STILL THE KING

Enough already.

Enough about who will be the next “Michael Jordan” because there simply won’t be one.

Call me spoiled, but after watching the best basketball player of all-time, it’s hard to get excited about any young superstar that the NBA forces its fans to watch these days.

Albeit, the NBA has done a fantastic job of hyping so many players as “next,” they’ve been able to keep league-wide attendance high while marketing an entirely new stable of horses.

By creating many new stars for NBA fans to latch onto, the loss of “Air Jordan” hasn’t been nearly as bad as originally thought. But the truth needs to be told sooner or later, and the bottom line is that not a single player in today’s NBA is as good as Michael Jordan.

Every NBA fan, even the casual NBA fan, knows that Jordan averaged 31.5 points per game (ppg) after his second retirement in 1998. That average dipped to 30.1 ppg after to sub-par seasons with the Washington Wizards, but is still a NBA record.

It’s the statistics Jordan compiled in other areas of the game that put him in a completely different universe than today’s NBA stars.

As a rookie, Jordan averaged a mere 28.2 points per game to go along with 6.5 rebounds per game (rpg) and 5.9 assists per game (apg). Two years later, he averaged—averaged—37.1 ppg. Are you kidding me? The leading scorer in the NBA usually struggles to average 30.

For those who think Jordan was nothing more than a ball hog, think again. Jordan averaged 5.3 assists per game throughout his career to go along with his 6.2 rebounds every night. Scottie Pippen aside, there is a reason that teams consisting of Bill Cartwright, Luc Longley, Bobby Hansen, Bill Wennington, Jud Buchler, Dickey Simpkins and Craig Hodges tasted such success.

The laundry list of names you’ve never heard of is much longer and there’s a reason none of the players tasted such success wearing anything other than a Chicago Bulls uniform. Horace Grant came close with the mid-90’s Orlando Magic and finally won another championship with the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers, but didn’t play a major role. Steve Kerr also received another championship ring with the 1999 San Antonio Spurs while averaging just over eight minutes a game.

What truly set Jordan apart from the frauds around the league right now were his defensive attributes. As a 6-foot-6-inch guard, he averaged .83 blocks per game in his career as well as 2.35 steals each game. Jordan was named to nine all-defensive first teams and was the 1988 defensive player of the year when he averaged 3.16 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
The usual suspects that the public was told would make them forget about Jordan began with Kobe Bryant and currently rest with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Bryant has had a fine career and is arguably the closest to reaching Jordan’s level. He is already halfway to Jordan in terms of championships with three. Yet, Bryant had a little help in his championship runs in the form of Shaquille O’Neal. Centers are the most dominant forces in basketball and O’Neal might be the most dominating of them all. Bryant was merely a sidekick. In addition, Bryant has only had one season averaging 30 points a game, which was 2002-03 when he averaged exactly 30. Jordan had eight such seasons.

Where Bryant loses in the battle with Jordan is in the playoffs. During crunch time, when all athletes need to perform at their best, Bryant’s career averages remain remarkably similar to his regular season numbers. Meanwhile, Jordan’s statistics increased across the board to 33.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.

Bryant’s real test has just begun as he is trying to run the Lakers with the same system head coach Phil Jackson used with the Bulls. Bryant is scoring more (34.2 ppg) but dishing out fewer assists. Meanwhile, his team is limping along at 5-7 and will most likely miss the playoffs for the second straight season.

LeBron James came into the NBA as arguably the most hyped player in history and there is no doubting his talents. He had a terrific rookie season, though not as good as Jordan’s, averaging 20.9 points per game. James is slightly better in the rebounding and assist categories but it hasn’t paid off for the Cleveland Cavaliers just yet. In his third NBA season, James has yet to play beyond the 82-game mark. What’s even more staggering is that in a league lacking true centers, James has a legit man in the middle with 7-foot-3-inch Zydrunas Ilgauskas and still can’t find his way into the playoffs amidst a weak eastern conference. Comparison to Jordan can’t even legitimately begin until James leads his team deep into the postseason. When he does and when he earns his first championship ring then bring the debate to the table.

The player that reminds me the most of Jordan in today’s NBA world is ironically the player that doesn’t want the comparisons. Dwyane Wade is a proven leader with the talent to hit a midrange jumper and take the ball to the hole. He explodes at the basket like a young Jordan and has even shown glimpses of coming through in the clutch the way Jordan used to.

But Wade is also a smart basketball player; he grew up in Chicago and watched Jordan play during his entire childhood. He knows that nobody will ever be Jordan and he doesn’t want the added pressure. He simply wants to be D-Wade.

It’s unfair to ask anybody to be something they’re not and the fact of the matter is that nobody is Michael Jordan. Nobody will ever be Michael Jordan and that’s the bottom line.

If the NBA were smart, they’d run a weeklong special before the season begins each year. Like Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” it would be simply called “His Airness: a tribute to the best basketball player ever.” They could replay some of his best games; show highlight reels and documentaries about Jordan’s remarkable career.

Something must be done to inform the new generation of the player for all generations. But it’ll never happen, that would be essentially the same thing as sitting down Bryant, James, Wade and any other superstar that has drawn comparisons to Jordan and telling them, “You aren’t that good.”

Now, that’s the truth.

For complete statistics on Michael Jordan's career, visit http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_stats.html

SIMPLY THE BEST

I would have loved to provide a link to a national story on Brad Smith's record-setting career but I couldn't find one, which troubles me greatly. Has our society really been so brainwashed that all sports fans care about are the best teams, highlight-reel plays and controversial happenings in the world of sports?

I'm afraid so. I caught ESPN's highlights of Missouri's game against Baylor. They lasted for about 35 seconds and afterwards there was no special screen displaying the accomplishments of MU Quarterback Brad Smith. If ESPN was truly the worldwide leader in sports, a graphic including the following information would have been displayed:

* On Saturday, Nov. 5, during Mizzou's game at Colorado, Smith passed Indiana's Antwaan Randle-El as the all-time leading quarterback rusher in NCAA history as he finished that game with 3,907 yards.

* On Saturday, Nov. 12, during Mizzou's game against Baylor, Smith went on to set the following records:

✪ –In leading the Tigers to the 31-16 win, Smith became the first player in Division I-A history
to reach the 8,000-yard passing and 4,000-yard rushing threshold, as his 161 yards on the day
pushed his career rushing total to 4,068 yards (he has 8,269 passing yards after Saturday). He is
already the D-IA career record holder for rushing yards by a QB...

✪ – Smith also broke the Big 12 Conference career total offense record with his 233-yard day
(161 rush/72 passing), giving him 12,337 yards for his career. That broke the old record of 12,263
held by Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury (1999-2002). Smith now stands ranked No. 6 alltime on the
NCAA D-IA career total offense charts, and is 395 yards shy of moving to 4th place on the alltime
list...

✪ – Smith broke the MU career scoring record with his 3 TDs on the day, giving him 260
career points. That surpassed the old standard of 252 set by former TB Zack Abron (2000-03).
Smith also broke Abron’s career record for rushing TDs (Smith now has 41 – Abron had 40) and
he tied Abron’s career mark for total TDs scored, at 42...

Smith's storied career as the greatest offensive player in University of Missouri history saw its final home game on Saturday. After his knee grazed the Faurot Field turf to send the Tigers home with the win to make the team Bowl eligible, this journalist's eyes couldn't help but tear up. Between crying for the White Sox world series and now this, maybe I'm becoming too sentimental.

But Saturday marked the end of a once-in-a-lifetime career. Smith's accomplishments might never be broken, as the only legit way would be for a QB to take the reigns his freshman year and post consistently outstanding statistics for four straight seasons.

When I made my way to Mizzou in 2002, I had no expectations for MU football. It's never been a great program and there was no reason to get my hopes up. But, of course, the sports fan in me had to know what to expect. I knew about Justin Gage and Kirk Farmer and that was it. And then, something weird happened--the senior QB (Farmer) had lost his job to some freshman named Bradley Smith. I figured the program was just starting from scratch and shook my head in disappointment.

That all changed with his first game back on Aug. 31, 2002 when Smith lead an unranked Missouri team to a 33-20 win over Illinois at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. Smith accounted for 290 yards of total offense in his debut, but didn't find the end zone on this day, an act he'd make routine over the rest of his career.

His real coming out party came later that season when the Tigers hosted No. 1 Oklahoma and their No. 3-ranked defense. In his first chance to shine in the spotlight, Smith rushed for 213 yards and accounted for three TD's as MU nearly defeated the Sooners. His coming out party earned him some high praise.

"Brad Smith, just an incredible performance," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "He really was exceptional in his play and what he did tonight. As a team and as a head coach, I feel very fortunate - lucky - to have been able to have fought through this and won."

Smith would go onto be named to the Freshman All-American team and set the stage for an outstanding sophomore campaign in which he would lead the Tigers to an appearance in the Independence Bowl. He would accomplish two more outstanding feats during the 2003 season.

First, Smith lead the Tigers to their first victory over Nebraska in 24 years with a 41-24 win on Oct. 11. Smith's 4 touchdowns made this Saturday night one which Mizzou fans and alum will never forget.

Smith wasn't done there though. Two weeks later on Oct. 25, Smith would set the NCAA D-IA record for rushing yards in a game with 291 yards and 5 TD's in a 62-31 Tigers' bashing of the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Smith's junior and senior seasons haven't been filled with as many memorable moments, largely due to the stupidity of the MU coaching staff. Nonetheless, Smith has given MU fans enough memorable moments to last a lifetime. I, for one, can take pride in knowing that I saw roughly 98% of Smith's current 4,068 yards on the ground and I made it a point to be in attendance as he broke the QB rushing record in Boulder.

I'm left wondering why more Missouri fans wouldn't show at Faurot on Saturday to send Smith out with the standing ovation he so rightfully deserved. Through all the problems with the coaching staff and the talent that surrounded Smith during his time at MU, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that Smith gave 110% on each and every play.

For all of Smith's playing accomplishments, he might have been better off the field. He is the most down-to-earth, genuinely nice and caring athlete I have ever spoken with and that list includes some amazing names (if you want a list, I'll gladly provide one upon request). Smith is a genuine role model and is the posterboy for everything that we wish more athletes would be like today.

Smith made a modest victory lap after the field began to clear on Saturday, high-fiving the roughly 200 fans who cared enough to give Smith a fond farewell. As I watched him walk back into the Missouri locker room for the final time, I couldn't help but wish that Faurot Field isn't the last place he calls home.

His future in football is a giant question mark. He lacks the throwing ability to play QB at the next level and his draft stock will strictly depend on how teams view him as an overall athlete as they will undoubtably try to convert him to a wide receiver.

That's all too far into the future. It's important that time is taken to reflect on a truly remarkable career. It's unfortunate that not many people outside of Columbia know about "Sweet 16" BD. SMITH. But that's okay, it's just the way he would want it.

Brad-- I thank you for everything you gave on the field, for the outstanding memories you've provided everyone wearing black and gold on Saturday's and most importantly, for being a complete class act when so many others choose to be whatevr the opposite of that is called. You will be missed but your legacy to Missouri, the Big 12 and even the NCAA will never be forgotten.

Congratulations Mr. Palmeiro, you won't be spending any amount of time behind bars, serving as a lover to some oversized man that other inmates affectionately refer to as "The Tank."

Now get up, walk away and disappear. Go spend the rest of your life with your wife and kids in one of your mansions and leave the sports society alone. Don't try to come back and embarrass yourself and America's pastime. Nobody wants you stepping into the batter's box anymore.

You successfully managed to cheat yourself, major league baseball and its traditions, your teams and most importantly-- your fans.

The problem with steroids being used by major leaguers isn't what it could do to their bodies and their health later on in life. Already, Ken Caminiti, a former All-Star, died due to the suspected effects of steroids. Forgive baseball fans outside of Houston and San Diego for not shedding a tear. Why should anyone have sympathy or compassion for grown men who are well aware of the risks that come along with injecting their bodies with performance enhancing drugs.

The problem is much, much bigger than that. It's about the damage that using steroids does to the mental psyche of the baseball fan. Growing up, children and their father's watch baseball because they admire how easy the players can make it look to hit a ball 400 feet. Their talent and level of hand-eye coordination makes them elite.

But once steroids is found to have been involved, the player's career dies faster than the goldfish a child wins at the local carnival. It's completely possible that this was the first--and only-- time Palmeiro took steroids, but nobody will ever know. And after he sat before congress and waved his finger in defiance towards the notion that he had taken them, why should we ever believe him?

Growing up playing baseball for the first 16 years of my life, I admired baseball players for different reasons. Palmeiro was no exception. On a wall of my room, I have a collage of photos detailing the batting stances and swings of different players. Palmeiro was front and center as I regarded him to have the most pure and sweet swing in the league.

The man was a live textbook of the fundamental baseball swing. His head stayed firmly planted on the ball throughout the entire swing, the balance in his legs was uncanny and oh, that swing-- that swing was so fast, so pure, so effortless-- no wonder why opposing pitchers would shake in fear when he'd step to the plate. That swing allowed him to be one of the most consistent hitters of the era and a rare member of the 3,000 hit-500 homerun club.

It's entirely possible that Palmeiro is telling the truth now. That he only took them once. Heck, it would even make perfect sense for a 41-year-old to try something so drastic just to continue playing the game he loves. Then again, it's entirely possible that he had been taking them throughout his entire career and that the steroids made the difference between having 469 career HR's (he has 569) and 685 doubles (he has 585).

We'll never know if Palmeiro took steroids just once and we'll never know what kind of role they played in turning him into an All-Star for over a decade. But it never should have come to this--mostly for his fans and the people who paid their hard earned money to watch him play.

Years of following a player's career and having nothing but respect were washed away the second the needle broke the skin and for all parties involved it's just a damn shame. I wish Palmeiro the best in the rest of his life, but again I beg of him, don't return to the baseball diamonds you have disgraced and don't hit anymore homeruns.

For each homerun you hit, Mr. Palmeiro, another innocent mind becomes a fan of yours. They pick up your jersey, want your autograph and collect your baseball cards. They just don't deserve the deep embedded pain in their heart that comes with being the fan of a steroid user.

TOP 10 LIST

Now that the White Sox are done putting my entire sports life on hold, it's time to play some catch up and hit a bunch of topics from around the world of sports:

10-- TERRELL OWENS WILL NOT PLAY FOR THE EAGLES AGAIN IN 2005: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2217740

I have been a big supporter of Owens since he began his NFL career in San Francisco, but it is getting increasingly harder to defend him. He's easily the best wide receiver in the game and therefore has a right to run his mouth to a certain extent. His track record clearly shows that he is capable of being the difference between a team that plays 16 games and one that goes into the playoffs. But, now his attitude is becoming more of a factor than his physical attributes.
With Eagles QB Donovan McNabb needing surgery at some point, the Eagles season is in jeopardy. Instead of continuing the ongoing Owens soap opera they made a wise decision and will demand major value in a potential trade before the end of this season or during the offseason. If Owens can learn from his stupidity and take his arrogance level down a notch he will still be highly beneficial to many NFL teams such as the Baltimore Ravens or Atlanta Falcons.

9-- NBA RETURNS: http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-2005nba_eastpreview,1,6301106.story?coll=cs-bulls-utility........ http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-2005nba_westpreview,1,5898710.story?coll=cs-bulls-utility (LINKS TO EASTERN AND WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEWS)

The NBA is a week into the 2005-06 season and it's good to have basketball back. The Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs are the favorites in each conference as they should be. Both rosters are sick as the Heat added Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, Gary Payton, James Posey and rookie Wayne Simien to compement Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. Meanwhile, the Spurs kept their championship roster intact and added Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel to strengthen their bench.
As good as LeBron James is, the best player in the league is Wade. He plays the game the way Michael Jordan used to. He has a great work ethic, and displays class off the court. His midrange jumper is as good as it gets and he explodes at the rim unlike any other player in the game right now. But what seperates Wade is his ability to make everyone around him better and his defensive intensity. On another side note, the New York Knicks will not be much improved with Larry Brown as their head coach. Every great coach has had great talent; Red Auerbach had Bill Russell, Phil Jackson had Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen plus Shaq and Kobe Bryant. The Knicks group of Quentin Richardson, Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford don't exectly strike fear into the hearts of their opponents.

8-- BASEBALL HOT STOVE SEASON IS UNDERWAY: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/scorecard/11/08/truth.rumors.mlb/index.html

Some people actually enjoy this time of baseball more than the regular season. Trade rumors and discussions of free agent signings are wild as fans are hopeful that their team's big move could make them the last team standing in October. The biggest rumor thus far involves Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez. He has asked for a trade and GM Theo Epstein is no longer with the organization meaning that "Manny being Manny" could land him in another uniform.
White Sox first basemen Paul Konerko has rocketed to the top of many team's wishlist. It is believed by many that he will stay on the south side. But if the Angels, BoSox or Dodgers come in with a Carlos Beltran-type offer he could be gone. No fears though, GM Ken Williams has many alternate plans in mind. Those include resigning a healthy Frank Thomas, exploring options with Yankees left fielder Hideki Matsui (who wants to join Tadahito Iguchi) and making a run at an intriguing hitter such as Alfonso Soriano or Carlos Delgado should Konerko depart. Either way, the Sox should be poised to potentially repeat as their starting rotation and bullpen are locked into place for the forseeable future which includes next season.

7-- MISSOURI BASKETBALL SET FOR SECOND SEASON AT MIZZOU ARENA: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/ncaa/specials/preview/2005/teams/missouri.html

Missouri basketball, which used to bring high expectations into each season, is upon us again. But the expectations are gone. That's what happens when a program fails to win even a single NIT game in 2 years. Especially after carrying a top-5 preseason ranking into one of those seasons.
The Tigers have a plethora of talented wings including the inconsistent Thomas Gardner and unproven Marshall Brown. Jason Horton now has a season of work under his belt and should be much more capable of leading the attack. However, these Tigers are thin inside. Kevin Young and Kalen Grimes are both extremely raw talents and can't be counted on for much at the offensive end. Freshman Leo Lyons can put the ball in the hole, but much like Linas Kleiza, prefers to put the ball on the floor as opposed to playing with his back to the basket. The real key is the play of Jimmy McKinney. McKinney is in danger of being regarded as one of the most disappointing players every to wear a Mizzou uniform. While he showes flashes of offensive brillaince, he often times looks like a player on a playstation game after a wrong button is pushed on the control. If he can finally follow through on the expectations he came here with, the Tigers might not be as bad as most think.

6-- NHL IS BACK, BUT DOES ANYONE NOTICE? http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?id=2212618

For true hockey fans, the new NHL is a great thing to watch. The scoring is back, the highly skilled players are showing their immense amount of talent and the game is entertaining. However, too many penalties and goals are making scoring too easy. Pucks are going into the net at such a high rate, it sometimes forces you to take a second glance and make sure their is actually a goalie in between the pipes. The scoring will most likely drop as the season goes on, as teams adjust to the new rules and defenseman get back into playing shape.
The biggest bright spot is the play of 18-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Sidney Crosby. In his first 15 games he has scored 5 goals to go along with 14 assists. The kid has the talent and the smarts to be one of the best of all time and as the NHL gets back into the national consciousness, he has the potential to be "King Crosby."

5-- NFL STANDINGS REFLECT SURREAL BALANCE: http://www.nfl.com/standings

If there was any doubt before, there shouldn't be anymore. The NFL is by far the sports league with the most balance as reflected by the standings. First of all, the Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks all lead their divisions. As do the reigning Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots with a 4-4 record. So far, the Indianapolis Colts appear to be the best team with an 8-0 record. But with many teams just two games worse, the trophy with the silver football can go to any team early in 2006.

4-- STEROIDS... AGAIN: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2217361

For those sick of reading about steroids in professional sports, specifically baseball, sorry. This is a major topic that is not just going to go away. Numerous reports, books and suspended players are going to pop-up as the topic gets hotter as every week goes by.
It's easy to see what took place during the middle and late 90's. After the strike in 1994, baseball needed its fans back. The easiest way was to hit more homeruns, MLB's version of an 80-yard touchdown. Comissioner Bud Selig, as well as many players, coaches and general managers slid all the evidence under a rug and ignored it until it was impossible to do so anymore. It benefitted the game, the revenue and the performance and nobody seemed to care. Hopefully, it will also benefit the future of the sport as attention turns back toward playing the game the way it was meant to be played: good pitching, good fielding, timely hitting and good baserunining.
At the same time, I can only hope that the media punished those who cheated by not voting them into the Hall of Fame. If the 1919 Black Sox can get banned for cheating, why shouldn't any player who has cheated by taking steroids? It won't matter if you ban Rafael Palmeiro or Mark McGwire as their careers are over. But holding them out of Cooperstown would open the eyes of the entire country.

3-- THE SPORTING NEWS NAMES INDIANS GM MARK SHAPIRO EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

Are you kidding me? Is that a complete joke? You see, there's this man sitting in Chicago right now named Ken Williams. The same man who brought in 11 new players this season and won a World Series. The same man who lost Carlos Lee, Magglio Ordonez and then Frank Thomas (due to injury) and replaced them with castoffs (players that other teams didn't want in case your vocabulary is short).

This is the same man who brought in Jose Contreras (for Esteban Loaiza)... Juan Uribe (for Aaron Miles, and I don't mean the former Jayhawk PG either).... held onto Neal Cotts.... signed Bobby Jenks when no one else would... Took a shot on Orlando Hernandez, AJ Pierzynski, the oft-injured Jermaine Dye, a player he'd only seen on video (Tadahito Iguchi) and acquired Freddy Garcia as well as World Series hero Geoff Blum...

But that's okay.... KW is sitting somewhere right now laughing at TSN and its sports writers as he holds the only award that really matters, the 2005 World Series trophy. Hopefully when Williams reads the magazine he quickly uses it to replace the toilet paper in his bathroom.

There's a reason nobody reads TSN, and maybe it's because their so-called "experts" really have no clue what they're talking about, maybe they didn't know the following stats:

The White Sox won the World Series and the Indians didn't make the playoffs... The White Sox went 7-0 at Jacobs Field in the second half and by completeing a 3-game sweep during the last weekend of the season, single-handedly eliminated the Indians from playoff contention.... The White Sox bench, comprised of players Williams has either drafted or acquired in trades, beat the Indians during the series.... Most importantly, THE INDIANS WERE NEVER IN FIRST PLACE AT ANY TIME DURING THE REGULAR SEASON!

And one more thing: In the same time that Shapiro has had the job in Cleveland, Kenny Williams' White Sox teams have finished ahead of them EVERY SEASON... Shapiro couldn't hold Williams' jockstrap.

2-- MISSOURI FALLS TO COLORADO WITH BIG 12 NORTH TITLE ON THE LINE: http://mutigers.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/110505aaa.html

First and foremost, congratulations to Brad Smith for becoming the All-Time leading rusher for a QB in NCAA history. His 3,907 rushing yards leave him just 93 shy of becoming the only QB in NCAA history to throw for over 8,000 and rush for over 4,000 yards in a career.
There's the positive, now for the negative. The Tigers have talent, no doubt. So what is really their problem? Two words: Gary Pinkel and his coaching staff. Their offense isn't working and hasn't for 2 weeks now. They just played one of the worst pass defenses in all of college football and managed a repulsive 217 yards.
I'm sick of seeing Pinkel get outcoached. Gary Barnett embarassed Pinkel Saturday and for three straight years Mark Mangino has done the same at Kansas. Pinkel's complete unwillingness to make adjustments throughout the course of a game is nothing more than a stubborn coach afraid to admit that he's wrong. His play calling is abysmal and should Missouri be trailing at halftime, fans should just go home and continue their tailgating plans because Pinkel is incapable of making the proper adjustments to comeback as his 3-23 record when trailing at halftime while at Mizzou indicates.
There's so much more wrong with his scheming, I am afraid I'll run out of room with which to type. But if I see another screen pass go for 9 yards on first down and our cornerback continue to play 7 yards off the receiver I am going to throw something. Colorado did that to our defense all game and not a single adjustment was made, beggind the question as to whether or not our coaches are even watching the game? No matter how much time the coaches spend in meetings and during practice working on plays, they are judged by the product on the field during each game and that product stinks.
Athletic director Mike Alden made a big mistake by giving Pinkel a 5-year contract extension in 2003. It would be a bigger mistake not to fire him when this season is over. And if simply making some crap bowl game is good enough to keep him around, it is a significant sign that the MU football program will NEVER be among the elite in the country.

1-- GARY BARNETT STILL ROAMS THE SIDELINES IN BOULDER

Finally, something really got underneath my skin as I sat in the stands in Boulder, Colorado on Saturday. Directly across the field I could see Gary Barnett with his visor and headset on watching his team win the Big 12 North title. I couldn't help but wonder how this man is still allowed to coach a team when he should really be behind bars.
Is our society that messed up that success in sports means it's okay for women to be raped? I understand Barnett didn't have anything to do with the sex parties or rapings, he wasn't even there. However, they are his players and the parties took place under his watch. He is the head coach and the leader of that program and should be held accountable for what happens. A zoo is required to have staff to control their animals, I find myself wondering why Barnett wasn't required to control his animals as well? All I know is that the longer he sports the CU and is leading the Buffaloes, the less respect I have for an otherwise beautiful and classy institution. The women that were raped need some form or justice and watching that coach and his animals take the field every Saturday is a travesty to the NCAA, the University of Colorado, sports as a whole and even our country.