Meet Uncle Drew

Issue: Who is Uncle Drew, and what does he have to do with sports?

Short Answer: Uncle Drew is a playground legend.  Or he will be soon.

Reasoning: As I began writing this post, I was planning on linking the last post I wrote about Uncle Drew.  I went through my entire blog and couldn't find it.  Is it possible I didn't write about Uncle Drew the first time around?  Knowing how dumb I can be sometimes, the answer is positively yes.  It's quite shocking, seeing as how I think this might be the best marketing idea ever.  I will never drink Pepsi MAX, but this video at least makes me respect their marketing team.  Let me post the first video before we continue, so you can get an idea of what I am talking about:

I realize the YouTube title sort of gives the video away, i.e., Uncle Drew is Kyrie Irving of Duke University and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  A couple things jump out at me in this video: 1) Irving does a phenomenal job playing an old guy; 2) Although he is playing against of guys on the playground, it is ridiculous how much better he is than anyone on the court; 3) Everyone is drinking Pepsi MAX, so this had to be set up somehow, someway, and even those watching from the sidelines had to know something crazy was going down; 4) I GET BUCKETS; and 5) They should do many, many, many more of these videos.  I mean, seriously, couldn't Kyrie do this for a living rather than playing in the NBA?  More people would probably see him on YouTube in these videos than playing on TNT versus the Memphis Grizzlies...

Anyway, my wish came true recently when Kyrie Irving and Pepsi MAX released another Uncle Drew video.  This time however, they had Uncle Drew team up with Bill Russell and "Wes", his former teammate from way back in the day.  Since you already know who Uncle Drew is, I challenge you to figure out who "Wes" is.  Since I watch virtually zero NBA basketball, I didn't figure it out until the end, when I felt stupid for not figuring it out sooner.  [Side note: that is the second time I have mentioned how stupid I am in this post alone.  I must be getting old.  Sigh.]  Once again, this video makes me laugh out loud.  I can't wait to see the next one.  I'm still not drinking Pepsi MAX anytime soon though.  That I can promise you.  I GET BUCKETS!!!

Is It November Already?

Issue: Time flies, huh?

Short Answer: Especially during the summer...

Reasoning: I looked around yesterday, and realized it was November.  With November comes a few things: Thanksgiving, cold weather, and the NBA.  Thanksgiving, I care about.  The other two things on that list, I could go without.  Sometimes I wonder why I live in Cincinnati, mostly when November rolls around.  Someone was telling me the other day, too, that they had read the Farmer's Almanac, and we are due for a horribly cold winter.  Didn't we just have one of those last year?  Can it happen two years in a row?  I thought that guy that invented the internet (Al Gore, for those of you who live under rocks) told us our planet was going to spontaneously combust because of all the warming.  Apparently, "global warming" means "warming everywhere EXCEPT Cincinnati, Ohio."  Great.  And now, I don't get my NBA either?  Good.

Here's the thing the NBA doesn't get, sort of like what the NHL didn't get a few years ago when it went on strike (I know you are shocked, but, yes, the NHL is still in existence, and some people, even outside of Canada, actually still care about it) - NO ONE CARES.  Sure, I know there are people out there who like to watch people like Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, and Carmelo Anthony play basketball.  I would ask those people: Really??  I would rather watch college basketball, where the kids actually, you know, hustle and give a crap, than watch the NBA "superstars".  The NBA is boring.

I won't even get into the details of the lockout, because I don't care about the lockout.  I don't care why the players are being stupid and greedy.  And, I don't care why the owners are being stupid and greedy.  I don't care that games aren't on, and I don't care that highlights aren't on SportsCenter (sidenote: I actually do sort of care about this, because instead of showing NBA highlights (meaning the couple of sweet dunks in each game) ESPN is filling the SportsCenter time with more "analysis" of whatever.  Did you know LSU and Alabama were playing this week?  Really?  Turn to ESPN really quickly.  They are filling 99% of their air time telling me who is going to win and why, breaking down Nick Saban's office vs. Les Miles' office, and awkwardly interviewing players and coaches alike, none of whom really want to be there.  It's embarrassing.).  The NBA is shooting itself in the foot, and I don't care.  The longer it stays away, the longer they can keep Steven A. Smith off of my television screen, the better.

Updates on Previous Posts

Issue: You actually have anything worth updating?

Short Answer: Ehh.  Maybe.

Reasoning: I haven't been watching much in the way of sports lately.  Turns out this "work" thing kind of gets in the way.  Oh, that and "playing golf" seems to get in the way as well.  So, with the College World Series just ending, the Reds playing average baseball, Wimbledon coming to an end, and millionaire football players not getting along with their billionaire bosses - I'm not sure there is much to write about right now anyway.  So, I am going to update you on the recent happenings relating to some of my older posts.  It is much more interesting than it sounds, trust me.  Here we go:

1. At the end of January I wrote this post about how awesome Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are.  At the end of the post (go ahead and scroll down, it's ok) I wrote a "runner-up" for the Odd Stat of the Week, which stated that Roger Federer was 166-0 in majors, when winning the first two sets.  Through the first four rounds of Wimbledon, he had run his record to 178-0 (this included this year's French Open as well).  However, Federer's record now sits at 178-1 after losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (3-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4) in the Quarterfinals at Wimbledon.  You knew it was coming sooner or later, but I don't think anyone thought the streak would end with a loss to world powerhouse Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.  Roger is just getting old.
2. In early March, at the height of the Charlie Sheen scandal(s), I wrote this post about his association with the Cincinnati Reds.  Charlie Sheen, ladies and gentlemen, is still at it.  In the upcoming Sports Illustrated magazine, Sheen admits "that he took steroids 'for like six or eight weeks' while filming the 1989 movie 'Major League.'  He adds that the performance-enhancing drugs helped his fastball go from 79 mph to 85 mph."  Talk about dedication.  The man played a Major League player in a movie, so, he figured he would do everything a true Major Leaguer does.  Including steroids.  I love that his fastball gained 6 mph of velocity, going from "batting practice" to "ridiculously hittable."  And, all he had to pay for it was some bacne (a shorthand word combining back + acne) and a few mood swings.  Sheen even admitted the steriods "made him a bit more irritable than normal."  That seems a bit scary.
3. At the beginning of May I wrote this post, challenging a top-10 list of the worst sports movies ever.  I disagreed with a few, and wrote my opinion on what makes a good sports movie.  Well, I watched a sports movie the other day that belongs on, or near, the top-10 list of worst sports movies ever.  And I'm sure most people will think I'm crazy.  Remember the Titans is downright awful.  The underlying message is great, and the director did a great job showing how difficult the times were for all students, black and white.  But, outside of that, it has to be the cheesiest sports movie EVER.  Hands down.  Seriously, watch the movie strictly from a sports standpoint next time.  It's a joke.  There is a lot of singing, a lot of dancing, and a main character (Gerry Bertier - played by Ryan Hurst) who doesn't do one thing in the movie that ISN'T cheesy.  Do me a favor and watch any part of the movie where the team is "dancing" during warm-ups or when they come up with their new "hip" entrance to the field - and watch only for Ryan Hurst.  It is absolutely hilarious.  Oh, and the fact that the movie is "based" on a true story doesn't mean Hollywood gave you the true story.
4. At the end of April I wrote this post about the NBA and NHL playoffs.  In the post I wrote "Jason Kidd will be the reason the Mavs lose" in the playoffs.  Uhhh, you see why I don't write much about the NBA?  I thought Jason Kidd was terrible.  Turns out, not only is he not terrible, but the Mavericks are the Champions of the NBA thanks in large part to him.  Oh, and that Dirk guy.  No more NBA predictions from me - ever.
5. Finally, back in January I wrote this post about the return of Tiger Woods (then wrote this one about Tiger hocking a loogey on the green, then this one about Tiger losing in the first round of the Match Play Championship, then this one about Tiger at the Masters, then this one about Tiger withdrawing from the Players Championship).  Well, I'm here to report that Tiger is not back yet, and he may not be back for awhile.  If you heard his press conference this week (to promote his tournament - one he won't be playing in) you heard a man who sounds defeated - a man who doesn't believe in himself anymore.  The old Tiger would have sat there and defiantly talked about how he would kick Rory McIlroy's ass once he came back.  But, the new Tiger danced around questions, and used words like "hopefully," "should," and "probably."  The old Tiger would have said "yes," "no," and "kiss my a#& you stupid mother [bleeper]."  Tiger needs a mental coach badly.  He needs someone to build up his ego, because his ego is what separated him from the rest of the golf world.  Back in the day, Tiger didn't think he was the best golfer in the world, he knew it.  If he gets back to that, he'll win again.  If he doesn't, he won't.  For every one's sake, I hope he does.  But, it doesn't sound like he will.  I guess watching Rory will have to suffice for now.

A Great NBA Debate

Issue: Are there any players still playing in the playoffs that should be considered one of the best ever?

Short Answer: Yes, there is.

Reasoning: As most of my readers know, I am not a huge fan of the NBA.  When it comes to basketball, my allegiance lies with the college game.  However, I do watch the playoffs, especially the Western Conference, because they start their games around 5 a.m. eastern time, and I am a night owl.  Last night during Game 1 of the Dallas/Oklahoma City series, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson mentioned that the head coach of the Mavericks, Rick Carlisle, claimed that Dirk Nowitzki was one of the top-10 players of all time.  Van Gundy and Jackson laughed at Carlisle's comment, saying that it wasn't THAT outlandish, but they would put Nowitzki in the top-30, or so, of all time.  After watching last night's game, and realizing the Mavericks have made it to the Western Conference Finals with Jason Kidd as their point guard, I am leaning more toward agreeing with Rick Carlisle.

Dirk Nowitzki is absolutely, positively indefensible.  He is a 7-footer who can shoot, dribble, and pass.  And, on a night like he had last night, where he couldn't miss a shot, he can take over a game like none other.  Sure, he doesn't have the flair of a Michael Jordan, a Magic Johnson, or a Wilt Chamberlain, but he can do the same things they did.  Almost every possession went through Nowitzki, whether it was him catching the ball in the post to create for himself, or running the pick-and-roll with J.J. Berea, who consequently capitalized off the Thunder double-teamming Nowitzki, by scoring 21 points.  That's right, J.J. Berea scored 21 points, and I give each and every one of them to Dirk.  How good was Dirk last night?  Check it out:

• He had 48 points on 12-for-15 shooting from the floor and 24-for-24 from the line, which, as was widely reported, set an NBA playoff record for free throws made without a miss;
• He set an NBA playoff record for free throws made in a regulation-length game, breaking Michael Jordan's record of 23 free throws made (in 28 attempts) in a win over the Knicks on May 14, 1989;
• His 24-for-24 from the line not only established an NBA record for free-throw attempts without a miss in a playoff game. That performance also exceeded the corresponding record for any regular-season game in NBA history. (Dominique Wilkins holds the regular-season mark: he went 23-for-23 from the line for the Hawks in a game against the Bulls in 1992.);
• In addition, he made 12-of-15 field-goal attempts. His total of 48 points was the highest in any playoff game in NBA history by a player who shot at least 80 percent from the floor. No other player had ever scored that many points in a postseason game while attempting fewer than 22 shots from the field. The previous fewest field-goal attempts was 22 by Bob Cousy on March 21, 1953 (50 points on 10/22 FG, 30/32 FT) and he needed four overtimes to reach those levels.

That is seriously ridiculous, but, it is only one game.  Is there anything else out there that says this guy is a top-10 player of all time?  Would I be writing this if there weren't?  Okay, maybe I would, but not this time.  The NBA implemented the 3-point line in the 1979-1980 season (that means I am older than the 3-point line - FML).  Since then there has been a "club" which few players have been a member of.  This "club" requires you to shoot 90% from the free-throw line, 50% from the field, and 40% from the 3-point line.  I'm pretty sure I couldn't do that in an empty gym.  Anyway, some of the members won't shock you (and, yes, I realize that by this time you know Nowitzki is a member, but bear with me):

1. Larry Bird ('86-'87, '87-'88) - even at 6'9", simply one of the best shooters ever;
2. Mark Price ('88-'89) - a 6-foot guard, but, a Georgia Tech grad, so you know he is a stud;
3. Reggie Miller ('93-'94) - at 6'7", maybe the second best shooter ever, behind Larry Legend;
4. Steve Nash ('05-06, '07-'08, '08-'09, '09-'10) - a 6'3" point guard - ever wonder why this guy has won two MVP's?  Check out how many times he's been a member of the "club."

And that is the whole list.  Almost.  Three of these guys - Bird, Miller, Nash - are tall enough to be good post players as well, which helps the field-goal percentage.  But none of them would be considered post players.  All of them, however, would be considered shooters.  Dirk Nowitzki brings to the table every single aspect of the game.  He is a 7-footer, so his post game is impeccable and indefensible.  Yet he shoots like a guard.  Last night, Van Gundy and Jackson were talking about how great of a job Serge Ibaka was doing on Dirk defensively.  Seriously.  The guy scored 48 with a hand permanently in his face.  For the record, Dirk did not join the 50-40-90 club this year, but in 2006-07, and it is the only time he has done it.  But, after watching Dirk last night (and throughout the playoffs) I can't believe there have been many players in the history of the NBA who brought more to his team than he does.

Stats Are Fun

Issue: Didn't you already do an "Odd Stat of the Week?"

Short Answer: I did, but...

Reasoning: Sometimes I see stats that completely boggle my mind.  Stats that seemingly cannot be explained.  That is the main reason I started the "Odd Stat of the Week."  Oh, that, and my brother told me it might be a cool idea.  So, I ran with it.  I try to pick out one stat that makes me go "huh?" and pass it along to you, my readers (I am almost sure there is more than one of you out there by now).  But, this week, I have seen quite a few stats that have baffled me, including Raul Ibanez's slump, which I wrote about here.  Let's take a look at a few:

1. Joey Votto, on May 3, popped up to deep 2nd base - his first pop-out since 2009 - I haven't seen an actual stat that proves this to me.  However, I heard Jim Day, on the Reds' post game show, say this exact stat.  I also saw it in the Reds recap on Reds.com here.  Funny thing is, the stat is so awesome that I don't care.  I want to believe it.  But, I went to law school, so I know I have to do at least a little research (whether actual lawyers do or not).  I found a link from Rob Neyer at ESPN.com (it was written September 7, 2010) detailing how unbelievable this stat actually is.  From 2008-2010 Votto's IFFB % (infield fly ball, which is defined by FanGraphs.com as a fly ball caught within 140 feet of home plate) was 0.6%.  Yes, that is less than 1%.  Votto had 5 pop-ups in 2008, 2 in 2009, and 0 in 2010.  Well, how does that compare with some other hitters you may have heard of?  From 2008-2010 Albert Pujols hit an IFFB every 19 at-bats, Prince Fielder every 21 at-bats, Miguel Cabrera every 25 at-bats, and Adrian Gonzalez every 38 at-bats.  Joey Votto hits an IFFB every 167 at-bats.  The craziest thing about this stat: Votto is not the best.  Over the same time span, Ryan Howard hit an IFFB every 202 at-bats.  Howard has hit an IFFB only 15 times in his entire career.  And yes, major league hitters just don't pop-up that much.  In 2010, Skip Schumaker hit only one, Ryan Howard two, and Derek Lee two.  Votto, however, had zero all of 2010, which is just ridiculous.
2. Atlanta Hawks, on May 2, win their first conference semifinal game since 1997 - This stat, at first glance, seems a bit innocuous.  I mean, how often do the Hawks actually reach the conference semis?  Turns out, more than you may think.  In fact, the Hawks reached the ECS in 2010, where they were swept by the Orlando Magic.  They also made the ECS in 2009 (tells you how much I watch the NBA) where they were again swept, this time by the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Before that, the last time the Hawks made the ECS was 1999 (I knew they used to stink) where they squared off against the New York Knicks (this was a long time ago).  The Hawks were swept then too.  To 1997 we go!  The Hawks met up with the Chicago Bulls (the team they are playing this year too) in the ECS in 1997.  The Hawks were beaten 4-1 in the series.  However, that one game they won (game 2 of the series) would be their last win in the ECS until Monday night.  Their 15-game losing streak in the ECS was the longest losing streak in the conference semis in NBA history.  And now they are down 2-1 to Derrick Rose and the Bulls.  Better luck next year.
3. Reds pitcher Travis Wood has allowed exactly one stolen base in 24 career starts - I am a baseball guy (and a Reds guy, if you haven't figured that out yet).  I understand that left-handed pitchers have a distinct advantage in shutting down opponents' running games.  Yet, I have also seen left-handed pitchers who have terrible moves, basically wasting one of the best tools in baseball.  It's kind of like a speedster who can't/won't steal bases.  You can't teach speed and you can't teach being left-handed.  Travis Wood has taken full-advantage of being left-handed and it not only helps him, it helps the Reds (when he doesn't get rocked).  The reason this stat came up was because in Woods' last start against the Astros, he picked Jason Bourgeois off first base (the Astros Michael Bourne (13) and Bourgeois (12) are actually 1-2 in MLB in stolen bases).  The craziest part of the stat isn't that Wood has only allowed one stolen base, it's that there have only been 3 attempts off him.  In 17 starts in 2010, not one single runner attempted a stolen base.  In 7 starts in 2011, there have been three attempts, and only one (the Cardinals' Colby Rasmus on April 23) has been successful.  Now if Wood would just stop giving up runs and losing games.

Some crazy stuff there.  And just remember, these crazy stats all happened this week.  I'm sure there are more out there, but I have limited time and limited brain capacity, so, deal with it.

Playoff Hodgpodge

Issue: Any observations from in-and-around the playoffs?

Short Answer: Plenty.

Reasoning: I don't think it is much of a secret around Uncommonly Sports, that I do not particularly like the NBA.  Most of you may not know that I don't particularly like the NHL either, for reasons all too different than my dislike for the NBA.  See, I just can't relate to the NHL.  I have never ice skated (it is a goal of mine in life to die without ever having done so) and my hockey experience is limited to floor hockey during 7th and 8th grade gym class, which, I did dominate, but still didn't enjoy.  Playoff time changes everything though.  I have tuned in to both the NBA and NHL playoffs, and here are some things I have recognized/experienced:

1. Kobe Bryant is whiney b%&ch - I have been able to see quite a bit of the Lakers/Hornets series, because when they play in L.A. the games start at about 3:30 a.m., and I don't usually hit the sack early.  Kobe Bryant is easily one of the top 3 players in the NBA, still.  But, by judging his reactions to whistles, he has never committed a foul in his entire life.  Seriously, every time the whistle blows he looks like a 17-year old boy who's girlfriend just told him that she has been cheating on him (if you have ever seen the movie Hitch, just picture Will Smith's character in his flashback - standing in the rain, crying, saying "Whyyyyyyyy?" when he caught his girlfriend making out with some other dude in a car, and that, is Kobe Bryant when he gets called for a foul).  I have noticed that I have begun to get mad anytime Kobe gets called for a foul, because that means I have to watch him cry/moan/beg.  I want to slap him in the face.
2. Jason Kidd will be the reason the Mavs lose - I watched one of the games that was played in Portland, and Jason Kidd reminded me of myself trying to play point guard.  When I was a sophomore in high school, I was asked to play point guard on the JV basketball team.  To this day I still don't know why.  But, every time I came over half court I was just trying not to turn the ball over.  Jason Kidd looks like he is doing the same thing.  He would cross half court, turn his back to the basket, and begin backing the defender down from 30-feet out.  He is slow and it looked like he realized he was slow and didn't want to look like a fool on national TV.  But I've got J Kidd figured out.  Time to let Jason Terry run the point.
3. The Spurs are old - I'm sure watching the regular season would help me out some here, but, how are the Spurs a #1 seed?  It looks like a collection of octogenarians out there.  Why not bring back David Robinson?  Or George Gervin?  The Spurs may very well come back and win the series, but I don't believe they have enough energy (unless they start taking Centrum Silver vitamins) to make it all the way through the playoffs.  I'd actually like to see Memphis win the series so some of the Spurs might retire.  And join AARP.
4. Hockey players are unreal - I don't understand how they do the things they do (other than years and years of practice).  The game moves so fast (too fast to follow on TV, which is why I don't watch much) and the players are in such control of what they are doing (for the most part) it simply amazes me.  The skill of the players, and that skill alone, is what has drawn me into watching playoff hockey.  If, you know, it isn't televised at the same time as an NBA playoff game.
5. Tip: know where/how to find obscure DirecTV channels - Late last night (around 1 a.m., so, technically I guess it was early this morning) I was watching the Lakers polish off the Hornets to take a 3-2 lead in the series.  At the same time, I was following the Vancouver/Chicago game 7 (Vancouver is the #1 seed, Chicago is the defending Stanley Cup champions) on my stat tracker (I had picked Vancouver in the Streak for the Cash on espn.com) and had realized they had gone into overtime tied 1-1.  I grabbed my remote (because Kobe was whining again) and went to the "Guide."  I knew the hockey game was on the Versus Channel, but, I honestly had zero clue where that channel was on the list.  How many times have I watched Versus?  Last time was probably the NHL playoffs, last year.  I did a quick scan and didn't find it.  So, I went back to the "Guide" and selected "Sports Channels" hoping it would show up in there.  I didn't find it.  Finally, I took a deep breath and did some thinking.  I thought I remembered Versus was in the 600's somewhere.  After hitting "Page Down" a few times, there it was!  Thankfully I got there in time to see the end of the game.  Or so I thought.  As I clicked on the channel I heard the horn going off and the crowd going crazy.  The Canucks had capitalized on a turnover in Chicago's zone and scored the series clinching goal in overtime.  All while I was trying to find the damn channel.  Unreal.

I'm sure I will do this again next week.  Hopefully I will be writing about the Lakers getting swept and Kobe getting smacked in the face by a ref who had had enough.

On a side note, check me out at http://www.examiner.com/mlb-in-cincinnati as I am the new Cincinnati Reds Examiner!  I will be covering Reds news throughout the year (oh, and I get paid based on how many people visit the site, so, don't be afraid to tell every single person you know.  And tell them to tell a few people too.) with news, game recaps, and possibly some interviews too.  That is, if they decide to let me in the clubhouse.  Which I doubt.

Parity at its Finest

Issue: Didn't you already use that title once?

Short Answer: Sort of.  For this hilarious video post.  But, this is "parity," not "parody."

Reasoning: My old high school teammate Tim wrote on my Facebook page about an article from the Wall Street Journal about the craziness going on in the sports world, and, especially the state of California.  I went in search of the column but quickly realized I am not a member of the WSJ online, and have no desire to be one ("disposable income" is not in my lexicon these days).  So, I am going to just go off what Tim said was in the article, the crux of which is the state of parity in athletics - California being the microcosm of said parity.  I'm not sure words can describe how much I love parity, but you know I'm going to try.

The NBA sucks.  I hate it, and I don't watch it.  Usually, it is 8 guys standing around watching two guys play one-on-one.  I'd rather watch college basketball, where guys dive on the floor and attack the rim, for pure love of the game (or because they are attempting to impress NBA scouts - either way, I don't care, the passion of the college game makes it better).  However, our parody-in-sports journey begins with the NBA.  The L.A. Lakers are one of the few west coast teams (in any sport) that seem to escape the east coast "media bias."  People love the Lakers, and always have - not just in Los Angeles.  The L.A. Clippers have always been the red-headed stepchild of the Lakers.  They are never good, and, in fact, are usually the laughingstock of the league (kind of like the Bengals in the NFL - this is why I don't feel sorry for Clippers fans).  But, this year, Los Angeles has been introduced to an ex-Oklahoma Sooner named Blake Griffin.  Folks, if you haven't seen this guy, then you don't watch any highlight shows.  His dunks are of legend.  He is the brightest superstar the entire league has right now (everyone hates LeBron; people are tired of Carmelo; and Kobe is just as whiny as he's always been), and he is an L.A. Clipper.  Strange.

But it gets even more strange.  California has never had a slew of great college football teams.  However, the University of Southern California, over the last 10 years, has been a constant in the top-10 rankings.  They have competed for, and won, National Championships and Heisman Trophies (Carson Palmer anyone?  Ha!).  But, who would have thought the best college football team in California (and one of the best in the country) last year would be the Stanford Cardinal?  Have you ever met anyone from Stanford?  I have.  I played collegiate summer baseball with quite a few kids from there.  And, the only thing I remember about each and every one of them is how socially awkward they were.  Most didn't talk.  When they did, nothing but nonsense came spewing forth.  Myself and the rest of my teammates chalked it up to them being too smart for their own good.  You know, trying to dumb everything down for the idiots on the team (although Andrew Luck doesn't seem to be that smart).  Anyway, my point is, how can such socially awkward, smart-as-can-be, non-athletic kids make up the best college football team in California?  My guess is Jim Harbaugh.  This one may not last long.

Finally, we get to college basketball.  The UCLA program is the best ever.  USC is usually not bad.  Stanford is hit or miss (socially awkward kids aren't usually good at basketball either).  So, who is leading the way this year?  San Diego State and St. Mary's.  Huh?  The best thing to ever come out of San Diego State is Marshall Faulk (not a basketball player) and the best thing to come out of St. Mary's is a bunch of people with degrees (although my former minor league teammate Mark Teahen went to St. Mary's - best I can do).  At the time this post went to press San Diego State was 27-1 and #4 in the coaches poll (for those of you who don't believe coaching matters - Steve Fisher anyone?); St. Mary's was 22-6, coming off two straight losses (one to lowly San Diego University - I hope they were without their best players for some reason).  UCLA is not great.  USC is not good.  Stanford is turrrrible.  It's nice to see some of the little guys get their comeuppance.  And, it's nice to see some of the big guys take a fall.  I love parity in all sports - it makes it more fun to watch (which is all I do anyway).

I'm going to Las Vegas and putting all my money on the Padres to win the World Series.  Alright, maybe not.