A Mavs fan with a broken heart

Dear friends,

Please, I need a shoulder to cry on.  Someone hug me.  I need someone to wrap their arms around me and whisper into my ear that everything will be okay.  I need someone to wipe my tears away.  There are no reasons for me to smile.  My umbrella blew away and a rain cloud is perpetually following me around.  Depression has set in.

Unhappily,

Joshua F.

**NOTE: I'm not suicidal; I'm simply a Dallas Mavericks fans.  And tonight, I'm hurting.

I realize that a seven-game series does not really get started until a road team wins, and I've subscribed to that theory for years.  But by that logic this year, the first round playoff series between the Mavericks and Hornets appears to be over before it ever really gets started.

The Mavericks 103-127 loss in New Orleans tonight hurt to watch.  I love the Mavericks.  I've been going to games and cheering for this team when they won 11 and 13 games in consecutive seasons.  But these aren't the 1990s Dallas Mavericks.  There are expectations - not even championship expectations at this point - that are not only not being met, but the team isn't coming close to them.  

As I said, I love the Mavericks; I'll be at Game 3 wearing my blue and cheering my ass off for this team until the final buzzer.  But watching the game tonight, I couldn't help but think back to the 2006 NBA Finals and wonder if that was it.  Was that the window of opportunity for the Dallas Mavericks?  Has it officially closed?  Will they ever get back?

A trip to the finals is not guaranteed for any franchise in any sport, and it's impossible to tell whenever a team will get back.

Since the 2006 Finals, I've tried to be positive.  I haven't thought Avery Johnson needed to be replaced as head coach.  I haven't gone around and said Dirk isn't the answer.  And it's only now - now that the Mavericks are down 0-2 after a pair of very discouraging and disappointing games in New Orleans - that the doubt has crept in.

There are no more officials to blame for mystery fouls of Dwayne Wade (which, by the way, two of the more crucial calls in the 2006 Finals were made by former NBA referee Tim Donoghy, who is now in trouble for fixing games).  There is no more excuse of "they were tired after a 67-win season."  There are no more excuses.

Tonight the Mavs lost to a better team who wanted it more.  A lot more.  The Hornets seemed to care.  The Mavericks didn't.

When Devean George put of a crap 3-pointer after checking into the game just moments before, I think I died a little bit inside.

Now all of this might be irrelevant after two quick Mavericks wins at the American Airlines Center, once again proving the theory that a seven-game series is not officially underway until a road team wins a game.  But the frustration and negative emotion I'm feeling tonight is a direct result of the disappointing performances Dallas has shown in the first two games of the 2008 post season.

I hope they turn it around.  I want them to turn it around.  And part of me will be shocked if they do turn it around.  But as a fan, there is always hope.  Sadly, however, hope is just not a strategy that typically works in the playoffs.

Friday night is Game 3 in Dallas.  The Mavs can put all this negativity behind them with a win at home in three days.  It's easy to do.  Just win at home.  Protect the American Airlines Center.  Defend the home court.  If Dallas does that, they can steal moment have a chance to win this series.

The Mavs are the lower-seeded team.  The Hornets earned home-court and the right to open at home.  They have taken full advantage of home court.  If Dallas can do the same, then this series will not be the beginning of the end of the Mavericks as we know them today.  That's all it takes.  Win at home.

Win at home.

Please, please, Dallas Mavericks, just please win at home.

Response to criticism for Dirk/West incident

It's been a few days since Game 1 of the Mavs/Hornets first round playoff series, and I'm sick of the so-called sports experts on TNT, ESPN, etc saying that Dirk demonstrated a lack of toughness when he "just stood there" and let David West slap him in the face.

To the moron's claiming Dirk demonstrated a lack of toughness by not "doing something about it" and just "taking it" (I'm taking to you, Kenny Smith, Jim Rome, Charles Barkley, and countless others), I wonder what exactly Dirk was supposed to do?

THIS VIDEO demonstrates just how ridiculous some of these NBA analysts are.  If Dirk did "pimp slap him witta backhand" as this WANNABE GHETTO-FABULOUS TAG-ALONG from the Showtime Lakers says Dirk should have, it would have been a suspension, which this dumbass even eludes to!  Michael Cooper - the commentator - says Dirk should have "pimp-slapped him and pimp-slapped him hard" despite the fact that it would have probably caused, as he points out, "a game mob."  How does Dirk starting a fight between these two teams help the Mavs?  How is that showing toughness at all?  Michael Cooper, you are a moron.  I hope someone "pimp-slaps you witta backhand" in the hopes they knock some sense into you!

Quick question: Who is more valuable to their team: Dirk Nowitzki or David West?
Answer: Dirk Nowitzki -- by a long shot

So if Dirk "gets tough" and shoves West back, or swats his hand out of the way, or punches him in the face, or spits on him, or whatever else these bone-headed pundits think he should have done, Dirk would have been suspended for at least the second game of the series - perhaps even more.  Do yall remember what Dallas looked like when Dirk was injured for a few games?  It wasn't pretty.  What about when he was suspended for one game earlier in the year for a hard foul on Utah's Andre Kirilenko?  Dallas got stomped the next night by the Houston Rockets.

Without Dirk, the Mavs are not in the playoffs.  And if he's suspended, Dallas might as well not even take the court because they won't win, and it won't be close.

So if Dirk had gone Kermit Washington on David West and flattened him to the deck -- which would have been pretty cool -- then he would have been easily tossed, definitely costing Dallas game 2, and most likely costing them the series.

In the 2006 conference semi-finals, Jason Terry received a one-game suspension for punching Michael Finley during game 5 in San Antonio.  The result: Terry missed game 6, and San Antonio beat the Mavericks in Dallas to force game 7 at AT&T Center (if not for Ginobili's foul on Dirk to force game 7 into overtime, Terry is the goat for taking a stupid suspension and blowing Dallas' chance to win the series at home in game 6).

But if Dirk did stand up for himself and demonstrate this so-called toughness by turning West into Rudy Tomjanovich, people wouldn't be calling him tough.  They'd call him a cheap-shot punching goon who should be suspended for not only the rest of the (what would become a very short) post-season, but probably a few games into the 2008-09 campaign.

Dirk not slugging West was the smart thing to do.  Keep your cool.  Keep your composure.  Keep yourself eligible to play in the series.  The Mavs lost a game to the Lakers this year when Josh Howard took a stupid technical foul by throwing off his headband.  The Lakers won by four, and the technical foul shot cost Dallas a chance for a tying 3-point attempt at the game's end.  Why would Dirk want to make a similar mistake now when the playoffs are underway?  It makes no sense.

If anything, the referees blew it by not giving West a technical foul for tapping Dirk's face.  West needs to realize that Dirk is currently one of the game's greatest players.  West is a footnote next to an MVP-candidate.  Let's not confuse the two.  Dirk is the reigning NBA MVP.  West isn't the best player on his own team.

We'll find out in game two with Dirk's performance if he truly is "responding" to the incident by how tough he plays.  Until that time, get off this kick that he should have done something about it.  By walking away, he is giving his team the best chance to win -- as a true leader should do.

Duck Season over: Stars advance to Round 2

The Stars are in the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2003, and oh, does it feel so good! While losing game five hurt, being able to close out the series on home ice became a rewarding bonus for the team and its fans.

courtesy of dallasnews.com

A few thoughts on the game:

+ Interesting stat the Dallas Morning News had: this is the first time the Stars closed out a series on home ice since beating the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals at Reunion Arena. This was the first ever series clinched by the Stars at the AAC (which opened in 2001, *cough* *cough*).

+ Stephane Robidas = good. Stephane Robidas + broken nose = great. Has anyone else almost forgotten about Zubov and Boucher? Okay, okay, not forgotten, but the way the defensemen have been playing, the future of the franchise looks brighter with each game. If Zubov and Boucher - or perhaps even if just one of them - can make it back for any part of this postseason, the emotional boost and the talent boost could prove a deadly combination for any Stars opponent.

+ Marty Turco : clutch. Dallas trailed 1-0 until finally getting on the board in the third period. Turco not only limited the Ducks offense to one goal one several quality scoring chances early in the game, but when the Stars snatched two quick goals on the other end, Turco dug in and held the one-goal lead when it mattered most. Turco out-dueled JS Giguere in this series - which is not something many goalies can say. If he keeps this up, the Stars have potential to continue advancing.

+ In playoff hockey, the best team doesn't always win; the hottest team does (see Anaheim then-Mighty Ducks, 2003). The Stars are hot.

+ Third period scoring for Dallas has been amazing this series. The Stars scored 12 3rd-period goals this series compared to only four from the Ducks. In fact, the Stars 3rd-period goals was nearly as many goals the Ducks had for the entire series (13).

+ Dallas averaged 3.33 goals/game this series, scoring three or more goals in all but two games. Early this season, there were concerns this team couldn't score enough to compete. If you average more than three goals per game, and if Turco continues to play how he has so far in the playoffs, we could be in for more than just two more weeks of hockey.

Mavs/Hornets Game 1 thoughts

Some quick thoughts on the Mavericks/Hornets Game 1 of their first round playoff series:

Very frustrating Mavs loss, especially after such a nice first half. Did Dallas think that just because they beat the Hornets Wednesday when New Orleans had relatively little to play for that they could just take the second half off?

I don't think it's time to be calling for Avery's head (yet), and the concept of trading Dirk is idiotic (because you never get equal value when trading a superstar). But the supporting cast has to show up. Period.

This Hornets team struggles when they get in foul trouble because of their lack of depth, thus the Mavs should be driving the ball every chance they get. Just look at the damage the Mavs did Wednesday when the Hornets got in foul trouble. It's tough to draw fouls when you're shooting (and missing) 18-20 ft jump shots.

More aggressive in Game 2, and Dallas can split in N.O. - which is really all that's necessary.

For the Mavericks to win this series, they cannot do it on talent alone. They are going to have to play smarter than the Hornets (and all the Mavs fans mumbled collectively "CRAP!"). That means a few things:

1. No technical fouls (that means you, Josh Howard).  Tempers will get hot throughout a seven game series, but the team that wins will not let their emotions overtake them in crucial points of the game.

2. No dumb turnovers (ie, shot clock expiring as if out of nowhere).  If Jason Kidd makes an aggressive pass into the lane for a waiting Dampier and David West reaches in to break it up, that's fine.  But if the buzzer sounds on the shot clock, please don't look surprised.

3. Put pressure on the Hornets bench.  Drive to the basket to get the New Orleans bigs in early foul trouble.  The Mavs made their comeback run in Wednesday's regular-season finale when a lot of the New Orleans starters were on the bench in foul trouble.  The easiest way to make that happen again is by driving to the basket.  No one gets fouled shooting a fall-away three pointer.

4. Take high-percentage shots.  You'd think this would be obvious, but the Mavs made only nine - NINE! - field goals in the second half.  They shot 33.3% from the field on the night.  Perhaps some credit is due to the Hornets' defense, but a lot of the troubles stem from extremely poor shot selection.

A lot of this falls on Avery to reinforce, but some of it should not have to be reinforced.  Avery isn't the one not watching the shot clock or drawing up plays for bad shots.  The responsibility falls on the men on the court.  They need to play smarter the rest of this series.

PODCAST: Stars return home for Game 6

Dallas Stars returning home for Game 6

Great Barkley quote on Gasol

The following is from Barry Horn's column in today's Dallas Morning News:

The final word goes to TNT's Charles Barkley, who pontificated on the Lakers' acquisition of Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies: "Remember when we stole everything from the Indians? That's what it was like when the Lakers got Gasol for nobody."

I love Charles Barkley's analysis. He truly tells it like it is and doesn't care what others think. He is by far the most entertaining broadcaster, and he does a great job of breaking things down to the lower common denominator so even the most casual basketball fan can relate to the action. Barkley is the one of the reasons I'm excited for the Mavericks to have several games on TNT in the first round.

Game 5 post-game notes

A few quick thoughts on Game 5, and then I need some sleep (stupid late-starting West Coast games).

• Can't blame Marty Turco for this loss.  He was solid in net despite a 5-2 score.  One of those goals was an empty-netter, one found the net during a 5-on-3, and another snuck through more traffic than a motorcycle on The 5 in Anaheim.  In the other net, Giguere played his best game of the series when he needed to the most.  The Ducks had their backs against the wall, and they put plent of shots on goal, pushing Turco to his limits.  If I'm a Stars fan, I'm not thrilled with Turco's performance, but I'm not bothered by it either.


• The lower-seeded teams in a seven-game series typically win it in Game 6, when they are back at their home arena.  The idea that the Stars would win this series in 5 was out there - to say the least - going into this series.  Dallas has a chance to close out the series at the AAC Sunday night at 8pm, a much friendlier environment than Honda Center.


• Where'd the power-play go?In the first three games of the series, Dallas scored eight power-play goals in 20 chances.  Since then, the power-play became a sour-play, with the Stars going 0-for-11 in game 4 & 5.  Dallas found ways to score in the last two games, but they need to take advantage of having an extra man.


• Desperation settled in for Anaheim.  The defending Stanley Cup champions know how to deal with urgency (see: 2007 playoffs and the resulting title), so it's not a total shocker they came out strong with their backs against the wall.  Dallas still holds a 3-2 series lead with a chance to close things out at home.  Despite the Duck-desperation, if you're a lower-seeded team in the playoffs, all you really want is a 3-2 series lead going into Game 6 on your home floor.  If you get to that point, you have more than solid chance to advance to the next round.
  

Stars/Ducks series highlights

Game 1
Dallas Stars @ Anaheim Ducks - April 10, 2008
Stars win, 4-0



Game 2
Dallas Stars @ Anaheim Ducks - April 12, 2008
Stars win, 5-2



Game 3
Anaheim Ducks @ Dallas Stars - April 15, 2008
Ducks win, 4-2



Game 4
Anaheim Ducks @ Dallas Stars - April 17, 2008
Stars win, 3-1

Mavs/Hornets Picks

The Mavs open the post season in New Orleans tomorrow night as the clear-cut underdog in a series for the first time in several years. Or at least, that's what I thought.

But looking over some of the experts picks from some national outlets, perhaps these "experts" forgot which team was seeded where. The Hornets are the 2-seed, and they've been at or near the top of the Western Conference for the majority of the season. The Mavericks have struggled during the 2008 campaign, spending time in both first place and flirting with missing the playoffs. Dallas locked into the 7-seed when they beat the Hornets on Wednesday night.

Perhaps that win led to a lot of the expert picks for this series, or maybe it's the lack of post-season experience of the Hornets, or maybe this whole Jason Kidd thing is finally clicking. Whatever it is, here are some of the national picks for this series:

ESPN.com Expert Picks:

• J.A. Adande ... MAVERICKS (in 6)
  
• Chris Broussard ... MAVERICKS (in 7)
  
• Chad Ford ... HORNETS (in 7)
  
• John Hollinger ... HORNETS (in 7)
  
• Marc Stein ... MAVERICKS (in 6)
  
• David Thorpe ... MAVERICKS (in 7)
  

Two-thirds of the ESPN.com experts are picking the Mavericks, and two are saying they'll win in a Game 7 which would take place in New Orleans. It's no easy task to win Game 7 on someone else's home court. So I went to another source to see what their experts thought.

cbssportsline.com Expert Picks

• Greg Bromberg ... HORNETS (in 6)
  
• Lyle Crouse ... HORNETS (in 7)
  
• Sergio Gonzalez ... HORNETS (in 6)
  
• Jamey Elsenberg ... MAVERICKS (in 7)
  
• Aaron Weisberg ... HORNETS (in 7)
  

This seemed a little more like what the national perspective of this first-round series should be. The Mavericks aren't a top-seed. They aren't even a mid-level seed. They are essentially second-to-last in the Western Conference playoffs. That being said, Dallas finished only five games behind New Orleans for the season. Usually there is a much greater discrepancy of team records in a 2-7 series. Not in this year's West. Not be a long shot.

yahoo.com Sports

• Kenny Smith ... HORNETS (# of games not picked)
  

USA Today

• Zack Albert, Chris Colston and Bob Velin ... MAVERICKS (in 7)
  

Fox Sports

• Mike Kahn ... MAVERICKS (in 7)
  

AOL Sports

• Randy Kim ... MAVERICKS (in 6 or 7)
  

So while the Mavericks might be underdogs going into this series, there is a strong feeling that Dallas' experience and their overall desire to redeem themselves for last season's debacle will get them over the hump in this series.  A frightening number of experts are picking Dallas to win the series in seven games.  The Mavs' most recent Game 7 win on an opponent's floor came in the 2006 conference semi-finals in San Antonio.  Manu Ginobili fouled Dirk Nowitzki with mere seconds to go, sending Dirk to the line to sink a free throw to send the game into overtime.  Dallas stole the momentum and the series.

Of these national experts that I've been able to find, seven are picking New Orleans while eight are picking Dallas.  Despite having an MVP-candidate and a very strong team, the Hornets' lack of post-season experience is the reason some say they won't make a strong playoff run.  Others say it won't be a problem.  And while experience can be overrated, Dallas has a dearth of it that can't be counted out.

Only one thing is certain: when this series tips off tomorrow night, it'll be fun to watch.

NO JOSHIN' PICK: MAVERICKS in 6

Power to overcome

The Dallas Stars are one game away from the second round of the playoffs.  Up 3-1 on the defending Stanley Cup champions, the series returns to Anaheim tomorrow night for Game 5.  After a fart-and-fall-down performance in the first two periods of Game 3, Dallas picked up right where they left off in their strong third period.

Dallas defeated the Ducks tonight 3-1, with Anaheim's only goal coming with a meaningless 7.6 seconds left in the game.  The Ducks hit the Stars early and often, and the Stars simply seemed to shrug them off, accept the punishment, then rebound to burry the puck.

I do worry that the very physical play of the Ducks could hurt the Stars in the long run; the long-run being the rest of this opening-round series, or the rest of their playoff run - however long it may be.  It's a good thing Dallas is up 3-1 in this series, because they are being dealt so much punishment along the boards, I'm concerned about their ability to continue to shrug off these hits.

As long as the Stars are willing to absorb these hits and pass the puck up to neutralize the Ducks' forecheck, Dallas will continue to find the success they've had all series long.  In the next rounds, providing they finish this series off, it will be interesting to see how much pain they can absorb.  The Stars don't have the type of "enforcers" that patrolled the rink when they won the Cup in '99.  The Hatcher-Matvichuck type of defensemen no longer reside in Dallas.  The Stars are succeeding with younger, faster defensemen (more because they've had to as a result of injuries) instead of big bruisers.

If Dallas continues to fight through the big hits, they can enjoy a long playoff run.  If not, they could find themselves at home sooner than expected.

Mavs wrap regular season

Great win tonight by the Mavericks.  Great, great win.  They faced a tough opponent and were down by double-digits on multiple occasions.  Each time the Mavs rushed back to capture the lead and eventually the W over their will-be playoff opponent, the New Orleans Hornets.

The energy at the AAC tonight reached levels last seen during the 2006 playoffs when Dallas made its NBA Finals run.  I've been going to several Mavs games this season, and the fans did a great job of supporting the team tonight.  Too often do the Johnny-come-lately Dallas Mavs take the heat for not making the AAC a tough place to play, but tonight the sixth man came through.

Actually, it was the eighth man into the game for Dallas that fueled the fire...

• Jason Terry came off the bench after Eddie Jones and Brandon Bass entered the game.  JET wasted little time getting going.  Mavs fans say, "JET is on the runway."  After tonight, JET is soaring.  He dropped 30 points (one shy of his season high) on the Hornets, connecting on 50% of his 3-pointers, and energizing the fans with timely buckets.  Terry has been up and down during the 2007-08 season, but if he's at one of these peaks (instead of one of his valley's), the Mavericks are a dangerous team.  Dirk has to be respected as a great shooter.  If Terry is also on, an opposing defense gets stretched mighty thin.
  

But if a hot-shooting Terry will stretch the floor, Dirk needs to get back to his top-tier form...

• With three minutes and change left in tonight's game, Dirk had nine (not nineteen, not twenty-nine - just nine) points.  He finished 4-for-16 with 12 points.  That's 25% shooting.  Either Dirk is still is a great deal of pain from the ankle injury he suffered a few weeks back against San Antonio on Easter, or he had an off night.  Mavs fans should pray it's the latter.  If Dirk is still recovering - which I believe to some extent he is - then time is up on how long he has to get back to 100%.  The playoffs begin now.  NOW!  Readysetgo!  So while he's still a little sore, Nowitzki has to fight through it now.  No more waiting.  The positive aspect of tonight's game: the Mavs won - and won BIG - without a big performance from the Big German.  If Dirk hadn't been injured and was at 100% going into this series, I'd pick the Mavs in 6. No question.  With Dirk hurt, it's going to be a much playoff first-round match-up for Dallas.

Speaking of recovering from injuries, it was good to see Jerry Stackhouse get back into things...

• Stack had been out for a few weeks, and while he only played 16 minutes scoring 4 points, his return still gives Dallas a boost heading into the first round of the playoffs.  While he didn't pour in the points, when Terry goes for 30, Stack doesn't need to.  Getting some early court-time gave Stack a chance to get his legs back under him and see some game action.  Now he's not going into the first round of the playoffs cold.  Good to see him back.  He's by far the best singer of the Star Spangled Banner on the entire Mavericks roster.

Jason Kidd gave the fans a reason to sing his name when he grabbed rebound number 10 on the night... 

• Kidd recorded his 100th career triple-double tonight with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.  It's his first trip-dub since returning to the Mavericks in February.  The surprising stat from Kidd tonight has to be the 27 points.  Yes, Dirk was off so J-Kidd needed to step up, but if Kidd is scoring more than 20 points, the Mavericks are going to win.  It's that simple.  He is not the go-to shooter for the Mavs.  He's not their second option (Josh Howard) or their third option (JET/Stack).  But Kidd was there there behind the arc knocking down triples and driving to the basket for lay-ups.  When Kidd gets his, he rallies the Mavs because he signifies the "win-now" attitude this team grew into.  The trade for #2 meant Dallas wanted to charge hard for a shot at getting back to the finals, and they wanted to do it now.  Kidd scoring, dishing, boarding, stealing... when he's on, it validates the trade and give Dallas life.

It also didn't hurt tonight that MVP-candidate Chris Paul picked up his fifth foul right before Dallas went on their monstrous second-half run to take the lead for good...

• Chris Paul, or CP3, or C3PO is a great player.  He made some amazing shots tonight and put the Hornets in a position to win.  At least, until he got in foul trouble.  Mavs fans shouldn't count on him being on the bench during some crucial minutes because he's picked up some careless fouls when the playoffs come around.  It was a nice bonus tonight for Dallas, but Paul will be on the court down the stretch over the next two weeks.  It's clear why he's an MVP candidate.  

Speaking of MVP candidates, things could have been much worse for the Mavs had they dropped tonight's game...

• The Los Angels Lakers, and their other-worldly assassin of a shooter Kobe Bryant, locked up the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs.  Avoiding LA as long as possible is the best chance for Western Conference teams to advance.  I don't know if LA will get out of the West and into the finals (perhaps an old-school LAL-BOS final?  Anyone?), but Dallas is fortunate they open in New Orleans instead of at Staples Center.  Plain and simple: Kobe kills Dallas.  He has for years.  He has post-Shaq.  If Dirk isn't 100%, Dallas's odd versus LAL aren't nearly what they need to be to pull the upset.  Kobe will be the 2008 MVP, and his team will be playing well into May.  Best advice for Dallas: stay out of their way as long as possible.
  

In the meantime, Dallas and Mavs fans can relax and get ready for the playoffs.  The team needs to prepare for a young and gritty New Orleans Hornets team that what they lack in post-season experience, they make up for with spunk (sort of like the 2001 Mavericks).  The MFFL must mentally prepare themselves for the fact that Dallas is not the "top dog" of the West this year.  Actually, they're second-to-last among playoff teams.  As the seventh seed, in order to pull the upset, the crowd will need to make American Airlines Center a difficult place to play for the Hornets.  New Orleans has never won at the Double-A C (which opened in 2001).  If that trend continues, the Mavs task can be simplified into two words: steal one.  Steal one.  If Dallas steals one game at New Orleans, they can win this series and advance.

Considering some local sports pundits were looking for a lottery pick mere weeks ago, advancing to the second round (regardless of what happens after that) would be a huge boost to the Mavs team for next season.  They are built to win soon, not long-term.  Getting the seventh seed is already a "win" for this team compared to how they played early on in the Kidd 2.0 era.  Now it's time to prove to the rest of the league - and in all honesty to themselves - that the Mavericks belong in the conversation as a championship-caliber team.

Let the (playoff) games begin!

3rd period may have saved series

Tonight's loss could have stung a lot worse for the Stars.  While a two-goal third period could not salvage Game 3, it may have just saved the series.

When Brenden Morrow scored his second goal of the third period to bring the score to the eventual final of 4-2, the Dallas crowd powered up.  The Stars became more aggressive along with their more realistic chance to complete a comeback.  While the four-goal comeback fell short, the surge sent a message to the Anaheim Ducks:

The Stars will not be rolling over.

Dallas still holds a 2-1 series lead.  A loss tonight is not a catastrophe thanks to sweeping the opening two games at Honda Center.  But had tonight's loss been by the demoralizing score of 4-0, I think the mentality of the team would be at a much lower point going into Game 4.  Because the Stars made a late charge to bring the deficit to two, the Stars should gain some confident and momentum that will carry over from tonight's final period into the opening moment of Thursday's game.

When the puck drops in 45 hours, the Stars should come out strong.  The Ducks still have some momentum from winning Game 3, but when Anaheim called their timeout after Dallas pulled within two, it sent a message to not only the Stars but the crowd at the Double-A C.  The Ducks needed to find a band-aid to stop the third-period bleeding.  They found it when they killed a four-minute penalty late in the game, but the panicky timeout represented the fear Anaheim had of letting things get more out of control.

Come Thursday, we'll see who takes control by winning the game and going on to win this opening-round series.  The Game 4 winner will go on to take this series.  If the Ducks win, it's 2-2, and all the good work Dallas did by winning twice in Anaheim is ancient history.  A win for Dallas, and the Stars go up 3-1 with three chances to put away the Stanley Cup champions.

Go Stars!

Goodbye Gumbel

Bryant Gumbel's tenure in the booth at the NFL Network is over.  It's about time. It's so hard to listen to Gumbel calling NFL games the past two seasons.  It's bad enough he can't get players names right, and he doesn't have a strong concept of the game of football.

Gumbel no longer calling games for NFL Network is a good first step in improving the actual live game broadcast that NFL Network airs. This is truly a cause for celebration for football fans nationwide. I don't know of too many Cowboys fans who will miss hearing about our amazing young QB "Rick Romo."

Past posts about Gumbel's play-by-play for NFLN:

• Moe Larry Curly (Dec. 29, 2007)
• Triple-Gumbel not good for anyone (Dec. 29, 2007)
• Play-by-play problems (Dec. 21, 2006)

Duck Hunt

After two games in Anaheim to open their first-round playoff series between the Dallas Stars and the Ducks, I'm not surprised to see a 2-0 series. I just had no idea it would be the Ducks now chasing the series.

Dallas has looked liked a team of Stars with goalie Marty Turco allowing only two goals in two games, including a shut out in Game 1 (his fourth in his last seven playoff games). The powerplay has been disgustingly successful (6-of-13) while the penalty kill has frustrated the Ducks (1-of-9).

While it might be a shock the Stars left Anaheim with a 2-0 series lead, this is a Stars team that has been trying to gel since making the deadline deal to bring Brad Richards to Dallas from Tampa Bay. Now the Stars seem to gellin' like a fellon who just stole two games that on paper they had no business winning.

The series moves to the American Airlines Center in Dallas this Tuesday with Dallas working on putting a big hurt on the Ducks. If Dallas can go up 3-0, they will have two chances (if necessary) to close out the series in Dallas. However, after how they've been playing in the first two games, maybe going for the series win in Anaheim would be better.

Will the Stars go all the way? Eh, there's not really a lot of evidence from the regular season that suggests they can. However if you ask that question and must answer based on what we've seen in two playoff games (an admittedly small sample size), then you have to like Dallas's chances for a deep playoff run.

Mavs losses cause for concern

With the Mavs loss tonight to the Seattle SuperSonics, they have now put themselves in the position where the Mavericks must beat the New Orleans Hornets to secure the seventh seed and avoid the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. And if the Mavs want to enjoy a long (or at least longer than last year) playoff run, avoid LAL in the first round will be key.

The loss to Portland on Saturday was discouraging, but the Seattle game placed the Mavericks in an emotion-filled arena much like the kind they'll find in the playoffs. The SuperSonics were playing what appears to be their final game in Seattle unless courts decide the owners cannot move the team to Oklahoma City just yet. As a result, the Key Arena crowd was juiced. They were pumped. Chants of "SAVE OUR SONICS! SAVE OUR SONICS!" echoed through the building. To honor their city and their fans, the SuperSonics put forth an extraordinary effort.

The Mavericks need to take notice. Those raucous arenas are going to become more of the norm than an abberation over the next few weeks. You think the New Orleans Hornets fans wouldn't have their fans ready to go for their first playoff series since the team moved to New Orleans from Charlotte? You think the Lakers fans at the Staples Center won't be pumped? Any chance the defending champion Spurs and their fans will be yawning over the opportunity to send home the Mavericks in the first round? Don't count on it.

The one positive to take away from the loss in Seattle:

• I did like how Avery Johnson called a timeout with 1.4 seconds left after the Sonics hit a free throw to put the game out of reach. Despite being down four, Avery was drawing up a game-winning type of play the Mavericks will probably need for the post-season. While the timeout drew boos from a packed Key Arena and extended a game that was already decided, the timeout gave the Mavs a chance to get ready for high-pressure playoff scenarios. The last-second shot by Dirk hit the rim and missed, but he did get the shot off and wasn't too far off the mark. That's encouraging.

So now Dallas has one game left in the regular season, a regular season that only seven months ago people were calling insignificant. Remember the days of October/November when all the talk was about, "Well, once the Mavs get back to the playoffs, that's where we'll really be able to rate their season." I submit to you this season's ratings can be separated: regular and post seasons. I may not have made that argument back in the fall of 2007, but it's spring 2008, so all bets are off.

Dallas has a chance to upset a top-tier team in the playoffs. Actually, anyone in the Western Conference who registers a series win will have knocked off a top-tier team, a 50-win team at that. So while the Mavericks playoff success will - I believe - largely depend on who they face in the first round, their regular season success has come in spurts and therefore is difficult to measure.

If the Mavs get hot in the post-season, they are going to be a very difficult team to stop. Remember, Dirk and Co. are just two years removed from an NBA Finals appearance. On the other hand, when Dallas has been off this season, they have been way off. The playoffs will depend not only on which team shows up to face Dallas, but also on which Dallas team shows up to play. This team has been so up and down, they are difficult to truly guage. Before back-to-back loses in the Pacific Northwest, I thought this team was capable of advancing to the conference finals. After losing to the likes of Portland and Seattle, all that confidence evaporated as quickly as a 13-point lead with six minutes to play in the third game of an NBA Finals (not that I have a specific example in mind).

So as the Mavs close out their regular season Wednesday in what could be a playoff preview against the New Orleans Hornets, look for which Mavericks team is showing up. Are they going for the W in order to end the regular season on a high - something they failed to do last year before exiting in the first round? Or are the Mavericks on cruise control, going through the motions and waiting until it matters. I suggest it already matters. How will the Mavericks respond?

Great team (of cheaters) ever

It was only September when the Patriots were accused of cheating. That's not all that long ago. Belichick paid a $500,000 fine! New England was docked a first round draft pick. Yet all anyone can talk about is how this Patriots team might be the greatest team ever.

I'm not trying to say the Pats don't have a talented team, but if you cheated the very first week of the season, what's to say they still haven't been doing something against the NFL rules. And even if they haven't been, who is to say they paid the price yet?

What they did I think is right up there with baseball players using steroids or even an NBA ref shaving points. They tainted the game. They tarnished the integrity of football. How does a team like that get a pass just because they won a lot.

OF COURSE THEY WON A LOT! They've probably been gathering film on other teams league-wide for years. So even though they got caught the first game of the season (which was not the first time the Pats got in trouble for doing something like this), Belichick may very well still have a full library of tapes on all other teams.

The Pats offense was prolific this year. No kidding! They had the defensive signals for other teams. If the offense knows the coverage the defense is in, it's not hard to expose them.

I'm under the belief that the Patriots did not need to cheat to win this season. In fact, they may have very well gone undefeated regardless. They have a very talented team. But maybe they've been just a little too good. Example: There's no way they would have lost to the Dolphins regardless of any spying or scandal or anything like that. But what about the Colts? What about the Chargers? What about the Eagles? Hell, what about the Eagles in the Super Bowl a few years ago???

And that's the key. The Patriots success and their cheating scandal are not mutually exclusive. They are instead very much intertwind. You can't separate them. So before you declare this the greatest team ever, make sure they aren't also the greatest cheaters ever too.

Raider unrest

I can't imagine why anyone would want to coach the Oakland Raiders while Al Davis is still in charge.  He is reportedly pushing for the resignation of head coach Lane Kiffin after going 4-12 in Kiffin's first season at the helm.  I understand that 4-12 is not something to be proud of, but after one season???

I can understand Cam Cameron being fired in Miami after going a dismal 1-15.  The biggest reason he was let go is the fact that Bill Parcells took over that franchise and wanted to bring in his own coach.  But Kiffin was brought in by Davis last season.  Kiffin isn't facing the front office going through changes like the Dolphins franchise down in Miami.  Kiffin still has the same boss that every Raider coach has had since the 1960s.

The biggest problem for anyone who coaches Oakland is that they must coach in the shadow of the man who hired them.  Al Davis went 10-4 in his first season as head coach of the Raiders, and now he expects that from every other coach he brings in.  Anything else will result in the immediate termination of the man in charge.

Just look at recent history.  After John Gruden left the Raiders to set sail on a pirate ship in Tampa, four men have captained this sinking vessel of a franchise: Bill Callahan, Norv Turner, Art Shell and Lane Kiffin.

Callahan was fired after going from Super Bowl to Super-Bust.  One year after losing to Gruden and the Bucs in Super Bowl XXXVII, the Silver and Black went 4-12.  Callahan was relieved of his command.  Enter Norv Turner.  The Raiders went 5-11 and 4-12 the next two seasons.  Exit Norv Turner.  Raiders retread Art Shell assumed head coaching responsibilities only to guide this so-called Commitment to Excellence to an NFL-worst 2-14 record.  Davis made sure to let Shell know not to let the door hit him where the lord split him on his way out.

So now Kiffin faces the same problem as his predecessors.  And while I am not a huge Kiffin fan (I wish Reggie Bush had at least been on the field on 4th & 2 in the Rose Bowl against Texas), I respect his refusal to sign any letter of resignation.  A head coach in the NFL must be given some time to build a franchise.

What if Jimmy Johnson had been fired after going 1-15 in his first season?  What if Tom Landry had been fired after the Cowboys began 0-11-1.  What if Bill Belichick hadn't been brought in by the Patriots because of his track record in Cleveland?  What if Bill Parcells had been fired after going 3-12-1 in his first season with the Giants in 1983?  What if Bill Walsh had been fired after going 2-14 in his first season as 49ers head coach?

All of those are great coaches with multiple Super Bowl titles.  All of them were given time to build great teams.  It takes time to do.  Unfortunately that is the one thing Raiders owner Al Davis won't grant any of his head coaches.

COY: Cheater of the Year

This week, New England Patriot's head coach Bill Belichick was named NFL Coach of the Year.  The only appropriate word to describe this is disgusting.  Actually, it's an outright disgrace to the game.

Last season, I remember Miami Dolphin defensive end Jason Taylor saying that San Diego's Shawn Meriman shouldn't be eligible for NFL Defensive Player of the Year because he had been suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.  Meriman was reportedly taking performance-enhancing drugs.  So he was cheating.

The plain and simple translation of what Taylor was saying: If you cheat, you shouldn't be able to win these coveted awards.

So much for that.  Belichick, the 2007 Coach of the Year, is the same man who received the largest individual fine in NFL history ($500,000) while getting his franchise fined a quarter-million dollars and losing their first-round draft pick.  Just look at how much those fines are.  And taking away a pick?  That never happens.  

The gravity of these punishments tell you just how detrimental the acts were.  Stealing defensive signals compromises the integrity of the game.  I think those penalties are much harsher than a four-game suspension for one player.  

And it's not like there weren't other coaches who had success this season.  Green Bay's Mike McCarthy.  Cleveland's Romeo Crennell.  Dallas's Wade Phillips.  Heck, even Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville had a great year.

I realize that the Patriots did the unthinkable and ran the table for the perfect 16-0 regular season, but don't think that it isn't tainted by the Spygate scandal.  And as a result, Belichick should not have won the COY award.  By Belichick winning, it's the NFL that loses.

High-step hijinx

Perhaps I've fallen ill to the "good ol' days" syndrome, and I'm representing a sec of unsportsmanlike sore losers and bad winners.  Or maybe - just maybe - college football is getting a little too sensitive.

I sure think so.

In the first quarter of tonight's FedEx Orange Bowl, a Kansas defensive back intercepted a Virginia Tech pass and had nothing in front of him but yards of open field and end zone.

The DB took off, crossed midfield, started to pull away from the nearest Hokie, and as he got within the 10 yard line kicked his legs up a la Deion Sanders.  He high stepped in for six points.  Touchdown Kansas!

I guess that is disrespectful to Virginia Tech to high-step into the end zone, but I can't see that being such a flagrant display of poor sportsmanship that it merits a 15-yard penalty - which ended up being the result.  The same thing happened on a more flamboyant play in the Rose Bowl when USC's Desmond Reed flipped into the end zone.

I don't think the flip should have been a 15 yard penalty, but I can see how if perhaps a player flipping around got hit in midair, or perhaps missed the landing an twisted an ankle, it could be a problem.  But to that I would say, "Dont showboat into the end zone if someone is close enough to you where you might not score!"

But if you're got nothing but wide open spaces between you and the nearest defender and want to high-step into the end zone, there's no reason that merits a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

If anyone should be penalized, it should be the Virginia Tech QB who threw a ball that was destined for nothing but six Jayhawk points.  I think the "powers that be" of college football are getting too sensitive to these sort of things.

In the NFL, if a player spikes a ball after a non-scoring play, I understand a penalty in that situation because that does in fact slow down the game because someone must then go retrieve the ball before the next play is run.  But we are talking about a scoring play!

What's next?  Will referees be required to determine if players are in fact running full speed the entire time they have the ball en route to the end zone.  If a player slows up and jogs into the end zone after a long kick return or reception with no opposing player in sight, perhaps he deserves a 15-yard penalty.  Although, then officials must determine if he slowed down while approaching the end zone because he was tired or because he wanted to showboat.

What if a player dunks the football over the uprights?  Now he's not only mocking the football players but also basketball players!  EGREGIOUS! OUTRAGEOUS!    Or maybe it's just fun.

So why not let the players play.  Let them enjoy their highlight reel moments.  Even let them *gasp* high-step into the end zone.  In looking at the biggest problems in sports these days (referees gambling, performance-enhancing drugs, accepting money from boosters or agents, or even spying on other teams), high-stepping into the end zone shouldn't be the biggest problem.

Flutie not head-over-heels for flips

During the Rose Bowl halftime show, ABC/ESPN analyst Doug Flutie made a comment that perplexed me (not that that's a tough thing to do, but nevertheless--).

He said - and I'm paraphrasing - that Desmond Reed's flip into the end zone after a perfectly executed wide receiver pass was completely and totally uncalled for and that, if he were the USC coach, he'd sit Reed down for the rest of the game to teach him a lesson.

Hey, Doug, ease up man. Seriously, this is not an egregiously vicious helmet to helmet hit on a quarterback. Reed didn't take the ball and perform an elaborate two-minute skit a la the Bengal's Chad Johnson. He flipped into the end zone. Something that plenty of college football players have been doing all season.

Was it a little much? Eh, I don't think so. It's the Rose Bowl. As a player, you're fired up and when you get a chance to score a touchdown you should embrace it. Reed what excited to score. He was head-over-heels as we all saw. But to claim that Reed should be benched in the second half is ridiculous.

Meaningful Football

Tonight we got the game we were hoping for. And until it actually ended, fans nationwide couldn't have known this game would be played to the fullest.

Both teams had their playoff positioning locked in. Both teams could have rested starters. Both teams could have quite literally taken the night off. What would the fans be able to do about it? Nothing.

But instead, credit the coaches, the players and both organizations for bringing their best performance to this prime time triple-telecast event. The Giants pushed the Patriots within an onside kick of defeat but couldn't stop the first team to ever finish the regular season 16-0. New England beat NYG 38-35, but what lies behind that score is the amazing football game that didn't need to played.

But they did play it. They played it well. They played it the way it needed to be played to be the historic, meaningful football game it turned into.

Kudos to both the Giants and Pats for pushing themselves beyond their own necessary efforts. Those teams didn't need to put on a show. But as fans, let's enjoy that they did.

Now let's get ready for January!

Gumbel bumble - 1

Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilford just tried to poke the eye of Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.  Yes, it was a cheap little shot at him, but the Pats got tacked for 15 yards on the play anyway.

NFL Network announcer did refer to the eye-poke as a "Moe-Larry-Curly situation."  I'm impressed considering I've never heard the Three Stooges names recited in that order.  Gumbel then said he didn't think poking a player in the eye was a serious offense.  If it weren't for experience color-commentator Chris Collinsworth to straighten him out and correct him, we'd be in serious trouble.

NFL Network nightmare

Tonight's triple-televised attempt at history will turn into what will either lead to major change or the downfall of the NFL Network.  When the 15-0 Patriots face the Giants tonight on NBC, CBS and NFLN, the everyone will be able to watch a game that would originally be seen by only a fraction of the nation.

As a result, more people than ever before will be an NFL Network football game production.  And as a result of that, the NFL Network will be viewed as a farce rather than the quality network it really is.

I do get the NFL Network, and it puts on some great shows.  I especially loved the America's Game series that looks back at all the previous Super Bowls in the words of the athletes that played in the game.  The worst things the network televises, however, are actual NFL games.  It's horrible.

Bryant Gumbel makes me want to rip off my ears, and whoever sits in the truck seems to be paying more attention to his daily commuter crossword than the game.  Last week during the Cowboys-Panthers game, they missed the first play of the game (a fumbled snap between a sore-thumbed Tony Romo and back-up center Cory Proctor).

The Patriots' quest at perfection will be widely watched by the entire country.  Everyone will see what a horrible joke the production value of an NFL Network-produced game is.  Everyone will hear Bryant Gumbel's nails-on-a-chalkboard play-by-play.

Because these games have been hidden on a network no one gets, the general public doesn't know how bad it really is.  This game will be the highest-rated televised football game of the season, and it's going to be the most poorly covered.  As a result, expect some sort of backlash in response to the atrocious telecast.  I don't know if it will be a retooled production crew next season or perhaps - and don't get your hopes up, but we'll see - a new play-by-play man.

Something has to change, and because of the wide audience this game will draw, something will.

Cowboys Pro Bowl

Yesterday I received a text message from my friend Brad who put it so much better than I ever could:

"So I guess in the pro bowl its the Cowboys against the AFC.   Geez"

And as a Cowboys fan, I'm loving it.  Granted I know there is still a much bigger, more important prize out there that one team will claim in Glendale, Ariz., but until then, the Pro Bowl represents just how talented the 2007 Cowboys are.

Last season, Dallas sent four players to the Pro Bowl.  This season, they have 11 (including seven starters).  The Cowboys have seven players on offense alone, and three of them are starting linemen (Flozell Adams, Leonard Davis and Andre Gurode).  Oh, and Roy Williams is the first alternate at strong safety, so he will be the one to go in place of the Redskins safety Shawn Taylor.  That makes a total of 12 Cowboys.

The only reason punter Mat McBriar isn't going to Honolulu is because the Cowboys offense has been too good - he hasn't had enough opportunities to prove himself.

While it is easy to get caught up rejoicing for the Pro Bowl players, the most important thing to realize is the expectations that are set when 11 players on one roster are named all-pro.  That team better find its way out of the conference and into the Super Bowl.

This puts the pressure on.

Think about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The NFC South champions represent a division that didn't have one pro bowl selection --- the ENTIRE DIVISION!  So what pressure is on them in the playoffs?

We'll find out how the 'Boys respond to last week's upset at the hands of the division rival Eagles.  Perhaps the Carolina Panthers will serve as a stepping stone to clinching home-field throughout the playoffs.

As a fan I hope the Pro Bowl selection serves the team by raising their expectations and raising their own personal bar.  For players who treat the selection as the end-point goal, those teams are the ones who get a little more time off come January. 

Props to Pettitte

With Andy Pettitte coming forward and admitting to using HGH in 2002, I feel the urge to both praise and condemn him.

Pettitte says that he used HGH only twice in 2002 when he was on the disabled list and trying to recover from an injury as fast as possible.  If this is true, I think you have to look at Pettitte in a different light than those who were taking performance enhancers and steroids to improve their play between the lines.

At the time Pettitte used HGH, it wasn't banned by Major League Baseball.  So technically the crafty left-hander didn't break any rules.  Too bad it's MLB's responsibility to keep ahead of the users and find out what is being used and what needs to be banned.  But if HGH wasn't a banned substance in '02, you can't really fault Pettitte for wanting to get back to his team as soon as possible.

Also because he came out and owned up to what happened and what he did, I get the feeling that he will become more of a Jason Giambi than a Barry Bonds.  Giambi apologized (although never really clearing stating for what) and it seems like all was forgotten about his steroid use.  With Bonds, his vehement denials fuel the fire against him.

So as the fallout from the Mitchell Report continues, I think Andy Pettitte will be one of the best to come out of this.  Compared to what Clemens will face, Pettitte coming forward and owning up to his mistakes (even though HGH wasn't illegal - which is Baseball's fault, not his) will most likely turn history in his favor.

Reaction to the Mitchell Report

The Mitchell Report (the result of a two year investigation by former senator George Mitchell into the use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs in major league baseball) worries me.  More than 60 players are named in the over 400-page document which I just finished browsing through.  I get the feeling that everyone is on the list.  It sure seems that way.

By now you've probably heard a good number of the names, so I won't go repeating them.  Instead, I want to share with you what truly worries me the most about all this.

With the release of this report, baseball has been dragged into the spotlight as a dirty, cheater-filled game.  All 30 MLB teams have had players involved with performance enhancing drugs (maybe because Jose Canseco hopped around from team to team).

If you want to read the document: here's a PDF file of the Mitchell Report.

One radio talk show host on KTCK 1310 here in Dallas pointed out how football as a sport must be sitting back laughing at baseball being pulled through the mud today.  While it's looking as if there are not going to be any real ramification, consequences, repercussions, whatever, as a result of the Mitchell Report, it leaves a permanent scar on the sport - forever.

What will be done with the records of the last 20 years?  What will happen with the players?  What about Hall of Fame chances?  What about the future legitimacy of the sport?

Football players are huge, jacked up behemoths that we all watch each Sunday and say, "oh, I guess they all got that big by lifting."  The truth is, if football players are using performance enhancing drugs, I don't want to know.  I don't want to know if any Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s Super Bowl glory days were using.  I don't want me childhood idols tainted.  I'd truly rather be blissfully unaware.  If possible, if football is dirty, clean it up and get back to the true game, but keep it quiet.

It's too late for baseball to "keep it quiet" in regards to this.  And it's a shame that so many prominent baseball stars now have their reputations tarnished.  It's not a shame for them.  To those athletes who have done this to themselves, they have truly let down every fan of the game.

I grew up as a Texas Rangers fan, but I don't really care too much for MLB.  But as a fan of the Rangers as a little kid, it sucks to hear that Rafael Palmiero, and Juan Gonzalez didn't do it the right way.

What disturbs me even more is just how much so many of these players denied their use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout the process.  Not just Rafael Palmiero and his "I have never taken steroids.  Period." finger-pointing performance in Congress.  Not just Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwuire.  But so many more.

Put it this way: remember the backlash when Jose Canseco released his book "Juiced" and everyone said that it was all lies and that he was simply just doing the book to make money.  Canseco was labeled a liar.  As it turns out, he is the one who probably came out the best in this entire thing!

I understand some players who came into the league during this era must have had a hard time coming to grips with the reality of how the game was played.  If you're a clean player who does it right, who doesn't use performance enhancing drugs, there's a guy on the juice who is taking your spot on a pro roster.  That sucks.  So what do you do?  You juice up and get bigger, stronger, faster, healthier and you take your spot back with a larger hat size.

As a fan of sports, the Mitchell Report brings to light a disturbing, gut-wrenching feeling.  These facts now coming to the forefront brings a feeling comparable to losing a family pet.  It hurts.

And it's going to hurt for a long time.

Overwhelming underclassman

Tonight Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy and broke the barrier for all underclassman who came close but couldn't claim the award for most outstanding college football player.

Tebow had a ridiculous season.  Absolutely insane.  He both threw and ran for more than 20 touchdowns - the first player ever to do so.  But when he went up there to accept the award, I couldn't help but feel for Darren McFadden.  The Arkansas running back finished as the Heisman running up two years in a row.  This season he finished with the highest percentage of the vote ever received by a runner up.

McFadden just finished his junior year.  As a sophomore in 2006, he lost the Heisman to Ohio State's Troy Smith.  McFadden had a great 2006 and could have won the Heisman as a sophomore had a sophomore previously won the award.  This season he played very well again, but the numbers Tebow put up spoke volumes about that Gator's performance.

Because Tebow has now taken the award home as a sophomore, more sophomores - and even freshmen - winners will begin to show up.  No it won't happen all the time.  After all, the juniors and seniors have the extra years of experience to build on.  But when underclassmen have the sensational seasons comparable to Tebow (2007), McFadden (2006), and even Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson (as a freshman in 2004), they will get more of a chance to take home 25 pounds of bronze.

There won't be a ton of underclassmen winners.  Decades to come will still produce numerous more upperclassmen winners than youngsters, but freshmen and sophomores won't be shut out completely.

Tebow has opened the doors.  It's a shame, however, that super seasons past underclassmen put up did not get recognized with a Heisman.  But because it has now happened - a sophomore has taken the Heisman home - it will no longer take a Herculean season by an underclassman.  From now on, they will be judged based upon their performance that year instead of weighting their score based on their age.

It's all a bunch of B(C)S

Two things are abundantly clear to me. First, I don't exactly know what I'm talking about in predicting bowl matchups. Second (and most importantly), this season proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that college football desperately needs some form of a playoff bracket.

In watching the BCS bowl selections this afternoon, each analyst (and many others since) have said many things along the lines of:
"Well, if it were the two best teams as of right now..."
"The team that looks most like a national title contender is..."

The general feeling I get with a lot of the commentary for this BCS title game between Ohio State and LSU is reluctant acceptance. Numerous experts have decreed that teams like USC and Georgia are the two top-performing teams in the country right now. Why can't they get a crack at the title? Their losses came much earlier than those suffered by LSU. What about the fact that Hawaii is the only undefeated team in the country? Don't they deserve a shot?

The bowl matchups this season, specifically the BCS match ups, feature 10 outstanding teams that all could argue they deserve a shot at the national title. Let's look at the Top 10 ranked BCS schools:

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1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes hold the top spot in both human polls that factor into the BCS formula. They have lost only once - to another BCS-bound team - and won their conference. No other BCS conference champion finished the season with one loss.

2. LSU: The Tigers held the top spot in the polls for a good chunk of the season. Their only losses came in a pair of triple overtime showdowns. And, oh by the way, they won the mighty SEC while defeating seven ranked teams along the way.

3. Virginia Tech: The ACC champion Hokies finished the season with two losses, but came into last week ahead of LSU in the BCS. While LSU defeated #14 Tennessee in their conference championship game, VaTech knocked off #11 Boston College by a bigger margin. If the Hokies led LSU in the standings last week, why should they be leapfrogged this week?

4. Oklahoma: BOOMER!!! SOONER!!! BOOMER!!! SOO- Okay, enough of that. But OU does have a point. They just defeated the top-ranked team in the nation for - that's right - the second time this season to capture the Big XII title. And in doing so, they proved they can compete with anyone. Their only two losses: on the road by one possession each.

5. Georgia: The consensus seems to be that the two hottest teams in the country right now are Georgia and USC. Tough to argue with that Georgia has done in recent weeks. They've won six straight games to finish their SEC schedule, and they went into this past weekend at #4 in the BCS. Because the top two teams lost, you'd think that #3 and #4 would move up. Not so fast, however, as the Bulldogs not only failed to win their conference but their division as well.

6. Missouri: Should a team be punished for making their conference championship game? If the Big XII had the same format as the Big Ten or Pac 10, Missouri would have stayed ranked #1 and destined for the BCS championship bowl. Now they are on the outside of not just the title game but the entire system. And the team they knocked off to advance to the Big XII championship (Kansas) snuck in behind them.

7. USC: Much like the Bulldogs of Georgia, the Trojans are a team that no one wants to play right now. Then again, if Stanford can beat 'em.... (nevermind). Southern California wrapped up the Pacific-10 conference for the sixth straight year, advancing to a record sixth-consecutive BCS bowl. While the Trojans will head across town for their record 32 Rose Bowl appearance, coach Pete Carroll's words after beating UCLA made it clear he thinks the Trojans deserve at least a shot. Said Carroll, "We'll play anybody, anywhere, anytime," he said. "I know this isn't the system and we don't get to. We wish we could keep playing. If there was a way to keep playing games and see who would win and be the last team standing, we'd love to have that opportunity."

[By the way, doesn't it seem like the idea that Carroll is describing - a system where they could "keep playing games and see who would win and be the last team standing" - resembles the rough outline of a playoff? Just a thought.]

8. Kansas: Don't the Jayhawks have a better record than LSU, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri and USC? Well, if the Jayhawks have a better record than LSU, why not get a shot at a championship? None of those teams have a one-loss record like KU (ignore the fact that they are not conference champs and played the weakest rated schedule out of 119 Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision teams).

9. West Virginia: So what if WVU has two losses? Who doesn't! And why should the Mountaineers be punished for a loss late in the season versus a loss early? Isn't an 11-2 record the same across the board?

10. Hawaii: Hey all you on the mainland! Aloha. What's going on? The Warriors hung loose all season long just waiting for a chance to become the third non-BCS team to make a BCS bowl. But the Warriors are not just another Boise State or Utah. Hawaii is the only undefeated team in Division I-A. They have the best record. Period. It's a perfect season. It's not their fault that none of the big boys will schedule them. And Hawaii is trying. In 2003 and 2004, they played a home and home versus USC during the Trojans' two-year title run. So, it's not like they're pulling a Kansas and scheduled dogs.

-------------------------------

Because of the system we have, unfortunately eight of these teams don't have a chance to play for the national championship. But just imagine if there was a playoff system in place. No computers, just logic. (I know, it's too simple of a solution, but bear with me.)

For a team to be eligible for a BCS bowl, they have to be ranked significantly high in the BCS standings. So if there was a playoff, let's include 12 teams. Why 12? Well, this season of college football proved the "any given Sunday" theory of the NFL translates to the college game (i.e., Stanford over USC, Pittsburg over WV, Florida State over Boston College, and pesky Appalachian State's stunner over Michigan). So to make sure we get it relatively right - and lord knows that's not happening with the current system - 12 teams will have a shot.

What would you think of these seeded match ups in the first round:

BRACKET I
(1) Ohio State - bye

(8) Kansas vs. (9) West Virginia

(5) Georgia vs. (12) Florida

(4) Oklahoma - bye

BRACKET II
(2) LSU - bye

(7) USC vs. (10) Hawaii

(6) Missouri vs. (11) Arizona State

(3) Virginia Tech

The higher ranked teams in the first-round match ups (in this example: Georgia, Missouri, USC and Kansas) would host those games. It's a simple solution. The remaining games will feed into the current major BCS Bowls and then some (see below).

Here's your first round:
host teams italicized
(5) Georgia vs. (12) Florida
(6) Missouri vs. (11) Arizona State
(7) USC vs. (10) Hawaii
(8) Kansas vs. (9) West Virginia

From there, let's just use the example of all favorites advancing. Now your match ups are as follows:
(1) Ohio State vs. (8) Kansas
(2) LSU vs. (7) USC
(3) Virginia Tech vs. (6) Missouri
(4) Oklahoma vs. (5) Georgia

The second round would then use a combination of second-tier bowls and major BCS bowls to hosst the contests. There are so many bowls out there, and lord knows some of the teams that are playing in these bowls don't deserve a postseason (hello, UCLA). By having 32 bowls, some of these contests are forced to feature mediocre 6-6 teams that are barely qualified to watch the postseason. By using the second-tier bowls to host some playoff games, the third- and fourth-tier bowls would be forced to take the better teams, eliminated the riff-raff of 7-5 and 6-6 squads.

There are now seven games remaining to be played. A rotation between the Outback Bowl, Capital One Bowl, Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, and the Gator Bowl would have two of these four teams each year host a second-round playoff game. The remaining games would be hosted by the four major BCS bowls (Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta) as well as the historic Cotton Bowl which will be moving to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, which promises to be the grandest sports venue in the world. Those five major bowls (now including the Cotton Bowl with that first-tier, as it rightfully should be) would rotate years between hosting second-round playoff games, semifinals and the championship.

How is this for a second round:
Capital One Bowl
(1) Ohio State vs. (8) Kansas

AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic
(4) Oklahoma vs. (5) Georgia

Gator Bowl
(3) Virginia Tech vs. (6) Missouri

The Rose Bowl presented by Citi
(2) LSU vs. (7) USC

Assuming all favorites win to make this example easier, the semifinals would then look like this:
FedEx Orange Bowl
(1) Ohio State vs. (4) Oklahoma

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
(2) LSU vs. (3) Virginia Tech

And the championship game this year would be played in where it is scheduled to be played:
Allstate Sugar Bowl
(1) Ohio State vs. (2) LSU

The exciting thing about this system is the fact that we could in fact have a true national champion and a consensus national champion. There would never again be a split national title. In fact, that was the promise of the BCS -- until 2003, of course.

I'm sure there are plenty of flaws in this system I've created. First thing that comes to mind: when do you play all these games. From here, the NCAA would then disallow teams to schedule the extra game they get to play and/or take away the conference championship games (conference titles would be determined by record as in previous years).

Like I said, I know my suggestion isn't perfect. But hey, at least it isn't as screwed up as the BCS!


I'd love to know what you think of this system. Please post your comments along with suggestions for this can work.

BCS Bowl Predictions

This afternoon we will learn the final destination for the top football programs in the "Bowl Subdivision" of D-I (quick note: let's please change the name back to Division I-A and I-AA and lose this subdivision mumbo-jumbo). So before the real deal is revealed, I'd like to take a stab at where everyone is going. More importantly, I want to focus on who will play for the national championship.

First let's look at the Top 12 ranked teams from last week's BCS standings.
1. Missouri - LOST to Oklahoma, Big XII championship
2. West Virginia - LOST to Pittsburgh
3. Ohio State
4. Georgia
5. Kansas
6. Virginia Tech - defeated Boston College, ACC championship
7. LSU - defeated Tennessee, SEC championship
8. USC - defeated UCLA for Pac-10 championship
9. Oklahoma - defeated #1 Missouri, Big XII championship
10. Florida
11. Boston College - LOST to VT, ACC championship
12. Hawaii - defeated Washington

The problem with this week's results is the fact that the teams immediately behind 1 and 2 in position to move up aren't exactly ideal candidates for the championship game.  Yes, Ohio State, the Big Ten champions at 11-1, are most certainly in.  They did not have to play a conference title game and will get the opportunity to step into that No. 1 ranking.  However selecting a Georgia for a Kansas for the championship game is not the automatic solution.  

Not only did both Georgia and Kansas not win their respective conference championship, neither team won their own division within the league.  Georgia fell short of the SEC title game as Tennessee advanced from the East to take on LSU.  Kansas lost the Big XII North in the Border War versus Missouri.

While there is precedent of a team that did not win its conference playing for the national title (see Oklahoma, 2003), no team in the BCS era has failed to at least win their division.  The Sooners were Big XII South champs in '03 before falling to Kansas State in the conference title game.  Kansas and George both deserve BCS Bowl bids.  They deserve to play for something meaningful.

At the same time, Georgia is one of the hottest teams in the country.  They finished the season on a six-game winning streak, including victories over #11 Florida, #18 Auburn and #23 Kentucky.  Georgia didn't get to opportunity to play LSU this season, so we can only speculate how that game may have played out.  However, losing at home to South Carolina doesn't exactly scream "title contender."

Kansas is in a tough spot.  They finished the regular season 11-1 (7-1 Big XII).  That one loss came at the worst possible time.  Even though they crumbled against Mizzou at Arrowhead Stadium, they still have an 11-1 record.  Naysayers will argue they beat no one - a very legitimate claim.  Central Michigan, Southeast Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International don't exactly represent a difficult challenge.  

If the college football season was a ride in a car, Kansas may have been driving over those team as if they were crosswalks, not speed bumps.  They didn't exactly pose any reason for Kansas to take their foot off the gas.  The Jayhawks didn't flinch against those team.  And they can't be flawed for missing conference powers Texas, OU and Texas Tech this season.  The difference is that college football is not the NFL.  The NFL has a set schedule that mandates certain divisions play certain divisions in a give season.  It's all set.  College football allows teams to schedule whomever they want.  For that, Kansas can be faulted.  The one chance they had to prove themselves, they blew it.  11-1 is nice, but upon closer inspection, it's not nice enough for a title-game berth.

So who else might move up to take on the Buckeyes (who I'm not exactly sold on, but we'll have to go with it for now)...

Let me quickly preface the rest of this posting with this: Missouri and West Virginia lost as the most crucial time of the season, so they should not be playing for the national championship.  I know it happened with Oklahoma a few years ago, but that was the exception, not the rule.  Sorry Tigers and Mountaineers, but you had your shot.  All you had to do was hang out.  Guess you just lost your grip.

Back to who can move up and why they may or may not...

Virginia Tech was ranked ahead of LSU at #6 last week and defeated the #11 team in the country (Boston College) to clinch the ACC title.  Looking at Virginia Tech, they are a prime candidate for the BCS title game that no one is talking about.  Everyone is so caught up with LSU, they are missing one amazing season under the most unlikely of circumstances.  Considering where Virginia Tech was as a university last April, to see them play for the national championship would represent a significant resurgence for not only that program but that entire institution.  The fact that those students put together an 11-2 record is astounding enough.  If put in the championship game, who knows what they could accomplish.

Virginia Tech is the team I'd like to see play for the national title.  I don't see how they can come into this week ranked higher than LSU in the BCS (#6 versus #7) and defeat a higher ranked team than LSU (#11 versus #14) and get jumped by LSU.  It wouldn't make sense.  Because of that, I think the computers and the voters may just move up the Hokies.  I'd also like to see it because it would be the most amazing story of the entire college football season.  I know the Hokies lost to LSU early in the season, but then LSU should have been ahead of VT last week.  It didn't happen then and it shouldn't happen now.

Everyone talks about the most unlikely wins from all these unranked teams upsetting No. 2 teams and No. 1 teams falling and Appalachian State beating Michigan, but in my opinion the most unlikely win of them all is Virginia Tech putting together a championship caliber season after last April's tragedy.

As far as LSU goes, I won't be surprised to see them in the national title game.  Not only will I not be surprised, I'd be shocked if they missed it.  They've been dominant all season with their only two loses coming in college football's wacky triple overtime.  Essentially their would-be perfect record came down to a pair of two-point conversions.  They have defeated many ranked teams in the power-packed SEC and finished the season as conference champions.  I'm of the belief that you should be a conference champion to play for the BCS title, and LSU fits that mold.  My only problem with them would be how they would leapfrog Virginia Tech after being ranked behind them this week.  Virginia Tech did nothing to drop behind the Tigers, and apparently the early-season loss to LSU wasn't enough to keep the Hokies behind LSU last week.  It shouldn't affect this week's BCS standings.  

Is anyone playing better football right now than USC?  The Trojans stumbled early in the season, but after watching them finish the season so strong, it's tough to debate their talent.  'SC locked up a record sixth straight Pac-10 title ad BCS Bowl berth. (Their last five: '07 Rose Bowl, '06 Rose Bowl, '05 Orange Bowl, '04 Rose Bowl, '03 Orange Bowl.)  The reason they will be kept out of the national title game came in what can only be described as a fluke against Stanford when quarterback John David Booty injured a finger on his throwing hand.  

The Trojans' other loss came in Eugene, Oregon when the Ducks were still a powerhouse with Dennis Dixon under center (okay, in the shotgun).  Since losing Dixon, it's been duck season.  USC has been dominant through November - a month in which they've never lost a game under Pete Carroll.  Of all the top teams with two losses, USC is least likely to make the championship game because of that disaster against Stanford.  Looking back, its easy to trace where the Trojans title hopes slipped: October 6 in Los Angeles.

Oklahoma just beat the No. 1 team in the country.  They have two road losses by one possession each.  They showed just how tough a team they are on national television against Mizzou.  After being ranked No. 8 last week, their dominance in clinching the Big XII championship shows they are a Top 5 team.

Florida: You have a great young team and Tebow is a beast.  Only problem is you have three losses.  Better luck next year.

Had Boston College not lost to Virginia Tech, maybe they'd be in the discussion as a token "also ran."  Instead, they are out of it.

The final team that has national title aspirations is the one team I'd like to see have a shot:  the Warriors of Hawaii.  They are the only undefeated team in the Bowl Subdivision.  While it's easy to say "schedule some tougher teams," I understand why most top-tier teams won't travel to the islands to play them.  And it's not like it's an easy trip for the Warriors to fly across the Pacific then across the country to take on an SEC team.  Hawaii has scheduled some tough opponents in the past.  In 2003 and 2004, they played a home and home versus USC during the Trojans' two-year title run.  So, it's not like they pulled a Kansas and scheduled dogs.

Colt Brennan is a touchdown machine.  I don't know if it will translate to the NFL or if it will even get him a plane ticket to New York for the Heisman ceremony, but those are some ridiculous numbers he's put up on the season.

The biggest reason I'd like to see Hawaii play for the national title - and the biggest reason they won't - is because of what Boise State did last year to Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.  That game proved the "Any Given Sunday" theory of the NFL translates to college football as the Broncos knocked off OU in one of the most exciting games I've ever witnessed.  The hook-and-ladder to get into OT only to have Sooner stand-out Adrian Peterson run 25 yards in the first play of overtime.  It seemed over at that point, but how that Statue of Liberty play fake to Ian Johnson worked... it was a thing of beauty.  But I digress.

The reason Hawaii won't make the national title - and it's silly logic, but it's a fact - is because what if they win?  Seriously, what if Hawaii wins the national title?  Well if that happens then it means the six major conferences no longer have a monopoly on championships.  Does that mean the WAC should get an automatic BCS bid for its champion?  Does that open it up for more at-large teams?  If Hawaii gets blown out by an Ohio State - a traditionally strong national power of a program - then all mid-majors everywhere have their legitimacy taken into question.  If Hawaii wins a BCS title game, it essentially opens the doors for every single one of the 119 Division I-A teams to make the national championship game.  As of right now, it's really only available to teams from the big six conferences (ACC, Big XII, Big Ten, Big East, SEC and Pac 10).  That's why Hawaii won't make it.

So who will make the BCS title game?  Here are my predictions:

There are five games: the Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl and the BCS title game.  Just some quick ground rules as set forth by the BCS: only two teams per major conference and a team must finish in the BCS top 12 for a berth.  My only concern is if Illinois somehow finishes in the BCS top 12.  If they do, the Rose Bowl may do their best to keep the Big Ten vs. Pac 10 tradition of the Granddaddy of them all and selection the Illini.  However, I doubt they will make it.  Without further adieu, here we go:

BCS Title Game:

Ohio State (Big Ten champion) vs. LSU (SEC champion)

Rose Bowl:

USC (Pac 10 champion) vs. Georgia (at large)

Fiesta Bowl:

Missouri (at large) vs. Hawaii (at large)

Sugar Bowl:

Oklahoma (Big XII champion) vs. Arizona State (at large)

Orange Bowl:

Virginia Tech (ACC champion) vs. West Virginia (Big East champion)

What channel is the game on?

Cowboys vs. Packers.  The NFC on the line.  Two teams with young talent.  Two teams with Super Bowl dreams.  Thursday night 65,000 people will cram into historic Texas Stadium for this classic.  All of Dallas-Ft. Worth and Green Bay, Wisc. will be watching.

And that's it.

Because unless you have the NFL Network - or you live in the local market - you won't be able to see the game.  The thing that worries me - especially with these two teams, is that their "local market" is really their entire state.  The Packers define Wisconsin sports.  The Cowboys are the team of Texas (don't let the Spurs fool you - football in king in the Lone Star State).

Since the creation of the NFL Network and since they began carrying games, high level figures in the NFL have been praying for a big showcase game on the NFL Network to help its case as a must-have-channel in basic cable packaging.  Well now that game is upon us.  And the only people this actually hurts are fans.

I could care less about the squabbles between the NFL and Time Warner or any other cable company for that matter.  I don't care about which one of these sides has to cave.  I don't care about which side has to concede the most to make a deal happen.  But something has to be done - and soon - to fix this problem.  If the league and cable companies continue this feud, football fans nationwide must live with not seeing their games.

Sure fans can go to a local sports bar or a friend's house, but when you think about the fact that a significant number of Americans won't be able to see the game - a big game with serious playoff implications between two of the most storied franchises in league history - it's just wrong.  Fans do not have a voice at these negotiating tables.  Fans are the ones that foot the insanely priced bills for tickets, stadium taxes, parking, $9 hot dogs and so much more.

I don't disagree with games being on the NFL Network (however, I can't stand listening to Bryant Mumble Gumbel call a game), but just find a way to bring it to the fans.  Roger Goodell is concerned about playing games in London or across the world.  How about the NFL focus on allowing everyone here in America to watch the games first.

Football has become America's game.  The only thing left is to let America watch it.

Where I've been

To my faithful readers -

I don't mean to be neglecting you. For the past few months now I've been working with the Orange County Flyers professional baseball team. It's been very exciting, but also very time-consuming. This is by no means a notice of the discontinuation of No Joshin'. This is merely to say that I'm aware I've been letting you down the past few weeks. There's been a lot to cover. Michael Vick. Barry Bonds. Venus winning at Wimbledon.

I've had so much to say and just no time to say it. So right now all I ask is that you be patient with me and continue to check in time to time. I hope to be getting back to the blogosphere on a regular basis very soon.

In the mean time to get your fill, check out orangecountyflyers.com or better yet come to a Flyers game. I'm the on-field MC, so you'll see plenty of me in between innings. As a reader of this blog, I'll reward you. Contact me (either by leaving a comment or emailing me) and I'll get you free tickets to a Flyers game this season.

I can't guarantee tickets for Aug. 11 (but it never hurts to ask). Any other date on our schedule will be fine.

Thanks you for being a loyal reader here at No Joshin', and I look forward to getting back to you soon. Until then, GO FLYERS!

New arms, same result

The Flyers bullpen couldn’t preserve Alex McRobbie’s quality start for Orange County. OC dropped its sixth straight game tonight in a 6-5 loss to the Long Beach Armada at Blair Field.

New Flyers relief pitcher Daniel Arizmendi suffered a rude welcome to the GBL in his debut. The lefty gave up two runs, two hits and hit two batters, giving the Armada a come-from-behind win to drop the Flyers to 14-12 on the season. Long Beach center fielder John Kaplan hit a two-run double to turn a 4-5 deficit into the 6-5 winning score for the fleet.

McRobbie pitched 7 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) while striking out eight batters and walking only two. McRobbie provided a stable start for OC, but did not factor into the decision.

Garry Templeton II helped put the Flyers out front early, scoring runs in the first and fifth innings. GT2 finished the evening 2-for-4 with an RBI. Catcher Buddy Morales also scored two runs in the game for OC.

Templeton II, Morales and Dave Bacani all scored in the fifth to give the Flyers train a 5-3 lead. However, the offense stalled in the late innings, coming up with just four hits the rest of the game.

The Flyers will look for freedom from their six-game skid on Independence Day when they start a 3-game home series against the Armada tomorrow at Goodwin Field. Reed Dickert will take the ball for OC for the 5:05 p.m. start.

The game can be heard live on orangecountyflyers.com.

Armada sinks OC

The Orange County Flyers offense never left the station in tonight’s 10-1 loss to Long Beach at Blair Field. OC is now 14-11, having lost their last five in a row. Armada starting pitcher Jeremy Zick shut down the Flyers in 8 innings of work, finishing with 6 SO, 2 BB while giving up just three hits.

The theme at Blair Field was “Awful Night,” but Zick defied the trend, retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced.

Long Beach jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning and were never challenged by the Flyers the rest of the way. Garry Templeton II scored Orange County’s only run thanks to two Armada errors in the fourth inning.

Robert Salini (3-1) picked up his first loss of 2007, allowing nine earned runs in 5 1/3 innings with 6 SO and 5 BB. Reed Dickert, Nick Casanova and Mark Okano came out of the bullpen to wrap up the night for OC. Okano – who has now played five different positions this season – displayed his versatility, taking the ball in the eighth inning to help the Flyers recently-renovated bullpen finish the evening.

Seven different players scored runs for the Armada, who improved to 14-10 on the season, passing the Flyers in the GBL standings less than a week after being swept by OC at Blair.

Alex McRobbie will take the ball tomorrow night in an attempt to stop this five-game skid. The Flyers face the Armada tomorrow at Blair Field before taking on the fleet in three games at Goodwin Field to close out the week. First pitch Tuesday is at 7:05 p.m. and the game can be heard live on KWRM 1370 and orangecountyflyers.com.