I swear...

Read these ten:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/pgStory?contentId=8470564&
MSNHPHCP&GT1=39002#sport=MLB&photo=8471110

You have GOT...to be kidding me.

Weren't half of these 10 baseball related? Two were golf? The two more boring- yet strategic - sports in the world? One was hockey (granted it was second overall, but still)?!

I, for one, like the end zone antics. I think it adds to the fun the fans -especially sitting closer -have as well as the originality and creativity of the NFL players themselves. As a matter of fact, few will likely remember the final score, but will remember T.O. grabbing the cellphone out of his sock and acting like he was calling someone who cared. Hilarious. (Admit it: Do you remember the final score of that game? Do you remember who even won that game?)

How about watching any NHL team (with the exception of the New York Rangers) hoist the Stanley Cup? (Note that one never "lifts" the Stanley Cup; it is always "hoisted" mind you.)

Nothing about the pizazz of a Los Angeles Lakers fast break from the 80s?

The riveting, thunderous sound or recklessly dangerous speed of a NASCAR event?

Little League I can see, but how about being there when your son (or daughter) catches their first fish? For that matter, how about throwing the baseball around- glove to glove -with one's son (or daughter) in the back yard after work that day as the sun sets?

Michael Phelps was impressive to say the least, but how about Lance Armstrong ? The man had cancer. CANCER. How quickly we forget.

It's now past midnight. I am going to bed and will reconvene (i.e. attack) this ridiculous article tomorrow morning. If I feel like it. -Eric Eswein

Re: Top Ten Greatest College Football Teams of The Past Decade

In response to the link below:


http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/pgStory?contentId=8439384&MSNHPHMA#sport=COLLEGE%20FOOTBALL&photo=8439082

With Boise State listed as being #1- and with no BCS championships of which to speak, I had to pipe up.

Much like everyone else who read this article, my thoughts are: "You have got to be kidding me."

I will say this: I recognize that the person who wrote this article is arguing from a winning percentage standpoint, but the New England Patriots did not win the Super Bowl this past season because of their winning percentage. Remember that. Nor did they win past Super Bowls having the best record in the NFL. Still, would one not argue that the Patriots were one of the most dominant teams of the past ten seasons, winning 3 of 4 Super Bowl appearances, despite the most recent- and I'm trying not to say this, because it's not a fair word to use after an 18-0 season -disaster?

Secondly, if that's the case, then I am making a claim on Appalachian State- my alma mater -as the #1 team in college football over the past ten years, since they are the only college football team to win three consecutive national championships.

Has LSU done that? No.

Has Michigan done that? No.

Has Miami done that? No. (And I'm a Miami Hurricanes fan, glad they won in 2001.)

Has Ohio State done that? No. (And their title from 2002 should be reneged based on the fact a major component of that championship team (Maurice Clarett the freshman running back) was academically ineligible.)

Has Florida done that? No (but close)!

Has Florida State done that? No. (When was their last title? 1999?)

Has Georgia done that? No.

Has Tennessee done that? No.

Has USC done that? Either one? No (but again, frighteningly close)!

Has Virginia Tech done that? No.

Has Penn State done that? No.

Has Notre Dame done that? No.

Has Michigan State done that? No.

Has Alabama done that? No.

Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska? Nope, nope, and noooooooooooope.

I think you get the point.

Furthermore, how can this writer say that if he went to the Top 25 that Alabama, Penn State and Notre Dame would still not be on this list? And this guy is writing professionally?! Who would be in the Top 25 of the past ten years? Prairie View A&M ?

Critics would argue with me: "Well, let's have App play Michigan at 'The Big House' and see what happens, har har!"

We did. 34-32.

Disrupting a #5 seeded team in their own house.

The bottom line is a 6'5", 330 pound linebacker at Appalachian State still has to play the 6'5", 330 pound counterpart at Michigan. Men are still men. No victory is guaranteed because of to what school one goes or who was more heavily-recruited or who was a walk-on or who got the full scholarship.

The game is played for a reason and the stories unfold, regardless of the size of one's House. -Eric Eswein

The Seattle Supersonics are History

Seattle Supersonics: A Thing of The Past

C'mon- you knew this was going to happen. Once you read that ownership of the Seattle Supersonics (off and on called the Sonics by some) had been transferred and were purchased by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett, you knew the Sonics- and their history and tradition in the city of Seattle since 1967 -were all but gone. I even resisted the opening title of Teamless in Seattle (at least from a NBA standpoint anyway).

Although the city of Seattle retains the rights, I for one would have been looking forward to the Oklahoma City Sonics. It rolls off the tongue and would have had a nice ring to it, but now apparently not only does the city of Seattle own the name and logo, but the colors as well. Some marketing person for the Oklahoma City Whatevers is going to have to come up with a crafty new nickname and logo- and quickly.

Admit it though- for those of you who care -it is a relief from watching those displaced New Orleans Hornets games with”NO/OK” or “NO/OKC” on your screen when they were playing the Spurs or whoever that evening. And the people of the Oklahoma City area strongly attended those games not unlike (if you don't mind the double negative) the Charlotte Hornets of old (to think that was nearly twenty years ago) when the latter Hornets were breaking attendance records year in and year out. Now attendance problems plague the relatively-new Bobcats, but that's another story for another time.

Hopefully the trend of growth will continue at least in Oklahoma City as overall interest in the NBA across the nation continues to dip as David Stern and his crew attempt to revitalize what has been really a wild ride for the die-hard pro basketball fans over the last several years and an could-care-less attitude from the indifferent spectators. I mean really: the Spurs winning four titles in less than ten seasons (with no titles before the '98-'99 season)? The Pistons taking one and almost another (Game 7 in 2005) against- again -San Antonio? The Heat winning their first after nearly twenty years of existence? And the recent resurgence of the Lakers/Celtics NBA Finals? What more does the die-hard fan want?

As for Seattle, a team may or may not return there; there is an argument for both. The only times the Sonics ever appeared in the NBA Finals were 1978 (losing to the Bullets), 1979 (defeating the Bullets in five to win their only NBA Championship title ever (and underrated Dennis Johnson (future key Celtics point guard), named Finals MVP who was snubbed from the Hall of Fame)) and 1996, losing to- much like everyone else in the 1990s -Michael Jordan and the masterfully-dominating- no, seemingly invincible -Chicago Bulls. The new ownership even paid $45 million to have the team pay out of its lease at Key Arena and vacate seemingly overnight (but not really) to make supposedly more money in Oklahoma City.

Players like Paul Silas, Jack Sikma, Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Lenny Wilkens and (the late) Dennis Johnson all deserve to have some remembrance in NBA history, especially in a (former) NBA town and sports city like Seattle has had for forty-one years. It's hard to remember basketball legends in a town which no longer houses a basketball team. They would be all but forgotten. -Eric Eswein

LaDainian Tomlinson: The Greatest Ever? Not yet.

For a couple of years now, especially at this time of the NFL post-season, my younger brother and I have this ongoing argument (which I refuse to lose by the way) about how LaDainian Tomlinson- currently of the San Diego Chargers -is the greatest running back of all-time.

All-time? I don't think so.

Currently the greatest running back? Yes. With little argument from almost anyone, myself included. Anyone who plays fantasy football today would nearly undeniably select him first if given the option.

The fact is, as great as his (albeit) short career has been thus far, I can name (off the top of my head) five- no, six -greater. Without going into mindless, statistically-driven detail, here they are:

1. Jim Brown (nine grinding seasons with the Browns, considered ahead of his time)

2. Barry Sanders (he did so much more with so much less help than Tomlinson (and remember Barry spinning away from and breaking tackles because of his blinding speed?))

3. Marshall Faulk (one Super Bowl ring compared to Tomlinson's zero (remember when Faulk was considered by many “the greatest running back of all time”? I do))

4. The late Walter Payton (again, one Super Bowl ring compared to zero)

5. Thurman Thomas (4 Super Bowl appearances compared to Tomlinson's zero)

6. Emmitt Smith (back-to-back Super Bowl appearances and championship rings, again, compared to, well, you get the idea)

Nonetheless, I digress.

The point of this is not to discredit Tomlinson by any means, but rather to state simply this: Tomlinson is not done yet. His appearing in the AFC Championship game this past NFL post-season is perhaps just the beginning of cementing what's sure to be- once it's all said and done -an outstanding legacy as one of the greatest running backs of all time, and he may even break into that top five or six seen above.

Consider this: Would Thurman Thomas be considered the greatest running back of all time were he to have won all four Super Bowl appearances? Of course, with the argument (or lack thereof) being that no running back will be able to do that on one team ever again, with the current era of free agency as it is. Thomas could have cemented a dynasty for himself as a running back, other than being a four-time AFC Champion. Now he is remembered as a great running back, sure, but just another one who never won The Big One. Like Dan Marino. Like Jim Kelly. Like so many gifted and deserving others (even though Marino and Kelly are not runningbacks, you get the idea).

Which leads us back to Mr. Tomlinson.

He has everything going for him: great linemen, a half-way decent quarterback in Philip Rivers handing him off the ball and decoys like Gates and now Chambers; not to mention his own physical talent, ability, poise, guile and drive.

So you can say what you want now- and eventually you may be right, statistically anyway -but for now, let's enjoy watching Tomlinson's career unfold, his attempts to make it to and win the Super Bowl and see what comes of it. In the meantime, let's see what happens to 32, 20, 28, both 34s and 22's records. Careers- and legends -are not built on what ifs, might haves or could have beens, but on what did happen. -Eric Eswein

Tired

I am now tired from setting up this message and establishing an account. I am going back to bed. More forthcoming. Thank you.