Football Recruiting During May

Many topics…and an entire summer to discuss each one. A few to start off with…

First, Notre Dame fans…do not allow the lack of verbal commitments (how ever little a verbal commitment means nowadays) detour positive thoughts. Recruiting, to date, has been good. Excellent? No. Good? Yes.

As for the immediate future, Shrive's commitment to Penn State caught many off guard, including Nittany Lions' fans. That's recruiting. On to the next recruit, which in this case makes Stavion Lowe a much bigger priority than he was before, despite the fact he's held a Notre Dame offer for quite some time. With that in mind, and considering I'm as a big an underclassmen recruiting junky as anyone, Notre Dame is allegedly doing well with a couple of top OT recruits for the class of 2010, Seantrel "The Franchise" Henderson and Christian Lombard, from Minnesota and Illinois respectively. Additionally, Ian Gray, the son of a former ND player, is a name to watch from Pearland, Texas. He will be another major Division I recruit, at least if the early prognostications are correct. As always, time will tell.

Quarterback recruiting certainly looks to be interesting this year, although next year's quarterback recruiting will be even more interesting (Tyler Arndt, et al). Notre Dame needs a quarterback that will stick around. Will Jon
Budmayr be the recruit to do just that?

Overall, June will be a good month for Notre Dame Football recruiting. The annual high school football camp will beckon several top recruits from across the country. Plus, there will be a number of recruits making unofficial visits. Commitments will follow, as they do each year. Until that time, just weather the storm as a Notre Dame Football fan. May is not the most exciting month. Better times are ahead. Then again, a few recruits, including Corey Brown, the CB/WR from Gateway HS in Pennsylvania will be headed to Notre Dame this weekend. Perhaps Brown will make Notre Dame fans a little happier with a pledge to the Irish.

Recruiting Athletes From Enemy Territory

There are few College Football Programs that send assistant coaches to the likes of Columbia, S.C., and Memphis, Tenn. with the expectation that they can land each particular state's top recruit from under the noise of a traditional power. Pete Carroll, the head coach of the Southern California Trojans feels that way, and so does Urban Meyer, the head coach of the Florida Gators. Both programs do not count on out-of-state talent, however, as California and Florida generate numerous top recruits each year. Case in point, the Trojans are off to one of the greatest starts in College Football Recruiting history this year, and every single recruit hails from the state of California. Location, location, location.

There is one other school that truly recruits nationally and challenges for any given state's best player, and quite honestly has no other choice. Notre Dame. Indiana does not produce many top-notch recruits, and many of the so-called blue chip recruits lack the academic credentials (especially the Notre Dame core requirements that are above its aspirational peers) to clear Notre Dame's admissions department. So how did Notre Dame land back-to-back highly ranked recruiting classes? The answer is a combination of tradition, a head coach that truly enjoys recruiting, and two primary assistant coaches that continually forge relationships with top recruits across the country. More to come on the two assistants, Corwin Brown and Rob Ianello, later this month from a story profiling their recruiting exploits. But now, here is a quick look at this year's Notre Dame Bellwether List:

Tailback

Jackpot! The Irish landed Cierre Wood, the talented multi-faceted athlete from Oxnard, Calif., (Santa Clara) during it annual spring game weekend. Wood is clearly one of the nation's top five tailbacks, and some even consider him to be the best tailback in the country.

Wide Receiver

Remember the reference to Memphis? The name to watch is Marlon Brown, from Harding Academy. He's a long strider, but stops and starts as if his size resembled one who is 5-7, 170, not 6-5, 205, like he is in real life. Brown's after the catch ability brings many ooohs and ahhhhhs from fans. He deserves the credit. He's special. The Trojans, Irish, Tennessee Volunteers, Louisiana State Tigers, and Alabama Crimson Tide are the teams to watch with Brown, but many programs will recruit him. Do not be surprised if this battle comes down to the Volunteers, Trojans and Irish.

Another potential bellwether recruit calls sunny southern California home. Shaquelle Evans of Inglewood High School can pick his school. Not surprisingly, the Trojans are involved. Evans has noted that Notre Dame, Louisiana State, Ohio State, and Michigan are good bets for official visits. Surely the Trojans will not lose this high profile recruit from its own backyard, will they?

Offensive Tackle

Xavier Nixon will have many tough calls to make. Only one head coach will receive good news when all is said and done. Who will it be? Notre Dame is considered to be one of the best bets, as Nixon camped at Notre Dame earlier in his career. North Carolina, with Butch Davis manning the ship, will be in the running, as will Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan, Miami, Virginia Tech, and Florida State, amongst a long list of suitors.

Defensive End

Chris Bonds missed much of his junior season with a knee injury. That did not stop Clemson, Michigan, Southern California, South Carolina, Notre Dame, Alabama, Auburn, Miami, and Florida State from offering the talented defensive lineman. And that list does not cover half the teams that offered Bonds to date. Bonds could play either defensive end position in the 3-4, or even play the three technique (quick tackle) in a conventional 4-3 scheme (think Miami, FSU, and Oklahoma – get up the field and go). Bonds has a good relationship with Irish defensive coordinator Corwin Brown. Do not be surprised if he is the second Columbia, S.C., (Richland Northeast) player to sign with Notre Dame in three years, with Gary Gray being the other.

Like Bonds, Devon Kennard receives attention from coaches and media outlets every day. And like Bonds, Kennard is coveted by coach Carroll. That would be the proverbial good sign in terms of a prospect's future on the gridiron. Arizona State and Southern California are the reported front-runners for Kennard's services, but until coach Brown makes his presence known, do not count the Irish out just yet.

Linebacker

There are many reasons to love Hawaii. Football recruits are just not usually the reason why one would be intrigued with the tropical paradise. Manti Te'o, the hard hitting inside linebacker from Honolulu, Hawaii, (Ponhou) is another recruit that could end up making a decision between the Trojans and Irish, with a Mormon Mission likely to be a factor. Brigham Young, the original Mormon institution, will definitely figure into Te'o's selection process. Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA, Auburn, California and Colorado offered.

Cornerback

The ultimate bellwether recruit could be Brandon McGee. The athletic playmaker from Plantation, Fla. could play wide receiver, tailback, cornerback or safety in college. The Notre Dame coaching staff projects McGee as a cornerback for its defensive system. Ohio State, where McGee visited for its spring game, reportedly received the dreaded "silent commitment" from McGee while he visited Columbus. No area of the country produces more recruits that make selections only to change their minds than south Florida. With Plantation being 29.48 miles from Miami, it certainly counts as a south Florida city. Do not count out Notre Dame, or any other high profile program, a la Florida, Louisiana State, Southern California or Miami for McGee's signature. He will be worth the effort.

Note: many recruits could have been selected for this list. Grades, or a lack thereof, played a role for the selection of this list. Some of the "close" misses will be profiled later this month.

The BIG…Little League…In All Its Glory

Batter up!

As a first-time umpire this past Sunday, watching the nine and ten year olds warm up, listen to their coaches (sort of), talk to family and friends through the fence, and even take a nap in the dugout – which one actually did – was quite pleasing. Baseball in the spring, it's part of American culture the way that Coca-Cola is synonymous with soda.

The first two games were interesting because another umpire was calling balls and strikes behind the plate. Moving from position A (behind first base) to position B (behind second base) to position C (behind third base) granted a different perspective of the American pastime. Some of the news should be labeled as bothersome, at least, while most observations should be attributed to the fact that mere nine and ten year olds were playing, making it comical more than anything else.

First, the good news: parents were not causing a ruckus about balls and strikes, nor were they complaining about calls down at first base. After seeing and hearing so many stories about parents causing problems during Little League games, that concern brought great concern. Luckily, it did not come to fruition.

Watching the kids enjoy the game, at least for the most part, brought a smile to many a face within the complex (six diamonds in all). Kids running as hard as they trampled down the base paths, echoes of, "Hey, batter, batter!" were heard throughout the day, and of course the jubilation from a team when a player scored a run made the day a success.

Now, the concerning issue truly stood out, literally. What on God's green earth are a select few of these kids being fed? At 180-pounds, as an adult, that's fine. But a ten year old kid should not weigh in excess of 130, 140, or God knows how much! No joking around; a few kids had to be over 150. It was terrible. Parents should be ashamed that they allow their children to be so inactive that they are practically running in cement as they go down the first base line. One kid could barely move forward beyond a walking pace, and that is no exaggeration.

To be fair, it was possible that some the kids had medical conditions that caused the nature of their weight to be high. Otherwise, however, the overweight kids were yet further examples of how American society far too often allows their children to sit around and play video games instead of going outside and playing. It's sad.

After changing duties with the other umpire for games three and four, something else struck the mind after stooping behind home plate for the first time that had long since been forgotten: some kids are just big for their age and do not look like they belong. You know, the kid that developed quickly and just is bigger, faster, stronger? There were a few of those kids playing that fit that description this past Sunday. Fortunately, not many overmatched their competition, or at least not many playing in the games that were being played on field no. 4.

Then, there were the wild pitches, and the comedy that ensued. One kid had a ball go between his legs…bet he couldn't do that again! Kids swung at pitches that were already in the catchers' glove, pitchers threw the ball five feet in front of home plate, batters bailed out of the batters box when the ball was delivered right down main street, true comedy my friends, true comedy.

Umpiring should be fun. It's a great way to make some money in between the spring and fall semesters.

NFL Draft

Just a few thoughts on the upcoming NFL Draft…

The safest pick in the draft? Jake Long, Offensive Tackle, University of Michigan. Why? As a rule, the truly elite Offensive Tackles stand out. Long's talents stand out heads and shoulders above any other Offensive Tackle in the 2008 NFL Draft; not to mention, Long could be the fixture for the Dolphins' Offensive Line for years to come. Now on to the predicted top 10 picks…

1 Miami – Jake Long, OT, Michigan

2 St. Louis – Glenn Dorsey, DT, Louisiana State

3 Atlanta – Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

4 Oakland – Darren McFadden, TB, Arkansas

5 Kansas City – Chris Long, DE, Virginia

6 New York Jets – Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State

7 New England – Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt

8 Baltimore – Cedric Ellis, DT, Southern California

9 Cincinnati – Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State

10 New Orleans – Keith Rivers, OLB, Southern California

Do any of the abovementioned predictions mean much, whether it's for factual reasons, or, more importantly, for predicting who will actually be great pro football players? Heck no. But that's why it is so fun to predict.

Playoff Time

With the Los Angeles Lakers victory over the New Orleans Hornets last night, the race for the no. 1 seed in the Western Conference will go down to the last game. Regardless, it is going to be a fantastic race to the NBA Finals. The Western Conference playoff winner will have run a gauntlet that is incredible. Hats off to that team in advance.

The one possible shame is that the Golden State Warriors appear to be out of the mix. Point blank, the Warriors are missing the interior defensive presence to overcome the other outstanding all-around teams that are present in the Western Conference such as the Lakers, Hornets, and even the Houston Rockets with old man Mutumbo manning the middle. But boy oh boy are the Warriors fun to watch.

And how about the Boston Celtics? Many critics, including myself, thought that the Celtics' easy path, as compared to the eventual Western Conference Champion, would cause them to flame out. But, the opposite may just take place. The Celtics possess home court advantage throughout the playoffs. That will be a factor for the NBA Finals, assuming the Celtics are no upset before reaching the NBA Finals.

The dark horse of the playoffs? Do not forget about the Rockets. A team does not win over 20 games in a row enjoys the necessary talent to go deep into the playoffs. And now, a few predictions:

Eastern Conference…short and sweet, it will be the Washington Wizards matching up with the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics win and will play the Lakers after the Lakers defeat the Hornets. And the champions? LA, baby. The Lakers are playing well without center Andrew Bynum. He'll be back fairly soon. The Lakers ability to have a true low post center will be the difference against the Celtics.

Kansas City Making a Move

How about them Kansas City Royals? Don't look now, Detroit fans, you're Tigers were swept at home by the lowly…wait, up-and-coming Royals!

The Royals won the way you would expect a potential division contender would – with starting pitching – during all three games in the Motor City. So who are these Royals? Get to know the following names, as the Royals' roster is young, very young.

Beginning with the Royals' starting rotation, Gil Meche, the opening day starter, will be thirty years old in September. Meche performed well enough last year to garner a 3.67 ERA for the Royals. If Meche has another season like he had in 2007, the Royals fans will be smiling.

Talk about dominant; Brian Bannister completely shut down the Tigers yesterday. Seven innings pitched, two hits given up, and no earned runs. And oh, Bannister is only twenty-seven years old.

Now that the old-timers have been discussed (you won't be laughing for long), say hello to Zack Greinke. The not quite yet twenty-four year old held the Tigers to one run over seven innings today.

The Kansas City fourth and fifth starters are not expected to dominate the way the first three starters have or will this season, but if left handed hurler John Bale and right handed veteran Brett Tomko can muster even .500 records this season, the Royals will be in playoff contention come September.

Now to the hitters…and the Royals have some young talent in the batters box every baseball fan should learn about.

To add much needed pop to the K.C. lineup, Alex Gordon, a twenty-four year old third baseman, already hit two home runs in his first fourteen at bats this season. Alex Gordon is a left-handed hitter, to boot. Look for Gordon to be a future MVP candidate in seasons to come while hitting thirty or more home runs from this season forward.

Could this be the breakout season for left fielder Mark Teahen? The twenty-six year old is off to a good start in 2008, earning four hits in eleven at bats over the duration of the Detroit series. Like Gordon, Teahen hits left handed.

Billy Butler, a twenty-two year old first baseman and designated hitter, should provide right-handed power for the Royals.

Veteran Jose Guillen has been a reliable hitter during his past three fully healthy seasons, hitting 32, 28, and 28 home runs. Guillen still has several good years left, as he's only thirty-two years old.

And of course there is Mark Grudzielanek, the veteran second baseman is likely to bat near, at, or over .300 this season, while providing plenty of leadership for the young K.C. hitters.

Will the Royals win the World Series? Unlikely. Will the Royals compete for a playoff spot and possible American League Central championship? Definitely. And the young talent is in place for the Royals to compete at a high level for years to come.

Final Four Bound?

If you haven't noticed, Davidson has reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. And this just in: Davidson sophomore guard Stephen Curry, who looks all of seventeen-years old, dominated each opponent despite being the focus of their defense.

Thus far in the NCAA Tournament, Curry scorched the likes of Georgetown and Wisconsin, two teams known for their defense, in addition to Gonzaga, for a combined 103 points in three games. The 34.3 scoring avg. will look good on Curry's resume, despite the fact he did not receive one ACC scholarship – although playing high school basketball in Charlotte, N.C. – before enrolling at Davidson.

So what's next? Oh, no big deal. Davidson will be taking on Kansas for the opportunity to reach the Final Four. Imagine that, a no. 10 seed might be in the Final Four. Yes, the NCAA Tournament still has magic that keeps American's on their feet. Quick: where is Davidson located? Heck, I had to look it up too. Davidson is located in of all places, Davidson, N.C., about 20 minutes north of Charlotte.

Forget about the numbers and the opportunity to upset the tradition-rich Kansas Jayhawks, who look good thus far by the way, and think about basketball in its purest sense. Consider the following about Davidson's surprise run in the tournament: there are no highly recruited players, which is more than just an anomaly by NCAA Basketball standards, it's stuff of legend, or at least it will be if the Wildcats knock off the Jayhawks tomorrow. Curry was, is, and will be the focal point of the Wildcats' offense, and the Jayhawks know this fact as well; yet the opponents thus far cannot stop him. It's not like Curry has a future NBA lottery pick playing along side him. He's making plays with multiple defenders taking turns guarding him, occasional double teams, and rarely coming out of games to garner rest. But there is one area that stands out about Davidson, and especially Curry, that needs its own separate category:

Team play.

Despite all of Wisconsin's defensive pressure, Curry does not take bad shots. Curry consistently hits shots under duress that would make the likes of Chris Mullen, Robert Horry, or Dale Curry, Stephen's father, envious. Further, if anything, Curry is still underrated due to the fact that he made several excellent passes to teammates for baskets during yesterday's game against the Badgers. And it appears that Curry's style of play was contagious, as his teammates reciprocated Curry's passing style, whether it was finding Curry for a three-point attempt or a teammate cutting to the basket. Davidson has a group of players that pass and shoot in a manner that represents how offensive basketball was intended to be played. Each player shoots, each player handles the basketball, each player passes well, and the Wildcat players even dive after loose balls and grab rebounds against bigger, more agile players. It's awesome to watch.

Who knows if Davidson will defeat Kansas? That will be a difficult matchup for a team that does not possess the inside presence that Kansas does, but that was the case against Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Wisconsin, three teams with big front lines.

The NCAA Tournament presented many underdogs in years past that made a run. Davidson may be the best of the bunch. And it's how they play as a team that makes it easy to root for them.

100 to 85: The SEC Model

College Football traditions are great. Tailgating with friends, family, and sometimes even people one does not even know. College Football Tailgating is a great event for one and all. Then there's the pep rally, the band, cheerleaders, and for the true diehards, the luncheons with players and coaches the day before a big home game. But all of these traditions are positive in nature. Unfortunately, not all College Football traditions are equal in ethics and common sense. Say hello to recruiting in the 21^st Century, The SEC Model:

Ray Melick of the Birmingham News wrote a column about over signing practices and how the NCAA should put a stop to it. Of course, since the state's most influential academic institution, the University of Alabama, happens to practice such tactics with its beloved Football Program to the tune of signing thirty-two players this past February. Melick was blasted by many 'Bama fans after the article was published. Alabama is one of many SEC Football Teams that uses this practice repeatedly, amongst other less scrupulous recruiting ploys.

Note: per NCAA rules, a school is only allowed to sign 25 recruits to National Letters of Intent, with exceptions, including JUCO players and players that do not qualify not truly counting against the limit. In essence, a team that signs mediocre (or worse) academic recruits benefits long term, because those schools "showed the love" to the recruits when they were not eligible, and then re-sign those same recruits once they leave JUCO or Prep School. How convenient.

Ah, yes, nothing like finding every loop hole possible to win at any cost -- er, cheat to win at any cost – there, that's better.

But of course, as Melick stated in his article, if the NCAA placed a ban on over signing, the practice would be halted. Why over signing and other practices such as cutting players that do not perform well is permitted by the NCAA beckons the question of whether the NCAA is truly helping or hurting Division I College Athletes. Here's a breakdown of the two issues, which overlap, helping propel The SEC Model:

1. If a team wants to reload its roster or rebuild its program, over signing is the first step. What better way to gain a competitive advantage than to sign roughly one-third of a team's total allotted roster at the conclusion of one recruiting class?

2. To bolster point no. 1, if a player, or players, as is often the case, did not perform up to their football expectation level, cut them. This opens more scholarships for new recruits who are expected to perform at a higher level.

What do both of the aforementioned items have in common? The SEC uses them all the time. The problem is the NCAA. Per NCAA rules, a scholarship is year-to-year, not a four year guarantee. By making that single rule change, holding Division I Football Programs accountable for taking risks on recruits for whatever reason, teams would not only be held to a higher ethical standard. Such a rule would enforce the notion that academic morality comes before football immortality.

Schools hold mere 17-year olds accountable for their actions when they sign with a particular school, but what is good for the student athlete is apparently not the same for the schools. Melick explains:

Currently, Division I-A schools can sign as many players to National Letters of Intent (NLI) as they want, because the NLI is a one-sided contract that binds athletes to the school they sign with but is not a guarantee of receiving a scholarship. Athletes are guaranteed scholarships only when they sign scholarship papers. Schools often withhold those papers from the recruits they would want only if other recruits fail to qualify.

Well, technically Melick's commentary on the NCAA guideline means that if a school "likes a recruit," but does not like him more than another recruit, he does have to be placed on scholarship even though he signed his letter of intent. Is college not about teaching young men and women about ethics? Please dissect the proper ethical conduct in that equation? Someone please…

Now, the SEC has been used as the poster child on unethical recruiting behavior for decades. That's not going to change. There are, however, many schools outside of the SEC that use a similar model to what Saban uses at Alabama, and SEC schools use in general. In an effort to not discriminate, here are a few other schools that constantly take any talented recruit with an academic pulse in an effort to move upwards towards College Football's elite. Drum roll please, in no particular order:

1. West Virginia: No, I do not hate Rich Rodriguez. WVU has consistently taken many recruits, especially from the state of Florida (hello Noel Devine), that lack character, and most often, solid academic standing, for decades. Rodriguez just kept the practice going.
   
2. Michigan State: The Spartans are not going to land many recruits that OSU, MI, and ND want, teams that Spartans routinely compete against for top recruits. That's fact. With Michigan State being a land grant school, which allows individuals from various academic backgrounds an opportunity at a post-secondary education, the Spartans have taken advantage for years, well, decades really. While the concept is excellent in allowing many students the opportunity for at least obtaining a college degree, its intent was not to find majors for football players to be hidden so that they could stay eligible. Remember Boo-Boo Thompson from about ten years ago? Plaxico Burress was a porous student, hello East Lansing. Oddly, Saban is the former Michigan State head coach.
   
3. Kansas State: The true magic behinds Bill Snyder's resurrection of the Wildcats Football Program was horrible out of conference scheduling and, you guessed it, taking any kid with a pulse, especially JUCO talent. To his credit, however, Snyder was a heck of a football coach, regardless of how he won. It's not easy attracting talent to the middle of nowhere.
   
4. Washington State: I'll never forget that during the 1997 Rose Bowl it was mentioned that Washington State's starting tailback had once served time in prison. That's nice. I'm all for second chances, but combining that type of logic with utilizing the same recruiting scheme that Kansas State utilized under Snyder as it does under its current coaching staff, is a bit over the top.
   
5. Miami: The school that probably hates Sports Illustrated more than any other notable Division I Football Program has, is, and will continue to live off of inner-city football recruits from in and around Dade County, Fla., a.k.a. the county where skill position athletes seemingly grow on palm trees. The irony: "The U." is an excellent academic institution. How do kids from horrendous high schools survive at a University such as Miami?
   
6. Florida State: This is all you need to know, as the story was told to me by a well known sports reporter in the state of Florida less than ten years ago. Reinard Wilson, a former FSU defensive end and 1^st Round Draft Pick of the Cincinnati Bengals, never took a test at Florida State. How did this person know this? Reinard told him the situation himself. Yikes. Maybe he was some sort of Learning disability student, hard to say. Regardless, even a learning disability student should have to take tests. FSU is another school that has taken more than its fair share of Dade County talent that quite honestly had little business at school of higher learning.

This list could go on forever, but more importantly, here are a few coaches that have the devil in their eye when it comes to academic and recruiting misgivings, in no particular order:

1. Dennis Erickson: He coached at Miami during the time frame when its Football Program did just about everything wrong. Not to mention, he coached at Washington State before that, and now he's at Arizona State, a school that is far from being the opiate of academic Football Program choir boys.
   
2. Nick Saban: Louisiana State can be added to his list of schools that he has been the head football coach. What do Michigan State, Louisiana State, and Alabama all have in common? They are Land Grant Institutions that continually have some of the lowest graduation rates for Football Players, as they frequently take advantage of their opportunities to admit porous football recruits from high schools, prep schools, and Junior Colleges.
   
3. Jimmy Johnson: He's retired, but he still was the head coach at Oklahoma State when a certain Dexter Manly was in Stillwater, only to later admit that he couldn't read. Are you kidding me? He later took over the Miami program. Red light…
   
4. Howard Schnellenberger: He's the former head coach that launched the University of Miami Football program into the spotlight. You figure out how it took place. He later took over Louisville and then Oklahoma, having much less success at both stops. He's now attempting to get Florida Atlantic off the ground. It's located near Dade County…no wonder the Owls had a good 2007 season.
   
5. Phillip Fulmer: If you live in Tennessee and check the police records for Knoxville, it will not take long before you see another Volunteer on the wrong side of the law. He's taken many academic risks since he's been at Tennessee, and he's now paying for it. This just in: kids with poor academic backgrounds are often high risks for off the field incidents.
   
6. Jackie Sherrill: He cheated at Pittsburgh; he cheated at Texas A&M; he cheated at Mississippi State. He did not care; he just wanted to win.
   
7. John Cooper: If you ever want to feel sick to your stomach, look up tOSU Football Player's graduation rates when Cooper was in Columbus running the Buckeyes' Football Program. Ugly.

So what does 100 to 85 mean? That if Division I Schools use the aforementioned tactics, it receives roughly 100 chances to find great players compared to 85 for schools that do not. The SEC Model, it's spreading throughout College Football. What a joke.

College Football: A Look Ahead

Who's going to win the 2008 National Championship? Better yet, which teams will accompany the 2008 National Championship winner with their own National Championships at the close of the 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 seasons?

The contemporary version of winning big in college football constitutes a team to utilize the forward pass, albeit each team can do so in an assortment of different ways. A nuance here, a creative trick-passing play there, and a mobile quarterback over yonder…the point is, well, there are many ways to confront a defense with via the passing game.

Before continuing on, let it be noted that I, Radio Man, am a staunch believer in the ideological foundation of a physical ground assault. With that said, the passing game dictates National Championships, but the nuances, oh, how intriguing! Before the 1980s, the running game dictated to the pass game, then in the 1990s, sans Nebraska, it became balanced with the passing game, and now, during the 21^st Century, the running game feeds off of the passing game's big plays. Get it? College Football is no longer about Bo and Woody.

OK, now it's time to explain what all of this is about.

There are but roughly fifteen schools that, to date, proved themselves to be worthy of competing for and winning a National Championship during the past thirty years. For the record, and if you read this blog from time to time, you'll see this list again, I promise, the list includes Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Louisiana State, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Southern California, and Notre Dame. The two caveats, as they are moonlighters with this list, would be Colorado and Washington. One team will rise up the Big XII ladder this fall and possibly be a BCS contender beginning in 2009. While the latter, well, call me when it gets a real coach to compete for elite recruits to help the Huskies compete for and win Pac 10 titles before talking National Championship. Cool?

There are other schools that came desperately close to playing for the National Championship, fell on hard times in recent years, or jus flat out cheated to gain their championship caliber talent. The list, however, short as it may be, only accounts for roughly four percent of the teams in College Football: Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, Auburn, Clemson (probation soon followed its 1981 Championship for paying players), Georgia Tech (watch out for Paul Johnson!) and West Virginia. All of the aforementioned teams have uphill climbs with recruiting because they are anointed to being "the other State U." in their respective states (the first four teams on that list) with regards to recruiting, or simply located in a state with a low population base, leading to few in-state recruits. Hello Mountaineers. Ironically, it would not shock anyone if West Virginia won the National Championship next year. That possibility goes away if Noel Devine finds himself in a jail cell (see recent police blotter).

So here is a look at the best bets for the next five National Championship contenders, team by team, with a look at their QB and head coaching situations as the main barometer of success. Shall we?

Michigan: The Wolverine faithful need to be a bit patient at the outset of Rich Rodriguez's career as the Michigan head football coach. His system, the spread-option, currently does not possess a signal caller with the type of athleticism to run the show in Ann Arbor. Ah, but that will likely change after the 2009 recruiting class. Look for the 2010 Wolverines to be in the hunt for a title, but their hated rivals to the south will be a year ahead of them due to a certain QB recruit the Wolverines just lost out on to the Buckeyes…

Ohio State: The worst kept secret in College Football recruiting circles? Terrell Pryor signing with Ohio State. Once in the fold, look for Pryor to quickly be acclimated to the Buckeyes offense. By 2009, Pryor will be running the show in Columbus. Thus, the Buckeyes will be in the title hunt for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 National Championships. Plus, the Wolverines' fans will likely wait for their next title run beyond Pryor's entry to the NFL.

Penn State: There is no nice way to say it, until Paterno steps down and the new coach has three full years to recruit, the Nittany Lions' faithful will be full of gloom and doom. Sure, the Nittany Lions still possess talent, but the inconsistency within its recent recruiting classes, particularly at offensive tackle, tailback, and cornerback, will not allow Penn State to be in the National Title hunt for the foreseeable future. Pat Devlin, a talented quarterback that will be a redshirt sophomore this fall, will be more than a capable quarterback. Too bad the materials will not be around him to win on College Football's largest stage.

Tennessee: Remember the name Jonathon Crompton. He's the next signal caller for the Vols. He can play; mark it down. With a disgusting level of off the field incidents by its players in recent months, however, the program seems to be stuck in a rut. It does not help that both Georgia and Florida have even better overall talent either. And then one considers the fact that Steve Spurrier coaches a team down in Columbia, S.C. The Vols will be good, but not good enough for head coach Phil Fulmer to win another National Championship. Look for the Vols to have a new head coach during this time. Tennessee is a plum job; someone will gain a great opportunity when Fulmer steps away.

Alabama: Assuming Nick Saban sticks around Tuscaloosa long enough, his coaching prowess will lead the Crimson Tide back to the National Championship once again. The key will certainly be finding a signal caller that can be the leader, not the do-all quarterback in the mold of an Elway or Manning or Favre. Saban's a control freak; his offensive philosophy dictates a more conservative approach. Therefore, he needs a signal caller to manage the game, not win the game. Look for the Tide to be a wild card in each National Championship race from 2010-2012. Who will the Tide's signal caller be?

Georgia: It's hard not to like Mark Richt, minus the on-field celebration he delegated to his players against Florida last year. His gunslinger, Matthew Stafford, will provide Dawg fans with much to cheer about in 2008 and 2009, assuming he does not head for NFL riches at the conclusion of this upcoming season. All of the Dawgs' offensive and defensive talent will be tough to go defeat during the next two seasons. Look for the Dawgs to plays for at least one title over the course of the next two seasons.

Florida: Tim Tebow became a winner before he ever set foot in the Swamp. He just might lead the Gators to another National Championship in 2008. If he returns for his senior season in 2009, watch him keep the Gators in the mix for the National Championship again. Beyond Tebow, the Gators have a couple of other young stud quarterbacks. With all of the Gators' skill position talent on offense, their defense will only have to be top 25 caliber to keep them in the title hunt. Florida recruited well above top 25 defensive players the last three years. Look out. The Gators will be a top five team for the foreseeable future.

Florida State: One name, quarterback E.J. Manual, will be synonymous with Seminoles' Football by the end of the 2009 season. Just remember the name. The bigger question, how will Jimbo Fisher do as the next head coach? Rumored to be stepping down is current head coach Bobby Bowden, after the 2008 season. The defensive talent never left Tallahassee. The 'Noles are not a great bet to win a National Championship during the next five years, but they could. More likely, they will ruin title runs for the Gators and Hurricanes during that time.

Miami: Tampa native Robert Marve will be the next Miami signal caller. He exploded during his senior season of high school, but he's probably not ready to dominate College Football. If the Hurricanes move back into the nation's elite, it offensive coordinator, Patrick Nix, a former Georgia Tech quarterback himself, must drastically improve his offensive game planning. OK, I'll say it. Nix might ruin Miami's title hopes by himself. Projection: Nix bombs during the 2008 season, he's canned. If the offense comes around, look out. The Hurricanes defensive recruiting this past season turned heads. Watch out for the 'Canes, assuming the coaching issues go away.

Louisiana State: The only reason the Tigers will not be the favorites to win the National Championship this year would be their inexperienced quarterback situation. That will not last. Nobody recruits DL like the Tigers, and they still recruit tailbacks better than any team not named Southern California. Once Jarrett Lee, a redshirt freshman, becomes the signal caller, the Tigers will be back in business. Watch out for the Tigers come 2009.

Texas: Openly, I longed since believed that Mack Brown recruited well, but his game day coaching did not live up to the truly great College Football head coaches. I firmly hold that Brown is coaching at the easiest job in all of College Football due to how easy recruiting proved to be over the past thirty years down on the Forty Acres, but without Vince Young, or another quarterback talent similar to him, he's not winning another title. The 'Horns will disappoint during the next few years under Brown, relative to its overall talent level. The Longhorns reload its talent each February. The next head coach (likely to be Major Applewhite) will walk into a great situation.

Oklahoma: Look for the Sooners to be in the title hunt for the next three years. Why? The Sooners were close this past season with a mere redshirt freshman, Sam Bradford, who played great last season. The Sooners talent doesn't stop in the backfield with quarterback, as the tailback recruiting has been excellent. Now can Oklahoma return to a dominant defense? That's the big concern. The Sooners will be in the National Title hunt, but the Big XII conference's versatile in-conference scheduling will be a lot to overcome for a team that routinely tanks one game a year (hard to explain), with its defense being a big reason why. Do not doubt the Sooners, but they are a bit of a Jeckyll and Hyde story. Bob Stoops can definitely coach. Now can he keep his team consistent? Quarterback play will not be an issue.

Nebraska: Sans Penn State, this program will be the worst from this list over the course of the next five years. Bo Pelini was not, is not, and will not be the answer. Besides, who will the Huskers' quarterback be during the foreseeable future? Joe Ganz, a kid that did not make many high school All-American lists, steps under center this fall. Who's Joe Ganz? The Huskers' quarterback recruiting leaves much to be desired.

Southern California: Can a team have too much talent? The Trojans overall recruiting during the past six years goes beyond anything in recent College Football History. The Trojans loaded up with five-star talent during the past six years, and now they will attempt to win at least one National Championship without one Norm Chow. Mitch Mustain or Mark Sanchez, last year's part-time starter, will lead the Trojans the next couple of years, plus they have the no. 1 quarterback in the class of 2009 already committed, Matt Barkley. Not to mention, the Trojans recruit tailbacks even better than Louisiana State's! Unless the chemistry issues and overconfidence issues of the 2007 season continue, look for the Trojans to win at least one National Championship during the next five years. Pete Carroll deserves quite a bit of credit for one of the greatest runs in College Football History.

Notre Dame: The Irish were dreadful last year under third year head coach Charlie Weis. Much of the fault falls on the former Irish coaching staff's horrific recruiting efforts that produced porous junior and senior classes for Weis to work with during the 2008 season, but Weis's propensity for great offensive production deflated last year. He needs experienced players for his complicated system. He will have that in spades beginning in 2009. Jimmy Clausen's health improved as the 2007 season moved forward, and with an off season of physical conditioning, Clausen will be one of the better College quarterbacks for the next three years. Dayne Christ, a friend of Clausen's since their childhood, will join him in South Bend this summer. The offensive skill talent will be awesome during the next few years as well. Defensively, the best recruit was Jon Tenuta, the former Georgia Tech defensive coordinator took on assistant head coaching duties and the linebackers, and he will work with second year defensive coordinator Corwin Brown. Now, can the Irish front seven hold up? Not in 2008, too much youth. Beginning in 2009, watch the Irish flourish on both sides of the ball. The possible caveat, will cornerback Darrin Walls leave a year early for the NFL, to thwart the Notre Dame title run in 2009? It's possible. The Trojans and Irish promise to provide great games during the next five years.

The Other Five: Only West Virginia truly looks like a National Title Contender in the near future. The Big East does not have the same caliber of talent that the Pac 10, SEC or Big XII enjoys, and the Mountaineers have Pat White. West Virginia could win the championship in 2008. We'll see.

So here are my picks for the next five years, with teams within the () being the next two best teams for that given year:

2008: The Trojans will be back on top. The big game may actually be played twice. Ohio State travels to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to play the Trojans on Sep. 13^th. Look for the Trojans to whip the Buckeyes, then the Buckeyes will roll through the hapless Big 10 (sans a good Wisconsin team), and then play the Trojans in the National Championship game. Trojans win again. UCLA and Notre Dame will give the Trojans a scare, and Arizona State will stay close to the Trojans for three quarters. The Trojans run the table despite a touch schedule in and out of conference. (Georgia and West Virginia)

2009: From 3-9 to National Champions two years later. With Tenuta and Brown being a very good compliment to Weis' offensive knowledge (with experienced players), the Irish take advantage of a road schedule without a dominant opponent due to Michigan being in a rebuilding mode, and a home date with rival and defending National Champion Southern California. What a difference a talented group of players from the freshmen to senior players makes, coupled with good coaching on both sides of the football, and a manageable schedule. The Irish defeat Georgia for the National Championship, and Mark May finally bows down to Notre Dame, despite hating every minute of it. Lou Holtz smiles. (Southern California and Florida)

2010: The Bayou Bengals return to prominence, as Jarrett Lee's experience during the 2009 season provides enough balance with the Tigers dominant defense. The SEC Championship Game, which will pit the Tigers vs. the Gators, will be a classic, vaulting the Tigers to the BCS Title Game. The difference will be the Tigers' defensive line depth. Who will the Tigers' play? Oklahoma. Sam Bradford wins the Heisman, but loses the National Championship to the boys down on the Bayou. (Ohio State and Notre Dame)

2011: Michigan gets back on track, but it lost Pryor to the Buckeyes during the 2008 recruiting wars, and it will lose its chance at a BCS Championship when Pryor leads the Buckeyes into the Big House and knocks off the Wolverines, propelling the Buckeyes into the National Championship Game against Florida. Pryor goes out with a National Title ring and a Heisman Trophy, as the Buckeyes defeat the Gators and future NFL signal caller John Brantley. (Notre Dame and Southern California)

2012: The Trojans climb back to the top behind senior signal caller Matt Barkley and one of the greatest offenses in College Football History. The Trojans knock off top 10 teams UCLA, Arizona State and Notre Dame in the regular season to earn their National Championship Game birth against Alabama. Nick Saban leads the Tide to the Championship game with fifth-year senior quarterback Brad Smelley, and out schemes Carroll in leading the Crimson Tide to its first National Championship since 1992. (Notre Dame and Louisiana State)

Now this started and ended as fun, but history repeats itself. The teams above will prove their worth during the next five years. Enjoy the action.

Tournament Time

Now that the NCAA Tournament Brackets have been announced, with ESPN providing a printable bracket on their web site for anyone interested, it's time to make a few a few predictions. This is fun, isn't it?

One and done: call me skeptical, but I do not feel comfortable with the circumstances surrounding the Indiana Hoosiers. How often does a team lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament that possesses not one, but two first round draft picks? D.J. White and Eric Gordon are definitely headed for NBA riches, but their teammates haven't helped enough of late. Come to think of it, Gordon's horrific three-point shooting during the latter half of the Big 10 season could contribute to the Hoosiers quick exit as well. And, oh yeah, Arkansas is playing well right now. IU is going home early.

Sticking with the East Bracket, Notre Dame drew a tough opponent in George Mason. The Patriots are athletic enough to give a very unathletic Notre Dame team (sorry, it's true) fits. Leading the way for the Patriots is the inside-outside duo of Folarin Campbell and Will Thomas, a slasher and a power player. Campbell's propensity to make it to the charity stripe, including thirty-seven free throw attempts in his last three games, could be a pivotal factor. If Campbell consistently gets into the lane, it could cause Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody to be charged with early fouls. If so, the Irish are in trouble. Conversely, if Harangody scores early and/or causes Thomas to take a seat with foul trouble, the Patriots could be in trouble. This promises to be a great game. I'm going with the Patriots due to Campbell's ability to get into the lane and create free throw opportunities.

Another great matchup that could lead to a five seed dropping out to the hands of a twelve seed is Drake vs. Western Kentucky. Drake has been fantastic at knocking down three point shots all season long. Will Drake be able to keep bombing away while holding down the Hilltoppers' Courtney Lee? Lee accounted for 20.4 points per game to date. If Lee can score twenty-five-plus points against Drake, the Hilltoppers move on. I say Drake is the lone five seed to go down in the opening round. We'll see.

Round Two: I wouldn't want to bet the mortgage on the Pittsburgh vs. Michigan State game. Two excellent coaches coupled with two teams playing well when it counts. That should be a fun matchup. The Panthers will win, but it will be a close game.

Second Week Upset: how about some third-round action? Clemson, fresh off of defeating Duke and losing a good game to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, to knock off the Midwest's top seed Kansas. You heard correctly. The Tigers are very athletic. Again, very athletic. Clemson gets after its opponent, but it also shoots the trey well. The Tigers' other advantage is balance, with five players scoring average being in double figures. Kansas can be awesome, or it can fold. Jayhawks lose a close game to the Tigers.

Early Final Four Predictions: North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Duke, and Georgetown. The eventual champs? The Tar Heels, by way of defeating Pittsburgh, then Georgetown in the final game. Yeah, big shock, right?

NCAA Ups and Downs

Do you ever possess the feeling that your favorite team is about to tank in the NCAA Tournament? This blog entry may be short, but it's probably not as short as the length of time that the following NCAA Tournament teams will be playing beginning next Thursday.

From the state of Indiana, Notre Dame, Purdue, and Indiana all choked in their opening round conference tournaments. Yes, I said choked. If you are a fan of any of the three teams, you understand the point. If not, trust Radio Man, these three layed eggs.

What is going on with UConn? One day they play great, the next...

Staying with the Big East, Louisville's press was dissected during the second half of its loss to Pittsburgh. At this point in the season, if the Cardinals' defenders do not understand the pressure concepts that coach Petino has incorporated, forget it. That's a bad omen for the Cardinals' tournament hopes.

And for the ups, I give thee one team: UNC. Now that Ty Lawson is close to 100% healthy, coupled with UNC's backup point guard having gained valuable experience, the Tar Heels are the favorites to win the NCAA Championship. Having Tyler Hasborough does not hurt either.

Other early picks to reach the Final Four include UCLA, Tennessee, and Duke.

It's Championship Week

If you love college hoops, it's a great week. There will be the usual buzzer beaters and heart-stopping action as the Big East, Big 10, Big XII, Pac 10, and, of course, the ACC host their annual conference championships.

Today's matchups will feature the Big East, as the ESPN TV Schedule shows. Will the early round action feature any truly amazing action? It could. The best game of the entire week could be tipping off in less than four hours. ESPN will air the Syracuse vs. Villanova contest at noon. Both teams need to win to have any NCAA hopes. Truthfully, both teams need a couple of wins during the Big East Tournament. Both teams come into the contest with nineteen victories, but also have lost over ten games.

Other notable games to watch include Providence vs. West Virginia and Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh, both games will be televised live on ESPN, with the former game to be played a half-hour after the conclusion of the Syracuse vs. Villanova game, and the Bearcats vs. Panthers taking place at 7pm.

If you really like Pac 10 hoops, then the late night action between Oregon State and Arizona piques your interest. The game begins at 11:30pm. Note: the Beavers have lost 20 games in a row. One must be a truly big college basketball fan to want to watch them play. Wow. Arizona, however, is much like Syracuse and Villanova. They are on the proverbial NCAA Tournament bubble. The Wildcats are 18-13 overall, but only 3-7 during the final ten games of their regular season schedule. Without a long run in the Pac 10 Tournament, the Wildcats are likely headed to the NIT.

Today's beginning leads to tomorrow's onslaught of college hoops action. Let the games begin!

YouTube Highlights Mania

Let us take a quick glance at the YouTube Superstars; the high school football recruits from the class of 2009 that make jaw-dropping plays.

Remember that kid in your neighborhood that just juked everyone out of their shorts while playing backyard football? You know that guy. If you’re lucky, that guy was you. Most likely though, it was someone else that you envied. Needless to say, the following group of recruits will be able to go to almost any college in the United States and play college football. Here we go:

Cierre Wood, a tailback from California, already has offers from several schools across the country. Southern California, Florida, Auburn, and Notre Dame are just a handful of the schools vying for Wood’s services. The clip was not really long, but it shows Wood’s versatility as a tailback, as he demonstrated speed, quickness, and good power for a high school junior.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rysl4lpcXiE

Marlon Brown’s reputation has stretched from back East to out West due in large part to his YouTube highlight reels. He could play any number of positions, but will likely end up playing wide receiver at the college level. What allows him to be so special, beyond his height and speed, would be his hand-eye coordination. He makes the difficult catches look rather easy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgvVSKuexLo

Perhaps the most exciting player to watch this year is…Andre Debose, a tailback/wide receiver from just outside of Orlando, Fla. This just in: when a football recruit has offers from Miami, Florida, and Florida State before he has completed his junior year of high school, and he’s a tailback or wide receiver to boot, great sign! This kid just makes everyone miss in traffic, lowers his pads to deliver blows, and has sprinter’s speed. Incredible player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psnt7zgrebo

If any tailback has a better highlight video than Debose it would have to be Bryce Brown, who is reportedly moving down to south Florida to be closer to his brother Arthur, who just signed with the University of Miami to play linebacker from the Hurricanes. Brown is much larger than Debose, making him more likely to make an immediate impact at the college level.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfAkcYiKXPQ

While each of the aforementioned recruits made their names on the football field over the past few years, the are several others that could have been included on the list. Look for more football recruiting information to pop up on Sports Talk Radio over the course of the summer heading into next football season.

The 'Lake' Show

If you were, or are, a Los Angeles Lakers Hater, and there are many of you, life is going to be miserable for the foreseeable future. Kobe Bryant will turn 30 on Aug. 23. That’s right; he’s in the prime of his career. Pau Gasol…he won’t turn 28 until July 7. And that Andrew Bynum kid, the one who the Lakers are still rolling without despite the lack of his presence on the court? Yeah, he will not turn 21 until Oct. 27.

Put down the gun…

As Stephen A. Smith, NBA analyst and ESPN personality commonly says, “It’s all about the Los Angeles Lakers.”

So who can stop the Lakers from running rough-shod over the rest of the NBA this year? There are four candidates:

1. San Antonio – The Spurs are the defending NBA champions. That says enough right there. By the way, Tim Duncan still plays for the Spurs, just in case you forgot. But who is going to guard Kobe come playoff time (these two teams are going to meet in the Western Conference Finals…we all know it)? Don’t give me that Bruce Bowen stuff. Kobe is the one player that eats Bowen up when its crunch time. While Duncan is likely to off set the production of Gasol, he still cannot off set Gasol and Bynum, assuming Bynum comes back healthy from his injury. Plus, there’s Kobe? Forget it. Even Momu Ginobli’s talents are not going to be enough umph, nor Tony Parker’s, as the Lakers have a deep supporting cast around no. 24. Derek Fisher, the embattled one, is the point guard, Jordan Farmar, a solid backup guard, Lamar Odom, often overlooked, is averaging 13.6 ppg and 10.1 apg. Do not look for the Western Conference Finals to reach the seventh game, unless…Bynum is not at 100% due to his injury. That’s the big “if” for the Lakers as the Spurs have Duncan, and everyone that follows the NBA knows that Duncan is a tremendous player.

2. Detroit – Without going into a long diatribe about why just about everyone should dislike the Pistons due to Rasheed Wallace’s on-court antics, just remember that the Pistons epitomize the term “team basketball.” They are unselfish, play within themselves, and play great defense. If Wallace is on, and that is as hard to predict from game to game, they can beat anyone. In fact, the Pistons are a bigger threat to the Lakers than San Antonio, assuming Wallace has a big NBA Finals against the Lakers. But with Wallace, who knows? He might go for 23 one night, then 4 the next. He’s that inconsistent. The X Factor for the Pistons will be one of my favorite NBA players, Tayshaun Prince. His wing span is what? Over 7-feet? It’s ridiculous, whatever it is. As a defensive player, he’s ubiquitous; he plays defense like two people. He can play help-side defense against Kobe, or perhaps guard the world’s best player one-on-one about as well as any player is capable of in the NBA today. And finally, Chauncey Billups gives the Pistons a steadying force at the point guard position. He’s a clutch player that possesses the talent to matchup with the Lakers’ guards, sans Kobe, of course.

3. The Boson Celtics – It’s great that Boston is back in the hunt for an NBA championship. That’s the good news. The bad: the Celtics have not played together for as long as some of the other teams they will face, most notably the Detroit Pistons, come playoff time. Look, Kevin Garnett, he’s a great player, and a sure Hall of Fame inductee. With that said, the lack of experience at the point guard position compared to the Lakers, Spurs and Pistons makes the Celtics a little bit iffy down the stretch. Fortunately for the Celtics and their fans, the addition of Sam Cassell to the Celtics’ roster provides depth and security for Rondo, as well as a mentor for the second-year player. But the biggest issue will be how the Celtics defend opposing teams down low, most notably Centers with the talent to score 15, 20, sometimes 25 points or more in a big game. Believe it or not, the Celtics will have to rely on fourth-year player Kendrick Perkins to hold down the fort in the paint against more talented and more experienced players such as Wallace or Gasol. If I was a Celtics’ fan, that would not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. Perkins is good, but he’s not an All-Star caliber player. Glen “Big Baby” Davis and old man P.J. Brown are needed to play at a high level to help off set the scoring capabilities other top teams have in the post if the Celtics are going to hang another banner in the rafters. And yes, Garnett is a post player, but he is not a power player. Garnett’s game is about finesse and athleticism, not that there’s anything wrong with that. He’s not, however, going to physically push Wallace or Gasol out of the lane with his girth…

4. And finally, the biggest and most likely cause for the Lakers to not win the NBA Championship this year? Bad luck. Bynum’s injury, perhaps Kobe further injures his finger that will have surgery later this summer, or another injury. Sound ridiculous? Look at their roster again and tell me I’m wrong. The Lakers have a shot to win several NBA titles over the next five years assuming Bynum, Gasol and Bryant play together.

It’s not a good time to be a Lakers Hater…But that’s the world as we know it right now. The Los Angeles Lakers are on top, and will continue to be on top for the foreseeable future. Deal with it, Lakers Haters.

You Make the Call

Pujols, the best right-handed power hitter? Or is A-Rob the King of right-handed power hitters?

Sometimes a good ole’ fashioned debate is fun to look partake in. Who makes the best luxury cars ? Is the answer BMW or Mercedes? Perhaps it is Rolls-Royce. Maybe Aston Martin? Regardless, they are all great cars, and this is a sports blog, not Car and Driver.

While on the phone with a good friend recently, I asked him who he thought was the best right-handed hitter during the past fifty years and to compare that player to Albert Pujols, the St. Louis Cardinals All-Star 1st Baseman. The answer was not surprising, although since he could not stand the player due to his former (and current) love affair with the almighty dollar, he simply stated, “you know who it is.”

How you doin’ Alex?

Alex Rodriguez, a.k.a. A-Rod, is certainly a slugging machine, at least in the regular season. With that said, here is a look at there statistical comparisons over the course of their careers. Note that Rodriguez is much older. Thus, his career totals are much larger.

Beginning with A-Rod:

His career home run total stands at 518, with 1,503 runs batted in, and a career batting average of .308. Rodriguez tallied 2,250 hits during the first fourteen years of his career. That’s an average of 160.7 per season, which, for a power hitter, is incredible. If the first two years of A-Rods career are taken out of the equation due to him only playing a combined 65 games in 2004 and 2005, and then subtract his 44 hits from his MLB career, his average hits per season comes to 175.9! Again, Rodriguez was and is a power hitter.

Here’s the incredible statistic about Rodriguez’s career: 518 home runs, with only five home runs during his first two seasons, which totaled to 196 at bats. Therefore, Rodriguez bombed 513 home runs during the past twelve seasons for the Mariners, Rangers, and Yankees, for an average of 42.75 per season. Wow…

Moving to Pujols:

Pujols has launched 282 home runs, drove in 861 runs, with a .332 batting average to boot. During his seven year career, Pujols career hit total reached 1,344 at the conclusion of the 2007 season. The average hit total, per season, for Pujols…192! Goodness!

As for the all-important home run average, Pujols is right there with A-Rod: 40.28 home runs per season. Albert has been fairly fortunate with injuries thus far, but knock on wood, he has an injury that might require him to have Tommy John surgery…and that is a lengthy layoff (1+ seasons on average).

Conclusion:

Now here is the caveat between the two with regards to hitting, and I brought this up with my friend, who just so happens to be a life-long St. Louis Cardinals fan – Pujols has played MLB exclusively in the National League, while A-Rod has played all fourteen years of his MLB career in the American League. With the designated hitter rule applying to the American League and not the National League…Albert saw fewer at bats, as well as fewer quality pitches, at least in theory. Oh, to heck with theory. No sane person is going to state that the St. Louis lineup provides more protection for Pujols than the Yankees 21st Century murders row lineup provides for Alex Rodriguez.

The lone category that Pujols just blows Rodriguez away would be his penchant for acquiring walks as opposed to strikeouts. Sure, A-Rod earns many walks, but he does strikeout frequently as well, to the tune of 120 Ks during the 2007 regular season and 1,524 for his fourteen year career, leading to a 108.85 average. Pujols, meanwhile, was struck out only 58 times during the 2007 season, and has only totaled 452 strikeouts during his seven year MLB career, for a 64.57 average. That’s a difference of over 44 strikeouts per season.

Comparing apples to oranges is truly similar to comparing Pujols and Rodriguez due to the fact that Rodriguez played fourteen MLB seasons compared to seven for Pujols at the time of this study. With that said, Pujols’ numbers are even more staggering than Rodriguez when comparing yearly averages, even with his entire career being played in the National League. The question is, will Pujols be able to keep up such a torrid pace all the way through his fourteenth MLB season like Rodriguez has? Only time can answer that pivotal question.

So what does all this mean? Pujols has been the better all-around power hitter, while Rodriguez has longevity on his side. And one must also take into account this discussion only considers hitting, and not defense or running the bases.

Rodriguez and Pujols are sure-fire 1st ballot Hall of Famers, assuming Pujols stays healthy enough to play another five-plus seasons at the MLB level. A-Rod is mortal lock for the Hall of Fame right now, regardless if my buddy likes him or not. And again, he was not shy about stating his disapproval of A-Rod in terms of his monetary selfishness. But I digress…

Spring Practice -- Newcomers to Watch

Down in Dixie football became a religion long ago. A friend of mine once told that there are three sports seasons in Texas, "football season, football recruiting, and spring practice." That mantra has spread to other regions of the country, and it definitely holds true in the SEC.

With practice under way down on the Plains, the Auburn faithful are anxious to see what sophomore QB Kodi Burns brings to the table. According to the Auburn Athletic Website during the March 1st scrimmage, "Sophomore quarterback Kodi Burns completed 22-of-37 passes for 162 yards, including one touchdown and one interception. Burns' TD strike was a 20-yarder to senior running back Brad Lester." If the Tigers can provide an efficient passing attack to offset their rushing attack, look out...

Speaking of quarterbacks and the SEC West, Louisiana State has a two-horse race between Andrew Hatch (who?) and Jarrett Lee, a highly touted redshirt freshman from Texas. The two signal callers will split snaps this spring. Much like their rivals and mascot namesake in Alabama, if LSU receives competent quarterback play this fall, their rushing attack will be deadly.

Moving up North, Michigan lost four-year starter Chad Henne, plus freshman QB Ryan Mallett transferred to Arkansas. Who's next for the Wolverines? David Cone (from Georgia) or GT transfer Steven Threet, who is originally from Adrian, Mich. It will likely be a long year in Ann Arbor with the coaching turnover and new systems on both sides of the ball that require different types of skills to work efficiently, especially the need for a run-pass quarterback, which is not available with any of the returning quarterbacks. Although he is not well known, freshman Justin Feagin, a quarterback from the southern part of Florida, could compete for playing time this fall. He fits Rich Rodriguez's style of offense.

From Ann Arbor to South Bend, Notre Dame Sophomore Jimmy Clausen will be under the microscope more than ever. No more excuses about inexperience, as the Irish will return four of five starters up front (they were horrible last year) and the vast majority of their skill position players as well, sans John Carlson, a soon to be NFL tight end. Watch out for incoming freshman wide receiver Michael Floyd...

Out West, the discussion starts with Southern California, the odds on favorite to win the National Championship. The quarterback derby between Mark Sanchez and Arkansas transfter Mitch Mustain, with the former being Radio Man's pick to win the starting job. The biggest story, however, could be which tailback wins the starting spot, considering the amount of talent the Trojans have in the backfield. Sophomore tailback Joe McKnight will be a Heisman candidate at some point, perhaps by the end of this year. He's special.

Long live college football!

Hail to Favre

Whether one is a Green Bay fan or not, Brett Favre was one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever don an NFL uniform. In fact, the former Packer's signal caller was one of the greatest competitors to ever trot out onto Lambeau Field.

No. 4, the epitimy of a throw-back player, was one of the players that any parent could point out to his or her child and say, "now that is a football player."

Beyond his playing style and level of greatness on the field, however, was Favre's antics on the sidelines and during practice. To further exemplify his hilarious antics, here's a link to an ESPN sound byte clip that was posted on Youtube. Enjoy.

Just a few additional comments about Favre: enjoyable to watch, difficult to defend, and most of all, a true competitor that will be missed. Good luck to Brett Favre and his family with life after the NFL.

I'm Your Radio Host...

How's everyone doing tonight? This will be one of many blog posts that will hit the airwaves, err, blog, between now and the end of the spring. Just want to throw out a few general thoughts and questions.

College Hoops: Who ya got? UNC? UCLA? Duke? Kansas? Xavier? Tennessee? Me, I bounce back and forth between UNC (if healthy, sans the backup PG that's been out all season long) and UCLA. Both teams are well coached, play team basketball, and have plenty of talent.

It is going to be an excellent NCAA Tournament this year, thanks in large part to the return of the "true" freshman phenoms due to the new NBA rule. Eric Gordon, the big fella from UCLA, Kevin Love, and some kid out in Manhattan, KS are just a few of the key freshman that have made this college basketball season great.

It is always college football season here at Sports Talk Radio. Just a reminder, college football spring practices are kicking off across the warmer regions of the country. And soon, the OSUs, West Virginias, Wisconsins, and Nebraskas of the world will be participating in spring football drills as well. Ah, the pigskin...

And then there is professional baseball, with spring training already underway. MLB Prediction: The Mets will play the Yankees in the World Series, with the team possessing the healthiest starting rotation heading into the Fall Classic winning the World Series. Watch out for the Yankees young pitching staff...

One last note before signing off the air tonight: NFL free agency is well under way. The Browns are the big winners thus far, with the New England Patriots, of all teams, being the biggest losers thus far, losing cornerbacks Samuel and Gay to Philadelphia and New Orleans respectively. Good night all...