Monday 02/02 A.M. Quickie:Super Bowl Analysis, Ads, Bruce, More

First this: That was a great game, an all-time great game.

If the regions involved were "New York" and "Boston" rather than "Pittsburgh" and "Arizona," we'd be calling it even better than last year's game, which had hype, an upset and a Best Play Ever.

This game had little hype, a back-and-forth near-upset (almost as amazing as a real upset) and not quite the Best Play Ever, but at least three memorable plays (Harrison Pick-6, Fitz's 2nd TD, Holmes' Catch) that are likely to be in the top tier of "most memorable" Super Bowl plays.

And controversy:

Don't think for a second -- a second -- that if it was Big Ben (or Tom Brady) "throwing" that ball, it wouldn't have been reversed by review as a fumble and turned into an incomplete.

I do think the Cards got jobbed -- I think Warner's arm was going forward. At the very least, it merited a full earnest review; it felt like the refs let the Steelers hike the ball too quickly to end the game. Gamesmanship by Pittsburgh, but shoddy work by the refs.

Because -- and this is key -- you could totally see the Cardinals scoring on a last-second play. Larry Fitzgerald, of any player in the league, could have willed that to happen. And I think he had earned the chance to try.

The refs blew the play twice: First, by ruling it a fumble, not an incomplete pass; finally, by not allowing a proper review, robbing the Cards -- and fans -- of one last play of an amazing game.

You can check out my Twitter feed from last night for the running commentary. My favorite ads were different than the USA Today AdMeter or other reviewers. I liked the Potato Heads. I liked Alec Baldwin in Hulu. I was oddly grabbed by "Land of the Lost."

I'm not one for animal ads, and I think that the slapstick humor is so overdone as to be cliche:

Doritos "Crystal Ball" ad won the USA Today AdMeter comp; doesn't anyone remember that Sprint did this last year with the "thrown-phone" ad? Of course, you can never discount the power of the Groin Shot.

My new litmus test was whether you liked "Pepsuber" -- it was terrible...like a bad SNL sketch, which I think it was actually trying to parody. I like Kristin Wiig, too, but...cripes, awful.

On the other hand, you have to understand the genius of Cash4Gold.com doing a Super Bowl ad -- not for the cheesy McMahon/MC Hammer cameos, but as a sign of the times we are living in that Cash4Gold.com is a Super Bowl sponsor at all.

I thought Bruce Springsteen was excellent -- all you want is high energy and some songs you know and enjoy, and he delivered on that. I also took it incredibly personally when he looked at me through the TV and told me to drop the chicken finger -- I was literally holding a chicken finger in my hand when he said it, so it was both amazing and totally unnerving.

(Seriously: Why "chicken fingers?" Are they really that popular of a Super Bowl snack food? I didn't think so -- within the chicken family, I have to believe that wings rank far higher on the popularity list. It's as if Springsteen was hanging out in my living room with me. Freaky.)

A few other notes:

James Harrison's 100-yard Pick-6: Despite the fact that the Cards played their way back into the game (no: the lead!), I think this will go up there among the top few most consequential plays in NFL history. The swing was simply too wide; it changed everything. If he hadn't have scored, another story -- but he did, and it was 100 yards, just as Arizona was knocking on its own TD.

Larry Fitzgerald: Even in defeat, he added to his legend -- his ongoing legend, I should say. That 2nd TD was absolutely amazing.

Santonio Holmes's "Catch": I'm willing to concede the TD, obviously, but I honestly don't think he got his right toe on the turf; I think it was trapped behind his left shoe and never actually touched the ground. Too close to call, but on a play that big -- with HD cameras to prove it -- it would be nice to have a conclusive shot that the right toe touched.

What next for Kurt Warner: I hope he comes back. First, he is back at the top of his game, with an amazing array of receivers to go to, including the best WR of the generation. Why leave after that? There is this idea of going out on top -- there is no way the Cards repeat as NFC champs or acquitting themselves in a Super Bowl as they did here. But if he can perform, why leave now, just when he has re-built the Warner Bandwagon?

How can you not love the Cardinals? I wrote this in the SN column, but it's worth restating:

The Cardinals deserved to win more than any other Super Bowl runner-up in history. At a minimum, the Cardinals have wiped out the franchise's legacy of being the NFL's biggest losers. They earned something almost as good as a Super Bowl title tonight; they earned the respect of fans everywhere.

I haven't seen a Super Bowl loser ever earn this much cred. For a franchise this bedraggled, it was as close as it gets to a moral victory. At the very least I think they came much closer to winning their Super Bowl than the Pats did against the Giants a year ago.

More in the column: HOF, Bynum, Wake, Clemente, Nadal and -- of course -- Phelps.

Leave your own SB analysis -- about the game, the quasi-controversy, the stars, the ads, the pomp, etc. -- in the Comments. I'll update as fast as I can get to them.

-- D.S.

Saturday 01/31 (Not A) Quickie

Taking the morning/day off, conserving my strength for tomorrow night's 2nd Annual Super Bowl Live-Twitter Extravaganza. Enjoy the day.

-- D.S.

Friday 01/30 A.M. Quickie:Cardinals, Magic, Gonzaga, All-Stars, More

Cardinals 20, Steelers 16. But I'm less concerned about the score than simply picking the Cardinals to win, which leads today's SN column.

Here's the thing: After last year's Super Bowl, there is simply no such thing as "upset" anymore. But the closest thing to it would be to utter the phrase "Cardinals: Super Bowl Champs."

I suspect that Pittsburgh's defense is going to be the toughest the Cards have faced this season. But I'm not sold on the Steelers' offense, and the Cards have been defying expectations all month.

For those of you who remember last year's experiment with Twitter (back before EVERYONE was doing it) during the Super Bowl -- it beats a live-blog! -- should check it out on Sunday night: twitter.com/danshanoff.

(I'm sure this year, there will be a ton more folks tweeting during the game. The more the merrier, I say. Following lots of people active during the game will just make your Twitter stream that much more fun and interesting.)

Meanwhile, other things you'll find in the column today:
*SB Ads preview: Coke FTW? Or sacrilege?
*Obama picks the Steelers: That's not change.
*Gonzaga beats St. Mary's: With a HUGE caveat.
*Magic beat Cavs: LeBron will get those calls in May.
*Nelson an All-Star: But not Rondo? Come on.
*Wells gripes about Torre: You don't say!

It's a fun-filled Friday before the Super Bowl. Check out the column. Check back here all weekend long. And, if you're not planning to come back until Monday, enjoy the game.

-- D.S.

Thursday 01/29 A.M. Quickie:Wake, SB 43, Bonds, WRs, All-Stars

Recovery continues!

I'm torn between giving Wake all sorts of credit for beating Duke -- and remembering that Duke recently has been abysmal in the NCAA Tournament, so how much stock should I put into beating them?

Because right now, I'm inclined to think that Wake looks more like an NCAA champ than any other team -- size (depth of size), great defense, go-to scoring guard. I can't believe it's not a fully loaded bandwagon, though, which is more telling than, say beating Duke.

Meanwhile, I find the Big East to be ludicrously loaded -- Nova beats Pitt, Providence beats Syracuse, Georgetown is beaten by whomever.... I'll stick with my original pronouncement: This conference will get 8 or 9 teams in the NCAA Tournament; the acid test of its awesomeness is how many of those teams get to the Sweet 16 or even the Elite Eight.

Not sure if I can visualize how a Wake or a Duke or a UNC or an Oklahoma would do in the Big East, with the game-in-game-out punishment. When you look at Wake's remaining schedule, it seems fairly mild -- yeah, a game at Duke, but beyond that...what, exactly? You simply can't say that about the top teams in the Big East. You can't go more than a game or two without playing another team in the Top 25.

Super Bowl: Eh, Super Bowl week is so overrated. The lull on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday before the game is stupefying. The only fun is in making the pick on Friday -- mine is coming tomorrow.

NBA All-Star Reserves announced tonight: What I would like to see is less "same old stars" and more new guys whose play this season has merited inclusion (Danny Granger, Devin Harris, Jameer Nelson, Rajon Rondo) -- it's in the NBA's best interests to raise the profile of younger guys, rather than celebrate the longtime all-stars like Paul Pierce.

Complete SN column here. More later.

-- D.S.

Jeff MacGregor on Media Day

MacGregor nails it. (Didn't know he was now full-time for ESPN.com and the Mag, but he is one of my all-time favorite sportswriters. I presume all of you have read "Sunday Money" by now.)

-- D.S.

Wednesday 01/28 A.M. Quickie:Wake, Duke, Media Day, Cavs, A-Rod, More

So Media Day was sort of a dud, I think.

I have been very excited about Wake-Duke tonight. Then I had a standard reality check: College basketball regular season games -- these "Game of the Year" candidates -- are entirely overrated.

So Duke wins? So Duke loses? So what? Everything in college basketball is back-loaded to the NCAA Tournament. If you are a "national" contender, it's all how you do in late March.

Duke's No. 1 ranking this week? A win over Wake? An ACC title? Hell, even a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament? Meaningless, unless Duke wins the national title.

(It's a bit more complicated for Duke: They have been so awful the last few Tournaments that even a Final Four appearance would be some kind of validation.)

Anyway, as I said in today's SN column, I'll definitely watch the game tonight -- but, as with every game I watch during CBB's regular season, it's with one eye on the TV and another on my bracket in March.

Complete SN column here. More later, although the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before the Super Bowl are traditionally some of the slowest days of the sports year.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 01/27 A.M. Quickie:Super Bowl Media Day, Marquette, Chris Paul, More

An annual tradition for me: Dinging Super Bowl Media Day, which leads today's SN column.

That said: I am intrigued to see what kind of impact that Twitter may have on the event. Media Day was already pretty stale -- in the 24/7 sports era, who needs "get all your quotes for the week in one place!"

I'm not holding my breath: Like blogs a few years ago, Twitter has been slow to catch on among mainstream sports media -- I know the political cycle lends itself to Twitter, but why do mainstream political reporters adapt to new media so much better than mainstream sports writers?

I'm hoping that there are enough progressive sports media types in the Media Day to make Twitter a go-to place for instant news and analysis.

Meanwhile: Is Marquette for real? Winning at ND suddenly isn't what it was a week ago, and Marquette's schedule is back-loaded -- see the column for their harrowing final 5 games.

A lot more in the column today. Check it out here. I'm still in recovery mode.

-- D.S.

Monday 01/26 A.M. Quickie:Super Bowl, 100-0, Torre, Louisvillle, Lakers

After a few days away from the column, I have to have my say about the "100-0" game, and I get a hook to do it in today's column because the school fired the coach, who seems entirely unrepentant.

Otherwise:

*It's Super Bowl week. (Much more tomorrow.)
*Joe Torre: Is A-Rod HIS fault?
*Duke No. 1? How about...Louisville?
*The Lakers still rule.
*More on Pat White.

Complete column here. More later, hopefully. I'm pretty laid out still.

-- D.S.

Sunday 01/25 (Very) Quickie

UConn drops Notre Dame in South Bend: Just one more big-time Big East battle, notable mostly for snapping ND's endless home win streak, which you could kind of see coming. But, like every Big East game this season, totally meaningless until we see how many of these 9 or 10 Big East top teams make it to the Sweet 16.

Duke No. 1? I watched the first half of the Duke-Maryland game, because I knew that the Terps always give Duke a game -- even at Cameron. Whoops: I came for the rivalry but I stayed to witness the carnage. I haven't seen a first-half beat-down like that in a long time.

So, yeah: I'm sure Duke will be crowned No. 1 this week, but I'm picking Wake on Wednesday.

(Washington beats UCLA: Don't sleep on how thoroughly competitive the Pac-10 is this season. It's like Big East Lite.)

Senior Bowl: Pat White Show. All week long, scouts had been ripping Pat White. In the game, he did what he does in every bowl game -- win. 95 yards passing and 2 scoring drives. Now, that doesn't mean he can play QB in the NFL, but he has a good future ahead as a Wildcat specialist.

RIP Kay Yow. A legend in women's basketball. Condolences to her many many friends, fans and admirers.

-- D.S.

Saturday 01/24 (Very) Quickie: Catching Up!

So you have one unexpected appendectomy and you miss all sorts of good stuff...

Chiefs fire Herman Edwards: You knew this was coming, and you can't say he didn't deserve it. But with a new GM, there was no way Edwards was going to be retained.

So who replaces him? I don't think it will be Mike Shanahan, and the original reporting -- then retracting -- of the story indicates that they are going another way. I expect that Pioli doesn't want a re-tread. If he had only acted faster, he could have had Josh McDaniels. (But maybe he wants to go away from the Belichick coaching tree. Or will he go after Kirk Ferentz?)

LeBron hits a buzzer-beating game-winner: Of course he did. As the votes for "First-Half MVP" roll in, I have to believe James is going to win in a landslide.

(More intriguing: Eric Gordon had 41 last night in a Clippers win over the Thunder. Yes, it was the Thunder, but I'm convinced there aren't a TON of players in the NBA who can just go out and score 41, particularly as a rookie. Maybe 50 total? 100? No more than 30 percent of the league. But you just KNOW that OJ Mayo is saying: "Oh, I can totally beat that...")

UPDATE: I'm a total moron. Um, beyond Gordon's 41...how about Durant's 46? I guess in a loss (and the haze of post-op Vicodin) it gets lost.

Northwestern wins at Michigan State: You have to understand the historical (and recent) futility of NU hoops to recognize how massive this was. Top 3 regular-season win in the last 20 years ('88 vs. Indiana; '94 vs. Michigan... the '94 NIT win over DePaul doesn't count.)

No. 1 Wake Forest loses to Virginia Tech: Well, now I have NO idea what bandwagon to climb on. (Meanwhile: West Virginia beats Georgetown -- god, the Big East is so freaking amazing this season.)

Celtics clock the Magic: Obviously, Boston wanted to prove they were still tops in the East -- and wow did they ever. That was some textbook defense -- and why Orlando won't topple Boston this spring in the playoffs. The young Magic should consider acquiring a rotation player with deep playoff experience, if only to show them how to step up when it matters.

NBA All-Stars: The only intrigue was Amare. Otherwise: I'm glad Chris Paul earned the starting spot; I'm not sure Allen Iverson deserves it, unless he is the designated "just plain popular, if not deserving" spot. Which is totally fair -- it IS an exhibition, after all. Reserves should be more interesting.

Cubs get a new owner: I like that the guy is a Cubs fan. Used to live near Wrigley. Met his future wife at a Cubs game. Of the three qualities you want in a sports owner, they are: (1) Tons of money (and willing to spend it); (2) Smart enough to hire smart people to run the team; (3) A true fan of the team.

Lions hire Scott Linehan as Offensive Coordinator: Love this hire. Linehan couldn't head-coach his way out of a paper bag, but as an OC, there's no denying the guy is smart. And he joins up with a really smart H.C. in Jim Schwartz.

Jeff Kent retires: Not a nice guy, but his stats are undeniable. Haven't had a chance to see how the SABR-friendly folks have weighed in on him, so how else would I know what to think about it?

Ben Sheets to the Rangers? That has to come with a huge "IF he's healthy..." caveat. Think he's willing to sign a deal that ties payment to his health? When healthy, a top 5 pitcher in the league. But he's hardly ever truly healthy.

Senior Bowl tonight: And the biggest winner was BJ Raji, the BC DT. And I'm so thrilled to see Derrick Williams have a great week and move himself into the first round. What a great player he is, right up there with Harvin and Maclin as the most dynamic and versatile WR talents in the country.)

Back tomorrow a.m. as usual.

-- D.S.

What's Wrong With Sports Journalism

The canard of no cheering in the press box, the absurdity of which won't be illustrated any better than Larry Fitzgerald's father. I say: Cheer away, Dad!

Brief Hiatus: Back Tomorrow

Obamaball: Sally Jenkins' Agenda for Sports

As usual, a provocative take from the Washington Post's Sally Jenkins -- laying out an agenda of sports reform for President Obama. I would call it hit-or-miss:

(1) Get rid of the BCS. Really? As the No. 1 priority? For a thoughtful sports thinker like Jenkins, this is ludicrous. (She is correct, however, that a simple threat of taking away college tax benefits would be a game-changer.)

(2) Declare freshman ineligible. Hate it. Only if it went hand-in-hand with insisting that the NFL and NBA got rid of their age minimums for draft eligibility. Forcing a pro-worthy player to toil in college for two years -- when they have no actual interest in college beyond its role as a stepping-stone to the pros -- is counter-productive.

(3) Dress more appropriately for golf. A bit prudish, but fair.

(4) Play Candace Parker 1-on-1 at the White House, to generate more support for women's basketball. I like the symbol, but it's pretty empty -- leagues must move the needle themselves.

(5) National Anthem played IN TUNE at all sports events. Fair, but here's a better idea: Ditch the Anthem for "America the Beautiful" or -- as witnessed Sunday -- "This Land Is Your Land."

(6) Save tennis. Eh. This is like saving the banking industry -- the sport did this to themselves.

(7) Final Four back in arenas, not domes. Better idea: 75 percent of tickets must be ear-marked for fans. Even better idea: All major sports championships must earmark more tickets for fans than are given to corporate sponsors, and at reasonable rates.

(8) Equal pay for women's sports. I fully support it, but Jenkins cherry-picks the Pearl-Summitt comparison. When women's sports bring in the revenue of men's, it is a stronger argument. (See women's tennis, where pay inequity is a joke.) For women in the front office? Absolutely. And, while we're at it: More women and minorities in the front office.

(9) Pardon Marion Jones. You've got to be kidding me. I'm sorry that prosecutors haven't done a better job with the other steroid felons, but that doesn't mean Jones should get off. Her betrayal of sports and fans was one of the Top 3 worst of the 20th Century in American sports. She didn't seem particularly remorseful when she was collecting all those medals -- or collecting all those endorsement checks.

(10) Force Dan Snyder to hire a GM. Now THERE you go.

I would add a few others:
-Obliterate AAU and start over.
-Mandate any team relocating to give a substantial cash rebate to fans.
-Develop an unobtrusive test for HGH.
-Legalize sports gambling but tax the hell out of it.
-Name Tim Tebow to lead President's Council on Physical Fitness.

From the serious to the silly, do you have any other items on a sports to-do list for Obama?

-- D.S.

Cool (Paid) Writing Opp About Fantasy MLB

My company is launching a comprehensive fantasy baseball preview, and I wanted to invite anyone interested to register at the site and take part. The individual preview articles (by position, team, category) are paid -- not a ton, but something -- and you will have an additional clip to point to. Plus, it should be fun; in the end, you're writing about baseball. The claims are going fast, so check it out. Sign up, go to the "Call for Content" area, look for the baseball assignments, claim them and get paid to publish about fantasy baseball. -- D.S.

Obamaball: Sox vs. Cubs At The C-in-C Ball:Take Me Out To the (Inaugural) Ball Game

During the Commander-in-Chief Ball, did you see Obama's interview with all those military folks from Chicago?

Obama was like "White Sox or Cubs?" He's being televised on multiple networks live, and THAT is what he wants to ask them about. It's a question only a real fan cares about.

And they all (all but one) kept saying "Cubs," and you could see Obama was playfully miffed. "Terrible," he muttered. I love that.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 01/21 A.M. Quickie:Obama, Gruden, Parcells, Duke, More

OK, so back to work. Or get started working.

But it almost felt like the sports world -- along with everyone else -- came to a standstill yesterday for the Inauguration. (Leads today's SN column.)

No matter: No. 44 is at work, and the rest of us are, too.

Should Jon Gruden be at work...at Notre Dame? ND fans unhappy with Charlie Weis may see Gruden as a fun alternative, but pro-to-college coaches tend to...well...suck.

Bill Parcells is still at work for the Dolphins: And it sounds like he will be, at least for the next year.

College seniors are looking for NFL work at the Senior Bowl: Is Pat White auditioning as a QB or a Wildcat specialist that every team will want/need next season?

(And will Oklahoma exile Rhett Bomar pull off the Comeback of the Year in college football?)

Gerald Henderson is hard at work for Duke: I don't expect Coach K to tell Singler and Scheyer and Paulus to defer to Henderson, but they should -- he is the best player on the team.

Bill Self might be working a little TOO hard: John Wall IS awesome, but Self knew better than to talk with him -- he even said so when he talked with him.

Can we get Theo Epstein in the new administration in some capacity? His ability to avoid arbitration shows that he can generate consensus and results. (It's not like Papelbon got the short end: From $800K to $6.25M.)

Does Ryan Howard's work in '08 deserve a huge raise in '09? He made $10M in arbitration before the '08 season; then he had another monster season. Does that qualify him for a raise to $18M? Maybe on the open market, but probably not in arbitration if the Phillies do the right thing and at least offer him a raise into the mid-teens.

Complete SN column here. More later. Back to work, everyone.

-- D.S.

TrueHoop Network Pwns NBA Coverage

News broke yesterday of ESPN.com's new blog network of NBA team bloggers. Henry Abbott announced it today, quite skillfully and comprehensively. And it's a very smart idea.

The benefit to ESPN is obvious: They substantially increase their depth of coverage on a team-by-team basis; they earn a lot of "blog cred"; and they now own all that blog traffic.

The benefit to the bloggers is obvious: Their sites are put in front of a vastly larger audience; they get to align themselves with the mainstream legitimacy of ESPN; they keep editorial control.

Feeling the brunt: Local newspaper NBA coverage. Oh, there is a critical role for the beat reporter; the best bloggers lean on (and credit) local beat folks.

But with the ESPN imprimateur, these bloggers -- the savviest ones, at least -- are one step from being solvent enough to expand their coverage to include beat reporting.

(Makes you wonder: Where is the loose confederation of newspapers that pay for NBA beat coverage, coming together and creating their own network of online content?)

Things I would like to see:

ESPN aggressively integrate the blogger content into their daily NBA coverage -- not just top stories, but into features, analysis, game recaps and more.

The bloggers take advantage of the affiliation with ESPN -- which team media relations departments can't help but respect -- to expand their coverage innovatively.

This has been hanging out there as an opportunity for every major sports-media site out there -- for years (even with SB Nation corralling some of the best into their network).

Kudos to Henry and ESPN for making this happen. They would be smart to do something similar in the other sports, too; THIS is what a "blog network" should be.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 01/20 A.M. Quickie:Obama, Obama, Obama

Today is the biggest, proudest, most momentous day of my lifetime, at least my lifetime as an American.

That said, the moment defies superlative, defies hyperbole.

It is impossible for me to do it any justice. (Just watching the pundits on the morning news shows, you see how absurd it is to even try.)

There are the obvious sports tie-ins -- Obama as Fan-in-Chief (today's SN lead item), the tie-ins to the No. 44 (I have my own tribute).

The sports angle is cutesy, but I am far more heartened that we are entering a new era where smart is cool, competence is valued, execution is everything.

Otherwise, it largely defies description. It is just something to marvel at, to wonder at -- collectively -- like those images of the crowds on the Mall right now.

The moment is simultaneously intensely personal and entirely national. I'm left with the utterly inadequate: Wow.

-- D.S.

Monday 01/19 A.M. Quickie:Cardinals, Steelers, Fitzgerald, ACC

As praised in today's SN column (though not quite in this way), the Cardinals' run to the Super Bowl is amazing on at least two levels:

To start, simply the fact that the Cardinals is going to the Super Bowl is huge on its face. (The Cardinals! The worst franchise in NFL history!)

But add on top of that, it's not like they were dominant this season or destined for the Super Bowl, like Kurt Warner's 1999 Rams team, which went from chump-ish to champs on a rail.

No, each and every week of these playoffs, the Cards have been discounted -- or counted out entirely. First round at home? Underdogs. Division round on the road? Underdogs. NFC Title Game at home? Underdogs. Meanwhile: Win, win, win. And decisively, each time.

It's a neat bit of judo: They are taking your expectations -- which couldn't be lower -- and using them to make their own accomplishments all the more incredible. If we EXPECTED them to win each week, it wouldn't nearly be as sweet as it is now.

For decades, the Cardinals were worse than losers -- they were irrelevant. Now: They are the latest incarnation of America's Team -- how can you root against them now?

But, please: Pick against them one more time.

Meanwhile, other things you'll find in today's SN column:

*Larry Fitzgerald has been elevated to NFL God status.
*Kurt Warner makes Tim Tebow look like an atheist.
*The McNabb Era is over in Philadelphia?
*The McGahee Era is over in Baltimore?
*Steve Spagnuolo will do more with less than Rex Ryan will do more with more.
*LeBron in a Browns jersey IS kind of awesome.
*Wake and Duke may be 1-2, but the Big East still rules.

Complete column here. More later. Enjoy your MLK Day -- the way the NBA treats it (with plenty of afternoon games and a marquee event -- Cavs-Lakers -- tonight) is kind of awesome.

-- D.S.

Sunday 01/18 (Very) Quickie

Countdown to NFL conf-title games...

So, with Pitt losing at Louisville (with the way the Big East is this year and the way Louisville is playing in Big East play, that's hardly a scarring mark for Pitt), who should be No. 1?

It's down to either Duke or Wake.

Duke handled Georgetown impressively/aggravatingly enough, but they did it at home. At a neutral site or on the road, I'm not sure they beat the Hoyas.

Meanwhile, Wake won at Clemson -- you can say that Clemson was overrated/product of cupcake schedule/etc., but it was a rocking environment, and Wake handled it.

Plus, Wake has that win over UNC, which Duke doesn't have (yet), so I would give my No. 1 vote to Wake -- not that being No. 1 in any given week in college hoops means anything.

(Re: Duke, they need to make Henderson the focal point of the offense; he is their most potent offensive threat -- although he really needs to shave his head, because that widow's peak balding situation isn't intimidating at all.)

Also: Very impressive wins by Syracuse (over ND) and Arizona State (over UCLA, at UCLA)

Rams hire Giants DC Steve Spagnuolo: The Rams are a mess, but -- in line with my comment about Schwartz and the Lions -- this is the best thing to happen to the Rams franchise since they won the Super Bowl.

Spagnuolo is one of the top minds in the NFL, and should accelerate the turnaround. As they are saying around Washington this week: Smart is the new cool and youth is the new cool. Hires like Schwartz and Spagnuolo and McDaniels and Morris underscore that.

NBA: Magic keep rolling through the Western Conference, this time toppling the Nuggets.

Hot Stove: Phillies sign Hamels to 3Y/$20.5M deal. Seems like a bargain, given the money being thrown around at guys like Sabathia -- in the next year, Hamels will emerge as his superior.

--

Saw Slumdog Millionaire last night. I have seen all of 2 movies in the theaters in the last year (Slumdog and Dark Knight), but Slumdog was one of the Top 10 or 20 best movies I have ever seen. Really enjoyed it. Hope it wins a Best Picture Oscar.

-- D.S.

Saturday 01/17 (Very) Quickie

Twitter-style: What are you doing?
Getting ready for a fantastic afternoon and evening of college hoops. I would say I am most intrigued by Georgetown at Duke, but followed closely by Wake-Clemson and Pitt-L'ville.

Bucs fire Jon Gruden: Now that was a bit unexpected. They must have seen a lot more potential in D.C. Raheem Morris (maybe because the Broncos did first?) than Gruden, who will undoubtedly land somewhere by next season -- but who now officially becomes a coaching retread. Meanwhile, between the 32-year-old Morris and the 32-year-old Josh McDaniels, the trend is definitely for the younger promising head coaches with less of a resume than the...ahem...retreads.

The Magic are on fire: They beat the Lakers last night (despite Kobe's triple-double...in large part thanks to Dwight Howard's 30th double-double and the continued scorching play of should-be All-Star Jameer Nelson -- I'll admit I was a draft-night doubter about him, but he has turned into a sensational NBA player (undoubtedly benefiting from the right context).

Cripes: It is WAY too cold out.

-- D.S.

LeBron As a Cleveland Browns Player

This upcoming State Farm ad featuring LeBron as a player for the Cleveland Browns should get a ton of attention. Kudos to Sparty And Friends -- a blog started by disaffected ex-DanShanoff.com commenters! I'm so proud! -- for being all over this one. (h/t: True Hoop for taking it wide)

UPDATE: I am surprised that Nike-loyal LeBron put on anything with a Reebok "vector" logo, but I presume that is what he had to do to wear an actual Brown uni. I will say this: If Reebok doesn't ambush the LeBron marketing power by creating and selling No. 23 Browns jerseys, they are insane. In fact, how could they not have them ready for sale Monday, after the commercial airs nationally?

-- D.S.

Friday 01/16 A.M. Quickie:Cards, Eagles, Harvin, Sanchez, CBB Wknd

Start with this: In today's SN column, I'm picking the Eagles and the Steelers -- two of the more passionate/insufferable fan bases in the NFL (if not all of sports).

It's easy to root for the Eagles for two reasons: (1) They have never won a Super Bowl, and (2) I picked them to win the Super Bowl before the playoffs started.

That said, I'd give up both -- even being right! -- for the Cardinals going to the Super Bowl; as someone who values novelty as much as I do, it's just one of the ultimates.

Meanwhile, there is good reason to root for Eagles-Ravens:

The idea of two 6-seeds running the table on the road is the ultimate manifestation of "parity" -- it should make any expert doubt everything they might think they know about how the NFL works.

The strongest line from today's column: "Hiring Jim Schwartz is the best thing to happen to the Lions since they drafted Barry Sanders."

Percy Harvin going pro: I'm torn. He is/was one of my favorite all-time Florida players; it's arguable he was the most talented player to ever put on a Florida uniform.

His injury history and his status as a lock first-rounder (I'm predicting that he falls no further than the Patriots) means that he had no choice but to turn pro now.

Will Florida miss him next season? Absolutely, even with Tebow coming back.

Harvin was one of the rare players -- even more than Maclin or Derrick Williams or Jahvid Best -- where anytime he came on the field, the defense was distracted to the point of changing the play by his mere presence.

Dr. Saturday has a phenomenal quote about it from yesterday: "The only things that ever really stopped Harvin were his own ankle and hamstring, which just aren't evolved to handle that much torque."

That said: This was a breakthrough year for Florida playmakers -- although none are as good as Harvin, a couple of them are just as fast. Jeff Demps was a home-run threat every time he touched the ball (he isn't the receiver that Harvin is); Chris Rainey is a playmaker (but more injury-prone than Harvin). Brandon James is sort of Harvin-Lite. Deonte Thompson has a ton of potential. Incoming freshman Andre Debose may very well be the next Harvin. They will miss him, but there is plenty of depth -- see the way Florida beat Alabama, even without Harvin.

Meanwhile, Pete Carroll is a bit of a d'bag for ripping Mark Sanchez's decision to turn pro. Yeah: Like Carroll is now going to go out and actively recruit the kind of player who doesn't have the ability to turn pro after 3 seasons. Quit whining.

The end of the college football season signals the moment for a lot of fans to re-engage in college hoops, and Saturday's lineup -- no CFB, no NFL -- is an amazing moment to do it:

No. 1 Pitt has arguably its toughest game of the year, at Louisville, which has those bad non-conf losses but is sizzling in Big East play.

Georgetown at Duke: One of the Top 3 non-conference games of the season, G'town is coming off a huge win over Syracuse this week. Speaking of which...

Notre Dame vs. Syracuse: Yet another titanic Big East battle in a season where you can't go a few days without another one.

Wake Forest at Clemson: Is Wake the best team in the country? Is Clemson for real? Answers to both will be available.

Complete column here. Have a great weekend everyone. College hoops feasting on Saturday. NFL conference-title games on Sunday. Great weekend of sports. More later.

-- D.S.

AOL Sports Is Dead, Long Live Fanhouse

It seems crazy to me that I actually began my career in online sports media before AOL Sports even really existed -- my company, Real Fans Sports Network (ne Extreme Fans), provided original sports content daily (constantly) to the AOL audience back when it was an aggregation of AOL-funded destination areas within AOL's "walled garden" of subscribers. I mean, come on: I was fluent in Rainman!

(We were a scrappy start-up literally inventing original online sports content -- we weren't the only ones, of course, but we had a prominent platform on AOL and we were wildly successful given our resources. One of the founders was Hank Adams, now CEO of Sportvision. One of my co-workers is Rob Peterson of NBA.com. One was Matt Sampson, who was critical to the first step of Bill Simmons' career. I'll write more extensively about it some day. But I digress...)

Then came AOL Sports -- which was still a collection of partners, like SportsLine and the NFL. Then AOL Sports went onto the Web. Then things were slow.

Then Jamie Mottram created and launched Fanhouse as part of AOL Sports and delivered a key evolutionary moment for online sports media.

Now it's just Fanhouse, quick-hit original content off the day's big sports headlines -- just like we at Real Fans were doing in 1995. Everything old is new again, I guess. Except Jay Mariotti still thought newspapers were the place to be.

-- D.S.

PS: I ask this every time I mention it, but if any of you were on AOL back in the mid-90s and remember Real Fans, please don't be afraid to share. Man, was that an experience.

Obamaball: Alexander Wolff FTW With the Definitive Article on Obama and Basketball

Just about a year in the making -- since the primary season began a year ago and Barack Obama's passion for basketball became a huge storyline, certainly among sports fans -- here comes what will likely be the definitive piece about Obama's love of hoops, from SI's Alexander Wolff.

(Ironically, Wolff recently took the SI buy-out -- this piece might serve as the basis for a very successful book that can help off-set that recent career change.)

Anyway, a must-read and kudos to Wolff. (This is going to come across like an insult, but it's really the opposite: It doesn't happen much anymore, but sometimes SI delivers the "signature" take on a story. I think this is one of those times.)

-- D.S.

Thursday 01/15 A.M. Quickie:Bradford, Sanchez, Boldin, CP3, More

Sorry for the late/short post. Here's the column, if you haven't seen it yet. Gist of the lead: Not sure there has been a triumvirate of QB star power in college football like Tebow-McCoy-Bradford next season. More later.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 01/14 A.M. Quickie:Meeks, Pioli, Magic, Mays, Kiffin

Because his college career came at the peak of my teen-aged development as a sports fan, I maintain something of a nostalgic fascination with Chris Jackson during his career at LSU.

If you're under 30, you probably don't remember him much, if at all -- or, more likely, you know him far better as Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, summarily drummed out of the NBA, basically for being a Muslim. ("If you're under 30?" Cripes. Smack me for ever offering up that patronizing clause again.)

Anyway, in college, Jackson was absurdly good. Like: Makes-Stephen-Curry-look-pedestrian good. And one time in 1989, he scored a double-nickel vs. Ole Miss, and that came up last night when Kentucky's Jodie Meeks scored 54 at Tennessee.

Meeks had already scored 46 a month ago vs. App State -- but topping 50 in major college hoops, on the road no less, is putting yourself in very rare air. On an otherwise slow sports night where I was a lot more interested in the "Idol" premiere than any sports being shown on TV, it was a prolific performance. And so it leads today's SN column.

Other storylines you'll find:
*Why KC hiring Scott Pioli is the NFL best move of the offseason.
*Why the Magic are so on fire right now.
*Why the Coaches' poll will continue to frustrate you.
*Why Taylor Mays could win the Heisman.
*Why Lane Kiffin put his newborn in a tough position.

Check it out here. More later.

-- D.S.

Utah As No. 1: A Second Thought

There are a few good reasons for me to accept the legitimacy of Utah as the No. 1 team in the country:

(1) I voted them No. 2 and think that they are the only team right now that could give Florida a game. I'm not saying they would win, but I am more than convinced they could win.

(2) Your comments and feedback. You all make terrific arguments for Utah. (That said: I remain convinced that the AP voters who voted for Utah were, largely, just trying to be contrarian.)

(3) On almost all matters related to Florida football and statistics, I defer to the thoughtful thinkers at Saurian Sagacity. And so it was to my surprise -- an oddly pleasant one, actually -- that on their final BlogPoll ballot, they voted Utah at No. 1 ahead of Florida.

More than that, they backed it up with some very convincing arguments.

I maintain that Florida is the best team in the country. I maintain that Utah is a strong No. 2. I concur that - as in previous years - we will never know and that this is all speculation. (And, let's point out: If there was a 4-team playoff, Utah would not have been invited.)

I am more than willing to admit that I can't possibly sidestep my own bias in making the distinction between them. As quick as I am to credit Utah -- and I am proud to evidence that I have all season -- there is no getting around my own bias here. (Fair question: How would a "pre-2001" Dan Shanoff have voted?)

What I will say is that though I have tried to provide at least a few provocative opinions in my life, ranking Utah at No. 2 was not one of them -- this was no novelty pick, made for the sake of undermining the BCS or, worse, self-promotion. They are a truly excellent team.

(Hopefully, they and their fans take at least some solace in ranking as high as they possibly could have under the current system -- and stirring a debate that they even might be the best.)

Kudos to the Saurian Sagacity crew -- as die-hard Florida fans as anyone (and they are more than happy to boastfully celebrate an SEC title, as well as a win in the BCS title game) -- for their intellectual forthrightness and commitment to the knowable.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 01/13 A.M. Quickie:Cardinals, Curry, Oklahoma, Louisville

The Cardinals are the new "America's Team." How do you define an "America's Team?" That leads today's SN column, but -- in short -- it's the bandwagon that everyone jumps on when the vast majority of fans have no other rooting interest than the most compelling storyline available.

In this case, the Cardinals aren't just compelling -- it's a once-in-a-lifetime moment for any fan under the age of, say, 60... folks who have never known anything BUT the Cards sucking.

As I point out in the column, this is much different than the jumping on the bandwagon of the Rays run: The sheer decades-long history of ineptitude qualifies the Cardinals as their own unique brand of novelty. And, in the absence of your own team still alive, it's worth rooting for.

Meanwhile:

*Baseball Hall: Again, who in their right mind wouldn't vote for Rickey? Meanwhile, I'd love to hear why Jim Rice is more Hall-worthy now than he was last year/5 years ago/10 years ago. I think he won a war of attrition, and more voters than not simply gave in to their buddies.

*Oklahoma makes its claim as a national contender -- and as the best team in the Big 12.

*Did I jump off the Louisville bandwagon (and onto Wake's) too early? Notre Dame fans say "Yes."

*Both Josh "No, really: I smile!" McDaniels and Jim "No, really: I love a turnaround job!" Schwartz said all the right things to make Broncos and Lions fans happy.

*Tebow shoulder surgery! (No: I'm actually not that breathless about it...certainly not as breathless as I am about Myron Rolle officially putting off the NFL for Oxford. THAT rules.)

*Eddy Curry: Um...yeah...about that. Lawsuits are easy to file; this driver guy knows exactly what pressure point to push for an NBA player -- play the "gay" card. Curry may win the day on the lawsuit, but he will never ever shake this allegation. It will define his career, unfortunately.

Complete column here. More later.

-- D.S.

Florida: Your BlogPoll National Champion

Florida is No. 1, crowned the 2008 BlogPoll National Champion. (FWIW, Utah is No. 2.) Doc Saturday has a breakdown (as does BlogPoll administrator Brian Cook), and -- perhaps to credit to both the Doc and to me -- both he and I had Florida at No. 1 in the preseason, as did 12 other BlogPollsters. Next season, that won't be nearly so impressive.

Rickey: 24 Votes Shy of Unanimous HOF

How can 24 self-proclaimed (and BBWAA-"accredited") baseball "experts" leave Rickey Henderson off their Hall of Fame ballot? There should be a rule where if you leave out an "obvious" pick, you lose your voting privileges for some X amount of time. There is voter prerogative, and then there is you-have-no-excuse wrong.

-- D.S.

Dash Bennett on The Passion of Tim Tebow

Deadspin's Dash Bennett is the sports-blog Rookie of the Year of 2008, stepping into Deadspin's maw and constantly delivering.

Despite the superlatives and the storylines, writing a post about Tim Tebow of nationalized scope and any non-superficial depth is not easy -- it is mostly left to regional players and (ahem) fawning bandwagoneers.

Bennett pulled it off here, and I'm not just linking to it because he sympathetically points out my own post on the matter (and my SN post, at that, not even my blog post from yesterday).

To reiterate: Among the superlatives, perhaps the most devastating is this -- there have been and will never be more expectations placed on a player than there will be on Tebow in '09.

-- D.S.

Obamaball: White House Pick-Up Hoops

We're just over a week away from the era of pick-up basketball games at the White House. And that story led yesterday's New York Times' Sunday Styles section. If you love basketball, it really will be awesome. I have said this before: Hoops will reign as the national pastime.

12 AP Voters Nullify Their Cred By VotingUtah Over Their Previous No. 1, Florida

Via Pollspeak -- a spectacularly useful site whose existence I have been begging for for years -- a wild piece of information that I had asked them to find out for me:

Of the 16 AP voters who gave Utah their No. 1 vote, 12 nullified their penultimate ballot, which listed Florida at No. 1 the last time they were asked.

Presumably, if your No. 1 team heading into the bowl season wins their final game -- even if you didn't have their opponent (Oklahoma) at No. 2 and had them at 3 or 4 -- you would keep them there if they won.

This is the equivalent of jury nullification and it borders on intellectual bankruptcy. I'm curious how many actually thought Utah was the best team and how many just wanted to either (a) make a statement about the BCS or (b) make a name for themselves.

Here is the roll-call of the suspicious dozen:

Doug Lesmerises:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=20
Jake Schaller:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=380
Bob Hammond:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=401
Jim Lamar:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=383
Kevin Pearon:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=38
Mark Anderson:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=392
Mike Strain:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=45
Mitch Vingle:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=400
Randy Harrison:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=393
Scott Wolf:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=57
Steve Conroy:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=59
Tom Hart:
http://pollspeak.com/pollstalker/pollstalker.php?r=V&s=5&p=9&w=16&t1=0&t2=0&v=61

Huge thanks to Pollspeak for their help in compiling this list. Transparency and accountability among poll voters -- in any sport and for any reason (rankings, awards, Hall of Fame) is paramount in our sports culture. We finally have the tools to track it.

UPDATE: Here's a link to how all AP voters voted Utah, ranging from 1st to 5th.

-- D.S.

UPDATE 2: Hugh from Pollspeak sent me an email, and I wanted to print it for you in full (with his permission, of course):

[P]ersonally, I don't have a problem with the voters who switched to Utah...in fact, that can sometimes be a good thing. I more often complain about how people don't make changes to their polls enough...simply because they feel they can't "slide" other teams out of the way, but that isn't the fairest way to vote.

The fairest way to vote is to start with a clean slate each week and then look at what happened the previous week and create a whole new ballot. In fact, the AP voter guidelines say: " Don’t hesitate to make significant changes in your ballot from week to week. "

I"m not saying Utah deserves to be ranked over Florida...but I certainly wouldn't criticize voters who think that way. Maybe they wanted to put Utah #1, but thought Utah was lacking a quality win. Once they proved themselves...voters changed their mind. I think that is admirable. I much more often see people afraid to make changes...seemingly because they want to prove they were "right" all along.

Thanks, Hugh.

Monday 01/12 A.M. Quickie:Tebow, Eagles, Steelers, Cards, Wake

Refining yesterday's post about Tebow's return to Florida, in today's SN column I lead by laying out the dramatic stakes for him in 2009: Best Player Ever and Best Team Ever are both in the mix.

Then again, there is Matt Leinart and the 2005 USC Trojans as your cautionary tale.

Picking Florida to win the national championship in August may have been my best call of the 2008, but it might get competition from my pick of the Eagles to win the Super Bowl.

(Yes, I should go ahead and dismiss the Cardinals -- again, for the third straight week. Their D has been sensational, and Warner is probably a win from locking in a place in the Hall of Fame.)

Speaking of Hall of Fame: The question is which idiot BBWAA voters won't put Rickey Henderson into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility? You know they're out there.

You can thank the Steelers for maintaining some level of HFA pride in being the only home team to win this weekend; they'll have it next weekend, too -- the Ravens won't be scared.

I would like to revise my preseason pick of Louisville to win the NCAA Tournament and switch my vote to Wake Forest. (Caveats: They beat UNC at Wake; Ginyard didn't play; UNC shot 35 percent, which won't happen all the time -- including 3/12 from Hansbrough.)

Broncos hire Josh McDaniels: I know Denver needs help with D, but McDaniels can hire a top-flight assistant for that (Mike Nolan? Dom Capers?). He is one of the brightest young coaching talents in the NFL -- Lane Kiffin isn't a cautionary tale; he was entirely unsuited for the role. McDaniels is a career NFL assistant taught by the best -- he will do fantastic.

Complete SN column here. More later.

-- D.S.

Tim Tebow Returning to Florida for 2009

It's official: Tim Tebow will return to Florida for his senior year. Thus extends the legend of a player already among the most legendary in college football history.

After addressing the crowd and walking to the edge of the stage, he turned around and said, "Oh and by the way, one more thing, let's do it again. I'm coming back!"

This triggers all sorts of things:

(1) Florida will be preseason No. 1, and the heavy favorites to repeat as national champs. (I will repeat as a mantra "USC '05...USC '05" all year long; it's an appropriate cautionary tale.)

(1b) This Florida team does have the potential to be one of the greatest in CFB history (d'oh!). The offense returns Tebow and plenty of skill; the defense returns virtually everyone, including a bunch of redshirt players who could have started this season.

(2) Tebow will be installed as the favorite to win the Heisman -- sorry Colt McCoy: I could see the voters giving it to Tebow simply for coming back and leading the team to an unbeaten season, regardless of stats.

(3) Tebow will have the potential to finish his college career as the greatest player of all time -- certainly the most decorated -- win 2 Heismans (and be finalist for a 3rd) and 3 national championships, which would put him on a plateau of "all-time" unmatched in the sport's history.

(4) There will be so much Tebow insanity all year long, it will be ridiculous, absurd, insane and -- yes -- probably sickening for many of you. The college football world will revolve around him.

I'd suggest you enjoy the novelty -- a mania like this doesn't come along very often, in any sport.

UPDATE: There's one more thing. Much like USC in 2005 (or Florida hoops in 2007), it is "National Title or Utter Failure" next season. Anything less than a title is a bust. The Gators hoops team seemed motivated by that; I think things are much tougher in football.

-- D.S.

Sunday 01/11 (Very) Quickie: Cardinals!

And, all of a sudden, the Arizona Cardinals are America's Team.

If you don't have a rooting interest in the NFL playoffs, how can you not be rooting for pro football's most historically hapless franchise?

That was an incredible defensive beat-down they put on the Panthers on the road (for the 2nd straight week, they shut down a high-powered running attack, this time perhaps the NFL's best) -- and it's hard not to watch Larry Fitzgerald in the first half and not say he is the best WR in the NFL.

Here is how wild it is for the Cards: If the Eagles win today, Arizona will host the NFC championship game. Anyone see that coming?

Meanwhile, coaches HAVE to be able to challenge whether the play clock ran out before an opposing team got their play off -- I love that rookie Joe Flacco won his 2nd straight playoff road game, but it is completely ridiculous that a missed call was the difference.

CBB: Nothing typifies how amazingly competitive the Big East is this year than Louisville going to Philadelphia and beating Villanova... Meanwhile, it's amazing to think that a week ago, Boston College was on top of the world, having beat UNC -- now, they end the week with 2 straight losses, to Harvard and, yesterday, to Miami. UNC must be going: HUNH?!?!

NBA: The Grizzlies re-sign Darius Miles, and I'm pretty sure that they're going to dare the Blazers to sue them. Portland won't, and they will be on the hook for Miles' salary. Sorry, Portland: Maybe you should have thought harder before taking on that salary to begin with. Don't look for the rest of the league to bail you out. (Can you imagine this scenario in the NFL? There would be 20 teams fighting to screw over an up-and-comer.)

MLB: Pedro Martinez to the Marlins? (Do they even need him to help their already loaded young pitching staff?) Are the Marlins the new Rays?

NFL Coaching Carousel: The best thing the Lions could do is hire the Titans' Jim Schwartz, my favorite assistant coach in the NFL. If/when he turns around that franchise, it would be the ultimate validation of Schwartz's stats-based coaching methodology.

Pop Culture: Did you catch the song "I Love The BCS" on Saturday Night Live last night? It wasn't all that clever, but it hits on a massive hot-button among sports fans and anytime sports crosses into larger pop culture (or, say, politics) it gets a ton of attention.

-- D.S.

Vote for Baby Mangino

When Deadspin's annual Sports Human of the Year (SHOTY) tournament began a few weeks ago, I totally called the Cinderella-ish run by "Baby Mangino."

Your last chance to vote for him -- going up against Buzz Bissinger, another figure who wouldn't have even been on the radar in 2008 if not for Deadspin -- ends Sunday.

While Buzz was certainly one of the most notable figures in the sports-blog universe in 2008, Baby M. has my vote.

-- D.S.

Saturday 01/10 (Very) Quickie: Cavs Rule

Between the way the Celtics have been playing lately and the way the Cavs have been playing at home, last night's dominant Cavs win -- LeBron was excellent -- wasn't much of a surprise.

Question: Does this affirm the Cavs as the best team in the East? Or do they not earn that status until they vanquish the Celtics from the playoffs?

Michael Crabtree going pro: He could have gone pro after last season, too. In fact, the whole "redshirt sophomores are draft-eligible" is ludicrous -- how is that so different from true sophs?

NFL Playoffs today: Good day to just sit inside and watch games.

Still savoring the Florida win. And contemplating if Tebow will/should go pro -- check out the post below, if you missed it yesterday.

-- D.S.

Will Tim Tebow Turn Pro Or Stay In College?Better Question: SHOULD He Turn Pro?

Should Tim Tebow stay at Florida or enter the NFL Draft?

I have laid this out before: Tebow can't do much more as a college player. National title? Check (twice, including once as a starter). Heisman? Check (one win, one 3rd-place finish).

Further, given what you read about what NFL scouts say about him, I'm not sure his draft stock improves with another year of college "seasoning." His NFL flaws will remain his flaws. (UPDATE: Not necessarily true. Florida's new QB coach is Scott Loeffler, who was the QB coach at Michigan and for the Lions -- OK, don't snicker; he knows what the NFL needs in a QB.)

And then there's the money: Sure, he won't make first-round money -- this year or even perhaps in 2010 -- but the endorsement dollars should be among the highest in the NFL. And if Tebow wants to support his father's ministry with his pro earnings, why put it off a year?

That said, there is an appeal to staying:

*If, in fact, he is not seriously considered a long-term NFL starter, why not just stay in college, where he is not only prolific, but beloved -- the poster guy for the sport.

*The endorsement dollars will still be there in a year, and the ministry can probably wait for it; they have waited this long.

*Finally, for all of his accolades and accomplishments, if Tebow returned, he would have the chance to cap an unprecedented career:

Another title? Another Heisman? How about an unbeaten season, which has never happened in Florida history?

How about status as the greatest college football player of all time? How about leading a team that would compete for status as the greatest college football team of all time? (USC '05 alert)!

The idea is hardly unprecedented -- it's not even unique for Florida. When the basketball team won their first title, Joakim Noah and Al Horford would have both been Lottery picks. Corey Brewer would have been a first-round pick.

But they all came back, for the chance to accomplish something special: Back-to-back titles, and status as -- arguably -- the greatest starting five of the modern college hoops era and -- inarguably -- status as one of the greatest teams/dynasties of the modern college hoops era. All that, plus a hell of a lot of goodwill for putting the game and each other ahead of pro dollars.

I'm sure it is tempting for Tebow to stay.

In college football, he is a god (no: not a "lower-cased god," like that creepy "Zombie Jackie Robinson" in the Gatorade "What Is G?" ads). In the NFL, he is a sideshow.

Opportunities for true, Mount Zeus immortality in sport are rare. There are probably only a dozen or so athletes ALL-TIME who qualify -- none in college football. Tebow could be It.

You could argue that he is already almost there -- one of the "all-time greats" in his sport -- even if his career ended now.

There are two telling tales from recent years:

*Vince Young: VY left early, after a transcendent season and championship-game performance, and that hasn't dimmed his place in college football's Pantheon any.

(More similarities: In addition to reaping tons of endorsement dollars that Tebow is likely to similarly create -- more, actually -- VY has run into problems in the NFL on the field, similar to what Tebow might face.)

*Matt Leinart: Leinart stayed all 4 years -- for much of the same reasons Tebow would stay: He loved college life. His USC team had the potential to be one of the best -- if not THE best -- ever. Win another Heisman. And it all ultimately collapsed around him, unfulfilled. I would argue that Leinart's star as a college football super-great dimmed, perhaps just slightly, by staying.

It is a complex decision.

I think that Tebow has nothing left to prove in college -- success came so early, so comprehensively and so exhaustively that his senior year seems superfluous.

And yet I think Tebow IS college football; how could he be one of "those" players who abandons it early? Particularly -- especially -- if there is no great demand for him in the NFL.

I will be torn either way he decides. I will be thrilled if he comes back -- it is almost overkill. (Almost.) I will support him as an all-time college football great if he leaves.

I can only imagine how difficult it is for him. His particularly unique disposition -- and I would say his disposition, of anything, is what puts him over the top as an all-time great -- is uniquely suited for a decision like this. He possesses an uncanny sense of clarity.

And yet in analyzing it here, there are simply no easy or obvious answers.

My prediction: I think he will come back to Florida for his senior year. And it will be mayhem.

-- D.S.

UPDATE: Allen Barra has a must-read in the Village Voice, and he details an NFL analogue for Tebow that I have mentioned here in the past: Donovan McNabb.

Tim Tebow Eye Black John 3:16 Scandal-ish

Expanded on from the post below.

OK, so about Tim Tebow's "John 3:16" eye-black...

Some don't like the in-your-face evangelism. Unsurprising.

However, surprising even myself, I don't mind it, because -- generally -- he's so much less in-your-face than others...

...And much less in-your-face than you would expect from a player whose faith is as integral to his life as Tim (a development that made me re-think my own biases, to be honest).

In his first interview last night on the award podium, note the first thing he said. It wasn't "I want to thank Jesus." It was this:

"I just want to thank the fans. They are so unbelievable... I just love being a Gator and I thank all of you!"

From my observations -- and I have observed him a lot (specifically about this issue of proseletyzing) -- he seems to make an active effort to be inclusive. He doesn't -- and won't -- ignore his faith; he brings it up all the time. He simply does it in a fairly thoughtful/careful way.

Just got this message on my Facebook Wall from an old college buddy, with an Onion-like headline mashing up Tebow's faith -- and my faith in Tebow:

This just in: Shanoff Converts to Christianity - "Christ makes me feel closer to Tim."

Want to hear the most ridiculous part? When Tebow originally came out onto the field last night, I was like, "Hey, what happened to Phil 4:13? John 3:16 is so cliche."

(Seriously: It's like I was waiting for the guy in the rainbow wig who sits behind field goals to show up and do a little dance on the sidelines about it. He totally ruined John 3:16. Honestly: What was wrong with Phil 4:13? There was a nice little winning streak with Phil 4:13! Did he really want to jinx things by changing it up NOW? Come ON!)

-- D.S.

Final Thoughts On Florida's Title Game Win

It's probably a good measure of what's most important to you NOT what you instantly post 5 minutes after a championship game involving your team ends, but after a fitful night of mind-racing lying in bed, what still stands out (more or less in this order):

*Tebow's crazy display of emotion early in the 2nd half: After that very iffy first half, Tebow looked...timid?

Tied 7-7, the 3rd quarter started with a 3-and-out for Florida, but the Gators D held (even after that awful roughing-the-punter penalty).

They got the ball back, and thus began Tebow Time. It was on a key Tebow scramble for a first down that he got up -- and got fired up. It was the "old" Tebow, back and ready to go.

For me, that was the game's biggest turning point. This picture says it all.

*Tebow's unlikely unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty as the game was winding down, doing the Gator Chomp in the face of an Oklahoma defensive player. Though I'll call it part of Tebow's "enthusiasm," it was a display of taunting that I have never seen from him in 3 years. For those of you still hunting for even a sliver of "bad boy" in Tebow: There it was.

*Ahmad Black's give-me-that-ball interception. Down 3 with tons of time to go (10 min), Oklahoma was three plays into a drive that looked for all the world like an inevitable (and go-ahead) TD.

Then Black literally YANKED the championship from Bradford and Co.

It was the ultimate symbol of the performance by the Gators' D, one of the greatest single-game performances in college football history (if you consider the prolific offense they were playing).

*Fox's broadcast was horrible and nearly unwatchable. The defining moment was that "4th down!" gaffe in the 2nd quarter. (No, you morons: It was 3rd down.) They were horrible. I cannot wait for ESPN to take over these broadcasts next year; the difference isn't even worth comparing.

(The only thing I'd compliment Fox on was that "count-up" clock to track the speed of Oklahoma's offense. Like most Fox broadcasts, they probably went to it a little too much, but once I became insanely afraid of their hurry-up capabilities, the clock was like an on-screen enabler of my neuroses. Every time OU went super-hurry-up, they produced a good play -- except for that hurry-up run on 4th and Goal early on -- not sure why they slowed down even a little...unless Florida's defensive game-plan was foiling their first take at play-calling.)

*Tim Tebow's eye-black message. Some don't like the in-your-face evangelism. Surprising even myself, I don't mind it, because -- generally -- he's so much less in-your-face than others.

Just got this message on my Facebook Wall from an old college buddy:

This just in: Shanoff Converts to Christianity - "Christ makes me feel closer to Tim."

Want to hear the most ridiculous part? When Tebow originally came out onto the field, I was like, "Hey, what happened to Phil 4:13? John 3:16 is so cliche."

*Either one of Percy Harvin's long runs, plus Percy Harvin's direct-snap TD. I appreciate Tebow's takeover in the 2nd half. But it wouldn't have been possible without Harvin carrying the team in the first half -- and his long run on the first play of Florida's first drive of the 4th quarter, setting up the go-ahead FG in the 2nd half. Harvin deserved co-MVP.

*Nic Harris's unflagged and totally inappropriate cheap shot on Harvin, twisting his ankle following a tackle. The only question in my mind is: Was Harris -- a notorious cheap-shot artist -- acting independently? Or did either Brent Venables or Bob Stoops instruct Harris -- either implicitly or expliclity -- to try to take Harvin out of the game? The latter wouldn't surprise me.

(And thank you, Orson: For confirming that Venables did, in fact, scream "We're f--ked!" on camera just before the end came for him. I saw it, re-wound the DVR to confirm, and figured I would wait for bloggers to further confirm for me -- don't expect to see it in mainstream media.)

*The jump-pass TD to seal the win: Not only did it capitalize on Black's INT, but the drive that produced it took nearly 7 minutes off the clock. And the call of the jump-pass -- which put Tebow on the national map as a freshman against LSU -- was a sentimental book-end for his career, if in fact last night's game was his last as a Gator.

(Even with just 3 minutes to go and down 10, I thought for sure that Oklahoma would score in, like, 30 seconds, then recover the onside kick and score again. All that confidence I had going into the game was eroded within, oh, the first 2 minutes of the game.)

*The fact that every time my wife had to briefly leave the room, something amazing happened: The stop on 4th and Goal; the blocked FG. It got to the point where we seriously considered watching the rest of the game with each of us in separate rooms.

*And, as much as anything else, the game will be defined for me by this ongoing feeling of dread I felt throughout. Oklahoma's defense was better than I could have ever imagined; Florida's offense was stalling -- some of the play calls were maddening. Oklahoma's offense seemed to be able to move enough; every play, I was sure, would be the "Big One." Brown was killing things.

As I mentioned last night, I was so sure that Florida would win -- not just this week, not just the last month, but even going all the way back to my preseason expectation that they would win the national title -- that the taut, low-scoring game totally threw me for a loop. It was totally unexpected; normally, I love to be surprised -- live sports are one of the only things left that have the power to truly surprise you. In this case? Not so much.

I found it hard to be TOO jubilant last night, just after the game ended. I was still too keyed up, the lingering feeling that they just might lose -- at least the first 55 of the game's 60 minutes -- was still too residual in my frame of mind.

(As you'd expect, I got a bunch of text messages and emails as the game was winding down and victory seemed secure, and I found it too hard to digest them in the immediate moments after the game. I appreciated them a lot more this morning.)

It was only after thinking about it overnight that I was able to start fully appreciating how hard-fought this win was -- it was so different from the feeling I got watching the shocking shellacking that Florida put on Ohio State two years ago.

Only now, in a bit of delayed gratification, does the game begin to feel fully satisfying. Perhaps the thing -- not a moment, per se -- that will linger with me is "14." Oklahoma's offense was among the most prolific ever, and Florida's D shut them down (mostly...certainly, as well as you could ever expect). It's hard to watch a slugfest -- it's not as sexy as a shootout. It's gritty.

But in the end, though it has taken 12 hours (and will likely take even more to fully marinate), I feel the sensation of awesome that any fan whose team wins a championship should feel. Once I got over the disconcerting disconnect between my expectations and reality, gritty finally felt so good.

-- D.S.

Friday 01/09 A.M. Quickie:Gators, Tebow, NFL Playoffs, More

Here is today's SN column, leading with a first-person account from a Florida fan about how tough to watch the game was last night -- ultimately satisfying, but only after a fierce slog.

Also: BlogPoll Top 10... Tebow's future... NFL Playoff Preview... Beanie, Crabtree, Maclin... Celtics vs. Cavs tonight... and "Who's No. 1?" in '09...

More on the game -- and I promise I won't dwell on it all day -- shortly, along with my final BlogPoll Top 25 ballot. Complete column here.

UPDATE: I highly recommend you read Matt Hinton's take on the game over at Y!

-- D.S.

Final BlogPoll Ballot: Florida Finishes No. 1Plus: I Expose The Folly Of Playoff Seeding

How appropriate, given that Florida at No. 1 is the way I started the season (one of 14 BlogPoll voters -- and, yes, Kirk Herbstreit -- to call it in August).

NOTES: I am so pleasantly surprised that Utah ended up No. 2 in the AP's final poll, mirroring my own ballot. I hope voters didn't put the Utes there for the symbolism, but for the earnest belief -- like mine -- that they are indeed the 2nd-best team in the country.

I said this yesterday: Utah would give Florida a tougher game than any other team in the country -- including USC -- specifically because Kyle Whittingham is an Urban Meyer protege. (That's also the reason that Meyer would ultimately prevail -- he knows Whittingham's tendencies better than anyone.)

NOW: Playoff proponents, please note that based on the penultimate AP or Coaches polls:

*In a 4-team model, Utah would have been left out (including a model based on AP votes).

*In an 8-team model, TCU would have been left out (perhaps even for Boise State, a team they ultimately beat head-to-head).

*In a 16-team model, Ole Miss would have been left out (and Texas Tech been included), despite the Rebels obviously being one of the Top 16 teams in the country -- if they could beat Florida at the Swamp, they could have presumably won it all in a playoff format.

Obviously, that is with the benefit of hindsight, but it shows you just how sticky the issue is in trying to pick a playoff field. This isn't like the NCAA basketball tournament, where there are 31 at-large bids that cover 98 percent of all reasonably worthy teams -- very very competitive teams would be left out of a football playoff.

UPDATE: As for 2009? If Tebow returns, Florida is a lock for No. 1. If not, it's probably Texas. Although check out Schlabach's list -- everyone has massive holes...except Florida. (People will think I'm insane, but Tebow backup John Brantley -- while not the runner Tebow is -- is a substantially bettery passer; if the D keeps the team in every game and the home-run hitters like Demps do what they do best, Brantley will be good enough -- if not spectacular.)

Here is my final ballot. Let me know what you think:

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Florida	--
2	Utah	6
3	Southern Cal	2
4	Texas	2
5	Oklahoma	2
6	Alabama	2
7	TCU	5
8	Mississippi	10
9	Penn State	2
10	Georgia	6
11	Texas Tech	5
12	Ohio State	1
13	Boise State	4
14	Oregon	1
15	Virginia Tech	2
16	Oklahoma State	3
17	Cincinnati	7
18	Oregon State	8
19	Missouri	1
20	Georgia Tech	6
21	Iowa	5
22	Florida State	4
23	West Virginia	3
24	California	2
25	Tulsa	1

Dropped Out: Brigham Young (#19), Ball State (#21), Michigan State (#22), Northwestern (#23), Pittsburgh (#24), Boston College (#25).

Florida Wins The National Championship(!)Victory Wasn't Pretty, But It Was Effective

It's funny: I couldn't enjoy that game for one minute, at least until the TD to make it 24-14.

But now? Oh, yes.

In a way, when you expect to win a national title (especially since all the way back to August), the championship itself feels weird -- like confirmation more than celebration.

OK: Reactions?

More than anything: Florida's defense went up against the most prolific offense in college football history and held them to 14 points, something no other team can touch.

(To Oklahoma's credit, their defense was outstanding. The difference between winning and losing was a handful of Percy Harvin home runs and that little jimmy pass to Hernandez...over and over and over.)

Was Tebow great? He started the game SO tight. He had a couple of amazing scrambles to keep drives alive. He made a couple of terrific throws. Mainly, his enthusiastic outburst turned the game's momentum around. I particularly liked his unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty late, doing the Gator Chomp in the face of an Oklahoma defensive player. Taunting? Never. Celebration.

Still: Tebow's legacy is secure -- two national titles (one as a starter, one as a key role player), a Heisman, a 3rd-place Heisman finish. The Speech. The images of his enthusiasm. Top 5 all-time? I'd say so. The question: With a title to call his own, will he come back next year?

I loved the very first reaction from Tebow when he was interviewed on the podium by Fox:

"I just want to thank the fans. They are so unbelievable... I just love being a Gator and I thank all of you!"

(Yes, he eventually got to thanking Jesus, but (a) there's nothing wrong with that -- I give him so much credit for, as usual, not shoving it in our faces, and (b) that he prioritized his thankfulness for the fans and for being a Gator is at the core of his appeal.)

Speaking of legacies, how about Percy Harvin? With two titles of his own, and an MVP-level performance in this title game, maybe he deserves some "all-time" props of his own.

OK, as for the polls: An ugly game is precisely what some contrarian AP voters would be looking for as an excuse to nullify their penultimate poll and split the title.

That said: Florida went into the game as the AP No. 1, and they beat the AP No. 2 team, soundly and, in the end, decisively -- again, the defining number was "14," which compared to Oklahoma's scoring-binge season, was absolutely stunning.

It would defy all logic -- the voters' own logic -- if enough AP voters didn't vote for Florida as national champ. (Although to be sure, I'm sure there will be plenty of AP voters looking for a little self-promotion for themselves by going with USC or Utah.)

Anyway, I'm going to go savor this one. It was a slog, there's no question about that. But it was a championship.

-- D.S.

BCS National Title Live-Blog (Ish)

End of 3rd Quarter: Edge goes to Florida, finally. Didn't like the offensive series to end that quarter -- Dan Mullen is going to the "Tebow keeper up the gut for 3" offense. (I'm not averse to Tebow scrambling when the play breaks down, but it feels like they are designed when they are least effective. It's Mullen's crutch.) Can't believe just one quarter left. Too close to call.

Prediction: If the game continues at its current low-scoring, mildly ugly pace, we will DEFINITELY see a split national champ. This is the excuse that AP voters would be looking for.

Halftime: Umm...WHAT THE F IS HAPPENING HERE? A friend who is a die-hard Texas fan just called to say that he is gleeful to finally see a team that gets luckier breaks than Oklahoma.

Let's see: Florida suffered through TWO Tebow INTs, let Oklahoma run wild, can't touch Bradford and were lucky to get a 4th down stop and a goal-line INT. They are getting outplayed.

By the way: Both the broadcasters and the refs -- but especially the broadcasters -- are among the worst I have ever seen in a big game.

End of 1st Quarter: Well that was surprisingly...defensive. Oklahoma's D is playing WAY better than I think everyone expected. Penalties are the only thing keeping OU from a first-quarter lead.

Gametime: Because Lee Corso taunted me by saying his partner, Kirk Herbstreit, was the only one to pick Florida to win the national championship -- in the preseason.

Ahem. Not the ONLY one.

Go Gators. Let's get this going.

-- D.S.

Tailgate: Prediction/Ultimate Quickie Jinx?

One of a series of posts written late last night about tonight's game.

I have never felt so comfortable before a big game as I have going into this one. I honestly think Florida will win handily. I will be sincerely shocked if they lose. Not merely devastated -- shocked.

Am I willing to predict a score? Not quite. I think Florida will top the 45 that Texas hung on Oklahoma. I think Florida will hold Oklahoma to less than the 35 they scored on Texas.

If I really, truly believe that Florida will win by 20+, that necessarily means that I'm thinking of something along the lines of 48-28 -- 6 TDs and 2 FG for Florida, 4 TDs for Oklahoma.

Make no mistake: It is entirely inappropriate how confident I am feeling about this game.

-- D.S.

Next up: Catch you later tonight with in-game updates/neuroses.

Obama Picks the Gators

Well THAT should seal the deal.

Tailgate: Picture Worth At Least 100 Words

Next hour: The last pre-game post -- a game prediction.

Tailgate: Overheard In My Apartment

One of a series of posts written late last night about tonight's game.

Me: "I really, sincerely think that Florida is going to win by 25."

My wife: "Ugh, you're like the Kiss of Death. If they lose, you're no longer welcome as a fan."

-- D.S.

Next hour: A picture worth (at least) 100 words.

Tailgate: What's On The Line For Florida

One of a series of posts written late last night about tonight's game.

So what's on the line for Florida tonight? Through my impossibly biased perspective, a lot. If Florida wins:

*Urban Meyer is confirmed as the best college football coach in the country, nudging just past Pete Carroll.

*Tim Tebow stakes his claim as one of the Top 10 (Top 5?) players in modern college football history -- that would be 2 titles (one as a starter, one as arguably team offensive MVP), a Heisman Trophy and a Heisman 3rd-place finish, all in 3 years.

If you love Tebow, read this.

If you hate Tebow, read this.

(But, seriously, how can you hate Tebow, beyond hating the IDEA of Tebow? Yes, I'm biased: He is my favorite college football player -- probably my favorite athlete -- of all time. But he really does seem to live up to his ideals; not to be too messianic about it, but he is a once-in-a-lifetime player. I hope he comes back to school, if only because he is the very ideal of a college football player. While he may or may not be an effective pro player on the field, he will continue to be the model pro player off the field.)

*Tebow likely turns pro: What more can he accomplish in college? His NFL stock (2nd-round) is unlikely to improve with another year of college football. Plus: Despite the recession, Tebow will clean up in endorsement contracts -- by far, the richest of anyone in the draft class.

It ain't bad for Oklahoma if they win, by the way:

*Oklahoma bookends the decade as the pre-eminent program, and we all forget about the mid-decade BCS bowl blunders.

*Sam Bradford would take his own place among the Top 5-10 QBs in modern CFB history AND would cement his status as the No. 1 overall player taken in the 2009 NFL Draft.

*Bob Stoops reasserts himself as arguably the best CFB coach in the country. Perhaps he even figures he has done all he can do in college and tests out life in the NFL as Broncos coach.

*OU O.C. Kevin Wilson gets his pick of open head-coaching jobs in '09 as THE best assistant coach in the country. (If Stoops leaves for the NFL, perhaps as Oklahoma H.C.?)

-- D.S.

Next hour: My wife disowns my Florida fandom?