It is a cruel irony that the man most responsible for establishing the Fall Classic was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the same day that has for the greater part of 16 years signaled the unofficial end of baseball season here in Western PA, the start of Steelers training camp. During Barney Dreyfuss‘ 32 years as owner, the Pittsburgh Pirates finished in 2nd place or higher 13 times, won 6 pennants and claimed 2 World Series titles. He would be mortified to know that his team is now working on its 16th straight losing season, a new US sports record.

In the past week, the Pirates have almost singlehandedly managed to inject new life into the AL East race by trading OF Xavier Nady and RP Damaso Marte to the Yankees and now OF Jason Bay to the Red Sox. Two-thirds of the most productive outfield in baseball gone for young players and prospects. As the ghosts of Aramis Ramirez, Jason Schmidt and Chris Young circle around my head, I find both optimism and pessimism swirling through an endless, numbing void.

Baseball was actually my first sports love. I came to sports in the early 90’s when the Pirates and Penguins were winning and the Steelers were languishing in mediocrity. I remember when Pedro Martinez was called PJ Martinez because there was a Pedro A. Martinez in the Big Leagues; I remember when Joe Torre was the manager of a pretty mediocre St. Louis Cardinals team; and I remember when Barry Bonds was skinny, stole bases and batted lead-off. It was easy to enjoy the game.

All sports fans experience periods that test their resolve. Some fandoms, like that of the Chicago Cubs, are practically built around the (ridiculously idiotic) idea of “lovable losers”. Some emphasize the ‘experience’ of the game as a way to avoid facing losing - “Boy that park sure is purrty!”, others are simply cursed, such as the Cleveland Browns, and some just deserve to lose, such as any fandom in Philadelphia. But in most cases, a dearth of winning refers to winning championships, not winning seasons.

If your team is at least occasionally in the hunt, you can have hope. In order for Steve Bartman to have become an issue, the Cubs needed to be in contention in the first place. We have, on this site, rightly decried bandwagon jumpers, those mealy-mouthed cretins who enjoy the peaks and avoid the valleys.

But losing on the scale of the Pirates is, methinks, a different kettle o’ fish. It’s not that they haven’t reached the World Series since 1979 or that they haven’t won a Division Title since 1992. To my knowledge, the Pittsburgh Pirates have not had a .500+ overall record at any point past the All-Star break in any individual season since 1999. This hallowed .500+ post All-Star mark has been reached only twice since Barry Bonds took his big bat to the East Bay after the 1992/93 season.

I’ve picked sides in the World Series from time to time but I’m a homer and as such, I can’t truly cheer for another baseball team. But 16 years of spectacularly bad baseball have robbed me and many others of our passion for the (former) National Pastime. I don’t live and die with this team. I die and die with them yet still attend 5-6 games at PNC Park each season.

So the question is - should I be considered no better than the bandwagon jumper because I describe baseball season as the winter of my sports discontent or hang my head when the Pirates come on Sportscenter. When faced with such extreme losing, what’s a fan to do? Oh that’s right - Steelers training camp just opened. Here we go!

Photo Credit: Icon/SMI

- Most of the major sports websites have been previewing the upcoming season but for me, the coup de grace is today’s ESPN.com articles on Hate. I think sports is driven more by hatred of other teams than by love of one’s own chosen squad and nowhere is this more true than in the seething cauldron of collegiate athletics. Is there an occasion where I’ll pay attention to Big East traitor Boston College - yes, when they play Notre Dame. Why do I occasionally cheer for Texas or Michigan - because I despise Oklahoma and Ohio State.

- It may surprise the unacquainted to know that I hate Ohio State since I made the apparently unpardonable sin of ranking the Frakeyes #1 a couple months ago. For the record, I despise everything to do with the state of Ohio, from the boring, flat terrain to that sorry excuse for a city called the Mistake by the Lake to the moronic dotting of the I. However, I’ll stand by the pick even as it makes me want to hurl because no other major program is a better bet to get to the big game. I’ll also be weeping tears of joy with any decent human being (Ohioans aren’t human) when OSU gets waxed by whichever opponent faces them.

- Last weekend’s Outside the Lines delivered a scathing indictment of Joe Paterno Univ, I mean Penn State University’s football program. I’m not going to crucify PSU for its problems given that many Universities seem to be having troubles these days. However, I was a little disturbed at JoePa’s reaction. Whereas University President Graham Spanier called the numbers (72 charges in 2007 alone, resulting in 9 convictions) staggering, Mr Penn State brushed it aside as a witch hunt. Maybe boys are just as naughty now as they have ever been. Maybe not. But with bigger dollar signs in college football, comes bigger scrutiny and more incentive for programs to walk the tight line. PSU needs to get it in gear - and hire Greg Schiano away from Rutgers next year.

The willingness of major clubs to take on added mountains of debt in order to buy new players, which results in restructuring loans of sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars, or simply not to operate in the black blows my mind. According to Forbes.com, Manchester United’s debt load stands at 60% of the team’s estimated value of US$1.8 billion. Yet the club recently restructured their loans (again) so as to free up the resources for boss Sir Alex Ferguson to make additions in the summer transfer market.

Chelsea FC, which have no debt but have posted a profit only once in owner Roman Abramovich’s tenure, will be dipping into the Russian oligarch’s personal fortune once again to fund acquisitions. Chelsea don’t even forecast moving into the black consistently until after the 2009 season, an estimate regarded as optimistic at best.

Liverpool FC boss Rafa Benitez has been told by the club’s American owners that there is no money forthcoming and he will have to finance player acquisitions mostly by selling. The Reds do have a debt load of 65% of team value, mostly from loans incurred by Tom Hicks’ & George Gillett’s purchase of the team, but recent loan re-financing did not free up monies for a big transfer fund. Needless to say that this lack of cash has LFC supporters dreaming of a Dubai International Capital takeover on Merseyside. Arsene Wenger at Arsenal will also have to finance any transfer deals by selling players due to the team’s debt load from the building of Emirates Stadium.

In the NFL, the three highest debt loads (NY Giants & Jets at 67% and Dallas Cowboys at 42% of team value) are almost entirely due to the construction of new stadia. The debt loads of American teams are rarely built up and/or restructured simply to pay for new players and teams with such debt loads sometimes operate on the cheap while paying it off. After Mario Lemieux led an investment group to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins, he kept the organization on tight purse strings (resulting in many years of horrible showings) until it had paid off all its debt. Now that the Penguins play in a newly salary-capped NHL with comprehensive revenue sharing and have a new arena deal, the team can stay in the black (or close to it) and be competitive on the ice as well.

Lord knows, I wish LFC had a big transfer fund to go after the likes of Robbie Keane with impunity but all these loans make me wonder about the long-term financial stability of major world futbol club play. The case of Leeds United, in particular, must give us pause. This is a club which finished in the top 5 of the First Division/Premiership nine times from 1990-2004, won a domestic title in 1991-1992 and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League as recently as 2001. This is now a club languishing in League 2, the third tier of English futbol.

One word best describes such a precipitous fall - loans.

In anticipation of further Champions League windfalls, Leeds took out major loans which they were unable to pay when they did not, in fact, re-qualify for the UCL. The Whites fell on dire financial straits, which eventually led to the sale of the club’s assets as well as prospects and major players, such as Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United. This was followed by relegation to the Championship (2nd tier) in 2004 and the sale of the club for £10 million followed by entry into Administration in 2007 and further relegation down to League 2 in the same year.

Manchester United and Chelsea FC partisans have come to expect that their clubs will go after the best players available, virtually regardless of cost. Though I would not anticipate a Leeds-style fall from grace for either squad, fans may have to prepare for a day when the clubs’ owners will have to go frugal in order to pay down debt and/or start operating in the black. Futbol fans often view their clubs as community trusts wherein winning is the sole goal. If a team must take on debt to win or an owner must spend of his personal fortune, then so be it. Even at the expense of going into the Red.

The sidebar in this saga is the development of the European domestic leagues and their potential as rivals to the NBA. Marginal NBA players have been going to Europe for quite some time but the fact that an academically-challenged blue-chipper like Jennings would even consider a European league over the JUCO or prep school route is testament to the increasing prowess and financial viability of the European leagues.

We all know that foreign national teams have become more than a match for the US national team but the same cannot necessarily be said of foreign club teams, namely because the best foreign players ply their trade in the Association. I think it’s safe to say that if money wasn’t the issue, top foreign players like Tony Parker or Pau Gasol would be more likely to stay in their home country or at least consider staying in Europe. If nothing else, maybe Dirk Nowitski or Yao Ming would venture to Europe in the latter stages of their career, ala hockey where Jaromir Jagr is going to Avangard Omsk of Russia and Martin Straka to HC Lasselsberger Plzen in the Czech Republic.

I’m not an NBA expert but I would find it interesting to see a model emerge over the next couple decades wherein world basketball begins to look like world futbol (except this US league is good at basketball).

A more robust international club field where foreign teams are competitive in keeping or attracting some of the best talent would lead to the development of national styles in the various leagues. If player movement in world basketball approaches that of world futbol, an American player could gain even more valuable insight into the varied nuances of the game by playing for, say a Real Madrid. Then imagine his potential impact playing for the US National team, ala Fernando Torres crediting his experience at Liverpool for his play with Spain during Euro 2008.

It’s hard to imagine that leagues in Spain, Italy, Russia, or Greece may ever rival the NBA for spending power but I’d love to see a player of Agent Zero’s talent playing for Real Madrid pitted against a Lebron James and the Brooklyn Nets in a Club World Cup style tournament. Among the many questions to consider - how would Arenas’ upbringing in the US affect his ability to mesh with his Spanish compatriots and their [insert national style] way of playing basketball or how would James have to adjust his game to lead my Nets to victory over Madrid.

As a college basketball fan, I realize the evolution of a global basketball system similar to world futbol could eventually rob the college ranks of the best American talent. But if it results in those players left behind staying longer in order to get their game up or in true student-athletics returning to the court, I wouldn’t mind. As long as James and the Nets can handle the Agent Zero’s Galacticos.

Photo Credits: Tom Hauck/ESPN.com, Wizznutzz.com

The growing numbers of foreign players in domestic club teams has led to fears that the development of some national teams (mostly in Europe) may suffer because clubs spend less time and resources developing local talent. The most prominent example of this is the English Premier League, considered by some to be the best futbol league in the world but whose increasing excellence is due to an influx of foreign players. The England National Team was notably absent from Euro 2008 but well-represented by its non-English players.

It’s easy to recognize the impact of foreign-born players on the top teams in the world. It’s true that everyone benefits from increased levels of competition, not the least of which are the coffers of the clubs that pay huge transfer fee’s for these players. By going to Benfica, Freddie Adu is finally starting to become the player we all thought he could be.

But at stake here is the right of clubs to field the best possible squad that they can afford to buy (and thus make a profit) versus the need to grow the national teams. Therein lies the balancing act because we must consider whether domestic clubs are neglecting the development of home-based players in the constant pursuit of the mercurial talents of the Messi’s and Ronaldinho’s of the outside world.

I believe that futbol remains a fundamentally nationalist game, one in which performance for country makes or breaks a player’s legacy more than performance for club. In this light, the domestic leagues can be looked upon as feeders for growing players capable of playing at the national level. I have no doubt that Liverpool’s English fans wish that a player of Fernando Torres’ quality was suiting up for the Three Kings.

Blatter’s rule won’t ensure that the best players in the world always stay in their home country, nor is it necessarily intended to do that. Manchester United would still find a place for a player of Cristiano Ronaldo’s talents and Lionel Messi would still have left Newell’s Old Boys for FC Barcelona. However, a re-approportionment of talent with added emphasis on local development will not only help to even out the competitive disparity in many European club leagues but it should also benefit the development of national teams.

Photo Credits: 1000goals.com, AFP

• If you missed Euro 2008, you missed one of the best sports tournaments in recent memory. Watching Fernando Torres score the winner against Germany was especially gratifying for this fan given the criticism leveled at El Niño for not finding the back of the net much during the rest of the tournament. It’s nonsense of course as Torres was one of the hardest workers on the Spanish team, creating numerous chances for David Villa and others along the way.

• I particularly enjoyed that Spain coach Luis Aragonés didn’t go into an all-out defensive mode towards the end of the match. He continued to attack as the Spaniards nearly took a second goal in the waning minutes. Too often it seems that national teams choose between a boring defensive style that wins (read: Greece in Euro 2004) and an attractive brand of futbol that ultimately fails to win (read: Argentina in the 2007 Copa América). This Spanish team combined solid defensive play with a great up-tempo game.

• Though they flamed out against Russia, count me among those who thoroughly enjoyed the Oranje Crush of Holland. I’ll admit that I didn’t particularly like those garish bright orange uniforms when I first saw them at the 2006 World Cup but I came around in this tournament. It’s easy to like a team that plays an attacking, offensive-minded style of futbol (unless you’re Italy). Plus the uni’s have a certain kitsch factor to them.

• Coverage of Euro 2008 in the US was as good as a futbol-phile could have hoped with regular highlights on Sportscenter and decent commentary during games (as opposed to the horrific excuse for commentary we got in ‘06). The final between Spain and Germany drew a strong 3.1 rating on ABC and there was even coverage of the tournament final in local newspapers across the country.

• Despite the attention it brought on this side of the pond, if anyone thinks Euro 2008 will be the watershed moment that brings soccer into the US sports mainstream, forget it. There will be no singular moment or tournament, even if the US wins a World Cup (pah!). Soccer has been making slow but steady gains in the US for years now and bit-by-bit is the only way it will continue to grow.

Photo Credit: Shaun Botterill - Getty Images

Ok ok, before I slip off into a diatribe about Don Shula, let’s get to the point - that Penguins fans’ despondency over a Stanley Cup loss and subsequent hope for a brighter future must be tempered by a recognition that the sports gods are fickle fiends.

The Penguins have the talent in place to make another run despite impending free agent losses. Marian Hossa, Gary Roberts, Pascal Dupuis, Adam Hall, Ryan Malone, Brooks Orpik, Ty Conklin, Georges Laraque and Jarkko Ruutu are slated to become free agents. I would love to see the Penguins shell out some money for Orpik, a tough and talented defender who played a spectacular series. Still, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury will be back. Mark Eaton should finally return from injuries.

Regardless of defections, the Penguins should contend next year and the Finals loss will eat at them all summer.

But who can delay the whips and scorns of time. Any team, young or not, that loses a championship cannot be assured of future success. The Penguins weathered long stretches without Crosby and Fleury last year but luck may not be a lady next year.

The Detroit Red Wings aren’t going anywhere either. Though an older team, the Red Wings don’t rebuild; they simply reload despite constantly drafting low. Don’t be surprised to see these two teams again in next year’s Stanley Cup Finals.

Back to Marino - I take solace from a couple differences between the Penguins and the inept Dolphins. Those Dolphins teams were never as complete as even this year’s Penguins. Of course, football and hockey are very different sports. However, Pittsburgh has a better organization than Miami, a better owner and general manager. The Penguins had one of the best defenses in the NHL and great complements to Crosby in Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury. Marino had almost no help offensively, only one 1,000 yard rusher in all his years in Miami and never had a great defense. And thankfully the Penguins don’t have Don Shula as head coach.

Photo Credit: Keith Srakoci/AP

The casual fan who might only have tuned in now at the end has to wonder if the Penguins even deserve to be on the same ice as the Red Wings. While it’s not entirely surprising that Detroit won the first two games, Pittsburgh’s inability to score even one goal is downright dumbfounding. They were even unable to register an even-strength shot-on-goal for most of the first two periods of game two.

Detroit’s excellence can be broken down to an incredible discipline in protecting its own zone in such a way as to engender quick counter-attacks. The Penguins were able to skate through the neutral zone with impunity against their previous opponents but the Red Wings have been able to clog the entry-points each time the Penguins gain possession. It’s not that Pittsburgh can’t gain the attacking zone at all but they do so without the rush of speed upon which their game is so predicated. The Red Wings puck-handling skill and experience in big games have translated into long possessions in the Penguins’ defensive zone. They are wearing down Pittsburgh’s defenders as the game goes on.

It’s not all doom and gloom for the flightless birds. The Red Wings are neither as good as they showed in winning the first two games, nor are the Penguins as bad as they showed in losing the first two games. Pittsburgh still possesses the same world-class talent it did in winning 12 of 13 games prior to the Finals. They are undefeated at home in the playoffs. The home crowd will undoubtedly give them a boost.

Tonight’s game three is a must-win. It’s a much used phrase but ‘desperation’ has to enter into the picture. Pittsburgh must find a way to break the Red Wings’ trap and pound Chris Osgood with shots. So far, the Detroit net-minder has only faced 44 shots in two games. Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, on the other hand, has faced 60+ shots. Just as Dallas fought back with great desperation against Detroit, so must Pittsburgh.

- Didier Drogba has always been a bit of a hothead but his petulant little face slap at Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic was pretty stupid even for the brash Ivorian. Rumored to be pursued by the likes of AC Milan, it would be a shame if this was his last game for the Blues. But at least he, unlike Zinedine Zidane, will have a chance to carve a different lasting image after this idiotic act.

- Cristiano Ronaldo is a freak of nature and for the sake of every other team in the EPL, I hope Real Madrid breaks the bank to buy him this summer. 42 goals this season. Ouch.

- I’ve always loved Carlos Tevez’s style. He’s a bull in a china shop against most teams with such forceful runs. Easily one of my favorite players to watch since I first saw him play for Argentina in the 2006 World Cup.

- Avram Grant has taken a lot of flack from Chelsea fans this year for the simple fact of not being Jose Mourinho. But at least he kept them in the EPL title hunt all year and got them to a Champions League final. He certainly shouldn’t be blamed for this loss.

- If Roman Abramovich really wants the Blues to play a more attractive brand of soccer, he will have to find someone other than Grant, who followed the same formula as the Special One - consistent, grind-it-out soccer. Abramovich wants to grow Chelsea’s worldwide popularity by playing a more entertaining game but ultimately, a sports brand grows by winning. Just ask Argentina how much good their free-wheeling ways did them in the Copa America final last summer against tactically brilliant Brazil. The Albicelestes got punked, 3-0.

- Despite the conditions, all due credit to Edwin Van Der Sar for stoning Nicholas Anelka to win the game. If John Terry can be forgiven for slipping on the wet turf on his failed attempt, then the same would also have to have been accorded to Van Der Sar had United lost. Van Der Sar says he slipped on the wet turf on Frank Lampard’s successful penalty kick.

- Speaking of Terry, I questioned the merit of him being England’s captain in the past given his injury woes the past couple years. But when healthy, there are few who play harder or with more passion. Too bad it came to penalty kicks. Even though my Reds won the Champions League on penalties in 2005, I’m not a huge fan of penalty kicks to decide a championship. I’m not saying United doesn’t deserve their victory. They surely do. But this was akin to deciding a tied baseball game with a home-run derby. Is it exciting? Sure. It’s just not the right way to end a contest.

Photo Credits: Shaun Botterill, Franck Fife of Getty Images

One of the things that used to annoy me about soccer is that its promoters (at least in the USA) would try to point up its supposed superiority to American football. Yes fool, we realize that American football isn’t played primarily with the foot. It’s called a misnomer and a rose by any other name would still be able to tackle your stank arse into the ground.

In the winter of 2006, following a thoroughly engrossing summer World Cup, I took a short-term work assignment in London and decided to really get into the beautiful game. After all, England is futbol-mad and the Steelers were languishing in mediocrity after having won Superbowl XL. I needed something positive in my sports life. The English did prove to be as futbol-mad as advertised but they didn’t care about American football; they just love their own game. Not having to defend the game I already loved, it was easy for me to begin to get into the other football.

The great thing about world futbol is that it’s played practically year-round. If there’s a hole in your American sports calendar, following an Argentine, Brasilian, English or Spanish club team can help fill the void. I’m a Pirates fan so naturally, baseball season is the winter of my American sports discontent.

Thankfully, spring/summer brings for me the close of the English Premier League and the English FA cup, as well as the UEFA Champions League, the Argentine Clausura, the Copa Libertadores and the Club World Cup. Last summer, there was the Copa America. This spring, the African Cup of Nations.

Such a huge variety of leagues and tournaments brings with it an great abundance of coverage. Prior to picking up futbol and not wanting to become a message board denizen, I could exhaust US sports coverage within a morning. But after picking up allegiances to Liverpool FC in England and Boca Juniors in Argentina as well as occasional coverage of the Argentine and Nigerian national teams, there’s more than enough new material to read and new opponents to hate.

I’ve only been in to this game for a year and a half and I’m still learning the subtleties of the positions, different team formations and the playing styles of the various national leagues. For instance, in England’s Premier League, it’s a more physical, straight-ahead game. In Italy’s Serie A, it’s deliberate and tactical. In Spain’s La Liga, the game is more patient. In Brazil and Argentina, it’s more fluid. I think; I’m still learning it all. Then consider a Spanish footballer moving to the English Premier League or an Argentine playing in Italy. There’s also a different financial structure to world futbol.

You don’t have to start hating American football in order to like soccer. You don’t have to choose a specific team but I find that being partisan is half the fun of sports.

For starters, check out the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester United on ESPN2 (2:00 PM ET) on May 21st. I actually hate both teams! But I’ll still follow the action. Also, stay tuned for the culmination of the Copa Liberatadores and then tune in to Euro 2008 in June. And if you find the right fan base, as they say at Anfield, you’ll never walk alone.

The Stars got a couple fortuitous calls from the ref’s who disallowed an apparent goal by Pavel Datsyuk because of interference and then allowed a goal by Loui Erikkson though he may have been in the crease before the puck got there. Even though the Red Wings subsequently tied the game in the third period, they didn’t outwork or out-hustle the Stars, who finally showed up in this series. Two third period goals put the Stars ahead for good as claimed their first win of the series.

Philadelphia finally got the early break for which it was looking when Joffrey Lupul put the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury in the first period and it was off to the races. The much-maligned Mike Richards finally played like the world-class player he’s reputed to be and the Flyers added a third goal to the tally before the end of the first period. The Flyers finally matched the Penguins’ physicality, constantly challenging the road team’s composure in between whistles. Yes that’s right, the Penguins, a team constantly misconstrued as solely finesse, had shown more edge and attitude than the vaunted Broad Street Bullies prior to game four. Although Pittsburgh cut the lead to 3-2 in the third period, the Flyers hung on for dear life and Lupul scored his second goal on an empty-netter to cinch the win.

The question going into the weekend is whether the Flyers and Stars can maintain the intensity they showed in staving off elimination. Each will have to win on the road in game five, something they have failed to do in these conference finals. For the Stars, they finally played the game they are capable of playing but are unlikely to get as many fortunate bounces of the puck as they did in game four. The Flyers, on the other hand, may have tested the limits of their capability. They have to hope that they will get back not just Braydon Coburn but also Kimo Timonen (if only in limited minutes) to continue the level of play they so desperately achieved on Thursday.

Photo Credit: AP

I’m one who believes that 99% of college athletes, even those on big-name basketball and football teams, are good kids who work hard to be better students and players. They study hard; they work part-time jobs in the summer to pay for essentials (Rhett Bomar notwithstanding) and abide by the rules of their scholarships. If they get extra tutoring then so be it. No, I don’t mean the Jim Harrick school of tutoring. They have games to play and classes to pass. And most of them eventually realize that there is life after the final whistle blows.

I remember one time during college when I was hanging with some friends and a few football players. One player was a sophomore and a friend of mine started grilling him about his choice of major. The kid replied that he was doing such-and-such major and didn’t really know what he wanted to do after college. My friend, who shall remain nameless, took this as a sign that he wasn’t serious about his studies because he played football and he need to shape up and grow up. Two years later, this same female changed her major from nursing to business.

A scandal such as Mayo’s obscures the stories of thousands of student-athletes who do the right thing. Now it’s true that Mayo has been pimped like a whore since the day someone discovered he was good with a basketball. I doubt he’s a bad kid and the issue of NCAA athletes receiving some compensation in addition to a scholarship is a topic for another column. I don’t think it was wrong of USC to take a chance on a player like Mayo.

The wrong here is that USC didn’t do right by Mayo while he was in Pasadena. They apparently didn’t know that he was receiving kickbacks. Or more likely, they looked the other way in hopes of not getting caught. Now USC is in hot water and so is Mayo. His character will be impugned and USC, an institution of higher learning which purports to help shape the minds of America’s best and brightest, will wash its hands of him as quickly as it can.

USC avoided any penalties from Reggie Bush’s alleged NCAA violations but it’s hard to see how they can be so lucky twice. Pat Forde of ESPN advocated that USC basketball should get the Death Penalty. Even though I’m somewhat inclined to agree, I don’t see how can you drop the axe on the basketball team when they have only one major violation and the other major violation was committed by the football team, though never found guilty. So they both should get it?

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (previous rank: #2)

You hate this ranking. I hate this ranking. Everybody hates this ranking! But OSU looked stellar during the spring and there were few (if any) holes to plug. Obviously the anticipated arrival of Terrelle Pryor is cause for excitement in Columbus but his role on such a loaded team will be in the margins. Beanie Wells is at or near the top of my pre-season Heisman balloting at the moment.

2. USC Trojans (previous rank: #3)

One of the biggest stories this spring was the emergence of QB Mark Sanchez for USC. It had been thought (and posited in an earlier column) that the ground game would have to cover USC till the new starting QB settled in. Looks like the air attack will be just fine for the Trojans.

3. Oklahoma Sooners (previous rank: #1)

There’s nothing that Oklahoma did wrong to drop from the top spot. But like a team on the bye, they didn’t generate a huge amount of buzz. Linebacker play continues to be an issue for this team because of its youth but the youngsters should mature quickly this year.

4. Georgia Bulldogs (previous rank: #8)

I still can’t kick the feeling that the Bulldogs won’t be able to pull it out, just as they haven’t for several years under Mark Richt, which is why they only moved up to #4 instead of #2 or #3. But it’s impossible to ignore a team that played well down the stretch and returns so much talent. QB Matt Stafford had a great spring and is being mentioned in the Heisman pre-season watch lists. The receiving corps is looking strong which should give RB Knowshon Moreno some much appreciated running room. Personally, I think Moreno should be higher in the Heisman watch than Stafford though.

5. Florida Gators (previous rank: #4)

Same ol’ story for the Gators. Tim Tebow lights it up, the running game isn’t sorted out and the defense is young. USC transfer Emmanuel Moody may have all the talent but he was much too inconsistent to grab the reigns for Urban Meyer. One can only hope that WR/RB/GOD Percy Harvin heals up from his injury in time for training camp.

6. Missouri Tigers (previous rank: NR)

Word out of Columbia is that the Tigers’ offense is shaping up to be more explosive than last year. More explosive? If the Tigers maintain last year’s high form, QB Chase Daniel should at least get an invite to the Downtown Athletic Club.

7. West Virginia Mountaineers (previous rank: #6)

The story out of Morgantown (besides the continued hatred of Rich Rodriguez) is head coach Bill Stewart’s attempts to actually limit the running of QB Pat White. It makes sense though because when White has gotten banged up near the end of the season, the Mountaineers have faded. Everyone witnessed what a healthy Pat White can do against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. If RB Noel Devine can help keep White healthy, the Mountaineers will have a strong shot at the national title.

8. Clemson Tigers (previous rank: 7)

Concerns abound over the Tigers’ inability to solidify their line play this spring, which could make it hard for all that skill-position talent to thrive. I have bigger concerns over their inability to play well in crunch time, period. Still, Clemson is the best of a relatively mediocre ACC bunch.

Didn’t do enough lobbying - Texas. If this list is to approximate an eight-team BCS-type playoff then at least one team from each BCS conference must get in to the field. That leaves Texas on the outs because Clemson has to get in. Plus, I’m still concerned about Longhorns QB Colt McCoy.

Knocking on the door: Texas, LSU, BYU, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, South Florida, Kansas

Photo Credit: Jeff Mills/Icon SMI

Your humble narrator only missed on the Flyers-Canadiens series, going 3-1 overall. Once again, Joe Thornton disappeared like a frightened kitten when the Sharks needed him the most. Possibly the most talented team in the NHL, the Sharks have effectively taken over the role of master choker from the very team that vanquished them this year, the Dallas Stars, whose goalie Marty Turco made a record 61 saves to push his team in to the western conference finals. Detroit easily dispatched the geriatric Avalanche who would’ve been hard pressed to compete even with a healthy Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg but who also saw rising youngster Paul Stastny go down to injury.

In the east, the Habs’ goalie situation was ultimately their undoing as phenom Carey Price ran into a Broad Street-sized wall. By now, you know that the Flyers finished in last place in the NHL last season and that they barely made the playoffs this year. None of that matters now. Philadelphia is hitting on all cylinders and made short work of the Canadiens behind goalie Marty Biron and forward RJ Umberger, who will face his hometown team in the eastern conference finals. The Penguins may have dispatched the Rangers in just 5 games but this was as competitive and feisty as a short series can get. Capitals fans have to be wondering if the Jaromir Jagr who played liked a man possessed against his old club was the same Jagr who loitered around in DC for a few uninspired years.

Moving on, here are your conference finals predictions.

Eastern Conference Finals - Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers won the season series 5-3 but several of those games came with injuries to stars Marc-Andre Fleury and Sidney Crosby. In other major sports, these Keystone state cities don’t have real rivalries but that isn’t the case in hockey. These teams really do hate each other. Witness a game in December which featured a fight a mere 20 seconds from the start or the Flyers’ charge that the Penguins threw their regular season finale against the Flyers in order to avoid them in the first round of the playoffs.

This series will not be devoid of star power on either side of the ice. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Marian Hossa will be going against the Daniel Briere, Pittsburgh-native RJ Umberger and Mike Richards, who have combined for 21 goals in 12 games this spring. Goalies Marty Biron and Marc Andre-Fleury have both been excellent between the pipes this spring. This series will come down to which team has more edge, more attitude and more physicality.

Prediction: Penguins in seven

Western Conference Finals - Detroit Red Wings vs Dallas Stars

Though this series won’t be as heated as the eastern conference finals, expect it to last just as long and take as much energy. The Stars are riding high after dispatching the defending Stanley Cup champions and then dismantling one of the most talented teams in the NHL. The Red Wings stumbled a little in the first round then found their groove, destroying the Colorado Avalanche in a series that was a shadow its former exciting incarnations.

The Red Wings, as it their usual modus operandi, have excellent depth in Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and the smokin’ hot Johan Franzen who leads all playoff scorers. Add perpetual Norris Trophy winner Niklas Lidstrom and the steadying play of veteran Chris Osgood and it’s easy to see why the Octopi are on cruise control. Dallas can’t match the depth of Detroit but has excellent skill players in veteran defenseman Sergei Zubov (one of my favorite and most frustraing players throughout the years) and leading scorer Mike Ribeiro along with the clutch play of captain Brendan Morrow who is starting to emerge from the shadow of Mike Modano. I’m not a huge fan of Detroit’s rotating goaltender situation but Marty Turco hasn’t always been a rock in the playoffs either (Game 6 against San Jose notwithstanding).

Detroit’s depth vs Dallas’ momentum. The Red Wings are the easy pick.

Prediction: Stars in seven

Photo Credits: Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review, Jeff Vinick/Getty Images

• Chris Lofton played an entire season with cancer. Right, CANCER. He went through surgery, radiation therapy and still played the game. Along the way, he led Tennessee to a #1 ranking and a Sweet Sixteen berth. Most importantly, he beat cancer. We can be cynical about the lives of college student-athletes but when just one story like this comes along, it’s a strong reminder of their strength, perseverance and courage. Lofton may not want to be a role model; after all, he hid his illness but he is one.
• Brother SK has already opined about the BC Madness but let me blow one more hole in the conference commissioners’ arguments. If they want to continue to grow the game, a playoff has to be the way to go. A four-team playoff would attract legions more bettors, I mean, fans than the current system. Look what the NCAA tournament has done for college basketball.
• Now I’m not a huge fan of a playoff. I think it does cheapen, to an extent, the regular season. Only fans of Georgetown will remember the Hoyas’ Big East regular season title and not their colossal upset by Davidson in the Tourney. But when you can’t have a balanced schedule (ala the English Premier League or other club leagues in world futbol), the best way to determine a champion is by a playoff.
• Jim Boeheim favors expanding the NCAA men’s basketball tournament to 128 teams! Ridiculous. In fact, I’d shrink it to include only the conference regular season and tournament champions. If you can’t win your conference, you shouldn’t play for the overall championship.
• Athletes are tall. Ok you knew that but how often do you run into a 6′5″, 205lb wide receiver who runs a 4.65 forty-yard dash. I had the misfortune of being in the same T-Mobile store as West Virginia WR Wes Lyons this weekend. But I was too blinded by hatred and awe to say anything to the former Woodland Hills high school star.
• With this year’s glut of one-and-done’s draining college basketball rosters, detractors of the NBA’s eligibilty rule point to the examples of Lebron James and Kobe Bryant having been ready for the Pro’s right after high school. Be that as it may, the NBA is still entitled to put qualifications on its hiring (read: draft) policies. If they want kids one year removed from high school, that’s their right as long as it’s part of collective bargaining with the NBPA. In fact, I don’t think the NBA has gone far enough. Why not just require kids to go to college for at least 3 years before moving on to the Pro’s. It’s not just about physical maturity. These kids need intellectual maturity as well.
• Kudos to LSU for kicking Ryan Perrilloux off the team. Talented though he may be, Perrilloux’s inclusion on this year’s team would have turned the Bayou Bengals into a media circus act after his last run-in with the law.