Remembering David Halberstam:The Book No One Is Talking About

Remembering David Halberstam: "Education of a Coach." "Summer of '49." "The Teammates." "Playing for Keeps." "The Breaks of the Game."

God, did he write some phenomenal sports books. All covering some of the iconic names of sport – people who mere mortal authors could never do justice to: Belichick and Jordan come to mind.

(Reportedly, the fatal car crash occured en route to do an interview related to something he was writing about the 1958 NFL Championship Game, one of the biggest sports events in American history and something I would have loved to seen filtered through Halberstam.)

A day late, allow me to include my own "David Halberstam rocked my writing world" story, about a book I haven't seen anyone else in sports media mention:

"The Amateurs."

You can not care – at all – about the sport of rowing (and I'm sure you don't), but Halberstam can make you see the beauty and drive and thrill of the sport in a way that makes it well worth your time. (Buy it here.)

As it happens, I was a rower in high school and college, and reading "The Amateurs" not only helped me better understand and articulate and be energized about the sport I was about to spend the next few years of my life devoted to, but it introduced me to Halberstam.

(I remember my mom giving me the book, and I was like, "David Halberstam? Who?" And, as the daughter of a 40-year New York Timesman who overlapped with Halberstam during their respective careers at the paper, she just laughed at my naivete: "Just read it." My mom told me she remembers him being incredibly nice to her when she was in high school and living abroad in college.)

As a young wannabe writer, I was blown away by him. It was one of the earliest moments I can remember where I knew better as a consumer of great writing -- and I knew I was reading it with him.

I'm going to go back and re-read it, because it's been 19 years (and well more than half my life) since I last read it – and since my first exceptional experience reading Halberstam.

Like other of my Page 2 colleagues, I was honored to share byline space on Page 2 with a writer as all-time great as Halberstam. (I had similar feelings about Ralph Wiley and Hunter Thompson.) But it was "The Amateurs" where he and I really connected.

And what has been amazing over the last 24 hours is that fans of all ages and eras have weighed in with their own way that Halberstam's abilities as an author moved them. (And that's just the sports fans -- he had even more fans of his other spectacular non-fiction writing.)

What an incredible legacy to leave.

-- D.S.

Tueday 04/24 A.M. Guest Quickie: Not Just Basketball!

Bethlehem Shoals and Dr. Lawyer IndianChief from FreeDarko speaking here. We'll try and make Dan proud.

Rockets Still Rolling: Not counting the state of Utah, who doesn't want the Rockets to win this one? Of course, it's all due to T-Mac, who once again followed a dicey first half with a stellar last two quarters. The Jazz smothered the Rockets in the beginning, and then felt the wrath of H-Town in the second half. Will we ever see a happy median? Or are McGrady and Yao that much better than Boozer, Okur, Deron Williams, and Kirilenko?

A-Rod Wins, Yankees Lose: Alex Rodriguez is now well on pace to break Barry Bonds’ single-season record of 73, at which point Hank Aaron will attend the record-breaking game and personally perform a rendition of Mims’ “This is Why I’m Hot”. Still, the man is undeniably cursed. His personal success appears inversely related to the success and pitching health of the Yankees.

Where a Number One Seed Still Means Something: Wasn't the East supposed to be where craziness, upsets, and near-parity could come true?

Leandro Barbosa, Sixth Man of the Year: After Sunday, the question isn't whether Barbosa could start—it's how sick he would be in that capacity. Maybe a longer, more terrifying Tony Parker, averaging about 20 and 8 on these Suns but not exactly making point guard purists comfortable. Quick, raise your hand if you remember when he was hyped as "the Brazilian Gary Payton." Now leave it up if you think that's his ceiling.

AL Central Battles: Twins blow one late even though Joe Mauer is now hitting .400. Unfortunately, Twins GM Terry Ryan’s “no steroids because it will mess up the clubhouse chemistry” policy means that there is no one in the Twins lineup to actually drive Joe Mauer home when he gets on base. In Kansas City, the Royals spoil Mark Buehrle’s attempt at consecutive no-hitters, but in the end, are still the Royals.

LeBron Not Too Injured: He'll play Wednesday. Don't be shocked, though, if they rest him for the last two games and win anyway. Just kidding, that would be classless and illegal. Wizards fans waiting on Caron Butler can give that dream up, as he's now officially out for the duration of round one.

Cubs Pitchers: On the same day that Zambrano again fails to make it past the 6th, Scott Eyre blows a lead, and the Ben and Jerry’s-inspired Rocky Cherry loses the game in the 12th inning, Mark Prior undergoes “exploratory” surgery. I am hoping it is of the Jim Abbott variety, so Cubs fans can stop getting their hopes up.

NL East Rules: Mets win. Phillies win. Marlins win (but the Braves keep it close). The Mets’ John Maine stays solid, Phils’ Jimmy Rollins does his part to back up his words.

Brandan Wright Entering Draft: So what if he's not quite ready for the NBA? The latest he'll be picked is fifth. . . and remember, this is the 2007 draft. Just being in it is guaranteed to make a player famous, in the same way that no one from 2000 or 2006 will ever get their due.

Canucks Beat Stars, Advance: There isn’t anything quite like a Game 7, is there? Dr. LIC really enjoys Vancouver, the city. The pizza there is surprisingly good, and very cheap. Also, one time he saw a million crackheads buy a bunch of crack off of this dude who looked exactly like Vanilla Ice. Then they all laughed at a prostitute.

NFL Draft: Can we declare a moratorium on "so and so would like to draft Calvin Johnson" rumors? It's far more interesting that one, maybe two, teams will have to be the ones who don't draft him.

The Holes in This Quickie: Feel free to fill them in/point them out as you see fit.

Your Guest-Poster on Tuesday Morning...

is Bethlehem Shoals (with a little help from Dr. Lawyer Indian Chief) from Free Darko. It IS their time of year, after all... Enjoy.

PS: RIP, David Halberstam. In addition to his legendary war reporting and career as one of the finest authors of sports books of all time, he was an original contributor to ESPN.com's Page 2.

Monday 04/23 A.M. Quickie:Still Here (Unlike the Mavs' Chances)

Yes, I am on vacation. No, I could not resist...

Warriors shock Mavs in Game 1: And, all of a sudden, my "Warriors in 7" (or, more accurately, Warriors AT ALL) doesn't look SO crazy. A healthy Baron Davis is a Top 10 MVP-caliber Baron Davis.

(I could talk about the Mavs giving up home-court advantage as quickly as they seemed to earn it during the regular season, but I'd much rather point out that the Warriors are now 4-0 against the Mavs this season with Nelson as coach. Matchups, matchups, matchups...)

Nuggets shock Spurs: Hell, I should have picked THIS upset, too. Want to know why Denver traded for AI mid-season? Those 61 combined points with Carmelo to lead the Nuggets over the Spurs in San Antonio. (During the regular season, they averaged 55 ppg combined.)

Barbosa out-duels Bryant: Leandro Barbosa may have had "only" 26 points to Kobe's 39, but you know Kobe is going to get his, but Barbosa's scoring explosions always seem to feel like a bonus. Plus, Barbosa seemed to hit his when it mattered more.

More NBA Playoffs: So, I guess the Raptors fans still carry a WEE bit of a grudge against Vince Carter (Pistons fans are just plain being mean when they boo Darko)...

Luol Deng as the next Dwyane Wade? I don't think so, but that was Deng's "breakout" game...

If the Wiz could hit more than 33 percent of their shots, they might not get swept by the Cavs (but that's no guarantee). Cavs fans better hope LeBron's ankle heals up...

Is this the first-round playoff series that T-Mac finally escapes?

Red Sox sweep Yankees: What will they play – like 45 more times this season? It's hard to get TOO worked up. But it certainly establishes a certain early-season bragging rights. And perhaps foreshadowing...

(Update: I'm already getting crap in the Comments for not mentioning the "back2back2back2back." So there you go.)

Bonds Watch: 740, and by all accounts, he is hammering the ball this month (6 HR this season). If you presume that, no matter what you think about the rest of his career, he's clean now, that's pretty impressive a 42-year-old can crush the ball like he is right now. (All those "over-under" picks on when he hits 16 more and passes Hank Aaron are going to be WAY long.)

MLB Studs: The Orioles, who have won 4 in a row (and 8 of 9!) after sweeping the Blue Jays in Baltimore for the first time in 13 years. Wait: Are the O's this year's Jays? It would be WAY more unexpected than Toronto's runner-up finish a year ago.

NFL Draft: OK, this final few weekdays before the draft are filled with more lies, deception and misdirection than any other stretch of the year (in any sport). I find it hard to put too much stock in anything a coach says or any gossip an NFL "expert" reports.

However, I do appreciate the attempts by the NFL; it's a nice reminder that they're in the business of winning games and running businesses, not serving as fodder for sports-talk radio, TV and online. (Like, say, the Bucs not being interested in trading up from No. 4 in order to get Calvin Johnson; maybe they know that the WR will be there for them without paying the price of a trade?)

Now, how about NON-draft-related rumors, like the Chiefs looking to trade Larry Johnson? (Speaking of rumors, can't wait to see what Fanhouse lead-blogger Michael David Smith – aka "MDS" – will do with his new platform at ProFootballTalk. Looking forward to that.)

Jordan Classic: It's going to be very interesting to see game MVP Corey Fisher in a backcourt with super-frosh Scottie Reynolds next season for Villanova.

Back to my mini-vacation... But, as always, please feel free to add/expand on any of the day's biggest storylines.

-- D.S.

Sunday Open-All-Day Post

If my family knew I was posting from vacation, I'd be in trouble. Still: At the very least, comment if you want to on the top sports stories of yesterday and today. (Sox-Yanks, other MLB, Deng-Wade, T-Mac, other NBA, NFL Draft ramp-up, more!)

-- D.S.

Friday 04/20 A.M. Quickie:A-Rod, Oden, NBA Playoffs, More!

"Orange and Maroon Effect" Day: My small tribute is to the right. (Other bloggers are joining in, too. See the Ladies...) I look forward to seeing the traction this gets today around the sports-blog universe. Thoughts and prayers with everyone in the Virginia Tech family.

A-Rod: MLB's Stud of Studs! A mere few weeks ago, who would have guessed that one? Three weeks into the season, he is having a career year – just when he needed it most.

Not just to fend off the fair-weather Yankees fans, who must have whiplash from the way they've gone from hating to hearting. But, given his contract opt-out at the end of the season, $25 million a year will seem like a bargain if he keeps this up. (Don't think potential future Cubs owners aren't paying attention.)

However, consider the weekend's Yankees-Red Sox series in Boston the acid test of his hot start. The previous weeks' heroics don't mean very much if he can't beat back Boston. (Meanwhile, how blissfully amazing is it that the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry -- which overwhelmed the sport as recently as two years ago -- seems to have dimmed?)

Greg Oden turning pro: Yes, and the surprise here is...? He'll be the top pick in the NBA Draft. He'll be Rookie of the Year. He'll be a perennial All-Star. (Now: How many of those three statements do you agree with?)

Far, far more intriguing: Mike Conley and Daequan Cook will enter the draft, too – and, thus, the 2006-07 Ohio State team is truly the antithesis of the Florida team that beat them in the national title game.

Conley? I get: He played himself into the Top 15 and the first PG taken. Does it matter that he doesn't have a jumpshot? Apparently not. (I appreciate how well he played last month, but Conley is like a poor man's Mike Bibby. Consider that for a second.)

Cook? Sounds like he just doesn't want to be left out. Ironically, even as OSU's 6th Man, he could be a first-round talent (or a second-round steal). If he stayed another year in college, he'd be a Lottery pick, so some team is going to get a bargain late. (Check out his season. Or should I say TWO seasons: In non-conference play, he was a stud. In Big Ten and postseason play, he was a dud.)

NBA Playoff Picks
(In classic Quickie shorthand)
E-Semis: MIA d. DET (7); TOR d. CLE (6)
E-Finals: MIA d. TOR (5)
W-Semis: GSW d. HOU (7), SA d. PHX (7)
W-Finals: SA d. GSW (4)
NBA Finals: Heat d. SA (7) ("Re-Heat")

See yesterday's a.m. post for first-round picks.

Will the T'wolves trade Kevin Garnett in the summer before he begins his opt-out season? They say they're not planning on it. Put it this way: They SHOULD.

Time for another Shanoff-MySpace Challenge? Carmelo was one thing: I'm not sure I want to take on the TNT NBA guys. (But I do lead them by a couple hundred friends as of Friday morning.)

NFL Draft: What did I say yesterday morning? Admitting to college drug use is the new 4.35 40. The new rule of thumb is: 'Fess up and all is forgiven, particularly when the player is a first-round talent.

One toke or Sappian proportions, it doesn't matter: NFL draftniks and scouts agree – they couldn't give an ounce(!) as it relates to draft-worthiness.

Let me sum it up: The new focus on "character" apparently doesn't extend to players so talented that they would be in the draft's top half of the first round. (Well, that, or the perfectly realistic view that a little pot-smoking in college does not a Bengal make.)

MLB: Studs – Johan Santana, Jake Peavy. Dud -- King Felix to miss a few starts.

Cheerleading Scandal! Call it "Cheat-leading." Wichita State had to give up its national title after officials figured out that the Shockers used an ineligible non-student at the national championships. What kind of idiot coach knowingly lets that happen?

Jordan High School Classic: Sure, we could talk about NBA-ready talents like OJ Mayo or Eric Gordon or about unsigned studs PF Patrick Patterson and PG Jai Lewis, but I would like to point out that MJ's son Jeffrey is still unsigned. Indulge me here...

This is a no-brainer: I'm not quite sure why Northwestern didn't have a scholarship offer out to him years ago, let alone right now. This is the perfect fit. He's a local Chicago kid. He's talented enough to star at NU without being talented enough to be able to star at a more competitive school. It's the Big Ten, which – as far as I can tell – is the most high-profile conference he has been offered to play in. It's a great school (obvi). And he's Michael Jordan's son, which would get Northwestern a ton of pub, a nice bonus for the school. No big-conference basketball team could use a p.r. boost like NU. While they're at it, they can drop their adidas shoe and uniform sponsorship for Jordan Brand.

(I read the school is interested in making him a "preferred walk-on." I'm not sure what that means, but I've seen the NU players who have earned full-blown scholarships, and they ain't great. Maybe "preferred walk-on" is a euphemism for "you'll be treated like a scholarship player, but since your dad is mega-rich, you can afford to pay the tuition and not take up a valuable scholarship spot.")

I'm imploring Northwestern AD Mark Murphy and coach Bill Carmody to MAKE THIS HAPPEN. I'm just not quite sure what they're thinking in NOT doing it.

Finally, one housekeeping note: I will be taking a short vacation early next week, but (1) I have lined up some guest-bloggers to file posts, and (2) I will probably be unable to resist checking in, as news/inspiration warrants.

-- D.S.

Thursday 04/19 A.M. Quickie:Bring On the NBA Playoffs (Please!)

UPDATE: Tomorrow is planned to be "Orange and Maroon Effect" Day. Wear the Virginia Tech colors, or put them on your blogs. I'll try to have some color changes on the blog -- what I'm really trying to find is a link to the "VT ribbon" jpg that I can put on the sidebar tomorrow. Just thought I'd pass that along to those who hadn't heard about it yet. (Update: Here's one from reader/blogger Travis Liles. And here's another.)

Distracting thoughts while contemplating what the love-child of Rosie O'Donnell and Jason Whitlock would look like...

NBA: End of Regular Season/Start of Playoff Season!

This NBA season has been totally lame. The top highlight was Henry Abbott's True Hoop blog being acquired by ESPN. (That's not to dis Henry in the slightest, but to show how thin the season's on-court highlights have been. Go True Hoop!)

When the league's uber-fan, Bill Simmons, has to resort to naming "The Fans" as his league MVP, it's the ultimate sign the sport has plummeted this year. (Snarkily, one might ask, "What fans?" Doesn't Bill like to say that there are only 10 "real" NBA fans left anyway?)

That said, with the exception of the way the NBA continues to schedule the first-round games to be dragged out as interminably as possible, the first round of the NBA Playoffs actually shape up with some truly compelling match-ups:

WEST:
Mavs-Warriors (Golden State plays -- and is playing -- precisely the kind of way that can shock Dallas... and they will.) Warriors in 7. (Yes, I know this is put-down-the-pipe crazy.)

Suns-Lakers (Nash-Kobe II? Delicious.) Suns in 6.

Spurs-Nuggets (I think the Spurs will win the West, but Denver is hot enough to shock.) Spurs in 7.

Jazz-Rockets (Eh, they can't all be compelling.) Rockets in 7.

EAST:
Cavs-Wiz (Rematch from last season, this time with the Wiz without Gil Arenas – or Caron Butler. Seemingly an easy route for the Cavs, but you never know. Spoken like a truly misguided Wiz fan.) Cavs in 7 5. (Commenters have showed me the error of my ways, and that was before 9 a.m.!)

Raps-Nets (Vince Carter back in Toronto? Delicious.) Raptors in 7.

Heat-Bulls (Defending champs vs. the team with the most potential to assume the title mantle in the future.) Heat in 6.

Pistons-Magic (How about "Darko's Revenge?" If he can't motivate for this, he can't for anything.) Pistons in 5.

Feel free to add your own picks/analysis in the Comments now. Complete NBA playoff picks, through the Finals, coming tomorrow.

MLB Stud: Mark Buehrle, who not only pitched a no-hitter, but faced the minimum 27 batters.

MLB Dud: Felix Hernandez, who left the game in the first inning with elbow trouble. (Cue ominous bullpen music.)

Virginia Tech Update: More from VT student Nick D. of The Dugout and AOL Fanhouse.

NCAA: Panel votes to ban text messaging to recruits. This is ludicrous: It's how teens communicate. Come up with a way to deal with it besides simply trying to forget it exists. (I guess you could call it the "Meyer Rule," for the way Urban Meyer became so effective – so publicly – with texting.)

NCAA Spring Football: Mike Conley Jr. will be an honorary coach of Ohio State's spring game. (Greg Oden couldn't do it.) Jim Tressel sure gives good pander. Conley says his extensive experience with football video games will help him call great plays. Like many of you, I actually have always wondered what would happen if teams gave the play-calling reins to someone with an expertise in football video gaming.

NFL: Finally fined Brian Urlacher for wearing a "Vitamin Water" hat at the Super Bowl. Hope whatever they're paying him was worth the $100,000 fine.

NFL Draft: The hot trend? 'Fessing up to college pot smoking at the combine. (1) The NFL p.i.'s will find out anyway; (2) you get tons of credit for being "mature"; (3) it gets the issue out on the table early and out of the way by April, when momentum really matters.

(I think this goes back to two things: Initially, the cautionary tale of Warren Sapp, who dropped based on draft-day rumors of pot-smoking. More recently, Luis Castillo admitting to steroid use up-front, yet still being a first-round selection. Agents saw the sea change.)

Colin Cowherd does it again: Last week, it was violating FCC regulations. This week it's hate speech. The funny thing is: He's not even a clever bigot. (Then again, I suppose most bigots rarely are.)

Here's the quote: "Olbermann is bright and talented and a really good broadcaster, but he's about as middle-america as a transgender film festival. He's a Northeast Intellectual Baseball Guy....he doesn't speak to the NFL fan at all!"

(1) There were plenty of ways to describe K.O. as not a fit in Middle America besides hate speech of ripping on the transgendered, who are an easy target for bigots/bullies. New ESPN ombudswoman LeAnne Schreiber could make her living on Cowherd alone.

(2) Olbermann doesn't speak to the NFL fan at all? I think the millions of fans who watched him talk about the NFL during the Golden Era of SportsCenter would disagree. And Cowherd's own bosses might resent the idea that an "intellectual" doesn't work for NFL fans; after all, they just named one of the great football intellectuals to sit in the "Monday Night Football" chair.

Video Games: LaDainian Tomlinson turned down "Madden '08" cover. Keep saying it's about the "money." Yes: If "money" means "curse." (h/t Darren Rovell)

-- D.S.

Wednesday 04/18 A.M. Quickie:"We Are Virginia Tech"

Virginia Tech tragedy, cont'd: I don't usually embed video clips, but this one says (and does) more than I (or anyone) could write about the Virginia Tech tragedy. Hopefully, you've already seen it:

Here's the link.

Here's another must-read post from The Dugout and AOL Fanhouse's Nick D, a Virginia Tech student. (Fanhouse's Michael David Smith has a great take, too.)

MLB Studs: The Nationals, for wearing Virginia Tech hats yesterday in their 6-4 loss to the Braves. (Affirming that sometimes, a team can claim victory, even in defeat. I've never been prouder to be a Nats fan. All 4 weeks of it.)

MLB Duds: The Cardinals, whose 6-7 start is the worst by a defending W.S. champ since the '98 Marlins. (But these Cards weren't imploded in the offseason like that Florida team was, so what's their excuse?)

Matsuzaka Watch: 10 Ks in 6 IP will be forgotten after his bases-loaded walk sent home Toronto's game-winning run. (But don't blame Dice-K: That was in the 4th inning; where was Boston's vaunted lineup to score more than 1 stinking run?)

Sosa Watch: Well, of COURSE Sammy hit a home run in his return to Chicago. Too perfect.

NBA Regular-Season Finale: The Warriors basically have a play-in game tonight. They can lock up the 8-spot in the West with a win over Portland. (Don't the Blazers have a vested interest in making sure their rising division rival makes the playoffs and doesn't enter the Draft Lottery, where GSW has even a smidgen of a chance of walking away with a franchise player?) Meanwhile, I know the Warriors beat a tanking Mavs team, but I still like Golden State to upset Dallas in the first round of the playoffs. (GSW swept DAL this season.)

(Of course, the Warriors could actually vault the Lakers into 7th if GSW wins and L.A. loses to the Kings. Warriors-Suns would tilt the scoreboard; Kobe-Cuban would tilt the media machine.)

NBA East: Wow, the Wizards are struggling enough that the 6-, 7- and 8-seeds are all up for grabs in tonight's season finale, meaning the 1-, 2- and 3-seeds don't know who they are playing yet. (Whoops: We don't even know who the top seeds will be; the Cavs could still get the 2-seed.)

NBA: Jerry West leaving Grizzlies. Well, that happened about 3 years after I thought it would. (Ah, yes: But will he regret it when they land Oden or Durant? Maybe he's got one more blockbuster trade in him to ship out Pau Gasol for a totally revitalized roster.)

More NBA: David Stern banishes ref Joey Crawford indefinitely, including the playoffs. That's for effing with Tim Duncan. (Actually, that's Stern asserting his authority and enhancing his already substantial cred with the fans, teams, players... and refs.)

NBA Draft: By winning last night, the Hawks have assured themselves of the 4th-worst record in the league. If the Ping-Pong balls follow, they will have just won their way into giving the Suns the No. 4 pick in the Draft. Forget losing: The Hawks can't even WIN right.

NFL Draft: I saw a Mock where the Texans got RB Adrian Peterson. That would be smart (even with their signing of Ahman Green in the offseason).

Is it possible that the combination of Peterson and DE Mario Williams is better than the woulda-coulda-shoulda combo of Reggie Bush and the best-available '07 DE (say Adam Carriker or Jamaal Anderson)? Who's going to argue that Bush is a better every-down RB than Peterson?

(On second thought, forget it: He won't last until Houston at No. 10. Pro Football Talk is throwing the 7-spot – Vikings - out there, if Peterson isn't gone earlier via trade-up.)

College Football: Wait, is the NCAA really going to get rid of the "unlimited text" plan for hard-working coaches? That must set a record for reactivity by the NCAA. (But get this: They're going to allow the coaches to continue to email players unlimitedly. Guess what: A coach with a Blackberry can email a kid with a Blackberry or EnV or Treo or whatever just as easily as he can text him.)

Arena League QB throws 800 TDs: I'm a day late on this, but if the Pro Football Hall of Fame is going to consider Warren Moon's CFL career in judging his Hall bonafides, wouldn't this Arena QB at least merit a sniff? (To position yourself as the Hall for ALL things Pro Football and not have the most prolific Arena player in it seems wrong.)

Do you remember the post where I compared Gilbert Arenas to Barack Obama? The geniuses at Wizznutzz (who helped me produce the Florida T-shirt you see in the upper-right corner – get yours!) have produced a companion T-shirt. Click here for a link to the must-have shirt of the 2008 Presidential campaign.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 04/17 A.M. Quickie:Today, We Are All Hokies Fans

The tragic Virginia Tech massacre remains at the front of my mind -- and I'm sure many of yours. It's awful in a way that makes a mere blog post about it seem (even more) superficial, even with the most heartfelt intentions.

I was certainly relieved to hear that super-Commenter Rafael, who is down there, was OK, as was my sports-blogging comrade Nick D. from The Dugout and AOL Fanhouse, who is a student down there. (Read his account here. And here's an update post from today.)

I'm sure everyone on this blog could find a one- or two-degree connection to Virginia Tech.

It's interesting: The way most fans (readers of this blog and otherwise) relate to Virginia Tech is through sports. We "know" the Hokies -- we feel a connection to them -- because we see them throughout the ACC schedule in football, where they are a perennial Top 20 power, and hoops, where they just finished their "breakout" season.

I don't mean to diminish the heart-breaking scope of the tragedy at all by saying that it has irrevocably changed the way we will think of Virginia Tech in sports. But the school's name, when you think of it in a sports context, will always be connected to this tragedy.

You can root against the Hokies on the field or court, but -- from yesterday's tragedy onward -- at least a small piece of you will always sympathize with their students, staff and fans.

More from around a numbed sports world:

MLB: Dmitri Young gets my Stud for his day-late "42" tribute, which included 3 hits and 2 RBI in a Nats win (Nats win!) over the Braves. (Runner-up: Barry Zito, getting his first win with the Giants.)

Alfonso Soriano gets my "Dud" for the day: Who had "April 16" in the "Pricey Cubs Free Agent Gets Hurt" office pool?

Madden Jinx Watch: Vince Young is going to be on the cover of Maddden '08. That sound you hear is the collective screams of all Titans (and VY) fans who cringe at the inevitable season-ending injury.

NBA: Duncan vs. Crawford, Cont'd! Sorry I missed this yesterday. A classic episode of "WTF?!" (MJD has a clever take.)

More: I hate to say "I told you so," but it looks like the Sonics are moving. Will Oklahoma City fans get a seamless transition from the Hornets to the Sonics? (And how does that work? You're a huge adopted Hornets fan, then all of a sudden you're a huge adopted Sonics fan? Hey, it works for me -- and it's better than nothing.)

Boston Marathon: I like the story about the astronaut who ran it in space. (Good news: No Heartbreak Hill. Bad news: No Wellesley Mile.)

NFL Draft: Great rumor! The Bucs reportedly (via Yahoo) are willing to throw a ton of draft picks at the Raiders to jump from No. 4 to No. 1, presumably to draft Calvin Johnson (who, as those of you tracking the Sports Blogger NFL Mock Draft know, I/we tabbed as the Best Player Available in the draft with the No. 1 overall pick).

(Question: For these mock drafts, this one and others, are you judged by your ability to match (a) player to team or (b) player to draft slot? I'm seriously asking.)

NFLPA takes on its retirees: In theory, this shouldn't be a battle the NFLPA would win, but fans seem to care about NFL retirees about as much as the players' union (which is to say, not much).

Media: Olbermann to NBC's "Football Night in America." As I said yesterday, this is precisely the kind of smart move that can only help the show, which struggled in its rookie year.

Weekend Remainder: I totally forgot to throw out a huge "Yes!" for Chicago being picked as the USOC's contender city for the 2016 Olympics.

-- D.S.

Monday 04/16 A.M. Quickie:Pittsburgh Is a GREAT Sports Town

UPDATE 4: Virginia Tech shootings. Cripes. What a horrible tragedy. Thoughts and prayers with the students, staff, alums and everyone else with a connection to VT.

UPDATE 3: Keith Olbermann to co-host NBC's "Football Night in America." There is hope yet for that show, which has so much potential (but didn't fulfill it in its debut season).

UPDATE 2: Nerve.com has their special "Sports Issue" up. The highlight: Their ranking of the 30 Sluttiest Athletes of All Time. (OK: So where's the bracket?)

UPDATE: The Sports Blogger NFL Mock Draft on Awful Announcing is underway. I/we had the first pick, so check out (contribute to) the reactions and watch how other participants selected. "On the clock" is one of the all-time great phrases in sports.

Anyone else's weekends disrupted by the East Coast storm? My flight from Pittsburgh back to NYC was cancelled, so I put my wife and kid into a rental car for a "Little Miss Sunshine"-style road trip through the rain, fog and wind. Fun!

Anyway, I had an experience this weekend that reminded me of the universality of being sports fan.

Start with this: I'm no particular fan of sports teams in Pittsburgh -- Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, Pitt.

But I was in town for a wedding during a great sports weekend: Bonds 2HR at PNC (which is an absolutely gorgeous park, even in the rain), Penguins in the playoffs, Pitt holds their spring football game at Heinz Field (another gorgeous stadium). With everyone else talking about the Steelers and the upcoming NFL Draft.

And the wedding and reception were held AT Heinz Field. It was a gorgeous location – on the club level, with access to walk out into the stadium. I'm not sure if the non-sports fans appreciated it, but I was giddy about the location, as were the other sports fans in attendance.

(And more than a little jealous of the guys in the bridal party who walked into the reception with Terrible Towels. Damn: I want one! I never thought I would say that. They are pretty cool.)

But that's the universality of sports fandom: The idea of being excited about being in a city when there are a couple of great sports events in town, even if you don't go to any of them. (And if you can't get excited about going to a wedding at a sports arena, you have no sports soul.)

Anyway, I figured that if I could get so excited about being in a city that had so many sports events going on at once – and I didn't even particularly care about any of the teams – my sports fandom hasn't been totally corrupted over time.

MLB: "42" Day. Yes, the league-wide (and sometimes team-wide) "42" thing WAS pretty damn cool-looking. (Team stud: Dodgers)

Stud: Albert Pujols. (Ah: Finally!)
Dud(s): Pavano/Mussina to DL.

NBA: Here's the best-case scenario for the playoffs: The Lakers get the 7th seed so it's Kobe (50 Sunday) vs. the Suns in the first round. Meanwhile, the sizzling Warriors get the 8th seed and give the Mavs all they can handle. (Would it be crazy if I predicted that as a first-round upset?)

Meanwhile, in the East, I' quite sure the Raptors and Bulls are salivating over the chance to play the Wizards, who might enter these playoffs fielding the worst lineup in NBA playoff history. (More East: Congrats to the on-the-up-and-up Magic, who clinched a playoff spot.)

Someone explain to me the difference between tanking a game and holding otherwise healthy players out to avoid injury.

NFL: Is the end of the short-lived Culpepper Era in Miami? Seems that the Dolphins are interested in Trent Green to be their next QB.

Boston Marathon: Given the weather, an event that was already not particularly easy gets much, much less fun.

Weekend Rewind: Greg Oden going pro. I appreciate Durant's skills and all, but a team would be crazy not to pick Oden first overall. And Li'l Romeo is going to play hoops for USC. Wonder if he, like OJ Mayo, simply called Tim Floyd and said, "I'm coming, so make room."

Today's MUST-Read: In the very first edition of the promising new business magazine, Portfolio, the great Michael Lewis has a fantastic piece. Link here. (The piece is basically about the genius of ProTrade, which has long been one of my favorite online-sports media companies and has been on my blogroll since the relaunch.)

Jason Whitlock is going on Oprah to talk about our post-Imus world: No shrinking violet, Whitlock has done more than anyone in the media to raise his national profile during the Imus story. While Oprah is asking him about his provocative takes on the race side of the Imus issue, I hope that Big O asks Big Sexy about his own dabbling with misogyny.

Don't forget: If you're a Florida fan, click on this link (or the one below the T-shirt image at the top-right) to buy the hot T-shirt of the season. (There's one for Duke fans, too.)

-- D.S.

Have a Great Weekend: Open Post

I'm traveling this weekend and with that storm headed toward NYC on Sunday, I'm not sure if I'll even get to post before Monday. I will try, but otherwise, I leave it up to you all in the Comments section to pick up on the biggest storylines of the weekend. Have a great weekend, everyone. Seriously great effort this week in the Comments section. -- D.S.

Best. T-Shirt. Ever.(Not Just 'Cause I Made 'Em)

Shameless self-promotion alert: To the right, you'll see my new product (and, technically, my first real "ad"), the ultimate T-shirt tribute to this Florida basketball team. If you're a Florida fan, please use the "Get It Here!" link below the image (or click here) to check them out (and buy mass quantities). And please pass along the link to any Gator fans you know. (Who would have guessed that when I finally did ads on this site, it would be for my own product? But you know what? That ain't a bad way to do it.) PS: For you Duke fans, there's a Duke '92 version, too!

Friday 04/13 A.M. Quickie:What Would Jackie Do?

If you haven't read (or contributed) to the "Best Sports Event You've Ever Attended Live" Comment string, it's a must-read, 100-plus and counting. Click here.

I've been fascinated by the MLB "42" tribute to Jackie Robinson this weekend. What began as a Ken Griffey tribute turned into 150 players -- even entire teams -- wearing No. 42. (Here's a full list.)

Does more equal better? Does it cheapen the tribute? Does every player have a right to show respect in the way they want? (Garret Anderson has already declined, saying he wasn't worthy. Fair enough.)

I'm curious how you feel about it, and what you would do if you were an MLB player on Sunday. Personally, I would wear the "42" because it represents a unique moment -- if no longer a unique way -- to honor Robinson, who deserves every honor that MLB and fans ever give him.

Robinson's entry into Major League Baseball continues to rank as the most significant event in the history of American sports.

For Florida fans (and Duke fans) only, I presume. But I know many some of you are. (Simply put: Best. T-Shirt. Ever. Probably getting its own post later this a.m., and not just because I co-produced them. Well, OK: Yes, just because I co-produced them.)

NFL Draft: Thanks to everyone who chipped in with their GM-style opinions about who I/we should take with the first overall pick in the Sports Blogger NFL Mock Draft. I'm not supposed to give away the answer until the draft is revealed on Monday, but suffice to say I went with the Best Player Available. And you all know who that is.

(Via ProFootballTalk and the NFL Net, it's not like I'm crazy with the pick. The Raiders are apparently totally torn between QB Russell and WR Johnson. If they go with Russell, the rumor is that the Lions will pick Johnson with the intention of trading him. But given the other rumors that Brett Favre is talking about the certainty that Randy Moss will be in Green Bay, how can the Raiders NOT take the best WR prospect of the decade?)

Must-Read of the Day: ESPN ombudswoman Leanne Schreiber on the shouting-head culture of ESPN, probably the most reasonable and credible analysis -- of anything -- that has been on the site in a while. And perhaps the best piece of sports-media criticism of the year.

NFL Moves: WR David Patten signs with Saints. Who wants to bet that, in that system, with those players around him, he has a rebound year? Smart move for both sides.

NBA: Who would have guessed that it was Dwyane Wade's knee, not his shoulder, that would be cause for concern right now?

NBA Draft/Lottery Watch: With the Celtics ready to clinch the second-worst record with a loss to the Bucks tonight, isn't it quaint that Doc Rivers continues to insist his team isn't tanking. Please, Doc: Keep winning just enough to slip out of that No. 2 spot. See how that works out for you...

NBA Playoffs Watch: Gutsy win by the Clippers over the Lakers, despite Kobe's 50 (Maggette picked a nice night for his career-high 39). The only intriguing thing about the final four games of the NBA season is this scrum between the Clips, the Lakers and the Warriors for 7th and 8th place in the West. While it would be amusing to see the Lakers drop out and into the Lottery, the NBA playoffs NEED Kobe.

I salute you, Oklahoma City: In your final night as "home team" to the relocated Hornets, it's worth a second to mention what truly awesome fans the OKC folks were. They adopted the Hornets, and I'm convinced that the "home" crowd was a major reason the team has developed over the past two seasons. (Don't worry, OKC fans: The upside of this experience is that you've proven your bonafides as an NBA city. That'll make the Sonics' move from Seattle so much smoother...)

MLB: Nats win! Nats win! (And they blank the Braves in doing it, too.) Meanwhile, Mark Prior has "shoulder discomfort?" OK, who had "April 12" in the pool... Speaking of office pools, who had "April 12" for Gil Meche's inevitable injury?

College Football: Turn back the clock. After a brutal one-year experiment that drew criticism from -- well -- everyone, the NCAA changed the clock rules back to the 2005 way of doing things. The ends of many games just got a lot more exciting.

Olympics: Should the USOC pick L.A. or Chicago to be the bid for the 2016 Games (knowing that the city picked has a REALLY good shot of being the Olympic host)? I am absolutely, 100 percent partial to Chicago -- it would be an incredible host. Screw L.A. Didn't they host the Olympics already in 1984? Give someone else a chance. (Lion in Oil has the competing debates: Here's L.A. And here's Chicago.)

Duke LAX, cont'd: I'm not surprised the players didn't accept the apology of overzealous DA Mike Nifong. They have no obligation to. But they could go a long way in beginning to repair their tarnished reps by doing it, whether he truly deserves it or not. At this point, it's not about absolving Nifong but elevating themselves.

Imus, Cont'd: Fired by CBS, too. I continue to be amazed at how NBC is handling this -- they recognize that in this era of media scrutiny and consumer power, being transparent(-ish) and fairly reactive(-ish) is better than the traditional tactics of obfuscation and delay, which is basically how Imus had kept his job through the years. (My question: How do all those media and political "elites" he brought on as guests justify their affiliation with him? Answer: They can't.)

Meanwhile, Stuart Scott has clarified his "it's good to be a 'ho" remarks from earlier this week. I appreciate the added nuance (absent before), but he still seems to be approving of the word's use. (Not sure why he simply wouldn't say, "You know what? I was totally wrong. It's NEVER okay to use that word.")

Yahoo buying Rivals.com for $100 million? Bold move for Yahoo for, as one sports-business insider told me, a "glorified message board." But I don't think he meant that derisively. It IS, by far, the best sports message board system found anywhere. Perhaps because of the subscription hurdle, but the users who participate seem to care a lot more than your standard message-board fan. And the info/rumors feeding those boards is amazing. Any college sports reporter who isn't a Rivals.com subscriber should be axed for incompetence.

Happy birthday, Mom.

-- D.S.

Yahoo Buying Rivals.com for $100 Million?!

Had to post on this: Yahoo Buying Rivals.com for $100 million? Wow. Wow. Wow. (via PaidContent.org, a phenomenal site and one of my favorites.)

Your Greatest Sporting EventWitnessed First-Hand?

Inspired by this post over at Deadspin (short version: Leitch contributed to a book by "pro" sports-media types about the greatest sports event they ever saw live), I would rather hear your responses. So:

What was the greatest sporting event you ever saw live in-person?

I'll start: 1996 Rose Bowl.

Looking forward to what you all contribute on this...

Thursday 04/12 A.M. Quickie:NFL Draft, King Felix, Imus, Duke LAX, More

We're on the clock! I have the first overall pick (picking for the Raiders) in the 2007 Sports Blogger NFL Mock Draft. Obviously, I want your help. Calvin Johnson? JaMarcus Russell? (Brady Quinn? HE would say so.) Trade the pick? Be sure to weigh in (use the dedicated post below).

Matsuzaka vs. Ichiro: 3R, 8H, 7 IP for Matsuzaka, but the key stat was that he dominated Ichiro, who was 0-4 against him. Of course, both were eclipsed by King Felix, who allowed only a single hit and has snapped back into the form that made him a phenom two years ago. On a day where Dice-K was supposed to earn the honor, King Felix is today's Stud.

Does Johan Santana want out of Minnesota? If I was him, I would have turned down the reported 2Y/$18M extension, too. Consider that Barry Zito makes $18 million a year. Now, if Zito is worth $18 million a year, Santana could very well likely command $20 million a year on the open market. He's going to look very good in a Mets, Yankees, Red Sox or Cubs uniform. Sorry, Twins fans: That's the price you have to pay to have the best pitcher of his generation.

Wow, the Nats are bad. Epically bad. (As predicted here! What an awesome season for me to become a Nats fan.) They aren't just losing, but losing badly. As I said in that preview linked above, there is a huge can't-look-away factor when you consider that this has the prospects of being the worst baseball team of all time. Hey, it could be worse.

All-Time Gold Glove team voting update: Willie Mays leads all players in total votes. Ozzie Smith leads at SS. Johnny Bench leads at C. Greg Maddux leads at P.

The most intriguing position battle to watch? A New York-New York showdown at 1B between Keith Hernandez and Don Mattingly. "I'm" Keith Hernandez leads by a mere 350 votes, which should become a fierce proxy battle between Mets fans and Yankees fans to see which team truly owns the city now.

NFL Schedule: I can't possibly do an analysis justice. Always note-worthy: Pats-Colts, Favre's Farewell. I defer to PFT. Feel free to add your own scheduling intrigues in the Comments.

NFL Draft: As alluded to at the top, Brady Quinn insists he can be The Man. Here's the question: Is Quinn the next Peyton Manning (skilled college player who couldn't win the big one in college, but – after 10 years – finally can do it in the NFL?) or the next Rick Mirer (over-hyped Notre Dame QB who simply can't make it in the NFL)?

NBA Draft: Brandan Wright – in or out? He's a guaranteed Top 5 pick this year (3-5, probably closer to 3 than 5). Next year, he's probably... STILL 3-5 (given Michael Beasley and OJ Mayo turning pro ASAP). I'd come out now, even though he isn't ready. Then again, did people think Chris Bosh was ready? No, and now he's MVP-worthy.

(Meanwhile, is Greg Oden really contemplating returning to Ohio State? I think he's waiting until it "looks" better before declaring. How about Mike Conley? Now that Conley is projected as a Top 20 pick -- perhaps the top PG available – I think he'll go, too.)

Drew Bledsoe retires: Looking back on his career, would you say that he was worth that No. 1 overall draft pick? (What does it say that his most significant moment as a pro was getting injured and paving the way for Tom Brady's emergence?) CHFF has a must-read.

NBA: Pistons lock up East HCA with a win over Orlando, who they might play in the first round. TankWatch: The Celtics have the right idea; I'm not quite sure what the Sixers have been thinking this second half of the season. (Meanwhile, my god, the Wizards are reeling. It's a bad week for DC-area teams.)

NHL Playoffs: Canucks beat Stars in 4 OT. (Yes, but were you watching/awake when it happened? Didn't think so.)

Sports Media: SI knows who pays the bills. Zach Johnson won the Masters. So, naturally, the player featured on the cover of this week's SI is... Tiger Woods. (Psst: SI is in the business of selling magazines first. Tiger sells; Johnson doesn't. It's that simple. But, wow, that was pretty blatant.)

Imus cancelled on MSNBC: Upon further reflection throughout the day yesterday, I regret that I said yesterday morning that I'm not sure I would fire Imus, instead hedging that I simply couldn't understand why anyone would listen to him. I'm glad he was dropped by MSNBC, and I found NBC News' public scrutiny -- of itself -- to be admirable. (What did it: Public pressure? Internal pressure? Advertiser pressure? I think it's hard to single out one factor; it was everything.) I predict CBS will drop him, too. (And then he'll get picked up by someone else and continue to have a platform.)

Meanwhile, check out this post from Michael David Smith on AOL Fanhouse, catching Stuart Scott defending the use of the word "ho." What the hell is Scott thinking? Seriously. He's not just wrong, but why in the hell would you take that position publicly?

Duke LAX: Charges dropped. As someone who was out front on this when it first broke, ready to convict the kids, I'm absolutely ready to admit that I was very wrong (although if sports media didn't have knee-jerk conclusions, they wouldn't have conclusions).

I will continue to contend that these lacrosse guys are guilty of being douchebags -- for example, innocent or guilty, there was no need for the team to have some sort of "blue wall" of silence when cops were first asking questions -- but they have been cleared of raping that woman.

-- D.S.

Sports Blogger 2007 NFL Mock Draft!(And Guess Who Picks First?)

Awful Announcing is brilliantly running a Sports Blogger Mock Draft. Here's a link to the post unveiling the order and participants.

I lucked into picking for the Raiders*, which means I have the first overall pick in the draft.

Obviously, I'm not making this pick without your input, so it's on the table (and you're on the clock): Who should I (uh, the Raiders) take?

(Or should I trade the pick? If so, to who? How far down? And what should I ask for in return?)

I have to get AA my pick by end-of-day tomorrow, so let's work on this until mid-day tomorrow.

I figure that if I/we keep the pick, there aren't THAT many choices: Calvin Johnson (per FanIQ)? JaMarcus Russell? Someone else? (Especially if you're arguing I should trade down.) Please offer up some type of argument of why I should take a particular player.

(But if you see the argument made previously in the comments, no need to repeat. Just reference the argument in shorthand or say the player name and "what so-and-so said" as the reasoning.)

-- D.S.

* - If you're curious: Yes, I originally asked to pick for the Jaguars, but they were claimed. Can you believe that? Obviously, my fandom -- which began, as you might remember, last September -- has inspired a massive crush of fellow bandwagoneers.

Wednesday 04/11 A.M. Quickie:Ultimate Matchups Edition

In honor of the 2007 NFL regular-season schedule being released today, a few other matchups that are of intrigue today:

Matsuzaka versus Ichiro: Prediction! More people will watch this game in Japan than any single baseball game will be watched this season by Americans, including the World Series. (If ever the concept of "Live Look-In" was invented, it was for this first at-bat between them.)

Rutgers Women's Hoops vs. Don Imus: Media is so full of phonies, frauds and caricatures that it is arresting to see the kind of authenticity and sincerity and realness that the Rutgers women brought to their press conference. That was the best half-court trap execution of the year.

(It's not that I think Imus should be terminated, per se, but I mostly can't understand why anyone would listen to him – and I am even more incredulous why news-media "guests" would suckle at Imus' teat. So-called journalists who pander to him are the ones with the bigger problem. How can any self-respecting media type appear on his show now?)

PacMan Jones vs. Roger Goodell: The punishment seems pretty harsh, but Pac-Man has been such a complete ass (not to mention an embarrassment to the league), that I'm glad to see Goodell taking a stand. It's an assertion of power by an NFL Commish that is so aggressively novel. As Stephen Colbert might say, "NFL Players (and Employees): You're on Notice."

Bonus! Chris Henry vs. Roger Goodell: Henry was suspended 8 games, and the severity had to be a product of the NFL's overall frustration with the entire Bengals organization.

Kevin Durant vs. the NBA: See yesterday's "Lead Item" post for my full take on Durant in the NBA. Needless to say, I don't know what's going to be more fun -- the NBA Draft Lottery or actually seeing him play once he's on a team.

(Arron Afflalo vs. the NBA: Here's hoping he doesn't see defenders like Corey Brewer every night. I've read he's late-first at best, but 6-foot-5 shooting guards are a dime-a-dozen in the NBA. Welcome to the D-League. Here's the thing: Another year of college won't help his NBA stock. Kind of like Tyler Hansbrough. Except Afflalo wants to cash in; Hansbrough figures he might as well stay and continue racking up the college accolades before NBA oblivion.)

Cleveland fans vs. Milwaukee fans: Given that 19,000 Milwaukee fans showed up for an Indians-Angels game (mid-week!), I'm willing to cede the "MLB's Best Fans" Award (for the week, the month and possibly the season) to Milwaukee. That was an outstanding effort.

Hank Aaron vs. Barry Bonds: Aaron won't be attending when Bonds breaks his record. He seems to be sick of all the hype, but I think he's doing a disservice to baseball by not being there.

Josh Hamilton vs. Career Rehab: He's my MLB Stud of the day, for smacking a home run for his first-ever MLB hit.

Brendan Donnelly vs. Jose Guillen: Nice to see that old feuds stay warm over multiple seasons.

NBA Regular Season Ending vs. Integrity: I always get in trouble for suggesting that teams "tank" for various reasons (draft order, playoff seeding, avoiding injuries), and yet, where's the outrage that the Pistons (among others) are basically going to phone it in (it's being called an "exhibition-season rotation") until the playoffs. How is that not the same as tanking games, just without using the word "tank." There IS no outrage: Because tanking is perfectly acceptable under the right circumstances.

Billy Gillispie vs. Billy Donovan: Give Gillispie the edge for recruiting in the High School Class of 2009. He got his first commitment from a Top 20-ranked 16-year-old soph PG from... Texas. Naturally.

Michael Irvin vs. Shawn Vandergrift: After being sued by the disabled contractor, Irvin has counter-sued. Of COURSE he has. (Vandergrift: a Dickensian name for a contractor if ever there was one, agreed?)

The Webbys vs. Sports Bloggers: No offense to any of the Webby nominees in the "Best Sports Site" category, but WTF?! No "DanShanoff.com," I can certainly understand. But no Deadspin? No Kissing Suzy Kolber? No Fanhouse? No Dugout? (I could go on. I'll refrain.) Well, at least Colin Cowherd's Webcast wasn't on the list. Success.

Kissing Suzy Kolber vs. the Ladies...: This one has already been won. There's nothing like a good guest-post, so be sure to stop by KSK today for a taste of the Ladies... Crew, running their site today, off of an NCAA Tournament bracket-picking bet.

Finally: NFL Regular-Season Schedule revealed today at 1 p.m. Expect to see a lot of mainstream and blog analysis of the best, worst, easiest, hardest, coolest, lamest, etc. -- and that's by TEAM.

-- D.S.

Tuesday A.M. Lead Storyline:Kevin Durant Turning Pro

For today's usual Quickie, see the next post down (or click here). Meanwhile, here is today's biggest storyline:

Kevin Durant turning pro: Durant was the most talented college player last season.

He was the most dominant freshman ever, at least if you believe the awards (Carmelo Anthony fans from Syracuse might beg to differ). He inspired the hottest debate of the basketball season, college or pro, summed up in three words: "Oden or Durant?" He is a lock to be, at worst, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft (No. 1 if Oden somehow decides to stay in school, which he won't).

Here's the question: Exactly what kind of NBA player will Durant be? I agree with those who think he is destined to be a perennial All-Star; I disagree with those who think he will somehow "redefine" the forward position in the NBA.

As far as I can tell, he possesses a game remarkably similar to Dirk Nowitzki. Given that Dirk arrived in the NBA a decade ago, I'd say that "redefining the position" thing goes to Dirk. At best, Durant can be "the next Nowitzki."

But Durant has to be the No. 1 guy on his team to be that All-Star. He'll need those 15-20 shots a game. That's why WHERE he plays will be as important as HOW he plays.

Consider his fate if he ends up in, say, Boston. Unless Danny Ainge is willing to trade Paul Pierce, do you think Pierce is going to be willing to step aside as the team's designated gunner for some rookie? (Let me answer that: Not bloody likely.)

In that case, Kevin Durant will simply be "the next" Rashard Lewis – a very skilled, very tall jump-shooter, but at best a complimentary player, stuck behind a lead scorer who is never going to concede his role as the team's star.

No matter who drafts Durant, I hope that they do what it takes – trading existing stars, if necessary – to ensure that Durant is The Man from Day One. (Yes, I know that Dirk was brought along slowly, but Durant is way beyond where Dirk was at this age.)

It's the only way Durant will even come close to fulfilling this potential that everyone agrees is worth oohing over.

-- D.S.

Update: I was just reading Henry Abbott's original coverage of the news from yesterday. Money aside (and there's really no other reason as compelling to turn pro), it sounds like Durant would rather stay in college another year, because he's enjoying it. I wonder if that would affect him during the NBA's grind next year? It's a downside of the NBA's draconian age-limit policy: "Force" a kid to go to college for a year, but then just when he starts to enjoy the experience, effectively force him to turn pro (using impossible-to-turn-down financial incentives). But the NBA got what it wanted from him last year -- a year of free exposure to hype him to fans.

Tuesday 04/10 A.M. Quickie:Starting to Pick Things Up...

Trying something new today: Splitting up this usually large post into a few separate posts. Below, find my take on Imus (and how it relates to Cowherd). Above, find a take on Durant turning pro, the day's hottest story. Meanwhile, here is the usual Quickie-ish look at everything that matters this morning:

Kevin Durant turning pro: How good of an NBA player will he be? Or CAN he be? See the post above for a larger breakdown and a dedicated post to comment about it.

Julian Wright turning pro, too: As I wrote yesterday, he's the most versatile forward in the draft (yes, including Durant). He should be a lock for that 3-5 range, along with Al Horford and the next-best big forward available.

MLB: Phillies drop to 1-6. And Jimmy Rollins looks like a complete fool right now, after he boasted in the preseason that the Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East. The Mets had, have and will continue to have something to say about that.

(So will the Marlins, who are off to a 5-2 start after beating the Brewers for the 9th straight time. Miguel Cabrera had another HR, his 3rd of the season. He's my Stud of the night. Seriously: How can anyone -- outside of Milwaukee -- NOT like the Marlins?)

(As for Pitching Studs, how can you not give a hat-tip to Carl Pavano, for his first win in what feels like forever.)

MLB: Indians-Angels tickets selling like crazy... in Milwaukee. It shouldn't surprise you. Fans love novelty, and for Brewers fans, how much fun will it be to get to see two AL powerhouses in action. Question: What's the rooting interest here? Or do the fans have a rare opportunity to cheer (or boo) with equally reckless abandon?

Bonds wants 3,000 hits, and he says he wants to do it for his godfather Willie Mays. Hey, if Bonds can continue playing past this season and through 2008, more power to him. At that point, a mind-staggering 800 HR won't be out of the question.

MLB Injury: Who had "April 10" in this year's "Mike Hampton's season is over" pool? Meanwhile, Carpenter to the DL.

Reader Question: With Dan Wheeler taking over for Brad Lidge as closer in Houston (and having a decent save outing last night), reader David Sanders offers up a question for discussion: Given that Lidge appears to have lost it after the Pujols HR in the playoffs, who are the greatest examples of players who were never the same after some pivotal on-field/on-court moment? (I'd throw Mitch Williams out there. And let me cut this off before it even gets started: Donnie Moore.)

Imus suspended: See the post below or click here.

NBA: Who has the audio clip of Josh Smith cursing out his coach? Meanwhile, the Mavs clinch HCA throughout the playoffs. That's one step closer to the "win-or-bust" outcome: Anything less than an NBA title this season would be a failure.

More NBA: With their sixth straight win (when the rest of the league feels like it's fading), the Nuggets look like the West's Team No One Wants to Play. In the East, I wouldn't want to play the Raptors, who are also surging (and that's without Bargnani and Garbajosa).

With the Warriors surging into playoff positioning, there's no question that Don Nelson should be NBA Coach of the Year if his team makes the playoffs. It could be the best coaching job of his career.

Wooden hospitalized: Here's to another recovery.

Harvard hiring Amaker to coach hoops? (Mike Jarvis is reportedly the backup pick.) The best way for the Ivy League to earn national relevance is through hiring "name" coaches. Hell, Brown already has Barack Obama's brother-in-law.

John Pelphrey hired at Arkansas: If you can't have Billy Donovan, at least you can have his top protege. He'll have the Hogs near the top of the SEC West very quickly, and staying there as long as he stays at the school -- top-tier teams will come calling before too long.

NHL: Who says I completely ignore hockey? You all know I love a good piece of novelty. How about this one: For the first time in the modern era of the NHL, neither Stanley Cup finalist is returning to the playoffs. Playoff pick: Buffalo. Because whose fans could possibly want it (or deserve it) more?

Another NHL item. (Yes! Two!!) I think NHL.com's attempt to get celebrities to blog about the NHL playoffs is hilarious and inspired. (After all, I'm writing about it, aren't I? And I'm a self-professed non-fan.) Christie Brinkley? David Boreanaz? And -- yes -- Li'l Jon! I propose that the new slogan of the NHL Playoffs is, appropriately: YEEEEAAAAHHH!

-- D.S.

Don Imus vs. Colin Cowherd

Don Imus vs. Rutgers: Haven't weighed in on this since it happened. Should he be fired? Given his vitriol over the years (delivered under the armor of the "just joking!" defense), probably not. But I agree with the many analysts who say that if Imus tones down his schtick/bigotry after this, he'll lose the very millions who made him popular by listening for the same stuff. For a guy like Imus, irrelevancy is a fate worse than termination. (Update: Suspended? Yeah, that makes sense, too.)

And yet, no punishment for Colin Cowherd. Well, beyond being publicly humiliated by an ESPN ombudsman on her first week on the job, who doesn't know that much about ESPN yet but knows enough that Cowherd is a schmuck. (Yes, "schmuck" IS very technical journalistic jargon.) It is absolutely astonishing to see the level of sports-blog solidarity in rallying around The Big Lead -- and recognizing how out-of-bounds Cowherd truly was.

It's the same old story: If mainstream sports media covered themselves in the same way that they covered athletes, this would be a much bigger story. But that's how it has always been – and how it always will be.

And that's why sports-bloggers have become the counterbalance to the biggest mainstream sports media; the fragmentation of local traditional sports media has always undermined its ability, in aggregate, to cover "national" stories or connect with a "national" audience (which is quickly becoming the most important segment of sports audience).

Ironically, sports blogs – which are about as localized and fragmented and niche as you can get – work as one big distributed network to cover stories like this. And consumers are the better for it.

Cowherd did what he did because, down deep, he's afraid of the changes in his industry. Like Imus, what he fears most is his own irrelevancy. This incident -- and the blogger blowback -- isn't foreshadowing Cowherd's fears coming true; it's proving that they are here already.)

-- D.S.

(I highly recommend Gwen Ifill's must-read op-ed column about Imus in today's New York Times.)

UPDATE: I'm watching the Rutgers team do their press conference right now across every major news network. It's fascinating, and it's refreshing to see unrehearsed sincerity and candor where so much of the response from Imus and NBC has been.

Monday 04/09 A.M. Quickie:T. Woods, D. Wade, J. Wright, More!

Men's golf has an evident problem: The Tiger Problem.

What does it say about the sport when "Where did Tiger finish?" consistently eclipses "Who won?" (Unless Tiger IS who won.)

Oh, sure, the media goes through the charade of first saying "So-and-so (say, Zach Johnson) won the Masters." But, in the next breath, it's: "Tiger finished in Xth."

In this case, maybe it's that Tiger finished so close to first that makes it that notable, but I'd say it's bigger than that.

It has gotten to the point where fans care mostly about Tiger, then everyone else. That's not a cult following of the sport; it's a cult following of a single personality.

No other sport seems to have this issue. Imagine if the story read: "The Mavs win the NBA title! Kobe finishes 7th."

I guess it's that no other sport orbits around a single personality like men's golf does around Tiger. I like him, too, but doesn't that strike you as a bit unhealthy for any sport?

More of today's big stories:

More Masters: Does posting the highest winning score in Masters history make Johnson's jacket any less green? Hell no. I say: More power to him. They can't take that blazer away from him, no matter what happens the rest of his career (and no matter how he won it).

Meanwhile, to follow with my own analysis above, I can't NOT talk about Tiger: It did seem like Tiger was a little off his game, didn't it? I had argued that pending fatherhood would inspire him to Masters victory. Perhaps pending fatherhood was just enough of a burden on his brain to knock him slightly off? (Past and present pending fathers can relate to what I'm talking about.)

NBA: Dwyane Wade returns! 27 minutes, 12 points and 1 loss. But give it two months; he'll be leading them to a second straight NBA title. (And his long black left sleeve will surely become the NBA's signature on-court fashion look of the spring.)

More NBA: (1) LeBron held to 20 in Cavs loss to Pistons. Preview of Eastern Conference playoffs. (2) Suns top Lakers. Another playoff preview. (3) How about this: Chris Bosh for NBA MVP? (4) I know he's a FreeDarko poster guy, but how underrated is Gerald Wallace (30 points in Bobcats win over Miami)?

NBA Draft: Kansas' Julian Wright turning pro? Perhaps recognizing that it probably won't get much better than the projection he'll go anywhere between the first 3-5 picks.

Quickie analysis: He is the most versatile frontcourt player in college basketball. (Comps: At best, a slightly shorter Kevin Garnett. At worst, a slightly tougher Lamar Odom.)

MLB: Anyone's fantasy team get wiped out this weekend along with the snowed-out Indians-Mariners games in Cleveland?

(Should MLB move the Indians' home-stand vs. the Angels to Anaheim? If the weather says more snow, I think they should move the game. But not to Anaheim, unless they're going to flip-flop an Indians-Angels series in Anaheim later in the season to Cleveland. How about finding an alternative site near Cleveland that isn't snowed in, so Indians fans can still attend?)

UPDATE: Amazingly, I flashed a rare bit of prescience on this. MLB moved the game to Milwaukee, which is close enough to Cleveland that fans could have a chance to get to the game -- and Milwaukee fans will get a kind-of-cool novelty of seeing two top AL teams play.

Real-life Crash Davis: 32-year-old Marlins RP Lee Gardner earned his first MLB save yesterday after racking up 130 minor-league saves. The real sign of legitimacy: How many fantasy owners have him on their rosters? A few more saves and that total will increase.

Stud (batter): Ivan Rodriguez
Stud (pitcher): Johan Santana

(Add your Studs/Duds in the Comments.)

Schilling bounces back in primetime: I was curious how quickly Curt Schilling would update his blog after pitching (well) against the Rangers last night. When I popped open his blog at 8 this morning, there was his post. And a long one, too. That's pretty damn impressive.

(As many have noted: Why do I need the local Boston columnists' take on last night's game when I can have Schilling's? His 2000 words on the game with infinitely greater detail, nuance and authority beats the standard cliched tripe from Boston columnists.)

CBB: Wichita St's Mark Turgeon to Texas A&M. Somehow, I don't think Turgeon will pull a Dana Altman and run back to the Missouri Valley after his announcement as new coach at a different school.

(More: John Pelphrey to Arkansas? Looks that way. I think it's a great hire. Even better than Dana Altman. How much better can you get than Billy Donovan's top disciple?)

Reality-TV UFC top-dog Matt Serra winning the real UFC welterweight title from champ Georges St. Pierre in a fairly substantial upset will only help the sport (until skeptics ask if the storybook ending was a little TOO good).

NFL Draft: Look for the first glimpse of the Tirico-Kornheiser-Jaworski troika during ESPN's draft coverage. The draft format is PTI-ish enough that it is MUCH more in TK's wheelhouse than your standard MNF game. I think they'll do well enough that it will trigger a buzz for next season.

Today's 15 Minutes: Elsie McLean, the 102-year-old woman who hit a hole-in-one, becoming the oldest golfer ever to hit a regulation-course hole-in-one. Yes, your golf skills suck by comparison.

ESPN Ombudswoman Earns Blog Cred: By taking on the Colin Cowherd story and getting a response from ESPN before the weekend was over (remember, the incident happened Thursday), she instantly proves herself an infinitely more effective ombudsman (ombudswoman?) than her predecessor – all in her first official week on the job. Oh, and she just got off on the right foot – the very right foot – with the sports-blog community.

-- D.S.

Sunday 04/08 Quickie:Tiger Wins Ugly (So What?)

Wow, slow day or what? Sorry for the late start...

Masters: With everyone on the wrong side of par, this could be Tiger's ugliest Masters win ever. Which, of course, would have novelty in and of itself. Given his prodigious total, no one will remember if he wins "ugly." Just that he wins. (It raises an interesting question whether fans care at all about scores -- or simply care that Tiger is in the final pair, no matter what his number is.)

When does NFL Draft talk ramp up? Come on!

Speaking of draft, Kevin Durant is going to declare for the NBA Draft (gee: surprised?). I think he'll go No. 2 behind Oden, unless Oden doesn't turn pro.

Durant's comps: As I've been saying since December, Durant's best-case is to be the next Dirk; his worst-case is to be the next Rashard Lewis, a tall 3-point shooter stuck playing next to a gunner.

(And I strongly disagree with people who think Durant somehow will redefine the NBA forward position.)

Sorry for the light day today. Back to full speed tomorrow.

-- D.S.