers, Griffey, Tigers, More

Tiger Woods is ridiculous, and we should all thank him for the workday diversion today, beginning at noon and running all afternoon. It's like the first two days of the NCAA Tournament: Take a long lunch at the nearest sports bar.

Tiger bumps the NBA Finals as the lead of today's Sporting News column -- as he should. Meanwhile...

I can't believe that Celtics fans would be sweating losing Game 5; given the history in the NBA Finals at work -- no team has ever come back from being down 3-1, no road team has ever won both Games 6 and 7 -- there is little to worry about (except the karmic boomerang from the 2004 ALCS, obviously).

I would love to see Ken Griffey on the Rays, but not at the expense of Tampa's best young arms... Willie Randolph may not make it back to NYC after the Mets' road trip... Can the Tigers have too-little-too-late on June 15?

In case you missed it this weekend, a tribute to Ralph Wiley on the (near-) anniversary of his death four years ago, plus -- yes -- I need to clarify my argument from earlier in the weekend that I would rather lose in the playoffs with Arenas (maximizing my entertainment value for an entire season) than lose in the playoffs without him (without the extra six months of Gilbertainment). I mean: As long as I'm losing in the playoffs anyway...

(That's really all I was saying. I'm not saying I don't want to win an NBA championship; I'm saying that no matter WHO the Wizards would get to build around if they let Gilbert go -- being reasonable here -- they will almost certainly not be winning an NBA title. If they had pulled off that rumored preseason trade for Kobe, it would have been interesting. But, let's face it: Not nearly as entertaining.)

Anyway, there's a ton more in the column today. Check it out here. (It should be up by 8:30 or 9, and you'll have to click through my main archive page to get to the full version.)

-- D.S.

Sunday 06/15 (Very) Quickie: Tiger!

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there. Let's start with the ultimate dad: Tiger Woods, raised by the ultimate sports dad, now a dad himself.

In what was instantly one of the most classic moments of his career (and arguably his finest moment ever), Tiger's limping surge to the US Open lead was the stuff of legend. I can't remember a greater moment in his career, including the '97 Masters, which was the previous gold standard.

Was it the 70-foot eagle putt on 13 that seemed to signal his surge? The one-hop chipper on 17 that bounced in for a birdie? (The look on his face after that shot went in was perhaps my favorite sports reaction shot of all time) Or maybe the way he closed it out, with that 30-foot putt for eagle on 18? Cripes. ALL ON THAT GIMPY KNEE!

(Caveat: It doesn't mean anything if he doesn't win today, and there's no guarantee the knee doesn't give out on him. But do you really think that he won't win? If you're lined up against him, do you really think you can take him? He has never lost a lead heading into a Sunday of a major. So there's that.)

Is everyone ready for the NBA season to end tonight? As long as the Celtics are going to win, isn't it more appropriate they win in Boston?

Good question: If you're a Celtics fan, and you knew you were going to win the title anyway, wouldn't you prefer to see them win it on the home court?

MLB: Interleague mania. Rays over Marlins behind Garza... A's Harden shuts out Giants in Bay Area battle... 5-run 10th (incl Kouzmanoff grand slam) leads Padres over Indians... Kevin Youkilis should be an All-Star...

NASCAR: Name to Know -- Joey Logano, who last night became the youngest driver ever (18 years, 21 days) to win a Nationwide series race. He will be a HUGE star once he gets to the Sprint Cup level...which at this pace, could be any week now.

NFL: Chad Johnson participated in drills on Saturday. Of course he did.

Again, happy father's day everyone. Catch you in the a.m.

-- D.S.

Saturday 06/14 (Very) Quickie

Lost in the news of Tim Russert's death: It was the 4th anniversary of Ralph Wiley's death, which I remembered in a post published earlier this morning.

Tiger Woods is 1 stroke back of the US Open lead after 2 rounds: No signs of knee problems yet! Again, I either wanted to see him win (but predicted he wouldn't) or fail epically. Looks like the latter is out of the question.

MLB to use instant replay as of August 1? What an amazing development that will ultimately help the game. Kudos to MLB for being aggressive about getting it implemented.

More MLB: How freaky was that Chipper Jones BP injury?... Back-to-back-to-back HRs for the Phillies (including, of course, Chase Utley) in that 20-2 rout of the Cards... Congrats to Barry Zito on racking up his 10th loss... Walk-off Watch: Chad Tracy for the D'backs in a 1-0 10-inning win over the Royals... Who had Andy Sonnanstine with 7 wins?... Fantasy Stud: Grady Sizemore, with 2 HR, continuing his All-Star-caliber season.

NFL: Why do Bills executives keep getting subpoenaed to talk about the Marshawn Lynch hit-and-run case?

NBA: I don't know where those Elton Brand-Gilbert Arenas team-swapping rumors are coming from, but I'm not sure I like them. Sure, Brand would give the Wizards an imposing frontcourt presence in the East, which combined with Jamison and Butler would be the best frontcourt in the East.

That said, as I am pretty convinced the Wizards will never win the East, let alone the NBA Finals, I would rather be entertained 82 games a year by Gilbert Arenas on my team than fall short in the playoffs (again) less entertainingly. That's an interesting prospect to flesh out, actually. I'm going to think about that for next week.

-- D.S.

Remembering Ralph Wiley

Tim Russert's death reminded me of another passing a few years ago, and as it turns out, it was four years ago yesterday: Ralph Wiley, who also died of a heart attack, also while doing something he loved -- in Wiley's case, watching the NBA Finals.

Wiley was a colleague of mine at Page 2 and, though I didn't know him as well as others, I hope he would have considered me a friend. Beyond his writing talent, which -- both at the time and with the benefit of hindsight -- I felt was pre-eminent in sports media, he had a huge heart, particularly for younger writers. A copy of the "attaboy" email he sent me when the Quickie was launched remains in my wallet, it meant that much to me.

Much like Russert's NBC colleagues were lamenting his lost voice and direction during this most momentous of presidential election campaigns, I feel like sports has been missing Ralph's voice for the last four years, between the scandals and the sensations. I would have loved his take on Vick; I would have loved his take on the Donaghy scandal. I would have loved his take on the past NBA season.

The other day, I went back into his archives to try to see if he had written about noticing anything untoward in the now-infamous Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference finals. I ended up getting lost in it for an hour -- and I could have spent much much longer, his columns were just that good.

I think Ralph would have made an amazing blogger -- while I'm not sure anyone wrote a long-form column better than Ralph, I think he would have loved to complement his longer writing with the blog platform, particularly its give-and-take with the community. While Page 2 gave him a new platform and a new relevance as a giant within online sports media, I think he would have been even bigger as the medium has advanced over the past four years.

He remains dearly missed, and I regret not having this post yesterday on the anniversary of his death, which continues to sadden me.

-- D.S.

Tim Russert Dead at 58 of a Heart Attack

This is incredibly shocking, for a couple of reasons, most notably that Russert was probably the most larger-than-life person in all of political media.

He effectively had "called" the Democratic nominating process for Barack Obama the night of the Indiana-NC primaries, and it could be argued that it was the beginning of the end of the beginning. He seemed to be particularly energized by this election year.

His connection to sports was obvious (especially on Meet the Press) and he was a passionate fan, especially of his beloved Buffalo Bills. Whenever I was at a Wizards game, he seemed to be there. He was on the Board of Directors of the Baseball Hall of Fame. (Here is a relevant sports-focused Q&A with him from an old Page 2 feature.)

The timing seems remarkably cruel (as if the timing of death is ever anything but), given that it is Father's Day weekend and Russert's best work probably came when writing about his father, "Big Russ and Me."

Condolences to his family, friends and fans.

-- D.S.

Friday 06/13 A.M. Quickie:Celtics Title-Worthy, Lakers Chokers, More

I cannot freaking believe the Lakers blew that lead. The series is over. (I'd say "all but over," but really -- who are we kidding?)

That's the lead of my Sporting News column this morning.

And it's not like the Lakers choked -- well, yes, they did choke. But the Celtics deserve the credit for putting together the greatest comeback ever in a single Finals game.

To review: Boston sports fans now own the best playoff-series comeback of all time (2004 ALCS) and the best championship-series single-game comeback of all time.

I can't decide if it happening in Game 4 when they were already up 2-1 makes it more or less impressive -- sure, it could have been in a Game 7.

But the larger assumption was that the Celtics would simply say, "Hey, we're on the road. We're down by 24. Let's write this one off and concentrate on winning 2 of the next 3."

That is precisely what they DIDN'T do, and that is why they are now going to be remarkably worthy NBA champions.

Please consider my track record of crapping on Boston teams when evaluating the sentiments above.

It might not seem like it, but I am not some out-and-out hater; I recognize and appreciate greatness in sports when I see it -- and that was a GREAT win. A champion's win.

Yesterday, I might have been dismissive. Today, it is easy for me to accept them as champs.

Meanwhile, I feel like Jamie Moyer is one of those pitchers that you really need to go out and see in person if he is pitching in your town on any given day. What he is doing at 45 is nothing less than remarkable, even with that 4-plus ERA.

Did you know that only 250 players in MLB history have 2,000 or more hits? That's not quite the 600-HR Club, but it's pretty damn exclusive -- and now Ray Durham is in the group.

(I was have been doing a lot of milestone-related research this week, what with Griffey and now Durham, and you know whose name pops up on both the all-time HR and all-time hits list? Ellis Burks. 350+ HR and 2000+ hits. Who knew?)

The NFL may not want reporters live-blogging from the press box, but I argue that that's not what they should be focusing on anyway -- it's a waste of their time and energy.

NBA Draft: Obviously, I am more attuned to Marreesse Speights than most. He will be a better pro player than college player -- he needs to be in the right system, though, because he was soft. I would have loved to have him back on the Gators next season, but it is what it is.

I have a fairly straightforward rule: If you are going to be a first-round NBA pick -- at any draft slot -- you are pretty stupid not to jump to the pros. An extra year of college might raise your draft stock (and thus your first contract), but I think that a year of practice under NBA coaches (even if you aren't playing that much in games) makes you far more ready to succeed in the NBA than an extra year of college productivity.

There is a lot more in the column today. Here is a link to check it out.

It's Father's Day weekend, so happy father's day to all those dads out there. I'll be blogging all weekend as usual, but if you're not stopping by until Monday, happy dad's day.

-- D.S.

Thursday 06/12 A.M. Quickie:Tiger, Phil, Rondo, Soriano, Pujols, More

First, if you missed it yesterday, I'd direct you to the post directly below (or here). It's a book review, but also a bit of a discussion-starter about the role of youth sports in society.

OK, so today's Sporting News column leads with the US Open, but only so I can have the rare chance to say "Field" over "Tiger." I am torn between rooting for some kind of awesome Tiger-as-Kerri-Strug victory for the ages vs. Tiger falling totally flat on his face and failing.

Meanwhile, I'm ready to stop talking about whether the NBA is rigged and simply look forward to the NBA ensuring that the Lakers win Game 4 tonight -- I'm quite sure the NBA has special psychokinetic powers that will keep Rondo gimpy...oh, and they'll use them! -- and make the NBA Finals a little more interesting (if exposing the 2-3-2 format as anti-competitive).

Seriously, if there were any concerns that the NBA is rigged, the league's insistence on using the 2-3-2 format in the Finals should shut that down. There couldn't be anything less competition-friendly than that.

Over in MLB, it's a big morning for injuries: Soriano. Pujols. And it's a big morning for Dan Uggla, who would be the best 2B in MLB if it wasn't for Chase Utley, who happens to lead Uggla for the NL HR lead, but only by 1 after Uggla's walk-off grand slam last night.

There's a ton more in the column today, so check it out. And, if you're a Varsity Dad fan, I will be updating that blog a couple of times today with after-thoughts from yesterday's post about Tom Farrey's book "Game On."

-- D.S.

Slow Children Playing: A Book Review of "Game On" by Tom Farrey

"Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children" by Tom Farrey was one of the most fascinating sports books I have read in a long time, and it would make an amazing Father's Day gift.

Actually, I would like to send a copy to every dad (and mom) out there who harbors fantasies of athletic glory for their children. I have a simple message: Get over it.

When I launched the Varsity Dad blog, its mission was simple: How to raise an all-star sports fan. I intentionally side-stepped raising an all-star athlete, because I think it is delusional at best and debilitating at worst.

Farrey's book both re-affirmed my perspective and enlightened me to angles of it that I hadn't previously considered.

First, a disclosure: Tom and I worked together at ESPN.com back in the mid-1990s. We got along very well back then -- for an ex-newspaper guy, he "got it" about online media. He has since gone on to fame as part of ESPN the Mag and, most recently, the "E:60" TV show, but he remains someone whose work I really admire. I consider him a friend.

I tagged quite a few details throughout the book as I was reading it, but one stood out as simple, yet profound:

"Kids play, then become fans. Not the other way around."

There are some pretty disturbing things in the book: Youth-sports participation levels are plummeting, particularly in the inner cities. State, local and national government and non-government organizations are gutting sports, park and rec budgets.

Farrey found incredibly compelling individual stories to tell to highlight some of the larger trends. I wanted to loathe these people; thanks to Farrey's fair portrayal, I found myself pitying them.

(That's not to say I didn't find a handful of people to loathe, among them Bobby Dodd, the sketchy impresario of AAU -- perhaps the biggest scourge in youth sports in the last century -- and the various charlatans, like Hoop Scoop's Clark Francis, who "rank" youth basketball players, then box out responsibility by claiming cost-of-doing-business.)

The book is cleverly divided into 14 "ages" as chapters, with each representing a fascinating facet of the youth sports machine that roughly corresponds to that age. Yes, there is plenty to talk about for "Age 1" or "Age 2" or "Age 3"; youth sports mania doesn't start in elementary school. If you believe some of the stories in the book, if you are just thinking about youth sports then, you are already helplessly behind if you want your child to be a star.

And I guess that's the point: Do you want your child to be a sports star? Even if your motivation is to earn your child a college scholarship (which is insanely competitive, usually not that much money, usually debilitating to the kid and, more often than not, going to parents who may not need the help), you are selling out your kid's youth -- not to mention putting a lot more money in than you will probably get back in scholarship funding -- for something that likely isn't worth it.

Don't get me wrong: I want my kid to play sports. At their best, I think youth sports build confidence, help physical development (in this day and age, almost synonymous with "avoid obesity") and teach the value of teamwork, hard work and sportsmanship -- at least when they are taught by people who know what they are doing, which is often a rough assumption.

I played youth sports. Growing up in Montgomery County, Maryland, EVERYONE played soccer. We had a robust open youth league. I played from 1st grade until 4th grade, two seasons per year. My team was horrible. I should know: I was the goalie, and responsible for much of that horribleness.

When I was in 4th grade, a new kid came to our elementary school, and he was like this man-child all-world goalie. He joined our open, neighborhood team of friends and I was quickly displaced. It worked out OK: We actually won our division title, which after those years of winlessness felt pretty good.

Then the super-goalie left for a "select" team, as did our best offensive player. A few of us were recruited to play on another "select" team with kids from another school and neighborhood. It was supposed to be a merger, but we were basically filler for the team's finances; I rarely played. Even the cool jersey -- with collars and names on the back! -- had my last name misspelled. I lasted one year, then hopped to another select team (warm-up suits with my name on the back!), lasted one more year, then gave up soccer. I wasn't good enough, and I didn't enjoy the pressure of "select."

I didn't pick up youth sports again until high school, when I joined my high school's "no-cuts" rowing team, which was an amazing experience.

Still, in way way way distant hindsight, those early formative years playing in the "open" soccer leagues feel really fun; as we got older -- and this is just in the span of elementary school, mind you -- it got so much less fun, first with a dictatorial coach who led us to our one and only division title, then the whole "select" experience.

Do I harbor fantasies of my kid being some sort of athletic superstar? Of course, but only because I am a huge sports fan. But he won't be the next Tim Tebow or the next Jordan Farmar or the next Ryan Braun.

After reading Farrey's book, I'm not even sure he will make it through elementary school sports leagues. And I'm not even sure I want him to.

I will push him to enjoy sports on his terms, but even if he was insanely passionate about playing one particular sport -- something I will attempt to keep from happening, frankly -- I think that part of being a parent is managing your child's sports experience just as actively as you would manage their education or their health or their manners or their ability to deal with life as it comes in any form.

To the extent that I want my kid to be a really good sports fan, I similarly don't want to inflict my own interests on him; if he doesn't want to be a sports fan, that's fine with me. To the extent that "kids play, then they become fans," I want to make sure he has the chance to be exposed to all sorts of play. He doesn't have to play pee-wee football to love football; maybe it's just throwing the ball around with his old man or his friends in the neighborhood.

If they can find the time in their (over-)scheduled youth-sports lives to play backyard football. Because that's an open question. The real shame will be if there isn't anyone around to play with him. I'm hoping that Farrey's book sparks a conversation about what parents can do -- and should do -- to encourage their child to participate in sports.

As you can tell, reading the book prompted a lot of introspection, and I'm not even close to thinking through all of the various factors. What I know is that it doesn't make me want to inflict the hyper-competitive youth-sports culture on my kid, but it does make me want to run outside and play with him on a beautiful spring day.

"Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children" by Tom Farrey is published by ESPN Books and available at bookstores (or you can just click here for Amazon.) Tom's site for the book can be found at TomFarrey.com.

Let's keep the discussion going in the Comments section. I will try to post them as often as I can.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 06/11 A.M. Quickie:NBA Scandal, NBA Finals, Pujols, More

So apparently there was an NBA scandal yesterday and the Finals made a brief appearance.

The scandal all comes down to one thing: Do you believe Tim Donaghy? (That is the lead of today's Sporting News column.)

Do you believe, as David Stern would argue, that Donaghy is a convicted felon and thus disqualified from ever telling the truth?

Or do you believe that Donaghy had no reason to lie -- and certainly no reason to lie to the federal agents who were pushing him?

Instinctually, I believe the latter -- I believe Donaghy. Because I believe my own eyes. I remember that Lakers-Kings series in 2002 and remember how most fans (at least the conspiracy buffs) were like: Cripes, this reffing looks like they're trying to rig the series.

At the time, perhaps you were laughed off by the "purists" or the mainstream media, which had a vested interest in protecting its relationship with the NBA. But evidence sure seemed to favor the conspiracy-minded.

Now there is corroboration, at least in the form of a convicted felon.

I have always believed that the league influenced the officiating -- perhaps to ensure dramatic series, but if nothing else, to protect stars and correct "mistakes" (even over-correct).

It's not a leap to hear what Donaghy had to say and say, "I believe it."

The second part of that is: If you kind of suspected that the NBA was enhancing the officiating all along, this kind of revelation is hardly shocking, let alone enough to turn you off to the game. We've been watching since 2002; you simply said: Eh, that's the way it is.

The fact is, even if the league wanted the Lakers to avoid losing in 6 to Sacto back in 02, the Lakers were the ones who gritted out the Game 7... or the Kings choked it away... or, at the extreme, the league cooked the series to ensure its biggest draw advanced to the Finals.

So: If this comes as a shock to you, you were naive. If this doesn't move at least a little (if only to confirm your conspiracy theories), you were jaded beyond help.

I don't think this harms the league at all: The Donaghy scandal broke last summer... and the league ended up with what many avid fans felt was the best season in a decade or more.

OK, so, where were we? Oh, the Lakers finally won a game? Fantastic. I'm sure the NBA made sure the refs knew that home-court advantage should mean something. (Oh shoot. There goes the conspiracies again.)

Here is the full Sporting News column from today.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 06/10 A.M. Quickie:Griffey, Strahan, NBA Finals, Viagra, More

My favorite Ken Griffey home run ever doesn't even count toward 600: The blast off the warehouse wall during the 1993 Home Run Derby. But I'm not sure any of his HRs were as symbolic of his power and playfulness as that one.

Griffey leads today's Sporting News column.

Speaking of Sporting News, did you see this in today's New York Times? (What: No mention of the bloggers? Damn! They missed the best angle!)

Meanwhile, I'm sure the cover of the NY Daily News -- about Roger Clemens and others using Viagra for performance enhancement OUT of the boudoir -- will be a popular meme today.

Otherwise, we're talking:
Free-throw disparity in the NBA Finals...
Evan Longoria's awesomeness...
The White Sox finding another hero...
MLB on iPhones...
Coaching changes in the NBA...

(OK: Who else has vivid memories of Vinny Del Negro while he played at NC State?)

And if you are from Holland or just like the color orange, congratulations on your big 3-0 win over Italy.

You know what June in the NFL is? Scandals and retirements. Cedric Benson goes down as one of the biggest draft busts ever... Michael Strahan heads off to a very lucrative TV career (without Jason Taylor's drama-queen element)... T.O. is T.O.

Here is a link to the complete column.

More coming later today, and if you stopped by yesterday, you know that I'm not kidding.

-- D.S.

Who Will Be Deadspin's Next Editor?

6-to-1 odds? That puts me somewhere between Big Brown and Da' Tara, I guess.

The level of amazing names around mine on that list (with a couple of laughable exceptions, including mine) shows you what a top-tier job editing Deadspin would be.

You could argue that -- various issues aside (which I may or may not get to in a future post) -- it is the most coveted top-editing job in sports media.

-- D.S.

iPhone SDK Apps: MLB Hits Lead-Off HR

I have been tracking the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference today, and the SDK apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch have at least one sports application that might intrigue:

Among the case-study apps that Apple unveiled, one came from MLB. Let me quote from the MacRumors.com live-blog:

The app shows today's games with live, detailed scoring. It also includes real-time video highlights, which are delivered right after the play -- not the game. It will be included in the launch of the App Store.

That emphasis is mine.

This is a game-changer. Presuming that other leagues follow suit (and that's no given; MLB is pretty forward-thinking when it comes to tech apps), this might totally redefine a highlight culture that has been dependent on "post-game highlights."

When the highlights can come as soon as they happen, we are connected that much more closely to our sports (and, from the league's perspective, to MLB). This feels like a win for both sides, fan and league.

-- D.S.

UPDATE: That was fast. (Uh: As fast as usual.) Reader KL writes in with a quasi-correction/explanation to the above post:

I just wanted to let you know that MLB currently offers real-time video highlights on their website, through Game Day. This new app will move it to the mobile world, but they already have the functionality. I was impressed when I noticed it earlier this year and really like the forward thinking nature of it. Moving to the iPhone just takes it one step further.

Fair enough. iPhone and iPod Touch owners only! (Really: Moving this functionality to mobile will be big, won't it?)

On College Football Preseason Picks

SMQ drops two must-read posts about CFB preseason picks.

The first is philosophical, and I largely agree with it. You can't see Stanford-over-USC coming, but you can certainly stop with using the "on a neutral field" argument for creating your rankings in favor of SMQ's "resume"-based rankings.

The second dives right into a look at the preseason mags' picks at the top.

I spent my weekend immersed in Phil Steele's preview mag -- just so you all don't think I'm playing favorites here (um, more than usual), Steele himself picks Florida as his No. 1 team. (Athlon did the same thing, though Lindy's picked them 6, most presumably based on Lindy's belief that Florida will lose head-to-head to Georgia, who the mag tabs as their No. 1 team.)

Rather than the unexpected title of 2006, I actually had been eyeing 2008 as Florida's best shot to win it all: Tebow and Harvin as juniors, time for Meyer's blue-chip recruits to develop a little and, most of all, a very friendly schedule (as friendly as the SEC schedule can be).

That's one reason I can't buy Georgia -- hell, UGA might not make it through their first month, which includes at South Carolina, at Arizona State and Alabama in back-to-back-to-back weeks.

SMQ is right about one factor: There appear to be three virtual "play-off"/"play-in" games: USC-Ohio State, Georgia-Florida and, to a lesser degree, Oklahoma-Missouri. If the winners of those games also run the table, they are the clear-cut favorites, with the winner of the first two with an inside track -- precisely because of the inspiration for this post:

Preseason rankings matter. Even the ones that come out in the magazines in May and June. The reason is because perceptions matter, when the control of the national-title game is in the hands of "human" pollsters.

If you start the season near the top and just keep winning, you will stay at the top. Period. Even though the reasoning that put you there originally -- the Original Sin of Rankings, so to speak -- was based on virtually nothing.

Compare that to the fate of the teams that start the season unranked -- or near the back of the Top 25 -- and have to wait for things to happen in front of them (beyond their control) to move up. Not to get an early start on crapping on Ohio State, but look at Ohio State last year.

Preseason rankings matter, because of all of the factors that go into ranking teams in the various human polls -- and I'm talking about the ones that "matter" -- the greatest factor of all isn't W/L or strength of schedule...

It's inertia.

And make no mistake: The place where that battle is won -- and, remember, this is presuming that the team at the top simply keeps winning to maintain its place there -- is in the preseason.

So you can mock the preseason magazines or the preseason rankings; you can try to call them meaningless. But you do it at your own risk. In the absence of a playoff, they are as big of a factor as any -- at least until the wins and losses on the field set things right.

So I will gladly take that No. 1 ranking from Phil Steele or Athlon's, just as I'm sure that Ohio State will take its No. 1 ranking from a cumulative total.

Fortunately for everyone, both Florida and Ohio State face up-or-out games at least once this season. And even if they win those, there's always the black swan.

-- D.S.

Monday 06/09 A.M. Quickie:Celtics, Belmont, Nadal, ChiSox, More

I think that the Lakers' comeback from 24 down with less than 8 to play -- even in a loss that put them in an 0-2 series hole -- was more telling than the Celtics' win.

The 2-3-2 format offers the opportunity to the Lakers to come roaring back with 3 straight wins, with all the momentum in the world and knowing they CAN win in Boston.

I am obsessed with Big Brown's epic failure, so much so that its ramifications across sports fandom led my Sporting News column this morning -- failure in the face of can't-miss success is so much more interesting than winning. Schadenfreude rules.

For example, the Giants' win was amazing, but not nearly as interesting as the Pats' losing. Da' Tara was a fine longshot story, but Big Brown losing was much more fascinating.

The Celtics went up 2-0 in their Finals series, but the Lakers' comeback was much more revealing. (And for all the hype for the Big Three, Leon Powe's unexpected 21-point surge was by far the most interesting of the Celtics' victory storylines, perhaps in all of the postseason.)

There is a ton more in today's column:

Celebrating the White Sox...
Honoring Dom Hasek...
Mocking Pat Riley...
Marveling at the US Soccer team...
Ripping Bill Plaschke...
And a lot more... after the jump.

More later today.

-- D.S.

-- D.S.

Sunday 06/08 (Very) Quickie

Big Brown chokes away Triple Crown: I can appreciate if you bet against Big Brown winning (although there probably weren't many of you), but would you have taken longest of long-shots Da' Tara? I don't think so. While less historic, I found BB's loss far more dramatic than I likely would have found a win.

Suns to hire Terry Porter: The team was built around D'Antoni's "7 Seconds or Less" philosophy -- will Porter simply keep that going, or will he put another twist on it?

Ana Ivanovic is the new Maria Sharapova -- actually, she's No. 1 in the world and riding a French Open championship.

Cedric Benson is the new Pac-Man Jones? If nothing else, kind of delinquent.

Who put Johnny Damon in the way-back machine? 6-for-6 with a walk-off single?

Joe Crede: 2 HR for the 2nd straight game. But, no, I don't need HR and RBI on my fantasy team (on whose waiver wire Crede has been available for weeks), not at all.

Now that the Mets are 1 game under .500, the question is: Is Willie Randolph going to be fired this week?

NHL Awards: Looks like Alex Ovechkin will be MVP. At least, if you believe NHL.com.

Jim McKay, 86: Condolences to family, friends and fans of one of the most legendary sports broadcasters. His work during the 1972 Munich Olympics may very well have been the most memorable news reporting by a sportscaster in the history of television.

MDS interviews Leitch about his Deadspin departure: You probably won't get more in-depth insight into this story than this post here, if you're interested.

-- D.S.

Saturday 06/07 (Very) Quickie

Big Brown runs for immortality later today, and I'm not sure there has been a bigger lock in sports this year than B.B. winning the Triple Crown.

As it turns out, Doug Collins will NOT be coaching the Bulls, which is really good news for Bulls fans.

Will Paul Pierce play in Game 2? He says "great chance," I say there will be a great chance that his will-he-or-won't-he will be inflated to ludicrous Willis Reed proportions (hey, they already started during Game 1, which was laughable).

Brandon Webb: 11 wins.
Scott Kazmir: Ws in 6 straight starts.

The White Sox are Chicago's new hot team and won their 4th straight: Quentin HR, Crede 2 HR.

French Open: You don't have to like tennis to be interested in watching Federer-Nadal in the final tomorrow.

-- D.S.

Friday 06/06 A.M. Quickie:Celtics, Big Brown, Chipper, D-Mac, More

Paul Pierce is not Willis Reed. Why not let Pierce's dramatic turnaround have its own moment, rather than saddle it with historical baggage? More later, but that's today's SN lead item.

(This is what I get for having multiple blogs. I posted this to Varsity Dad earlier this morning by mistake, and it took an email from my mom to make me realize it. Thanks for reading, Mom!)

-- D.S.

Will Leitch Leaving Deadspin

Here is his post. My reaction coming shortly. However, it is just about as big as news gets within the sports blog universe, given Leitch's pole position and uber-prominence. Big shoes. Really big. Congrats to him on an unbelievable run that entertained as much as it influenced, which is saying something. New York Mag is lucky to grab him. -- D.S.

With Drew Magary As Big Daddy Drew

What a big moment -- no pun intended -- for the guy who is probably the funniest sportswriter in America today.

When folks talk about talents who would have likely been found anyway, but for whom the platform of blogs was the ultimate accelerant, Drew is usually Example A.

I also liked his take on anony-bloggers. Obviously, I didn't go that way, but I respect and appreciate all who do.

But there's no question: There is a reason all these formerly anonymous bloggers are suddenly outing themselves; your best brand equity ultimately is in your name -- your real name.

(Thus: DanShanoff.com, rather than DailyQuickie.com.)

-- D.S.

Free Darko Invites Me In for Free Drafto

I really do love the NBA Draft, and I didn't participate in this roundtable at Free Darko nearly as much as I should have, but I appreciated the invite to be a part of it, even in my small way.

Thursday 06/05 A.M. Quickie:NBA Finals, Wings Win, Cubs Lose, More

Do you HAVE to pick a side in the NBA Finals? What if you hate BOTH teams?

Is it possible to not have a rooting interest (or be rooting against both), but simply want to see a good series? Can you not be rooting for a particular result, but still have an opinion about who will win?

Of course: Lakers in 5, which will become a stinging indictment of the NBA's 2-3-2 Finals system.

The NBA Finals lead today's Sporting News column. Apparently, something was in my Wheaties this morning, because -- format-wise -- it is as rapid-fire as it has been in a while. (Too many one-liner comments can be too much, even for someone who loves the shallow commentary, but today for whatever reason, that was the vibe I was feeling.)

Anyway, there's a lot more: Tons of MLB (even the MLB Draft), a big fat acknowledgement that I don't know enough about hockey to properly put the Wings' Cup win into perspective.

(But I do know enough about sports fans to know that Game 5 was a breakthrough for the league. OK, so here's how they sustain it: Only hold do-or-die playoff games that go into 3OT and make sure they are on national broadcast network TV. Yeah, right.)

For god's sake, I even reference Euro 08. But no references to Drew Magary. That's for later.

Complete column here. More later.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 06/04 A.M. Quickie:Wade, Bonds, Joba, Pedro, Cubs, More

There are two fairly provocative memes floating around in the last 24 hours, which I awkwardly mashed together as the lead of today's Sporting News column:

Should the Heat trade Dwyane Wade to the Bulls? (My opinion, essentially: Why not?)

Should the Red Sox sign Barry Bonds? (My opinion, essentially: Why not?)

Alone, they are merely fantastic topics of discussion/argument. Together, they spice up an otherwise fairly quiet mid-week lull as we are bombarded with memories of the NBA in the 80s.

More from the column: Joba sucks, Pedro rules, Josh Hamilton rules, Joe Saunders rules, the Cubs rule, Chipper Jones rules. There's a lot more, as usual.

Including: Jamie Mottram and Dan Steinberg finally posted the video of Erin Andrews coming on their locally produced Blog Show. (Two words: So jealous.)

I know EA is the biggest star among proprietors and readers of the sports-blog world, but I would argue that ESPN doesn't have a more valuable talent. She should have a much bigger stage than mere sideline reporter for ESPN's biggest events (MLB, CFB, CBB, B-E-E...hey, why not MNF?) Prediction: She'll have her own full-time show within a year from now.

It's a getaway day for me (a day ahead of MLB), so I'd like to post more later, but we'll see. Surprising: No reaction to my prediction yesterday afternoon that Google will epically disrupt the online sports landscape for fans and media players alike?

-- D.S.

Google Sports Will Rule Online Sports

For those of us who eat, sleep and breathe the online sports business, this is worth filing away.

This goes beyond the "commodity" content like scores, stats and recaps (which drive a you-have-no-idea-how-much proportion of the page views on the major sports sites), presented in that post above.

What "commodity" content quickly turns into is...fantasy sports applications, the motherlode of sports traffic online.

If/when Google gets into fantasy sports -- something entirely data-driven the Google could do very well -- the game will be over for everyone else.

(When my Gmail email app and my Gtalk IM app and my Google Alerts and my Google Docs and my Google News updates are all working seamlessly in a fantasy app, that's It.)

There are too many page views and too much ad revenue in fantasy sports for Google not to see this as an incredibly intriguing application extension.

(How convenient that the Supreme Court just agreed that fantasy stats should be universally accessible to anyone, even without a license from the leagues. That's a bulls-eye for Google.)

-- D.S.

Tuesday 06/03 A.M. Quickie:Pens, NBA Finals, Utley, Zambrano, More

I haven't watched much of the NHL playoffs, but I happened to watch the 3rd period last night -- who wants to miss a championship moment?

Apparently, we all do: The series goes on. What a goal at the end of regulation. I couldn't stay up for all 3 OTs, but Fleury's 55 saves told the story well enough.

When it comes to championship games, it's all about expectations, as I write in today's Sporting News column: Some teams are "Title or Bust"; some are "Happy to Be Here."

In fact, I would argue that in every championship pairing, you can divide the participants into one of those two categories.

The Penguins defied the latter, even if they aren't quite the former yet. But I think their fans have to be happy that if indeed the team is going down, they're going down swinging.

Expectations are my big factor in the NBA Finals, too: You Celtics fans can correct me (as you always do), but it seems that with this team, anything less than a championship is a failure, even if the mere turnaround from last season would argue otherwise. But would you really be satisfied simply winning the East? I can't believe you would.

"Title or Bust" wasn't always that way with the Lakers this season (say, back in October), but it sure as hell is now. Lakers fans have to be expecting a title here, too.

So someone will walk away bitterly disappointed. Which should make the rest of us happy.

Meanwhile: Utley. Good goshamighty: Utley.

And I have decided that Josh Hamilton needs a nickname, preferably something that slyly refers to his sketchy past with drug addiction -- but in a classy way, please. (Like, for example, "Snorts" would probably not be classy. Accurate, but not classy.) Nominations in the Comments.

While I don't regret giving Brandon Webb my "Through Two Months" NL Cy Young Award, Carlos Zambrano is making a serious case to win the "Through Three Months" Edition. That would be his 8th win, complete with a stand-up triple (and 3 hits total).

I really really really don't care about either Pac-Man Jones or T.O., yet they keep showing up in the news.

For a lot more, see today's column, near the bottom, for a link to that cool Google Maps app that lets you see all the different football stadiums rendered in 3D.

More later.

Oh, and if you fancy yourself a writer, you might want to consider entering this contest, in which I am giving away $5,000 for a 500-word piece of content on the topic of your choice.

(Well, not me: My company. But as I am czar of the contest, it is my job to promote participation -- and I like saying that I am giving away $5,000. But you gotta earn it. For $5K, I figure even Buzz Bissinger might enter.)

-- D.S.

Bo Diddly: Star of Greatest Sports Ad Ever?

Bo Diddly has a special place with sports fans: As the soundtrack to the "Bo Knows" Nike ad, which is arguably the greatest sports ad in history.

Here is the link.

Check the cameos by: Kirk Gibson! Jim Everett!(?!) Michael Jordan! John McEnroe! Wayne Gretzky! Assorted homoerotically charged Venice Beach weightlifters!

As we remember the musician Bo Diddly, it's just one more reminder that Bo Jackson was probably the most unique and well-rounded athlete in modern sports history.

-- D.S.

Monday 06/02 A.M. Quickie:Celtics, Lakers, Manny, Jay Bruce, More

The Celtics-Lakers "It's-1987-All-Over-Again" NBA Finals pairing IS a best-case scenario for the league -- but it isn't without its risk factors, including its (over-) reliance on nostalgia.

The NBA: "Where 1987 Happens." (Ooh: Let me alert the fans pushing 40 and beyond.)

That's the lead of today's Sporting News column, which includes a big fat wet kiss to the Celtics and their fans for the way the C's closed out the Pistons last week.

Other than that, it was a big weekend in MLB: Manny went 501 after going 500, Junior didn't go 600, Hamilton and Utley kept hammering away, Brandon Webb got back on track (and Scott Kazmir showed why he is probably the best pitcher in the AL right now). And Jay Bruce has to have had the best first week of any player any of us can remember.

The Cubs have won 7 straight and the Rays just took 3 of 4 from the White Sox in a battle of division-leaders. Is it wrong to openly root for a Cubs-Rays World Series? Don't think so.

There's a ton more in the column today; you can check it out here (coming by/around 9 a.m.).

More later.

-- D.S.

Sunday 06/01 (Very) Quickie

Usain Bolt runs a world record 9.71 100, making him the Fastest Man Alive. He also affirms his place as having the best name in sports...

Manny Ramirez joins 500 HR Club: One more milestone in the career of arguably the greatest hitter of our generation, joining 23 other sluggers...

Meanwhile, Griffey hits No. 599 -- obviously the 600 Club is even more exclusive than 500...

MLB: Brandon Webb gets off the mini-schneid, wins 10th in a shut-out over the Nats... Scott Kazmir wins 5th straight start (as of June 1, the best SP in the AL?)... Cubs win 6th straight behind Soriano's HR and 3 RBI... Unstoppable: Josh Hamilton (HR No. 14) and Chase Utley (HR No. 19) and Jay Bruce (HR No. 1)...

Wings win in Pittsburgh, up 3-1 in series: It's all but over.

Kimbo Slice wins in TKO in MMA's broadcast network debut, but it wasn't dominant by any means...

Want to understand why China will dominate its own Olympics in two months? Check out this story.

-- D.S.

Celtics Win East: Damn Impressively, Too

Tell you what: They earned it. Two wins on the road in Detroit, including the close-out game. Pretty damn impressive.

Of course, this now sets up the NBA's dream scenario: Lakers-Celtics for the NBA title. Beyond the "nostalgia factor,"* these were the two best teams of the season, featuring the two most dynamic personalities in the sport -- Kobe and KG.

Here's the reality: If the NBA can't get ratings for this, the league truly is in deep shit.

-- D.S.

(* - Let's set aside how fundamentally sketchy it is that the league has to rely on 20-year-old nostalgia to generate enthusiasm for its championship series.)

More, though Unrelated: Congrats to Sameer Mishra on winning the Spelling Bee. He had the best moment of the entire Bee when, last night, he was given a word that everyone -- including him -- thought was "numbnut." He rallied past it with earnest humor and instantly became a rooting interest. That, and he looked so overwhelmed being interviewed by "sideline reporter" Erin Andrews.

MLB: Cliff Floyd has a walk-off... Jay Bruce has 4 hits (and he scored the game-winning run in the 11th)... Joba going to start Tuesday...

More later.

-- D.S.

Nate Silver Is a Politics Blogger

Nate Silver of Baseball Prospectus is one of my favorite analyst-slash-entrepreneurs in all of online sports. Now it turns out that he has been anonymously running a politics blog on the side all along. As a politics AND sports junkie, too, I find this quite an amazing development. -- D.S.

More on MMA's CBS Debut

EliteXC isn't in the best financial shape. They are really relying on Kimbo Slice's star power to drive interest in the sport (but, presumably they hope, the league itself -- it does EliteXC no good if fans realize that UFC is arguably a better product). Here's the dilemma, and Dan Wetzel covered this in his column yesterday, but I wanted to put another spin on it: EliteXC has a vested interest in Kimbo Slice winning. They can either pit him against a tomato can -- hardly the stuff of stirring TV or driving loyalty from new fans -- or they need to rig the result. (You could argue that putting Slice against a dud effectively rigs the result anyway.) Neither is a good option. I remain bullish on MMA, by the way.

Want a primer on MMA? MDS does the hard work. Now it's just on you to take the 3 minutes to read it and sound infinitely smarter for doing so.

DanShanoff.com Is Worth $1.3 Million

So I was sent this blog post yesterday morning when it first came out, and I thought a few things to myself:

(1) If you want to attract attention to your blog, this is a good way to do it.

(2) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Seriously, this was the most ludicrous thing I have ever seen in sports bloggery. Ever.

Start with DS.com being worth $1.3 million. I certainly would like to think so. And anyone who is interested in buying it for that much can feel free to contact me. But...come ON.

Then there are a few simple reality-checks: With Leather worth a measly $80K? EDSBS worth $30K? If that was the case, I would hope that any/ever mainstream sports site out there would be beating on Orson's door to acquire EDSBS, even at a 5X multiple of that particular valuation. Also, a site like SMQ (No. 14, directly behind DS.com) is already "owned" by a network (SB Nation), as is Deadspin and With Leather. How is that different from Fanhouse being owned by AOL? For some reason, TrueHoop was on the list (vastly undervalued, probably because its numbers didn't reflect the post-ESPN integration, which make it ineligible for the list anyway).

Here's a nice way to develop a real valuation, and it doesn't take a Harvard MBA to figure it out: If a blog is earning substantial monthly revenues ALREADY, it is worth a lot...and a lot more than those that aren't. And both those blogs are. (And, btw: I would say that Nick Denton would argue that Deadspin is worth a hell of a lot more than $16M.) There ain't many out there, and THAT is the good list you want to be on.

There is one potential ramification of the list: It was a nice little bit of rudimentary due diligence -- directionally ONLY -- about the most valuable sports blogs.

Any company (perhaps an ad network looking to increase its reach, its traffic and -- most importantly -- its "owned traffic") that wanted to own sports could bundle up all of those sites with sweet deals (and it wouldn't cost you $1.3M for blogs ranked at or near No. 13, I can tell you that much) and basically own the space.

What we really need -- here's a project for you, Jason Gurney -- is someone who can aggregate all of the monthly page views and unique visits totals of all those blogs and actually calculate the type of reach that the Top 100 sports blogs have every month, as compared to -- say -- newspapers or magazines or even mainstream sports sites.

(When you're doing that calc, Jason, don't forget to discount the page views and uniques of mainstream sports sites, the majority of whose content page views come from "commodity" content like AP stories, scoreboards, box scores, recaps and fantasy-team maintenance.)

Anyway, like I said: Anyone who wants to buy this blog for $1.3 million is welcome to it.

-- D.S.

Friday 05/30 A.M. Quickie:Kobe, MMA, Unit, ChiSox, Collins, More

Who else thinks that dispatching the Spurs was the real test for the Lakers and that the match-up with the survivor in the East -- whether Boston or Detroit -- won't be nearly as tough?

I am no Lakers fan, but I can appreciate the way they ousted the defending champs in 5 games, how they have basically rolled through the playoffs and how Kobe can't be denied.

I stop the bitterness long enough to marvel at the Lakers in my Sporting News column today. (And if the Celtics beat the Pistons -- either tonight or in 7 -- all the folks who think I have an insurmountable anti-Boston bias will see that I can praise them, too.)

(Note my willingness to post comments from yesterday's post about the anti-Allen sentiment -- I respect that there is a different read on it, although some media reports I have seen have been different, particularly in earlier rounds when Allen was really struggling.)

(Let me say now that the Celtics and their fans put themselves in the tough spot: Winning the East isn't enough; it's NBA title or bust, and it has been that way since November. So excuse me if I don't applaud them as they move through the playoffs until they actually reach the one goal that was expected of them when they made the deal of the decade.)

Everyone agrees that winning the West means more than winning the East. I'm not saying that Kobe doesn't want a championship or Lakers fans don't want (or expect) a championship every bit as much as Celtics fans do. But consider the expectations for Lakers fans heading into the season: How about that Kobe would even be on the team in June, let alone leading them to the Finals as the dominant 1-seed in the West.)

Meanwhile, I really wanted to lead the column with MMA's broadcast network TV debut tomorrow night. It's a signature moment for the sport -- if no closer to unjumbling the increasing number of leagues trying to out-UFC the UFC. (It really reminded me of the WWF's broadcast network debut on NBC with "Saturday Night's Main Event" -- anyone else remember that first episode? I'm not saying that MMA is fixed like wrestling; but the similarities are there in terms of mainstream acceptance of a once-fringe entertainment property.)

It might be refreshing for those of you sick of me arguing that the NBA is following in the NHL's footsteps down a path as a "niche" sport to hear that I think that MMA has all the potential in the world to join the NFL, college football and baseball as a "big" sport. Then again, NASCAR thought it would be "big," and it remains merely the largest of the "niche" sports, too. Will casual fans or fans of "mainstream" sports pick up MMA? They have, increasingly, particularly among younger fans.

There's a ton more in the column today. Here's the link to check it out. Posting all weekend, as usual, hopefully with a bonus post or two today.

-- D.S.

Thursday 05/29 A.M. Quickie:Bee, Ray Allen, Bedard, Crosby, More

I got a blissful reprieve from leading with the NBA conference finals this morning (although, to be fair, each morning those results ARE the biggest story in sports), because I wedged my obsession with the spelling bee at the top of my Sporting News column.

If you skip past that (and you can, if you followed yesterday's Bee mania here, below), you can see that I -- a world-class Instant Historian -- think Celtics fans are sort of lame for cheering Ray Allen after ripping him for most of the playoffs before last night's season-saving performance.

Meanwhile, the NBA agreed with me: The refs missed the Brent Barry call. I'm now torn whether they should have said anything. On the one hand, correcting the record is a good thing; on the other, all it does is add insult to the injury done to the Spurs. Again: The difference between 3-1 (with HCA) and 2-2 (even without HCA) is just about as wide a gap as there exists in the 7-game playoff format in pro sports.

MLB: Erik Bedard shows why he was worth the trade... Jay Bruce obsession continues... Matt Garza becomes the latest Ray bandwagon I will jump on... Carlos Quentin and Chase Utley cap solid months that will likely net them MVP awards for "After Two Months of the Season/If The Season Ended Today," likely coming tomorrow.

I appreciate the NBA's interest in cracking down on flopping, but I actually think there is some art to the method; I would be much more interested if the NBA cracked down on players (mostly superstars) who whine after not getting a call.

Here is the complete SN column from today.

More later. I just got the most interesting email with a link to a blog post that will likely have many folks who have sports blogs talking...

-- D.S.

Spelling Bee Week: Sriram Hathwar Rules

It's here: The Bee. Tomorrow and Friday. Arguably the greatest novelty sports competition of the year.

As I will remind you endlessly between now and Friday, winning Page 2's "Fantasy Spelling Bee League" three years ago was my finest moment in fantasy sports. Probably forever.

Name to Know: Sriram Hathwar of Painted Post, NY, all of 8 years old and the youngest competitor in Bee history. He's in the SECOND GRADE.

I believe that the Hathwar Dynasty will ultimately make the "Samir Patel Dynasty" seem lightweight. Sriram's participation at this age is as if LeBron James joined the NBA... in junior high. (h/t: ALOTTFMA)

UPDATE: Adam from ALOTTFMA emailed me to correct me that there is no real "Patel Dynasty" -- he is the A-Rod of the Bee. And Adam is, of course, totally correct. I have a soft spot for Samir, because he was the foundation of my championship fantasy team. Like anyone who has won a fantasy league with A-Rod, you find it slightly harder to rip the guy.

Honestly: Sriram Hathwar -- the new hotness. Will be a national sensation by tomorrow night. (That said: The smart money is on Kavya Shivashankar, a three-year Bee vet.)

-- D.S.

Wednesday 05/28 A.M. Quickie:Lakers, Bruce, Triples, Tiger, More

I'm with the rest of you that Joey Crawford blew that call last night. Here's the thing: Aside from what is sure to be a day's worth of scrutiny -- and recrimination -- the fact remains: Lakers up 3-1 with 2 of the final 3 to be played in L.A.

I'm usually not afraid to call a series prematurely, but even the biggest Spurs fan (or Lakers hater) has to be fairly certain that the odds are about as long as they could be for a Spurs comeback -- not the way that HCA has been working for the Lakers this postseason.

That's the lead of my Sporting News column today. See the post below for a link to what I think is the definitive take on the Crawford non-call -- by far the most controversial thing to happen in the playoffs so far, and probably the most controversial on-court moment in the NBA since the Spurs-Suns suspensions a year ago.

(But given the overall perception problems with the refs since the Donaghy scandal, anytime you can link a situation to Donaghy, it's not good for the league. Again: It's not about Crawford throwing the game, but it IS about terrible judgment by a ref that has massive impact.)

Consider that impact for a second: It basically seals the series for the Lakers, which seals the Western Conference title for the Lakers -- it guarantees at least half the Finals pairing will be super-duper-stardom, a best-case scenario for the NBA.

It also ousts the defending champs -- a virtual dynasty, though also a bane to the NBA's interests in finding the biggest TV audience possible.

And, of course, it calls into question the capabilities of refs in the NBA. It isn't a stretch to think that dozens of the best NBA refs were sitting at home, watching that game's ending and wincing -- perhaps even shouting out "No!" -- knowing the shitstorm coming their way as a group.

Anyway, that's where we stand.

Meanwhile, the Jay Bruce Era has begun and the hype is so for real. You will regret not picking him up for your fantasy team weeks ago and just storing him on the bench. I certainly do.

As of today, if you needed one NL pitcher for the rest of the season, would you take Tim Lincecum or Brandon Webb? I might go Lincecum.

Unassisted triple play > triple steal. Hands-down. Although to have one team do both within a week or so of each other isn't bad at all.

Those of you who read regularly know that I think Kevin Love is totally legit -- both as the best player in college hoops last season and as a pro prospect. You will hear no complaints from me that he is being thrown into the mix as the first player taken after the Rose-Beasley lock at 1-2.

Complete SN column here.

More later. (Couple new snall posts over at Varsity Dad, if you occasionally drop by that blog. Bunch of cool stuff lined up for it for June, btw.)

-- D.S.

Yes, That Was a Foul

Leave it to Henry Abbott for the early and definitive word on last night's game-/series-/league-changing non-call by Joey Crawford on that Barry 3 over Fisher.

For those of us who think the NBA is ever-so-slightly rigged (but only when the possibility presents itself), this was "Exhibit A" fodder.

The NBA's original sin was having Joey Crawford ref this game, knowing his history with the Spurs. Even if Crawford's non-call was merely sketchy, the NBA's call to have him work the game was entirely intentional.

More later.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 05/27 A.M. Quickie:McDyess, Kazmir, Bruce, Harkleroad, More

Today's Sporting News column is packed full of all sorts of good stuff:

The Celtics regressing to the mean...
Brandon Webb regressing to the mean...
Scott Kazmir and the Rays NOT regressing to the mean...
Jay Bruce making his MLB debut...
Chris Osgood blanking another Stanley Cup game...
Ashley Harkleroad not impressing me...
Indy Car racing showcasing a "Tiger" strategy...
And a lot more... after the jump.

More later. Again: Try to avoid moving, if you can.

-- D.S.

Monday 05/26 (Very) Quickie

NBA West finals hold to form: Spurs return to San Antonio and win, this time behind Manu's 30 (which offset Kobe's own 30). Proof is in Game 4.

Danica doesn't win the Indy 500: Your sport is in trouble when the team/athlete that doesn't win is a bigger story than the one that does win.

MLB: You have to love a walk-off HR in the 18th inning (Adrian Gonzalez)... Aaron Cook: CG win for his 7th W of the season... Also in the 7-win Club: Mark Hendrickson... Another game, another game-winning hit for Evan Longoria... Clayton Kershaw's MLB debut: 7 Ks in not-too-many IP

Yes, I saw Joakim Noah was busted for pot possession. Is that really that bad? If you figured out everyone in the NBA who ever possessed pot, you wouldn't have much of a league left...

Congrats to the Northwestern women's lacrosse team, which captured its 4th straight NCAA title...

Ashley Harkleroad to be in Playboy: I think that we're past the point of being surprised -- let alone shocked -- when an athlete appears in Playboy (or in Maxim or the SI Swimsuit Issue, which is effectively the same thing). It's just not a big deal...

Triple Crown Watch: How much will Big Brown's cracked hoof hurt its chances of capturing a Triple Crown and racing immortality?...

Enjoy the day off, if you've got one...

-- D.S.

Sunday 05/25 (Very) Quickie

Boston beats Detroit in Game 3: Now THIS was the win that everyone was waiting to see from the Celtics -- on the road, and it wasn't even close. I can now (finally) believe that this team can win the East title.

Indy 500 is today: Unless Danica Patrick wins, expect this to have just as much national resonance as it usually has (which means, frankly, not much). If she DOES win, you'll be sorry you missed it. Maybe.

Meanwhile, it looks like the Penguins weren't ready for prime-time, after that 4-0 shellacking from the Wings.

MLB: Jeff Francoeur... Justin Duscherer... Magglio Ordonez... Kyle Lohse... Jason Bay...

College LAX Final Four is always kind of awesome: Perennial power Johns Hopkins dispatched No. 1 seed Duke; they will meet Syracuse in a matchup of classic lacrosse teams.

Soccer: Imagine a team firing a coach immediately after they lost in the championship game. That is Chelsea and ex-manager Avram Grant. It's like if Mark Cuban had fired Avery Johnson after he choked away the NBA Finals two years ago, rather than a tortured 2 years later.

-- D.S.

Saturday 05/24 (Very) Quickie

Sorry for the delay: Moving sucks. Lakers won't impress me until they win in San Antonio. Doug Davis' return trumped Barry Zito getting off the schneid. More later. Back to packing hell. - DS

Friday 05/23 A.M. Quickie:Celtics, MLB Replay, Lila Garrity, More

I am overwhelmed by schadenfreude about the Celtics. Everyone saw this coming; the only question now is: If they can't even beat the Hawks in Atlanta, how will they beat the Pistons in Detroit? The Celtics may very well be able to beat the Pistons in Detroit 1 out of 3 times, but now that they have lost at home, the sense of "unbeatable" has evaporated.

That's the lead of today's Sporting News column.

(Adding insult to injury is that it was the best playoff game from the entirety of the Big Three, and it still wasn't enough. Maybe Celtics fans will stop haranguing Ray Allen about his scoring, because they did a lot better when he was sucking.)

Meanwhile, if it wasn't for the Celtics' dud at home, I would have totally led the column with the MLB replay story, which is totally huge. For those of us who have been lobbying for replay in baseball for years, this is a very positive step -- this week's home-run mis-calls surely helped. (Look: Better now than in a World Series game.)

The fact is: Replay works. The only instance I can think of when it doesn't work is in college football, when the replay official DOESN'T review an obviously messed up call. That, and the ludicrous guidelines about what is "reviewable" and what is not (ie, penalty calls).

Baseball had been holding out because of this misplaced sense of nostalgia -- that umps are part of the game. But I would argue that it holds up the spirit of the game's "integrity" to get the calls right -- particularly when all we're asking for is fair-or-foul (or fan interference) on home runs.

Technology is a wonderful thing: Nice to see baseball taking advantage of it to ensure the fairest outcome of its games.

I'll be blogging all weekend -- including Memorial Day -- for those of you who check in on the weekends. Otherwise, have a great weekend, everyone. While you are lazing around, don't forget to take a moment to remember the service of those for whom the holiday was created.

-- D.S.

Pat Jordan Rules

Read this Pat Jordan piece ASAP.

Thursday 05/22 A.M. Quickie:Kobe, Man U, Webb, Mayo, Joba, More

The Spurs ran out of gas, as much as Kobe stepped on the pedal. Besides, Game 1 ain't Game 7, which is where this is heading.

That's the lead of today's Sporting News column.

More you'll find:

Brandon Webb: No longer destined for 30 wins...
Joba Chamberlain: No longer shackled to 1 inning...
Bartolo Colon: One more master stroke by Theo...
USC: Parsing "didn't know" in a shameful way...
Man U: Lucky that Chelsea choked it away...
David Cook: Most talented Idol winner ever...

And more, here's the link.

If you didn't see yesterday's post on Indiana Jones, just look directly below this post -- and weigh in, if that's your thing.

- D.S.

Indiana Jones: Best Movie Hero Ever?

I have a special place for Indiana Jones, arguably the greatest lead action hero in movie history.

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" was the first movie I have any sort of memory of seeing. Two flashing images remain -- cripes: was it really 1981?

(1) The line to see it. It was huge, like nothing I had ever seen before, snaking around the modest strip-mall on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, Maryland.

(2) At the end, of course, when the main Nazi baddie's face melts off.

Later, "Temple of Doom" was right in my then-11-year-old wheelhouse; I didn't care much for "Last Crusade."

But, much in part due to its particular nostalgic significance for me, "Raiders" remains one of my all-time most cherished movies ever -- if no longer a Top 5 (or even Top 10) favorite.

I'm not sure I will make the midnight screenings tonight -- or even try to brave the insane lines during this opening weekend...I think I had to be 8 to have the patience for that.

But I can't wait to see it, and I'm curious how you all feel about the Indiana Jones franchise.

You all know I'm a sucker for superlatives, and there might not be a better or more beloved lead action hero in movie history. (Certainly in my lifetime.)

-- D.S.

PS: Here's a trip in the way-back machine -- the original trailer for "Raiders." 27 years later, wow, have trailers become different.

Wednesday 05/21 A.M. Quickie:Bulls, Lottery, A-Rod, Piazza, NFL, More

I appreciate that "Beasley vs. Rose" is sort of like "Durant vs. Oden 2.0," but to me it's clear that the Bulls should take Rose.

The Lottery leads today's Sporting News column, bumping Game 1 of the East finals, which couldn't be more predictable and lame -- at least until someone wins a road game or the series reaches a 7th game, whichever comes first.

Yes, the Bulls need the frontcourt help and Beasley would be an instant scorer to pair with the less scoring-sophisticated Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. But Rose has the potential for impact on the Chris Paul/Deron Williams level. He will make Thomas and Noah (and Deng, if they keep him) that much better -- in a way that Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon can't.

(The Bulls are likely regretting giving Hinrich that huge contract extension, but not quite as much as Mike D'Antoni is likely regretting not taking the Bulls job, although if he took the job, there is no guarantee the Bulls would have pulled the 1-in-100 chance of winning the Lottery.)

Things get intriguing after Rose and Beasley go 1-2 (or 2-1) to the Bulls and Heat. The T'wolves should be taking advantage of Jerryd Bayless or even OJ Mayo. But with the past two Lotteries yielding Randy Foye and Corey Brewer (not to mention Rashad McCants the year before that), they really need size, and that means they have to go with -- ugh -- Brook Lopez, who seems to be rated this high simply because he is 7 feet tall.

The Sonics need a PG. The Grizzlies need a PF. The Knicks could use a true PG, but presuming that Bayless is gone, it seems like a reach that they take Augustin or Westbrook. Mayo seems redundant when they have Crawford, so will Mike D'Antoni feed his Italian jones with Danilo Gallardi? (He better set that up early with NY media and fans, who likely won't appreciate a European pick.)

In MLB, Mike Piazza retires, A-Rod returns and the Red Sox trot out yet another spectacular young arm, which they appear to have an endless supply of. There isn't a better-run organization in sports, let alone baseball. Yes, that's my long-time man-crush on Theo Epstein emerging for the first time in a long time. You cannot understand how conflicted I am about my crush on Theo and my general dislike for Boston sports.

I, for one, would like to see the next generation of replacement players, who almost surely would be better and more talented than the version from the late-80s. What a replacement season would do is create the greatest fantasy football season in the history of everything. Meanwhile, I hope the Falcons enjoy the gentle upside of Matt Ryan, now that they are locked in. (Put Mike Vick's first game back in Atlanta on an opposing team -- presuming Arthur Blank doesn't bring him back for the league minimum -- as the game of the decade.)

Complete SN column can be found here.

Update: My Wii Fit shipped yesterday, but I have no idea when it will arrive. Anyone get one?

-- D.S.

NBA Draft Lottery Rose-Beasley Mania!(Plus: Another Rant Against Age Limits)

As I mentioned this morning, I love the NBA Draft Lottery. I think that goes back to my childhood fandom of the Bullets, who were perennial Lottery losers. It was my playoffs.

The consensus has shifted that the Lottery's big prize is Derrick Rose, rather than Michael Beasley, who is a strong -- and consensus -- No. 2. No. 3 and beyond is a toss-up, depending on which team is there and what their needs are.

Rose is like Oden in that he is a true franchise-changer. Consider Chris Paul and Deron Williams, because -- coming out of college at least -- Rose is a better NBA talent than either of them.

Beasley is like Durant in that he could be a franchise player, but there is really no guarantee. After all, Durant was simply a poor man's Rashard Lewis this season. Working in Beasley's favor is that he is better -- more suited to excel in the NBA -- than Durant.

You won't hear much about that, because all the Durant-backers from a year ago would be loathe to admit that their "game-changing" favorite isn't even the best forward prospect of the past two drafts -- that would be Beasley.

But as you watch the mock drafts come screaming out of the mainstream media and blogosphere in the wake of the Lottery's results, please note how many freshmen there are on the list -- it is the best signal that the NBA's age-limit remains totally idiotic.

The only thing worse than the current age limit would be to raise it unconditionally, similarly to the way that they installed this first age limit.

Here's a novel idea: Let the market work. From '95-06 that is exactly what it did, producing highly efficient results, particularly among prep-to-pro players.

The idea of an "age limit" is very simple: If you don't want to "ruin" your NBA career prematurely, don't enter the NBA earlier than you should.

"Should" is an amorphous notion -- was Monta Ellis wrong to enter the NBA when he did? Most experts would say he did just fine for himself, even though he went much later than he thought he would.

The bottom line is that NBA GMs are, for the most part, highly rational: You don't take prep Dwight Howard over college Player of the Year Emeka Okafor because you are an idiot, blinded by potential. You take him because you are fairly certain Howard's upside is vastly greater than Okafor's. Howard's "expected value" is far superior to Okafor's -- but not that much. Just enough to know you would take Howard over Okafor if given the choice of both. Okafor remained a superior choice to the players that went below him.

The point is that GMs who wildly pick young prospects and end up with a sketchy "hit" rate won't be GMs for long. There is a built-in incentive to do what is in the GM's own best interests, which align with that of the team.

Most GMs in the Lottery will be taking freshmen -- in their first year of draft eligibility -- over older players who could have entered the draft in previous years but didn't, because the weren't good enough to play in the NBA. (See Tyler Hansbrough: If he would have been a Lottery pick after his freshman year, he sure as hell wouldn't have stuck around for the past two seasons.)

This is because those freshmen are better prospects than the older players -- this isn't some fad. And if those players were available a year ago, they likely would have also been first-round picks (if not drafted quite as high as they will be taken next month).

All I'm saying is: Look at the signals the market is sending. Look at the history of efficiency within the market (before artificial constraints were clamped onto it). In this case, the rules should follow what you are seeing unfold in front of you.

Enjoy the Lottery! I love that Jay-Z will be there, representing the Nets (watch for coded signals to LeBron!), but I love even more that the Kings are sending a fan. That's what the Lottery should be all about.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 05/20 A.M. Quickie:Spurs, Lester, Barkley, Lottery, More

You can hate the Spurs for their soullessness, but admire them for their dominance. To win a Game 7 on the road is remarkable -- in its own right, let alone because the Spurs had failed to do it in previous tries. The defending champs remain the team to beat.

The Spurs lead today's Sporting News column, with coverage of even more:

Jon Lester's no-hitter awesomeness...
Evan Longoria's heroics...
Charles Barkley's gambling problem...
The NBA's perception problem...
A Wings-Pens Stanley Cup finals...
Complete SN column here.

And, of course, the NBA Draft Lottery, being held tonight and annually one of my favorite events of the entire sports year. More on that later this morning.

-- D.S.

Monday 05/19 A.M. Quickie:Pierce, Hornets, Reds, Parker, More

Was Pierce vs. LeBron like Nique vs. Larry 20 years ago? Eh: Sort of. The bottom line is that, like Larry, Pierce was significantly advantaged by his supporting cast; like Nique, LeBron may spend his entire career without earning an NBA title.

In the lead of today's Sporting News column, I was a little more concerned with looking forward than looking back: Boston did nothing to convince me that they will beat Detroit in the East finals, let alone the West champ in the NBA Finals. I am thoroughly unimpressed with their perfect playoff home record.

Becoming the first team ever to advance to a conference-finals round without winning a road game is not a mark of distinction. What it sets up is that if/when (ok: when) Detroit wins a game in Boston, the Celtics are in a ton of trouble. I wouldn't be saying that if they had a single road win during the last 14 playoff games. It's just not the signal of a championship team to not have them.

Meanwhile, Hornets-Spurs should be incredible. If any team can win a Game 7 on the road in a series in which the home team has dominated, it is the defending champs.

MLB: Edison almost rhymes with 7-win... If Big Unit is on, that makes the D'backs 4-deep in very very good starting pitching... Ryan Braun is my hero.

Candace Parker's rookie season in the WNBA is worth following on a game-by-game basis -- she seems to be THAT good... instantly the best player in the WNBA, which affirms her as the greatest female basketball player on the planet.

Big Brown: Triple Crown. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Let's hope he's not a Belmont fizzler. I have a feeling he is going to do it.

More later. Here is the rest of the Sporting News column today.

-- D.S.