You've Got Mail... and Steroids: Internet Drug Ring Investigated

The internet has always had a reputation of spreading ideas, thoughts, beliefs and apparently, now drugs to people on a daily basis. Many professional and collegiate athletes have been said to have gotten steroids, anti-aging treatments and other performance enhancers through the internet and prompted a pharmaceutical raid on Tuesday, March 27, 2007, in Orlando. The pharmacy has been identified as Signature Pharmacy and collected nearly $36 million in income by ignoring federal and state prescription laws.

The consumer list of this online scandal is pretty hefty and includes many notable names in the sport industry. As reported by EPSN.com, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr., major league pitcher Jason Grimsley, former baseball star Jose Canseco and heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield are among the websites clientele.

Gary Matthews Jr. commented by saying "Until we get more information, I can't comment on it. I ask that you respect my position. I don't want to be a distraction to the team. At the appropriate time I will comment on it."

Canseco had admitted to using drugs for baseball but his agent stated that he got his steroids from a teammate, gym or a doctor-- and probably not from the internet. He then went on to say that he is taking testosterone now because a side effect of taking them is that it lowers your testosterone levels.

A pittsburgh Steelers physician, Richard Rydze, is also under investigation. He has spent $150,000 on testosterone and human growth hormones and obtained these through the internet drug ring. He, however, claims that he bought these medications for elderly patients and that none of them are on the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to SI.com.

Federal and state agents raided two Signature Pharmacies on Tuesday. Four company officials were indicted for an array of actions-- including: enterprise corruption, criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal diversion of prescription medications and insurance fraud. Prosecutors want them to be brought to New York for a hearing on Thursday. During the raid, officials seized anabolic steroids and human growth hormone.

"I can't tell you what percentage of their business was legal and how much
involved stacking steroids, but there was a mix," Carl Metzger narcotics
commander for the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation in Orlando said.

According to David Soares, a District Attorney for Albany, NY, he remains hopeful that this will limit a vast majority of the distribution of these drugs.

So... what exactly does this mean for the sporting community?

Well, if these allegations turn out to be true, you can be sure that drastic measures will be taken. Since it is apparent that drug testing is still an ongoing problem among team members, a stricter drug testing policy will probably be enforced. Team members that are said to have used steroids no longer serve as role models to society because team members are making fans question their credibility to their successes and skills. This case might crack down on drug use and eventually all the names of these athletes will be exposed. Along with the BALCO steroid scandal, this incident helps illustrate that highly paid sports officials are cheating. This also doesn't look too good for league managers and commissioners. They constantly have to reassure U.S. lawmakers that they can maintiain control of team players. Athletes also take these drugs acknowledging the short-term effects but fail to realize the effects in the long run.

IU Announces Football Schedule

Indiana finally announced its football schedule for the 2007 season becoming one of the last teams to do so. The conference schedule was already known but for those of us who actually care about Indiana football the anticipation was over who the non-conference opponents would be.

The season kicks off at home against division I-AA opponent Indiana State and since the game starts at 6 P.M. that should give students plenty of time to drink before the game. The next week IU travels to Kalamazoo, Michigan to take on Western Michigan which appears to be the toughest non-conference game of the year.

The next week IU will be back at home to face the Akron Zips in the first ever meeting between the two schools. This game is also at 6 P.M. The last non-conference game at home against Ball State is sandwiched into the Big Ten season in between games at Wisconsin and at Northwestern. Ball State could give IU a tough time with Nate Davis at quarterback who is an Antwaan Randle El type player.

With this schedule I see IU finishing either 7-5 or 6-6 and earning their first bowl bid since 1993. 8-4 is possible if IU can win all their games at home and pull off a win at either Michigan State or Northwestern but home games against Penn State and Purdue will be tough and IU still has trouble on the road in the Big Ten.

In other IU football news the Hoosiers brought in 19 recruits for next season. Hoeppner and his staff did a nice job of finding talented players along the defensive line bringing in three star recruits Eric Thomas, Fred Jones, Jeff Boyd and Max Dedmond. Dedmond is expected to switch from tight end to the defensive line. Junior college transfer Kevin Burrus will also help out at defensive tackle and since he enrolled at IU this past January he will be able to participate in spring ball and get a jump on the other recruits.

The loss of four star recruit and top safety prospect in the nation Jerimy Finch to Florida was a blow to IU's recruiting class but IU was able to establish important recruiting pipelines to powerhouse high school football programs like Warren Central in Indianapolis and Glenville high school in Ohio.

With the solid recruits Hoeppner is bringing in, an easy non-conference schedule, and a Big Ten schedule that doesn't include Ohio State or Michigan next year, I look for the 2007 season to be the year IU finally breaks through and returns to a bowl game.

Quality Lacrosse

Today in class Galen talked about lacrosse and it's lack of national attention. I thought it was an interesting assessment as I was born and raised in Maryland, a town, where we eat, breathe, sleep lacrosse. I've played since I was three years old and I love watching it, just about as much as I love playing. It's an institution on the east coast and really not much else matters once the spring season rolls around. Baltimore hosts the NCAA Tournament almost every year and local colleges Johns Hopkins, Towson and Maryland are powerhouses.

I really just wonder why lacrosse is a sport of a region. Basketball, while worshipped Indiana is everywhere, and its the same with other sports. Rugby is huge in Australia and other foreign countries, why has it not caught on here. Cricket and net ball are two other prime examples.

My post is really just calling for responses as to what you think about sports not catching on everywhere and why this might be. Also, are there solutions that can help with spreading the desire to play?

It's not iffy if it's Griffey

Throughout the 90's, Ken Griffey Jr. was referred to in the realm of sports as 'The Kid.'

The golden boy in baseball. Hitting towering home runs with the cleanest stroke in the majors. Climbing the wall in center field to come up with eye-popping catches was almost expected of him. Winning homerun derby's with ease and his hat flipped backwards was a joy to watch. Junior was the best of his time.

Was? Meaning he isn't anymore?

The 1998 season seemed to be the one that burried Junior's image of being the greatest. The home run race involving muscle heads Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa took center stage in Major League Baseball. With the league's focus swirling around McGwire and Sosa, Junior took a back seat to all of the hype.

Following the 1999 season, Seattle traded Junior back to his roots in Cincinnati. Let me assure you, as an avid Reds fan and being from Cincy, Reds fans couldn't be more optimistic. However, as the first season passed by, then the second, and third, that optimism turned into a mix of disappointment and criticism as Junior delt with a series of injuries. Baseball fans began to forget about Griffey as he was helplessly sitting on the IR.

Oh, yeah, let's not forget about Barry. At the turn of the millenium, Bonds demanded baseball's attention with his record-setting homerun season and unbelievable numbers. Yet Bonds is still Bonds - having problems in the clubhouse, steroid accusations, and being an overall jackass to the media. Unless you're from San Franciso, it's pretty hard to love Barry.

As of late, Bonds is under an extreme amount of criticism for allegedly using steroids. So is McGwire and Sosa. The debate goes on whether or not these players should be allowed into Cooperstown.

Yet, everyone seems to ignore the fact that Ken Griffey Junior has quietly broke into the top 10 homerun hitters of all time. He's done it while dealing with season-ending injuries, not to mention doing it while everyone's heads were turned to McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds. He's also done it, (GASP!), without the help of 'roids (as far as we know). There is no doubt that one day Griffey will earn his spot in the Hall and rightfully so.

Junior still is the best of his generation, as well as the best of those who do it without any help from the juice. Baseball needs to give Griffey the credit where the credit is well overdue.


Page 2 on espn.com had an article about this topic as well. Here it is:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=pearlman/070222

We're taking "mid-major" back

I was plowing through my various assigned readings tonight when I got a text message from my buddy John. The message was succinct, but confusing:

"Is Huggins going to a 9-ball tournament after the game?!"

I was perplexed, but then I turned the TV on and flipped over to ESPN, which was showing the Kansas - Kansas State game. And sure enough, there was Bob Huggins, dressed in...uh...well, I'm not sure what it was exactly. A purple shirt with a black vest. He looked like the Black Widow [see accompanying picture...rack 'em!]. (Either that, or he looked like Norman Chad...I'm not sure which is worse.)

Anyway, some items from the last day or so:

- The AP and ESPN polls can't seem to figure out who #1 is. The AP voted Wisconsin #1 overall, while ESPN (voted on by the coaches) made the baffling choice of voting Ohio State #1...despite the fact that Wisconsin BEAT Ohio State in their only head-to-head matchup so far. Apparently that whole head-to-head thing really doesn't matter to the coaches? Suddenly the BCS is starting to make a lot more sense.

Actually, even though we can't eliminate head-to-head from the equation, I can somewhat understand the polls' confusion on this matter. If you look at the tempo-free statistics (provided by basketball stats ace Ken Pomeroy), the two teams are practically even in all areas. They play at basically the same pace (about average amongst Division I teams), they both are ridiculously efficient on offense (with Ohio State holding a slight edge), and they're both ridiculously efficient on defense (with Wisconsin holding the edge). Their predictor numbers are, for all intents and purposes, equal. For the sake of competition, I hope that Wisconsin can take care of business in East Lansing on Tuesday and enter Columbus with just one loss. In what has been a very down year for the Big Ten as a whole, it'd be quite a boost to the conference's overall profile to have two teams engaging in a legitimate #1 vs #2 slugfest on a national stage.

- In the wake of that bizarre spectacle during the All-Star game which saw a severely overweight Charles Barkley easily beat older-than-dirt NBA referee Dick Bavetta in a footrace, Texas Tech head coach Bob Knight weighed in with another classic broadside against over-aged (and overbooked) college officials:

"To have some guy 54 or 55 years old referee six times a week is a real disservice to the kids who are playing," said Knight. "They have plenty of other places they can go. They can go to the NBA, they can go to the NAIA, they can go to junior college, they can go to high school. For years, the NCAA has hidden behind individual employment contractors. I think that's all [baloney]. You say, 'All right, if you're going to work in this league, this is how you're going to work. And if you don't want to work in this league, fine, you've got other leagues to work in.' Check schedules and you'll rarely see where kids play three games a week. These kids are 19, 20 and 21 years old."

Give 'em what-for, Bob! Seriously though, the man has a point. The era of the multi-conference official has given rise to some consistently bad officiating performances --- I invite anyone who doubts this to tune in to any Big Ten game for evidentiary purposes. I do find it remarkable that, despite past research which shows serious problems regarding collegiate officials and gambling, we see practically no leadership from the NCAA in regulating officials.

- That wasn't all that Coach Knight had to say. In what must have been a very eventful Big 12 conference call on Monday, Knight also blasted the current state of affairs which requires NBA prospects to be at least one year removed from high school before they can enter the draft --- with many of the top prospects expected to enter college for one year and then move along.

"Now you can have a kid come to school for a year and play basketball and he doesn't even have to go to class. He certainly doesn't have to go to class the second semester. I'm not exactly positive about the first semester. But he would not have to attend a single class the second semester to play through the whole second semester of basketball. That, I think, has a tremendous effect on the integrity of college sports."

That might be an overly cynical view of some of these players, but at the same time, experience has taught us that such a mentality is more prevalent than not amongst top-level NBA prospects. I do wonder why we haven't seen the NCAA make some sort of policy statement in this area.

Okay, actually I don't wonder that at all. Something tells me that Myles and his thugs are more than happy to keep quiet, watch the money flow in, and then make some vacuous statements about "academic responsibility" among the top universities in Division I.

- I was watching College GameNight tonight, trying to get caught up on the happenings in bracketland, when the conversation on the show turned to the Bracket Buster from this past weekend. Rece Davis asked Digger and Stacey who they thought the most dangerous "mid-major" was going to be once March rolled around. Digger jumped in immediately and said "Winthrop!", while Stacey went with the Nevada Wolf Pack.

Now, hold on a friggin' minute.

I've been involved in bracketology for almost a decade. I've been making mock brackets since I was in high school. I've been involved in a mock tournament committee, which meets every week online and goes through the same procedures that the "real" committee goes through, since the start of the millenium. I have no hesitation in saying that my immersion in bracketology and college basketball in general is on par with even the most die-hard hoops junkies. As such, I get a little irritated when random media commentators start inserting themselves in the process like they've been doing it all their lives (which they haven't).

One of my biggest irritations in this matter is relatively new, and it has to do with this stupid (yes, stupid) urge that every media commentator seems to have with labeling every non-BCS conference team a "mid-major". What was once a term for a very specific type of team has suddenly ballooned into a trendy catch-all catchphrase, and it needs to stop.

Let's examine what a "mid-major" actually is. I can't pin down a specific instance when it was first used, but I recall it coming into vogue in the late 90's, along with bracketology as a whole. The term was originally meant to designate those teams from non-Division I-A football conferences who nonetheless were able to compete with the big boys for at-large tournament berths. The teams who most often were associated with the term "mid-major" tended to be from conferences such as the Missouri Valley Conference, the Horizon League, the Mid-American Conference, the Sun Belt, the Colonial Athletic Association, and the West Coast Conference.

Certain schools who didn't have Division I-A football still didn't quite qualify as "mid-majors", simply because their leagues were relatively prominent in the college basketball landscape. The Atlantic 10 is probably the best example of this. Although none of its members ever was Division I-A in football, the league featured such successful basketball programs as Temple under John Chaney, UMass under John Calipari, St. Joseph's, and Xavier.

Now, however, the term "mid-major" is thrown around like candy. Terming WINTHROP as a mid-major is not only a grievous misstatement, but it's actually a disservice to what Winthrop has accomplished. Winthrop is a small school in Rock Hill, South Carolina, part of the Big South Conference. The Big South Conference doesn't exactly have a history of basketball prowess --- in fact, it's been one of the worst conferences in Division I basketball for years, annually competing with the SWAC and the MEAC for who can have the worst conference RPI. Outside of Winthrop, I don't believe a Big South school has ever been given a seed higher than 14th in the tournament. If anything, Winthrop is a "small" school who has managed to build a remarkable college basketball program. Call them what you want, but for heaven's sake, don't call them a mid-major.

Nevada is another problem child when it comes to the mid-major label. The WAC may be a step below what it was prior to the Mountain West schools breaking off and forming their own conference, but all of its members are still card-carrying "big" schools, complete with Division I-A football programs and financial endowments that far exceed those of the MVC or the CAA.

Aha!, you may be thinking. But what about the MAC and the Sun Belt? Both of those conferences have Division I-A football too! So they're not mid-majors either, right?

Wrong. The Sun Belt and the MAC are exceptions to the rule, much as the Atlantic 10 is an exception. The Sun Belt membership does indeed contain some Division I-A programs, but most have been added within the past 10 years --- with some of the schools only attaining Division I-A status in that time period (e.g., Florida International, Florida Atlantic). Furthermore, almost 40% of the conference's schools don't field Division I-A football programs.

As for the MAC, it's the only conference where the power brokers in Division I-A football have made consistent, repeated efforts to have their Division I-A status revoked...and while I'd never side with the Division I-A powerbrokers, they may have a point. MAC teams such as Eastern Michigan and Ball State routinely fall below the required attendance numbers for Division I-A status. Until the last few years, the MAC has consistently been shut out of bowl agreements, something that the WAC and Mountain West have managed to avoid. The mere presence of the MAC in Division I-A football is an underdog story, that of schools which don't quite have the resources but continue to compete regardless.

All I'm asking for is some forethought and restraint to be practiced by basketball commentators. The concept of the mid-major as it was originally conceived stands for many good things in college basketball. With the success of legitimate mid-majors such as George Mason, Bradley, and Wichita State over the past few years, the concept has the possibility of taking on even greater meanings. When commentators haphazardly assign the term to any team with a chance to make noise in the tournament, however, it cheapens the value of the word and the concepts it embodies.

A Homophobes Apoligy

Last week Tim Hardaway (former Miami Heat gaurd) who had a good reputation in south florida stated on a Miami radio station "You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."

At the end of the radio interview Hardaway was asked what he would do if he was still in the NBA and found out that one of his teammates was gay, Hardaway said he would ask for the player to be traded or to be bought out of his contract. finally, when asked what if the player that was gay was a great player, ''If he were that great something would still have to give,'' he said. ``People would feel uncomfortable with that. If you're not gay, nobody in that locker room would feel comfortable with that person on your team.''

Two days after this surprising interview with retired Miami Heat basketball star, current Miami Heat stars Dwayne Wade, Shaquile O'Neal, and Jason Kapono announced to the press that they disagreed with the gay tolerance portrayed by Hardaway in his radio interview (Ft.Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel).

"I am a guy who loves his teammates," Wade said. "I don't look at it like [Hardaway]. I look at it like, `What can guys do for you [on the court]?" (Ft.Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)

Two days after the Miami Heats star player commented on Hardaways views, Hardaway himself appoligized on to a Miami television station saying that he didn't mean what he said.

"It was like, you know, I had killed somebody. ... I never knew that this was going to escalate that high," Hardaway said. (Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)

Hardaway who was suppose to be part of some of the All-Star activities this weekend was asked by the NBA not to show up and take part in any of the activities that he was previously asked to take part in. (Palm Beach Post)

As a result of the radio interview and all of the attention which it brought, Hardaway lost endorsements and decided to change the name of his carwash chain in Miami so that his employees would not suffer for his mistakes.

It has been an action-packed week for Tim Hardaway however it appears that he had enough energy to survive. Perhaps he should consider teaming up with Scottie Pippen (who has recently announced his interest in returning to the NBA to play for the Miami Heat) and talk about arranging a meeting with Pat Riley to talk about using his energy on the court instead of announcing his homophobic views on radio stations.

Not So Dunkalicious....

I don't know about you but I was not impressed with last night's NBA dunk competition. In fact it was more amusing watching Charles Barkley race sixty-seven year old referee Dick Bavetta. The dunk contest use to be one of the most exciting competitions in all of sports. After last night I was convinced that the format of the dunk contest needs to be changed so that no player can attempt a dunk more than three times. I almost feel asleep before Nate Robinson finally threw one down on his tenth attempt in the finals of the competition. I realize that the event gets tougher to reveloutionize each year, but something has to be done to bring back the excitement the competition once had.

Gerald Green ended up taking home the 2007 Slam Dunk Champion title after flying over a table and performing a windmill type jam. After receiving a perfect score of 50 on his final dunk Green said:

I've always dreamed about being in the dunk contest, [but] I never dreamed about
actually winning," said Green, who was in high school in Texas two years ago.
"Just coming out here to Las Vegas and winning it for my fans in Houston, my
fans in Boston, is tremendous."

Below is a video of Green's final dunk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sOGucH1Zg4

"The Real Sexy Rexy" of the NFL

The Ravens are a powerhouse for defensive coordinators getting the head coaching nod in the NFL and while I am honestly proud of the fact that our team is noted for the great defensive mindset we have, it scares the hell out of me.

Brian Billick has a great passion for not only the game, but he also brings the best coaches to the sidelines of M&T Bank.

If Rex leaves, I know we can replace him, but I wonder how we can continually replace our leaders. We lose Marvin Lewis to the Redskins and then the Bengals (although I wonder if he wants to be back in Purple or get arrested) and we let Mike Nolan get the nod.

Rex Ryan is a top notch guy who understands what it takes to win and I am more than happy that the Chargers think the best of him, but I am also selfish within this matter.

The Baltimore Sun reported ...
What caught the eye of everyone in the Chargers' organization was Ryan's jewelry - the Super Bowl ring he won with the Ravens in January 2001.

"That would be something that we'd be targeting," Ryan told San Diego reporters after meeting with Chargers executives yesterday. "We'd like to get several of those, but we want to put a different logo on it."

The Chargers obviously agree...

“It was great to sit down and talk football with Rex,” Smith said. “We exchanged philosophical views, and a lot of it leaned on defense because of my philosophy that defense wins championships. That’s Rex’s expertise. He was born and raised in a football family with a great defensive-minded coach. We talked about his upbringing in football, and I found that very interesting.”

Dont Go Rex...But if you do...I'll root for you, not the Chargers

Boston Bids Adieu to its Glory Days

Remember Larry Bird? How 'bout Kevin McHale? OK, now try Robert Parish. Put those three players together and you'll get a pretty good picture of what the Boston Celtics used to be. It's called the 'Glory Days', folks - and unfortunately for Boston Celtics fans, those days are loooong gone.

With their recent loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves - which marked their 18th straight - the Celtics are in jeopardy of breaking the NBA's all-time record for consecutive losses of 24. Star Paul Pierce, who recently returned to the team from an injury, summed up the Celtics' emotion right now fairly well.

"You can feel it in the locker room, each loss definitely hurts," Pierce said. "These guys are going to keep playing hard. We just need to get it out of our head."

The saddest part about this Boston team though is that they have talent. It may be wasted talent and it may be overrated, but its talent nonetheless. And in professional sports nowadays, there is little to no excuse for a team with even the tiniest amount of talent to lose 18 straight games...especially in the NBA. Blame the star player (Paul Pierce), or the coach (Doc Rivers), or whoever else you want (I picked Sebastian Telfair, only because I hated his ESPN documentary). In the end, it comes down to chemistry. This Celtics team simply doesn't have any.

Back in the day, the Celtics exemplified team chemistry. Bird was a star, yes, but was McHale? Not really. Was Parish? No, but he was tall. These guys simply worked well together, they played as a team. Hell, they even had Bill Walton at one point. Toss in guys like Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson and Dee Brown and its still a wonder how this team played so well together throughout the 80s and into the early 90s. To put it simply, Pierce is going to have to play the hand he's been dealt and do his best impersonation of Larry Bird.

Luckily for Boston, their next game is against the Milwaukee Bucks, not exactly a perennial powerhouse in the NBA. However, if the Celtics can't pick up a win there, they'll have to pull out a miracle in one of their five...count 'em five...West Coast matchups against either the Kings, Suns, Lakers, Jazz or Rockets.

These guys just can't catch a break, can they?

Setting the agenda in sport journalism

By now, anyone with even a passing viewership interest in ESPN programming has seen the latest news regarding former Penn State star and NBA player John Amaechi's decision to announce that he is gay. Amaechi, a native of England and a television personality in that country, has written a book about his playing career in American professional basketball, detailing his thoughts and experiences from his time with several NBA franchises, including several pointed comments about members of the Utah Jazz.

Commentary and conversation regarding this incident have been predictably positive, with most commentators applauding Amaechi's decision to announce his sexual preference (One notable exception was ESPN Page 2's LZ Granderson).

What I find most interesting, however, is the manner in which this story has found its way into the sport news cycle. The story broke on ESPN's "bottom line" on Wednesday morning, and was followed up immediately by an article (linked above) written by ESPN's Chris Sheridan. Amaechi's book, titled "Man in the Middle", is being published by ESPN Books. Amaechi is scheduled to discuss the book and the reaction to it this Sunday --- on ESPN's Outside the Lines. ESPN's flagship programs, including SportsCenter, Pardon the Interruption, Around the Horn, and the Sports Reporters, either have devoted significant time to the story or are planning to. And ESPN's coverage has expanded to include comments from several players, with the attention focusing on comments that could be construed as controversial. For instance, one of the first quotes relayed in the updated ESPN.com story on the topic, from Philadelphia 76ers forward Shavlik Randolph, read:

"As long as you don't bring your gayness on me I'm fine," Randolph said. "As far as business-wise, I'm sure I could play with him. But I think it would create a little awkwardness in the locker room."

One can be assured that, at some point, there will be an even more controversial comment made regarding the issue --- and I would be shocked if that comment did not engender a fresh cycle of stories and commentary from the various facets of ESPN.

There's no question in my mind that Amaechi's announcement is indeed newsworthy, particularly since he is the first NBA player, past or present, to acknowledge his homosexuality. But one has to wonder whether the attention being paid to this story is solely attributable to its relative newsworthiness. It's fascinating to me that ESPN is not only the source of the story (with the book being published by its sister enterprise), but is also the main source for commentary and opinion --- AND the main source for sparking continued interest in the story.

Is this merely an effort by ESPN to give this story its due in terms of coverage? Or does ESPN have a vested financial interest in keeping this story afloat?

Ultimately, this is an issue that companies like ESPN, which have expanded their business operations beyond the realm of sports journalism, are going to face. Whether or not ESPN's journalistic intent in covering this story is pure, the question of whether they are setting the agenda to attempt to promote a product is one that begs to be asked.

NFL Drug Policy Still Not Enough

After the San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman’s appointment to the Pro Bowl, the NFL finally did the right thing. . . well at least they are headed that way. The NFL Players Association has agreed to ban any player who tests positive for performance enhancing drugs from participating in the Pro Bowl in that same season. This rule however will not go into effect until next year, so Merriman will still get to play in this year’s Pro Bowl. Merriman was suspended this year for 4 games after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs, but still managed to make a big enough impact in his 12 games to make the Pro Bowl roster.

It is good to see that the NFL made sure that players using performance enhancing drugs will not make the Pro Bowl, in addition to the 4-game suspension that is already in place, but even then the NFL’s punishment for a positive test is a joke. Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor had it right when he said, “You really shouldn't be able to fail a test like that and play in this league, to begin with.”

Indianapolis Colts’ Dwight Freeney basically said that there is no way to tell how many plays a player made because of this unfair advantage. I would agree with this and even take a step further by saying that there is no way to tell how much extra money a player made because of this unfair advantage. A player could use performance enhancers for years without getting caught and continue to reap the rewards from doing so (both physically and financially) for years after the player is caught. A lot of players may take this chance if the only punishment is a 4-game suspension and no Pro Bowl appointment.

The NFL is on the right track, but they should do more to deter players from using performance enhancing drugs.

Too Much Love for Manning

After Super Sunday's 29-17 Colts victory, Peyton Manning got the proverbial monkey off his back and a questionable Super Bowl MVP award as well.

Except for the frequent, and well-deserved bashing of Rex Grossman, the media spent the entire season glorifying the defense of the Chicago Bears even after Tommie Harris' injury significantly diluted the team's run D. But after Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai rushed a total of 40 times for 190 yards (4.75 yds per carry), it turned out that, despite what Denny Green said, the Bears weren't really who everyone thought they were.

Regardless of that, at least one member of the Colts' backfield duo should have received MVP honors. Rhodes had 113 yards on the ground and a score, and Addai, in addition to his 77 rushing yards, set a Super Bowl record for RBs with 10 receptions for another 66 yards. Yes, Manning had a good game, but Rhodes and Addai converted several key 3rd and shorts and ran for clock-milking first downs when the Bears KNEW Indy would run.

I'm glad to see Peyton squash the biggest criticisms against him (though I'm sure more will appear until he's retired), but he shouldn't be given the award simply in an effort to avoid naming a backup running back MVP or having the award split. Is Cadillac somehow involved in this? Are they not willing to dish out a second Escalade? Considering GM's struggles, that's not too far fetched. Anyways . . . the Super Bowl MVP award should not be given to the franchise player as a tiebreaker between two other players. Peyton Manning is no exception. I mean, Kelvin Hayden put as many points on the board as Peyton did.

Fowl Fouls and the Aussie Softy

Over the Back, Reaching In, Technical, Personal, Holding, Illegal Screen. . .

I'm sure everyone just witnessed IU losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes today. The Big Ten Conference is known for tough play and being an aggressive conference. Fact is, we're not in the ACC where the referees are there to protect the J.J. Reddick's of the world. In today's game, if I recall, 56 fouls were called in total, in which Mike White, A.J. Ratliff, and then D.J. White all fouled out. The pace of the whole game seemed as if a whistle was called on every other play. The fouls were called equally on each team, 28/28, but being a fan, having to sit there and watch it made me want to watch Pros vs Joe's instead. If that isn't bad enough, although the calls were even, the Hawkeyes shot an unprecedented 37 free throw attempts while our Hoosiers only attempted 23. Something wrong was cooking in this game, and I believe it was some home cooking. Of course we could have played better and definitely rebounded better, but we played like a bunch of Ben Allens. I dont know if that's because any movement made on the court was called a foul, or if that softy Aussie has influenced everyone to play to his "capabilities"

I remember when I was a freshman, and everyone was excited with the "Aussie Aussie Aussie" cheer and he was the new flavor of the week. Now, the pride and joy of the Mike Davis recruiting era, is the laughing stock of the back up to D.J. White. Just today, when I thought he finally did something good and got a single rebound, he gets stripped and Iowa scores seconds later. I was in a rage; first of all because I despise Ben Allen as a basketball player, and second of all because it was during a key point in the second half of the game. I never know if he's fully awake or pays attention on the court. It always looks like he just took a nap and reminds me a the melancholy nonchalant Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. I don't know if anyone else has as much hatred for Ben Allen on the basketball court as I do, but I do allow all new comers.

On a more positive note, I leave you with a little something to remember for the weekend:

Our Papa
Who art a Bear
Hallowed by the fame
The championship come
They play be run
As home as it is away
Give us this day our Sunday win
Ans forgive us our turnovers
Though we pounce on those who turnover against us
And lead us not into fourth and long
But deliver us from Krenzel

DDDDAAAAAAMEN

Go bears

Gordon Impresses Crowd, MJ

For the sake of University of Illinois basketball fans, it was probably good that they got to enjoy their home victory over Kelvin Sampson's Indiana Hoosiers on Jan. 23. If these same fans tuned into ESPN2 on Thursday night, there is a good chance that they would have cursed violently and enter a highly depressed state of mind while watching Hoosier recruit, Eric Gordon, electrify the crowd with 43 points during North Central High School's 88-47 victory over Loyola Academy from Illinois.

Gordon, of course, committed to Illinois during his sophomore season at North Central and changed his mind when Kelvin Sampson took the reigns at IU.

The game Thursday night was not your average high school basketball event. Aside from the national television coverage and the #22 nationally ranked team facing off against Gordon and his Panther team, there was a fairly noticable face in the crowd. Possibly the greatest player of all time, Michael Jordan, was there to see his two sons, Jeffrey and Marcus, play for Loyola Academy.

After Loyola jumped out to an early lead, Gordon did not waste any time showing his stuff to the one they call 'Air Jordan.' Gordon had 17 first quarter points, and ultimately led North Central to a surprising blow-out win. Gordon's performance didn't go unnoticed by the NBA legend.

"He's a good player," Michael Jordan said. When asked about the Jordan-like killer instinct Gordon exhibited, Jordan smiled. "Yeah, it's there, but I didn't shoot like that when I was in high school."

The show put on my Gordon gave Hoosier fans an exciting preview of what will be coming to Bloomington next fall, and it gave Illini faithful a painful reminder of why they are so bitter about the whole deal. As ESPN commentator Doug Gottlieb said, "Gordon is a program changer."

If the Orange Krush's treatment of Sampson was considered harsh, it is hard to imagine what will be in store for Gordon when he visits that other Assembly Hall next year. But I have a feeling Gordon will have a little something in store for them as well...possibly a highlight reel and a Hoosier win.

Here is a quick highlight of a couple Gordon plays from the game for those that didn't see it.

ABA's Maryland Nighthawks add # 79

The Maryland Nighthawks introduced 7'9" Sun Ming Ming to the rest of the basketball world today. Ming, who last played with the Dodge City Legend of the United States Basketball League will be used as a ploy to sell tickets and attract fans to the ABA. Nonetheless, it is big news and the NBA has taken notice.

"We will monitor his progress. His name has cropped up, but since he's never really played, I don't know how he can be on our radar," Marty Blake, the NBA's director of scouting, said in a telephone interview. "We would be interested in a player of some repute anywhere in the world, especially one who's 7-9. ... As (former Utah Jazz coach) Frank Layden always said, 'You can't teach height."

As noted in the teams release the team and the community is pumped to get the big man in their arena for many reasons noted again by USA Today.

Nighthawks coach William Rankin, the man who will reap the benefits of #79, foresees Sun will play roughly 28-30 minutes a game; with his debut coming this Saturday.

Sun already has made a fan of his new teammates with Nighthawks guard Randy Gill telling the crowd,"Every day, somebody's going to get dunked on."


Go Nighthawks!