The Un-Olympic Spirit

The Olympic Spirit is in full swing in London.  Unless you're Israel.  In the mother of all international events, aimed at unity and world peace, hatred of Israel is the recognized exception.  The London Games opened with the International Olympic Committee's refusal to include a memorial, or to even recognize with a moment of silence, the 40th anniversary of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered in the Munich Olympics by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September, despite having moments of silence for victims of war and the 2005 London terror attacks (which NBC failed to air).  Why? Apparently, the IOC was loathe to offend the Palestinians or their supporters in the Arab world.  To which I would ask, why would they be offended?  Unless... they viewed the murder of Israelis as a noble endeavor.  Olympic officials continued the insult by erecting a makeshift curtain to placate the Lebanese Judo teams' refusal to practice alongside the Israeli team just a day before the games began.

Not to be outdone, the British Broadcasting Corporation refused to list Jerusalem as the capital Israel on its website.  Among 205 countries profiled on the BBC's Olympic website, only Israel was listed without a capital.  However, the BBC made sure to list East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, even though the Palestinian Territory is not a recognized nation.  It took an angry letter from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the BCC to address the discrepancy... sort of.  The website now lists Jerusalem as the "seat of government," adding "though most foreign embassies are in Tel Aviv," (which is more definitive than the White House).  East Jerusalem is now listed as the "intended" seat of government for Palestine.

The behavior of the IOC and others in the international community amounts to, at best, cowardice and hypocrisy.  At worst, bigotry.  Their tacit acceptance of open anti-semitism on the part of many in the Arab world and Iran is disturbing, as is their skulking, paternalistic fear of offending anyone but Israel.  It's unimaginable that the IOC or the British government would tolerate the treatment of any other country or ethnic group in this way.

Cue John Williams' Oympic Fanfare.

Man Crush still in effect

Don't look now, but we are witnessing the emergence of Brandon Roy as a superstar in the NBA.

Last night the Blazers snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Phoenix Suns, winning 124-119. Roy, who scored a career-high 52 points, had never beaten the Suns and was determined to get a win. His 52 points is the second highest point total in the NBA this season and the second highest in Blazer history.

Over the last five games Roy is averaging 36.4 points, 5 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, the Blazers are 17-10, second place in the Northwest Division with an 8-2 home record. Not bad for the second youngest team in the NBA. Credit Roy, whose leadership and ability to take over games has placed him among the elite players in the league.

So if you haven't seen Roy or this young Blazer team play, TUNE IN! Just be careful. You might end up like me -- with a Man Crush.

Posted also at West Coast Bias

Timber!

Well, not much to say after this one. As a Duck fan, I couldn't be happier - stomping the Beavers on their home field and dashing their dreams of reaching the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1965. The Ducks defense didn't impress, but with the offense rolling up 65 points (most ever allowed by OSU) and an incredible 694 total yards (385 on the ground), it didn't really matter. The win was a relief too because if Oregon State had won three straight Civil Wars, Beaver fan would be intolerable. As it is, I will happily take this 65-38 drubbing and a trip to San Diego for the Holiday Bowl. Go Ducks!

A New Home for Sports

My recent preoccupation with sports writing has forced me to establish a new forum for all things athletic. So check out my new blog - West Coast Bias - for news, commentary and debate on sports both local and national.

This will allow me to use this blog to fully explore complex issues like the essential elements of a good Western, superhero fights, and my favorite sodas. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Man Crush

The Trail Blazers gave their fans a nice Christmas present with an
89-79 victory over the Seattle Supersonics for their league-best 11th straight win. Leading the way is Brandon Roy, who has averaged an amazing 23 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists during the streak.

And I have a man crush on him.

I'm not sure when it started. My wife only just made me aware of it. I'm not exactly sure why I have a man crush, but here are some possible reasons.

In only his second year, Brandon Roy is the leader of this team and the face of the franchise. On the court, he's a phenomenal young talent, who plays like a veteran. He works hard and plays unselfish team basketball. But when needs to, he will take over a game and be the Man. He is a good citizen, popular with his teammates and the community.

Roy is a welcome site to fans who remember the special relationship between the Trail Blazers and the Rose City. Portland's love affair with its team began in 1976 when players like Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas brought the city its first championship. It continued through the 1980s and exploded from 1988 to 1992 as the team, led by Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, and Jerome Kersey, appeared in two NBA Finals and was among the league's elite teams for several years. These players embraced the the fans and the city.

Blazer fans took this special relationship for granted until the mid-90s when everything changed. New General Manager Bob Whitsitt tried to assemble a team of all-stars through free agency and big contracts, with little or no thought for the chemistry and character of the team. The result was disastrous. Players like Rod Strickland, J.R. Rider, Qyntel Woods, Damon Stoudamire, Rasheed Wallace, Bonzi Wells, Ruben Patterson, Darius Miles and Zach Randolph demonstrated an utter disdain for the city, the fans, and their teammates. And their routine disregard for the law earned them the embarassing moniker "Jail Blazers."

With fan support plummeting at the end of the 2002-03 season, the Blazers were forced to start cleaning house. They got rid of Bonzi Wells and Rasheed Wallace. In 2005, the team hired Nate McMillan as the new head coach. The following year, the team traded away troublemakers Ruben Patterson and Sebastian Telfair, while making some brilliant draft day moves to land Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. After landing the number one pick in the 2007 NBA draft, the Blazers selected future-star Greg Oden, while dumping talented, but longtime problem-child Zach Randolph.

Today, despite Oden's injury, Blazer fans have a lot to be excited about. Not only is their team winning, but the players are guys you feel good rooting for. And none more than Brandon Roy.

Last February, the Blazers entered the locker room at half-time of a game against the Lakers in Los Angeles. The team was struggling and star Zach Randolph began pointing fingers at Portland's guards. Roy (a rookie) immediately scolded Randolph and put him in his place for calling out individuals rather than taking responsibility for the team. The Blazers regrouped and came back to win the game. That was the moment when the Blazers became his team. And it was the moment when the culture of the Blazers really changed.

Brandon Roy represents the shift from a dysfunctional, poorly run organization, full of criminals and malcontents to an exciting, fan-friendly team of young stars who want to win.

Last week, I had the good fortune to get in on the fun as I watched the Blazers notch their 9th straight win against Toronto. I watched in amazement as Brandon Roy pulled off this amazing move. The Rose Garden went crazy. The Blazers won. It was awesome.

That's why I have a man crush on Brandon Roy. And I don't care who knows it.

Black Thursday

The sucking sound you heard last night was the collective gasp of Duck fans everywhere as their dream season came to an abrupt end in the desert. After jumping out to a quick lead against the Arizona Wildcats on a 38-yard touchdown run, Dennis Dixon looked every bit the Heisman frontrunner, easily marching his team down the field three times in quick succesion. With 5 minutes to play in the first quarter, and the Ducks in scoring position, Dixon attempted to allude a tackler on an option play. His knee buckled, and Dixon crumpled to the turf.

The Ducks, looking shocked and rudderless without their leader, quickly went into a tailspin, giving up 24 quick points. The Ducks regrouped at halftime, holding the Wildcats to only three points in the second half, and pulling within a touchdown before Arizona iced it with a field goal and interception late.

Bye-bye National Championship. Bye-bye Heisman. And maybe, bye-bye season.

Today the news came down. Torn ACL. Dixon's brilliant senior season and his career at Oregon is done.

Let's see...I make that six starters out with season-ending injuries. Are you kidding me?

Wide Receiver Brian Paysinger - torn ACL in practice
Linebacker A.J. Tuitele - broken foot against Cal
Wide Receiver Cameron Colvin - broken ankle against Wash. State
Running Back Jeremiah Johnson - torn ACL against Wash. State
Linebacker John Bacon - torn ACL against Arizona State

Each of these injuries was a huge loss, taking their toll on Oregon's depth at wide receiver and linebacker, but the Ducks repsonded and were able to fight through them and keep winning. Dixon, however, was the one player the Ducks couldn't afford to lose. His leadership and skill running the spread option attack made Oregon the nation's most dynamic offense and catapulted them into the national championship race.

And judging by Oregon's performance after no. 10 left the game, winning their remaining two games against UCLA and Oregon State is a tall order.

It's a crummy way to end the season, especially with so much riding on it. A school like Oregon can expect to compete for the conference crown once every 5-7 years, but the opportunity to be in the National Championship hunt happens maybe once every 20 years (or more).

This rash of injuries robbed Oregon of the chance to compete and prove what they were capable of. Unfortunately, it's not the first time this has happened to the Ducks.

In 2005, they lost quarterback Kellen Clemens who was on his way to a record-breaking season. Dixon and Brady Leaf split time replacing him, eeking out wins against Cal and Washington State. They walked over a pathetic Beaver team for their 10th win on their way to the Holiday Bowl where they narrowly lost to Oklahoma. It was a disappointing way to end the season, knowing the Ducks would have won handily with Clemens at the helm.

In 1998, the Ducks were 5-0 and looked unstoppable. But after injuries took their best defender (and the Pac-10's best linebacker) Peter Sirmon and running back Reuben Droughns (who rushed for a staggering 824 yards in only six games), the Ducks went 3-3 and limped their way into the Aloha bowl, losing to Colorado.

In 1988, sophomore quarterback Bill Musgrave led the Ducks to a 6-1 record with a chance to go to a bowl game for the first time since 1963 before succumbing to a broken collarbone against Arizona State. The Ducks lost their remaining five games.

One can't help but ask - What if? It makes me appreciate how special the 2001 season was, when Oregon crushed Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl, finished 11-1, and no. 2 in the polls. Luck plays a role. If nothing else, this season is a testament to how the program has grown in twenty years. Depth has allowed Oregon in recent years to overcome injuries that would have devastated teams from 10-20 years ago.

Hopefully the Ducks can right the ship. They still have a shot at the Rose Bowl if they win their last two games. But if they don't, hats off to perhaps the best Duck team ever (if not the unluckiest); Certainly the best Duck offense ever.

As for Dixon, it turns out he injured his knee against Arizona State two weeks ago, but kept it quiet and tried to play through it, which makes his long touchdown run all the more amazing. You gotta love a guy who wants to win so much he tries to play with a torn ACL. We knew he was an amazing athlete and a classy guy, but Thursday he showed us his heart and determination. Next move for Dixon: surgery, rehab, and the NFL draft.



Happy Trails Dennis. We'll miss you.

Roger - part 1

Roger Federer was nowhere near his best when he beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets (7-6, 7-6, 6-4) Sunday to collect his fourth straight U.S. Open title. But when you're the best player in the world you don't always have to be. That makes 12 Grand Slam titles for Federer (Grand Slams refer to the four major tournaments in pro tennis - Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open). This places him behind only Pete Sampras (14) for most career Grand Slam titles.

So how good is he? Well, during the quarterfinals of this tournament, Federer had to face Andy Roddick. He's America's best player and would have at least three more Grand Slam titles if not for Federer. He has defeated Federer only once in his career, thwarted at every turn to beat his Swiss master when it matters. This time, Roddick came out firing, playing perhaps the best tennis of his career. Federer had to be perfect to win. And he was, beating America's best in straight sets 7-6, 7-6, 6-2.

Federer's accomplishments have placed him squarely among tennis' all-time best. But the question being asked more and more as Federer continues to dominate - Is he the best ever?

Not an easy question to answer, given the many great players in the history of men's tennis. Bill Tilden, Roy Emerson, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Mats Vilander, Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, and Andre Agassi were all-time greats, but usually not considered as the best ever.

Currently, four names are in the argument as best all-time.

Rod Laver

The last men's player to achieve the tennis holy grail - to complete a Grand Slam (win all four major tournaments in calender year). And he did it twice. From 1962 to 1979, the Australian amassed 181 singles titles including 11 Grand Slam titles (tied with Borg for 3rd all-time). Laver was a technically superior player who had an excellent serve and volley game, combined with aggressive groundstrokes utilizing topspin, an innovation in the sixties. His backhand is among the all-time best shots. Despite his somewhat short stature (5'8"), Laver had both speed and strength. He was quick on the court and generated tremendous groundstrokes from a powerful left arm. He played against greats like Roy Emerson, John Newcombe, Ken Rosewall, and Arthur Ashe.

Bjorn Borg
This Swede was nearly unbeatable from 1976 to 1980. He won 11 Grand Slam titles in his career. Perhaps more impressive is that he achieved what is considered to be the most difficult feat in tennis, winning both Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year. Borg did it four times!

Note: Wimbledon is played on grass, a "fast" surface because the ball bounces fast and low, making for shorter points that favor serve-and volley players. The French Open is played on clay, a "slow" surface because the ball bounces slower and higher with less forward motion, making it more difficult to hit an unreturnable shot. Points tend to be longer on clay, favoring baseline players who are generally more defensive and consistent.

To put this in perspective, only one other player (Andre Agassi) has since won both Wimbledon and the French Open in his entire career.

Borg played from the baseline, utilizing powerful groundstrokes and tremendous topspin to dominate his opponents. Borg rarely made mistakes and was famous for his unflinching focus and steely reserve on the court. This earned him the nickname "Iceman." Combined with his exceptional physical fitness, Borg appeared more robot than human.

Borg dominated tennis during one of the most competative eras of men's tennis which included such greats as Guillermo Vilas, Ilie Nastase, Jimmy Connors, and John McEnroe, however, he retired suddenly at the age of 26.

To be continued...

Good Luck Joey

The National Football League is a tough business. Just ask Joey Harrington. Despite leading the Oregon Ducks to the best season in school history, a Fiesta Bowl win, a #2 ranking in the national polls, and finishing as a heisman finalist with a 10-story billboard in New York City, most people remember him as a bum; a journeyman quarterback who doesn't have what it takes to succeed in the NFL.

To go from "Joe College", the #3 player taken in the 2002 NFL draft with your face on the cover of a video game, to a bust whose only future in this leauge is as a backup. To go from loved and adored, to hated and written off.

But that's what the NFL can do to even great college players. If you just look at other quarterbacks from the Pac-10 conference who have been drafted into the NFL over the last several years, there is mixed success. Carson Palmer is an all-pro, but Ryan Leaf (Washington State), Akili Smith (Oregon), and Cade McNown (UCLA) were busts. Marques Tuiasosopo (Washington), Andrew Walter (Arizona State), Kyle Boller (Cal), and Aaron Rodgers (Cal) have barely seen playing time.

These guys were all outstanding college quarterbacks and yet they can't cut it in the pros. It makes me wonder what might have been, if guys like Joey or Akili Smith had not been drafted by two of the worst franchises (Detroit and Cincinatti, respectively) in the NFL at the time, where their confidence was destroyed.

After four miserable years in Detroit, and a somewhat better year in Miami, Harrington was all but written off; his confidence shot. After being traded to the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason as a backup to Michael Vick, Harrington realized "I could spend the next six years as a backup and never have the chance to play another game. But I was determined I'd be ready if the chance did come."

After Vick was indicted on federal dog-fighting charges, Joey got his chance.

"I've spent the last two years trying to get my confidence back as a quarterback,'' Harrington told Sports Illustrated writer Don Banks earlier this month at Falcons training camp. "So much of what a quarterback does is about confidence. That's what I lost in Detroit. But I'm much more of a quarterback today than what I was with the Lions, or even last year in Miami. Now it's time to show that."

As a Duck fan who had the good fortune to watch his career in person on Saturday afternoons at Autzen Stadium, I hope he does. To me, Joey represents everything good about sports. By all accounts he's an honest, down-to-earth guy who doesn't get into trouble. I once heard him say that he never cared about being a NFL quarterback. His dream was to be a college quarterback. And that's how he played - like a guy living his dream, having fun and playing his guts out. I never saw a player who wanted to win more than Joey. And now, with the opportunity to play on the most talented team in his career, he may get a chance to prove it.

"I've learned a ton the last two years in this league. About myself and about how this league operates. I became so much more comfortable with who I am as a person and who I am as a player. That's what has enabled me to be ready to take advantage of this opportunity.''

2007 Pac-10 Preview

Finally, it's football season again! For those of us on the left coast, it means watcing the most exciting conference in college football take the field every Saturday afternoon. Only in the Pac-10 does nearly every team have a shot at the league title. Southern Cal looks as tough as ever, but the conference is stacked in the middle with Cal, UCLA, Oregon, OSU, and Arizona State returning enough firepower to challenge the mighty Trojans. Wazzu and Arizona are longshots, but are loaded with enough talent to ruin anyone's season. Only Washington and Stanford appear to have no chance; Washington because of its brutal schedule and Stanford because of its utter lack of talent. So here are my predictions for how they'll finish.

10. Stanford

Despite some talent at QB and receiver, new coach Jim Harbaugh won't be able to pull the Cardinal out of the cellar where they've been since Tyrone Willingham left the program in 2002.

9. Washington

With highly touted recruit Jake Locker at QB, the Huskies have the potential to be good, but not good enough to overcome perhaps the toughest schedule in the country. Too bad, it's so much easier to hate the Huskies when they're good.

8. Washington State

As usual, WSU will put up a lot of points with quarterback Alex Brink and wideout Michael Bumpus running the offense. Defensively, they will give up too many points to compete in the upper half of the league.

7. Arizona
You would expect a team that returns 18 starters to finish higher, but the Wildcats have yet to prove they can field a consistent offense. A healthy Willie Tuitama at QB and new offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes from high-powered Texas Tech will go along way to solve that problem. And they'll get plent of help from a veteran defense led by All-conference corner Antoine Cason that will wreak havoc in Pac-10.

6. Oregon State

The Beavers would be higher, but they recently lost three key players for the season: cornerback Coye Francies, punter Kyle Loomis, and most painful - All-league wideout and kick returner Sammie Straughter. The Beavers will counter this adversity by fielding an outstanding defense led by senior linebackers Derrick Doggett, Alan Darlin, and Joey LaRocque. And even without Stroughter, the offense returns a deep receiving corps, an all-conference tailback, and arguably the best offensive line in the Pac-10. Unfortunately, they will still have to overcome a new quarterback and road games against the league's best teams.

5. Arizona State

New coach Dennis Erickson will give the 'Devils some much needed attitude and swagger. I expect an immediate improvement on defense. The offense will be OK with quality QB Rudy Carpenter and surprise talent Ryan Torain at tailback. The biggest help, however, will be a schedule that includes 8 home games, with the first four at home and the fifth against hapless Stanford. They may start 5-0, oozing with confidence.

4. Oregon

The Ducks head into 2007 absolutely loaded on offense. Unfortunately, they are also loaded with unanswered questions. Dennis Dixon is a senior and the unquestioned starter at quarterback, but will he collapse into a turnover machine like he did in second half of the season? Junior running back Jonathan Stewart is an uncanny blend of power and speed, but can he stay healthy? The receiving corps is deep and talented led by Jr. Jaison Williams, but will they play more consistently and cut down on the drops? New offensive coordinator and spread offense guru Chip Kelly will try and improve a unit that led the league in total offense, but can he keep them from collapsing and embarassing themselves midway through the season?

Defensively, there are more questions. The secondary is the strength of a unit that led the Pac-10 in pass defense last year, but can they stop the run? The D-line is thin and the linebackers unproven.

If the Ducks answer these questions, they are talented enough to challenge USC. But unless they can finally display the kind mental toughness that characterized the great Duck teams of the past, this team will flounder in mediocrity.

3. UCLA

The Bruins return an unbelievable 20 starters. The offense will be solid, not spectacular. Ben Olson gets the nod at QB over Patrick Cowan who played most of year replacing the injured Olson. He'll have a lot of fast, experienced receivers to throw to. And Chris Markey is a tough, versatile back who will give them another 1,000 yard season behind a veterean offensive line.

The strength of this team will be its defense. Coordinator DeWayne Walker transformed this unit into one of the nation's best last year, culminating in a 13-9 win over rival USC. UCLA has always had tons of talent but has yet to put it all together in recent years, which speaks to coaching, so I have a hard time picking them higher.

2. Cal

With only 12 starters returning (just 5 on defense), you wouldn't expect Cal to be a top ten team. But you'd be wrong. Aside from great coaching, they have a sharpshooter in quarterback Nate Longshore and the best receiver trio in the country led by bonafide superstar DeSean Jackson. If their defense is merely adequate, they'll win 10 games on the strength of 40 points a game.

1. USC

This team will be absolutely freakish. The Trojans sport more talent than the entire Big East conference. Quarterback John David Booty is a Heisman favorite but his offense will be fairly pedestrian (30 points a game). They have a solid line, but unproven (albeit talented) players start at tailback and wideout. What will drive this team is a ferocious defense that returns all but one starter. Trojan linebackers Rey Maualuga, Keith Rivers and Brian Cushing could all (and will) start in the NFL. I can't say enough about how good this defense is. They will be the best Southern Cal has ever had, and could be one of the best ever in college football history. Having said this....

Final Thoughts

USC will lose a conference game. The Pac-10 is too tough. Cal, UCLA, Oregon, or someone will knock them off. Unfortunately for them, that may be enough to knock them out of the BCS championship game where they belong. Worse still, because of the Pac-10's lousy bowl contract, only the winner plays in a New Year's Day bowl game. That means whatever teams finish 2nd and 3rd won't get the credit they deserve.

Who's the best ?

A favorite topic among sports fans is "Who's the best?" Who's the greatest quarterback of all time? What's the best NBA team of all-time? Who is the best hitter in baseball? Questions like these provide hours of passionate debate for fans, sports talk radio shows, broadcasters, and athletes themselves. Unfortunately, it's an almost impossible question with hundreds of variables that most people don't consider. Why?

1. It's a completely subjective question. There are no standard measures. Statistics factor in, but don't tell the whole story. Who's better - Bird or Magic? There is no right answer, only opinion.

2. Biases. As objective as someone may try to be, their biases inevitably factor in. People naturally tend to favor athletes from there own era because they have seen them play with their own eyes. As a result, athletes from previous decades are overlooked, or dismissed because most people today don't believe they could compete with today's athletes. And then you simply have favorites - favorite players, favorite teams, favorite coaches. Everybody has them, even sports reporters. An irritating trend among sports media today is to throw every hot new athlete into the "greatest of all-time" argument. When a team wins more than one championship, the word "dynasty" immediately tossed around. It's as if they are trying to manufacture greatness in order to give the here and now a sense of significance.

3. You can't compare eras. To demonstrate how impossible this is, I'll pose this question - Who is the best golfer of all time? Only two names are even in the debate: Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. Nearly everyone today would immediately say Tiger. He's only 31 years old and has 13 major championships. Nicklaus has the record at 18 majors, but didn't win his 13th major until age 35. Woods has also posted much better scores than Nicklaus in majors and has a higher winning percentage than Nicklaus through the first 11 years of their careers.

Case Closed? Not if we factor in competition and technology.

During his career, Nicklaus competed against such greats as Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson, each of whom have more than five major championships. Outside of Tiger, no one in the current era can be considered great. Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, and Ernie Els are good players, but not in the same class as Jack's competition. Why does this matter? Well, Tiger runs away from the competition in most of his wins. What if he had the likes of Watson or Trevino breathing down his neck like Jack did? Could he handle the pressure? It's an important question, considering Tiger hasn't performed all that well when the score is close.

What about the technology of the clubs? Engineers have turned drivers into rocket launchers, changing the game dramatically. Players today rely on driving distance far more than in Jack's era. So this begs the question, what kind of scores would Nicklaus, Palmer and Player put up with today's clubs?

As you can see, the question of "who's the best" becomes muddled when you consider all the factors. And golf is an easy one compared to other sports.

So, how do you judge the best?

Quality of competition This includes the quality of the players or teams in a given era, but also the depth of competition. Example: The quality of competition among heavyweight boxers in the 1970s is widely considered to be far greater than it is now.

Quantity of competition In 1955 the NHL was composed of six teams with two rounds of playoffs. Today there are 30 teams and four rounds of playoffs . Although one can make the argument that talent gets diluted in larger leagues and thus making it easier to win, more teams mean more games and more opportunities to lose.

Technology The improved technology of rackets, clubs, balls, pads, helmets, shoes, and turf have all made huge impacts in their respective sports, and so must be taken into consideration.

Sports Medicine Injuries that were once career ending can be overcome in a matter of months today. Advancements in training and diet have augmented the performance of athletes dramatically in recent years. Athletes today are bigger, faster and stronger than ever before. These changes have affected perhaps affected football more than any other sport.

X-factors Steroids and performance enhancing drugs. Racial segregation that for years kept many of the best players from participating, so Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gherig never had to play against some of the best competition. Rule changes from year to year, era to era. The amount of travel involved with teams today. The number of night games today(baseball). Player salaries. Domed versus open stadiums.

In light of these factors, one cannot ask questions like "Who would win a game between the 2004 New Enland Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 70s?" Why? Because the Patriots would destroy them 84-0. In football, the differences in 30 years are immeasurable. That doesnt' mean the Steelers weren't a better team. They won four Super Bowls and dominated football in the 1970s.

The bottom line is that when asking "Who's the best," one must measure a team or player's accomplishments against the era in which they played, while taking all of the factors of that era into consideration.


So who's better, Bird or Magic?

Drexler.

Definitely.

Peyton's big win and a defense of Dan Marino

I was happy to see the Colts win Super Bowl XLI win this last weekend. I'm not a Colts fan necessarily, but I was gratified to see Colts quarterback Peyton Manning shut his critics up. The rap against him was that he couldn't win the big game; that his numbers were impressive, but meant little unless he could translate them into a championship.

In contrast, his rival Tom Brady, has consistently come through in the big game, leading the Patriots to three Super Bowl rings in six years, knocking Manning and the Colts out of the playoffs in 2003 and 2004. After his third Super Bowl win, Brady was (and rightly so) added to the conversation of best quarterback of all time, demonstrating how heavily championships weigh on one's perception of greatness in the world of sports. Today, Tom Brady is regularly compared to Joe Montana, who most people believe to be the greatest quarterback in NFL history.

Peyton Manning, on the other hand , has been consistently been compared to Dan Marino, who, like Manning, put up record numbers, but never led his team to a Super Bowl win. With his big win Sunday, Manning can put these unfair criticisms behind him, but Marino having retired after the 1999 season will always be remembered for not having won the big game. As a result, his greatness has been downplayed in recent years by critics.

I believe this to be unfair and unjust.

Increasingly in our media culture, sportswriters, sports talk radio show hosts, and pundits give themselves authority to decide what we think of athletes and how we should remember them. Most of them have never been professional athletes. And many appear interested in making bold, controversial declarations to sell newspapers, get ratings, and make a name for themselves rather than give honest assessments.

Playing the most demanding position in all of sports, Dan Marino lit up the record books on almost a weekly basis. His numbers speak for themselves. He holds 24 NFL records, and is tied for four more. He is the most prolific passer in NFL history.

His albatross is that his team never won a Super Bowl. And because we hold great players to higher standards, the responsibility for that failure lands squarely on Marino's shoulders. I agree with this to up to point. Great players like Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Wayne Gretzky all led their teams to championships. However, these guys didn't do it alone. They played on great teams with other great players and great coaches.

How far would Jordan have taken the Bulls without Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, John Paxson or his coach Phil Jackson?

How many titles would Jeter and his Yankees have without Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera and Joe Torre?

How would Gretzky's Oilers have dominated without Jari Kurri, Mark Messier, and Grant Fuhr?

The point is, that in team sports, one player cannot do it all, no matter how great. And in football, the ultimate team sport, one cannot win a championship without a solid running game and a good defense.

Dan Marino rarely had either. When he joined the league in 1983, the Dolphins had a solid rushing attack, gaining a respectable 2,150 yards on the ground (It was the only time in Marino's career the Dolphins rushed for 2,000 yards). Theirs was a running game by committee featuring little known players like Tony Nathan, Woody Bennett and Andra Franklin. The Dolphins also had the NFL's best scoring defense. Marino took over the starting job in week 6 of the season and posted the highest quarterback rating (96.0) ever by a rookie. The Dolphins went 12-4, losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional playoffs.

In 1984, the Dolphins again produced a decent running game, and although the defense had slipped a little, they were still among the top scoring defenses in the league. With a year of experience under his belt, Marino responded with the best season ever by a quarterback, throwing for 5,048 yards and 48 touchdowns en route to a 14-2 record and Super Bowl bid. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, they had to face Joe Montana and a 49er team that is considered to be among the best of all time, and lost 38-16.

Following Marino's record-breaking season, the Dolphins began moving away from the running game, believing that championships would come by riding the golden right arm of Marino. In 17 seasons, Marino never had a franchise running back. Only once did he have a 1,000 yard rusher. Unlike, his contemporaries, Marino never had a Roger Craig, Emmit Smith, or Thurman Thomas.

The Dolphins quickly became a one-dimensional team, dependent on Marino to win. Opposing defenses knew this and focused all their efforts on stopping him. He still shredded them on a regular basis, leading the Dolphins to the playoffs in 8 of the next 15 seasons, including two AFC championship games. But it did stop him from ever reaching the Super Bowl again as he inevitably faced more balanced, complete teams.

This was especially true in 1990 (12-4) and 1992 (11-5) as the Dolphins put together solid teams with very good defenses only to face the Buffalo Bills who played in four straight Super Bowls. Led by Hall of Famers Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, and the league's best running back, Thurman Thomas, the Bills outmatched the Dolphins, winning 44-24 and 29-10.

An aged Marino had one last chance in 1998 as the Dolphins fielded the league's top scoring defense. After beating the Bills in the AFC wildcard game, they had to face the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos led by John Elway.

Ironically, it is Elway who provides the best illustration of why Dan Marino never won the Super Bowl. Like Marino, Elway was a gifted passer known for his fourth quarter heroics, and like Marino, often carried his team, but was criticized for failing to win the Super Bowl in three tries (87,88,90). Elway played on more talented teams than Marino's Dolphins, but never had a consistent run game, despite having several 1,000 backs. Every time Elway led his Broncos to the Super Bowl, they were faced with more balanced, complete teams that physically dominated them.

That all changed, however, with the arrival Mike Shanahan in 1995. Bringing with him a run-heavy version of the west-coast offense, the Broncos committed to the ground game behind a smaller, but more athletic offensive line. Also arriving in 1995, a sixth-round draft pick out of Georgia, was running back Terrell Davis. By 1997, combined with Elway and a solid defense, Davis led the Broncos to 2,378 team rushing yards on their way to the Super Bowl, where they defeated the heavily favored Green Bay Packers.

The following year, Terrell Davis became only the third player in history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. So when the Dolphins faced them in the AFC Divisional playoffs, the outcome was never in doubt. The Broncos crushed Miami 38-3 on the way to winning their second straight Super Bowl.

Before this, Elway's place in history was much like that of Dan Marino, (without the statistical dominance), a great player, but just didn't have what it took win the big game. He was certainly no Unitas, Staubach, or Montana. That's for sure.

Did a 37-year old Elway suddenly elevate his game to new level in 1997? Did he become better? No. He simply became more effective because the Broncos made a commitment to running the football. Opposing defenses had to worry about the run, which among other things, opened up the field for Elway.

It's the first truth of winning football. Running the ball...
-Wears down the defense
-Opens up the passing game
-Eats the clock, and in turn...
-Rests your defense

This formula works so well that it has enabled less than spectacular quarterbacks like Terry Bradshaw, Jim McMahon, Jeff Hostetler, and Trent Dilfer to win Super Bowls

So what does all this mean? It means Dan Marino was good enough to win multiple Super Bowls, and his failure to do so is not a reflection on him, but instead demonstrates that winning a championship in football requires the ability to run the football and play good defense.

Dan Marino is one the greatest quarterbacks of all time, certainly the best who never won a championship. He did more with less than any other QB in history. He ought to be remembered that way.

Flock of Ducks!

Well, I hate put an end to everyone's fun, but its time to kill what has evolved into a sad, pathetic display by those with too much time on their hands. I thought for my second post, I would engage a topic that many of you are interested in -- the Oregon Ducks new recruiting class. Last Wednesday was signing day, where high school and junior college players ink their letters of intent to play for their university of choice. The Ducks landed a pretty solid class that fills immediate needs at linebacker and the offensive line. Most exciting however, is the signing of prep running back Jonathan Stewart from Bellvue, Wa. He is widely considered the top high school running back in the country. Just as a little perspective - two years ago, the top RB recruit was Reggie Bush (USC) and last year the top RB recruit was Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma). Both were Heisman Trophy finalists this season. Who knows?

I realize this blog may not interest anyone reading it. I admit, its a little selfish. I guess this is my swan song to college football, which I will not see for another 7 months. College basketball will last for a little longer, but soon there will be nothing but the NBA and major league baseball, both of which are completely unwatchable.

If you have any comment on the recruiting season or an opinion on the current state of professional and collegiate sports, I encourage you to share them.

Oh yeah... GO DUCKS!