By Jason Branch
Jack ‘Bauer’ of All Sports

Even for the rugged man of steel who is Jack Bauer of Taking Back Sports, the 72 hours I endured last week were the kind of pure torture not even suffered by the real Jack Bauer of CTU. What happened to me last Saturday, Sunday and Monday must be illegal. It must be somewhere in the fine print of the Geneva Convention. United Nations of “Sports World,” where were you last weekend?

It was so bad, I wouldn’t wish my weekend even on USC fans, San Francisco Giants fans, or Dallas Cowboys fans, my sworn enemies of the Sports World. So here goes the recap, and I challenge everyone reading to top the pain I went through in such a short span of time.

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By Jason Branch
JACK “BAUER” OF ALL SPORTS

At this point, August 2009, it has been no mystery for a long time to many sports fans what the NCAA’s purpose really is. Puff Daddy said it best: “It’s All About the Benjamins.”

After a rather long hiatus through much of baseball season, Jack Bauer is back in wake of the NCAA’s announcement yesterday that the Memphis Tigers basketball team will be vacating its 38 wins and National Championship Game appearance from the 2007-08 season, and he is fuming.

(For the record, I am very much a fan of baseball, but watching one of the several fourth-rate reality shows is far more entertaining than watching the Padres, and I only get to see a handful of Dodgers games on TV, so that basically leaves everything else going in baseball to write about. But Dr. Sportsfan and the other fine writers of Taking Back Sports do such a good job of covering baseball that I kind of got lazy this summer.)

Nothing in sports gets me involved more in intelligent and heated conversations than the NCAA, a regime more corrupt and incompetent than Kim Jong Il’s North Korea. Jack will never miss a chance to strike blows at the NCAA, and the latest news out of  its fortress gives me the perfect opportunity to air it all out right here, right now!

So in case you missed it, the Memphis basketball team’s 2007-08 season doesn’t count because Derrick Rose (just come out with it, NCAA — everyone knows it’s him thanks to the swarming sports media) decided he didn’t feel like taking the SAT, so Rose had a stand-in take the SAT for him. This meant Rose was ineligible for NCAA sports and Memphis played the entire season with an ineligible player.

Note to Memphis athletic department: I know you have a ton of athletes you are responsible for, but it might not be a bad idea to make sure your prize recruits do all the necessary things to make sure they are eligible to play, including taking the SAT, a longtime staple of college admissions. Come on Memphis, even USC isn’t stupid enough to let that happen! (More on USC later.)

Besides Memphis fans, this news sickens no one more than myself, who watched in person my beloved UCLA team fall to Memphis in San Antonio at the Final Four, primarily due to the flawless play of Rose. But, Memphis did not win the national title, otherwise, based on the NCAA’s history of disciplinary action, this would be a non-story.

Historically the NCAA, especially in basketball but also football, avoids stripping universities of National Championships in major sports, but will  force teams to vacate wins in non-championship seasons. Let’s review:

Jerry Tarkanian’s battles with the NCAA are well known to many sports fans. Although he won money in settlements after he retired, it was not due to wrongful termination, but rather a violation of due process. UNLV broke several NCAA rules under Tark’s tenure, that is not disputed, but through the 1980s and 1990s UNLV was one of the NCAA’s flagship hoops programs and won a national title in 1990. Thus no punishment. Meanwhile, Tark’s previous school, Long Beach State, was sanctioned after he left and Fresno State, where Tark went after UNLV, was sanctioned following his retirement in 2002.

Tark hit the bull’s-eye when he alleged that the “NCAA was more willing to punish less-prominent schools than big-name schools.”

The story of Michigan basketball’s “Fab Five” is well documented (images of Chris Webber spring to everyone’s mind). Both of their Final Four seasons were vacated due to major NCAA infractions and the banners are locked away on the University of Michigan campus, forbidden to be displayed to the world.

Ohio State was forced to vacate its 1999  Final Four run due to the actions of former coach Jim O’Brien, although recently the NCAA reversed itself and Ohio State once again has that Final Four banner hanging in the rafters.

The O.J. Mayo saga at USC is still under investigation. USC has been caught up in multiple NCAA investigations recently, but expect Troy to suffer some sort of punishment for this incident at some point in the near future. (After all, it involves only USC basketball, not football.) Tim Floyd was forced to be the fall man and resign in hopes that the NCAA would back down from this. He couldn’t escape Los Angeles for Tucson fast enough. Too bad for him the University of Arizona suspected foul.

For those who are ambitious, feel free to research deeper into NCAA basketball and football, violations, and the pattern will hold-up: actual punishment for teams that did not win national titles, a bind eye turned towards teams that won national titles.

Now for football. (Being a UCLA grad I cannot resist, but everything that I say about USC is true and is intended to demonstrate two things: (1) the hypocrisy of the NCAA and (2) that its first priority is money and not the integrity of all college sports. Only small-time programs have to follow every rule to the letter.)

Currently, the NCAA is “investigating” the Reggie Bush issue of illegal benefits while at USC, along with violations at Florida State under Bobby Bowden.

First, Bowden. The NCAA is contemplating stripping FSU of all of its wins during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, which would affect Bowden’s chase — along with with Penn State’s Joe Paterno — for the most all-time wins by a Division I head coach. The latest report from ESPN on Thursday afternoon was that the NCAA is considering allowing a compromise that would strip the university of the wins, but not Bowden, keeping him one win shy of Paterno.

What the $@!&??????

Allow Jack to clear this up for you. Florida State went 7-6 in 2006 and in 2007 and was hardly a factor in the national championship picture. Florida State football has been on a steady decline this decade and right now is not a major player for the NCAA, other than the national interest in the battle between Bowden and Paterno. Simply stripping FSU football of 14 wins in a non-title season is not a big deal for the NCAA, but to knock Bowden back to 15 games behind Paterno is bad for business and hurts TV ratings and advertisers’ interest in games involving both schools.

“It’s All About the Benjamins.”

Now for USC, NCAA National Champions in 2004 and AP National Champions in 2003. The Bush controversy has dragged on for years. Simply put, by the NCAA’s own rules, if they formally rule Bush received illegal benefits in 2004, then he is an ineligible player and USC played with an ineligible player the entire 2004 season. That would mean the NCAA would at least have to strip USC of its national championship.

Bush received the benefits, everyone knows it. USC no longer associates with Bush and has continued to deny him sideline tickets, while O.J. Simpson was invited into the locker room for a pregame speech. I’m not passing judgment on Simpson, but the fact that USC welcomes Simpson with open arms while running from Bush is very telling.

The NCAA doesn’t want USC to lose its national championship for obvious reasons. There is no NFL team in Los Angeles and there hasn’t been since the 1994 season. Over the past 15 seasons, USC has become synonymous with football in Los Angeles. USC has had all the star power with Carson Palmer, Matt Leinhart, Bush, Rey Maualugua, etc. and has consistently been a factor on the national stage.

There is no major college football program in New York, which leaves Los Angeles as the largest market for NCAA football in the country. UCLA is not even close to USC’s rear-view mirror in terms of college football influence in Los Angeles, which leaves USC football as the only program that matters for the NCAA in its largest market, and in turn possibly the biggest revenue generator for the entire NCAA.

It would be sheer stupidity on the level of NHL Commish Gary Bettman for the NCAA to drop the hammer on USC football for an obvious violation and risk losing millions of dollars. USC basketball, well that’s a different story, and provides the NCAA with the means to punish USC athletics without hurting its revenue darling, the USC football program.

While I personally feel it would be ridiculous for the NCAA to strip USC of a national title over the issue of Bush accepting illegal gifts, as opposed to much more serious issues like academics or substance abuse, rules are rules. Just ask any school in the NCAA that ever broke a rule and wasn’t fortunate enough to win a national championship that same season.

Before I depart, a special thanks to Mario Chalmers for giving us a moment sports fan will never forget, making that three pointer at the buzzer to send the 2008 National Championship into overtime. Without you, Memphis would have won it all and they would be “investigating” Memphis and Derrick Rose’s failure to take the SAT for decades, just like they are still “investigating” USC and Reggie Bush.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the NCAA! The same organization that claims to have a championship for football. Booya! (I couldn’t help myself, I can’t write an entire article about the NCAA without taking a jab at the BCS.)

By Jason Branch
JACK BAUER OF ALL SPORTS

Alexander Ovechkin. Sidney Crosby.

They’re the NHL’s two marquee players. And they hate each other.

Forty Percent.

That’s how many cable subscribers had the opportunity to watch these players and their respective teams do battle for seven games to win the right to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

As elementary math will tell you, Sixty Percent of cable subscribers do not get Versus, the primary carrier of the NHL playoffs this season and the previous three seasons. Have you wondered lately, or anytime in the past four years, what happened to hockey and why it isn’t on TV anymore?

Answer: Hockey never left TV, it’s just only on 40 percent of TVs with cable.

With all do respect to the probably great people who work over there, Versus is basically the Detroit Lions of cable channels. That’s bad news for hockey fans, and for sports fans across the board who will tune in to any sport come playoff time to watch a good, competitive series with the top players in a sport. I’m at best a casual hockey fan, but having more free time then I’d like, I’ve been tuning into Versus the past month to watch the NHL playoffs for the same reasons sports fans in general might tune in. A sport I do not care about whatsoever is soccer, but come World Cup time, I’ll watch, because it’s the World Cup, the premier event of a top sport featuring its best players.

Perhaps this season more than ever, the presence of the NHL Playoffs on Versus has proven to be a disaster to the sport. The reality is (take it from Jack, who has watched quite a bit of playoff hockey this season and has followed the sport over the years at least enough to talk intelligently about it) this year’s NHL playoffs have been awesome. Among the best ever probably (I defer to the other fine writers of Taking Back Sports to offer a more precise ranking of these playoffs in the historical realm). Even ESPN — which is second only to Gary Bettman in responsibility for you, the fan, missing playoff hockey — is giving the NHL a lot of airtime on it’s various programs. (Editor’s Note: Gary Bettman isn’t the only dim-witted commissioner out there.)

I’ve also been following the NBA playoffs very closely, as my loyal readers well know. And I must say, in spite of not getting Versus in HD on my top-of-the-line package with Cox Communications (if anyone who works for Cox is reading this, I mentioned the name of my cable service on purpose for a reason), I have enjoyed watching the NHL playoffs almost as much as the NBA playoffs. Allow me to briefly recap all of the great things that have happened so far in the NHL Playoffs:

Ovechkin leads the Capitals back from a 3-1 deficit against the Rangers to win in 7 in round one.

Bitter rivals, the Flyers and the Penguins met in round one. Pens won in six tough games.

The sixth-seeded Hurricanes knock off the No. 1 seed Bruins in seven games in round two after upsetting the Devils in round one in another seven-game series.

The No. 8 Ducks knock off the top-seeded Sharks in round one to meet the Red Wings in round two. This has become one of the great rivalries in hockey this decade, as the teams have won the last two Stanley Cups. The Wings outlasted the Ducks in 7.

“Sid the Kid” and Ovechkin square off in Round 2. The Pens score the minor upset (based on seeding), crushing the Caps in D.C. in Game 7.

Nothing gets sports fans more jacked up then the excitement of a Game 7  in any sport (maybe Phil Jackson isn’t a sports fan anymore). The NHL has already had five, and there are two more rounds of playoffs to go.

This year’s NBA playoffs had an all-time series between the Celtics and Bulls, as well as two other good ones in Boston-Orlando and L.A.-Houston. The Hawks and Heat also went seven games in round one, but that series was not that exciting and of little consequence because everyone knew the winner of that series would get smoked by LeBron and Co. — which is exactly what happened. That’s only four Game 7s (not that that is weak by any standards, but that’s less than the NHL this year).

The NHL playoffs also have storylines this year that are just as intriguing as the NBA playoffs’. For the first time in a long time, the NHL playoffs have been worth watching.  Unfortunately, many can’t because of Gary Bettman, the dimwitted commissioner of the NHL.

A figure familiar to many who’ve worked in an office environment, the Boss from Dilbert, is a striking comparison. Dilbert fans out there (including yours truly) know how incompetent, lousy, and mundane a manager the Boss is. For those non-Dilbert fans, we’re not looking at Al Davis stupid, we’re looking at worse! The Boss in Dilbert has no common sense, no ability, no talent, and in all of the years of the comic, has accomplished nothing and has made life miserable for everyone around him.

With that brief description, I introduce Bettman, the man who has ruined not only the NHL, but the entire sport of hockey (at least this country). After the lockout that cancelled the 2004-05 season, ESPN declined to renew its option to broadcast NHL games. Bettman then negotiated a deal that landed the NHL on … Versus? That’s the best you could do, Bettman, commissioner of a major sport? Worse, NBC got the rights to certain weekend and playoff games for FREE! Charge them something, Bettman, even if it’s just a nominal amount!

So this is why many of you reading may have in fact only seen a handful of NHL playoff games this postseason. Because the commissioner, in a desperation move to get games on the air after the lockout — which he caused by years of mismanagement of the league and ensuing losses — made a long-term deal with Versus in exchange for a few beans that haven’t grown into giant beanstalks.

Talk about a “master of panic.” With all due respect to Stan Van Gundy, who has lately been a shining representative of his Shaq-anointed title, Bettman was even more of one. Van Gundy has one more game to prevent ruining an entire team’s season by being a “master of panic,” but Bettman has ruined an entire league and it’s associated sport.

Did Bettman seriously think he could grow a disgruntled fan-base post-lockout by putting the NHL on a station few people get, let alone watch if they have it? Worse, the long-term survival of the sport in this country is in danger because of this move. Young kids aren’t watching hockey on Versus, so I can’t help but wonder: Will there be a next generation of hockey fans in this country?

Sadly, Bettman probably did think this. This is the same Bettman who actually thought the NHL could succeed in the state of Arizona. Let’s see how much longer until the Coyotes hail from Southern Ontario.

Bettman did not, nor did he have to, do anything to generate what has been a terrific postseason for the NHL at a time that the league – and the sport — need it more than ever in this country. The only problems are that Bettman has deprived viewers the opportunity to see the playoffs, and Bettman has done no marketing of the sport – even with two great young stars in Crosby and Ovechkin.

Speaking of marketing, the quote from the Boss in the comic sounds very familiar to something Bettman would say, if he even has a Director of Marketing …

By Jason Branch
JACK BAUER OF ALL SPORTS

“Are we embarrassed? No. We’re not embarrassed”- Phil Jackson after the Lakers’ Game 4 loss to the Rockets that evened the series at two games a piece.

“There’s nothing to worry about…”- Phil Jackson after the Lakers’ Game 6 loss to the Rockets to even the series at three games a piece.

Allow me to paraphrase the great John McEnroe, “You can’t be serious, Phil!”

Phil Jackson is a tough one to argue with when it comes to basketball. He has nine NBA Championship rings and has coached two of the best players to ever step on the hardwood in Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. And he is the Zen Master, after all. But showing absolutely no regard for the reality that if the Lakers lose another game before they win one, Jackson’s quest for a 10th ring is over for this season? That’s definitely something out of the Zen world.

Now of course all possibilities must be considered by any rational sports fan. Maybe Jackson is just putting on a show for the media and he’s a lot more emotional and nervous in the locker room? Maybe Jackson really is not worried about Game 7, as it is at the Staples Center and he expects his team to put out an effort much more like Game 5? It’s a possibility, given Jackson was proven right after Game 4.

Or just maybe it’s a combination of both?

And then there’s the Jack “Bauer” of All Sports theory – which I’ll admit is a bit of a reach, but heck, so was my victory amongst the Taking Back Sports writers in the NFL Draft Challenge despite only offering picks for the first two-thirds of the first round.

Here’s what I think is brewing behind the scenes … I think Phil Jackson wants to retire after this season having captured his 10th NBA title. Sound crazy? Hear me out.

First, Jackson is closing in on 64 years of age, so he is approaching that time in his career where he probably is starting to think about retirement — if he hasn’t already, given the turmoil during the divorce of Shaq and Kobe. Second, winning a 10th title will move him out of a tie with the great Red Auerbach for most NBA championships as a head coach.

The timing is certainly prime for Jackson to walk off into the sunset if the Lakers are the last team standing at the end of this postseason. Logic suggests Jackson should be concerned more than ever about missing out on this opportunity, yet he remains relaxed, at least in front of the media.

(The reality is that this is probably the Lakers’ last chance to win a title for a really long time. Kobe isn’t getting any younger. Derek Fisher has lost several steps and is on his last breaths as an NBA player after a brilliant 13-year career, during which he was the force of stability and consistency on the Lakers’ championship teams. The Nuggets are a young and talented team that already is playing better than the Lakers right now. And LeBron James is simply a beast and still getting better. He will win multiple titles.)

The biggest factor in the relaxed attitude is that Phil Jackson trusts his team will get the job done, which is always a positive for a head coach. Heck, Jackson has a lot of talent to work with, and he is a seasoned coach who has experienced about everything a basketball coach can. Thus, he is more relaxed and functional under pressure than other coaches, such as Stan Van Gundy, who has done a brilliant job of proving Shaq’s claim that he is a “Master of Panic.”

However, I think there are some other factors at play inside the mind of the Zen Master. Jackson’s manner suggests, at least to me, “‘Jack the Sportsfan,” that Jackson simply believes it, as in a championship this season, will happen because it should and it makes sense given what I’ve outlined.

Jackson is the Zen Master, after all. Yes, I know I’ve said that already, but it’s a very important point to my case, just like The Dude had to keep reminding Walter that “they’re gonna kill that poor woman.” (The Big Lebowski is a must-see movie if you are lost on this reference.) Perhaps he has tapped into his inner Zen and has mystical forces working on the side of the Lakers to make sure they win the title this year.

Yes, I know this seems like a reach and very much lacking in actual facts. But it makes sense, at least to me, and I hope it does to you, even if you disagree.

I can’t see any other logical explanation for it. It is almost like Jackson knows something we don’t. He seems like the most relaxed person in the Lakers Nation right now heading into Game 7 against a team that has caused the Lakers fits on both sides of the ball and shown much more desire to win the series. Not to mention what I believe to be a breakdown in coaching by Phil Jackson in Game 6 by not capitalizing on the Lakers’ superior size (like he did in Game 5), and by apparently not motivating his players to put forth any effort whatsoever.

But the Zen Master must know, or believe he knows, something we don’t and that the Lakers will accomplish the ultimate goal for this season. As a Lakers fan, I hope this is the case, and will be interested to see if Jackson calls it quits if they win it all this year. If he does, Jack gave it to you first.

For the record, if the Lakers don’t win this year, I don’t expect to see Jackson walk away this season. He has too much pride to leave the game, having come so close in consecutive seasons. He’d certainly stick around to try and see Andrew Bynum play a full season healthy with Kobe, Lamar Odom, and Pau Gasol, along with a young bench another year older.

By Jason Branch
JACK BAUER OF ALL SPORTS

54-54.

The 2008 Dodgers’ record prior to the Manny Ramirez trade on July 31, 2008.

30-24.

That was Dodgers’ record after the arrival of Manny Ramirez (not including the postseason).

The Los Angeles Dodgers without Ramirez were an average team in a below-average division last season. This season, the Dodgers are off to a major-league-best 21-8 record. Manny certainly has been a big part of that, and he will be dearly missed. As a Dodger fan and someone who frequented many games last season in Dodger Stadium (as well as Opening Day this year in Petco Park), the contrast in the energy and attendance before and after the arrival of Manny was incredible. He was an instant fan favorite and still is, even leading the Dodgers to designate two sections in left field as “Mannywood” this season.

Fans and the Dodgers’ front office are the biggest losers of Manny’s recent positive test for performance-enhancing drugs and subsequent 50-game suspension. Dodgers Stadium is likely to see a drop-off in attendance and overall energy in the crowd without Manny in the lineup, but the 2009 version of the Dodgers, even without Manny until July 3, will be fine.

Without Manny, the Dodgers this season will be the same story as last season, an average team with a great manager in a below-average division. The difference this season is that the Dodgers will begin their campaign without Manny with a six-game cushion, rather than playing the entire first two-thirds of the season two games out of first place, as they did in 2008.

Joe Torre, the manager-extraordinaire of the Dodgers (Hank Steinbrenner, if you’re reading right now, I know you agree with me. No disrespect to Joe Girardi, but he is not Torre.) will keep the Dodgers ship sailing even without Manny. He dealt with the vicious New York media for 12 seasons, the calamity that is the Yankees’ front office, the A-Rod situation, and the Roger Clemens situation. He will, as he has been able to the past 13 seasons as a major-league manager, find a way to keep the Dodgers  together despite lacking the goofy demeanor and reliable bat that made Manny a clubhouse favorite.

Even without Ramirez, the Dodgers still have a lineup that strikes fear in the heart of the opponents. The development of the Dodgers’ young core of batters — James Loney (.276 BA, 20 RBI), Matt Kemp (.275 BA, 17 RBI), and Andre Ethier (.317 BA, 27 RBI) — has picked up where it left off after the NLCS last season. No doubt, having Ramirez in the heart of the lineup boosted the production of everyone around him, but these other three young hitters are another year older, and with that comes more poise. I don’t expect to see a significant drop-off in their production.

And in front of Loney, Kemp, and Ethier is a platoon of Rafael Furcal, Orlando Hudson, and Juan Pierre occupying the top two slots in Torre’s lineup card. Whatever combination of these three it is on a given night, the Dodgers will have a top of the order as good as anyone’s in all of Major League Baseball. At this early point in the season, Hudson, not Ramirez, is the MVP of the Dodgers, if not all of baseball, batting .342 with 17 RBI, .964 OPS, and 23 runs out of the number two spot.

I haven’t even mentioned Russell Martin yet, an All Star the last two seasons, who is off to a meager .242 start but bound to improve, and the veteran Casey Blake, who will not bat .225 the entire season. Even without Manny in the lineup, this team has eight solid pieces of lumber that can carry the load and maintain a team batting average that right now is tops in the NL at .283.

The last, and possibly most important, reason why the Dodgers will survive until July 3 without Manny: The NL West BLOWS, period. Sure, it is still early in the 2009 season, but the division’s record (not including the Dodgers) is a dismal 50-62 . The San Francisco Giants currently sit in second place at 14-13, thanks to pitching sensation Tim Lincecum and an overachieving 35-year-old catcher named Bengie Molina. The Giants have improved the past couple of seasons, but this team is still far away from contending for the NL “Worst” crown.

In third place are the San Diego Padres at 13-16, and this record is inflated by the Padres overachieving early and starting the season 9-3. The Arizona Diamondbacks are better than their 12-17 start and are likely to be the only team to challenge the Dodgers this season, with or without Manny. As for the Rockies, well they are still the Rockies after the anomaly that was their 2007 NL Champion season (Editor’s Note: Those bastards!).

The reality is that the NL West has not improved as a whole over last season when 84 wins was enough to win the division. I do not intend to downplay the addition of Manny, which was a huge boost to the Dodgers’ team and fan base, and made all the difference for the Dodgers in the postseason. But in last year’s regular season, the Dodgers were only six games over .500 during their two months with him. The Dodgers won’t continue to reach a .724 winning percentage without him, but they will still win more than half of their games between now and July 3. The Dodgers were bound to cool off anyway, given their hot start and scrappy pitching staff, which has benefitted from pitching all but four games against the aforementioned NL “Worst.”

And for those who want to push the panic button and jump ship, I remind you, Manny will be back July 3 having only missed 50 games out of a 162-game season. By choosing not to appeal the positive test and suspension, Manny will be back 28 days before the day on which he arrived last season. He’s helped to get the Dodgers off to a 21-8 start and six games clear of the second place, and will be back in time help the Dodgers make the push for the playoffs into August and September, and … possibly October?

It will be a struggle for the Dodgers in the 50 games without Manny because the schedule gets tougher with games against the AL West, NL Central and NL East (not to mention that the Dodgers’ pitching is still suspect). But the rest of their division will play these teams also, and the Dodgers are still the best team in a lousy division.

On July 3, I expect the Dodgers to still be in first place in the NL West, with a record around 46-33. I predict they will still play .500 baseball without Manny, which is exactly what they did last season. I see this team as approximately equal to last year’s squad. The improvement in the young offensive core this season makes up for the pitching, which is inferior to the 2008 staff.

As for Bill Plaschke, the L.A. Times writer who said as a panelist during Around the Horn on Thursday afternoon that Manny should never return in a Dodgers uniform, Jack “Bauer” of All Sports has this to say to Plaschke:

Do you really think the Dodgers would not bring Manny back, considering the 21-8 record with him, Dodgers Stadium’s average of 42,815 fans per game thus far in this economy, and the time spent in the offseason by the front office to bring him back? Come on Bill, you sound like Woody Paige! Manny is beloved by Dodgers fans — and will still be when he returns to the lineup — and moves merchandise. The Dodgers can’t afford to not keep him, even if they were to consider it, and need him to take the next step this season, which would be reaching the World Series.

(Do I hear any support out there for a spot on Around the Horn?)

Chavez Ravine will be Mannywood once again on July 3, and expect the Dodgers to still be in first place in the NL West when that time comes.

By Jason Branch
JACK OF ALL SPORTS

Let’s see if I know Jack about mock drafts

I do not follow college football that much, nor much of the draft hype for that matter, but I of course will be watching Saturday as it is football and the unofficial start of the NFL, which we all love as sports fans. There is little drama with the No. 1 pick this year, but the draft status of Mark Sanchez is interesting and entertaining. He’s the undisputed No. 2 highest-rated QB in the draft, but all the “experts” are befuddled as to where he may go, as high as four to as low as 12.

As a part of a friendly competition among writers at Taking Back Sports for Draft Guru status, I am submitting my mock draft for everyone to see. Feel free to mock (pun intended) my picks, call me a moron, or whatnot below. I am not an expert, just a fan like you, who is trying to have a little fun with this. Fresh off of my success in calling the Madden Cover (well half-success, but I had the other half as a Contender), maybe I can ride the wave of success in making some interesting mock draft picks that challenge all the “experts” out there.

A somewhat unique approach I’ve taken, I’ve marked certain draft positions with “**” where I think we might see trade activity Saturday afternoon.

1. Matthew Stafford- QB- Detroit Lions

All reports indicate he should be signed by draft day, and this team has some serious rebuilding to do after winning zero games last year. QBs are who you build teams around.

2. Jason Smith- OT- St. Louis Rams

With the top-rated QB off the board, look for the Rams to make the safest pick possible here by taking one of the highest-rated offensive lineman in this year’s draft and address the hole left by the departed Orlando Pace. With Ravens cast-off Kyle Boller on the depth chart behind Bulger, I don’t see the Rams moving back and hoping Mark Sanchez is still in the Green Room.

3. Aaron Curry- LB- Kansas City Chiefs

Only the lowly Lions’ defense was more dreadful last season, and being mentioned in the same sentence as the 2008 Lions is a bad thing. New head man Todd Haley inherits an O-Line that allowed the 12th-most sacks last year and comes from the O-Coordinator job in Arizona, but he’s got Matt Cassel to build the offense around. Time to address the defense.

4. Eugene Monroe- OT-Seattle Seahawks

Here’s where the draft starts to get interesting. Matt Hasselbeck should return healthy this year, and Seneca Wallace and Charlie Frye return to back him up. No reason for Seattle to reach with the No. 4 pick on Mark Sanchez. Rather, with viable receiving weapons Deion Branch, Nate Burleson and T.J. Houshmandzedeh on the team and a strong D when its healthy, look for the Seahawks to upgrade an O-Line that surrendered 36 sacks last season.

5. Tyson Jackson-DE-Cleveland Browns

The big question here is whether Braylon Edwards be gone by the time the Browns are on the clock and, if so, would Cleveland believe his replacement should be the top draft priority. Josh Cribbs, an impressive young speedster, is still behind Edwards, along with veterans Joe Jurevicius and Donte’ Stallworth (for now, although jail time is possible for his DUI case). Regardless, Cleveland’s defense is its biggest problem as I see it. The squad ranked 26th overall last year, 30th in sacks, and surrendered an astronomical 151.9 rushing ypg. The Army could’ve driven a tank through the Browns’ D-Line last year and not run over anyone, and my 79-year-old grandma would’ve had time in the pocket against the Browns to find someone open. Look for Cleveland to address these issues early.

6. Andre Smith-OT-Cincinnati Bengals

Poor Carson Palmer suffered through some serious brutality last season, getting sacked 11 times in only four games before he had to hang it up early last year. His understudies combined to go down another 40 times throughout the season. See a pattern? The Bungles’ O-Line stinks. Only the 49ers and Lions allowed more total sacks, and you read what I wrote before about being mentioned in the same sentence as the Lions. For heaven’s sake, get Carson some protection with the best lineman left on the board. He’s got enough weapons, he just needs some protection so maybe he can stay healthy a full season.

7. Michael Crabtree-WR-Oakland Raiders

Ah the Raiders. Good enough for me last year because they were able to beat the Bucs, allowing the Eagles to crush Dallas and earn a playoff berth, but certainly not good enough for Al Davis and the Raider Nation. There is hope in the East Bay though, thanks to a strong corps of running backs in Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. The Raiders also have a young defense that, while ranked only 27th, really played well overall, especially at the end of the season, considering its offense was almost dead-last in time of possession. With the top three offensive linemen off the board here, take advantage of Crabtree slipping and get JaMarcus Russell/Jeff Garcia a legit deep weapon to throw to.

8. **Brain Orakpo-DE-Jacksonville Jaguars**

The Jags defense was in the middle of the pack last year, but it is very young and should improve. On offense, the Jags could benefit from another WR and another lineman to go with newly signed Tra Thomas. Quarterback is a potential issue, but the Jags signed undrafted rookie Paul Smith last year as their third option. With Smith on the roster, I think the Jags are likely to address the D, specifically the 20th-ranked sack effort last season, rather than go for Sanchez if they in fact pick at No. 8. You heard from “Jack” first: The Jags’ No. 8 pick is an obvious trade target, with no glaring holes in need of immediate attention and Sanchez likely to go somewhere between the eighth and 12th picks.

9. B.J. Raji-DT-Green Bay Packers

The Pack needs the most help on defense and is pretty set on offense with Aaron Rodgers at QB, Ryany Grant at RB, and a solid corps of receivers that includes Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and a bunch of other young guys. Green Bay’s best option here is to address the defensive line, which was M.I.A. much of last season, ranking 26th in rushing ypg allowed. Raji is the best interior D-lineman on the board.

10. **Michael Oher-OT-San Francisco 49ers**

This team rallied behind the tough love of Mike Singletary to finish 7-9. Alex Smith is approaching bust status, and backup Shaun Hill performed strong down the stretch, going 5-3 as the starter to end the season. He had a QB rating greater than 90 in six of the nine games he played. The Niners’ biggest problem is in the trenches. No team, not even the Lions, allowed more sacks last season than the 49ers. The defense was slightly below average, but came together late. Shaun Hill is only 29 and hasn’t taken much punishment in his NFL career as primarily a backup player. If Hill is Singletary’s man, he can last for a while and buy the Niners time on drafting a QB. Look for the Niners to address that dreadful O-Line early, but they are a potential trade target with the top three offensive lineman already off the board and Oher likely to be available five to eight picks later. At the No. 10 pick, plenty of teams behind Frisco are jockeying for position to land the still-available Mark Sanchez.

11. Aaron Maybin-DE-Buffalo

With newly acquired T.O., Buffalo doesn’t have an immediate need at WR. The O-line was average in both the pass- and run-blocking departments last year, and the Bills defense was also an average 14th in the NFL. As one might expect based on these figures, the Bills finished about average: 7-9. With plenty of weapons for Trent Edwards and a serviceable O-Line, the next step for the Bills is to upgrade the defense. Defense still wins championships in this league, and the offensive combo of Edwards-Lynch-Owens alone will not move the Bills out of the AFC East basement.

12. Robert Ayers-DE-Denver Broncos

This defense stunk last year, period. Only the Chiefs and Lions defenses were worse (Seattle gets a pass in my book, due to injury; neither of the other teams here does). Kyle Orton is an obvious downgrade from Jay Cutler, but he’s shown signs recently that he can be an NFL quarterback. If the Broncos want to win the AFC West crown, they better address the defense at No. 12. Mark Sanchez is not the solution to the Broncos’ problem. With three quality QBs in their division (Philip Rivers, Cassel, and Garcia), Denver better address its lack of a pass rush.

13. **Jeremy Maclin-WR-Washington Redskins**

Dan Snyder has been in the news again, reportedly interested in Mark Sanchez. I still have him on my board, but Jason Campbell isn’t a slouch. I think Sanchez would ultimately be an upgrade for the ‘Skins, but they’ve got a big problem that I think will keep them from taking Sanchez: Their next pick isn’t until the middle of the third round. That said, I ultimately look for the ‘Skins to draft a player that can help them immediately in the tough NFC East: Jeremy Maclin. With T.O. and Plaxico Burress out of the picture, Maclin, along with Antwan Randle-El, Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas, could combine to give the ‘Skins the most dangerous WR corps in the division. However, this would create a glut of WRs on the depth chart and only an average QB to find them, and we are dealing with Dan Snyder here. He’s capable of anything, so I’ll mark pick No. 13 as potentially being traded.

14. Malcolm Jenkins-CB-New Orleans

The Saints were the Aints on defense last season. Their air assault was tops, but the running game struggled, ranking 28th. There are plenty of RBs on the depth chart, though, so I don’t think the Saints need to draft one. Fixing the defense needs to be the top priority, especially in a division that suddenly is among the toughest in the league and can put up points faster than Dan Snyder can spend money.

15. Brian Cushing-LB-Houston Texans

To the surprise of many, the Texans were third-best in the league at moving the ball last season. But only 22nd-best at stopping other teams from moving it. This defense is in need of a quality, beefy LB in the middle to complement the suddenly awesome Mario Williams on the line. At 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, Cushing fits the bill.

16. **Rey Maualuga-LB-San Diego Chargers**

Living in San Diego and watching the Chargers play the past few seasons, this one is obvious. The Bolts’ secondary is as dreadful as Qualcomm Stadium. Besides Antonio Cromartie, their DBs are as bad as their front seven is good. This team is in dire need of a DB, but at No. 16, it would be a reach to take one this year. Rather, the Chargers are more likely to address the LB position, which is suddenly a concern with Shawne Merriman coming off ACL surgery. I personally think their best move may be to trade back for value with no top DBs outside of Jenkins projected to go in Round 1.

17. **Mark Sanchez-QB-Jet**

I’ll admit it’s a Stretch Armstrong-level reach to have Sanchez the third Trojan drafted, but that’s how I see it without projecting specific trades that may happen (I thoroughly expect a trade involving Mark Sanchez to occur, and I have the Jets as a prime suspect). This would be a perfect fit for the Jets, who just lost Brett Favre to retirement (he did retire, right?). Sure, the Jets have second-year QBs Eric Ainge and Brett Ratliff on the roster, but they’d be drooling at this opportunity, if that’s how things play out. However, the subject of recent draft trade talks, the Jets may very well end up with Sanchez, but via a much higher pick than #17.

18. Josh Freeman-QB-Denver Broncos

The Broncos’ second pick in the round is a tough one for me. They still have work to do on a horrible defense, but Orton and Chris Simms are suspect at QB. Josh Freeman is rapidly gaining popularity and has a quality arm and good legs. First year head coach Josh McDaniels already passed on Sanchez on my projection, but might be inclined to take a QB here and take advantage of the opportunity to mold a young mind. If nothing else, this move would get the attention of Orton, as if he isn’t feeling enough pressure to fill the shoes of a top-five QB.

19. Darrius Heyward-Bey-WR-Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After an epic collapse of Denver Broncos-2008-version proportions and the departure of Jeff Garcia, this team has some work to do to remain competitive in the NFC South. The defense is still solid. I see the Bucs’ best option here as getting another playmaker for the offense to help out a mediocre QB group (Derrick Ward was a start).

20. Eben Britton-OT-Detroit Lions

They’ve addressed the QB position, but there are many more holes to fill. The D blows, but Ernie Sims may develop into a pretty good anchor on that side of the ball. Obviously there are many needs for an 0-16 team, but I think the best move for Detroit is to get some protection for high-money man Stafford. O-Line is the safest draft pick historically, and the Lions franchise is historically cheap, not to mention that the city is in shambles with the economy. The best way to get to fill the seats and make money for continued rebuilding is to develop an offense.

21. **Brandon Pettigrew-TE-Philadelphia Eagles**

All the pundits have Knowshon Moreno here, but I say not so fast. Historically, there is always great depth at running back and the Eagles are among the best at finding diamonds in the rough. I agree the Birds need another RB, but they can wait. TE is a much bigger need for them, with L.J. Smith departed. Celek broke out in the playoffs, but Andy Reid seems committed to running more this season (no, that’s not a typo), and Celek can’t block very well. Pettigrew is the best at his position in the draft and can do both. But this is the Eagles, and they are a prime suspect to move back, as they have the past two years, if they think they can get Pettigrew later. They may also trade this pick away for Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards, considering they have lots of cap space and 10 draft picks this year.

I’m tired and have already spent a lot of hours on this, trying to bring fans quality and entertaining analysis. As an Eagles fan, I have little interest in the remainder of the first after this pick, if the Eagles do in fact make a pick at No. 21. Thus, I only offer analysis for two-thirds of round one.

If a RB is not taken in the first 21 picks, Sanchez is on the board until No. 17 and I have correctly marked trade targets, I will likely have done enough to earn the title of Draft Guru at Taking Back Sports without picking 22-32.

Cheers, and happy unofficial start to the NFL!

By Jason Branch
JACK OF ALL SPORTS

There are weak fines and week suspensions.

And then there’s Josh Beckett.

With the punishments finalized from the Beckett-Bobby Abreu incident, I think this is a prime opportunity to re-evaluate Major League Baseball’s approach to punishing starting pitchers for various incidents — including intentionally throwing at a batter’s head.

That was the case last Sunday in Anaheim.

Major League Baseball’s initial disciplinary actions included a six-game suspension for Becket and a one-game suspension for Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher. However, it was announced Sunday that Becket’s suspension was reduced to five games, and Red Sox manager Terry Francona has since informed the world that Beckett will now not have to miss his turn in the starting rotation.

To briefly recap what happened: Abreu was granted a time out by the home plate umpire because Beckett was taking a nap on the pitcher’s mound instead of delivering the next pitch within a reasonable length of time. Then Abreu was almost hit in the head by a pitched ball because, for some reason, Beckett was completing his pitching motion even after time was granted to Abreu.

No one should blame Beckett for completing his pitching motion — not doing so would risk injury — but the fact that the pitched sailed within arm’s length of Abreu’s head is definitely something Beckett should be blamed for. One can only speculate if Beckett’s intentions on the 1-2 pitch were to throw Abreu high and tight when he began his delivery or to buzz one near Abreu’s head out of disgust… Either way, despite completing his normal delivery, Beckett certainly did not have to throw the ball at Abreu’s head, despite his intentions.

Understandably, Abreu took exception to bean ball. While he jawed at Beckett from home plate, it was Beckett who continued to mouth at Abreu and approach home plate to clear the benches.

In spite of the incident, the umpiring crew obviously did not feel Abreu’s actions, nor Beckett’s for that matter, were worthy of an ejection from the game. It has been widely speculated that Beckett did intend to “buzz” Abreu in retaliation for calling time, and that the umpiring crew believed the action did warrant an ejection; but they didn’t want to remove a starting pitcher in just the first inning. Tell me if you believe what crew chief Cowboy Joe West said after the game:

“Do we believe he threw it at Abreu? No. Would we have warned him had both benches not emptied? Probably not.”

Whatever side of the argument one is on, my issue is with the appropriateness of suspensions. With respect to Bobby Abreu, I am in agreement with a non-suspension.

Abreu did not approach Beckett and never struck a Red Sox player during the brawl. He had every right to take exception to the pitch by Beckett and give Beckett a piece of his mind. If Abreu said anything worthy of suspension by the League, it would have caused an ejection on the spot by the umpires. The only thing Abreu was guilty of in this incident is being the batter.

My beef is with the suspension for the Boston pitcher and, on a larger level, suspensions for all starting pitchers.

The problem with punishing starting pitchers is that they only pitch once every five games. A starting pitcher can be suspended for four games and not miss a single game while a normal position player will have to miss four games, if suspended for that length of time. If the League is going to punish a starting pitcher by suspension, there should be a fair punishment — one that’s relative to position players.

In the case of Beckett, he was suspended initially for six games, a suspension which would have kept him from missing his turn in the rotation and significantly hurt his team. Instead, with a five-game suspension, Beckett will simply swap positions with John Lester, who will instead start Friday against the rival Yankees (with Beckett pitching Saturday).

Presto! In spite of being suspended for five games, Beckett will not miss his turn in Boston’s starting rotation.

This is completely bogus. Regardless of one’s opinion on the severity of what Beckett did, Major League Baseball needs to get it together when suspending starting pitchers. If the League deems a starter should be suspended, actually make him miss a game or two!

Baseball is still a primarily a pitcher’s game, and a starting pitcher is ultimately the most important player on the field during the game and can set the tone for an entire game. This shouldn’t be an excuse to gloss over punishing a starting pitcher.

In Football, the quarterback is the most important position in the game, but signal-callers can be suspended when appropriate. In basketball, everything begins with the point guard, and yet point guards can foul out of games and be suspended.

Hockey is the only major sport in this country besides baseball that effectively grants certain players special treatment. In spite of the rule changes a few years ago to increase scoring, hockey — according to Dr. Sportsfan — is still a goalie-dominated game. While goalies can be suspended by the NHL, they do not, however, serve penalty minutes for any infractions on the ice.

For the record, I don’t like this either. Why should the goalie get special treatment and not have to spend time in the penalty box?

(Irrelevant to my argument, but as a point of potential conversation, I think it would be cool to see a goalie in the penalty box with all the gear on. Plus, the backup goalie will get some ice time.)

Because a hockey goalie is so important to his team, he should have to be extra cautious not to break the rules and to stay on the ice. The same should go for a starting pitcher in baseball. My solution would be to have a minimum suspension of eight games for a starting pitcher. This would be enough time to really screw up a team’s rotation and ensure that a team would require an emergency starter to fill the void. It’s better than the alternative, as is the case of Josh Beckett. If you are going to punish a player in any sport, actually punish him and not let him off the hook because he is special player (hockey goalie).

Especially if he only plays every five games anyway.

By Jason Branch
JACK OF ALL SPORTS

So I tuned in Friday afternoon in hopes of catching some of the second-round Masters action.

Like many fans, I like watching golf occasionally on TV, even though I personally am very lousy at the game and always get my money’s worth in greens fees, seeing far more of the course and taking more shots than anyone in my playing group. And like many fans these days, I will only take a sincere interest in a given golf tournament if there is a great story to be followed. Or if a character is involved (e.g. John Daly — I’m extremely disappointed in you for what you tried to pull at the Augusta parking lot Thursday, but for some reason, not surprised at your latest off-course antic). Or if a top player like Tiger Woods is in contention (I’ll watch if Mickelson is in contention as well, but with a lot less interest because his track record is shaky in justifying tuning in for all four hours of Sunday coverage to see him hold a lead).

With that, I direct your attention to the aforementioned Tiger Woods, the No. 1 player in world, fresh off of a win at Bay Hill after an eight-month layoff for knee surgery, and seeking his fifth green jacket this week. Need I say more? Apparently I do, judging by what went on at ESPN, which had exclusive live TV coverage of the first and second rounds this week.

When I tuned in for the start of ESPN’s second-round coverage at 1:00 p.m. PST, I saw Tiger Woods tee-off. Great timing right? Only one problem: Tiger had already finished 17 holes and was teeing off at the 18th! Everyone knows who Tiger Woods is, even my Mom — who knows absolutely nothing about sports. He is the one player even the most casual of sports fans may tune in to watch. Especially if it’s the Masters, the most prestigious golf tournament in the United States, if not the world (many will claim the British Open deserves this title, and I will not take up that argument at this time).

I was, and still am as I write this article/rant, enraged that Tiger Woods got virtually no TV coverage on ESPN, the “Worldwide Leader in Sports,” during its coverage of the Masters. Sure, it was only the second round, but if a network has exclusive coverage of an event of this magnitude, how could it not show the top-ranked, most popular player in the game? I am realistic and understand ESPN has a certain schedule of programs it normally shows in the morning/early afternoon slot, but not altering the schedule to show Tiger Woods? To me, that makes no sense from a business/ratings standpoint, and cheats viewers who, like me, tuned in primarily to see Tiger Woods.

Heck, even without coverage of Tiger Woods, I may have stuck around to watch a few holes of the early round’s leaders. But the day-one leader, Chad Campbell, was already in with a 70. Kenny Perry, who fired a 67 to draw even with Campbell at 9-under, also was M.I.A. by the time ESPN picked up coverage. Disgusted, I changed the channel to something else and was so infuriated that I promptly got started on my article.

Now I can’t speak for Thursday, but Friday was nothing short of an abomination for TV coverage of the Masters. The worst part was that ESPN’s live coverage was exclusive, so my periodic tuning into the Golf Channel prior to 1:00 was only good enough to watch some taking heads and an occasional highlight. The lone hole viewers got to see Tiger play live on Friday was a disappointment: a bogey on the Par-4 18th set up by a poor second shot into the sand.

That bogey I saw Tiger get is the precise score I would put on ESPN’s scorecard for its Friday “coverage” of the Masters.

By Jason Branch
JACK OF ALL SPORTS

April 6, 2009.

Baseball is officially back. And the Jack of All Sports served as Taking Back Sports’ representative at Opening Day, attending the Padres home opener against the Dodgers Monday afternoon.

(For those quick to point out the Sunday night game between the Phillies and Braves, allow me to point that in my opinion, there is no such thing as “Opening Night” in baseball, just “Opening Day”).

What a great day is was for baseball to return, at least in San Diego, with a 75-degree temperature at first pitch and not a cloud in the sky. My apologies to Cincy fans, who had to suffer through 35 degrees and rain. My sidekick for the game was my friend Dan, who came down from L.A. to help me cheer on the Dodgers. As we approached Petco Park on foot after parking, we saw a very packed block party across the street.

Despite losing 99 games last season and witnessing the circus departure of the beloved Trevor Hoffman (because Padres management is a joke), there was at least some excitement in San Diego for the return of baseball. The Padres celebrate their 40th anniversary this year; this was commemorated throughout the pregame, with the return of Padres legends Ollie Brown, Randy Jones, and “Mr. Padre” himself, Tony Gwynn.

I arrived at the stadium with Dan about two hours early to catch batting practice and take in the return of baseball. We took up residence in the “Park at the Park,” which is an area beyond centerfield with some bleacher seating and sand on the ground for kids to play in, and a large grass hill (watched over by a statue of Tony Gwynn) for fans to sit and watch the game live and on a big-screen television. For the time being, Dan and I made like little kids, trying to catch “BP” homeruns over the centerfield wall. But this is Petco Park, after all, and even during the day, it’s hard to clear the center field wall on the fly.

It was Padres batting practice when we first got there, so the Padres players were in the outfield — occasionally, throwing stray balls over the wall to fans. Dan — ever wanting his souvenir — ran wild into a group of people diving for a ball that the first person to get a hand on couldn’t secure. After a brief scrum between a 23-year-old Dan, middle-school-aged kids and a 40-something, Dan emerged covered in sand and with the ball.

Opening Day brings out the youthfulness in all of us, apparently.

Padres BP went on for another half-hour, and only one more loose ball of many was thrown over. Perhaps the attorney of Padres owner John Morse  phoned down to the coaches informing the team couldn’t afford to give away anymore stray baseballs.

(For those unfamiliar with the situation, John Morse is in the process of a nasty divorce and, after holding out for months, has given in and his full stake in the Padres is up for sale. This is a great thing for Padres fans and the city of San Diego, as John Morse never was willing to pony up and try to bring a championship to the city despite only missing a couple of bats to complement a great pitching staff between 2004 and 2007.)

Next came the Dodgers’ turn for BP, in which I took more interest because the Dodgers are my team and have many more players capable of clearing the fences in home-run-suffocating Petco Park. Now, with Dodgers players in the outfield, there were better odds for me to get thrown a ball too, right? Right! (Not “wrong,” as is so often the case with such an obvious setup for a sarcastic expression. Sorry Arnold fans.)

So the first stray ball to come to a rest on the warning track was approached by a jogging Manny Ramirez. Ever alert, I yelled, “Hey Manny,” first. He looked up in acknowledgment and saw me in my Dodgers hat with my glove and other hand raised. Sure enough, he flipped the ball high over the jumping little kids and into my glove.

“Thanks Manny!”

Now each with a ball in hand, we approached our seats in the left field upper deck: row 26 of 27, the “cheap seats.” While there was a great view of the stadium and the city from that high up, home plate was a long way away.

With about an hour until the first pitch, we chilled in our seats and watched the conclusion of Dodgers batting practice and listened to all the announcements over the P.A. system. One announcement — the standard “Don’t drink and drive” announcement — got my attention as I instantly recalled the image in my head of a concession stand sign that read, “Domestic Bottled Beer … $8.50.” Lousy economy aside, who can afford to get drunk at those prices? Certainly not me, as you could probably guess, judging by where my seats were.

As first pitch arrived, the stadium looked about 80% full, to my surprise. While more seats filled up as the game went on, there were still at least 1,000 that remained empty. There was, however, a significant fan presence on the grass field in the “Park at the Park,” perhaps as many as 500. The attendance figure, announced between the seventh and eight inning, was in excess of 45,000 — a Petco Park record. It is appropriate to mention here, however, that about one-third of the crowd consisted of Dodgers fans.

For some, baseball’s return clearly isn’t a huge deal, but it is a big deal for me and many sports fans across the nation. Even today, there is still a certain aura surrounding the game that makes it exciting, whether it’s the beach balls appearing in the third inning (true to form, that’s about when the first beach balls started flying in the left-field cheap seats), throwing peanut shells down on the ground in front of you and kicking them through the narrow separation between your row and the one below (that’s what I did during the fifth and sixth innings), or the chance to witness a great pitchers’ duel or “slug-fest.”

And I’m not the only one with strong feelings about Opening Day. Around the seventh inning, some heated scuffles broke out between a few Dodgers and Padres fans. Nothing too serious — fortunately — and there certainly was alcohol involved, but it’s great that fans still show up with a passion.

The game went by rather smoothly until the seventh inning, with the score 3-1 Dodgers, yet it slowed down as the pitchers became more and more deliberate, which is to be expected in a tight game.

This makes for boredom at times — and I was a victim of this — but it is part of the experience of going to a game, especially on Opening Day. It’s an acceptable side effect of a close, competitive ball game, as far as I am concerned. However, when one’s team is leading in a game by three runs or less, there’s also the excitement of possibly seeing your closer enter the game — one who is capable of hurling fastballs in the neighborhood of the mid-to-upper 90s.

Today, by the top of the eighth, my sole reason to stick around was to see Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton enter the game. He’s not yet one of the game’s greats, but he’s young and getting better and has a fastball that tops out near 100 mph. It’s always exciting to see a guy throw that hard because very few pitchers in the game are capable of doing so.

So the Dodgers tacked on a run in the eighth while the Padres’ lackluster lineup did what it had done six of the previous seven innings — went scoreless. Top of the ninth, enter Broxton. True to form, he overpowered the Padres and retired the side, 1-2-3, capping a perfect opening day with a swinging strikeout on a 99 mph fastball.

My team won, Manny gave me a ball, and it was a beautiful day out — sounds like the recipe for a great Opening Day. But even if the Dodgers had been blown out, it still would’ve been great to be there and experience Opening Day.

“Welcome back, Baseball!”

By Jason Branch
JACK OF ALL SPORTS

All we hear about lately on ESPN and other major sports media outlets are the “big three” candidates for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade (who has rapidly risen into vogue). Heck, the “Big Ticket” isn’t even being talked about anymore, now that he’ll be riding the Celtics’ pine most likely the rest of the regular season.

With all of the opinions being thrown around, however, the one man no one considers for MVP is Chauncey Billups. He’s been the catalyst for the Denver Nuggets ever since he replaced the toxic influence of Allen Iverson in the Mile-High City. For the record, the Pistons got out of the gate 4-0. Enter “The Answer” in the November 3 trade. The Pistons fell to where they currently sit: three games below .500.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets began the season 1-3. Enter Mr. Big Shot. Right now, the Nuggets are 50-26 — the two seed in the Western Conference playoffs if they began today — and have the opportunity to establish a franchise-best regular-season record (54-28, 1987-88).

This season as of Friday night, Billups is posting 18.1 points per game and 6.3 assists per game against just 2.3 turnovers per while shooting 41.7 percent. Not staggering numbers by themselves, but you have to factor in the intangibles that Billups has brought to the Nuggets. While Iverson is done for the season, Billups has not missed a single game.

He’s a controlled player who has given Coach Karl much more stability at the point guard position than Iverson. Billups does not make the careless mistakes that Iverson is prone to because of his style of play. Taking care of possessions is vital to winning championships, but also crucial in regular-season games, and Billups has done just that. Furthermore, Billups provides much more stout defense than Iverson, as the downfall of the Nuggets the past few seasons has been the inability to effectively defend opponents. This season, with Billups, the Nuggets — yes the Nuggets — rank second in the NBA in opponents’ field goal percentage.

Without Billups, the Nuggets are still possibly a playoff team. But unlike years past, the Nuggets are now a legitimate force in the West, and not just a bottom seed in the playoffs that can’t hang with the likes of the Lakers and Spurs.

This season, with Billups running the show, the Nuggets are a solid team on both sides of the ball and are the second-best team in their conference. Sure, they won 50 games last season, but that was only good for the eighth seed and a sweep from the Lakers. With a clear shift in power at the top of the East this season, the Nuggets have been able to rise in the standings. This at the same time that all of last season’s playoff teams from the West, minus the Lakers, have seen a drop in total wins.

Without Billups at the point for the Nuggets, surely this team would not be playing as well as it has this season. He has made everyone around him better, and he has brought to his team the leadership that AI lacks and ‘Melo still hasn’t grown into.

With AI still at the helm, this Nuggets team would’ve experienced the same dropoff that has hit most of the West’s playoff teams. Instead, the Nuggets now have the chance to win one or two playoff series before likely being bounced out by the top-seeded Lakers for a second straight season. This year’s version of the Nuggets may not be as fun to watch as last year’s — when every game seemed to bring at least 250 combined points — but this year’s Nuggets are much more complete and capable of winning in the postseason.

So why no love for the leader of the second-best team in the West?

A lot of it certainly is due to his much lower profile and less flashy style (compared to LeBron, Kobe, and D-Wade). Chauncey’s numbers also aren’t as impressive on paper as the “real” contenders (according to the sports media that matter, which isn’t TakingBackSports.com yet), but he has meant just as much to his team as the aforementioned players.

The fact that Denver is a much smaller media market than many of the East Coast cities or L.A. certainly contributes as well. So does Denver’s location outside of the Eastern Time Zone.

I’ve made as much of a case for Billups getting some love as I can. It is a crime that the leader of the second-best team in a conference has not gotten more attention this season. I personally don’t think he should be the MVP this season, but there is no denying what he has meant to his team. Regardless of the fact that Chauncey has virtually no chance to win MVP because of the aforementioned factors, he deserves to be at least mentioned in the conversation. He has had that kind of season.

The likes of ESPN and national sportswriters should be ashamed of themselves for denying the fan the full truth surrounding deserving NBA MVP candidates this season.