The Beach is Back

In a few hours I'm headed off on a week-long trip to the beach. Some might call this a vacation, but those who would do so are probably employed and thus need something to take a break from.
Me? I sit around all day, applying for jobs, making sandwiches and waiting for PTI to come on. Every day is a vacation. So let's just say that this trip is a "change of scenery".
Anyway, as you probably guessed, I won't be posting any new stuff this week. But I will be in reruns. If you need to kill time at work or want to see how bad my predictions turn out, you can scan through the archive.
If that's not your bag, I've picked out five old entries that people seemed to like. The links are listed below:

- Return of the King - January 7, 2004

- Reason #217 Why I Hate Derek Jeter - February 6, 2004

- An Evening with Dickie V - February 19, 2004

- Weddings and Sports: A Guide to Proper Ettiquete - May 10, 2004

- July Preview - July 1, 2004

Oh, one more thing. You can now reach this blog by going to www.chrischase.com. Or, if you prefer the bulkier regular address, www.chazsports.blogspot.com, that will still work too. And please tell friends, enemies, family, lovers, congressmen, pals, mail-persons, neighbors, co-workers, chaps, anybody that can get me a job, Frank Stallone, superiors, underlings, arch-nemisis, cronies, teachers, students, pupils, proteges, mentors, Romans, countrymen, teammates, buddies, gals, boys, girls, homies, roadies, dogs, dawgs, doggs, cats, local steamfitters union, neighborhood gossip, Dr. Barefield, distant cousins, fraternity brothers, sorority sisters or John Stamos about this site. If you've read this far, you must like it (presumably). They might too.
Thanks for reading this blog through its first six months. I appreciate it all the support, criticism, e-mails and, most importantly, the fact that you've let me bring my hatred of Derek Jeter into your lives.
I'll be back on Monday, August 9th, when I'll begin Chris's Sports Blog's month-long NFL Preview Spectacular.
Until then... have mercy.

Top 10 Coaches of the Past 25 Years

ESPN made its first foray into list-making with their excellent Sportscentury countdown of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. It was a great series and set the bar high for any future ESPN rankings.
Now, for the network’s 25th anniversary ESPN has been making so many lists it’s only a matter of time before we see a special on “ESPN’s 25 Best Top 25 Lists”.
The problem is, most of the lists have been bad... Catwoman bad. Don't even get me started on the sports movie list. (Finding Forrester? I didn’t even know he was missing.) Or the best teams rankings (two women’s basketball teams in the top six?) And I beg you not to bring up the most outrageous list (Tonya Harding orchestrated a plan to club her opponent in the knee before the Olympics and she only was ranked 10th?).
And for as bad as those lists were, ESPN’s most recent ranking of the Top 25 coaches of the past 25 years has managed to be even worse.
Phil Jackson is #4 followed by Pat Summit. Eddie Robinson somehow cracked the Top 10. Geno Auriemma is ahead of both Joe Torre and Joe Gibbs. For those keeping score, that’s two women’s basketball coaches in the top 12 (compared with zero baseball managers, two men’s coaches, two college football coaches, two NBA coaches, one hockey coach and (thankfully) three NFL coaches).
Even Steve Spurrier managed to slip into the Top 25. Steve Spurrier? Did ESPN not witness the previous two years in Washington? And who the hell is Anson Dorrance?
Shoot, now I’m all riled up.
Anyway, you know the drill. Onto the list:


#10 – Bobby Cox

The critics will say that Cox only has one World Series ring, but if he can somehow coax a 14th straight division title out of the Braves this year, then that should be enough to quiet all the naysayers.

#9 – Scotty Bowman

I had to include a hockey coach or else my friend Phil wouldn’t let me hear the end of it. Speaking of Phil, he wanted me to talk about a Mexican boxer named Erik Morales who has a 46-1 record, with the lone loss coming on a controversial decision. Morales is only the second Mexican boxer to win titles in three different weight-classes and in an era where fighters sometimes go as many as 12 months in between bouts, Morales usually fights three times per year. He’ll be taking on Carlos Hernandez tomorrow night in a junior-lightweight unification bout, which will be broadcast on Pay-Per-View. If you’re going to order a fight this weekend, make it this one and not tonight’s first stop on the Mike Tyson Charity Tour.

#8 – Bill Parcells

In 1996 the New York Jets finished the season 6-10. The following year they were even worse, only managing three wins. And in 1998 the Jets hit rock bottom ending with a 1-15 record. Enter Siegfried & Roy. Wait, I meant Bill Parcells.
In his first year in Jersey, Parcells, with a majority of the same players that went 1-15, led the Jets to a 9-7 record. That team was in the playoff hunt until the last week of the season, when they lost to the Detroit Lions in a win-and-you’re-in game for both teams.
The following year the Jets won the AFC East, earned a first-round bye and eventually made it to the AFC Championship Game. From 1-15 to the conference title game in two years. Maybe those John Fox-Parcells comparisons aren’t too far-fetched.
Parcells is currently resurrecting the Dallas Cowboys, a team he led to the playoffs last season with a roster that could have easily gone 3-13 under a different coach.
Oh yeah, The Big Tuna also has two Super Bowl rings from his days with the Giants.

#7 – Lou Brown

In March of 1989 Lou Brown was working as a mechanic, spending his days taking calls about whitewalls and carburetors. Just seven months later, Brown was managing in the Big Leagues and was in the dugout as the Cleveland Indians went from worst-to-first and won the American League East for the first time since 1954.
The feat is even more impressive when you consider that among the players in Brown’s starting lineup were a catcher with bad knees, an overpaid pretty-boy, a pitcher fresh out of prison, a Vodoo-practicing slugger who had trouble with breaking balls and Chelcie Ross.
The Indians didn’t win it all that year, but managed to repeat the next season, thus solidifying Brown’s status as one of the ten best managers of the past 25 years.

#6 – Joe Torre

Considering how overrated certain Yankees are, it’s kind of amazing that Joe Torre is as underrated as he is.
Yes, the Yankees spend the most money in baseball. Yes, Alex Rodriguez is a pretty-boy crybaby punk who would have gotten his ass beat had he and Jason Varitek actually been allowed to fight. Yes, Derek Jeter is the most overrated player in baseball history and quite feminine to boot. Yes, Mariano Rivera doesn’t get enough flack for blowing a save in Game 7 of the World Series. Yes, Jose Contraras was a $32 million mistake. Yes, Paul O’Neill’s whining ability makes Fran Drescher look like Stalin. Yes, Jason Giambi took steroids like he was an East German swimmer in the early ‘80s. Yes, Gabe White looks like a porn star. Yes, George Steinbrenner is a soulless old man who would sell-off his grandchildren if he could get Randy Johnson in return.
But Joe Torre has somehow managed to keep order in the Bronx Zoo and for that, he deserves credit.

#5 – John Gagliardi

Gagliardi, the coach of St. Johns (Minnesota), is the definition of a living legend. Some quick facts about the 77-year old’s coaching career:

• Coached the Johnnies for 51 years.
• 414-114-11 overall record
• Four National Championships
• 23 conference titles
• Record for most wins by a college coach
• Hasn’t had a losing season in 35 years
• Made Quarterfinals of NCAA Division III tournament in 9 of last 11 years
• .778 winning percentag

The statistics speak for themselves.
But why, you ask, is Gagliardi on this list ahead of guys like Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno and Tom Osborne? (More on Osborne in a second.) Coaches who perennially have their big-time college football schools in the Top 10?
Because Gagliardi doesn’t get the best players in the country like those coaches do. He doesn’t have vast recruiting pipelines in Western Pennsylvania or Florida or the Midwest. Instead, he finds the guys who weren’t good enough to play Division I ball and molds them into better football players by focusing on fundamentals. And he does all of this without the aid of blocking dummies, spring practices, mandatory weight lifting sessions, whistles or long practices (each are usually under an hour).
All of his players call him John, not coach. And one of John’s favorite practice activities is the Beautiful Day Drill, where players get on the ground and look up at the sky and discuss how exquisite it is.
I could write a whole lot more about John Gagliardi, but I’d just be rehashing everything that I read in Austin Murphy’s wonderful book, The Sweet Season.

#4 – Dan Gable

Before I get to Dan Gable, let me explain #7 on this list. I was ready to list Tom Osborne in that slot, but then I saw that his Nebraska teams lost seven consecutive bowl games beginning in the late ‘80s and I couldn’t leave him on the countdown after seeing that. Sure, Osborne won a couple of national titles, but seven straight bowl game losses? What is he, Lute Olsen? So instead of shuffling around, I decided to go with Lou Brown, a forgotten man in the annals of sports history but still a legend nonetheless.
Back to Gable. Coaching at the university where he lost only one wrestling match in his career, Gable led the Iowa Hawkeyes to 15 national titles in 21 seasons, including nine straight between 1978-1986. His teams won every Big 10 title during his tenure and finished undefeated seven times.
Gable also coached the 1984 Olympic team (he was supposed to coach in 1980 but the U.S. boycotted) and saw seven of his wrestlers win gold (the most ever).

#3 - Dean Smith

Of all the statistics, tidbits and facts about the coaching career of Dean Smith, these are the two most impressive:

• Between 1981 and 1993 UNC made the Sweet 16 every season.
• For 33 consecutive years, UNC never finished below 3rd in the ACC.

Both of those stats are simply amazing and will not be duplicated ever again.

#2 – Mike Krzyzewski

I’ve already written about how great a coach Mike Krzyzewski is, and if I do it again I fear that I might get the dry heaves. So if you want to read about how Coach K really is the best coach in college basketball history, click on that orange link above. If not, here’s something to tide you over until I reveal my #1 selection.
OK. Check this out:

On the left, of course, is Democratic Presidential Nominee John Kerry. On the right is the referee from Tecmo NBA Basketball on Nintendo. Eerie, I know. And yes, I do need to get a job.

#1 – Joe Gibbs

Gibbs is, without a doubt, the best NFL coach of the past 25 years. If anybody wants to argue that somebody in another sport like Coach K or Dean Smith is a better coach than Gibbs, I’d listen to that argument. But I don’t want any e-mails saying that Bill Walsh or Don Shula is a better coach.
Walsh ranked higher on the ESPN list, but why? Because he had Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, two of the best players in the history of the game?
Walsh was a good coach, there’s no doubt about that. But all you need to know about Bill Walsh is that after he left, George Seifert coached the 49ers to a 14-2 record in back-to-back seasons with the same team that had gone 10-6 under Walsh.
Richie Pettibone and the Redskins had no such luck when Gibbs retired in 1993.
Gibbs took over a struggling Redskins team in 1981 and led them to a respectable 8-8 record. In just his second season as head coach, the Redskins won the Super Bowl and followed that up with records of 14-2, 11-5, 10-6, 12-4 and 11-4 in the next five seasons. The last season during that run, 1987, saw the Redskins win their second Super Bowl under Gibbs. After an injury plagued 1988, Washington started another steak of double-digit win totals that culminated in a dominant 17-2 1991 campaign that resulted in another Super Bowl title. Then when Gibbs left after the 1992 season, the Skins fell to 4-12 and haven’t recovered since.
In 11 seasons, Gibbs brought three Lombardi trophies back to the Nation’s capital. Bill Walsh had a similar run in San Francisco, except he was doing it all with one Hall of Fame quarterback.
Gibbs won his three Super Bowls with an above-average quarterback (Joe Thiesmann), one washed-up USFL reject (Doug Williams) and a mediocre quarterback who nobody expected to be more than a career backup (Mark Rypien).
That’s like Steven Spielberg winning Best Picture honors three different times for movies starring Matt Damon, Corey Feldman and Bill Paxton.
Gibbs has the third highest coaching winning percentage of all-time behind Vince Lombardi and John Madden and was the quickest coach to 100 wins.
I’m sure there are some of you out there that are shaking your heads and saying that I only listed Joe Gibbs at #1 because I’m a Redskins fan. That’s OK, disagree all you want. And maybe in four years after Gibbs wins another one or two Super Bowls I’ll be mature enough not to say “I told you so.”

Answering Questions Directed Towards Somebody Else

NFL training camps open this week and Pro Football Weekly associate editor Jeff Reynolds celebrated the occasion by participating in a chat on ESPN.com where he fielded questions about the upcoming football season.
Today, I’ll select a few of those questions and answer them as if they were directed towards me. 

Ben from Wheaton, IL: Jeff, In light of Ricky Williams' early retiremnet do you think it's possible that Edgerrin James will be in a Dolphins Uniform next year as the Colts will likely not be able to keep both him and Marvin Harrison and James' is a Florida native, University of Miami grad and was known to workout in Miami early on in his professional career?

Wow, that is perhaps the longest sentence I’ve ever read.  Seriously, try to read that out loud and see if you can do it without taking a breath.  Where’s that guy who used to be on the Micro Machine commercials when you need him.  Man, that guy could talk so fast.  He also played “Terrible” Testaverde on Saved by the Bell, including a classic performance in the episode where Jessie was hooked on caffeine pills because she had to pass geometry and still sing for Hot Sundae.  Two things… 1) Wasn’t Jessie supposed to be one of the smartest girls at Bayside?  Then why was she taking geometry as a junior?  2) Wouldn’t it have been more clever if the band was named Hot Sunday?  Because then it’s a play on words.  When it’s “Hot Sundae” it’s just the name of a thing you can buy at Baskin-Robbins.  Why don’t you just name the group “Medium Sprite” or “Rocky Road in a Cake Cone”.  Anyway, I had a point here.  Oh yeah, where’s that Micro Machine guy now?  You think there would always be a place in Hollywood for a guy who can talk real fast.  Apparently not. 
So where were we?
Right… Ben from Wheaton had a question about Edgerrin James.  Since I’ve rambled, let’s make this quick: No.  And by the way, I don’t think Edge ever got his college degree, unless the University of Miami recently began offering Gold/Platinum Tooth Capping and Dissecting Lil’ Jon as majors.

Kevin (Detroit): How well do you think the Detroit Lions do this year and beyond?

Lions quarterback Joey Harrington is currently in danger of passing Thomas Jones on the list of players with the worst cases of Michael Westbrook Syndrome. 
In case you’re new to the blog, Michael Westbrook Syndrome is an affliction that comes from years and years of unfulfilled expectations. 
The disease begins its vicious cycle in the off-season with reports from local media outlets on how player X (usually a first-round pick in his second or third season who has mixed in flashes of brilliance with prolonged bouts of incompetence during his short career) has changed his work ethic and matured as a person.  Anticipation builds among fans, who say that “this” year will be player X’s breakout year. 
Everybody believes this.  You might even draft this person in the third or fourth round of your fantasy draft.  When everybody is surprised at how high you picked player X, you exude such confidence that they become jealous that they did not think of such a brilliant move. 
Early in the season Player X does little to back-up his preseason expectations, but also does little do indicate that they were an overestimation.  The hope is still there. 
And you keep saying that “next” game will be the one where player X breaks out.  And it usually happens that way. 
But “breaks out” doesn’t mean rushing for 160 yards or catching three touchdowns or executing the two-minute drill to perfection.  Instead, “breaking out” means shattering all your hopes and dreams by throwing four picks, giving up on plays or throwing his helmet on the ground and incurring a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct that takes his team out of field-goal range.
The expectations are shot, you resume bad-mouthing the player and he continues to deserve it with his shoddy play during the rest of the season.  You write said player off and hope your team acquires somebody to fill his position next season.  You have officially given up hope that this player will ever turn into the star everybody thought he would be.
Then, as the previous football season fades into memory and your attention is turned to college basketball and spring training, you open up your newspaper and flip to the sports page to read about the local NBA team.  And there on the front page is an article entitled “The Rebirth of Player X”.  And the Syndrome starts anew.

Pat (Albany, OR): Are the Baltimore Ravens the team to beat in the AFC North this season? It seems like the other teams in the division have taken a step in the opposite direction, except for the Browns.

What follows are the names of the players who are slotted to be the starting secondary of the Cleveland Browns: Anthony Henry, Earl Little, Robert Griffith and Daylon McCutcheon.  And since some children have been known to view this site, I won’t expose you to the horror that is the Browns offensive line.  Couple that with the fact that the Browns big free-agent signing (Jeff Garcia) has a chronic back problem and that their first-round draft pick (Kellen Winslow II) is represented by the Poston brothers and has as much chance of being in camp on opening day as Otto Graham and I’ll ask how in the name of Bob Sakamano can you possibly think that the Browns have taken a step in any direction other than backwards?
Oh, you were asking about the Ravens? 

Tom (San Francisco): Would you be surprised if Kevan Barlow didn't get close to 1500 yards?

That’s like asking if I’d be surprised if Catwoman sucked.

Ed from Philly: Hey Jeff, do you see Eddie George making the Hall of Fame?

Ed, instead of worrying about Eddie George you should be preparing yourself for another choke-job by the Eagles in the NFC Championship game.  But since you asked, I’ll say maybe.  Don’t get me wrong, the only way Eddie George deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is if it’s the one located in Columbus, Ohio instead of Canton, Ohio.  But George has been overrated for years and he does have that nifty streak of never missing a game (which will end this year), so he will probably get the nod from the same voters who continue to unjustly shut Art Monk out of the Hall.  But, plain and simple, Eddie George is not a Hall of Famer.  Just because he might get in one day doesn't change that.  Don’t believe me?  Read on, Ed.

     ATT    YDS   AVG   R-TD

A    2733  10009  3.7    64

B    2622  10643  4.1    78

Also, Player A was selected to four Pro Bowls, while Player B made five.  Player A is the aforementioned Eddie George.  Sure, he’ll have a few more yards added onto his total, but don’t look for his average to go up at all.  In the past three seasons George has averaged 3.0, 3.4 and 3.3 yards per-carry.  Those numbers are atrocious.  Even Troy Hambrick managed to gain 3.5 per-carry last season.  So Eddie’s numbers are pretty much going to stay where they are. 
Player B is Ricky Watters.  Watters was kind of underrated (in the same way that George is overrated), partially because he wasn’t well-liked by the media and partially because after he left San Francisco he wasn’t on very successful teams.  But, regardless, nobody will be lobbying for Ricky Watters inclusion in the Football Hall of Fame.  And as the numbers show, he was markedly better than Eddie George.

Daniel Manasquan: Are the Jets legitimate playoff contenders? With Miami not having Ricky Williams and the Jets new defense can they win the AFC East with a 10-6 or 9-7 record?

Don’t you think that the Dolphins should trade the Colts a 3rd or 4th round pick for their Ricky Williams, the 5-7 back from Texas Tech?  The Dolphins could put him in as the starter, bulk him up a bit, give him a dreadlock wig, instruct him to give interviews while wearing his helmet and to talk like Michael Jackson circa 1984 and to profess a love for Snoop’s performance in The Wash.  Seriously, nobody would know the difference. 

Jim (Lincoln, NE): Jeff, how much will Thomas Jones be able to help the offense in Chicago?

Looks like Jim is starting to beginning to acquire symptoms of MWS.  Some Vitamin C and a belt of Scotch should clear that right up.

Matt (Pueblo, Colorado): Where do you put the chiefs defense against the tough schedule they face this year. Everyone knows the offense can and will get it done but I'm wondering if the D can get them to the next level.

If the Chiefs have a tough schedule, then Ashlee Simpson is better looking than her sister.  The Chiefs 2004 opponents had a combined record of 125-131 last season.  In the AFC only the Browns, Titans and Steelers opponents have it easier. 
As for the defense, the Chiefs brought in a grand total of two new defensive players during free agency and their names are Lional Dalton and Cliff Crosby.  Not exactly the cornerstones of a defensive unit.
Gunther Cunningham is back in Kansas City as defensive coordinator and that will definitely help the unit, but even Michelangelo would have trouble sculpting a masterpiece armed only with Play-Doh.

Chris (Levittown PA): who are the top 5 fantasy backs?

Chris, for that, you’ll have to come back another day for Chris’s Sports Blog Fantasy Football Draft Spectacaganza.  More details on that tomorrow.

Pat (Albany, OR): I have two questions, if that's allowed? What are the odds of the Seahawks winning the NFC West? Will Eddie George be the Pro Bowl caliber back he was earlier in his career with the Cowboys?

No, that’s certainly not allowed.

Adam U. (portland, OR): Who do you see as the ROY on both sides of the ball?

Well, I think on the offensive side I’d have to choose Lions rookie Roy Williams.  He has the speed and route-running ability to fit in well in Steve Mariucci’s offense and will be a fine compliment to second-year receiver Charlie Rogers.  Both should put up big numbers this season.  Defensively, I’ll go with the Cowboys version of Roy Williams, who plays safety.  Yes, those guys will definitely be the Roy’s to watch out for this NFL season.

Chris Answers PTI’s Questions

While Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser are on vacation this week, the producers of PTI have enlisted the help of Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless (what, Michelle Tafoya was busy?) to fill-in.
I know Tony and Mike are just on vacation, but didn’t the world find out the horrors of substituting no-names for stars in 1982 when Tom Wopat and John Schneider were in a contract dispute with the producers of The Dukes of Hazzard and instead of giving them more money CBS just hired two different actors, named them Coy and Vance Duke and passed them off as Bo and Luke’s cousins?
And we all know how that ordeal turned out. 
Do I have to remind you of the episode where Natasha, the Russian gymnast defector, came to Hazzard and hid on the Duke farm with Coy and Vance, as Boss Hog and the Russian gymnastic coach tried to find her?  Chaos ensued, of course.  But a Russian in Hazzard County?  Come now.  This was during the height of the Cold War.  Are we really supposed to believe that the “good ‘ol Boys” in Hazzard would sympathize with a commie?  But I digress.
Anyway, Bo and Luke did eventually return after a “season on the NASCAR circuit” and coincidentally Coy and Vance had to leave to care for a sick relative in the very same episode, but still, the bad taste lingers. 
Don’t go down that road ESPN.  Show old PTI reruns or something.  Or at least bring in David Aldridge and Bob Ryan.  Anything to save us from Skip Bayless trying to yell louder than Stephen A. Smith, which is akin to somebody trying to find something more irritating than mosquito bites and Creed.
And before you read this, please be warned.  Apparently Wilbon and Kornheiser aren’t the only ones on vacation.  It seems that most of the production staff has gone too, as these have to be the worst slate of questions ever on an episode of Pardon the Interruption.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you… 
  
HEADLINES
 
Was health a reason that Ricky Williams retired? 

I’m sure Williams thought about his health when making his retirement decision and he surely won’t miss the nearly 400 tackles made on him each year.  However, injuries were probably low on Ricky’s retirement list behind happiness, no practice, no meetings, more free time and, of course, his love of weed.
   
Will Jamal Lewis’s trial keep him off the field this season?

Apparently, the story is that Brian Billick said that he won’t allow Jamal Lewis to play in a game if he isn’t in practice during the week.
But this is Brian Billick we’re talking about.  At this point, many people would say “I don’t trust Brian Billick as far as I could throw him” but I’ve never really understood that saying.  I could probably throw Brian Billick, what, six or seven inches?  So does that mean I trust Brian Billick six inches?  I wasn’t aware trust could be quantified by distance measurements .  Or maybe trust uses the metric system.
Either way, Brian Billick probably just said this to get his balding head on TV a little more this week.  Does anybody really believe that Billick will go into a battle with the Steelers with Kyle Boller and Chester Taylor lining-up behind center?
Billick may not be the genius others claim he is, but he certainly isn’t stupid either.  Lewis will be in the lineup if he is healthy.

Should the NFL move the Super Bowl to late February?

According to the report in Newsday the NFL is considering moving the Super Bowl to late February.  The reason, because there is nothing happening in February and it would be all NFL, all the time. 
What?
Exactly what is happening in January that isn’t still happening in February?  The only thing is that college basketball isn’t in full-swing until February, which kind of goes against the NFL’s alleged argument.  I mean, I doubt the NFL is concerned about too many people missing the playoffs because they are off celebrating George Washington’s birthday or taking down their Christmas tree.
Surely the NFL doesn’t see its playoffs attracting less attention because of early-season NBA and NHL games.  And anyway, moving to February doesn’t solve that problem either.
A bigger issue is that if the Super Bowl is moved to late February, then the regular season wouldn’t start until late September, which is right around the time the baseball playoffs start. 
The last thing the NFL should want is to start the NFL season the same day as MLB playoff games.
I’ve got a feeling this is just something that is being thrown around in the NFL offices. Don’t expect this one to happen.

Will Carmelo’s Olympic guarantee hold up?

Yes, and for one reason and one reason only: Larry Brown.
When the U.S. basketball team got humiliated in Indianapolis at the 2002 World Championships they had a little more talent than the current team, yet only could muster a sixth-place finish.
But, the big difference in that team is that they were coached by George Karl, while this one has the second-best basketball coach alive at the helm.  George Karl is kind of like the Bill Paxton of coaching.  You never really notice them when they're around because they don't do enough to make you notice in a good or bad way.  They're always just kind of there. 
For the U.S. in these tournaments, coaching is everything.  These players have just begun practicing together and can hardly be expected to know the ins-and-outs of each other’s games in 30 days.  That’s where Larry Brown comes in.
He will have this team ready to win Gold in Athens.

Is Tiger still ahead of Jack Nicklaus?

Man, this is a stupid question.  It’s like asking, “Does Barry Bonds have more home runs than Alex Cora?”  The answer is, without any doubt, yes.
Why?  Because at age 28 Tiger has eight major victories.  Jack didn’t get his eighth until he was 30 years old. 
There it is, plain and simple.  Is Tiger still ahead of Jack Nicklaus’ major pace?  Yes.  The numbers don’t lie, unless they say that 25-million people bought The Eagles: Their Greatest Hits, 1971-1975.  Did you know that this is the #1 selling album of all-time?  Yes, all-time.  Right ahead of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.  Think about it.  Do you know anybody who owns that Eagles’ album?  Can you name any songs off of it?  I didn’t think so.
So how has that thing sold 25 million copies? It’s crazy, I tells ya.

Should the fan who interfered with Carlos Delgado’s quest to catch a foul ball have been kicked out?

The last time I checked (which, admittedly, was about 15 seconds ago), Toronto was 28th out of 30 Major League Baseball teams in attendance.  And they are only filling up 39% of their seats in the Skydome (which is worst among teams not playing home-games in Puerto Rico).  So if a fan ran on the field, mooned Carlos Delgado, bumped chests with Vernon Wells and did a somersault wearing only a Canadian flag as a cape, then the Blue Jays should give him a free beer and let him sit behind home plate.

TOSS UP

Greater Athletic Career – Lance Armstrong or Mike Tyson?

Somebody actually got paid to write these questions.  Even the guys over at Around the Horn could come up with something better than this. 
I’ve got a question for you.  Hotter Female Actress – Jennifer Aniston or Bea Arthur?
Did I mention that Five Good Minutes today was with Roger Cossack?  Who’s going to be interviewed tomorrow, Greta van Sustren and Lance Ito? 

More Important Position – Running Back or Quarterback?
 
This is actually a really tough question.  I keep coming up with arguments for one side, but then can think of numerous examples to discount my theory.
For example: Running backs are more valuable, because a team can’t win without a sustained running attack.  But all you have to do is look at the New England Patriots last year and that theory is shot.
Or how about this: Quarterbacks are, because a weak one will cripple a team.  Then I’m reminded that Trent Dilfer and Mark Rypien actually won Super Bowls, and there goes that idea.
This game could go on and on.  Instead, I’ll pick which position is more important in fantasy football, which is a no-brainer: Kicker.

More Inspiring Team Captain – Tim Duncan or Allen Iverson?

Tim Duncan is the best basketball player in the world right now.  Shaq might be more dominant and Kobe more flashy, but Duncan is the best all-around.  That being said, the answer is Allen Iverson. 
Tim Duncan is about as inspiring as a plaid shirt.  That’s not a knock on him, it’s just saying that he doesn’t exactly seem like a guy born to inspire others.  He is a good leader on the Spurs, but that’s a different situation.  Those guys play with him every day.  Duncan can be silent in that locker room and still command respect.
The Olympic basketball team is different.  These guys are young, have rarely played together and incorrectly assume they are going to steamroll through the tournament.  They think it’s already in the bag, just look at the comments of Carmelo. 
That’s where a guy like Allen Iverson comes in.  Everybody expects Tim Duncan to be on the Olympic team, he’s too good of a guy to say no.  But almost nobody could have predicted that A.I. would be willing to give up his summer and represent the United States.  That right there instantly will get the attention of the young players.
They’ll want to play for Iverson.  If they see him playing hard in the qualifying game versus Trinidad and Tobago, you think they won’t also?
If there’s one thing that you can count on Iverson for, it’s that he will give his all in every game.    
If Carmelo starts to slow down late in the game with an eight-point lead, you think he’ll still be playing lethargically after he sees Iverson dive headfirst into the front-row chasing for a loose ball?
Duncan is a great player and probably a good leader, but on this team, A.I. is the man.

Better Closer Right Now – Eric Gagne or Mariano Rivera?
 
Right now the better closer is Eric Gagne. 
Don’t get me wrong, Mariano Rivera is one of the best relievers in Major League history.  His cutter is among the best pitches of all-time. And usually, when he comes into a game you’d be safe in turning off the television.  That’s what I was thinking on Saturday when he came in versus the Red Sox and again last night against the Blue Jays.
But over the past two weeks it’s clear that Rivera is tired.  Because of the Yankees lack of bullpen depth, Rivera has been overused this season, just like his Yankee teammates Paul Quant rill and Tom Gordon.  The three lead the American League in appearances (54 for Quantrill, 49 each for Rivera and Gordon.) 
Have you noticed how Tom Gordon’s pitches don’t have the same zip they had in May?  There’s a reason for that.  He’s been used too much.  Same with Rivera.  He just looks tired up on the mound.
At this point, Rivera is on pace to pitch 88 innings this season, which would be eight more innings than he’s thrown in any year since 1996 (when he was used as a set-up man for John Wetteland.)Rivera is also on pace for 81 appearances which would top his career high by ten.  That’s just too much for a guy who’s averaged 66 appearances over his career.
Rivera is still the second best closer in baseball, fatigue or not.  But if I needed a game saved today, there is no doubt that Eric Gagne would be my man.

How do you like your Todd Zeile – On the field or on the mound?

Thank goodness this is almost over.  Todd Zeile is only 38 years old.  Doesn’t it seem like he’d be at least 40 by now?  One more Zeile tidbit: in four seasons between 1995 and 1998 Zeile played for seven teams.  That’s all I have.

BIG FINISH

Good move admitting Willie Williams to Miami?

Man, do I hate Donna Shalala.  First she said Miami ditching the Big East for the ACC wasn’t about money, now she says there is more to star recruit to Willie Williams than just the 11 arrests.  Like what?  12 arrests?

Vikings sign Brock Lesnar?

If I wish I could act like I didn’t know who Brock Lesnar was, and I didn’t up until two weeks ago when ESPN.com had a big front-page story on him.  So, I’d rather discuss something else I saw on the NFL transactions wire: Broncos sign WR MarTay Jenkins.  I think MarTay should petition the NFL to put his first name on the back of his jersey, a la Ichiro.  This would be amazing.  His jersey sales would skyrocket.

Safety net at Wrigley for falling concrete?

Instead of going with the fairly obvious Steve Bartman joke here, I’ll pass and move on.

Andy Pettite elbow problems?

I thought I’d like Pettite once he left the Yankees.  Of course, I also thought nobody would go to see those Lord of the Rings movies.

Greg Maddux get #299 tonight?

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that Maddux will pitch six innings, give up four hits, one earned run and strikeout six en route to his 299th win in a 7-1 Cubs victory. 
Want one more bold prediction?  With Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless back as hosts, PTI will manage to suck even more tomorrow.

Chris Answers PTI’s Questions is an occasional feature on this site.

Tuesday Thoughts
 
Just like Ma$e, the Red Sox and capri pants, I'm back.  Here are some thoughts about what's been going on since last Thursday:
 
Ricky Williams Quits
 
Cal Ripken Jr. retired.  Wayne Gretzky retired.  Joe Montana retired.  60-year old men who have worked since their early 20's retire.  Ricky Williams quit. 
Make no mistake about it, by bailing out on his team 178-hours before training camp was to begin, Ricky Williams stabbed the Dolphins in the back in an ultimate act of betrayal.  So to term Ricky's decision as "retirement" is about as accurate as saying that Richard Nixon "resigned".  Sure, that's what they technically did, but everybody knows better. 
Ricky bailed on the Dolphins,the team that got him out of his ludicrous contract in New Orleans (remember... the one Master P. negotiated and included minimum base salaries and huge incentive clauses?) by trading two first-round picks for him and then re-signed him to a new, lucrative contract (which they were not required to do.) 
Then, while in Miami, Dave Wannsteadt made Ricky the focal point of the Dolphins offense, and he responded by leading the NFL in rushing in his first season with the team.
So after all that, Ricky decides to retire, which, on the surface, is a respectable (albeit questionable) decision.  Williams is his own man and can do whatever he wants with his life.  But to retire the week that training camp begins, leaving the Dolphins without a running back for the season, is the most callous move in recent memory.
If he wanted to quit, Williams should have told Dave Wannsteadt in the beginning of the off-season, giving the Dolphins plenty of time to overpay for Eddie George or Antowain Smith. 
Instead, the Dolphins are screwed for the upcoming season and will be lucky to put together four wins.
Don't expect Williams to be gone too long though, he'll be back in the NFL by the end of 2005.
 
A. Rod Fight
 
I got this e-mail yesterday criticizing me for saying that Alex Rodriguez was stupid in trying to pick a fight with a catcher wearing his equipment.

Once again, I find your opinions to be completely off.  ARod was trying to fight Arroyo.  If you watch the replay, he cursed at him and told Bronson to bring it on.  It was not unitl Varitek started jawing away, that ARod turned his attention to the man in his face.  It's too bad Varitek is too much of a p**** to fight without his full body armor.  Im really sorry to hear about his injury. - Jarred Grossman - College Park, MD

Well Mr. Grossman, first let me congratulate you on your ability to turn on a computer and compose an e-mail.  With those two skills, you've already clinched the title of the most intelligent Yankee fan in the country. 
Now, to address your comments. I Ti-Vo'd Sportscenter on Saturday so I could watch Varitek beat up A. Rod over and over.  And here is an exact rundown of how the situation unfolded as shown by the FOX replay (no opinions, this is a log of what is visible on the replay.  And reading lips was quite easy:)

1) Arroyo throws a high, tight fastball that hits Alex Rodriguez on the left elbow.
2) Arroyo waits for the umpire to throw him a new ball as Rodriguez begins to stare him down.
3) Rodriguez begins taking off his body armor
4) Rodriguez looks at Arroyo and says "Throw that s*** over the f****** plate"
5) Rodriguez turns his head away from Arroyo and begins screaming "F*** you".
6) During the second "F*** you," Jason Varitek comes into the picture.
7) A. Rod continues to yell in Varitek's direction, adding a "Motherf*****" to the end of one of his "F*** you" calls.
8) Varitek pushes Rodriguez with his catcher's glove.
8) Rodriguez, still looking at Varitek, says "come on" after the push.
9) A. Rod then makes a "come here" motion with his hand.
10) With two hands, Varitek pushes up at Rodriguez's face.
11)The two being to wrestle as the Yankees and Red Sox benches clear.

So tell me, Mr. Grossman, care to revise your statement?  A. Rod was only talking to Arroyo the first time he spoke, until Varitek stepped in between them to protect his pitcher.  This, of course, is what Varitek should have done.  A catcher has to protect his pitcher.  Wouldn't you want Jorge Posada to do the same?
Now, let me get to A. Rod.  First of all, his "stare down" of Arroyo was maybe the most menacing thing I've seen since I watched Richard Simmons sing a Cher song on Live With Regis and Kelly.  A. Rod, you're too pretty to look imposing. 
Secondly, who picks a fight with a guy wearing a catcher's mask and chest protector?  Yes, I know you called Varitek's masculinity into question because he didn't remove his equipment before fighting - but come on.  This isn't the Old West, these guys weren't dueling.  They were in the heat of the moment and Varitek was well within his right to pound on A. Rod after Rodriguez essentially told him to bring it on.
The best part about the whole thing was that A. Rod looked so scared when he realized Varitek was actually going to fight him.  You ever seen somebody talking trash in a bar and challenging a bigger guy to a fight and expecting it not to happen and then when it becomes apparent that the bigger guy is going to actually fight the trash-talker runs away terrified?  That was A. Rod on Saturday.
And by the way, Jason Varitek is fine.  He played last night and had 3 RBI.  How's Jason Giambi doing?  Hmm.. I wonder what could possibly be making Giambi lose weight and feel sick.  Could it be the fact that he's not injecting himself with copious amount of steroids anymore?  I hope he gets better in time to hit .220 in the playoffs.
 
Lance Armstrong Wins His 6th Straight Tour de France

If I ask you what European country Paris is located in you would say "France" - and you would pronounce it: frAnce, which rhymes with dance and Lance.  However, if I were to ask which race Lance Armstrong won for the sixth consecutive year, you would probably say "The Tour de France" - and would pronounce it: fraNce, which rhymes with wants and haunts. 
I can't stand this.  It's still the same country name whether it's in a race or on a map.  Does adding a phony accent to the name of the country where the bike race is held make said bike race any more sophisticated? 
 
Mariano Rivera Blows Two Consecutive Saves
 
Hammer of God?  More like Hammer of Ricky Bottalico.
 
Carmelo Anthony Guarantees USA Basketball Will Win Olympic Gold
 
Dear Carmelo,
Thank you for your bold prediction.  Without your fearless guarantee, I didn't know who to pick as the favorite to win the Olympic basketball competition.  After all, Lithuania's probable starting lineup of Sarunas Jasikevicius, Arvydas Macijauskas, Saulius Stombergas, Darius Songaila and Ksystofas Lavrinovicius match-up quite well with the U.S. lineup which could include Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Carmelo Anthony and Tim Duncan. 
Not taking anything away from Lithuania, which has a solid team, but if you guys can't beat them then maybe we should start looking at Songalia and Pau Gasol as the new NBA saviors instead of you and your buddy LeBron.
With your bold prediction, sports guarantees have officially jumped the shark.  It used to be that these guarantees were made by hopeless underdogs in the biggest situations, think Joe Namath.  But recently guys have been guaranteeing the outcome of such huge events as Game 3 of an NBA playoff series or a regular season Bengels game.  But nothing has been as bad as you guaranteeing a U.S. basketball gold in Athens.  And yes, that includes any guarantee made ever by Mike Tyson.
Carmelo, you're supposed to win. If you and your teammates fail, America will be humiliated in ways not seen since the height of Hanson's popularity.  You really shouldn't be guaranteeing something that you would be embarrassed not to win. 
Do you see Oklahoma football players declaring that they'll definitely beat Baylor or UCONN basketball players guaranteeing a W versus Quinnipiac.  Or better yet, did you ever go in front of the media and declare that Syracuse was going to clean the floor with the EA Sports All-Stars?
Of course you didn't. 
Listen Carmelo, I am happy that you and LeBron and Dwayne Wade and Tim Duncan and A.I. are so happy to be representing the United States during the Olympics.  At least some NBA guys appreciate the great opportunity to win an Olympic Gold for their country. 
But try to downplay your guarantee and focus on bonding with your teammates and learning how to play together.  Or else your words might come back to haunt you when you're standing on the medal stand as the Argentinian National Anthem is being played.
 
Sincerely,
Me

My apologies for not posting on Thursday and Friday, I was getting sunburned while sitting on the beach.  This weekend I unexpectedly had to travel to New York, so I probably won't be able to post tomorrow (Monday) either. 
But, please come back on Tuesday where I'll resume making fairly obvious observations and rip on A. Rod for trying to pick a fight with a guy wearing a face-mask and chest protector.

Top 10 Unbreakable Baseball Records
 
Eric Gagne's recently snapped string of 84 consecutive saves rekindled the age-old debate about which baseball records are the most untouchable. 
Is it Cy Young's 511 wins or Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hit-streak?  Or maybe Cal Ripken and his amazing 2632 consecutive games played.
Talk to anybody with an opinion and you'll get a different answer from each.  Since I have an opinion (some would say many), here are my rankings of the most unbreakable baseball records.
First though, some disclaimers:
For this list, I'm only selecting from modern records.  Why?  Because it's my list and I can do what I want. 
If I included records from the late 19th and early 20th century, the list would be littered with old pitching records that will never be broken, and that just wouldn't be fun. 
Sure, I could just ignore some of the crazy pitching stats from that era and include the important ones on my list, but I feel like I'd be cheating John Coleman and his 772 hits allowed in 1883 if I put in Cy Young and his 511 career wins.  But just because one record is dubious doesn't make it any less unbreakable (Roy Halladay led the American League last year in hits allowed and "only" served up 253). 
So, the requirements for the list:

- The record must have been set after 1920
- No player with a similar record may appear more than once (This will be known as the Ricky Henderson rule, more on that later)
- The list ranks records that I believe to be the least likely ever to be broken, not the most impressive or difficult to set.
- Only records earned on the playing field will be considered.  MVP, Cy Young awards and Gold Gloves are decided upon by voters, so, even though Roger Clemens' six Cy Youngs is maybe unbreakable, it won't be on the list.
 
That's it... onto the list:
 
#10 - Sammy Sosa - 20 HR in a month (June 1998)
 
Everybody remembers the amazing 1998 home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa that saw both shatter Roger Maris' single-season homer mark and culminated with a furious battle for the new record.  But few recall that Sosa only joined the chase after a historic June that saw him belt 20 home runs, besting Rudy York's previous record for homers in a month of 18, set in August of 1937.
Headed into the season's third month, Sosa only had 13 HR, compared to 27 for McGwire and 19 for Ken Griffey Jr.  (Also forgotten is Griffey's role in the chase.  Before the '98 season it was widely assumed that it would be Big Mac and Griffey who would chase Maris together.  Early in the season, that looked like it would be the case, until Sosa joined the party in June.  Griffey actually managed stayed ahead of Sammy through his torrid June and it wasn't until July 21 that Sammy passed Junior for good.)
If you've been paying attention to baseball this year, you'll know that of late Jim Thome has been hitting home runs at a Ruthian rate .  But Thome still "only" had 15 homers in June and as of today, has just 19 home runs since June 1. 

#9 - Nolan Ryan - 7 Career No-Hitters
 
Only two pitchers whose careers began after 1975 have thrown more than one no-hitter (Hideo Nomo and Randy Johnson), so that should say something about how untouchable this record is. 
Besides Ryan, only three modern-era pitchers have thrown as many as three no-nos and all are in the Hall of Fame (Sandy Koufax, Bob Feller and Cy Young).
No-hitters are tough to come by.  They take a lot of skill and a lot of luck at the same time.  To think that a pitcher in today's era could even throw four no-nos is a stretch.
Look at it this way: Walter Johnson, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Don Drysdale, Steve Carlton, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Jim Palmer and Roger Clemens combined have four fewer no-nos than Ryan.
 
#8 - Ricky Henderson - 1406 Career Stolen Bases
 
It was a toss-up between the career steals record or the single-season record (both of which are owned by Ricky), but in the end, Ricky's total of 1406 bases (which is more than 40% higher than Lou Brock's) wins out.
The game of baseball changes every few years, so it's impossible to say whether or not stolen bases will ever be as fashionable as they were in the 1980's (probably not, since Astroturf has gone the way of the dodo), so maybe Ricky's 130 steals in a season could be topped.
But 1406 looks pretty safe.

#7 - Nolan Ryan - 5714 Career Strikeouts
 
Roger Clemens, one of the most dominating strikeout pitchers of his era, currently has 4225 K's (3rd all-time).  That puts the 40-year old about six seasons short of the Ryan Express.  Considering that Clemens has already "retired" once, it's safe to count him out of the running.
Randy Johnson, no spring chicken himself, might have a few good years left in his left arm but not enough to pass Ryan.
So could any active player take down the strikeout king? 
Pedro Martinez is the youngest player in the Top 30 of the active strikeout leaders.  He's only 31 and already has 2426 K's, which is around 500 more than Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens had at the same age and only 200 short of Ryan.
But Pedro has a different build than those power pitchers thus making him susceptible to injury and his strikeout numbers have plummeted as his velocity has dipped in recent years.
For a time it looked like Kerry Wood would become the next great Texan flame-thrower, but injuries have slowed his career and strikeout totals. 
Still, for the sake of the argument, let's say Wood maintains the 254 strikeouts per year that he has averaged since 1998. 
At that rate, Wood would pass Ryan in 2022 at the tender age of 44. 
Who wants to take that bet?
 
#6 - Orel Hershiser - 59 Consecutive Scoreless Innings (1988)
 
If this were a list of the most impressive baseball records, then Orel's magical 59-inning run would be near the top of the list.  However, there is always a chance that a pitcher on the top of his game, throwing in a pitcher's park (like Dodger Stadium) could string together some innings and challenge this streak. 
 
#5 - Hack Wilson - 191 RBI (1930)
 
We're now getting into the "records never going to be broken" territory.
When Manny Ramirez knocked in 165 runs while with the Cleveland Indians in 1999, he became the first man to drive in that many since Lou Gehrig did it 65 years before.
Speaking of Gehrig, in 1927 he had arguably his greatest season, hitting .373, slugging .765 (6th all-time behind two guys named Barry and Babe) and cracking 47 homeruns.  He batted cleanup that year behind Ruth and Earle Combs and still "only" knocked in 175 runs.
If Gehrig could only muster 175 RBI in that lineup with those gaudy numbers, what chance does Carlos Delgado have batting behind Eric Hinske.
 
#4 - Babe Ruth - 177 Runs Scored (1921)
 
You didn't think we'd get through this list without an appearance from the Bambino, did you?  While the list of Ruth's records grows shorter by the year, one of his more underrated stats is the 177 runs he scored in 1921.
Quick, who led the Majors in runs last year?  The answer is Albert Pujols (I had to look that up).  He touched home plate 137 times, 40 shy of Ruth.
In the past 68 years only one player has come within 25 of Ruth's 177 and that was Jeff Bagwell in 2000 (152). 
 
#3 - Rogers Hornsby - .424 Batting Average (1924)
 
It's growing increasingly likely that nobody will ever hit .400 again, so the Rajah's record .424 is safe like a Volvo.
 
#2 - Cal Ripken - 2,632 Consecutive Games Played
 
Some facts from The Streak:

• During the span of The Streak (always capitalized, mind you), only one major league player remained with the same team.  (Tony Gwynn)
• Starting on June 15, 1982 Ripken played in 8,243 consecutive innings over 904 games.  Those 904 games would rank 6th on the consecutive games played list.
• No player whose career began after Ripken's has come within 2,000 games of Cal's record.
• Only 18 major leaguers were playing both when the streak began in 1982 and when it ended in 1998.
• Players made 5,045 trips to the Disabled List during The Streak.

#1 - Joe DiMaggio - 56 Consecutive Game Hit Streak (1941)

It's national news when any baseball player has a 28-game hit streak, which as even the worst math students among you can see, is only halfway to DiMaggio's record.  So imagine putting together two 28-game hit streaks, back-to-back.  It's just not gonna happen. The closest anybody has come in 25 years was Paul Molitor in 1987.  He managed to get to 39, just 17 shy of DiMaggio.  Two years ago the Marlins Luis Castillo hit in 35 straight, which still left him a whopping 21 from the Yankee Clipper.  Hit streaks are fluky things, but there aren't enough flukes in the world to get somebody within 10 of DiMaggio's record in our lifetime.  Plus, Paul Simon singing "where have you gone Rocco Baldelli" just doesn't sound as good.

Questions from a Wolfman

Nick Streit, 23, is currently unemployed and living in San Diego, CA. The Wake Forest alumnus spends his days reloading ESPN.com 12 times an hour hoping that the front page will add a new story he hasn't read, looking out for specific episodes of Who's the Boss? on Nickelodeon and telling anybody who will listen that Rob Johnson is a good quarterback.
The founder of the infamous "Fun Way" and staunch defender of nudists worldwide also enjoys moonlighting with Asian men he meets in Austrian parks and dressing up as Alex P. Keaton.
Streit, whose self-described greatest accomplishment is the ability to name every player and their batting average and homerun totals from the original RBI Baseball, is also a fan of all things sports.
Why is this important, you ask?
Because, starting today, the wild-haired German from Illinois will occasionally send in questions to Chris's Sports Blog in a feature that will be known as Questions from a Wolfman.

Question #1: What are your thoughts on Lance Armstrong and the chances that he used performance enhancing drugs? I never really cared either way, or for that fact even thought about it, however i read an article a few days ago in The Sporting News that 9 top cyclists died of heart failure from January 2003 through June 2004. This is a pretty staggering number and it seems unlikely that Armstrong could be that much better than the rest of these guys who are using these drugs, and if he is he's simply incredible.

I was watching one of those Bud Greenspan Olympic documentaries on ESPN Classic the other day and the subject was the men's 100-meter dash from the 1988 Olympics. That, of course, was the infamous Ben Johnson race. The Canadian won the gold and was stripped of it a few days later after testing positive for steroids.
Two things jumped out at me while watching the race:
1) Johnson was so much bigger than the other runners. Everybody had to have known that he was on the juice.
2) Carl Lewis and the other runners in the race weren't that far behind.
Yes, Ben Johnson won the race handily. But when you consider that he was on the 'roids, his victory becomes less than impressive.
He only beat Carl Lewis by .13 seconds (9.79 to Lewis' 9.92), and his steroid-aided time has since been tied by a presumably clean runner (Maurice Greene in 2000).
How much of an advantage do steroids provide? That question is begging for Jeremy Schaap to answer it in a 15-minute piece on a Sunday morning Sportscenter.
Now, relating this back to your original question...
I have no clue whether Lance Armstrong has been doping. Part of me wants to think that he would have been caught by now, as many Tour riders have been in the past few years. But maybe he has deftly avoided getting caught. After all, the East German Olympic teams of the 1980's and the Chinese swimmers in the '90s were known to have practiced doping and few of their athletes ever tested positive. So it's possible that Armstrong could be on the stuff. Who knows?
The only way for Armstrong (and other alleged users like Barry Bonds) to clear his name is to publicly take a drug-test every day for the next year and then ride in next year's Tour de France to show that he's the same rider. That's the only way. Anything short of that won't extinguish the persistent rumors that have dogged Armstrong since his battle with cancer.
If Armstrong isn't doping, then it's unfair to him to make these accusations. But with the practice so prevalent in the sport that he continually dominates, the question must be asked.
Though if he's clean and still beating all the guys on drugs, I don't know how much more of an accomplishment that would be.
Think about it this way: If I took steroids, I'd still get my ass-kicked by Maurice Greene in a footrace and Lance Armstrong in a bike race. Hell, even with the 'roids I'd still probably get beaten in a footrace by a one-legged sailor and in the bike race by the 12-year old girl who lives down the street.

Question #2 - How dare you pick the Cubs to win the World Series, are you crazy? I dont want to read that stuff. And a day after you revise your predictions, Mark Prior hurts himself. Why don't you just shut your big mouth?

In most cases, few would argue against the shutting of my big mouth. But, since I wrote the Cubs prediction and didn't say the Cubs prediction, I'm going to have to deny your request on that technicality.
However, regardless of whether I picked the Cubs to win the World Series or not, the damage was done in April when Sports Illustrated did the same thing. I wish my predictions had the negative clout of SI's, but sadly they do not.
Just wait until my NFL preview where I'll be picking the Bears to go all the way.

Question #3 - In the last 2 weeks my roommate, while drunk, has 1) sent himself to the hospital by running with his shorts around his ankles and falling on his face and arm, causing him to wear a sling and miss his job as a waiter for three days and 2) fallen through a glass coffee table a dog was underneath, causing the dog to bleed all over the house before it was brought to the vet for several stitches on his face and leg. Don't you think it's time for him to stop drinking?

Those incidents, in and of themselves, do not warrant a mini-Prohibition for your roommate. However, if in the first incident he had fallen over three times before the tumble that hurt his arm, or had chased a girl on a motorcycle after failing to win her over with his drunken pick up line, then maybe we could reevaluate. Same thing if he put duct-tape on the bleeding dog during the second incident because he was too drunk to drive the animal to the vet.
And, perhaps, if at one time in his life this same roommate jumped out of a second-story balcony with an umbrella and kept his legs totally straight because he wanted to prove that what Mary Poppins did is possible, then maybe I'd tell him to put away the bottle.
What? He did? Really? Hmmmmm......

Question #4 - What are your thoughts on the CNNSI article rating the top running backs in the NFL. I think the scoring system is pretty stupid, though I wouldn't mind having LaDanian Tomlinson on my team over, let's say Thomas Jones, but I'd take Priest Holmes as the best back in the league.

For those that missed the article, you can read it here.
Before I get into the actual rankings, let's talk about the scoring system. To describe the rankings as "pretty stupid" would give positive credence to that disparaging term.
In a nutshell, here's how it worked: CNNSI took 17 rushing categories and assigned points to a specific ranking. Whoever ranked #1 in a category received 16 points, #2 got 15 points, and so on. The player with the most points overall was deemed the best running-back in football. It's a pretty easy way to compile rankings, but in the end the results were about as accurate as any list-show on E! that has commentary from Joel Stein and the chick that plays the wife on George Lopez.
For instance, Priest Holmes gets 16 points for scoring the most touchdowns in the league (he had 27). Ahman Green gets 15 points for scoring the second most, despite the fact that he scored 12 less touchdowns than Holmes. In another category, Green received 12 points because he ranked 5th in the league with 405 touches, while Holmes scored 11 points for having only 394.
So, in those two categories, Ahman Green and Priest Holmes earned the same number of points, despite the fact that the pair's touchdown gap was wider than their touch gap.
Couple that with the fact that Priest got zero points for having zero receiving touchdowns, which is insane because he had more rushing touchdowns than anybody had rushing + receiving TD's combined.
Good stuff.
I didn't mean to pick on Ahman Green, who is a great back. But that is just one of the many examples that demonstrates the utter ridiculousness of SI's rankings.
To say that LaDanian Tomlinson is better than Priest Holmes because he ranks higher in a couple of arbitrary categories is like deciding that Matt Hasselback is a better quarterback than Tom Brady because he threw for more yards and touchdowns last season.
I'm not saying that LT isn't the best back in the league. He might be. But there are far better arguments to make on his behalf instead of basing it on a flimsy ranking system.
As it is, I'll agree with you and say that Priest Holmes is the best back in the league with LT a close second.
Here's my list of the top-15 backs in the NFL. Keep in mind I'm picking based on which player I would like to have for the upcoming season only.

1   Priest Holmes

2   LaDainian Tomlinson

3   Clinton Portis

4   Jamal Lewis

5   Edgerrin James

6   Ahman Green

7   Ricky Williams

8   Stephen Davis

9   Deuce McAllister

10  Shaun Alexander

11  Travis Henry

12  Tiki Barber

13  Domanick Davis

14  Corey Dillon

15  Fred Taylor

Let me address the criticism before I get it in e-mail form.
Edgerrin's numbers haven't been the same since his ACL injury. But, he looked healthy last year and wasn't fully utilized in Indianapolis. And the reason I have Stephen Davis so high is that he eats up the clock late in games, which, as the Panthers showed last season, is more valuable than most people think.
One notable omission from my top-15 is Marshall Faulk. It's tough to leave the former superstar off the list, but all those hits are catching up with Faulk and he is a shell of his former self.
And sorry about not including Thomas Jones. He was #17 on my list... just behind Anthony Thomas.

"Questions from a Wolfman" is an occasional feature on this site.

Weekend In Review
 
- Congratulations to Todd Hamilton, winner of the 133rd Open Championship.  Not only did Hamilton outlast more heralded players in the final round of the year's third major, but he beat the #2 golfer in the world, Ernie Els, in a four-hole playoff for the claret jug. 
At many points on Sunday it looked like Hamilton would fold and allow the more accomplished players to battle it out for the title, but instead the 38-year old journeyman held his own and deservedly won the oldest championship in golf. 
In doing so, Hamilton earned a five-year exemption of the PGA Tour, doubled his previous PGA winnings with his winner's share, and most importantly, became the first man named Todd ever to do anything remotely worthy of any recognition in the history of mankind.
Think about it... what other famous person is named Todd? 
The guy that bought Mark McGwire's 70th homerun ball was named Todd McFarlane.  Todd Rundgren sang "Hello, It's Me".  And Abraham Lincoln's wife was named Mary Todd. 
So, in 4,000 years of recorded history, people with the name Todd grossly overpaid for a homerun ball that no longer has any meaning, sang a crappy song in the '70s and married a president. 
That's quite a legacy.
But with Todd Hamilton showing the world that Todd's can be somewhat successful, don't be surprised if you're at McDonalds and find out that your Quarter-Pounder with cheese is sans cheese, your complaint is handled by a manager whose name just happens to be Todd.
Thank you Mr. Hamilton.
 
- Staying on the topic of golf... I think "experience" is pretty overrated when it comes to Sundays at major championships. 
Among the last eight golfers to win majors are Rich Beem, Mike Weir, Jim Furyk, Ben Curtis, Shaun Micheel and Todd Hamilton - combined major wins: zero.
Not exactly a murderer's row of the links.
It seems that players with the most to gain (ie, guys like Beem and Hamilton who make enough money on the Tour to live, but aren't rich and famous) are letting nerves affect them less than the guys just playing to build their resume (ie, the Mickelsons and Els of the world). 
Maybe it's because the pressure to break-through and come from nowhere to win a major is less intense than it is being a top-player in the world and being expected to.
All eyes were on Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els yesterday.  And they both played well, but didn't play well enough. 
Todd Hamilton, except for his bogey odyssey on the 72nd hole, executed his game perfectly and looked like he was the one who belonged there.
When it comes down to it, being on the leaderboard on a Sunday in a major is pretty nerve-wracking, but not nearly as bad as trying to qualify at Q-School or grinding on the mini-tours in Florida.  
Winning a major is great and provides exposure, money and, best of all, exemptions.  But if a no-name loses late at the Masters, they will still get a huge check that clinches their spot in the Top-125 of the money list, thus guaranteeing a spot on the PGA Tour next season. 
At Q-School or in the Nationwide or mini-tours, if you lose you might not eat, or have enough money to put gas in the car.
Maybe that's why the Micheels and Beems of the world have been so successful of late in major championships.  It's because they know what it is to play with real pressure.
 
- Another major, another loss for Tiger Woods.  While the haters are out in full-force today declaring once-again that Tiger is finished (see the front-page headline and picture on ESPN.com), what is not being talked about is that Tiger is playing good (yet not great) golf of late and looks like he is on the verge of a comeback befitting the best player in the world.
Excluding the U.S. Open (where Tiger played decently until Sunday and managed to come in 17th place), Tiger's last five tournament finishes are: 3, 4, 3, 7, 9. 
True, the Tiger of old would have peppered a win or two among those top-10's, but 99% of the PGA Tour would kill for those finishes.
Some more Tiger stats from 2004:

• He ranks #4 on the money list, despite playing fewer tournaments than anybody in the Top 25, except for Ernie Els.
• In the 13 tournaments he has played, Tiger has finished in the top-10 in nine of them.  Only Phil Mickelson (12 of 16) has a better percentage.
• Tiger still hasn't missed a cut in 127 tournaments.  Next on the list is Jerry Kelly (?) with 25.  Until Tiger misses a cut (which has almost happened twice this year) any talk of a slump is ludicrous.  (The rapper Ludacris has forever ruined any chance I have at spelling that word correctly.  Thank goodness for spell-check.)  And the aforementioned Mr. Mickelson, by the way... His cut streak currently sits at four.
• Sure, as ESPN.com's Bob Harig points out, Todd Hamliton has more wins of the PGA Tour this year than Tiger (2 to 1).  But, a whole lot of players (including Davis Love III, Charles Howell III and Darren Clarke) have zero. 
• If I was Davis Love III, I'd name my first-born son Davis Love IV and then add a subtitle to his name for effect.  You know, Die Hard 2 wasn't just Die Hard 2.  It was Die Hard 2: Die Harder.  Same with Rambo: First Blood.  Or Terminator 2: Judgment Day.  So Davis Love's son should be, Davis Love IV: This Time, It's Personal.  Seriously, with a name like that, the kid would be president one day.

- I wish Dale Earnhardt, Jr. a speedy recovery from the second-degree burns he suffered on Sunday after crashing his car during a warm-up for the American Le Mans Series race in Sonoma, California. 
However, while I send my best wishes, I can't include any sympathy.  Anybody who voluntarily drives a car over 175 mph for a living needs to realize the danger they put themselves in every time they step on the gas pedal.  I'm sure Junior, and the other NASCAR drivers understand this, but it seems that the fans who watch their activity (not a sport, mind you) don't.
That's why I couldn't understand the shock when Junior's father, Dale, died in a car crash at Daytona. 
Don't get me wrong, I understood the grief.  But I never could quite figure out why people were in such disbelief.
Was it really all that surprising when Dale Sr. died after his car hurtled into a cement wall at 200 mph?  Afterwards people made it seem like he got killed while sewing mittens and getting licked by baby kittens.   
When you drive a car filled with flammable liquids at over 190 mph, bad things happen. 
It's a shame and quite sad.  But those redneck, pot-bellied NASCAR fans shouldn't be all that surprised.  Come on now. 

Questions to Ponder
 
- Will the Lakers ever retire Shaq's number? 
 
He did win three titles there and in Lakers lore probably only ranks behind Jerry West, Magic and Kareem (and soon to be Kobe).  Wilt's number is retired, and he only played in L.A. for five sub-par (for him) years.  Gail Goodrich's number hangs in the rafters also and his claim to fame is that he holds the Lakers record for consecutive free-throws made.  But will the animosity between Shaq and Jerry Buss/Kobe be too much?
 
- Is Kevin Millar the worst player in Major League Baseball? 
 
I ask only because his play in left-field last night during the Red Sox-Angels game actually made me say, "Man, I wish Manny wasn't DH'ing tonight."  I know... it might have been the first time in history that anybody actually thought, "Manny could have made that play."  The problem is that no more than 15 minutes after Millar let a ball that would have been the third-out drop in for an RBI-single, thus inspiring the panging for Manny, the Angels third-base coach tested Millar's arm by sending Benji Molina (who is only slightly faster than a crippled tortoise) home from second on a sharply-hit single to left.  Thus, a 1-1 battle quickly became an 8-1 blowout.  Good work K-Mi.
 
- Do you think that Pat Riley wakes up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and thinks the Shaq for Brian Grant, Lamar Odom and Caron Butler deal was just a dream, then realizes it actually happened and goes back to sleep with a wry smile on his face? 
 
So do I. 

- Do you think that Mitch Kupchak wakes up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and thinks the Shaq for Brian Grant, Lamar Odom and Caron Butler deal was just a dream, then realizes it actually happened and stays up the right of the night looking at the ceiling and wonders what the hell he was thinking?

So do I... so do I.

Revisiting Preseason MLB Predictions

Back on Opening Day, I posted my predictions for the 2004 baseball season. With the second-half starting today, I thought it'd be a good time to look back on my prognistications and make some minor adjustments.

AL East

Picked:
1) Yankees
2) Red Sox*
3) Blue Jays
4) Orioles
5) Devil Rays

Two of my three Yankees predictions have come true (potent lineup, Kevin Brown to the DL), and if the Bombers can snag Randy Johnson then I will have been a perfect three-for-three.
My good-calls on Sidney Ponson and Pet Hentgan sucking are totally negated by saying Derek Lowe was going to have a great year in between Schilling and Pedro.

Now Picking:
1) Yankees
2) Red Sox
3) Blue Jays
4) Devil Rays
5) Orioles

AL Central

Picked:
1) White Sox
2) Twins
3) Royals
4) Tigers
5) Indians

Does it really matter who wins this division? They're just going to get swept by the Yankees in the Divisional Series anyway.

Now Picking:
1) White Sox
2) Twins
3) Indians
4) Tigers
5) Royals

AL West

Picked:
1) A's
2) Angels
3) Mariners
4) Rangers

Ouch... I really missed the boat on the Rangers. But, so did everybody else, so I don't feel too bad. The A's are still the pick in this division, although the Rangers seem like one of those teams that everybody will disregard until October rolls around and they're still in first.

Now Picking:
1) A's
2) Angels
3) Rangers
4) Mariners

NL East

Picked:
1) Phillies
2) Braves
3) Marlins
4) Expos
5) Mets

The Mets are one game above .500, in fourth place, yet only two games out of first. I want to pick against the Phillies (and make the inevitable Philly choke-job joke by using an Eagles or Smarty Jones reference), but then I'd have to pick the Braves or the Mets or the injured Marlins, and that just doesn't work either.

Now Picking:
1) Phillies
2) Marlins
3) Braves
4) Mets
5) Expos

NL Central

Picked:
1) Astros
2) Cubs
3) Cardinals
4) Reds
5) Pirates
6) Brewers

What kind of odds could you have gotten in Vegas on the Brewers being two-games ahead of the Astros at the All-Star break. Probably the same kind that you would have gotten for a Kenny Rogers makes the All-Star team and Devil Rays 12-game win streak parlay.

Now Picking:
1) Cardinals
2) Cubs*
3) Astros
4) Brewers
5) Reds
6) Pirates

NL West

Picked:
1) Padres
2) Diamondbacks
3) Dodgers
4) Giants
5) Rockies

The NL West standings currently look like this:

TEAM     GB
Dodgers   -
Giants   0.5
Padres   2.0

After September 15 those teams will play a combined 15 series, 11 of which will be against each other. It should be quite a finish on the left coast.

Now Picking:
1) Padres
2) Giants
3) Dodgers
4) Rockies
5) Diamondbacks

In all, I'm staying with my original picks in all but one division (NL Central). Yet even if I predicted all 30 teams' exact finishising order, it still wouldn't make up for my AL Cy Young pick.
Anyway, I'm keeping my American League playoff predictions the same:

Division Series
Yankees over White Sox
Red Sox over A's

Championship Series
Red Sox over Yankees

I'll make a few tweaks to the National League side (where I had the Astros beating the Cubs in the NLCS):

Division Series
Cardinals over Padres
Cubs over Phillies

Championship Series
Cubs over Cardinals

Well, I didn't think that out too clearly, did I. Red Sox vs. Cubs? The first all Wild-Card World Series between the most lovable-loser franchises in sports? This isn't Hollywood. Even so, in a seven-game series, a healthy Prior, Wood, Zambrano and Clement should be able to take out Morris, Williams, Carpenter and Suppan. Aww, what the hell.

World Series
Cubs over Red Sox

As for the awards, please don't hold my horrible picks against me. Derek Lowe as the AL Cy Young winner? Seriously? Was I drunk when I wrote that? I guess I could have picked Sidney Ponson, which only would have been slightly worse:

                   Had               Now


AL MVP         Gary Sheffield      Vladimir Guerrero
NL MVP         Albert Pujols       Barry Bonds
AL Cy Young    Derek Lowe          Curt Schilling
NL Cy Young    Kerry Wood          Jason Schmidt
AL Manager     Alan Trammell       Lou Pinella
NL Manager     Bruce Bochy         Bruce Bochy

Derek Lowe?

The Nightmare Continues

As we enter Day 3 of the long national nightmare that is the lack of posts on Chris's Sports Blog, I will make this assurance: At some point in the near future regular entries will resume.
But since all 80 of you have been so patient, here's a thought from last night's Baseball All-Star Game...

- It's just a theory, and I'm not claiming it's true, but hear me out.
Maybe the reason that Roger Clemens got shelled for a record six-runs in the first inning of the All-Star game wasn't because he was nervous pitching in front of his home crowd, or because of his pitch location or because of anything else.
Maybe it was because Mike Piazza, in the ultimate act of payback to Clemens, told the American League hitters what was coming.
Think about it. Piazza, despite his friendly handshake with Clemens before the game, is still mad at The Rocket for the beanball he threw and the bizzare bat incident in the 2000 World Series.
So how can he get revenge on Clemens? By telling Manny Ramirez to expect a fastball away and hinting to Alfonso Soriano that he might want to look for a cutter.
Clemens gets shelled, Piazza gets retribution and nobody is the wiser.
No, you say? Piazza wouldn't let some childish payback get in the way of World Series home-field advantage for his league?
Rubbish.
First, Piazza plays for the Mets. So he knows that the only way he's seeing the World Series in person is if he's Derek Jeter's date.
Second of all, Piazza still has a fu-manchu mustache. And anybody who is willing to make that follicle-statement in 2004 clearly can't be trusted.