Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
Sports Quote of the Day:
Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all time thing.You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. ~ Vince Lombardi, Legendary NFL Coach, Green Bay Packers & Washington Redskins
Giants-Bears Preview.
JEFF MEZYDLO (STATS Senior Writer)
The New York Giants don't have much time to prepare for their latest attempt at that elusive first victory of the season.
Looking to avoid their first 0-6 start in 37 years, the Giants hope to continue their success at Soldier Field and hand the Chicago Bears a third straight defeat Thursday night.
At 0-5 for the first time since the strike season of 1987, New York must quickly move on from Sunday's 36-21 loss to Philadelphia and focus on a 3-2 Chicago team that's looking to stop its own regression.
The Giants began the season fueled by the idea of possibly playing a Super Bowl on their home field, but now will focus only on winning a game.
New York has not dropped its first six since going 0-9 in 1976.
"For us, we're not even thinking about the playoffs now," linebacker Spencer Paysinger said. "Right now we are 0-5 and looking for our first win, hopefully coming on Thursday."
The Giants have won two straight against the Bears and their last four at Soldier Field, with the latest matchup in Chicago coming in 2007. Given the current state of the team, however, relying on past success in this series seem like it would hardly be enough.New York is allowing a league-worst 36.4 points per contest, yielding at least 31 in all five games to tie an NFL record set by the 1954 Chicago Cardinals. The Giants rallied from a 19-7 halftime deficit to lead 21-19 late in the third quarter Sunday, then allowed 17 unanswered points.
Eli Manning threw three of his league-high 12 interceptions on consecutive series in the fourth quarter. The two-time Super Bowl MVP has thrown eight touchdowns but has completed 53.7 percent of his passes and been sacked 15 times.
"The guy is trying to play the best he can," coach Tom Coughlin said. "He's certainly trying to do too much. He knows his team and he knows his responsibility. He's an extremely accountable guy and he's going to do everything he possibly can.
Sometimes it's not to be done that way."
While others outside the organization might be quick to blame Manning for the Giants' struggles, his teammates will not.
"It's everyone, the receivers, the offensive line. Everyone is to blame for some of these losses," said receiver Victor Cruz, who had five receptions for 48 yards Sunday after recording 10 for 164 and a TD in the 31-7 defeat at Kansas City a week earlier.
"It's pretty frustrating. We understand that one of these games has to turn for us."
The Giants won't have running back David Wilson this week, as he suffered a neck injury Sunday after running for 16 yards, six carries and his first touchdown.
New York, which averages a league-low 56.8 rushing yards, will go with a backfield combination of Brandon Jacobs, who ran 11 times for 37 yards against the Eagles, and the recently re-signed Da'Rel Scott.
Jacobs had 62 yards and a TD on just six carries in New York's 17-3 home win over the Bears in 2010. The Giants sacked Jay Cutler nine times in the first half and sent him to the bench with a concussion.
Cutler has been sacked nine times this season, but six have come in back-to-back losses to Detroit and New Orleans. He is completing a career-best 65.7 percent of his passes and threw for a season-high 358 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions Sunday, but Chicago lost 26-18 to the Saints.
With Brandon Marshall often double-teamed, Cutler connected 10 times with second-year receiver Alshon Jeffery, who had a team-record 218 receiving yards and one score.
Jeffery has 15 receptions for 325 yards with two touchdowns the last two weeks after catching 13 passes for 104 and no scores in the first three.
Marshall caught 15 balls for 217 yards and two TDs the first two games, but has 16 receptions for 161 yards and one touchdown in the past three. That's caused him to vent some frustration he claims stems from the team's current slide instead of his own recent lack of production.
The Bears have been outscored 50-20 in the first half of the last two contests.
"Sometimes the formula may go to me, sometimes it doesn't. Whatever's best for the team to win, that's what we need to do," said Marshall, who has a TD on Sunday but was held to season lows of four receptions and 30 yards. "I'm always going to be frustrated when our offense isn't No. 1 in the league. I'm always going to be frustrated when we're losing."
The Bears held New Orleans to a season-low 347 yards but failed to force a turnover for the first time in 11 games. Chicago is third in the league with 14 takeaways, while New York's 20 turnovers are the most in the NFL.
Manning is 2-1 against the Bears despite completing 53.9 percent of his passes with one TD and four picks.
Teammate Hakeem Nicks had nine receptions for 142 yards last week. He had eight for 110 against the Bears in 2010.
Have the Chicago Bears Been Exposed?
By Dalton Russell
COMMENTARY | The Chicago Bears were Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Halas yet again en route to their second consecutive loss of the season on Sunday.
The New Orleans Saints beat the Bears 26-18 in a game in which Chicago showcased the very best and worst of what their team has to offer.
An early turnover, and the offensive line's inability to pick up the unique blitz packages of the New Orleans Saints, put the Bears in a hole early, of which not even Alshon Jeffery's single-game franchise record 218 yards receiving could help dig their way out.
With the first five weeks of the new season in the books, fans are still struggling to understand exactly who this 3-2 Bears team is.
Is Chicago's "feared" defense actually a lie? The Chicago franchise has always been built around defensive toughness. From Dick Butkus to Brian Urlacher, it's the Bears' defense that receives top billing at Soldier Field. This season, it looks as though the Bears are being overvalued thanks to previous seasons allowing their "Monsters of the Midway" mystique to resonate much more than they may deserve.
Although the ball-hawking Chicago defense has still been able to create turnovers (14), they have not been regularly able to stop teams on a drive-to-drive basis, without the benefit of the big play.
The Bears rank No. 26 in the NFL, allowing 28 points per game to opponents, and their formerly imposing pass rush has only been able to get to opposing quarterbacks for eight sacks, which ranks them third-worst in the NFL.
Troubling stat: The Bears have allowed 150 points through their first five games in 2013. In 2012, they only surrendered 71 points through Week 5, and they did not give up their 150th point until Week 11.
Creating turnovers has allowed the Bears to cover up a lot of their defensive problems, but without a single takeaway against the Saints, Chicago's inability to get off the field cost them big.
Is the offensive line really improved? Through Cutler's first four seasons in Chicago, the porous offensive line had regularly been pointed to as the reason for the QB's failures. The 2013 season was supposed to feature a rebuilt O-line with free agent Pro Bowl signee Jermon Bushrod, and rookie draft picks Jordan Mills and Kyle Long, allowing fans a moment to believe they could help the pass protection make that mythical leap from horrendous to somewhat average.
Over the first two games of this season, Cutler was sacked only one time. Suddenly feeling like he finally had the freedom to move around in the pocket and actually step into his passes, Cutler threw for 534 yards, five touchdowns, and engineered back-to-back game-winning drives to start the year.
Over the last three games, Cutler has been sacked eight times and hit 17 more.
While there is no question the offensive line has improved this season, exactly how much and how far they will be able to take the Bears is still up for debate.
Is Chicago Capable of beating the elite NFL teams? The Bears are 1-2 this season against teams with winning records. It may seem like too small a sample size to take anything away from this stat, but Cutler has had an alarming trend over his career of only being able to beat inferior competition.
Since joining the Bears in 2009, Cutler is 11-21 against teams with a winning percentage above .500. And for his entire career, Cutler's mark against those superior teams is only 16-31. These numbers are even more glaring when combined with his record against losing teams. Cutler is 23-2 with the Bears against teams below .500.
Beating the bad teams may be enough to earn the Bears a playoff appearance in 2013, but if they want to really be one of the Super Bowl contenders, they also have to start showing up against the elite teams on their schedule.
Thankfully, Chicago will be greeted by the 0-5 New York Giants and the 1-3 Washington Redskins before arriving at their Week 8 bye. The Bears really need to extend their record to 5-2, because the three games following their bye will be treacherous.
The Bears will come off their bye week with a Monday night showdown on the road against the division rival Green Bay Packers. From there, the Bears will get a rematch with the Detroit Lions -- who already put up 40 points against them earlier this season -- before facing the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
Fans may not have a firm grasp of who the Bears are quite yet, but these next five games will guarantee they have a definitive answer by the time they sit down to stuff their faces with turkey on Thanksgiving.
An early turnover, and the offensive line's inability to pick up the unique blitz packages of the New Orleans Saints, put the Bears in a hole early, of which not even Alshon Jeffery's single-game franchise record 218 yards receiving could help dig their way out.
With the first five weeks of the new season in the books, fans are still struggling to understand exactly who this 3-2 Bears team is.
Is Chicago's "feared" defense actually a lie? The Chicago franchise has always been built around defensive toughness. From Dick Butkus to Brian Urlacher, it's the Bears' defense that receives top billing at Soldier Field. This season, it looks as though the Bears are being overvalued thanks to previous seasons allowing their "Monsters of the Midway" mystique to resonate much more than they may deserve.
Although the ball-hawking Chicago defense has still been able to create turnovers (14), they have not been regularly able to stop teams on a drive-to-drive basis, without the benefit of the big play.
The Bears rank No. 26 in the NFL, allowing 28 points per game to opponents, and their formerly imposing pass rush has only been able to get to opposing quarterbacks for eight sacks, which ranks them third-worst in the NFL.
Troubling stat: The Bears have allowed 150 points through their first five games in 2013. In 2012, they only surrendered 71 points through Week 5, and they did not give up their 150th point until Week 11.
Creating turnovers has allowed the Bears to cover up a lot of their defensive problems, but without a single takeaway against the Saints, Chicago's inability to get off the field cost them big.
Is the offensive line really improved? Through Cutler's first four seasons in Chicago, the porous offensive line had regularly been pointed to as the reason for the QB's failures. The 2013 season was supposed to feature a rebuilt O-line with free agent Pro Bowl signee Jermon Bushrod, and rookie draft picks Jordan Mills and Kyle Long, allowing fans a moment to believe they could help the pass protection make that mythical leap from horrendous to somewhat average.
Over the first two games of this season, Cutler was sacked only one time. Suddenly feeling like he finally had the freedom to move around in the pocket and actually step into his passes, Cutler threw for 534 yards, five touchdowns, and engineered back-to-back game-winning drives to start the year.
Over the last three games, Cutler has been sacked eight times and hit 17 more.
While there is no question the offensive line has improved this season, exactly how much and how far they will be able to take the Bears is still up for debate.
Is Chicago Capable of beating the elite NFL teams? The Bears are 1-2 this season against teams with winning records. It may seem like too small a sample size to take anything away from this stat, but Cutler has had an alarming trend over his career of only being able to beat inferior competition.
Since joining the Bears in 2009, Cutler is 11-21 against teams with a winning percentage above .500. And for his entire career, Cutler's mark against those superior teams is only 16-31. These numbers are even more glaring when combined with his record against losing teams. Cutler is 23-2 with the Bears against teams below .500.
Beating the bad teams may be enough to earn the Bears a playoff appearance in 2013, but if they want to really be one of the Super Bowl contenders, they also have to start showing up against the elite teams on their schedule.
Thankfully, Chicago will be greeted by the 0-5 New York Giants and the 1-3 Washington Redskins before arriving at their Week 8 bye. The Bears really need to extend their record to 5-2, because the three games following their bye will be treacherous.
The Bears will come off their bye week with a Monday night showdown on the road against the division rival Green Bay Packers. From there, the Bears will get a rematch with the Detroit Lions -- who already put up 40 points against them earlier this season -- before facing the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
Fans may not have a firm grasp of who the Bears are quite yet, but these next five games will guarantee they have a definitive answer by the time they sit down to stuff their faces with turkey on Thanksgiving.
JEFF BARTL (STATS Writer)
The St. Louis Blues have done their best in past meetings to counter Chicago's explosive offense with a physical brand of hockey, and that likely won't change when they host the Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
St. Louis, though, has proved through its first two contests that it can light up the scoreboard as well.
A popular pick to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, the Blues (2-0-0) are on the verge of winning their first three games for the first time since 1993 while scoring goals in bunches.
They netted the game's first three goals within 10 minutes in a 4-2 win over Nashville on Thursday before scoring four in the second period of Saturday's 7-0 win over Florida.
Brenden Morrow and Derek Roy, signed in the offseason to help upgrade an offense that finished near the middle of the league in scoring last season, each scored Saturday, while Jaroslav Halak recorded his franchise-record 17th shutout with 19 saves.
"We knew all along that we probably don't have that superstar talent, but we're a grinding team that's solid throughout,'' said Morrow, whose goal was the 250th of his career. "Anyone can be the hero any given night.''
Jaden Schwartz added a goal and two assists, and he scored twice as the Blues won the most recent meeting with Chicago 3-1 on April 27 in another physical battle between the teams that has become the norm in recent years.
A popular pick to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, the Blues (2-0-0) are on the verge of winning their first three games for the first time since 1993 while scoring goals in bunches.
They netted the game's first three goals within 10 minutes in a 4-2 win over Nashville on Thursday before scoring four in the second period of Saturday's 7-0 win over Florida.
Brenden Morrow and Derek Roy, signed in the offseason to help upgrade an offense that finished near the middle of the league in scoring last season, each scored Saturday, while Jaroslav Halak recorded his franchise-record 17th shutout with 19 saves.
"We knew all along that we probably don't have that superstar talent, but we're a grinding team that's solid throughout,'' said Morrow, whose goal was the 250th of his career. "Anyone can be the hero any given night.''
Jaden Schwartz added a goal and two assists, and he scored twice as the Blues won the most recent meeting with Chicago 3-1 on April 27 in another physical battle between the teams that has become the norm in recent years.
The Blackhawks mostly have withstood those tests, having won five of the last seven matchups overall, and Patrick Kane said the defending Stanley Cup champions know what to expect Wednesday.
"We know they're going to try and bring that physical element to the game," Kane said. "That's fine with us, we'll play that way and try to capitalize on power plays and scoring chances, whatever it may be."
Those battles have added intensity to a rivalry sure to pick up even more steam now that Chicago's historic rival, Detroit, is playing in the Eastern Conference.
"We feel they're our new rivalry now with Detroit leaving the division," forward Bryan Bickell said. "It's going to be a like a playoff atmosphere for sure because they're physical and a hard team to play against in their building."
The league's realignment has put more emphasis on divisional play, and the Blackhawks and Blues are expected to battle for the top spot in the revamped Central.
"You're looking at St. Louis thinking this could be a very important game the way things set up over the course of the season," coach Joel Quenneville said. "I'm sure they're excited about playing us as well."
Chicago (1-0-1) will be looking to bounce back after falling 3-2 in a shootout to Tampa Bay on Saturday despite outshooting the Lightning 39-16 and not allowing a shot on goal in the first period.
Kane and Brandon Saad each scored their second goal of the season.
"It was pretty near a perfect game for us,'' said goaltender Corey Crawford, who made 14 saves. "I had to find a way to come up with one save at the end to shut it down, and I didn't.''
Crawford is 6-0-1 with a 1.44 goals-against average in his last six appearances against the Blues, while Halak is 3-1-3 with a 2.08 GAA in seven career starts against Chicago.
Blackhawks power play continues to show improvement.
By Tracey Myers
The overall consensus was a positive one: perhaps the Chicago Blackhawks power play could’ve come through with one more goal, one final dagger against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
But for all intents and purposes, the power play is on the right track.
The Blackhawks have scored twice on their advantage in as many games, and there’s still some room for improvement. But the team feels it’s getting there, and has certainly made headway on it from where it was for most of last season.
“It felt like the last game we were pretty good on it as the game went along,” Patrick Kane said. “We had a couple of chances in the third we probably could’ve buried.
You get that third goal on the power play, that’s where we want to take advantage of it. But once it starts going into the net more, we’ll get a little more confidence.”
Coach Joel Quennneville saw improvement in it from Game 1 to Game 2.
“I liked our power play, even better the second game,” he said. “I know we scored a funny goal (Brandon Saad’s goal off a strange puck bounce) but we’re doing many more effective things as far as motion, different looks and more of a shot thought process. That opens things up. We’ve had better movement and more puck retrievals as well.”
Bryan Bickell said the Blackhawks and power-play coach Jamie Kompon want to do certain things on the advantage to raise their potential success levels.
“He tells us to get three high shots, and if anything goes off there, we can go to low plays or the fancier plays those guys like to do,” Bickell said. “But we like to establish our three high shots and go from there.”
The Blackhawks did just fine last season without a consistent power play, thank you very much. But for a team that’s always looking to hone every part of its game, there’s no such thing as being satisfied with a so-so category. The power play is looking better. It just needs to connect a few more times.
“We’re trying to change everything, trying to get more pucks to the net, when (the puck) comes to us know what we’re going with it even before we get it. Things should open for us,” Kane said. “It’s crazy to say we’re a great 5-on-5 team and for some reason we can’t score when they’re down a man. All the tools are there, all the ingredients. We just need to put it together.”
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... Rose, Bulls given second-best championship odds in NBA
By Tony Andracki
Just like the rest of the NBA world, oddsmakers were certainly waiting for #TheReturn.
With Derrick Rose in tow, Bovada projects the Chicago Bulls as 8/1 odds to win the 2013-14 NBA Championship, tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best odds in the league. Only the Miami Heat (2/1) came in higher.
Last season, the Bulls were 14/1 odds, fourth in the league behind Miami (11/5), the Lakers (5/2) and the Thunder (9/2).
The Clippers (9/1) were fourth for the upcoming season, with the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets tied for fifth with 10/1 odds.
Michael Jordan's Charlotte Bobcats tied with the Orlando Magic at 500/1, the worst odds in the NBA.
Bulls' game in Brazil just a 'business trip'.
By Aggrey Sam
Leave it to Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau to take the fun out of a trip to Rio de Janeiro.
When asked about his team’s upcoming trip to Brazil, where the Bulls will take on the Washington Wizards — they’ll leave Tuesday evening from Chicago and while the game is Saturday, both squads will have a slew of NBA-related activities — Thibodeau, even following Monday’s 101-87 preseason win over Memphis at the Scottrade Center, gave off an all-business, no-pleasure vibe about the excursion.
“I love being on the road like we’ve been to start the season. So, you’re in the hotel, you’re traveling. You have to build those habits and so, it’s a good opportunity for team-building. We’ve been together now for a long time. It’ll continue. There’s a lot of stuff and activity going on, on a trip like that,” he explained, starting off on the right note. “But it’s also a great opportunity for us to represent the league and continue to build, and for us, I think it’s critical for us to understand that it’s a business trip. We’re not going there to have a party. This is training camp for us.
“The important thing is to build winning habits and how you prepare is a big part of that, maybe the most important part — be mentally ready — and in this league, you can find an excuse every night,” the coach continued, actually going into his usual list of pitfalls he didn’t consider legitimate reasons for losing a game, apparently including overseas travel. “Whether it’s preseason, you’re on the road, you’re going to a foreign country, you’ve got a back-to-back, you’ve got four [games] in five [nights], you’ve got an early start, you’ve got a late start, the challenge is to be ready. Whenever they tell you you’re playing, be ready. Be ready.”
Well, maybe Thibodeau’s plan for the basketball side of things will be closely adhered to, but away from practices, the game itself and their league-mandated responsibilities, the Bulls can’t deny themselves the enjoyment of the sights and sounds of another culture.
“It’s going to give us some time to bond,” Derrick Rose said, initially sticking with the P.R.-friendly answer. “We haven’t been around each other in a long time because we have guys — like Lu, Booz goes back to Miami, I’m not even in Chicago; I go out to L.A. — we always travel and try to explore the world. But I think this trip is going to help us come together and bond as a team.”
When pressed about the issue — he was specifically asked about potential “distractions” in Rio — Rose, who was No. 1 in NBA jersey sales in Latin America for last season, despite not playing, got a mischievous grin on his face, but kept up the earnest act.
“What’s the distraction down there? What did you hear, man? Nah, it should be good,” he said. “We’re all professionals. If anything, we’re going to enjoy the trip and we know this is a business trip, and this is our time to really come together.”
Exactly how Thibodeau — if not teammate Joakim Noah, who should be back in action for the Wizards game after missing the Bulls’ first two exhibition contests with a strained groin — would have wanted him to respond.
Rose did comment on Thibodeau’s sideline demeanor compared to his behind-the-scenes, likely serene behavior in Berto Center practices. The inquiring media, which got a closer-the-usual view of the coach at Monday’s affair — the Scottrade Center, home of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues, is configured differently than a typical NBA arena, understandably so since St. Louis has no professional basketball team — despite its best efforts, couldn’t get the former league MVP to slip up.
“In games or in practice? In practice,” Rose decided, after briefly pondering the question. “I think in games, he knows that there’s TV and people around. In practice, it’s just us, no cameras, no nothing, so it gets very, very crazy in practice.”
On a more serious note, Rose will have yet another point-guard test when he matches up with another John Calipari one-year pupil and fellow No. 1 overall draft pick, the similarly explosive John Wall of Washington, who also worked out with his trainer, Rob McClanaghan, in California this past summer.
“It’s always a test. I think every point guard that I face this year is going to be test, no matter how fast they are,” Rose explained. “It’s going to be a test for me because all of them are good and I’m just trying to test myself every game, and still be aggressive and know that they’re trying to come at me.”
The Wizards also feature big man Nene, a native Brazilian and impetus for the team to be invited to participate in the game.
Chicago Cubs: Why Was Dale Sveum Fired?
By Evan Altman
COMMENTARY | It's now been one week since the Chicago Cubs flushed the toilet on Dale Sveum, relieving him of his duty.
Cubs president Theo Epstein laid out the reasons for the team's decision and lauded Sveum's strength, commitment, and dignity while calling for a "dynamic new voice."
At the same time, Epstein (a card-carrying member of baseball's intelligentsia) talked about "[Sveum's] own authentic and understated way," and said, "We must have the best possible environment for young players to learn, develop and thrive at the major league level."
"Today's decision … was not made because of wins and losses. Jed [Hoyer] and I take full responsibility for that." I can just imagine George Costanza sitting there fuming as he heard Epstein deliver the "it's not you, it's me" line.
I'm no genius, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but it sounded a bit like Epstein was describing Sveum as the girl with a really great personality. So if it wasn't the record and it wasn't Dale's attitude, why is he now plying his trade as a coach with the Kansas City Royals?
I want to examine three reasons for Dale Sveum's departure:
Math and verbal
It was too difficult for Sveum to make the change from the imperial 20/80 scale to the cybermetric system. Perhaps he should have gone online and searched saberspace for the conversion tables. While it's true that pobody's nerfect, Sveum's Freudian slip illustrated a fundamental disconnect with the vision and direction of team leadership.
Dizzy Dean, another well-known enemy of the spoken word, once said, "Let the teachers teach English and I will teach baseball." Dale might have been dizzy, but it was due more to the roster's revolving door than his resemblance to Dean.
So while it's evident that Sveum could have used some more of the first half of Dean's quote, the Cubs felt that he didn't do nearly enough of the latter. As a result of this perceived deficiency, he slid out of favor with the front office.
Theo found a prettier girl
Epstein and Hoyer have always been willing to trade a known commodity for a bevy of prospects, but one thing they're not is reckless. They would not have sent their manager packing were they not relatively certain that a bigger prize would be available.
At this point, Joe Girardi appears to be the apple of the Cubs' eye. I wrote an earlier piece about the likelihood of Girardi leaving the New York Yankees to run the show in Chicago, and it appears that we may soon learn his fate.
This situation is a lot like Brad Hamilton wanting to break up with his girlfriend Lisa before his senior year at Ridgemont High. Girardi is the Phoebe Cates to Epstein's Judge Reinhold, and Joe's getting out of the pool right now. But should the situation in Chicago play out like it did in Brad's bathroom, Cubs fans had better hope the front office has several other candidates lined up.
If necessary, you may want to take a moment to wash that unsavory image from your memory before you proceed.
It was his destiny
Or maybe, as George McFly put it, his density. Whether it was his exceptionally high mass-to-volume ratio or a predetermined outcome, Dale Sveum was not long for the Cubs. Given the Cubs' strategy to focus on acquiring minor-league talent at the expense of the big league product, a large number of losses over the past couple years was a given.
Also a given was the growing unease of the city, the fans, and the players with the labor pains of a long-gestating rebuild. While Epstein and Hoyer are adamant that the Cubs are about 50% effaced and starting to dilate, they also know that the Cubs aren't quite ready to deliver a winner.
That said, Dale Sveum was simply hired to be a nurse in the birthing suite, helping things along before the doctor arrived. I have written about this before, sans pregnancy analogies, but Sveum was indeed brought in as a scapegoat, despite what Epstein has claimed.
Conclusion
I'm not sure any of these reasons weighed more heavily than another in Sveum's firing. While I have held firm to the belief that he was hired to be fired, I also believe the timing of it was largely a result of the other two reasons listed.
At this point, the Cubs are in need of a facelift. Regardless of where you point the finger of blame, neither Starlin Castro nor Anthony Rizzo made strides toward becoming "The Man." The new manager either needs to be the face of the team or to develop a player who can be -- and soon. If that happens, it'll be a huge win for the Cubs.
Of course, there are more than just these three issues. So why do you think Sveum was fired and who is your pick to become the next manager? How many pop culture references is too many? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.
At the same time, Epstein (a card-carrying member of baseball's intelligentsia) talked about "[Sveum's] own authentic and understated way," and said, "We must have the best possible environment for young players to learn, develop and thrive at the major league level."
"Today's decision … was not made because of wins and losses. Jed [Hoyer] and I take full responsibility for that." I can just imagine George Costanza sitting there fuming as he heard Epstein deliver the "it's not you, it's me" line.
I'm no genius, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but it sounded a bit like Epstein was describing Sveum as the girl with a really great personality. So if it wasn't the record and it wasn't Dale's attitude, why is he now plying his trade as a coach with the Kansas City Royals?
I want to examine three reasons for Dale Sveum's departure:
Math and verbal
It was too difficult for Sveum to make the change from the imperial 20/80 scale to the cybermetric system. Perhaps he should have gone online and searched saberspace for the conversion tables. While it's true that pobody's nerfect, Sveum's Freudian slip illustrated a fundamental disconnect with the vision and direction of team leadership.
Dizzy Dean, another well-known enemy of the spoken word, once said, "Let the teachers teach English and I will teach baseball." Dale might have been dizzy, but it was due more to the roster's revolving door than his resemblance to Dean.
So while it's evident that Sveum could have used some more of the first half of Dean's quote, the Cubs felt that he didn't do nearly enough of the latter. As a result of this perceived deficiency, he slid out of favor with the front office.
Theo found a prettier girl
Epstein and Hoyer have always been willing to trade a known commodity for a bevy of prospects, but one thing they're not is reckless. They would not have sent their manager packing were they not relatively certain that a bigger prize would be available.
At this point, Joe Girardi appears to be the apple of the Cubs' eye. I wrote an earlier piece about the likelihood of Girardi leaving the New York Yankees to run the show in Chicago, and it appears that we may soon learn his fate.
This situation is a lot like Brad Hamilton wanting to break up with his girlfriend Lisa before his senior year at Ridgemont High. Girardi is the Phoebe Cates to Epstein's Judge Reinhold, and Joe's getting out of the pool right now. But should the situation in Chicago play out like it did in Brad's bathroom, Cubs fans had better hope the front office has several other candidates lined up.
If necessary, you may want to take a moment to wash that unsavory image from your memory before you proceed.
It was his destiny
Or maybe, as George McFly put it, his density. Whether it was his exceptionally high mass-to-volume ratio or a predetermined outcome, Dale Sveum was not long for the Cubs. Given the Cubs' strategy to focus on acquiring minor-league talent at the expense of the big league product, a large number of losses over the past couple years was a given.
Also a given was the growing unease of the city, the fans, and the players with the labor pains of a long-gestating rebuild. While Epstein and Hoyer are adamant that the Cubs are about 50% effaced and starting to dilate, they also know that the Cubs aren't quite ready to deliver a winner.
That said, Dale Sveum was simply hired to be a nurse in the birthing suite, helping things along before the doctor arrived. I have written about this before, sans pregnancy analogies, but Sveum was indeed brought in as a scapegoat, despite what Epstein has claimed.
Conclusion
I'm not sure any of these reasons weighed more heavily than another in Sveum's firing. While I have held firm to the belief that he was hired to be fired, I also believe the timing of it was largely a result of the other two reasons listed.
At this point, the Cubs are in need of a facelift. Regardless of where you point the finger of blame, neither Starlin Castro nor Anthony Rizzo made strides toward becoming "The Man." The new manager either needs to be the face of the team or to develop a player who can be -- and soon. If that happens, it'll be a huge win for the Cubs.
Of course, there are more than just these three issues. So why do you think Sveum was fired and who is your pick to become the next manager? How many pop culture references is too many? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.
Golf-U.S. dominance puts Presidents Cup relevance on the line.
Reuters; By Mark Lamport-Stokes
A marathon week of rain delays and birdie hunting at Muirfield Village Golf Club ended with yet another United States victory at the Presidents Cup, once again raising questions about the relevance of the biennial team competition.
The Internationals have triumphed only once and been beaten eight times in 10 editions since the Cup was launched in 1994, and many feel that a change to the event's points structure is sorely needed to make it more competitive.
Australian world number two Adam Scott has never been on a triumphant Internationals team despite playing in the Presidents Cup on six occasions, and expressed concern about the imbalance between the two sides on the eve of last week's edition.
"We need to make this thing really relevant, make it a real competition, because it's got a bit lopsided the last few outings," the Masters champion said. "I think we've got a team that can win, but the only way we can do it is by playing good and wanting it more than the Americans."
Despite mounting a gutsy fightback in Sunday's concluding singles session which they dominated, the Internationals faced an uphill task in their bid to beat a potent U.S. team and ultimately lost by 18-1/2 points to 15-1/2.
While the 12-man American lineup at Muirfield Village bristled with six players ranked in the world's top 10, the Internationals had eight players from outside the top 25.
"Absolutely," Internationals captain Nick Price said when asked if the depth in strength on the U.S. team had been the most significant factor. "That's pretty apparent."
Price firmly believes that the Presidents Cup should adopt the more compact Ryder Cup format to ensure the event's survival and to create closer competition, though his suggestion has been turned down by PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.
In Price's opinion, fewer points give the stronger team less of an advantage as the weakest players do not compete as often, and he believes this would help the Internationals improve their dismal record against the United States.
"In order for the Presidents Cup to really go to the next level, it's got to become more consistently competitive," Zimbabwean Price told Reuters. "That is what's lacking.
"Until such time as that happens, I don't want to say it's going to flounder but it's not going to get to the next level. And everything needs to get to the next level to survive."
Though several Internationals players punched above their weight last week, especially Cup rookies Graham DeLaet of Canada, Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge and Australian Marc Leishman, they were heavily outgunned by more experienced U.S. opponents.
FATIGUE FACTOR
The weather delays did not help, forcing a backlog of matches and extended sessions, and fatigue was a noticeable factor for players who ended up competing in at least part of three different matches on the same day.
South Africans Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen, who had been expected to flourish in partnership together as one of the top combinations for the Internationals, were among those affected.
"Of all the Presidents Cups I've been involved in, this was probably the hardest because of the weather conditions," said Price. "The hardest part was trying to figure out the pairings.
"I felt like I didn't have enough time to do the pairings. It just seemed like we were rushed a little bit. It's the same for (U.S. captain) Fred (Couples), so that's no excuse."
A popular aspect of the Presidents Cup is the fact that opposing captains can create intriguing matchups in the singles, very often when the players themselves have expressed a desire to take on a particular opponent.
Many had hoped to see world number one Tiger Woods compete against second-ranked Scott on Sunday but instead the American ended up playing against South African Richard Sterne, ranked 41st.
Price defended his strategy in deciding the order of his players.
"I did my pairings to try and win the Cup, not to put one or two together or three or five or whatever," he said. "The whole idea ... was to put what we felt was the best strategy forward to win this Cup.
"I wanted to put all the guys who are playing the best out first, who had played the strongest this week, to get some momentum for the guys at the back end."
To a great extent, Price's strategy worked as his players won 7-1/2 points out of the 12 available in the final session of the 2013 Presidents Cup.
While last week's showdown at a sodden Muirfield Village will mainly be remembered for the unseasonably heavy rain and the frustrating weather delays, it also showcased brilliant golf with an abundance of birdies being recorded on a layout which encouraged attacking play.
"If you have to count the number of birdies that was made in this Presidents Cup compared to other ones, I feel this one had a lot more birdies in it," said South African Ernie Els, a veteran of eight Cups. "The level of play was outstanding."
Asked to pinpoint the biggest difference between the two teams at Muirfield Village, Els replied: "We've got a strong team, I just thought the American team played exceptionally well, really.
"They made a lot of birdies, it seemed like they got momentum in most of the sessions, and we were trying to fight ourselves back into it.
"Maybe it's a lack of experience, but we just let some matches go here and there, maybe a tee shot here and there or a putt. The Americans putted a little bit better than us. But we weren't far away."
Power Rankings: And then there were two. For now, anyway.
By Nick Bromberg
By Nick Bromberg
1. Matt Kenseth: (LW: 1): Kenseth described his car as "evilest" at one point during Sunday's race. He openly wondered if it was a word. He wasn't the only person struggling with his car all weekend, though a pit road speeding penalty and a caution flag right after a green flag pit stop will make things a lot tougher than they should be. Considering all of that, 11th place was enough to hold on to the points lead, and thus, Power Rankings.
2. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 2): Twas another Kansas escape for Vader. Last year, he crashed and came back to finish ninth with a crumpled decklid and rear bumper to stay hot on Brad Keselowski's heels. This year, his engine started vibrating badly two laps from the finish and he was able to limp home a sixth place finish. You do need some good breaks to win a title, and both Kenseth and Johnson got those Sunday.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 5): Cupcake didn't need many good breaks on Sunday. While Johnson might have had the fastest car, Harvick had the clean air at the beginning and the end. As Geoffrey Miller noted on Twitter, where can we buy the clean air t-shirts? Or are those just white undershirts? But that's not to undersell Harvick, he drove a good race and got his team the track position in the first place.
4. Jeff Gordon (LW: 4): Gordon's just hanging around and may make this thing interesting, isn't he? The discussion he had with Kurt Busch after the race was poo-pooed by each driver and they shared a kumbaya moment in the media center after the race. Maybe their discussion was just noticeable because it was about a good race for position in a wild race that didn't have much passing.
5. Kyle Busch (LW: 3): Do we need to talk about how it's now a stiff test of the resolve of Kyle Busch now that Kansas Speedway has bitten him in the hind end once again? Or has that been talked about enough? Kyle's frustration Sunday was more evident not when he was facing the media after crashing but when he went to the apron with Juan Pablo Montoya. Dude, just give up the spot and go get it later.
6. Kurt Busch (LW: 8): It's important to note that despite the joy that Kurt Busch showed after Sunday's second place finish, he was cursing like a madman while mired back near 20th and used the "DFL" phrase to describe his car's handling. Now, we're used to Busch being irate on the radio before, but it was quite the swing to see him proud of the 2nd place finish after the words that were used just a couple hours before.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 7): That was a pretty quiet eighth place finish for Junior. And given that it's Dale Earnhardt Jr., there aren't too many things he can do on the track quietly. We're going to go ahead and blame it on the fact that he didn't go and get Oklahoma Joe's barbecue while he was in Kansas City. The Z-Man sandwich equals race wins, people.
8. Greg Biffle (LW: 6): Biffle was the lowest starting Chaser and finished 13th. Not a bad day all things considered, but not a good one when Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are still finishing ahead of you. What else is there to say? Two weeks after his comments about the Chase not being a three man race, well, yeah. It's a two man race at the moment.
9. Carl Edwards (LW: 10): There was a brief moment when Carl Edwards restarted third late in the race that I wondered if he would win the race, which would fulfill one of Edwards' biggest NASCAR objectives outside of winning the Sprint Cup. Instead, he got bottled up behind Jeff Gordon and ended up fifth.
10. Joey Logano (LW: 12): It all goes back to that blown engine. Logano lost 40 points to Matt Kenseth that Chicago night, and if he only lost, say, 10 instead, he'd be 29 points back of the lead and in fourth place. Of course, the what-if game means absolutely nothing. Except to show that Logano has been one of the best performing drivers on the track outside of the kablooie.
11. Clint Bowyer (LW: 11): The Dover yoga has not helped Rawhide. May we suggest running in Kasey Kahne's 5K on Sunday morning? Or maybe arranging a race between Bowyer and Brad Keselowski? Bowyer needs a win for his psyche, and depending on the distance selected, he'd beat Kes. Who is going to make this happen? We could all drink Miller Lite with 5 Hour Energy while we watch.
12. Paul Menard (LW: NR): Oh why not. Menard was our highest finishing non-Chase driver and Kasey Kahne was 15th and Ryan Newman got caught up in Justin Allgaier's crash. Welcome, PFM. Looks like you got some of the speed that Kevin Harvick had all through Sunday.
Lucky Dog: Marcos Ambrose. The spin that Aussie had worked out and put him on a put strategy that had him fourth at the final restart. He faded to ninth, but recorded his fourth top 10 of the year.
The DNF: Newman will get this one, as he started sliding trying to avoid the crashed Allgaier and had absolutely nowhere to go. He's 12th and just 10 points ahead of Kahne in 13th.
Dropped out: Newman.
Americans Abroad Rewind: Forgettable weekend for U.S. players.
By Ives Galarcep
It was a weekend to forget for the contingent of Americans playing in top foreign leagues across the globe.
If you were looking for some bright spots heading into the international break, there weren’t many, as Americans from England to Mexico endured forgettable outings.
Jozy Altidore’s frustrations with winless Sunderland continued. The U.S. national team forward went goal-less again despite a strong showing in the first half in a match that saw him receive plenty of abuse from Manchester United’s defense and little service from the Sunderland midfield.
Tim Howard saw Everton’s unbeaten record erased at the hands of Manchester City, with the American goalkeeper being charged with an own goal in the Toffees’ 3-1 loss on Saturday.
Jermaine Jones’ unsettled situation at Schalke 04 remains cloudy as he followed up his forgettable outing against Hoffenheim last week by not even being in uniform for Schalke’s 4-1 win vs. Augsburg on Saturday. He joined Michael Parkhurst as a spectator, with Parkhurst continuing his exile on the sidelines at Augsburg.
Several other players taking part in the upcoming U.S. national team World Cup qualifying training camp suffered defeats, including Sacha Kljestan’s Anderlecht, Geoff Cameron’s Stoke City, Michael Orozco and DaMarcus Beasley’s Puebla and Aron Johannsson’s AZ Alkmaar.
One team featuring Americans that did win was Club Tijuana, but even the Xolos’ 1-0 victory versus Queretaro came with some drama. While Greg Garza and Edgar Castillo started for Club Tijuana, Joe Corona failed to come off the bench, raising more questions about his future with the club. On the bright side, both Herculez Gomez and Paul Arriola came on as subs for the Xolos.
One of the few bright spots for Americans was the continued steady play of Eric Lichaj at Nottingham Forest. He earned another start at right back and helped Forest post a 3-1 victory against Brighton and Hove Albion to move into fourth place in the League Championship.
Tim Ream earned another start for Bolton, helping the Trotters to a 2-1 victory vs. Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City on Saturday.
The list of injured Americans Abroad grew by one, with Fabian Johnson sidelined with an ankle injury that forced him to miss Hoffenheim’s 2-2 tie vs. Mainz 05 on Saturday. He was joined on the injured list by Michael Bradley, John Brooks, Steve Cherundolo and Danny Williams, who all missed their teams’ matches.
Alejandro Bedoya’s run of starts for French First Division side Nantes came to an abrupt end on Saturday after Bedoya came down with an illness. Nantes still managed to post a 3-0 victory against Evian Thonon Gaillar on Saturday, a win that moved the club into fifth place in Ligue 1, just one point out of third place.
Perhaps the most forgettable performance of the weekend featuring an American came in Mexico, where Jose Torres drew a second yellow card and early exit from UANL Tigres’ 2-1 loss to Toluca.
Stop the Condoleezza Rice bashing; real problem is playoff committee's failure to clarify the process.
By Dan Wetzel
The Bowl Championship Series was never particularly good at explaining itself, perhaps because there wasn't much to explain.
College football's championship system wasn't so much a way to crown a champion as it was a way for bowl directors to maintain control of, and profit handsomely from, the lucrative postseason. They seized on the general disorganization and cronyism of college football and made bank. It was brilliant.
The new four-team playoff system starting in 2014 will be an improvement but what's stayed the same is the inability of the people operating the playoff – essentially the same people in charge of the BCS – from running directly into a public backlash that's mostly self-inflicted.
Over the past week the names of some of the people on the upcoming 12-to-18 member selection committee have been leaked. Already there is mass confusion, condemnation, bickering and even doddering old fool coaches making sexist remarks about the acumen of someone of the stature of Dr. Condoleezza Rice.
"All she knows about football is what somebody told her," Pat Dye, the former Auburn coach and athletic director told WJOX in Birmingham. "Or what she read in a book, or what she saw on television. To understand football, you've got to play with your hand in the dirt."
Dye has justifiably been roasted for his comments but he is echoing (clumsily) a common sentiment about the selection committee.
There are plenty of people who believe you have to "know the game." You have to have "played the game." You have to have "coached the game." You have to be able to break down tape. You have to know schemes and plays and clear eyes and full hearts and can't lose and oh who the heck knows what else.
All of that is nonsense. None of those things matter on a selection committee.
The problem is no one has properly and effectively articulated what the selection committee's job is, what its goal is or what the people on it will be asked to do to come to their conclusions.
Adding to the problem is that the selection committee thus far appears to be a blatant attempt to appease all the various factions of the sport. This looks like something out of Washington, appointments made mostly for what they represent. The BCS was always a naked political operation – all graft and gifts. Nothing's changed here.
Rice clearly brings a huge name and diversity. Archie Manning is an unassailable and famed former player. Steve Wieberg, a former sportswriter, is a way to placate the media. Five athletic directors offer accountability and access to the administrators who run things.
All of them are good people, honest people and people who are more than capable of doing the job of picking four football teams – it's not rocket science. That said, this is obvious pandering that undermines the group's credibility. The group would be better off with just college administrators, the way the NCAA selection committees operate.
It further becomes an issue when the committee's job is left open to individual interpretation rather than being clearly and repeatedly defined.
Here's what the playoff people should be doing – or should have been doing for months now. It needs to explain over and over and over that the selection committee's job is not to analyze the strength and weakness of each team's on-field schemes, let alone extrapolate out predictions on who would win head-to-head matchups. To do that would be folly and set the playoff committee up for unrelenting – and deserved – criticism. How the heck do you predict victory or defeat? How could anyone? One person may like defense over offense and pick a defensive team. And that would be completely invalid. Predictions are pointless and worthless. Always.
The truth is, and this needs to be pounded home and pounded home and pounded home, no matter how uncomfortable the initial grumbling and confused thinking of the Hand-in-the-Dirt brigade, you really don't need to know anything about football to select the field for a playoff.
The process should be about analyzing and weighing résumés (the most factual evidence available) and not predicting results (the most speculative exercise possible). To pretend otherwise is ridiculous.
Teams should get into the playoff based on what they've done, not what someone might think they will do. You could argue leaving it to a group such as the Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which sets the early betting lines at most casinos, would be effective – and they'd certainly be the best judges – but that still would be based on belief, not accomplishment. Vegas is wrong all the time.
The committee will be wrong also, but the only way this process has any credibility is if it is based on looking backward not predicting forward. You lay all the tangible data out there and make a call. There will always be hurt feelings, but at least the process has some core value to it.
All of the NCAA's various selection committees operate thusly and the NCAA itself has done a tremendous job making the process clear to everyone. It's about winning games, strength of schedule, etc.
The NCAA itself doesn't have anything to do with the playoff and the playoff people haven't done much to explain themselves.
The committee would be fine if it was made up solely of quantitative mathematicians, some professors of logic or problem solving, basically people who are experts – or at least open – to analyzing teams of close accomplishment who unfortunately played disparate schedules. If they know what a first down is, great. It's not a requirement though. It really isn't. You could do blind résumés which don't even name the team and it would work.
It's long been proven that the people who run college football aren't much for the college part – book lernin' – but those skills are a heck of a lot more important than, as Dye claimed, knowing "what it's like out there when you can't get your breath and it's 110 degrees and the coach asks you to go some more."
That's just idiotic. That has nothing to do with anything. To even pretend he has a point is embarrassing.
Look, there's no good way to select four teams out of 125, especially when they play such disparate schedules. This is the best option available and far, far better than the BCS's use of computers and polls that spit in the face of science and math and were only employed because it effectively spread the blame around … don't scream at me, it's those dang computers.
There's nothing wrong with the current makeup of the selection committee. The group will do fine.
The problem is no one is explaining that this is essentially a math or logic equation, not an X and O breakdown. It takes some courage and repetition to break through to the Pat Dye mindset, but it has to be done, because there are plenty out there who agree with him.
If it's not done, then the playoff people are setting their own selection committee up to get unnecessarily and unfairly blasted.
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!
By Ives Galarcep
It was a weekend to forget for the contingent of Americans playing in top foreign leagues across the globe.
If you were looking for some bright spots heading into the international break, there weren’t many, as Americans from England to Mexico endured forgettable outings.
Jozy Altidore’s frustrations with winless Sunderland continued. The U.S. national team forward went goal-less again despite a strong showing in the first half in a match that saw him receive plenty of abuse from Manchester United’s defense and little service from the Sunderland midfield.
Tim Howard saw Everton’s unbeaten record erased at the hands of Manchester City, with the American goalkeeper being charged with an own goal in the Toffees’ 3-1 loss on Saturday.
Jermaine Jones’ unsettled situation at Schalke 04 remains cloudy as he followed up his forgettable outing against Hoffenheim last week by not even being in uniform for Schalke’s 4-1 win vs. Augsburg on Saturday. He joined Michael Parkhurst as a spectator, with Parkhurst continuing his exile on the sidelines at Augsburg.
Several other players taking part in the upcoming U.S. national team World Cup qualifying training camp suffered defeats, including Sacha Kljestan’s Anderlecht, Geoff Cameron’s Stoke City, Michael Orozco and DaMarcus Beasley’s Puebla and Aron Johannsson’s AZ Alkmaar.
One team featuring Americans that did win was Club Tijuana, but even the Xolos’ 1-0 victory versus Queretaro came with some drama. While Greg Garza and Edgar Castillo started for Club Tijuana, Joe Corona failed to come off the bench, raising more questions about his future with the club. On the bright side, both Herculez Gomez and Paul Arriola came on as subs for the Xolos.
One of the few bright spots for Americans was the continued steady play of Eric Lichaj at Nottingham Forest. He earned another start at right back and helped Forest post a 3-1 victory against Brighton and Hove Albion to move into fourth place in the League Championship.
Tim Ream earned another start for Bolton, helping the Trotters to a 2-1 victory vs. Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City on Saturday.
The list of injured Americans Abroad grew by one, with Fabian Johnson sidelined with an ankle injury that forced him to miss Hoffenheim’s 2-2 tie vs. Mainz 05 on Saturday. He was joined on the injured list by Michael Bradley, John Brooks, Steve Cherundolo and Danny Williams, who all missed their teams’ matches.
Alejandro Bedoya’s run of starts for French First Division side Nantes came to an abrupt end on Saturday after Bedoya came down with an illness. Nantes still managed to post a 3-0 victory against Evian Thonon Gaillar on Saturday, a win that moved the club into fifth place in Ligue 1, just one point out of third place.
Perhaps the most forgettable performance of the weekend featuring an American came in Mexico, where Jose Torres drew a second yellow card and early exit from UANL Tigres’ 2-1 loss to Toluca.
Stop the Condoleezza Rice bashing; real problem is playoff committee's failure to clarify the process.
By Dan Wetzel
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (Right) speaks with Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, during the Par 3 competition at the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, April 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
College football's championship system wasn't so much a way to crown a champion as it was a way for bowl directors to maintain control of, and profit handsomely from, the lucrative postseason. They seized on the general disorganization and cronyism of college football and made bank. It was brilliant.
The new four-team playoff system starting in 2014 will be an improvement but what's stayed the same is the inability of the people operating the playoff – essentially the same people in charge of the BCS – from running directly into a public backlash that's mostly self-inflicted.
Over the past week the names of some of the people on the upcoming 12-to-18 member selection committee have been leaked. Already there is mass confusion, condemnation, bickering and even doddering old fool coaches making sexist remarks about the acumen of someone of the stature of Dr. Condoleezza Rice.
"All she knows about football is what somebody told her," Pat Dye, the former Auburn coach and athletic director told WJOX in Birmingham. "Or what she read in a book, or what she saw on television. To understand football, you've got to play with your hand in the dirt."
Dye has justifiably been roasted for his comments but he is echoing (clumsily) a common sentiment about the selection committee.
There are plenty of people who believe you have to "know the game." You have to have "played the game." You have to have "coached the game." You have to be able to break down tape. You have to know schemes and plays and clear eyes and full hearts and can't lose and oh who the heck knows what else.
All of that is nonsense. None of those things matter on a selection committee.
The problem is no one has properly and effectively articulated what the selection committee's job is, what its goal is or what the people on it will be asked to do to come to their conclusions.
Adding to the problem is that the selection committee thus far appears to be a blatant attempt to appease all the various factions of the sport. This looks like something out of Washington, appointments made mostly for what they represent. The BCS was always a naked political operation – all graft and gifts. Nothing's changed here.
Rice clearly brings a huge name and diversity. Archie Manning is an unassailable and famed former player. Steve Wieberg, a former sportswriter, is a way to placate the media. Five athletic directors offer accountability and access to the administrators who run things.
All of them are good people, honest people and people who are more than capable of doing the job of picking four football teams – it's not rocket science. That said, this is obvious pandering that undermines the group's credibility. The group would be better off with just college administrators, the way the NCAA selection committees operate.
It further becomes an issue when the committee's job is left open to individual interpretation rather than being clearly and repeatedly defined.
Here's what the playoff people should be doing – or should have been doing for months now. It needs to explain over and over and over that the selection committee's job is not to analyze the strength and weakness of each team's on-field schemes, let alone extrapolate out predictions on who would win head-to-head matchups. To do that would be folly and set the playoff committee up for unrelenting – and deserved – criticism. How the heck do you predict victory or defeat? How could anyone? One person may like defense over offense and pick a defensive team. And that would be completely invalid. Predictions are pointless and worthless. Always.
The truth is, and this needs to be pounded home and pounded home and pounded home, no matter how uncomfortable the initial grumbling and confused thinking of the Hand-in-the-Dirt brigade, you really don't need to know anything about football to select the field for a playoff.
The process should be about analyzing and weighing résumés (the most factual evidence available) and not predicting results (the most speculative exercise possible). To pretend otherwise is ridiculous.
Teams should get into the playoff based on what they've done, not what someone might think they will do. You could argue leaving it to a group such as the Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which sets the early betting lines at most casinos, would be effective – and they'd certainly be the best judges – but that still would be based on belief, not accomplishment. Vegas is wrong all the time.
The committee will be wrong also, but the only way this process has any credibility is if it is based on looking backward not predicting forward. You lay all the tangible data out there and make a call. There will always be hurt feelings, but at least the process has some core value to it.
All of the NCAA's various selection committees operate thusly and the NCAA itself has done a tremendous job making the process clear to everyone. It's about winning games, strength of schedule, etc.
The NCAA itself doesn't have anything to do with the playoff and the playoff people haven't done much to explain themselves.
The committee would be fine if it was made up solely of quantitative mathematicians, some professors of logic or problem solving, basically people who are experts – or at least open – to analyzing teams of close accomplishment who unfortunately played disparate schedules. If they know what a first down is, great. It's not a requirement though. It really isn't. You could do blind résumés which don't even name the team and it would work.
It's long been proven that the people who run college football aren't much for the college part – book lernin' – but those skills are a heck of a lot more important than, as Dye claimed, knowing "what it's like out there when you can't get your breath and it's 110 degrees and the coach asks you to go some more."
That's just idiotic. That has nothing to do with anything. To even pretend he has a point is embarrassing.
Look, there's no good way to select four teams out of 125, especially when they play such disparate schedules. This is the best option available and far, far better than the BCS's use of computers and polls that spit in the face of science and math and were only employed because it effectively spread the blame around … don't scream at me, it's those dang computers.
There's nothing wrong with the current makeup of the selection committee. The group will do fine.
The problem is no one is explaining that this is essentially a math or logic equation, not an X and O breakdown. It takes some courage and repetition to break through to the Pat Dye mindset, but it has to be done, because there are plenty out there who agree with him.
If it's not done, then the playoff people are setting their own selection committee up to get unnecessarily and unfairly blasted.
**********************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!
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