The Headlines: Week 13...One Step Away

It comes down to the Civil War.

Oregon State survived against Arizona and is now one game away from that coveted Rose Bowl berth.

Not much to say but this is the clearest the picture has been all year in the race for the Roses.

If the Beavers lose next weekend to Oregon, then it's USC to the Rose Bowl. If Oregon State takes the Civil War, then off to Pasadena they go for the first time since 1965.

But what about the other bowl games the Pac-10 has tie-ins to? Let's take a look.

If Oregon State beats Oregon next week, then:

1) USC receives another BCS bid if it beats UCLA
2) California goes to the Holiday Bowl if it beats Washington
3) Oregon goes to the Sun Bowl
4) Arizona goes to either the Las Vegas Bowl or the Emerald Bowl if it beats Arizona State
5) If the Sun Devils win their last two games, then they can go to the Las Vegas Bowl or Emerald Bowl and the Wildcats go to the other game.
6) UCLA gets a bowl bid if it beats ASU and USC, but that's not going to happen.

If the Ducks beat the Beavers, then:
1) USC goes to the Rose Bowl
2) Oregon goes to the Holiday Bowl, via tiebreaker.
3) Oregon State goes to the Sun Bowl
4) Cal goes to the Emerald Bowl
5) Arizona goes to the Las Vegas Bowl, if it beats ASU
6) If the Sun Devils win their last two games, then they go to the Las Vegas Bowl and the Wildcats go to the Hawaii Bowl.
7) UCLA still won't receive a bowl bid.

The Pac-10 does have seven bowl tie-ins, but it looks like only six teams will get bids. The bowl that gets left out is the Pointsetta Bowl. If the Pac-10 sends two teams to the BCS, then the Hawai'i Bowl and the Poinsetta Bowl are left out of the Pac-10 equation.

Next week will clear this all up.

To the headlines:

• Arizona: Cats Skinned by Field Goal
  
• California: The Axe Comes Back to Berkeley
  
• Oregon State: Smelling the Roses
  
• Stanford: Bowl Bid Axed
  
• Washington: Winless Season Cometh
  
• Wazzu: Someone Had to Win
  

On the Hot Seat?

I don't know what's going to happen to Norv Turner. Will he be back for the San Diego Chargers next year? Will he not?

That all depends on who you believe, or if you believe Dean Spanos, who said today that Turner will be back next year.

Some believe that this is a warning and that Turner has been given the "kiss of death," meaning that he'll probably be gone if the Chargers fail to succeed (what success is now for this current team).

Some actually believe in Spanos's word and are hating it. Fans are ready to use Turner as the scapegoat for this (what many believe) underperforming and underachieving season. Hey, at least the fans aren't chanting "Marty" at games any more. (Or are they)?

Nobody knows for sure what this cryptic message sent by the Chargers front office means, except for maybe the Spanoses.

But Turner is in trouble.

Why?

Because having Spanos come out and publicily say that Turner will be back next year means that the team has conversations about axing the much maligned head coach.

There were discussions. There is (or was) doubt in Turner's abilities. And it had to come from somewhere (and that somewhere isn't from the fans' impatience with Turner).

For now, Spanos says Turner's their guy.

But what happens when the team finishes 7-9 or (wtf?!) 6-10. It totally could happen. The team could just tank the rest of the year.

Then what? This story and discussion is far from over.

The Evil Empire Strikes Again

BCS is coming back to Disney, but it won't be on ABC. ESPN has won the rights to the BCS and the national title game (sans The Rose Bowl) starting in 2011.

Add that to ESPN's lists of conquests, which also includes a 15 year deal with the SEC.

I kind of address why something like this is bad for sports when I talked about how ESPN shoved the lameass, not-so-exciting, did-anyone-other-than-old-white-guys-pay-attention-to-this Ryder Cup in the summer.

The same goes here. ESPN is slowly becoming a monopoly and is slowly becoming the place for sports and sports entertainment. I have no no problem of the "World Wide Leader in Sports." I do have a problem when it acts as if it (ESPN) should be the only place anyone can go to watch quality sporting events on television.

Again, it's all about the money. Sure, ESPN, in its own press release, sites that 86 percent of televisions in America have basic cable, which ESPN is on. But what about that other 14 percent? With the BCS exclusively on ESPN starting in 2011, it gets to charge higher fees to cable companies in order to carry ESPN, which in turn leads to higher cable bills for all of us.

But shouldn't everyone get to watch the biggest games of the year?

And even ESPN wants the rights to the English Premier League in the United States.

I am sure that ESPN won't stop until it has every major league signed to a deal that lets the network show their games.

In the world of television sports, ESPN is the Yankees. No, they're worst. They're the Yankees without the competition. Because ESPN has been branded as the sports network in America, other networks like Fox Sports or Comcast Sports have no chance of breaking through.

When the average American thinks sports they think baseball, football, cheerleaders and ESPN.

At least the Yankees lose every now and then. Maybe George Steinbrenner should ask ESPN president George Bodenheimer how the network does it. The Yankees could use the help.

The Passing of a Legend: Pete Newell

I don't know if there's a man that has meant more to California athletics than Pete Newell, who passed away today at the age of 93.

It's too bad that we only have his legacy now--and that the Berkeley campus is about 40 years removed from it.

Newell's name is the one that adorns the hardwood at Haas Pavilion (Harmon Gym). He's the one with a statue in the club room, tucked away in a corner (and after reading countless of stories about who Newell was, I think if there was any place for a statue honoring him to be placed anywhere at Cal, it'd be in the corner somewhere. He'd rather have no statue actually, and I'm sure of it, but if the university wanted to give him a statue, it was going to be in a corner).

Newell's the one who brought that 1959 NCAA championship banner to Cal. He's the one who led a team of no-names to that national title, beating Oscar Robertson's Cincinnati team in the Final Four and then the Jerry West-led West Virginia in the final. No one for the Bears in 1958-59 was named to the all-conference team, let alone garnered national attention individually.

But if there was anyone who stood for what Cal was during its glory days, it was two men--football coach Pappy Waldorf and Newell.

The thing is, Newell is probably not as revered as he should be. He left coaching after the 1960 season and then went on to run the athletic department during Cal's most turbulent time, all the way until 1968.

Maybe it's the times, especially with football and the angst over getting back to the Rose Bowl dominating the consciousness of the campus, but you hardly ever hear Newell's name mentioned amongst the students these days.

To many students who walk through the student gate and onto The Bench, Newell probably isn't even a second or third thought. He's just the guy whose name is on the floor in front of them.

Waldorf's greatness is reminded to Cal students almost every fall, with so much attention put on how Jeff Tedford is close to achieving Waldorf's stature.

But for Cal students, whenever they want to remember basketball greatness, they look back only about 15 years to Jason Kidd and his measly Sweet Sixteen apperance. There's no mention of 1959. No mention of the national title that watches over them in Haas Pavilion. Kidd was more recent and is a bigger name. Kidd's teams should attract that kind of misty-eyed romance of what Cal basketball was, should be and could be.

But Newell's teams should trump Kidd's bravato.

Newell won four consecutive conference titles before he retired. He beat UCLA's almost-holy coach, John Wooden, eight straight times before Newell was asked to step down by doctors for health reasons.

Newell dumbfounded the Wizard of Westwood. God do we wish we still had someone today that could do that.

But while the Bruins faithful look up to Wooden as they should, with a god-like awe, the students at Cal don't or didn't with Newell.

Maybe it's because Newell wasn't around as much as Wooden is. Maybe it's because Wooden's success came after Newell was done beating him. Maybe it's because Newell's team achieve things so great that it's hard to believe that a basketball team with the word "Bears" or "California" could have done what they did in 1959.

That stuff is all hearsay. It's meant for the history books and romantic illusions of a time that has since come and gone.

And though Newell's contributions to Cal and its students may have gone lost amongst this current crop of students, it should no longer be forgotten.

Cal will remember Newell tomorrow night at Haas Pavilion and finally, the current Cal community will know who he was. Who he is.

It's too bad that it's taken this long. But let's never forget his legacy and cheer his name once more, the way it was when he was the one on the sidelines.

The way it should be, whether he liked it or not.

Stories about Pete Newell:

• Daily Cal: Former Cal Basketball Coaching Great Pete Newell Dies at 93
  
• Associated Press: Former Cal coach Newell dies at 93
• San Francisco Chronicle: Pete Newell: Basketball coach and teacher dies
• Contra Costa Times: Coaching legend Pete Newell dead at 93
• Bruce Jenkins, Chronicle Sports Columnist: Great coach, Great man
  

The Week That Was Week 11 in the NFL

Hockey, lacrosse, soccer.

Those are the only sports that should have ties/draws.

American football, and especially the NFL, no ties. Please, let's not have any ties.

But that's what happened today between Philadelphia and Cincinnati. After 75 minutes, the two teams couldn't play out of a stalemate.

I agree with the basis for college football's overtime system, giving both teams a shot at scoring a touchdown and the first team that fails loses the game.

That should happen in the NFL also. However, I propose, unlike college football where the offensive team starts at their opponent's 25 yard-line, teams in the NFL should kickoff each possession.

That way it's kind of a real game. And the first team to not score, loses.

It's simple. It might take longer than 15 minutes. But it does take care of those pesky ties.

To the rest of the week:

• I guess the Titans are for real.
• Aaron Rodgers = Brett Favre (you kinda have to put Favre ahead after his Jets beat the Pats this week).
• Speaking of Rodgers, did the Packers just turn this season around?
• I feel for you Rod Marinelli. I really do.
• I still don't know how Denver does it.
• The Chargers are still superpowers Jim Nantz?

Extra Point:

Whoever wins the AFC West, god bless them, but I don't think they'll get that far.

The Broncos, where do I begin? How many times can you come up with fourth quarter miracles before they bite you in the ass?

The Chargers, are they really the most talented team in the League? Ron Rivera's defense looks a little more ferocious than Ted Cottrell's, but what happened to this offense? Where did all the scoring go?

It'll be one and done for the AFC West division winner--unless that team plays Baltimore in the playoffs.

MLS Says Thank You New York

Or maybe it really doesn't, but if I were a Major League Soccer executive, I'm thanking somebody for the New York Red Bulls' win over Real Salt Lake in the semifinals (I'm not calling it Western Conference Final, no thank you) of the MLS Cup.

MLS has taken great strides over the last few years. There are a bunch of soccer-specific stadiums, David Beckham still sells out grounds and the quality of play has gone up.

But the prospect of having Real Salt Lake play Columbus at the Home Depot Center next Sunday must have made MLS execs a little nervous.

The league is still trying to grow. It's still trying to gain respect. It's still trying to grow the fan base. So to have two teams from really small markets, really small cities, wouldn't have done too much to make the MLS Cup Final that interesting...to the average or casual sports fan.

Yes, the Crew won the Supporters Shield this year and are probably playing at top form right now, but it's Columbus. Sure Real Salt Lake plays some pretty soccer. But the club plays in Utah.

No one outside of those communities care for those clubs.

So thank you New York Red Bulls. At least, maybe, people might watch next Sunday. And the Red Bulls have an amazing star in Juan Pablo Angel.

I think that somewhere, a MLS executive is breathing a sigh of relief.

Maybe there'll be a little excitement in Carson, Calif., next Sunday.

The Headlines: Week 12...Coming Into Focus

My buddy who writes for The Daily Californian and went to yesterday's game between California and Oregon State called me while he was at a tailgate. Apparently he was impressed by the Beavers faithful. While there's nothing to do in Corvallis, Ore., the people sure did come out to Resar Stadium.

I would if I bled orange and black.

Oregon State is on the cusp of a Rose Bowl bid, their first since 1965. And with that, of course I expected the entire city of Corvallis to head out and support what was once a bumbling football program.

ABC showed shots of the Resar Stadium crowd holding up signs that said "We can smell the Roses" and something about going to The Rose Bowl for the first time since '65.

But that reminded of a thing the University of California did back in 2004. With the Bears ranked No. 4 in the country and coming off a win in The Big Game, the Cal book store started to sell Rose Bowl commemorative t-shirts.

Oops.

Needless to say, two weeks later, those shirts were selling for more than half off the regular price.

Oregon State fans should be excited. Their team's time has come. Two more wins and it's off to Pasadena.

If I were a Cal fan, I'd want that to happen. Because if the Beavers get to go to the Pac-10's promised land, then USC--still ranked in the top 10 in the BCS--will get a bid to another major bowl, leaving the Bears the (payout for) the Holiday Bowl.

And for me, San Diego is way better than El Paso.

But I wouldn't count on Oregon State winning out. Next week the Beavers play in Tuscon, Ariz., against the Wildcats.

And if you asked Cal, Tuscon is the place where Rose Bowl dreams go to die.

The Headlines:

• Arizona: Whatever Happened to That Defense?
  
• Arizona State: Snore
  
• Cal: Revenge Will Have to Wait
  
• Oregon: Masoli's Pretty Good
  
• Oregon State: Smells Like Roses
  
• Stanford: We Don't Believe in Stanford Football
  
• UCLA: Someone Had to Win
  
• USC: That's What I Call Revenge
  
• Washington: Is it Over Yet?
• Wazzu: Is it Over Yet? Part II
  

Cal's Rightful Place?

This one might be a week late, but this week also seems like a good time to talk about it.

You know, ever since 2003, when California last beat USC and put that silver bullet in the Trojans' BCS title hopes that year, the media--especially the national media--have loved the Bears chances against Southern California.

It seems like, every other year, when the Trojans look vulnerable, some in the national media pin Cal as the last great hope to knock USC off of its Pac-10 dynasty (well, it seems like it's always either the Bears or Oregon, which ever team is the glitzier pick that year).

The Bears/USC matchup has been on Saturday Night Football the last three years, with the game in 2006 as the national broadcast (and rightfully so). But Cal has only had a sniff at bringing immediate change to the conference, and that was in 2004, when Aaron Rodgers had the Bears at 1st and goal and he failed to complete a pass to give Cal the go-ahead score.

Ever since then, this pseudo-rivalry has clung to one game, 2003, when the Bears upset the Trojans. Sure, it was the game that put Jeff Tedford and California in the national spotlight. It helped that Cal went on to defeat Virginia Tech in a bowl game in 2003. But the gulf in class between the Bears and Trojans is as wide as the Pacific itself.

But why not Oregon State? Why not them? They never get put in the conversation. The Beavers have upset USC twice in the last three years. That equals the number of wins combined for Cal and Oregon ever since Jeff Tedford took over in Berkeley in 2002.

And if the Beavers win tomorrow and in win-out the rest of the year, they get to go to that Rose Bowl that Old Blues and Cal fans have been covetting since 1958.

It seems like the national media always puts its hat on Cal and gives that team a chance against USC. Maybe it's because Tedford does bring in talent, but not as much as USC does. Maybe because Tedford and is coaching staff is a quality one, but not as much as Pete Carroll's. Maybe it's because Tedford can get his team to beat teams that they're supposed to (most of the time).

But as the media, Cal and its fans cling to 2003, waiting for the year that 2003 will happen again, it never comes. The closest we all got was in 2004 for, when Rodgers was nine yards away.

The Cal section at the Coliseum last Saturday chanted "Yes We Can" everytime the Bears had the ball. But unlike the savvy, inspiring poltiical candidate that used that phrase to fuel a Presidential-winning campaign, the only time the Bears got in the end zone was when there was a flag on the field.

Cal fans can call upon the captivating rhetoric of the President-elect, have his pictures in the crowd and believe all it wants.

But believing that "Yes we can" doesn't guarntee wins. And believing that Cal can dethrone USC doesn't necessarily mean it's going to happen.

Not-So-Super Chargers

Yesterday's win for the Chargers should have showed everyone what the 2008 version of this storied franchise is--a shadow of what it has been the last few years.

And San Diego--unlike Indianapolis or New England, the other not-so-mighty AFC powers--doesn't really have an excuse for it.

If this really is the same team that we've seen the last couple of years, then it should still be the most talented, from No. 1 to 54. If this really is the same team, then we should be seeing quarterbacks eating dirt and offenses scared of taking the field against them. If this is really the same team, the rushing attack should be the most potent in The League.

But, for some reason, it's not. This group--the 2008 San Diego Chargers--are not good. Let me say it again--they are not good.

They're boring and inconsistent. They're lackluster and they lose to shitty teams while beating good ones. They let a team with a backups playing all around handle them in one half and stick around in another.

They're the 1970s Arsenal teams from the English Premier League, except there isn't much winning involved.

I think I might have said this awhile ago, but there's no fire in this team--there's no heart, and I don't care if Shawne Merriman isn't lining up on defense. That should not be an excuse as to why the 10 other regular starters are playing like they're back in high school.

There's no sense of urgency. The Chargers should have destroyed Kansas City at the Q on Sunday. There should have been no fourth quarter comeback; no two-point conversion attempt to decide the game.

I want to see the Chargers that destroyed New England earlier this season. I want to see the team that defeated the Colts in Indianapolis in the playoffs last year and the team that showed mettle and came back from a 1-3 start. I want to see the 14-2 football team.

I want to see that fire in their eyes and the killer instinct.

I want to see the real Chargers stand up. Because if they don't soon, then San Diego doesn't get the chance to see the Bolts choke in the playoffs again.

And I'd rather see that than this boring bullshit we get on Sundays.

The Headlines: Week 10...The Picture Clears Up

Last week we saw the picture for the Pac-10 title and its BCS bid be muddied. But the calendar has turned and November means that the picture gets sharper with each passing week.

And it has to, by definition of the schedule that we have in the Pac-10 in November.

And no one controls its destiny as much as California. Heading into this week, the Bears had games against the other one-less conference teams in consecutive weeks. A rematch of last year's epic battle at Autzen Stadium, a trip down to the Los Angeles Coliseum and then up to Corvallis with a meeting with Oregon State.

Well, Cal has one down, two more to go after dismissing Oregon after a sloppy affair in Berkeley.

Now, the road to the Rose Bowl goes through Southern California and it's a storyline that's been repeated for the last five years for Cal. Beat SC and (get closer to) smell(ing) the Roses.

And of course, it's the game everyone has been waiting for...even if Jeff Tedford won't admit it.

The Headlines:

• Arizona State: Oh So Close
  
• California: Bring on the Trojans
  
• Oregon: When It Rain...It Pours
  
• Oregon State: Double the Rodgers, Double the Fun
  
• USC: Sometimes, It is That Easy
• Stanford: Against Wazzu, Everyone is the Best Team Ever
  
• Washington: Poor Tyrone, Part II
  
• Washington State: Rest of Season Canceled
  

Sporting Politics

I a couple of weeks late on this, but with Chris Berman's interview of both Barack Obama and John McCain--this year's Presidential candidates--I had to talk about it.

First, Presidential candidates, especially this year, seem larger than life. And they want to get every vote possible, so to present themselves on a scale like Monday Night Football, the day before the Election, it doesn't surprise me.

It was like during the primaries, when the candidates from both parties made an appearance on a WWE program. Do you really think that professional wrestling fans follow Presidential politics?

Same with the average sports fan. Do they follow politics with the same fine-toothed comb the use to scrutinize their teams, their opponents and their favorite players?

I wouldn't think so.

But the similarities between politics and sport can be seen in all the sports analogies used to describe the campaign. For debates, there's a boxing allegory. I've seen political pundits use football terminology to describe the race for Electoral College votes. We have underdogs and favorites, upsets and blowout victories in politics, just like we do in sport.

And we have parties and tailgates for political events (debates and results-watching) just like we do for the big game.

I also have always said that the race for the presidency, with each state being accrued certain amount of "points," is the grandest game of all. It's the most important game, with analysis and pundits and fans for both candidates.

Tuesday, November 4th will be just as huge--if not bigger--than the Super Bowl or the World Cup. The world is watching, to see if the heavy favorite won't sleep at the wheel, or if the scrappy underdog can pull off the huge upset.

But the reason why I wrote this blog post wasn't to fulling understand the extent to which there's such a parallel between sport and politics.

It's to talk about how, at times, candidates will do anything to get a vote. Appearances on Monday Night Football, at NHL hockey games, at NASCAR events.

And even in sappy opening montages for the World Series.

Sure, baseball is as American as the Presidency itself. But, really Obama and McCain, did you guys have to lend your voices as narrators to FOX's really cheesy video before Game 1 of the World Series this year?

Maybe it's the true mixing of politics and sport. I see it as political pandering.

Only in America...Only With Becks

First, I just have to say that only in America that a story like this one have to be published anywhere.

But thanks SI.com for informing all the ignorant ones out there what a "loan" means.

Seriously though, I don't get all this "surprise" or "negativity" laid towards the one that was supposed to elevate the status of football (soccer) in America. Yeah, I'm talking about That One. I'm talking about David Beckham.

Becks wants to go to AC Milan in the January transfer window on loan, so that he can stay competitive for his country and play in a few more World Cup Qualifiers. And that's perfectly fine with me.

I don't understand why there's such an outcry, especially from those cohorts of American soccer.

Why do people think that Beckham is going to shun MLS and leave forever? Why?

Why is it more important for Beckham to stay in America during the offseason and do what? Kick a few balls around? Make a few appearances?

And the people who are doing the crying are the ones who understand soccer the most, which makes all the negative attention given to Beckham the last couple of weeks so hard to understand.

In the world of football, playing for country and winning the World Cup is way more important than club glory. I bet you ask anyone who has raised the European Cup at least once in the last decade if they would give up their club medal for one that is shared with his country, the majority of those (if not all) players would gladly trade that Champions League medal for one that says "World Cup."

That's the way the game has been structured. That's the way FIFA want us to believe the game should be. And clearly, it is.

When FC Barcelona told Lionel Messi he couldn't play in the Olympics, what did Messi do? He (figuratively) said "Fuck off Barca, I've got a gold medal to win for Argentina." Messi didn't listen to his club (one of the most recognizable in the world) and instead competed in Beijing, where he led Argentina to the gold medal.

Country > club.

So, when Beckham says he's going to Milan to stay fit for England, I saw more power to him.

Sure, Beckham said he's going to bring soccer to America--that he's going to make it as popular as it is around the world. And maybe that's why there is so much of an outcry. People see Beckham turning his back on a promise; turning his back on America and turning his back on potential soccer fans in this country. He's also turning his back on his huge contract.

But for Beckham to not try to play for the Three Lions, to not try to play for his national side and try to win a World Cup, then he'd be turning his back on the game.

It is only a loan, for now. If (and when) he does transfer back to Europe, then we can all bitch about it.

This is My NBA Preview

The NBA starts tomorrow.

Could there be a boring-er opening week for the Association?

Could there be a boring-er opening week for any sports league in the world? (Actually, yes. It's called Major League Soccer and the NHL).

Somehow, after one of the best NBA Finals in recent history, this opening week has lost it's pizzaz. It's so ho-hum. This is also after the USA men's basketball team brought home international gold for the first time since 2000.

Maybe it's the midweek start. Maybe it's the fact that so many other things are going on (and not just in the world of sport). Maybe it's because nothing huge happened in this offseason.

My top 5 questions for this year:

1) Will Chris Paul take the Hornets to heights never seen in New Orleans?
2) Can Andrew Bynum an Pau Gasol work together?
3) Is Philly really a contender in the East?
4) Will Jerry Sloan finally be named Coach of the Year as he leads his Jazz to the Western Conference Finals?
5) Will Kobe Bryant still be a (really good) bitch?

The Week That Was Week 8 in the NFL

Where's the outrage? Where's the public outcry? Where's the demand for justice?

ESPN reports that eight NFL players tested positive for a banned substance. All eight will probably be suspended. But, no one cares. Well, I should say, no one cares as much as if this happened in baseball.

What fueled baseball's steroids purge was that marquee names, and not just any marquee names, but the biggest names in the sport (McGuire, Bonds, Clemens) were all caught or made to look unfaithful and untrustworthy by the entire steroids saga the last six years.

Here, the biggest name to get caught so far with any type of performance enhancer was the San Diego Chargers' Shawne Merriman. That was two years ago. Merriman admitted fault, took his suspension and came back to the Chargers without any fanfare.

No one cared.

And maybe what makes baseball's steroids scandal more glamorous is the fact that those stars of the game have vehemently denied any allegations. For the most part, in the NFL, anyone who's tested positive has taken his suspension.

So, the NFL has eight players who just tested positive and no one cares.

To the rest of the week:

• Aaron Rodgers > Favre, for this week (and only because Rodgers had a bye and Favre threw three picks).
• Ugh...the Patriots are back in first place.
• Welcome back Brian Westbrook.
• Boy does Dallas (and T.O.) miss Tony Romo.
• The West Coast team's need to learn how to suck it up when they're on the East Coast.
• Drew Brees is good.

Extra point:

I'm tired of waiting for the Chargers to turn it on. Actually, I'm waiting for that defense to turn it on.

Did Wade Phillips really mean that much? Did Merriman really mean that much? Apparently so.

The team has played uninspired under defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell. It might be the same scheme, but something just isn't clicking.

Added with the loss of the firey Merriman, the defense looks awful.

The Bolts have eight games left. The team is 3-5. To match the record they had last year means they'll have to go undefeated after their bye week. To win the division, I imagine, they'll have to win seven more games.

What happened to this team? All the talent in the world and it plays as if they've proven something already. It seems like they go through the motions, especially on defense.

The Chargers are still electric on offense. Hopefully, this bye week recharges San Diego's defense.

The Headlines Week 9: What a Mess We've Got

We're pretty much through half of the Pac-10 campaign, and nothing is settled yet. Nothing.

Southern California might be the highest ranked team in the conference, but there are four teams with only one loss in conference play--including the Trojans.

November will decide who gets to coveted BCS bid--one that USC has held a strangle hold on for a really long time.

The Trojans and Oregon are atop the Pac-10 with 4-1 records, but Oregon State and California are right behind them with 3-1 records.

The Duck already lost to USC. The Trojans already lost to the Beavers. The Bears are the only one that hasn't played the other three yet, but that changes this Saturday. Cal starts a three-week journey against the Pac-10's leaders starting with Oregon, then at Southern California and then at Oregon State.

If the Bears survive, they'll be smelling roses.

The Headlines:

• Arizona: Just So Close
  
• Arizona State: I knew We Were Overrated
  
• California: Sometimes, the Offense Doesn't Need to Click
  
• Oregon: Running Roughshod
  
• UCLA: Stifled Craft-Work
  
• USC: No Monumental Upset in the Desert This Time
  
• Washington: Poor Tyrone
  

Farewell Jake...

I know it hasn't happened yet, but it seems inevitable right?

The San Diego Padres are in a predicament. Their team sucks. The fans probably won't show up next year. The team has to cut cost, right?

Goodbye Jake Peavy. No doubt your No. 44 will be retired when your career is all over by the Padres. You're probably the best pitcher that has ever pitched for them after all. Probably.

But apparently Jake, you've got to go.

The Padres are in trouble because they're a mid-market team. They have some money, but not a lot. They've also sucked at developing talent, so San Diego has relied on signing journeyman ballplayers (that's redundant in this era of Major League Baseball) to fill in the roles. Those journeyman (like Milton Bradley and Mike Cameron) brought the Swingin' Friars success. But with those guys gone and a reliance on kids from the farm, the Padres tanked. And they tanked bad.

And that means you've got to go Jake.

The team has no choice. It's in a lose-lose situation here. The team will hemmorage money and field a losing team with you on the payroll Jake.

If Peavy stays and the team continues to lose, the fans will be pissed. If Peavy gets traded, the fans will still be pissed. The team's in a catch-22.

They've got nowhere to go. Their fan base won't let them. They've tasted a little honey and now the fans want more. They paid for part of the new fancy ballpark that the Padres can't win in, so the fans want more.

No more losing. San Diego has had it up to here.

But what is a team like the Padres to do? If I had a real answer, I'd be in the front office and not Kevin Towers or Sandy Alderson.

They've got to think of the future is what the Padres need to do. Tim Sullivan points out how the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays got to the World Series: a decade of futility. But that futility was able to give the Rays plump prospects. They've developed over time. With the additions of a couple key players, Tampa is now in a position to win a World Series before San Diego.

This is what the Padres have to do. San Diego has to eat it. They have to ride through the tough times and low attendance figures. They have to say, "Fans, this is what we're going to do. We may not win today, but we'll fucking win a World Series within the next five years. If you bare with us, you'll get that championship parade."

Eating it also means keeping Peavy and Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell. It means keeping Chris Young. This is the nucleus that will get the Padres to the next playoff run. The Padres have to eat their contracts and their money, while developing talent.

And hopefully, in a few years, after years of pain and shitty attendance and multiple all-star appearances for Peavy and Gonzalez and Young, the team will be ready for a mythical playoff run like the one the Rays are having now.

We just have to be patient.

But, it probably won't end that way Jake. We'll see you in Atlanta.

Since I've Been Gone...For A Long Time

Sorry I've been away.

Works been hectic and I've been everywhere. But hopefully, I get to sit down and blog some more.

So I'm back. I've missed a few things. I've missed a lot of things.

My thoughts of what's gone on since I've been gone...

• Thank goodness the Rays are in the World Series and the Dodgers are at home, sitting on their couches like the rest of us.
• This isn't the NFL we all thought we'd see.
• I still don't think the Titans are for real.
  
• The eyes of Texas are upon us and are upon the BCS title game.
• How the hell are USC and Ohio State rearing their ugly heads again?
• Stephen Garcia better be embarrassed.
• So, how about them Cowboys?
• The NHL is back?
• The Three Lions look might good under Fabio Capello.
• Mexico, on the other hand, does not.
• And wave of the future? Please, but those young Americans have to look better and fare better than they did against T&T
• It sucks to be a Chargers and Cal fan. It makes you pull your hair out.
  
• Don't trade Peavy.
  

Only Manny Makes This Interesting

The battle for the Senior Circuit's pennant begins (or actually began) tonight, with the Dodgers playing the Phillies in Philadelphia.

Now, the only reason why this matchup is borderline interesting is the fact that Manny Ramirez plays for Los Angeles, and brings his circus-like antics with him. Though I'm not watching the National League Championship Series, I cannot wait to see the highlights on SportsCenter or read the recaps on blogs to see if Manny was just being Manny during the game.

This is what you get when a team like the Phillies, who have no real luster to them, and the Dodgers, who finished in EIGHT PLACE overall in the National League standings this year, but finished first in the N.L Worst, to earn a playoff spot.

Philadelphia is that team the was able to not choke at the end and take advantage of the Miracle Mets' downward spiral for a second year in a row. The Dodgers, well, they're the Dodgers. An underperforming bunch boosted by the man known as Manny Ramirez.

Manny gave Los Angeles the Division, and he may very well give the Dodgers the pennant. But he's the only reason why to tune in.

Do I care who wins? No. Will I watch? No. This is as boring as when the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in 2006. No one cared then, and no one will care now (except for those in the greater Los Angeles area and in Philly).

But, thanks Chicago Cubs. This is what we all get for you choking another playoff series away. Thanks Cubbies. We'll see you choke next year, when the drought will be a 100 year and counting.

A Sporting Economy

This whole economic free fall is also going to take its toll on the greatest of all great distractions that keep people sane in a harsh world--the world of sport may never be the same.

Now, the professional sports leagues and even the NCAA look like they'll be okay. There aren't going to be stories about how the NBA or the NFL will be cutting games from their schedules because of a lack of funds. The leagues and the teams (mostly) will be fine.

What might change because of this economic mess that we're in is the fan who attends the games. The common fan, the common fan family, may not be able to afford to go see a team that they've supported their entire life. The great guys at Sports Illustrated cover this (in a way that brings them back to their old glory days) and also cover how sports is dealing with this economic crunch with stories about NASCAR, the NBA, the NHL, high school and college sports.

The main article highlights how hard it is for true sports fans to go to games because of a shitty economy and rising ticket and food prices and ballparks and stadiums. The other stories, in this fashion, are a little bit more worthwhile to read.

The "changing face of the fan" story could have been written a couple of years ago or hell, even a decade ago. It's been a slow process, but this economic downturn has accelerated that.

How did this happen? Simple. The new state-of-the-art stadium/arena/ballpark. Don't get me wrong. Fans, teams and everyone enjoys these new facilities. And we kind of need them, especially in places that play in dark, damp, ugly things (like Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego).

But with these new facilities comes higher prices. Most of these new ballparks have smaller seating capacities, causing tickets prices and the like to go up. There are also luxury boxes, eliminating room for the averaging fan at these smaller parks.

And slowly, the demographic attending games went from the die-hard fan--who could be someone in the lower, middle or upper echelon of society--to the casual, almost not-even-caring fair-weather fan which mostly comes from that part of society where $100 bills are pocket change.

You can see it when you go to professional games now. The fans are muted. The fans may not even be watching. They're more interested in talking to their pals than to see "their team" win a game.

I've seen this in San Francisco at Giants games. Seen this in Chicago at (WTF?!) Cubs games. I've seen in Washington, D.C. and in San Diego.

Most of the fans there go to games for the stuff in the periphery. They're more interested in what kind of funnel cake the concessions stand has than who's pitching.

It's not all like that. Not yet. The die-hards, the true fans, they still exist. But now the process has been sped up. And now, it's only a matter of time before T.V. stations and radio crews have to pump artificial crowd noise into their broadcasts because the crowd at the game won't even know what the fuck is going on.

But thankfully, it's not like that now. Except for in Anaheim. Did you see all those Botox-injected, blonde, 40-year old, mothers at Angels Stadium during this playoff run? I sure did.

And in the future, all of our stadiums might be filled with'em.

It's Been Some Awful Football

It plagues me to be a supporter of both the San Diego Chargers and the California Golden Bears, because they're almost exactly alike.

Play styles are a bit different, yes, but not that different. Yes, one is a professional team and the other is the football team that represents the best public university in the entire world. A sure, one plays in Brutalist architectural nightmare while the other plays in a stadium older than most of the teams in the NFL.

But they're essentially the same team and the parallels are striking. Both are underachieving, should-be-contenders who haven't reached the promise land and may never.

For the Chargers, that pinnacle is the Super Bowl. For the Bears, it's The Rose Bowl.

Both are teams that are trying (or have been trying) to unseat the major player in their respective Leagues. The ghosts of New England haunts San Diego, while it's Southern California that torments Cal.

And then both teams give piss poor efforts sometimes that it makes you think "Are they really that talented?"

That's what's happened for most of the year for both of these teams. The Bears own a better record and are in better shape than my Chargers, only because in college football, sometimes you can afford to play like shit.

Sure, the offense for Cal got to a fast start Saturday in defeating overly-hyped, uber-overrated Arizona State. But that offense stalled and stalled and stalled and stalled. Thanks to the best defense I've seen in four years, the Bears were able to defeat the Devils 24-14 when the score should have been nearer 48-14.

And the Chargers. Oh those Chargers. "Most Talented Team in Football" is term that has been tossed around to describe them. And they might be. But effort. Where's the heart guys? Where's the determination? Where's the sense of urgency?

San Diego should be 5-0. There's no way that the Chargers should have been beaten on the last play against Carolina or Denver. There's no way that San Diego leave opportunity after opportunity on the table against the one of the worst teams in the professional American football.

But the difference is that I think in San Diego, it's on the players. When the Chargers defense holds a team to 17 points, they should win the game. When the Chargers score more than 30, they should win the game.

It's true and cliche and tired, but San Diego hasn't played a complete game. And it will be scary for opponents when they do.

For Cal, it's the coaching. And it isn't the motivational bullshit or the chemistry problems. No, not this year. That was last season, when the entire nation saw a team implode on itself after being ranked No. 2 in the country (No. 1 for a bout 90 minutes). They've learned and now there's accountability on that team.

What the problem is that the Bears coaches aren't putting their team in a position to perform at the highest level. There have been times when they've been outcoached. There have been times when the team was unprepared. And in Cal's only loss of the year, it wasn't because of a lack of effort. It seemed to me that the Terps were just a step ahead.

But coaching can be fixed. And so can effort. I don't think the Chargers possess any kind of on or off switch where they can automatically play well. But if there was one, a team like San Diego has the closest thing to it.

It's okay that my Saturdays and Sundays look exactly the same--I'm just tired of watching the same awful football, that's all.

These teams should be doing better. Let's see it.

The Week That Was Week 5 in the NFL

So the Tennessee Titans don't need Vince Young. The former Houston Oilers are now 5-0 and are the only team in the old American Football League that is undefeated.

But how good are they? Of the five teams Tennessee has faced this year, only two are even close to being legit, Jacksonville and Baltimore (which the Titans defeated today). The other three are a combined 1-12. That is one win, 12 losses. And all three are in the cellars of their respective divisions.

So, are the Titans for real? For now they are. Wins are the only thing that matters in the NFL. No style points are given out, like in college football.

But after Tennessee takes its bye week, it has a tough five-week stretch, playing at Kansas City, home against Peyton and the Colts, home against Aaron Rodgers and the Pack, at soon-to-be frigid Chicago and then at rival Jacksonville.

If the Titans survive that portion of the schedule, we'll know they're for real.

As for now, they have to be the de facto best team in the AFC.

To the rest of the week:

• Rodgers > Brett Favre (Favre did have a bye week, btw).
  
• Now, that's the Trent Edwards that I know.
• I think we've all been saying this for like five years, but this definitely has to be the year for Arizona.
• Speaking of the NFC West, don't we all wish that the Carolina Panthers were still in that division?
• I think Sage Rosenfels has been watching too many Knowshon Moreno Youtube videos.
• The NFC East is just fucking crazy. I mean, Hail to the Redskins?! REALLY?! The Giants aren't a fluke?! Too bad not all four of those teams can sneak into the playoffs.
• That may have been the sorriest second half by the Chargers that I have ever seen. How many chances do you NEED?!

Extra Point:

Back to Tennessee and Vince Young. Maybe he just isn't ready yet. Tonight on Football Night, Peter King suggested that the Titans might open up the quarterback competition next summer and that this should be Kerry Collins' team.

Yeah, Collins should be the guy for now. But to cut Young lose if he loses the starting job to Collins next year is absurd. Isn't Collins a bit younger than Brett Favre?

What I'd do is keep them both. Let Collins play as long as he's playing at this high a level and let Vince Young study Collins. And when age finally catches up with Collins, you insert a wiser, more sage and more mature Young.

It only seems natural.

A Little Bit of Patience Never Hurt

It's been a week since Major League Baseball's regular season ended. That means it's been a week since my San Diego Padres ended their nightmare of a season.

And it seems to me that the fans are about to revolt, and that just comes from reading all the user comments on the stories published on the San Diego Union-Tribune's website.

They're about to revolt because this team, to them, was supposed to contend. This team, to the fans and possibly to the Padres upper management, wasn't supposed to lose 99 games.

But the writing was on the wall before the season started. The Padres, contenders or champions of the National League west the three years prior to 2008, saw a lot of subtraction in the offseason and not a lot of addition. So to think this team was going to contend was a stretch. I didn't expect it and was surprised everyone else though they would.

What's more surprising is that the fans are ready to jump off the Sandy Alderson ship.

I guess with the success of the other professional sport team in the city (the underperforming San Diego Chargers), Padres fans expect more. They expect to win now.

C'mon kids, this isn't New York, Chicago or Boston. The Padres aren't going to buy themselves some wins, or should I say enough wins to get the club where we want it to be.

Alderson was brought here by John Moores to do one thing, improve the organization as a whole. Alderson has been in San Diego for just under three or four years. To me, that's not enough time to cultivate prospects and build a crumbling minor league system that needed saving.

The Padres minor league system was consistently one of the worse in baseball before Alderson came into town. And it's the reason why the club isn't as successful as it is today.

If there was one thing we've learned from the Yankees, the Red Sox, the A's and any other semi successful team in the Majors since the turn of the 21st century is this: a major league club's core has to come from the farm system; the base of the team has to come from there. Then, you fill in what you need through trades and free agency. As the Yankees have shown, you can't build a winning team through just dropping loads of cash. And as the Sox, A's, Angels and the Rays have shown, you build winning clubs with the talent you have in the minors.

And so, the Padres aren't there yet. The farm system is almost there. The big league club has its stars, now it just needs everything else to fill in around them.

And to dump Alderson now would be a mistake, that would set the organization back years.

Alderson did lead the A's to four division titles, three American League pennants and a World Series victory while he was in Oakland. I'd give him a little more time.

I'd let him do what needs to be done, without all the bitching, because, he knows what he's doing.

And sure, some fans are ready to dump Alderson and his use of statistics, which was a precursor to Moneyball.

But, how many World Series Champions flags fly above Petco Park?

If you don't remember, why don't my fellow Padres fans walk over to 19 Tony Gwynn Drive and take a look. They won't see a single one.

So I'd have some patience.

The Headlines: Week 6, Trojans Say 'No Way'

It was funny watching John Saunders, Doug Flutie and Craig James after watching California top Arizona State yesterday.

They were talking about the Pac-10 and they seemed flustered. I don't remember which one of them said this, but I know one of them did. Out of the mouths of one of those three, probably Flutie or James, came "USC needed Cal to win to help legitimate them and the Pac-10." Not those exact words, but something like that.

Just think about that. Instead of talking about how the Devils' Rose Bowl hopes were done or how the Bears could be contenders in the Pac-10, the ABC postgame crew talked about legitimating the Pac-10.

So maybe Cal's win does help Southern California, but that postgame show reminded me at least of the perception of the Pac-10--it's the Trojans and everyone else.

The Headlines:

• Arizona: It's Easy When Locker's Not Around
  
• Arizona State: Totally Overrated
  
• California: Rudy Carpen-Nothin'
  
• Oregon: How Did the Beavers Do It?!
  
• Oregon State: Playing At Home Is So Much Easier
  
• Stanford: We're Still Douchey-er
  
• UCLA: Better Win That One
  
• USC: This Is Our Conference
  
• Washington: Kicked When Down
  
• Wazzu: Kicked When Down, Part II
  

A City in Panic

If you looked around Chicago and read the papers, troubles a brewin'.

If you walked around Chicago, go around Wrigleyville or the South Side, you can feel it. What "it" is is panic and it's panic because even though, for the first time in 102 years that both the Cubs and White Sox are in the playoffs, excitement has been replaced with fear, anguish and disgust.

The National League Chicago team is down 0-2. And after losing to the Rays in St. Petersburg tonight, the American League side is also down 0-2. Chicago is 0-4 in the playoffs. And there goes the hopes for the "Red Line" World Series.

Today's Red Eye got it right with its front page. There is anxiety.

And not just because the Cubbies and Sox are both losing, but because of who they're losing to.

Let's face it. The Dodgers are only playoff-worthy because the National League West is the worst division in baseball. The Bums had the EIGHTH, that is the number that comes after seven and before nine, EIGHTH best record in the National League this year. 8TH!!!

The Dodgers had only 84 wins. If the Mets had been out west, then they wouldn't have had another meltdown. The Astros, who had the best record baseball after the all-star break, would have been in the playoffs. Hell, the Toronto Blue Jays would have been division champs if they played in the NL Worst.

And the Cubs, well, they had the best record in the National League. They've played two games at home. And they've gotten their assess handed to them. I've heard a lot of criticisms about Cubs fans, but I would also be silent at Wrigley Field, probably in shock, after seeing the Cubs' performance against Los Angeles.

Wrigleyville has been silenced.

Tampa is legit. But the White Sox had to play three consecutive de facto elimination games against Cleveland, Detroit and Minnesota just to punch their tickets to get to the playoffs. Now they stare at another elimination game Sunday.

But then again, it's the (Devil) Rays. A team who hasn't even seen another spot than the cellar of the American League East since their first year in 1998, until this year, when Tampa Bay finally won the division, going from worst to first.

It's a feel good story. But this is a club that no one believed in, even their own fans. The Rays' fans barely started to show up in September.

A baseball city like Chicago shouldn't be treated like this. One of those teams should make it to the LCS.

But, that's the beauty of baseball. And that's the albatross that hangs around Chicago. And it's the pain that plagues its fans.

102 years has been a long time for both the North Side and South Side of the city to get excited about October baseball at the same time.

The city was excited on Tuesday, when the Sox clinched the AL Central. They were excited at 5:30 local time Wednesday, when game 1 for the Cubs and Dodgers series started.

That excitement is gone, replaced by angst-ridden self-pity, anger and hopelessness.

But, if you were a Cubs or White Sox fan, don't you feel like that all the time?

Not Walking Alone

My favorite football (soccer) chants comes from Merseyside club Liverpool. Yes, it is awe-inspiring to see Anfield filled with fans singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" before every match.

But my favorite has got to be Liverpool's snide chant for Chelsea.

Fuck off Chelsea, you haven't got no history. Five European Cups and 18 Leagues, that's what we call history.

It's short and simple and really fucking awesome.

But the Reds haven't added to that chant in some time. The last major title Liverpool has won was the FA Cup in 2006. They were champions of Europe in 2005. But those 18 Leagues? That part of the chant hasn't been updated since 1990.

Liverpool is currently tied with their London rivals a top the Premiership standings. Liverpool is also undefeated in the Champions League.

Can it be? Are prospects high at Anfield? The European Double? Can they do it?

It sure looks like it. That expensive attack--Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel, Robbie Keane and of course, England's best, Stevie Gerrard, is finally gelling and looking to be an unstoppable force.

Granted, England's Big Four all have amazing offensive-minded individuals. But Liverpool is beginning to finally play like a unit.

However, it's a long, long time before we get to may.

But, If they keep this up, they'll be chanting "Fuck off Chelsea, you haven't got no history. Six European Cups and 19 Leagues, that's what we call history."

I'm Ready for the Climax

People love the baseball analogy for sex, so I'm going to go in reverse for this one.

The playoffs, in Major League Baseball, is the orgasm or the climax to the season. There are only eight teams left and at any moment, with one swing or one pitch, drama can rain down (such is the beauty of the game).

The month-long climax begins tomorrow, when the Division Series for both Leagues starts.

What does that make the regular season then? The foreplay. And sometimes it's really awesome and you may even get off before you hit the real thing, and sometimes it's really boring, turning you off before you even think about the playoffs.

The latter was true for this year's baseball season. Sure, there were some "exciting moments," but those instances occur in every year.

The trade deadline is always exciting, and this one saw a pitching arms-race between two division rivals, the Cubs and Brewers. We all saw one whacko traded from Boston to Los Angeles (welcome home Manny Ramirez, Venice Beach should suit you well).

There were a couple of no-hitters, Francisco Rodriguez broke the single-season saves record, the Rays made the playoffs, Milwaukee tastes the postseason and, as of right now, the White Sox and Twins are battling for the final playoff spot.

But other than that, this season didn't have much oomph. It probably didn't help that my team, the hapless and batting-impotent Padres, finished in last place out in the NL West.

But even then, there have been plenty of shitty Padres seasons, but baseball has always piqued my interest.

So, why was this season so dull? Well, the Angels and Cubs had huge leads in their respective divisions, though the Cubs looked like they wanted to give that up at the end.

The Rays were a feel good story, but when even their own home town fans don't go to games, it's hard to get excited over them. We knew that the Mets were going to choke it all away again. And really, the Phillies in the playoffs? Boring.

It was nice to see the Yankees truly suck for once, but that took away from the most overhyped rivalry in sports. It also didn't help that the Red Sox owned New York this year.

And the NL West was the NL Worst once again. C'mon guys.

And the biggest buzz coming into the year was the Detroit Tigers and their uber-team that they assembled. Uhm, what happened there?

So, this season was a letdown. Kind of like that hot girl at the bar, only to...yeah.

But we're all at the climax. Let's hope the playoffs are more memorable than the regular season.

Farewell To the "Classic(?)" Stadiums

Overshadowed by the grandeur and history of Yankees Stadium, Shea Stadium, home of the Metropolitans, is also long gone in just a few weeks.

Lindsay Schnell, blogger for SI.com and current Oregon resident, laments for the loss of our "beloved sports venues," including the dump we all know as Shea Stadium. And as this New York Times story reminds us, Shea was celebrated as a bringer of the future.

It was only celebrated because it was a member of this new brand of architecture that fit the 1960s mold: brutalism. And brutalism gains its name from the pure functionality of the building's form. Nothing was put on a building unless it helped it in some way.

And all the cookie-cutter, multi-purpose stadiums from the 1960s, the Sheas, Candlesticks, Oakland Coliseums and Qualcomm Stadiums of the world, were built in this fashion. Their beauty was in the lack thereof. There's no need for brick when you can use cheaper concrete. No need for that classical arch when you can just have a huge hole in the wall. There's no need to have a true facade because all of the action happens inside the walls of a sports venue, not outside of it.

But I say good riddance to the cookie-cutters of the 1960s. Miss Schnell (who I met once cover the Cal football team), asks at the end of her blog post if we are seeing all the old venues replaced with ones with no sentimental value.

No, we're not seeing all the old venues replaced, but we're seeing the ones with no sentimental valued being replaced.

To say a building like Shea or the Q have sentimental value is hypocrisy. The brutalist period didn't mean for us to have personal attachment to the buildings. They were built for us to use and use only--not to admire.

The difference between the celebration of Yankees Stadium and the good riddance nonchalance we all have towards Shea is because of the building itself. Sure, it helps that the Yankees have had a better history in the old Yankees Stadium than the Mets in Shea, it also helps that Shea was a monstrosity and that Yankees Stadium is reminiscent of ancient Greece or ancient Rome.

And Schnell brings up The Pit on the campus of the University of Oregon, and to compare it to Shea and the brutalist of the 1960s does McArthur Court no justice.

Most of the collegiate sports venues that have been built throughout the year have been built as monuments--either to honor others or to honor sport itself. California Memorial Stadium, Pauley Pavilion, Rosenblatt Stadium, The Big House, Notre Dame Stadium, The Horseshoe, Cameron Stadium, the Rose Bowl, these are classic buildings, that will never be replaced (even if they literally are). There is character present in those buildings not just because of the history in them, but also because that the buildings themselves are beautiful.

It's the same character found in professional venues like Yankees Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Old Comiskey; that's found in Solider Field, Lambeau Field and Balboa Stadium; that's found at the Old Wembley and at Highbury and at Anfield.

They are places of beauty, that happen to be venues for sport. These buildings call you. They are like a second home (or they are home). Those seats are like that arm chair in your living room. That field, pitch or court is like your backyard. Those buildings are part of you as much as you are a part of that building.

And there are a few new parks that share this unique character: AT&T Park in San Francisco, PNC Park in Pittsburgh to name a few.

But to compare Shea and the brutalist movement to the great architecture of all those that came before it. That is more a travesty than to see these hallowed places go.

The Week That Was Week 4 in the NFL

Let the debate begin...again.

Brett Favre looked like the Brett Favre of old, throwing 6 (SIX!) touchdown passes.

Aaron Rodgers. Well, he's had better days.

Hopefully, by now, people know where I stand (and if you need a reminder, I'm standing behind the Packers and their decision to play Rodgers).

It's only one week and yes, if you look at the stats after four games, Favre numbers do look better. But I still think that Rodgers has played with more poise and has handled himself very well.

This debate will never end. Even if Rodgers takes Green Bay to a Super Bowl and even when Favre (finally) retires from the League. People will talk about this for ages (at least in Green Bay they will).

As of right now, Favre > Rodgers.

To the rest of the week:

• I was right about Denver, as the Broncos get pounded by Kansas City.
• Tennessee or Buffalo? Both are 4-0. What?!
• Goodbye Scott Linehan and (soon-to-be?) Lane Kiffin.
• Speaking of Favre's performance, don't forget about Kurt Warner's in the same game. It was like AARP Day at the Meadowlands.
• Too bad only three teams from the NFC East can make the playoffs.
• Sometimes, I still wish that Drew Brees was wearing lightning bolts.

Extra Point:

Back to Tennessee and Buffalo being undefeated. It's really hard to say which of these teams will continue their pace.

But, I'd argue that the Bills might have a better shot at winning the division and that taking the top spot in the AFC East is Buffalo's only way of getting into the playoffs.

The Titans are good and are probably better than the Bills, but the AFC South is still the best division in the AFC. If the Titans finished third in the South, they probably still make the playoffs.

Whereas, for the Bills, they have the Dolphins, the Jets and the Pats. Granted, the Bills are helped by the loss of Tom Brady. In any other year, I wouldn't expect the Bills to even contend. But no Brady gives Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch to taste the playoffs in their second year in the League.

Sure the Jets have Favre, but that team still makes me feel uneasy. And the Dolphins are light-years away from being a factor.

And remember, no one circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.

Where Do We Go From Here? Part 2

No Pac-10 headlines this week. I feel I should give it a week off because there really was no buzz.

Sure, California redeemed the Pac-10 against the Mountain West by stomping on Colorado State, but other than Oregon State's upset of No. 1 USC, I saw who cares?

We'll care next week. Promise.

No more conference power rankings either. Why? Cause the rest of the year we're just going to see the mediocre conferences duke it out for spots 4-9. The SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 are by far the better conference's in the country. The MWC is the best mid-major and the Pac-10 is leagues better than the ACC and Big East...combined.

So I'm not even going to bother with that.

But, who would have though nine top 25 teams were going to go down this weekend (three top 25 teams were going to lose, since there were three top 25 matchups)? How about four top 10 teams?

If you didn't think this was going to happen, then you're not living in the right century.

Many thought that last year was an anomaly, with so many upsets and so many teams ranked No. 2 going down throughout the year. It was crazy! It was a roller coaster. But it couldn't happen again, could it? Nah. The powerhouses were going to take control.

Ugh. Wrong.

The days where you can count on the perceived top 10 teams from steamrolling through their schedules are done.

Yes, teams can still go undefeated, but it will be and is harder and more unpredictable.

Parity (a four-letter word to some) is real. It lets teams like Vanderbilt be ranked in the top 20! It lets teams like Ole Miss beat No. 4 Florida. It lets teams like Oregon State own USC.

It's why teams in the mid-major conferences are able to beat teams in the BCS conferences and why teams like South Florida and Mizzou are in the top 10.

It's why the Mountain West was 5-0 against the Pac-10 before this week.

Parity. It's here. It's time for the "traditional" powerhouses to deal with it.

And, oh by the way, with all those losses by top teams, USC was able to stay in the top 10. I still would have voted them out of the top 25, but if the AP is going to put Oregon back in the top 25, I guess Southern California can stay.

But if I were voting, no Pac-10 teams would be ranked. At least for now.

Where Do We Go From Here?

I let the dust settle first before I went off about what USC's loss to Oregon State.

I decided to give it a day, because, well, I wanted to gather my thoughts.

There's something that my favorite blogger Dan Shanoff pointed out yesterday; nationally, Southern California is seen not as a choker, like our good friends at THE Ohio State University, but are seen as a team as so cocky and arrogant, that it can't take care of the games that it needs to get to the top of the mountain.

The Buckeyes might get their asses kicked in the big games, but at least they get to the big games.

The Trojans, they haven't had a chance at the BCS title since losing to Texas because USC has lost to Oregon State, UCLA, Stanford and now, Oregon State again, teams seen as inferior in-conference opponents.

Because of this letdown the last couple of years, I don't expect the pollsters to be very kind to USC. If I were voting in any of the polls coming out tomorrow, there is no way I rank the Trojans in the top 25. In effect, USC's BCS hopes are done.

But what does that mean for the rest of the Pac-10?

There are two different strains of thought within the conference itself.

The first and most prevalent, is that any other potential Pac-10 contender is screwed. Here are a few text messages I got from friends Thursday night: "Wtf? I have no idea," "Looks like (Mike) Riley owns the Pac-10," "Jesus Christ," "Is this really happening?" "Shit," "There goes the Pac-10's credibility."

The thought for a long time for teams like California, Oregon, Arizona State and any other contender in one single season has been that USC was going to beat them, USC was going to run the table, get into the BCS and the runner-up in the Pac-10 would go to that promise land known as The Rose Bowl.

That seriously was the case when the No. 4 Bears finished second to No. 1 USC in 2004, but got screwed by the the BCS system.

Now, with the Trojans' BCS title game hopes all but dashed, so is the rest of the teams' hopes of getting to the Rose Bowl. Why? Because we still all know that SC has all the talent in the world. A loss like this should refocus the Trojans and they should take out their anger on the rest of the Pac-10.

Another Rose Bowl appearance for USC seems all but inevitable.

But, to steal a phrase from Lee Corso, not so fast, my friends.

The second strain of thought and the one that is less prevalent is, well, if Oregon State can knock off the Trojans, then shouldn't anyone be able to knock off the Trojans?

We all are not sure that USC can run the table the rest of the season. Sure, all of its (what-should-have-been) toughest opponents play at the Coliseum: Cal, Oregon, Arizona State and yeah, even Ohio State payed them a visit earlier this year.

But if lowly Stanford can cut through the mystique of the Coliseum, then, should the likes of the Bears, Ducks, and Devils be able to too?

And for teams like Cal, Oregon and ASU, which don't have a loss in-conference yet, the goal is simple: they have to run the table, which includes beating the Trojans, and if they do, well, then the Football Monopoly in The Rose Bowl Game (to borrow a phrase from our friends in Westwood) is Over.

It's easier to type this out than to do it. But really, it's sport. Anything can happen.

And at this point, wouldn't it be refreshing to not see USC in the BCS, kind of like not seeing the Yankees in the playoffs or not seeing Brett Favre be a douche in Green Bay.

We can only dream.

ARE YOU KIDDING?!

Mike Riley owns Pete Carroll. OWNS!

I don't know what it is about Corvallis, Oregon and Resar Stadium. I don't know what it is about Oregon State. I don't know why Southern California can't win...there.

There must be something in the water.

Or, more likely, the Trojans saw this date and were like "it's only Oregon State." I know I would. So the let down came, no matter how much bullshit Carroll talked the week leading up to this game.

It was all that "it's one game at a time," "every game is the national championship," BULLSHIT!


Well, it wasn't bullshit. The Beavers upset the No. 1 team in the country. But to the USC players, all that talk that Carroll did, to them, after this performance, they easily believed that all that was bullshit.

It ain't bullshit.

Now, is everyone ready to watch the SEC champ play the Big 12 champ for the BCS title?

California, the Pac-10's Last Hope Against the...Mountain West Conference?

Not exactly. Oregon State gets to travel to Salt Lake City to play Utah on a Thursday night affair in a couple of weeks.

But I don't expect the Beavers to win that. The Utes look pretty good. So, California might be the last team in the good ol' Pac-10 that can earn a victory over, uh, the Mountain West Conference, when it hosts Colorado State this weekend in Berkeley.

Much of the talk the last couple of weeks is how good the Mountain West really is. The MWC, with its schools former members of the Western Athletic Conference (yeah, remember that huge thing in the 1990s?), has three ranked teams in the top 25 this week, one team ranked in the top 12 and owns a 5-0 record against the Conference of Champions (yes, the Pac-10 has the most national championships, of any conference, by far).

Pretty good credentials, no? I do admit, that over the last couple of weeks, I've ranked the Mountain West very high in my conference power rankings, ahead of four of the six BCS conferences.

But is the Mountain West better than the Pac-10? I wouldn't go that far.

And so, this takes me to a column ran in the Daily Cal today, that also suggests that the MWC isn't as good as the Pacific 10. Which has gotten into the inner circles of the Rams most ardent fans, as ramsnation.com has gone crazy, well not too crazy, over Andrew Kim's assertion that the Mountain West is still the Mountain West.

I admit it. The MWC is a pretty good conference...this year. In fact, I truly believe that it's better than the Big East--but only for this year.

But it isn't better than the Pac-10, despite previous reports.

Most of those berating Andrew Kim's column point to those three teams ranked in the top 25. They point to the fact that Southern California is the only team that is ranked in the Pac-10. They point out the 5-0 record against Pac-10 foes.

But who did those Mountain West Conference teams beat? Other than what I always knew was an overrated Arizona State, none of the teams that the MWC has beat-up on was expected to compete in upper echelon of the Pac-10.

Sure, UCLA upset Tennessee, but the Vols aren't the Vols of old. And the Bruins aren't the Bruins of old.

MWC top-dog barely escaped Seattle with a one-point win over Washington (when the game should have gone into overtime).

Stanford and Arizona? Please, they'll both finish in the bottom half.

And who have the top three teams in the Mountain West played so far that gives us any indication that those squads are any good?

BYU? Wins over the aforementioned Huskies and Bruins, D-I AA Northern Iowa and lowly Wyoming.

Utah? The two-years away from being a power again Michigan, conference foes UNLV and Air Force and pseudo-state rival and officially the worst team in the Division I-A football, Utah State.

TCU? New Mexico, Stephen F. Austin, the Cardinal and Southern Methodist.

Any of those teams in the top 25? The top 35? Top 50?

Yes, on the merit of three 4-0 teams, the Mountain West is better, right now, this week in college football.

But to say that the entire depth of the Mountain West makes it a better conference than the Pac-10, that's just crazy. Just because the three best teams are ranked doesn't mean that the rest of the conference is automatically better.

This isn't economics. There's no need for the Ronald Reagan tickle-down effect theory when it comes to the talent of a single football conference. And if that were the case, then wouldn't the Pac-10 be the best conference, because the Trojans are the best team in all the land?

That brings us to this week and the showdown for conference bragging rights (?!) when Cal hosts Colorado State. Because the teams that have been slayed by the Mountain West are not teams that you would think would rule the Pac-10, this is the only shot that the MWC has against a team of any merit in the Pac-10.

So, MWC die-hards are salivating at the prospects of the Rams beating California on the road.

But, can you really say that Colorado State has any chance of doing that Saturday?

CSU lost to in-state rival Colorado. CSU beat D-IAA Sacramento State by three points. Sure it beat up on Houston, but it's Houston. It wasn't like they were thrashing Washington or Stanford.

Why the Mountain West is collectively clinging and vicariously living for this game is because of an inferiority complex that the mid-major conferences have always had since the beginning of time.

The BCS conferences have the tradition, the talent, the money to compete at the highest level and all the attention. The mid-majors have been trying to beat that and gain that for decades.

It won't happen in one season. And it won't happen on Saturday.

Lightning in a Bottle

It's very interesting to see Darren Sproles run, cut and juke his way around defenders wearing the lightning bolts of the San Diego Chargers.

Just last summer, Sproles was coming off missing an entire year after breaking his leg. With LaDainian Tomlinson and Michael Turner ahead of him on the depth chart, Eric Parker still around as one of the main return guys and new rookie sensation Antonio Cromartie creating a with his ability to run with the football, Sproles looked like a man without a team last year, even though he started fall training camp No. 1 on the depth chart as the Bolts' return guy.

If Sproles didn't win that job, he would have been cut, and another team in the League would have an electric running back.

Fast forward to this year, and after last week's game against Denver, and the way he played tonight against the Jets, Sproles has become invaluable for the Chargers--especially with Michael Turner in Atlanta now. Sure Sproles didn't have as great a game that he had last week, but he was still effective, giving San Diego the ability to pick up first downs on third downs.

LT isn't the same. He's still great, but I wouldn't expect the 2001-2006 Tomlinson to suit up for San Diego every Sunday.

But Sproles is a little bit different than what Turner was to LT as a backup. Sure, Turner can take it to the end zone as good as anyone, but Sproles, he's the type of hold-your-breath-and-don't-blink player that make the Chargers so dangerous, even without LT on the field.

And it's amazing to see that, especially since Sproles almost got cut last year.

I'm sure that everyone in the Chargers organization and every San Diego fan out there is relieved that Sproles is backing up LT (and that the team finally won a game tonight).

The Week That Was Week 3 in the NFL

I really don't care of Lane Kiffin gets fired or not. Good for him that he doesn't want to quit. A lot of people want to see him go. I think that Al Davis should give him a shot.

But then again, I don't care if he's on the sidelines in Oakland or not.

It's not on Kiffin if the Raiders suck for eternity. It's on Al Davis. It's time for him to go. Davis isn't like Jerry Jones, who still pushes the buttons and shoves his team to the cutting edge (that new stadium is going to be fucking awesome).

Davis is the opposite. His team plays in an ugly stadium (which was actually all Davis' fault). He gets in the way of the coaches. And Davis doesn't live larger than life like the other uber-owners in professional sport (like Jones or Mark Cuban or Roman Abramovich).

He does thing detrimental to the club's well-being (on the field). Sure he'll make money, but no one likes the Clippers, so why should Raider Nation stay loyal to an inferior product?

Davis is totally out of touch. Like Matt Millen, it's time for the old man to go.

To the rest of the week:

• No one circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills. Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch...together. Who would of thought? And after the meltdown the Pats had against the Fish, then the 3-0 Bills look mighty good.
• Did everyone really think the Browns were going to win the division?
• Can Tom Brady play on one leg?
• Matt Cassel = Brett Favre, as of week 3.
  
• The Cowboys are the best team in the League.
• Aaron Rodgers still > Favre, as of week 3.
• Who's the most overrated 3-0 team? Denver? Tennessee? Buffalo? My vote goes to the Broncos.

Extra point:

Unless the Colts get their act together, this might be a totally different AFC this year. We'll see how the Pats do after their bye week, but with the top three teams for the old AFL struggling in the first couple of weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a crap shoot for the top spot in the conference.

But what else does this mean? It means that the NFC is looking fucking strong.

What I'll Remember About Yankee Stadium

I've never been to that hallowed piece of ground in the Bronx that they call the House that Ruth Built.

I never got a chance to go see monument park or here the loud speakers blast "New York, New York" after a Yankees win.

I've never been to Yankees Stadium, but there is one moment that I'll remember for the rest of my life.

I was 12. People told me that the 1998 Yankees were a team of destiny. There's no way that my San Diego Padres, which have never won a World Series, was going to beat the greatest team in the history of baseball.

But there I was, watching Game 1 as a wide-eyed kid in a city that had gone bonkers for its baseball team (I had braces at the time and that entire season, the colors of the rubber bands on my teeth with Padres blue and orange).

And before my eyes I saw Kevin Brown pitch with efficiency. I saw Greg Vaughn hit two home runs. I saw Mr. Padre himself, Tony Gwynn, blast one over the right field wall and into the upper deck. I saw what many thought was unbelievable--the Padres had a 5-2 lead over this so-called team of destiny.

But the magic for the Padres was killed short thereafter. Tied 5-5, with the bases loaded, the count 2-2, Mark Langston on the mound, with Tino Martinez at the plate in the bottom of the 7th, with two outs, Langston threw what Padres pitching coach Dave Stewart has since said was a "pretty good pitch."

The pitch was covered the plate, it came by Martinez right at the knees, but Rich Garcia called it a ball. The count now was 3-2 and the next pitch Martinez blasts it for a grand slam. The Yankees never looked back in the series, sweeping my Padres.

I'll never forget that moment. I'll never forget screaming at the television, feeling let down by the system and this American League umpire screwing San Diego. I'll never forget how I felt after that game. It was as if we all knew that the Padres' one and only chance of stealing this series went by as fast as Martinez's ball left the park. We all knew San Diego wasn't going to win the World Series after one game. Because it was the Yankees and only shit like that happens to a team like that--a "team of destiny."

I know I wasn't the only one who felt like that or still feels like that.

So, I say good riddance Yankee Stadium. I never met you, but I never wanted to know you--especially after that game.

By the way, here's a YouTube clip of that very moment:

Overshadowed Kalou Saves Chelsea's Graces

Wayne Rooney. Wayne Rooney. Wayne Rooney.

When will you learn?

Sir Alex Ferguson did it again, with his tactical prowess, Manchester United took Chelsea out of their element at Stamford Bridge for most of Sunday's super matchup.

Usually backline attacking threats, Ashley Cole and Jose Boswinga, were pretty much ineffective in the attacking third for Chelsea, with their defensive responsibilities taking up much of their action.

And United's goal in the 18th minute was masterful. The Man U really should have taken three points from the Blues.

But Wayne Rooney. Oh you. Sure, Chelsea had opportunity after opportunity to a) take the advantage in the game (that's you Joe Cole) and b) equalize the game (that's you twice Nicolas Anelka).

But Rooney, you're foul in the 80th minute gave Chelsea their change to pounce and they did. Off the foot of the craft Frank Lampard and onto the head of the overshadowed Salomon Kalou, the Blues were able to stay unbeaten at the Bridge in 85 games and stay unbeaten in the Premiership.

Rooney is one of the best footballers in the world. The problem is that he has an identity crisis. Sir Alex plays him everywhere. It's probably because Rooney can play everywhere. But in a game with this much pressure, I think it would have been best, for Rooney's mental stability, to keep him in one spot.

Rooney went from striker to back in the blink of an eye and then gave up the foul which lead to the Chelsea goal.

Kalou and the rest of the Blues thank you Rooney.

And how about this for Man U? That side has only one win in their six Premiership games. It's a long season, but quite a precarious start for the defending champions.

Conference Power Rankings: Week 4

East Carolina, kiss your BCS dreams goodbye. How did the Pirates beat Virginia Tech and West Virginia earlier in the year? Well, ECU was at home. But lose to N.C. State? Really? Really?!

The Pirates definitely don't belong in the BCS--at least not this year. But if Skip Holtz sticks around, then ECU will be crashing the party soon. Very soon.

The Pac-10 isn't a sorry conference. It's just the conference where USC plays.

Speaking of the Mountaineers, they are done. And I'm sure Ohio State was thankful to play Troy at the Horseshoe after being embarrassed by the USC Trojans last week.

And don't we all love SEC football?

Week 4 Standings:	Record	Winning Pct.
1) ACC	6-0	1.000
2) WAC	4-1	.800
3-t) Big Ten	6-2	.750
3-t) MWC	3-1	.750
4) SEC	2-1	.667
6) Big East	5-3	.625
7) Big 12	5-4	.556
8) Pac-10	2-2	.500
9) C-USA	4-6	.400
10) MAC	4-9	.307
11) Sun Belt	1-4	.200

Season Standings	Record	Winning Pct.
1) SEC	25-4	.862
2) MWC	19-4	.818
3) Big Ten	31-7	.816
4) Big 12	31-8	.795
5) ACC	22-9	.709
6) Big East	14-13	.518
7-t) Pac-10	12-12	.500
7-t) WAC	13-13	.500
9) C-USA	13-18	.419
10) MAC	15-25	.375
11) Sun Belt	7-15	.318

Power Rankings

1) SEC Last Week No. 1

• Key Wins: No. 3 Georgia over Arizona State
• Key Losses: Georgia Tech over Mississippi State
  

2) Big 12 Last Week No. 2

• Key Wins: Colorado over No. 21 West Virginia, No. 7 Texas over Rice
• Key Losses: Louisville over Kansas State, UConn over Baylor, Miami over Texas A&M, UNLV over Iowa State

3) Mountain West Last Week No. 3

• Key Wins: UNLV over Iowa State, TCU over Southern Methodist, Colorado State over Houston
• Key Losses: Tulsa over New Mexico

4) Big Ten Last Week No. 5

• Key Wins: Michigan State over Notre Dame
• Key Losses: Pitt over Iowa, Ball State over Indiana

5) Pac-10 Last Week No. 4

• Key Wins: Stanford over San Jose State
• Key Losses: No. 3 Georgia over Arizona State, Boise State over No. 17 Oregon

6) ACC Last Week No. 7

• Key Wins: N.C. State over No. 15 East Carolina, Georgia Tech over Mississippi State, Miami over Texas A&M
• Key Losses: none

7) Big East Last Week No. 6

• Key Wins: Louisville over Kansas State, UConn over Baylor, Pitt over Iowa
• Key Losses: Navy over Rutgers, Colorado over No. 21 West Virginia

8) WAC Last Week No. 9

• Key Wins: Boise State over No. 17 Oregon, New Mexico State over UTEP
• Key Losses: Stanford over San Jose State

9) Conference USA Last Week No. 8

• Key Wins: Tulane over UL Monroe
• Key Losses: N.C. State over No. 15 East Carolina, Boston College over Central Florida, No. 7 Texas over Rice

10) MAC Last Week No. 10

• Key Wins: Ball State over Indiana, Akron over Army
• Key Losses: No. 5 Mizzou over Buffalo, Maryland over Eastern Michigan, No. 16 Penn State over Temple, UL Lafayette over Kent State

11) Sun Belt Last Week No. 11

• Key Wins: UL Lafayette over Kent State
• Key Losses: No. 12 South Florida over FIU, No. 13 Ohio State over Troy