I’ve lived in Columbus, Ohio for over two years and never went to a Blue Jackets game. There are a few reasons for this, but mostly it is because I didn’t want to pay to watch the home team get trounced on a nightly basis. I’m a casual hockey fan and have been a free agent, but no team has really caught my eye. I’m originally from northern Indiana and there are no teams in the state and the Blackhawks have been bad for most of my life. I think I have finally found my team, the Columbus Blue Jackets.
I finally went to an NHL game last night, the Blue Jackets played the Dallas Stars. I had great tickets and saw the game from the 5th row. I never realized how tall most of the players are and the speed of the game. I have watched hundreds of games on television and I have found myself watching more the last few years, but my attention usually strays away after one period. I found myself in-tune to every play and didn’t want to leave my seat. Dallas ended up winning the game in a blowout, 7-3, but really the Blue Jackets played a horrible first period and pulled the rookie goalie, Steve Mason, in the middle of the first period. They ended up putting even more of a rookie in the game to see what he can do, it wasn’t too pretty.
The Blue Jackets are setting themselves up for a possible playoff spot. As of today, they are sitting in the 8th and final spot, but there are a few needs they need to address. They need a veteran goalie to backup Mason and to also provide a mentor for the young stud. Pascal Leclaire might be out for a long time and they need someone other than “Dubie,” the young, young goalie, for backup purposes.
Another need would be a defenseman that has been in the playoffs before and can handle top-tier forwards. They never really filled the void that Adam Foote’s depature left in the defense. Russell, a promising player, isn’t much of a defenseman, he can skate like a forward and should probably be a “4th line” forward, not a 1st or 2nd line defenseman.
Lastly, they need to trade for Doug Weight. There have been rumors that they have been inching close to a deal for about a month, but no new news lately. Adding a few veterans at each position may be needed for them to even make the playoffs and not get swept.
The Blue Jackets are a fun, young team and could be peaking over the next few years. The state of Ohio have never had a winning team and I believe if they start winning, the crowds will come out and support the team. The game that I went to last night was a sellout, if not really close to one. Columbus has one of the best stadiums in the NHL and the city needs to see a winner before this town can become as nuts about the Jackets as it is about Buckeye football. If the Jackets miss the playoffs this year, I’m positive that next year they will improve even more and could possibly contend for a spot near the top. Filatov, Voracek, Mason, and Brassard will all have a year under the belt and will improve enough to help Rick Nash and the Blue Jackets to become a contender in the NHL. It’s a bold statement, but if the Tampa Bay Rays can become a winner, why can’t the Blue Jackets?
I usually don’t write posts where I completely bash people, but I have to stand up for a guy who kept me company on many late nights. I don’t mean in any homo-erotic way at all. I have the weirdest sleeping schedule of anyone I know. I spend many late nights awake trying to sleep with little or no success. I found an FM talk radio station here in Columbus, OH, 103.9FM. About 6 months ago, I started listening to programming there on a very regular basis. I found that they had the Dan Patrick Show and also Fox Sports Radio programming. I mostly listened to late nights with JT The Brick on air from post-primetime to 2am and Ben Maller and the Third Shift crew from 2am-6am. I ended up listening to Ben Maller’s Third Shift program the most and I really enjoyed it.
I read today that Ben Maller and the rest of the Third Shift crew (Karen Kay, Vlad, and Bergie) were all fired on January 20th of this year. Maller is still employed by Fox, he is in charge of the rumors section at Foxsports.com/rumors. I was stunned, he was very brazen, but loyal to his return callers. I know the economy is bad and advertising is hard to come by, but Maller and the rest of the Third Shift crew made my sleepless nights tolerable.
I have called the show 3-4 times, using the nicknames of “Pacer Bob” and “Bobby The Temp.” He put me on the air every time I called, ’cause I have a “hot sports opinion.” I would tease him about Manny Ramirez and say that the Dodgers owner would build new youth parks instead of signing him.
Some of Maller’s antics included letting the audience vote on an NFL team that he root for in the upcoming season, letting the listener’s call in unscreened at times to give advice to a sports figure who was in trouble, and even sabotaging Bergie’s wikipedia page with false information once he realized that Bergie had a page. He would call listeners a “jackass” on a constant basis, but it was because many of the callers would be drunk or buzzed when they called in. It was truly a must-listen if you are up from 2am-6am EST.
I wish Ben Maller, Karen Kay, Vlad, and the loverboy, Bergie all the luck in the world and would like to thank them for many hours of entertainment. I hope to hear them “in the air, everywhere,” very soon.
I’ve been quite busy lately, not sure if “busy” is the right word. I guess you can say that I’ve been “uninspired” here of late. My friend Carlos and I had a discussion today and I believe he will be another voice of opinion here on America’s White Boy. He will be covering politics, tech, gaming, and random hilarious information. He will help diversify America’s White Boy by adding a Mexican-American voice.
The talks with Carlos is still in the early negotiations, we may have to include a signing bonus. A rumor is floating around that he hired Scott Boras, Drew Rosenhaus, and Jerry Maguire to lead the contract talks. I need some advice from Rod Tidwell, maybe he knows how to handle it better than me.
2008 was a great season for the NFL. The entire season was filled with drama and stayed competitive until the final week of the season. Some teams came from obscurity (Dolphins) and and some teams took a step back (Patriots). Here are the needs of all 16 AFC teams for the 2009 Off-Season. Let’s hope it’s very active and teams get what they need in the draft and free agency.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Offensive Line – “The Steel Curtain” was back on the defensive side of the ball, but the offensive line looked like tin foil. Big Ben needs to stay upright to stay healthy and lead this team.
Cleveland Browns – Defensive End – The Browns couldn’t get any pressure on the quarterback this season. They were decent on short yardage situations, but they gave up too many 3rd and long first downs.
Cincinnati Bengals – Cornerback – Teams lit up the Bengals secondary in 2008. Injuries plagued the team, but Ndukwe can’t be your best defender. They need to upgrade with more than one new face covering wideouts.
Baltimore Ravens – Wide Receiver – Baltimore took a step in the right direction last season by drafting Joe Flacco. He has a huge arm and can spread the field with long passes. They don’t have any deep threats on the team currently and it would even help their running game by signing an #1 receiver.
Indianapolis Colts – Defensive Tackle – This has been a need for the Colts for a few years. They have been taking their early draft picks on offense and taking fliers in the late rounds with DTs that don’t work out. They need to lighten the run-stopping load from Bob Sanders and get a large body to plug up running lanes.
Tennessee Titans – Wide Receiver – Whomever the quaterback is in Nashville next season, they need someone better than Justin Gage catching footballs. Bo Scaife is their best receiver and he’s a top-15 TE, at best.
Houston Texans – Defensive End – Mario Williams is a great pass rusher and they are very fortunate to take him over Reggie Bush and Vince Young. He is often double-teamed and they would could be a playoff team if they had a book-end pass rusher on the other side to help him out.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Defensive Tackle – In 2007, the Jaguars had one of the best defenses in the NFL. Marcus Stroud, left via free agency, and they Jaguars couldn’t stop the run. If Jacksonville is going to compete, they need a good defense. Their offense isn’t built to consistently score 30 points a game.
Miami Dolphins – Wide Receiver – Chad Pennington had a good season for the Dolphins. He deserves all the credit for their success. If you step back and realize Greg Camarillo was his #1 receiver for most of the year, it’s even more amazing.
Buffalo Bills – Quarterback – I’m not sold on Trent Edwards. I think he will be a decent quarterback eventually, but he needs more grooming. Dick Jauron has one more season in Buffalo and he needs to win or he’s out of there.
New England Patriots – Linebacker – Jerod Mayo will be a great linebacker for many years. Unfortunately for the Patriots, the rest of the linebacking corps has an average age of 38. If they sign a few linebackers and stay healthy, the Patriots will be back on top of the AFC East, if not the entire conference.
New York Jets – Quarterback – Brett Favre has a 10% chance he’ll be back and the Jets have to ask themselves if they even want him. Kellen Clemens is their next best option, but Matt Cassel could be a free agent and he could be a nice addition to open the new stadium.
Oakland Raiders – Offensive Line – After drafting many offensive linemen and none of them working out, Oakland has to get better fast. They spent a lot of money on JaMarcus Russell and he can’t live up to his potential if he is running for his life.
Kansas City Chiefs – Linebacker – I would have mentioned quarterback for Kansas City, but Tyler Thigpen started looking like Len Dawson the last half of the season. The Chiefs have to get better at linebacker to help their young defensive line out.
San Diego Chargers – Fullback – After letter Lorenzo Neal leave last off-season, the Chargers realized his worth during the 2008 season. L.T. didn’t look himself and needs a fullback to clear a path. If they sign a fullback, L.T. should go back to his normal numbers and scoring nearly 20 touchdowns a season.
Denver Broncos – Cornerback – Dre Bly and Champ Bailey looked good on paper, but when they are together on the field, it’s quite scary. The Bly/Bailey duo looked old when they faced better-than-average wideouts. If they get younger and faster at this position, it should help them out, but they clearly need much more help in a variety of areas.
In 2008, we didn’t have the one dominant team like we had last season. We did have a lot of good teams (Giants, Panthers, Eagles), but they still all had more than three losses each. Every team in the NFC has needs and this off-season will be full of free agent signings, trades, and drafting young talent. Here are all 16 NFC teams and their main need going into next season. I could write and entire post about the Lions needs, but I’ll spare everyone’s eyes and just list one.
Detroit Lions – Defensive End – I could go quarterback or every other position here, but they need to get to put pressure on the quarterback.
Chicago Bears – Wide Receiver – Devin Hester and Brandon Lloyd aren’t #1 or #2 WRs in the NFL.
Green Bay Packers – Cornerback – Their secondary is getting older and they need some youth to keep up with the speed of the WRs.
Minnesota Vikings – Cornerback – Their defensive line is one of the best in the NFL, unfortunately teams can pass all over them.
New York Giants – Wide Receiver – Plaxico Burress will not be back in 2009 and this team will not go far with Domenik Hixon as your #1 option.
Philadelphia Eagles – Wide Receiver – If Donovan McNabb comes back in 2009, remember how he played with T.O.? The Eagles need a legit #1 receiver to catch passes, not Reggie Brown or Kevin Curtis.
Dallas Cowboys – Offensive Line – Tony Romo was on his back after every snap the last four games of the season. If you protect Romo and give him time, he can help get this team to the playoffs.
Washington Redskins – Offensive Line – With Jim Zorn as the head coach, the Redskins will be a run-first offense. Clinton Portis will have a monster season if you give him some holes.
Carolina Panthers – Tight End – Jake Delhomme is stacked with every offensive tool but Tight End. If they work on a short passing game, the long ball will be there for Steve Smith.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Linebacker – Derrick Brooks is getting older and I’m not completely sold on Cato June. If they want to keep the Tampa 2 intact once Monte Kiffin leaves, they need to get better at Linebacker.
Atlanta Falcons – Cornerback – The Falcons have a nice defensive line and linebacker personnel, but lack an elite corner. They have to fill the void that DeAngelo Hall left, back when he was good.
New Orleans Saints – Safety – The Saints were passed on in every game this season. They need a good safety to help cover when their corners get beat.
Arizona Cardinals – Running Back – If Arizona had a decent running back, they wouldn’t have staggered into the playoffs. Tim Hightower and his sub-3.0 yards per attempt isn’t going to cut it in the desert.
San Francisco 49ers – Defensive End – With Mike Singletary as their coach, the 49ers need to take on the personality of the ’85 Bears. They don’t have anyone to put pressure on the quarterback. I hear Julius Peppers is a free agent, he would look good next to Patrick Willis.
Seattle Seahawks – Running Back – Matt Hasselbeck may only have a few more seasons left in him and he’ll do in this re-building period. A running back tandem of Maurice Morris and Julius Jones deserves an upgrade.
St. Louis Rams – Left Tackle – The Rams have to replace the spot Orlando Pace stood for many years. If there isn’t any left tackles in free agency, Alabama has a couple nice tackles that could be available with the St. Louis pick.
Ken Giffey Jr. has been a superstar since he was old enough to put on a uniform. He has done just about everything you can do in baseball, but the most important thing, win a championship. Griffey is currently a free agent and he doesn’t have many more years left to accomplish this goal. His trade to the Chicago White Sox late last season is an indication that he wants to play for a contender. The Chicago Cubs need a left-handed power bat, could Griffey Jr. be reunited with his old skipper in Seattle?
The Chicago Cubs haven’t made it a secret that they are in the market for a left-handed power bat to solidfy their line-up. The rumors suggest that Milton Bradley will be their guy, but Griffey would be a great addition to the Cubs. The outfield for the Cubs will be a rotation of Alfonso Soriano, Joey Gathright/Felix Pie, Kosuke Fukudome, Reed Johnson, and possibly, Bradley. Trade rumors have been circulating around Felix Pie the last two seasons and early returns say that they have lost interest in developing the prospect. By signing Joey Gathright to a contract, the Cubs sealed Pie’s fate. Chicago needs to add more defense to their squad and Soriano and Gathright aren’t great in that department. Fukudome has a cannon arm, but he batted below the Mendoza line doing down the stretch.
Ken Griffey Jr. is a cheap option for a secondary left-handed bat in the lineup. He can fill the role that Jim Edmonds played for them last season. He can spell the outfield and can give you an extra lefty to face a tough pitcher. He would also be a great pinch-hitting option off the bench. He can use him in situations where they could say Gathright for pinch-runner duties, something that they saved Ronny Ceceno for last season. He would give the younger players a role model in the clubhouse and he could possibly be signed for around $2-3 million.
Jim Hendry, the Cubs GM, has made some nice trades and signings over the past few seasons, but I think signing Ken Grffey Jr. would be a step in the right direction. Not only would Griffey be comfortable playing for Pinella, but he had some of his best seasons under him in Seattle. I understand that he was in his prime during that period of time, but he doesn’t have to play everyday and Pinella is smart enough to use him to best suit his skills.
The Chicago Cubs need to win the World Series this year and they need to add players that are hungry. Ken Griffey has played nearly 20 seasons and he is starving. Wrigley Field would be the best place for Junior, I know he has hit enough homers there against them in the past.
In between Christmas and the trade deadline in February, expect many NBA teams to jockey for position by making a few trades to improve their teams going down the stretch. A lot of contenders have some key players, and more importantly, expiring contracts, to dangle out there for the best deal. Who will make the trades and what players will go? Who will clear more cap-space for the 2010 free agency period? Here are the top eight expiring contracts likely to be traded before the deadline.
8. Ben Gordon – Chicago Bulls ($6,404,750) – Chicago could make a starting line-up filled with guards, and need front-court help. They have just a one-year qualifying offer and it will be hard to trade Gordon since he had what is the equivalent of a “no-trade clause,” since he would get Larry Bird rights at the end of this season. It will be hard to trade him, but I have a hard time believing that if Chicago lines up a trade that would put Gordon on a contender, that he would decline the trade.
7. Bobby Jackson – Sacramento Kings ($6,487,888) – The Sacramento Kings are off to one of their worst starts in the team’s history and looked like they have already packed it in. Their coach was already fired and appears to be playing for more ping-pong balls in the lottery. The Kings could move Jackson to clear cap space for 2010 and maybe get a draft pick in the process. He has been a deadline gem the last fe seasons and it seems like that could be the case again this season.
6. Andre Miller – Philadelphia 76ers ($10,333,334) – Philadelphia had high hopes coming into the 2008-09 season with a positive showing in the playoffs last year and the signing of Elton Brand. The season didn’t start off as they hoped and their coach was fired just a few weeks ago. The 76ers aren’t going to be players in the 2010 free agency bonanza, so if they move Miller, it would be a move to build for next year. Philadelphia would be looking for first round picks and maybe a young point guard, something similar to the Devin Harris/Jason Kidd trade last year.
5. Lamar Odom – Los Angeles Lakers ($14,148,596) – The Lakers could be looking to make a move if some other Western Conference teams start improving their rosters. Odom, who hasn’t played well in the playoffs, is now the Lakers sixth-man and looks like the most movable piece. Odom seems like he is content with his role with the team, but that could change with a more prominent 4th quarter role for Andrew Bynum. If Portland, New Orleans, or Boston make some moves, look for the Lakers to dump Odom to compete.
4. Eric Snow – Cleveland Cavaliers ($7,312,500) – Eric Snow is basically the Keith Van Horn of this season. He hasn’t played in a game this year, but with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, it could be worth dangling out there for teams looking to make a run at free agents this off-season (Carlos Boozer) or the coveted 2010 off-season. Snow’s contract isn’t Cleveland’s only expiring contract worth-noting as you will find out later.
3. Shawn Marion – Miami Heat ($17,610,000) – Miami has had its share of deadline trades and Marion’s move has been rumored since the end of last season. The Heat are currently floating around .500 and in the Eastern Conference its good enough to make the playoffs, but probably not get out of the first round. Marion is the biggest impact-players currently on the market and I’m positive that a deal will come across Pat Riley’s desk that will be too good to pass up. Shawn Marion will not be in South Beach by mid-February.
2. Wally Szczerbiak – Cleveland Cavaliers ($13,275,000) – It’s amazing that Wally Szczerbiak actually signed a contract where he is getting paid this kind of money, but worst contracts have been signed. He is still a great shooter and can put up 20 points on any given night, but Cleveland doesn’t need him and can use him to obtain a player to help them win a championship. Rumors of a possible deal with Milwaukee for Michael Redd could be where Szczerbiak lands. His contract is the ace up Cleveland’s sleeve, the other elite teams (Boston and L.A. Lakers) can make a trade and improve their club as much as the Cavaliers.
1. Raef Lafrentz – Portland Trailblazers ($12,722,500) – Once the apple of Mark Cuban’s eye, Lafrentz is relegated to the bench. His expiring contract could lead to a large power shift in the Western Conference. Portland is a young, explosive team and a trade of Lafrentz could land them some veteran leadership that they desperately need. A veteran point guard would be first on their list, someone to spell Rudy Fernandez and can maximize their offensive ability, since they have some great defenders in the low-post. If Portland can get a veteran or two in a trade, the Blazers instantly jumps up a few spots and could guarantee a spot in the playoffs.
The trade activity this season has only just begun. I think there will be more trades this season than in year’s past and will change the playoff landscape. I wonder if Keith Van Horn will make a comeback for some of this action?
Over the last few years, UFC has made the late-December pay-per-view into a must-see. This year’s effort, UFC 92, lived up to the hype. The matches were filled with surprises, redemption, and a certain fighter looking like he’s back. The Rashad Evans/Forrest Griffin main event was worth the buy, but fights like Mir/Nogueira and Jackson/Silva were main-event worthy as well.
The night started off with some nice under-card bouts. Patrick Berry defeated Dan Evenson pretty easy in the first round and Brad Blackburn had the crowd on his side against Ryo Chonan in a unanimous decision for Blackburn. The rest of the early under-card fights could have been mid-card bouts in any other pay-pre-view.
Matt Hamill, who has been on his game lately, faced Reese Andy. Hamill started out very aggressive, but looked like he hit a wall at the end of the first round. Andy took advantage of Hamill’s fatigue and landed some major blows toward the end of the round. After a short breather, Hamill regained his stamina and took the fight to the mat. Hamill took over and broke Andy’s guard and delivered a fury of punches to end the fight. This was a nice win to get Hamill’s career back on track after a loss to Rich Franklin back in September.
Antoni Hardonk faced Mike Wessel in the next match. This was Wessel’s first fight in the UFC and Hardonk has been in the UFC for a couple years. Hardonk took a loss to Frank Mir late last year and has strung up a few wins to get his confidence back up. Wessel started out the fight by out-wrestling Hardonk in the first round. Hardonk did connect with some nice knee shots, but it wasn’t until the second round until he took control of the fight. Wessel ran out of gas and couldn’t defend the barrage of fists he was being delivered. Hardonk won by TKO in the middle of the second round.
Dean Lister had his hands full with Yushin Okami. Okami has a nice resume, he has wins over Anderson Silva, Mick Swick, Evan Tanner. He took over this fight from the beginning and Lister looked lost for most of the fight. Okami won via unanimous decision, he looks like he could be a contender in the middleweight division.
Cheick Kongo, one of my sleeper picks to have a great 2009, faced a newcomer to UFC, Mostapha Al-Turk. This match pits a submission wrestler (Al-Turk) versus a tradition kickboxer (Kongo). Kongo has a long limbs and can really bother fighters who work best on the mat. The fight was marred with low blows by both fighters and a cat-an-mouse atmosphere, luckily it ended early. After a couple restarts, Kongo landed a couple punches that took out Al-Turk. At the end of the match, Al-Turk was bleeding all over the mat while Kongo finished him off with a seven-course meal of punches and elbows.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has had a tough year. He lost his title and had a mental breakdown that lead to an arrest. He faced Wanderlei Silva who he has lost to twice before and needed to win tonight to officially declare a comeback. There wasn’t any love lost between the guys, they didn’t touch gloves. Jackson looked like he wanted to get Silva on the ground, but he wasn’t able to get him down the traditional way. It took a hard left for Silva to hit the mat, but this time, he was out cold. It only took a little more than three minutes for Jackson to prove that he is back.
The interim Heavyweight title was being defended in the Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira/Frank Mir fight. Mir and Nogueira have both looked like monsters in the octagon and it was a perfect pairing of fighters. Mir has been around for awhile and looked really good in his last fight against Brock Lesner, while Nogueira hasn’t lost in the UFC. Mir dominated the fight and Nogueira couldn’t compete with him on any level. Mir took this fight into the middle of the second round until he finished Nogueira with some left hands to become the new champion.
The final fight of the night was hyped up to be the fight of the year. Forrest Griffin won the Light Heavyweight title from “Rampage” Jackson in July and Rashad Evans was the clear pick for his first title defense. Evans hasn’t lost a fight in his professional MMA career, with his only draw coming against Tito Ortiz. This was a nice fight from the start, with Griffin controlling the tempo of the fight. Over the first two round, Griffin contained Evans with controlled kicks and punches. It looked like Griffin was going to win this fight in the cards if it kept at this pace. The third round was when it went bad for Griffin. Evans took him down and thunderstorm of pain was delivered to Griffin. It looked like Griffin was actually knocked out well before the fight was stopped. It was amazing that the referee let the beating go on as long as it did. Evans won the Light Heavyweight title and it will be very difficult to get the title away from this elite fighter.
UFC 92 was one of the best pay-per-views in a few years. The Ortiz/Lidell pay-per-views two years ago could only top UFC 92, this is a high compliment. Wvans and Mir look like they are legit champions, while Jackson and Okami look like possible contenders. Dana White has done a great job with these pay-per-views and I can’t wait until the next one.
Since the year is winding down, we can look over the past year and put certain things in context. Some teams were supposed to have monumental years, but fell short. Some teams have better excuses for their lack of success. Injuries, arrests, or suspensions can lead to a team not fulfilling their potential, the following teams didn’t have any of those reasons for not living up to their hype by failing to win a championship.
6. 2008 New York Yankees – With a payroll of over $200 million dollars, this Yankess team was supposed to make the playoffs, if not win a championship. They were so cocky about their chances of have a good team, that they didn’t pull the trigger on a deal that would have landed them Johan Santana. The Minnesota Twins wanted either or both of the Yankees top pitching prospects, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes. The Yankees wanted to keep their young guns and it ended up hurting them in the end. Johan Santana had a Cy Young caliber season and the Kennedy/Hughes tandem struggled to stay in the Majors. The Yankees didn’t win the AL East and failed to win the Wild Card, making this the first season many of the Yankees players didn’t see a pitch in the post-season.
5. 2007-2008 NBA Western Conference – The Western Conference was the superior conference in the NBA last season. The Western Conference owned the Eastern Conference in head-to-head competition and looked like they would come out with the NBA Championship at season’s end. The only team that stood in their way was a team from Boston. The Lakers, Suns, Rockets, Hornets, Mavericks, San Antonio, and Utah had great seasons and looked like championship teams. After a long season of beating on each other, the Western Conference team that would make the Finals, had a long run. The Lakers finally won the Western Conference, but lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics. A few calls here and there would have changed the outcome, but the Western Conference definitely fell short of expectations in the end.
4. 2008 Detroit Tigers – With the move that brought Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Detroit Tigers and getting Edgar Renteria in another deal, Detroit was a lock for a World Series ring. The addition of Cabrera and Willis would have added to the depth of talent Detroit already had on their team. Magglio Ordonez, Ivan Rodriguez, Jason Verlander, and Gary Sheffield were already leaders on the team and could only perform better with the addition of more All-Stars. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out as expected in Motown. Verlander’s ERA rose to around 6.00, Renteria couldn’t handle AL pitching, and Willis ended up in A-ball and struggled with command. The Tigers ended the season under .500 and started blowing up the team by trading Rodriguez mid-season.
3. 2007-2008 UCLA Men’s Basketball – After making the Final Four in the two previous seasons, the UCLA Bruins had their eyes on an NCAA Championship. Darren Collison, Russell Westbrook, and Josh Shipp were all coming back and they would add top recruit, Kevin Love, to an already great team. UCLA coasted into the NCAA tournament with a top seed and made another Final Four. The other teams in the Final Four were some of the best teams in the country, but UCLA was the only team with players who had Final Four experience. UCLA lost in the National Semi-Final game to a much younger Memphis squad.
2. 2008 Chicago Cubs – The Chicago Cubs have a history of letting their fans down, but 2008 seemed different. They had the pitching and offense to finally end the curse and win a championship. The Cubs didn’t stand pat and even improved their team by adding Rich Harden in a deadline trade. They had a great season and won the NL Central in a close race. The finished the regular season with the best record in the National League and faced the NL West champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the first round of the playoffs. The Dodgers were red hot going into the post-season and beat the Cubs in three games. The Cubs pitching and lack of left-handed bats were too much to overcome. This may have been one of the most disappointing ends to a Cubs season since 1984.
1. 2007-2008 New England Patriots – The New England Patriots played like they had something to prove during the 2007-2008 season. They won every game during the regular season very easily. The Vegas odds makers even started to fall for the Patriots dominance by throwing up point spreads in the 20s, something usually only seen in college games. New England used their 16-0 momentum by winning both the divisional game and AFC championship game and punching their ticket to the Super Bowl. The NFC champion, the New York Giants, was a team that barely made the playoffs and had to win on the road three times to just make the Super Bowl. Even though the Giants nearly beat New England in the final game of the season, no one gave them a shot at winning the Super Bowl. New England had trouble with the Giants from the start of the game to the finish. The Giants defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, had the perfect gameplan, he blitzed Tom Brady and caused chaos for the New England offense. The New York Giants, thanks to an insane catch by David Tyree, ended up ruining the Patriots perfect season. 18-1 is usually as good as it gets in the NFL, but 19-0 was so close, but the Patriots couldn’t finish.