7 comments I Guess We Just Be Happy Rick Reilly Isn't Plagerizing His Own Columns Anymore

Rick Reilly isn't a very good writer. He is the sportswriting equivalent of Eddy Curry. He makes a shitload of money, doesn't appear to do anything productive except get a paycheck and seems to enjoy flaunting to the public the fact he is extremely overpaid. I half expect Reilly to gain 100 pounds and just essentially give up doing his job effectively...well, I take that last part back because Rick Reilly has already given up doing his job well. Here's the latest evidence of this. Rick Reilly has written a Big 10 primer for the Nebraska football team in his latest excrement-ridden column posted on ESPN.com.

There are three major problems with this column:

1. Nebraska joined the Big 10 eight months ago. Reilly is just getting around to writing this column? The topic isn't even really relevant at this point since Nebraska joining the Big 10 was a big story eight months or more ago. Sure the college football season is starting very soon, but Nebraska joined the Big 10 over eight months ago. This column feels more relevant if it had been done back in December.

2. Rick Reilly tries to be funny. He isn't. It is sad to read. Needless to say, I will mock him mercilessly for this. He deserves it. The jokes are obvious and not funny. Rick Reilly jokes are like the jokes in an Adam Sandler movie, except more obvious and painful, if that's possible.

3. Rick Reilly wrote it. That's probably the major problem. He has no shame nor does he even pretend to give a shit. This is the best he will do and you as the reader will fucking deal with it.

Hello, Nebraska!

That's how it starts.

Now that you're joining the 12-team Big Ten, nothing is going to make sense anymore. I know it doesn't for me.

The Big 10 has 12 teams! What's up with that? It is funny to point this out because the name of the conference is the Big 10 and there are 12 teams in the conference. What should the Big 10 call itself? The Big 12. That's already taken.

"Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways? It doesn't make sense."

Growing up as a Colorado Buffs fan, we were taught that if Nebraska was playing Libya, we should be there with a giant poster of Moammar Gaddafi.

As a Nebraska fan, we were taught the Colorado-Nebraska rivalry didn't exist as much anymore. Colorado actually has to win some games to make it a rivalry don't they. Look at all the red.

Because your state gave us Johnny Carson and Larry the Cable Guy. Besides, you kicked our butts to the state line every year and we're frankly glad to see you go.

I just said that.

You are joining one of the great football traditions in America, a fabric woven with sturdy football, passionate fans and the time-honored institution of selling your jerseys for tattoos.

And Nebraska is leaving a conference with a pretty good football tradition, passionate fans and the time-honored tradition of raping women. Of course to Rick Reilly, Colorado players raping women isn't as concerning as the lack of moral decency to sell a jersey for a tattoo. What a morally bankrupt conference that Big 10 is.

You know, stones-glass houses that type of thing? If your favorite school had a scandal over the last decade based primarily around the sexual assault of women, I wouldn't think mocking another school for a player selling a jersey for a tattoo would be something you would do. Of course, Nebraska football players don't exactly have a great history with women either, so them joining a conference where players sold jerseys for tattoos doesn't seem as bad as second degree murder.

Your new rival -- Forget Oklahoma. Now it's Iowa, like it or not. You close out your regular season with the Hawkeyes on the day after Thanksgiving at home. Iowa's a natural for you. Both your states are so flat you can watch a train pull out for three days.

Wow, how not funny was this? Both states are flat so they should naturally play each other in football!

Is there anyone who doesn't think Rick Reilly has given up at this point? I would like to meet you, if so.

Football-wise, Iowa has been better than you lately,

Since 2004, each team's record:

Iowa: 57-31

Nebraska: 56-34

That means Rick Reilly is correct about this. What are the odds he just guessed when he made this statement? 95%?

Rick Reilly doesn't do research on the Internet, he writes columns that evoke emotion (mostly he evokes anger in me). The last thing Rick Reilly looked up on the Internet was probably the Erin Andrews video.

Dress code -- Now that Jim Tressel and The Vest are gone from Ohio State, there is no dress code.

The only dress code in the Big 10 is the code to cover up the body parts where you got free tattoos in exchange for memorabilia!

(Rick Reilly high-fives me for that joke)

Your lunatic screamer of a head coach, Bo Pelini -- the man who could be an entire season of "What Not to Wear" -- is going to fit in nicely.

He wears a sweatshirt during games. I didn't realize he was required to wear a tie and dress shoes. Besides, Taylor Martinez's father complained when Pelini wore dress shoes they fit too well up his son's ass. He prefers the tennis shoes Pelini wears because after Martinez has fumbled for the 9th time that game it doesn't hurt as much when Pelini puts a foot up Martinez's ass.

Your fans aren't exactly ripped from the Armani catalog, either. Oy, that Sea of Red some of you wear: red socks, red overalls, red cowboy hats. Goes nice with your necks, though.

Working class people are stupid, poor dressers, ugly and probably have poor hygiene! This is comedy!

What should Nebraska fans wear? Ed Hardy shirts? Goes nice with your douchetastic writing, though.

Divisions -- The Big Ten is divided into two divisions: Legends and Leaders. Yes, these are incredibly anvil-brained names for divisions, but you should have seen the stuff that lost out:

The new division names in the Big Ten suck. We get it. The Big 10 named their divisions in December. It is now July.

Second -- Princes and Potentates

Third -- Behemoths and Brutes

Fourth -- Cheats and Soon-to-be-caught Cheats

How is selling a jersey to pay for a tattoo cheating again? It had nothing to do with playing the actual game...and that's cheating? I know we don't want facts to get in the way of Rick Reilly trying to make a terrible joke.

The Michigan Man is full of pride in himself and his Michigan degree -- so much so that you're going to want to bring a throw-up bowl along with you.

Sadly, the Michigan Man has had to reduce the volume a little lately, having not beaten The Ohio State Man since the debut of the Edsel.

"The debut of the Edsel." Now there's a reference that is neither funny, accurate nor timely. That's a hard trifecta to achieve when making a joke.

OHIO STATE

You're coming to the Big Ten at a lucky time, Nebraska. Ohio State has been the king, but if the king is not dead, it's on one knee and searching around for its mouthpiece. Buckeyes fans are usually very nice people, but all this vacating of wins has caused them to vacate their manners. They harassed Golden Boy QB and ESPN announcer Kirk Herbstreit into moving to Nashville and they sent death threats to the college newspaper sports editor over Tressel. Remind me, what did those guys sell?

I must have missed the memo that said Ohio State fans were nice before the Terrelle Pryor scandal. I'm pretty sure Herbstreit moved out of Ohio before the wins were vacated. I know, I know...details, who needs them when trying to make a point?

The problem is, Wisconsin has even bigger and stronger linemen than you do. Do you realize that the last lineman you had taken in the first round of the NFL draft was 27 years ago? Dean Steinkuhler?

We all know an NFL player is only considered to be a good player based on where he was drafted and not what kind of player he ended up being in the NFL. I guess guys like Carl Nicks, Russ Hochstein, Dominic Raiola, and Will Shields don't count as successful offensive linemen since they weren't drafted in the 1st round.

The Badgers have had five in that time!

OMG! For realsies?

I'm afraid Wisconsin is you, Nebraska, only with much better parties and more wins.

Well, that and Wisconsin is Nebraska if Nebraska had five less national titles, 212 less wins, 123 more losses, 31 less conference titles, and 31 less consensus All-Americans. All of this in only 76 more games played all-time by the Nebraska football team compared to the Wisconsin football team. But, if Reilly finds it more fun to just call them the same team in order to further the stereotypes of Nebraska and Wisconsin as white people who love planting corn and have red necks that he wants to perpetuate then he should go right ahead.

God knows I shouldn't expect or require Rick Reilly to do any deep thinking or actual research when he can just write words down on a page and cash his huge ESPN checks.

Q: Why do Penn State players wear black shoes?

A: Reportedly, coach Joe Paterno believes it makes his players look slower, which is not true. Bowl games do.

Big 10 teams are slow! I have never heard this joke before! This statement required no research and is intended to be funny! Are you entertained yet? We've heard all of the jokes and criticisms of the Big 10 dozens of times before this column. Yet, Reilly thinks he is making funny jokes or relevant points. He isn't. He is showing just how out of touch with sports he truly is.

Q: How is the health of the 84-year-old Paterno?

A: His ears still hurt a little from The Big Bang.

BECAUSE JOE PATERNO IS OLD! NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER POINTED THIS FACT OUT UNTIL RIGHT NOW!

Q: Where does Rick Reilly spend most of his free time?

A: Up in his own ass.

That wasn't intended to be funny.

NORTHWESTERN

You will see a few people in purple shirts with a stupid cat logo on them. You do NOT have to worry about them. But be nice to their students. A lot of them end up running big media companies. The Wildcats found a really good coach in Pat Fitzgerald, though.

It is so very clear the last time Rick Reilly paid attention to sports was the late 1980's or possibly the middle 90's. Northwestern has made three straight bowl games and have won 9, 8, and 7 games over the last three seasons. That's progress and they really aren't a pushover anymore. But again, it is easier for Rick Reilly to just base his Big 10 knowledge on his memories from 1989.

ILLINOIS

You draw more for your spring game than the Illini do for regular-season ones. I'm not kidding. You drew 66,784 for your spring game this year. The Illini didn't even average that for home games last year.

That's amazing to know. Illinois stadium, Memorial Stadium, has a capacity of 60,200 and the Nebraska Huskers' stadium has a capacity of 81, 607. There's no way the Illini could have drew as many fans as the Huskers spring game. Unless Rick has any ideas on how to fit 6,000 more people into a stadium space that maxes out at 60,000. If so, I would love to hear them.

INDIANA

Just awful. Being a football fan in Indiana is like being a scuba fan in Tibet.

Being a football fan in Indiana is also like selling Kate Spade purses in Ethiopia. See, they are poor in Ethiopia and they can't afford expensive things like Rick Reilly can because he makes a lot of money. In fact, I don't want to startle you, but ESPN.com actually paid him to write this column. It is sad to think about isn't it? Bleacher Report probably would have rejected this column. ESPN.com gives it the front page and then gives Rick Reilly is own show called "Homecoming."

As for you, Nebraska, the Big Ten is really going to take an instant dislike to you. Why? Saves time.

Plus, what conference would want a heralded program like Nebraska that brings enormous revenue, national appeal, a large fan base around the country and instant national recognition like Nebraska does?

Also, those games at Memorial Stadium with the freezing rain and the howling wind and nothing around for 100 miles to hide behind but corn stalks? They're not fun. Put it this way: You're going to have LOTS of visiting team tickets to re-sell.

Which shouldn't be a huge problem for Nebraska considering they have sold out every home game since I can remember. There isn't anything else to do in Nebraska and if any visiting team wants to sell their tickets there are probably going to be tons of takers for those tickets. What a terrible point.

What an idiot. I know Reilly is trying to be cute and funny, but the fact visiting teams won't travel to Nebraska will have a 0% effect on game attendance for Nebraska home games.

You know what might impress them, though? Your bowl record. You're 24-23 all time. You better knock that crap off.

In the Big Ten, that's just showing off.

That's probably because Big 10 teams are slow and can't compete with other conferences in bowl games!

To complete this column, Rick Reilly did zero research while waiting 8 months to write about the topic and he based most of his comments on stereotypes about the Big 10, while he covered the gaps in the stereotypes about the Big 10 he couldn't remember with terrible jokes. Just a typical Reilly column.

Rick Reilly is the 11-time National Sportswriter of the Year.

I didn't even know the Special Olympics had a writing category.

That was rude, I apologize to anyone participating or affiliated with the Special Olympics. I shouldn't drag your name through the mud by associating you in any way with Rick Reilly.

0 comments Basketball Pickup Diaries (Part 3)

Justin Bieber’s got some flow. Check it out. Shocking, right? You probably expected a consolidated Vanilla Ice/Rebecca Black combo. So did I. Never judge a book by its cover, I guess.

The Dime pickup crew fell into that trap during our last hoop session. Maybe it was karma. We did bounce early from work to get in an extra hour or two on the court. But before our frustrating journey began, we ran into some mild interference. On one end of the NYU gym floor was a mind-numbingly inept game of three-on-three – but since we needed numbers, I had to ask if they wanted to join us. They promptly hurled a unanimous “no” in my face, followed by a refusal to move to a side court. They were there first. Who knew that the five-year-old rules of engagement trumped common courtesy.

Let me paint you a picture for a moment. At the gym we play at, there are six hoops and three full-length courts. Only the middle court is regulation width, so the warming up, games of H-O-R-S-E and three-on-three are relegated to the side courts. It was apparent that these guys were aware of the unwritten rules of the gym – they were all wearing NYU gear and clearly went to school there – they just chose to ignore them.

After a few minutes of transparent intimidation attempts on our hoop as a couple guys put up some humorously absurd shots, one brave soul decided it was time to put his foot down. I’m not one for confrontation. (What usually starts as an attempt at assertive authority somehow ends with me apologizing.) So this guy calmly strode over to their half and demanded that they move. After some mumbling, grumbling and squabbling, dude got his way, and therefore ours as well.

And off we went. Despite jumping out to an early lead with our usual up-tempo play and lights out shooting, we knew our opponent had a beast waiting to erupt: a 6-5, freakishly lanky guard who could handle the rock and knock down shots from range. It’s only because he came out conservative and deferential that we managed to grab the lead; had he decided to unleash his full offensive might, we would not have stood a chance. Luckily he continually passed to his useless teammates, never complaining when they turned it over or threw up airballs. You have to admire someone so willing sacrifice winning in favor of stroking the inflated ego of his untalented teammates. Then again, maybe he had some foresight; basketball is a five man game. Maybe one guy can carry you offensively, but that’s no defensive blueprint. So he inspired confidence and effort. After eventually easing his way into the selfish offensive weapon his team needed, they were happy to relinquish their offensive grips. Four straight buckets later, we were sitting on the wrong end of an 11-9 final score.
Game number two (against the same team – no one had next, so we were able to run it back) produced more favorable fortune.

The wingmen’s confidence disappeared, and the star’s ball domination clearly perturbed the lesser able. It’s formulaic, really. A domino effect that feels utterly irreversible. It all starts with a little too much selfish play. Then it’s one pass, shoot. Two passes, shoot. No passes, shoot. Maybe one or two courtesy ball swings, but that’s it. The less you touch the ball, the more you’re ready to leave your mark on the game. For better or for worse. I’d be lying if I said we didn’t suffer from a touch of that disease on occasion. But nothing like this. All we had to do was run back on defense, wait five seconds and box out. Ten minutes later we walked away with an 11-6 victory.

And this is where it gets awkward. Even though we split games, someone called winner only after the first game. A few minutes of shouting later, we were back at war. Except this time we got manhandled, and I’m not exactly sure how. They were generally short, slow and uncoordinated. The kind of guys you stand three feet off of and give a half-hearted effort to contest. Except they were making shots. I’m sure you know the type. The guy who shoots with such awkward rotation that two thoughts creep into your head – how do you contort the laws of physics to attain such ball rotation, and who taught you to shoot like that? Appropriately, neither of those questions really matter when the ball finds its way to the basket. And it did, seemingly every time down the floor. By the time the score reached 11-5, we were glad the embarrassment had ceased.
Scott and I jumped ship to hop on with the team who had next, which consisted of two NYU girls players. Bad decision on our part. Before you jump down my throat for being sexist, know that it wasn’t because of their gender. Their cardio was simply on another level – to the point where Scott and I were simply going from three-point line to three-point line (Cut to everyone who has ever played pickup recalling similar exhausted memories). They’d score a bucket and we’d inbound the ball to our point guard (one of the ladies). But she would already be on the move and her backcourt mate would be miles up the court. Meanwhile the rest of us ambled up the court, praying they didn’t shoot it too soon so we’d have to get back on defense. Even though we pulled out the first win, a part of me was slightly pissed. I had gone past crippling fatigue and was inching uncomfortably close to vomiting. So instead of focusing on the defensive end, I fell into another classic pickup trap. Burst energy. I ambled up and down the floor, barely contributing on either end. Once I touched the ball in a favorable spot, I emptied the tank and made my move toward the bucket. Except when you’re that tired, a miss is almost guaranteed. To compound the lost possession, you’re now supremely spent and mentally disheartened. It’s like at the end of movies when the guy runs to the airport before the girl goes off to art school in France – he catches her, they kiss, everyone at the airport ignores their anger at the fact that some jackass cut them in line and security guards forget that “I’m chasing a girl” is no excuse to let someone through. In my scenario, I missed the girl. In fact, I couldn’t even catch a cab to the airport. That’s how bad it was. The girls’ unending lung capacity let us steal the first game, but it all came to a crashing halt in game number two. And by “all,” I mean me. I’m pretty sure it was my atrocious play that led to the late game collapse.

So we were 1-2 as a crew. A pretty bad day. But we’ll be back for more and ready to improve upon our 7-5 summer record.

6 comments It's Low Hanging Fruit But I Criticize It Anyway

Bleacher Report has a list of the 50 worst decisions in NBA history posted. The 50 worst decisions. Why not make it 150? How about the 2,300 worst decisions in NBA history? Is a larger list a better list? Why can't the list be on one page? Would that not provide enough pageviews for Bleacher Report? I have so many questions, but a list of 50 worst decisions seems like a lot. You may have noticed when I cover the shithole that is Bleacher Report I don't add a tag for the author's name. There are probably 450 Bleacher Report authors, so I am not spending tag energy (it takes a lot of energy apparently to type a tag) on any of their names. Here's the list of the 50 worst decisions in NBA history. I guess 25 bad decisions just wasn't enough. Criticizing Bleacher Report is just too easy, but when done right it is also a lot of fun.

Last summer, ESPN aired a 60-minute special that will go down in sports infamy that was entitled "The Decision." Ironically, the decision to produce and air "The Decision" was one of the worst in league history.

(Looks up the definition of irony) As I suspected, this isn't ironic at all. I bet the author, Andy Bailey, thinks it is ironic I don't think it is ironic.

"Two weeks ago, the Phoenix Suns hired Betty Ford as a consultant. Ironically, she died a week later."

One event happening and then another event happening does not constitute irony. Also, most of these "worst decisions" are really just second-guessing by the author. They weren't bad decisions at the time, but only in retrospect.

Obviously, it wasn't the only time organizations, executives or players within the league have shown poor judgment.

50. Michael Jordan tries baseball

If Jordan hadn't stepped away, there's a chance he could have more than his already impressive six NBA championships.

Michael Jordan could have also torn his ACL during the two seasons he was away from the NBA and never been the same again, giving him three NBA championships. So this speculation can go both ways. That's all I have to say about this.

47. Orlando hires Billy Donovan

I will say hiring Billy Donovan made the Magic look bad, though it made him look wishy-washy as well. I don't see how the Magic hiring him and it having no real lasting effect on the team was the 47th worst decision in NBA history. The Magic then went out and hired Stan Van Gundy, who has led the Magic to four straight playoff berths, including one trip to the NBA Finals and two trips to the Conference Finals. Boy, the Magic really screwed up when they hired Billy Donovan didn't they? Especially considering his quitting to go back to the University of Florida allowed them to hire Stan Van Gundy for the head coach position.

It's hard to blame Orlando for this decision because I'm sure Donovan said all the right things. At the same time, it's hard to say they made the right decision in this coaching search.

Clearly, the Magic should not have pursued Billy Donovan in retrospect. The key point is IT HAD ABSOLUTELY NO LONG-TERM EFFECT ON THE TEAM NOR DID IT HURT THEM MUCH I THE SHORT-TERM. So how is this the 47th worst decision in NBA history?

45. LeBron James chooses Miami over New York and Chicago

What a terrible decision for LeBron James to choose to go to the Heat when the Heat made the NBA Finals in the first year he is in Miami.

Both Chicago (the best choice if he wanted titles right away) and New York (the best choice if he wanted to grow his brand) made more sense.

Is Andy Bailey missing the entire point of LeBron going to Miami? I believe so. Wasn't the entire point of going to Miami to team up with Wade and Bosh? Neither Chicago or New York could have gotten all three of those players on the team. So while Chicago and New York would have made more sense for LeBron personally, it would not have made sense to fit the purpose he intended.

Chicago and New York had the money to sign more than one big-name free agent. Can you imagine a starting lineup of Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah.

Even as a die-hard Mavs fan, it's hard for me to see them beating that squad in the finals.

I won't disagree there may have been better teams for LeBron to go to, if those teams could have fit him and another star player on the roster, but I wouldn't call his going to Miami one of the 50 worst decisions in NBA history. There's a reasonable chance the Heat could win 2-3 NBA Titles with James, Bosh, and Wade on the roster, which will make the decision to go to Miami look smart.

40. The Age Limit

The age limit was supposed to increase the emotional maturity of the players in the league.

Instead, it's brought some negative attention as plenty of "one-and-dones" have been involved in some serious recruiting scandals (including the two pictured here).

The two "one-and-dones" pictured are O.J. Mayo and Derrick Rose. I don't hate the "one-and-done" rule and wouldn't mind if the NBA got rid of it, but not because of the negative attention it has given the NBA because of recruiting scandals. Recruiting scandals were happening before the "one-and-done" rule and they will happen even if/when the NBA does away with the "one-and-done" rule. The problem behind recruiting scandals doesn't just lie with the rule, but with colleges and the recruitment of athletes to play a sport at those colleges. This will continue as long as college athletics continue.

This is one of many problems associated with a slideshow like this. 1-2 sentences doesn't do this topic justice. The emotional maturity of a potential NBA player wasn't the only reason the "one-and-done" rule was put into effect. The NBA also wanted players coming into the NBA more prepared in regard to their skills to play at a high level in the NBA. The high-profile busts (Eddie Griffin, etc) made the NBA look bad, so they thought the solution would be to force a rule on the college game in order to make the NBA look like it gives a shit about their players.

37. The Celtics select Len Bias with the No. 2 pick

Hmmm...this was the 37th worst decision in NBA history? Choosing an incredibly talented player at the #2 spot in the 1986 draft without the ability to foresee he would go out and get coked up and die a few hours later? So the Celtics should have foreseen Bias had a drug problem and drafted who instead? Chris Washburn? William Bedford? Roy Tarpley? There were a lot of guys with drug problems in this draft.

I can't fathom how drafting Len Bias was one of the worst decisions in NBA history. Unless Andy Bailey has some sort of information on Bias' drug use at Maryland and he is just holding back on us. This is a case where a decision was made that ultimately didn't work and it isn't really anyone's fault.

Unfortunately, Bias died of a drug overdose the night after he was drafted. His death was a great tragedy, and there were signs that Bias may have led a troubled life before Boston decided to draft him.

What were these signs that Bias led a troubled life? He grew up black and poor? He hung out with guys who weren't Boy Scouts? This could go for a great number of NBA draft picks. There was so very little before Bias' death that showed signs of an abnormally troubled life. To pretend there were these warnings signs that Bias may have a drug problem or be troubled just doesn't seem accurate. Of course I don't know what else to expect from a person who calls drafting Bias one of the worst decisions in NBA history.

35. The Lakers sign Gary Payton

In the 2003 offseason, the Lakers added two living legends to the nucleus of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Adding Karl Malone alone would have been fine. Adding Gary Payton was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Of course, adding a "me-first" veteran to take a talented team to a near-championship never works. Just ask the 2008 Celtics when they added Sam Cassell or the Miami Heat in 2006 when they added Gary Payton.

With Payton on board, the team had one too many "me-first" attitudes,

Everyone knows a team can only have two players with a "me-first" attitude. Once you hit three players with this attitude impending playoff failure is near.

and the Lakers were taken down by a complete team in the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals.

Now if the Lakers had just stuck with Derek Fisher at point guard they would have won the NBA Title that year, because his mere presence in the starting lineup would have made the Lakers a complete team. Fisher's presence on the bench wasn't enough to make the Lakers a team, even though Payton was a clear upgrade over him at the point guard position.

32. Trading for Allen Iverson (The Nuggets)

Iverson always played hard, but he never exactly fostered team chemistry on any of the teams he played for. In many seasons, you could argue he was his team's chemistry killer.

There are seasons in Philly you could reasonably argue he led the Sixers to a great record by himself or with very little help. Everyone remembers the 2001 Sixers team that not only made the NBA Finals, but also took a game on the road in the Finals against the Lakers.

Here was that team's 10 man rotation in the playoffs:

Allen Iverson
Theo Ratliff
Dikembe Mutumbo
George Lynch
Aaron McKie
Eric Snow
Tyrone Hill
Jumaine Jones
Kevin Ollie
Raja Bell

Todd MacCulloch also made a few cameo appearances. It was impressive this team made the NBA Finals.

Granted, it was a fairly weak Eastern Conference at the time, but Iverson may have been bad for team chemistry, but he also was good for team wins. So the trade to the Nuggets didn't work out, but I am not sure Iverson was a chemistry killer in Philly.

31. Rick Pitino Brings the Full-Court Press to Boston

I am a Celtics fan and regarding the Pitino era I can think of 2-3 worst decisions he made. I wouldn't classify this as one of those. I don't usually agree with Bill Simmons (we agree the sun is bright and being stabbed would hurt...that's about it), but I agree if an NBA team had a specific group of players to full court press another team, it would work out well. Obviously, not every NBA team could be full court pressed effectively, but I still don't think it is a terrible idea.

30. The 76ers trade Charles Barkley

Barkley demanded the trade. He essentially forced the Sixers hand. They pretty much had no choice but trade him or deal with an unhappy player. This was not a bad decision.

28. The Lakers trade Shaquille O'Neal

Sure, there was some bad blood between Shaq and Kobe, but trading the big man made very little sense.

"Some" bad blood between Shaq and Kobe? There is an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to this "some" bad blood between the two. After Phil Jackson left because his contract wasn't renewed, Shaq demanded a trade, which brought the Lakers Lamar Odom by the way. Did the Lakers really want an unmotivated pissed off Shaq on the same team as a supremely motivated pissed off Kobe? In a fight between two alpha dogs like this that feel free to express their opinion, it is hard to keep them both on the same team when they are unhappy.

The Lakers didn't give into Kobe's demands a few years later when he wanted to be traded himself; they shouldn't have given in here either.

The Kobe trade demand was a completely different situation. Kobe wanted to be traded because he didn't feel the team put enough good players around him, while the Kobe-Shaq feud was between two people. It's a whole different breed of an issue. General unhappiness with the direction of the team can be fixed easier than when a team's two best players just absolutely don't like each other. One unhappy player isn't as big of a deal compared to two unhappy players.

20. The Pistons use their No. 2 pick on Darko Milicic

I say there's a good chance they would have won multiple titles had they drafted Anthony at No. 2.

He's a much more talented player than Tayshaun Prince (the small forward the Pistons already had), and Detroit could have had a nucleus that would have competed for NBA championships for years (not just Eastern Conference championships).

Yeah, but would the Pistons then have won the NBA Title in 2004 as a team? They beat the Lakers, who only had a collection of great players, but weren't a team with Gary Payton on the roster. Would the Pistons have been a team with Melo on the roster? So while criticizing Gary Payton for bringing a "me-first" attitude to the Lakers and getting beaten by the Pistons who were a real team, Andy Bailey says the Pistons should have taken Carmelo Anthony (which I can't argue with in principle) even though Bailey says in the #32 worst decision about the trade of Iverson to the Nuggets that Anthony is a "ball-stopping" player. So here's a list of statements and see if this makes sense.

2002: Pistons should have chosen Carmelo Anthony (which again, I can't argue with outside of this specific discussion) because he is a talented player and they would have won more NBA Titles with him.

2004: The Lakers should not have signed Gary Payton because he is a "me-first" player whose team lost to the team that was the 2004 Detroit Pistons in the title game. Would the 2004 Pistons have been a team with Melo on the roster? Very debatable.

2006: The Nuggets shouldn't have traded for Allen Iverson because he is a "ball-stopper" like Carmelo Anthony is.

So logically wouldn't replacing Tayshaun Prince with Carmelo Anthony have brought a "ball-stopper" to the Piston team that could have caused them to not be a team in 2004 when they beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals? I'm just wondering. Anthony gets criticized by Bailey as a "ball-stopper," but then magically when he gets on the Pistons team (think of how the dynamics of that 2004 team would change with Anthony on the squad) he won't be a "ball-stopper" and will contribute enough to help them become a perennial title contender.

And don't tell me Melo can't play defense like Prince. He has the physical tools, and Larry Brown and the Pistons players would have made him play on that end of the floor.

Larry Brown would have put a gun to Melo's head and made him play defense, since no other coach has tried to get Melo to play defense apparently, and it would have worked because Melo knows snitches get stiches. Carmelo Anthony ain't no snitch.

15. Bucks trade Dirk Nowitzki

I have no problem with this spot on the list. What I do have a question about is this statement:

Dirk is an all-time top-20 player who just led the only team he's ever played for to an NBA championship.

An all-time top-20 player? Granted, Andy Bailey is a Mavericks fan, (as well as a Rockies and Braves fan...?????) so he may be a little bit biased in his opinion. I just don't know if I see Dirk as an all-time top 20 player. That's a tough list to crack.

Slam Magazine got a list of the Top 500 players of all-time and see which players in the top-20 you would leave out for Dirk. It's a tough thing to do.

14. The 76ers trade Wilt Chamberlain

Boy, he just doesn't like it when the 76ers trade any player does he? Iverson, Barkley, and Chamberlain, he didn't like any of those trades.

The Lakers have made their fair share of trade pilfers.

In this one, they got Wilt Chamberlain for Jerry Chambers, Archie Clark and Darrall Imhoff.

Have any of you heard of any of those three?

This is the only reason given for not liking this trade. Much like Barkley, Chamberlain forced this trade or he was going to jump to the ABA with his old Sixers coach, which was a viable threat in 1968. So the 76ers didn't really have a great deal of choice in the matter. It was a bad trade though, but possibly not a bad decision given the circumstances.

12. Hornets trade Kobe Bryant

I'm not going to make myself sound old, but I think if our author had lived or done a bit more research on why some of these worst decisions were made, he would possibly have left them off this list. The Hornets had zero interest in drafting Bryant and the deal went down before the pick was made. So all the Hornets were guilty of is trading for Vlade Divac and choosing the player the Lakers said they wanted the Hornets to draft to complete the trade. So they may be guilty of passing over Kobe Bryant, but they had no interest in drafting him. Every team that passed over Bryant could be on this list then, with the only exception being those teams didn't get a quality center (which Divac was and the Hornets won 50+ games the next year) in return for passing over Kobe Bryant.

11. The Blazers, King, Pacers, Knicks, and Warriors all pass on Larry Bird

Red Auerbach had the sense to take a kid who averaged 30 points and 13 rebounds a game during college.

Looks like people were doubting small conference players long before Jimmer Fredette.

Yes, Jimmer wasn't the first small conference player to be doubted. I know it is hard to believe if you have only been paying attention over the last five years.

Again, please do some research. Yes, these teams all passed on Larry Bird. It was not a smart decision. But why did these teams pass on Bird? These teams did not pass on Bird because he was a small conference player (the two players drafted in front of him were from Montana and Jackson State, which last time I checked aren't well known for putting out NBA players), but because he was a JUNIOR in college, not a senior. They didn't want to draft a player who would just go back to college and conceivably waste their Top 5 pick for that year. At the time, this was a no-no to draft a player and not know if he will play for that team next year. Now, teams do it all the team with overseas players.

Guess what Bird ended up doing though? Going back to college for his senior year. The Celtics retained his rights in a rule that no longer exists, because of this exact situation, where a team can't draft a player who isn't ready to sign. Hence players have to declare for the NBA now to show they are ready to sign.

So these teams did pass on Bird, but it wasn't because he was a small conference player, but because he was a junior in college and may not have chosen to play in the NBA that year...which is exactly what ended up happening. This took me 10 seconds to do research on (it may take 50 extra seconds for a person who didn't already know 90% of this information) Bird and why he was passed over by five teams. So it was a bad decision, but it wasn't purely the fact that Bird played at Indiana State which was the issue behind the decision.

3. Tony Parker cheats with his teammates's wife

Really? This is the #3 worst decision in NBA history? Worse than the last 7 (all of which were pretty good):

10. The Decision.
9. The Trail Blazers go with Sam Bowie.
8. Charles Barkely throws a patron through a bar window.
7. The Knicks hire Isiah Thomas.
6. Ron Artest heads into the stands.
5. Tim Donaghy cheats.
4. Kobe Bryant in Colorado.

Tony Parker allegedly cheating with his teammate's wife was worse than the worst brawl and scandal in NBA history?

1. Jayson Williams brandishes a gun while drunk

I guess the biggest issue I have with the #1 worst decision in NBA history is that Jayson Williams was retired when this happened. It is probably a bit nitpicky, but I don't know if this incident should really be included in with the worst decisions made in NBA history since Williams wasn't an active player.

I think I am starting to enjoy visiting Bleacher Report. I wish they would give Joe Morgan a weekly column to write.

1 comments MMQB Review: Hard Knocks, Peter King Edition: Volume 1

Before I get to MMQB for this week, I have created Yahoo Fantasy Football and Fantasy College Football Pick 'Em leagues. We need a few more teams in the Fantasy Football league and need quite a few more teams in the College Football Pick 'Em league. Feel free to join up if you care to. The ID and password for the Fantasy Football league is "211530" and the password is "eckstein." The ID and password for the College Football Pick 'Em league is "1724" and the password is "asu." I am very clever with my passwords obviously.

I figure since there wasn't "Hard Knocks" this year on HBO, we can call Peter King's training camp tour "Hard Knocks, Peter King Edition" despite the fact it is 1/100th as interesting as an episode of the real "Hard Knocks." Peter is on a training camp tour and I am not sure, but I think he proposes to Mike Florio at least once in his MMQB. Let's just say Peter likes Mike Florio, and not just because he is a co-worker, but mostly because he is a co-worker. Also, because Peter hasn't told us anything this week, we do get a Nnamdi Asomugha update. I know he has signed with the Eagles, but I am betting Peter probably still thinks he will go to the Jets.

IN THE USO-MOBILE, ON I-81 IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA -- Camps are open. Football's back. I'm on the road, writing Monday Morning Quarterback in the cab of a big rig near the Blue Ridge Mountains.

For those who don't recall, Peter bitched long enough about having to drive to the training camps that he got his own bus to use during his training camp tours. Peter's personal automobile or a rental is apparently out of the question now that Peter is feuding with Hertz because they overcharged him to fill up the tank in the rental car he was too lazy to fill up himself. Peter doesn't have to fill up the tank in his USO-Mobile nor does he seem to have to drive the entire time, that's what the team of migrant workers he brought along his tour are for.

First, the headlines of the morning:

Quit with the bullshit! Does Nnamdi Asomugha still want to sign with the Jets? I have to know.

The Eagles wouldn't have signed Nnamdi Asomugha without a simultaneous middle-of-the-night exchange of text messages between GM Howie Roseman and the agent for Asomugha, Ben Dogra, 15 hours before he agreed to terms with Philadelphia.

(Howie Roseman texting Ben Dogra) "Its Howie. We want 2 make Nnamdi a very high paid cornerback in the NFL? Thoughts."

(Ben Dogra texting back) "Really? What u thinkin?"

(Howie Roseman) "$60 million 4 5 years? Good, bad, u tell me."

(Ben Dogra) "Good. Jets have offered 6 years $80 mil. Beat that?"

(Howie Roseman) "No the Jets haven't. I don't read MMQB. PK on your payroll. Don't lie. $60 mil 5 years. Done?"

(Ben Dogra) "Got me. I give PK Starbucks gift cards 4 Xmas. He thought it wld drive up price tlking a/b NA in MMQB. Fail! Deal done."

(Howie Roseman) "Do u know of any more scrambling QBs that can't throw we could sign."

(Ben Dogra) "Vince Young? hahaha...u wld never do---"

(Howie Roseman) "We just signed him."

Peyton Manning on Sunday found three different ways to say he'll never play outside of Indiana.

Meanwhile Tom Brady is still practicing in California to be with his kid, just like the selfish jerk he is. Gisele has ruined him! Brady will never have the work ethic of Peyton Manning, who will not leave the state of Indiana, even to play away games. Teams have to come to Indiana to play Peyton Manning and Colts. That's how much he loves Indiana.

The Asomugha story's the most interesting of the first week back.

If anyone read last week's MMQB, this should come as no shock Peter believes this is the most interesting story.

How'd we all miss Nnamdi to the Eagles?

Because Peter was too busy linking him repeatedly to the Jets. It's ok. It's not like Peter gets paid to know this information or anything.

Then, at precisely 12:38 a.m. Friday, Dogra pressed the button on a text message to Roseman that said: "Are u sure ..... be bold. Best deal in history.''

At almost the split second that Dogra sent the message, one time-stamped 12:38 a.m. popped into his phone from Roseman, sent obviously before Roseman had read Dogra's text. "Thanks for taking the time today. I appreciate the process. We need more of ur guys here.''

Well, clearly this means the Eagles should invest $60 million dollars in Asomugha since it just so happened their General Manager and Asomugha's agent texted each other at nearly the same time. It's simply fate.

Dogra thought it was eerie that their texts passed in the ether. And he wanted Roseman to not think it was over, because he knew how much Asomugha wanted to play in Philadelphia.

This isn't just eerie. This is the football gods proclaiming that, yes, Nnamdi Asomugha should play in Philadelphia.

This scene was probably like a bad romantic comedy movie set in a high school where the leading lady drops her books and bumps heads with the studly, yet insecure and completely available jock who tries to bend down and help her pick them up. Simply put, an eventual marriage is the only reasonable conclusion for why these two people bumped heads.

Dogra picked up the phone. No sooner did Roseman say hello than Dogra's cell phone beeped in his ear. Call-waiting. Asomugha.

Lifetime has just snatched up the movie rights to this story. It has everything in it. Drama, romance, a little action...and it gives Nnamdi Asomugha the big acting gig he has always wanted. Who needs New York now, bitches?

Dogra let it ring to voicemail because he had a message to deliver to Roseman first. "Don't you think it's strange we haven't communicated in five or six hours, and all of sudden we send each other texts at exactly the same time? Are you sure we don't want to explore this one last time?''

(Using the voice often heard in a soap opera during a lover's quarrel) "Let's explore this one more time. We owe to ourselves to see if this can work out. Don't give up on us. I haven't!"

Dogra's no mystic, but he'll always believe there was something eerie going on when two texts were sent simultaneously, and two phone calls made within 10 seconds of each other, all by the three people involved in making a deal happen.

I think the one thing we can really learn this from this story is that Peter King was wrong, again, about where a free agent may end up. Peter completely had Asomugha pegged for the Jets.

This I knew: Jerry Richardson had his heart transplant on Super Bowl Sunday between the Steelers and Cardinals. He got the phone call to hustle into the hospital in Charlotte for the surgery late that afternoon. This I didn't know: It was an NBC game that day, and when Richardson was being prepped for surgery, he had one request before being put under. "I wanted to hear that Faith Hill song,'' he said. The NBC theme song for the football game was the last thing, other than some personal words from his wife, he heard before the transplant.

(Jerry Richardson's wife) "I love you honey. You'll be fine."

(Jerry Richardson) "I can't wait to see you after this is done...(starts to fade off)"

(Richardson's wife) "Oh yes, I forgot to mention you may want to refuse to sign your head coach to a contract extension in a few seasons, make him a lame duck, sign Jake Delhomme to a contract extension and then release him a year later, and then alienate your entire fan base with vague promises to spend money once the impending lockout is over. That's the best course of action."

(Richardson) "Sounds great. I will do that...(falls asleep)"

Drew Brees didn't back down and was on the front line of those who told Smith if he had to miss a paycheck or three from his $10-million annual salary, he was willing.

What a guy. Drew Brees, who could quit playing in the NFL today and be set for life without having to work ever again, said he would not collect one or even three of the paychecks he doesn't really need in order to live comfortably for the rest of his life if that is what it took. He was willing to forgo a paycheck(s) he doesn't really need in order to get the deal done. He is not only a New Orleans Saint. He is also a human saint.

In all seriousness, I am sure Drew Brees is a great guy. Still, this is an instance where Peter King writes and doesn't seem to quite understand his audience. For us, missing one or three paychecks and still pocketing $7-$8 million dollars isn't quite a huge sacrifice for the cause. It shows a willingness to make the lockout last from the player's perspective, but to the reader of MMQB it also makes he/she realize a guy like Drew Brees is set for life regardless.

Last December, Richardson told me if Goodell was in office for 25 years, this would be the most important decision (or series of them) he ever made. I asked him last night how he felt Goodell did.

These are the softball-ass questions I like for my reporters to ask.

"Hey Peyton, do you like it when your receivers catch the football as you throw it?"

"Tom...be real with me. Randy Moss, did you like having him on your team?

What did Peter expect Jerry Richardson to say? Did he expect him to say Goodell was useless? Or that Goodell did nothing to drive the process? A deal got done, both sides got what they wanted...there's back-patting to go all around.

"He was by far the driving force to getting this deal done,'' Richardson said. "when we picked this man five years ago, what a decision we made.

Yes, you owners are such geniuses for choosing Roger Goodell as the commissioner. Great job. Pop the bubbly. Whores for everyone.

"I played the game when Bert Bell was commissioner. Pete Rozelle was a major help to us when we tried to get the franchise for the Carolinas, and, of course, I owned the team when Paul Tagliabue was commissioner. Now Roger. I think he will stand up when it's all done to be the equal of all of them -- and, with his vision for the game, he could exceed them.''

Of course 10 years from now when a labor deal can't get done or Goodell has done something to piss off Jerry Richardson, he will be a moron. But for now, "goodwill to all men" is the motto.

even though I find it ridiculous to consider that half of the players in the league, as of this morning, haven't voted to approve the deal. But the one group that I feel for the most is the exclusive-rights free-agents group.

What? So half of the players haven't approved the deal? So what would happen if this group didn't approve the deal or is this a foregone conclusion they will?

Watching Cam Newton Sunday night in Spartanburg, S.C., three things were evident:

Before we get to the things that were evident, Peter King threw up a Tweet about how Cam Newton shunned him after camp. Cam should know well enough that if he wants to get into Peter's inner circle of favored quarterbacks he has to kiss some major ass.

The Big Lead had a good post about this and also some interesting commentary. I have no issue with Peter Tweeting that and I think Cam Newton should have at least said something to Peter, but it does seem like Peter is partly putting himself into a dramatic story, doesn't it? Did he expect Newton to love him, regardless of whether what Newton said was smart or stupid to say?

And though his accuracy is very much a work in progress (he missed six or eight open receivers Sunday),

Probably because the play had more than one word! Because see, Cam Newton is too stupid to know NFL plays!

It is training camp, nearly all of the receivers on the field seem to be open.

he does throw a beautiful deep ball -- as he did to wideout David Gettis late in practice, a 45-yard throw that landed in Gettis' arms perfectly.

Then after seeing how well his son was throwing the deep ball, Cam Newton's father tried to send the Panthers a $4,500 invoice for Cam's time with the team during training camp. Cam, of course, knew nothing about this.

One more reason why all teams should go to small college campuses,

The college-age ladies!

On Sunday, one of the Panther players went to the piano in the corner and began playing a Mozart sonata.

It was Cam Newton who did this. Then Cam Newton's father invoiced Wofford College (where the camp was held) $5,000 for Newton's "entertainer/icon" performance. Cam Newton, of course, knew nothing about this.

There's nothing wrong with that.

Don't worry unnamed Carolina Panther player who played a Mozart sonata, Peter King doesn't think your a homosexual! (wink, wink)

"WOW''

-- Atlanta cornerback Dunta Robinson, upon getting a text Friday evening that Nnamdi Asomugha had signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, not the New York Jets.

I like how Peter is making it seem like EVERYONE thought Asomugha was definitely going to the Jets. Maybe Robinson was Tweeting "WOW" because the Eagles got Asomugha or the amount of money that was involved. It doesn't necessarily mean he Tweeted "WOW" because Asomugha didn't sign with the Jets.

We're not likely to see many of these for a while -- Ocho sounds like he's going to be either cloistered up there in Foxboro or shutting up so as not to rub the Hoodie the wrong way, or both -- but I liked these four Chadisms from his interview session Saturday:

You know Peter King is very excited that Chad Johnson is playing in New England this next season. It's his favorite team and Johnson is a quote machine.

Then Peter talks about ESPN's new QB evaluation statistic. Which is scares the hell out of me because I have a feeling "grittiness" or "ability to make a highlight play" will end up being highly judged in the formula. You know, because it is ESPN and all.

It's be interesting to see if the Total QBR gets traction and usurps passer rating. I think we're ready for a system that scores on a scale of 1 to 100, takes more factors into account than passer rating, and involves the measurement of so-called clutch play. Like OPS (on-base plus slugging) and WAR (wins above replacement value) in baseball, it's time for a more thoughtful number to judge how quarterbacks play. Is this the one? I don't know. But I like rethinking passer rating.

Me too. Can we get someone else to do it though and not an entertainment network? The thought of this just scares me.

Wednesday -- The Jets, in Florham Park, N.J. Very seldom have the Jets been bridesmaids in player-chasing. We'll see how they feel.

Nnamdi! There is still time to change your mind! Go to the place you belong, with the Jets.

Monday, Aug. 8 -- The Lions, in Allen Park, Mich. Looking forward to talking to Jim Schwartz about his music tastes and his heavy-metal-loving tweets.

Because this is the type of information an NFL sportswriter needs to be giving his readers. God forbid Peter looks forward to actually providing information on the Lions season. I just want to know about Jim Schwartz's Tweets and what music he listens to.

Wednesday, Aug. 10 -- The Bears, in Bourbonnais, Ill. Memo to the drive-thru Starbucks about two miles from the Bears practice fields: We'll be stopping by for a couple of ventis that morning. I'll need a transfusion.

This just in: The Starbucks two miles from the Bears practice fields has been closed for "renovations" over the next month. The last time Peter was there he probably took 22 minutes to select what he wanted to drink and then got in an argument with a guy who "jumped in line" ahead of him...just like always happens in that Hell on Earth we call "Europe."

Then Peter talks about the Twitter fight between Mike Florio and Jay Feely, which may be the worst Twitter fight ever.

2:29 p.m., @ProFootballTalk: "It's a four-year, $12 million contract with $4 million signing bonus for Mare. A kicker.''

2:46 p.m., @ProFootballTalk: "Of course, Mare hasn't actually 'signed.' He agreed to terms. Which gives Panthers two days to come to their senses.''

2:52 p.m., @jayfeely: "NBC gave a lawyer w/no football experience a big contract.''

2:58 p.m., @ProFootballTalk: "@jayfeely ... At least we have something in common. Neither of us has actually played in an NFL game.''

3:52 p.m., @jayfeely: "now you sound like Skip Bayless. Come to camp, see if they can find shoulder pads small enough for you & we can find out''

All that's missing from this exchange is a "yo mama" joke.

2. I think you're all going to jump up and say, "Oh, you work with Florio, so you're pumping him up'' after this item. I guess I am.

"You know that thing you are accusing me of doing? Well yeah, I am doing that, but still listen to what I have to say because it means something coming from a non-neutral observer like me."

But if you want one sign that profootballtalk.com and czar founder Mike Florio have become power brokers in football, consider this. Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff has a big-screen TV monitor with touch-screen capability in his office, and he has loaded with a few things. There's his roster (with detailed bio and scouting information on each player), the Weather Channel and The Rumor Mill on profootballtalk.com. Dimitroff walks up to the screen a few times a day and clicks his fingernail on the PFT logo, and up it comes.

I think we all know General Managers read Pro Football Talk and I have read it for years and years. Still, there are plenty of other sites football executives read daily and beginning this sentence basically admitting he is just pumping up Florio because he works with him, doesn't do much for Peter's credibility in my book. I just like criticizing Peter King a little too much probably.

5. I think my British friend Neil Hornsby has done the fans of the hidden game of football a good service with his deep analysis of players on profootballfocus.com. The site tracks every player's plays in the league, and its finding of who actually is playing well and who isn't is often a surprise. On Sunday, after the Eagles signed an invisible guard named Evan Mathis, Neil came out with this gem: Mathis has played 724 snaps over the past two years and allowed zero sacks. I asked Neil to give me his best deals of free agency so far. Here are his top five:

Let's look at a couple of these under-the-radar signings where teams signed valuable players that we may not have known where valuable. I'm pumped!

Nnamdi Asomugha, Eagles (5 years, $60 million)

Ok. He is a great player...but also the best available free agent. I'll give this one a pass.

Ray Edwards, Falcons (5 years, $27.5 million).

Oh...the second best defensive end in free agency.

6. I think I'm really looking forward to seeing the Sabols and others in Canton Friday night. Interesting to note that most of you who tweet me and email me -- I'd say the vast majority -- are more interested in the Sabol family drama (and I mean that in an affectionate way) than anything else at the Hall of Fame induction.

Who are those people who Tweet and email Peter about the Sabol family drama they are looking forward to? The Sabol extended family.

I, for one, am not even sure Sabol should have made the Hall of Fame with quality actual NFL players available to be inducted, but weren't. Of course I never really look forward to Hall of Fame inductions, so there's that.

8. I think the Kyle Orton-to-Miami deal isn't dead, though it seems to be a long shot. If I were Orton, I'd be pushing for it. Hard. Tim Tebow might not keep the job, but he's certainly going to have a good shot to win it this year at some point, and maybe very soon. I don't care what Orton would have to do to his contract to make it happen. Five years down the road, if he doesn't end up in Miami, he'll be saying to himself, "I should have redone my contract back in 2011. I should have figured how much they wanted to go with Tebow, and how I could have started from day one in Miami.''

I think Woody Paige has already established Kyle Orton is a terrible person, a complete moron, a bad teammates and probably had something to do with the Ebola virus outbreak in Africa.

9. I think I wonder why the Bears ever drafted Greg Olsen in the first place. Since Mike Ditka roamed Soldier Field as a player, have the Bears ever had a great offensive tight end? Ever used a tight end as a downfield offensive threat? That's a near-waste of a pick if you ask me. Interesting watching Olsen catching fastballs off the JUGS machine at Panthers camp Sunday night. One-handed.

Which is always a useful drill in case you are trying to piss of the fan base of your team by catching passes one-handed in actual games.

a. The Phillies must have the greatest minor league system of all time. It's brought them Hunter Pence, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt in the last two years.

If only they had rankings of farm systems so Peter could figure this out. If only. Alas, this is just a pipe dream.

b. Ubaldo Jimenez looked too risky to trade major prospects for.

Jimenez has the following statistics in road games this year:

3-4 record, 3.38 ERA, 1.076 WHIP, .183 BAA, and 2 complete games. Doesn't look so risky away from Coors Field this year.

c. On the other hand, I kind of like the Erik Bedard deal for the Red Sox, because they didn't have to give up anybody good, and Bedard's been good in four of his last five starts.

So let me get this straight: Peter King doesn't like a player the Red Sox didn't trade for, who has #1 starter potential, because he says the pitcher looks "risky," but Erik Bedard who has had a ton of injuries, and appears to have #3 starter potential, and did get traded to the Red Sox, Peter really likes him. There's a shock.

f. Coffeenerdness: You do not want to get the coffee I tried at the CITGO in some small town off I-85 in South Carolina around 10 last night. Trust me. When you walked in the place, you smelled the burners. I think my coffee was brewed last April.

So everyone avoid the CITGO in a small town in South Carolina that is located on the major highway that runs through the entire state. Shouldn't be hard to find it. Just wade through the 100 other CITGO's in small towns in South Carolina.

g. Beernerdness: Not many to discuss, honestly. Did have a nice Paulaner Hefeweizen Saturday at my hotel in South Carolina. The nice waitress even put a lemon on the rim of the glass for me. That's the hotel where the USO crew and I discussed first names with the waitress, who changed hers from "Lindsay'' to "Linzy'' at age 13. We didn't ask many questions.

Naturally, anyone who changes the spelling of their name is crazy! If she had changed her name to "Lindsay Trece" then that would have been much more normal. See? Poor people are "crazy," wealthy people are "quirky."

i. I'm having a great time visiting America. Hope to see you. Feel free to say hello if our paths cross.

I will run away instead.

1 comments All Day Basketball Interview

A little something I did for Dime.

You probably saw Dude Perfect and their trick shots on ESPN. They were pretty impressive, to say the least. Well the next big name in basketball trick shots is waiting to bust loose and hit the big time: All Day Basketball. The group’s youngest members, Jack (the cameraman) and Will Sims are 15, their older brother Paul is 19, and their neighbor Brad Marlow rounds out the group at 20 years old. Hailing from Fort Wayne, Indiana, the foursome possesses an uncanny knack for knocking down ridiculously difficult shots from anywhere and everywhere. And that’s because no shot is too imposing; they’ll go through, over, around and under any obstacle you give them. I had the chance to speak with the All Day Basketball crew about how it all began and where their trick shot future might take them.

And yes, it’s all 100% real. Check out their trick shots here.

Dime: How did All Day Basketball get started?
All Day Basketball (Paul): First off, we saw some videos by a group named “Dude Perfect,” I think you know them. We saw some of their stuff online and on ESPN. Then we were shooting around back in our driveway, and we basically kept shooting from farther away, going back to like the sidewalk squares. And then Jack started taping, and then we starting getting crazier and crazier shots and we got the idea that maybe we could put it on YouTube and become a trick shot group.

Dime: You’ve gone from admiring Dude Perfect to being in direct competition with them. How do you plan on overtaking them as the nation’s best trick shot group?
ADB (Paul): One of their trademarks, is, I would say, going big. Like they get into big places such as Cowboys Stadium, Reliant Stadium, obviously they’re big name places. Recently we’ve gotten into our local baseball diamond called Parkview Field. We’re also planning on going to the Coliseum in Fort Wayne, which is a basketball/hockey arena. So we’re starting to get into some places rather than shooting at our houses and local courts and stuff, which gives us more opportunities. Also, we don’t necessarily think we have to get into those same places to overtake, if you want to say that, Dude Perfect.

Dime: How did you guys come up with the name All Day Basketball?
ADB (Brad): Originally I came up with the name by…let’s say your playing with your buddies, a game of H.O.R.S.E, and you keep on making the shots and your friend keeps on missing them. You just say, “that’s all day.” You can’t miss at all.

Dime: I saw on YouTube that you sent a highlight package of your best shots to ESPN. What ever came of that?
ADB (Brad): That was their highlight challenge thing, and we did not win or get in the top three for that.

(Jack): But we did get on the ESPN website, with their like cool YouTube videos, on Page 2. That was pretty cool.

Dime: What do your friends and family think of what your doing and the popularity that you’ve gained?
ADB (Paul): I’ll just like tell other people, whether it’s at school or at work and everybody’s like, “that’s crazy, how did you do that?” Especially people that have never seen it before. They’re like, “how is that even possible?”

(Jack): Our family’s really supportive, they can’t believe it. And like our relatives, they get more excited than we do when we make them. So it’s really nice to have that encouragement.

Dime: What’s your favorite trick shot that you’ve done so far?
ADB (Paul): We’ve got a couple. I’m gonna say, the one I made on the most recent edition where I make a layup in the one basket and then kick it full court, straight out of the air into the other basket. Just cause of the difficulty. And then another one I’d say is one we haven’t posted online yet, cause it involves all three of us. We did it at the local high school stadium that you might’ve seen in some of our shots. Will’s halfway up the stadium, I’m ¾ up, Brad’s at the top. We all shot down to the bottom where the basket is, and we all make it at once.

Dime: How do you come up with the shot ideas? How do you decide who gets to take the shots?
ADB (Brad): Usually we just try to create something that’s original, something that no one’s done before. We don’t want to be like other people. That’s why some of our shots involve two or three of us. Usually Paul comes up with the most ridiculous stuff that’s not even possible. I mean, he made that full cour kick shot which I couldn’t believe.

(Will): Whoever comes up with the idea usually gets the shot. Paul’s kind of the kick shot specialist, so if someone has an idea for a kick shot, he’s the one that normally does it. And Brad kinda of does the long range shots.

Dime: How many tries did that take? What’s the average time a shot takes?
ADB (Brad): That shot took more than one day, but the second day it took less than 20 minutes.

(Will): The time depends on the difficulty; you know some shots are harder than others. Normally the ones that take longest I’d say are the kick shots most of the time. You know, cause you can’t control it as easily when you’re kicking with your foot. And then the shots you can’t see the basket, those are pretty hard.

Dime: Any new trick shot ideas in the works?
ADB (Paul): When we went to our baseball stadium, one shot that we didn’t have the full time that we would like to do is off a parking garage there, like a concourse in the background, and I think the guy there said we might have an opportunity to go back later. To be completely honest, we’ve been running a little low on shot ideas recently, but some stuff we got in the works might be either throwing it or kicking it over a pond, another long distance kick shot and some stuff at the Coliseum, at the top of the seats down into a basket.
(Will): One of our long, long term goals I guess is to try to get into Conseco Field House, trying to get in there to do some shots. And then Lucas Oil Stadium also, and if we get in there, then Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Just kind of hitting up all the Indiana landmarks. For Lucas Oil, shooting from the top deck of the stadium down onto the field. For Indianapolis Motor Speedway, whatever that tower in the middle is called, shooting from the top of that. We’d probably get a lot of publicity and views from that.

Dime: My favorite shot was the one where one of you bounced the ball from the top of the stadium steps into the basket. How did you pull that one off? (Go to the :46 mark of this video)
ADB (Paul): That was Brad, and that’s one of our favorite shots. Yeah that one, definitely some skill there, but lots of luck involved in that too with the wind, and getting six bounces, a lot of praying goes on between when you release it and when it goes in.

Dime: What’s the most difficult situation you’ve run into in terms of people kicking you off the court?
ADB (Paul): We went to a park, and we were making our video, just shooting on one hoop, and this guy came. He just seemed to be a random person that came to play basketball, but he acted like he was the owner of the park and he said there’s no making videos allowed here (laughs). Not even like, “I don’t want you hitting me with a basketball,” but it was, “no videos allowed here.” We decided to wait it out. He just shot around for a half hour and then left.

Dime: If you could involve any NBA player in a trick shot, who would it be and what would he do?
ADB (Paul): If we could get someone like LeBron or Dwight Howard, they could probably throw it farther than anybody else. They could probably set that record, if they would do that with us. Maybe like Steve Nash, I know he has a soccer background. Maybe we could do something crazy like that with them.

Dime: Jack, I know you’re the cameraman. What goes into making the videos? Do you cut stuff out? Have you ever not filmed a shot by accident?
ADB (Jack): We try to make our shots high quality. So all the ones we end up trying normally go into the video. I just cut the shots down, you know. There was one time where I didn’t get the shot, and they still don’t let me live that down.

(Paul): There were multiple times. He’s a great cameraman, but there were multiple times. We’ll have made the shot and it was out of frame, so it’s worthless, or realize the camera is not on, or not recording, or out of battery. It’s rather annoying. Now before we do it, we make sure the red light’s on, the camera’s charged, everything.

1 comments Cuttino Mobley Wants To Be Your Drug Dealer

11,964 points, 2,902 rebounds, 2,015 in 11 NBA seasons. That boils down to 16.0 PPG, 2.7 APG and 3.9 RPG. Pretty impressive stats for an entire NBA career. Clearly not elite, but definitely representative of a quality NBA player. So to whom do we attribute these numbers? That’s right, Cuttino Mobley.

You probably forgot about him after hypertrophic cardiomyopathy forced him out of the league in ’08. That’s what basketball does. It’s an impatient, soulless corporation that feeds on the hearts of the meek. Literally. Mobley gave everything he had to the league for years and was handsomely rewarded. But when it threatened his health and forced him out the door, it was unforgiving and unwilling to ride it out. After being traded to the Knicks from the Clippers for cap reasons, the New York cut him just to save a few bucks.

You can take the player from the game, but you can’t take the game from the player.

So Mobley started over. He may be a 35-year-old has-been to most, but not in his mind. That’s why he’s still working out four times a week and clinging to NBA dreams. But Mobley’s a pragmatist – he’s hedging his NBA bet with a side business that contrasts his somewhat matured personality.

So what’s the business, you ask? A medical marijuana dispensary in Providence, Rhode Island. Here’s what Mobley himself had to say about it to BasketballBreakdowns's YouTube Channel:

“We’re going through the procedure now. A compassion center, to help people that are ill. We’re doing a lot of different research – we have to sign different contracts as far as rental places, cultivation sites, and trying to be as strict as possible.

As to whether marijuana can help people in pain, here’s Mobley’s take:

“I definitely think it does. There’s a lot of different prescription drugs out there that don’t do justice for you. This right here helps in so many different ways, for so many different diseases, and it’s cheaper.”

My initial reaction was to nod – an expected alignment of the cosmos, of sorts. But the man still has NBA aspirations tattooed to his brain. Maybe one day he’ll relive the glory days. I hope so, at least. I wouldn’t mind watching him and Stevie Franchise light up opposing backcourts for one more season. But a man’s gotta choose – NBA or marijuana. Not an easy choice, apparently.

In case you’re feeling nostalgic, enjoy.

6 comments Not Having Marcus Thames To Kick Around Anymore, T.J. Simers Takes Aim at the U.S. Women's Soccer Team

T.J. Simers got an early Christmas gift a few days ago when his least favorite person in the world, Marcus Thames, was released by the Dodgers. Needless to say, Simers hopes Thames ends up begging for scraps of food like the dog he believes Thames to be. Not having an outlet for his unbridled hatred, T.J. Simers takes on the U.S. Women's soccer team. See, he couldn't just say they choked, he had to call them disgraceful and he is upset they got off easy by only being called chokers. Apparently losing the World Cup Final on national television and only having America pay attention to women's soccer in order to rip them for their (really good) performance isn't embarrassing enough. These women need to wear scarlet letters for the shame they have brought our nation according to Simers.

Yes, the U.S. women's team choked and I feel bad for them as much as I can feel bad for a team that didn't perform in a championship game like they needed to. Still, they choked, but they weren't disgraceful.

In all my years watching futbol,

Six weeks. That's how long I am guessing every four years T.J. Simers watches soccer---sorry futbol. He watches the Men's and Women's World Cup for three weeks and then goes to back to searching for baseball players to accost for their defensive inabilities.

I have never seen a side on the pitch gag as much as the U.S. gals.

Talk about just dribbling it away.

"Dribbling it away!" Get it? In soccer, a player dribbles the ball...and the women's team dribbled the game away! What a bunch of pathetic asshole losers! These women should be prevented from reproducing so they can't birth a new generation of choking, disgraceful losers like them. Stop the cycle!

Come on, where does President Obama get off tweeting: "Couldn't be prouder of the women of #USWNT after a hard-fought game"?

What else do you expect from a President who wasn't even born in the United States? He was probably cheering for Japan, because you know, he is anti-American and not born in the United States and all.

He used to live in Hawaii, which is near---you guessed it---Japan! Obama was probably cheering for the Japanese women's team. In fact, I bet he isn't American AND became President only to help Japan take over the United States in regard to the economy and sports.

So Obama's tweet wasn't a congratulations, but a mocking of the U.S. Women's team for losing the match, which enables Step 2 of the Obama Japanese Takeover Initiative to begin. In 2009, Step 1 was the World Baseball Classic which was won by Japan, in 2011 Step 2 was the Women's Soccer World Cup won by Japan, Obama is currently destroying the American economy for Step 3 and in 2013 it will be the Men's Soccer World Cup for the final Step 4. Obama's work is almost done.

I think I just gave Sarah Palin talking points.

This was the mighty Soviet hockey team losing in Lake Placid to a bunch of kids and then fearing the next stop might be Siberia.

No, it wasn't. Maybe the American media wanted you to think this is true, but the Japanese had a good and quick women's team. Give Japan respect for their win and how they played and stop being an ugly American.

How come the president didn't remind the U.S. before its game with Japan they might be spending August in Nebraska if not successful.

Because they won't. I like how America came together during the Men's World Cup because a team of American men didn't underachieve and actually made it past the first round of the World Cup. During the women's World Cup America came together to cheer for them, but these women make the World Cup title game and they are chokers and disgraceful according to T.J. Simers.

Regardless whether this was a men or women's soccer game, it is disgraceful to call either team that participated in the women's soccer final disgraceful. I'm going to be a blanket-statement asshole and say if you didn't watch the women's World Cup Final and enjoy the hell out of it, then you really, really don't like soccer or you don't like sports. It was a great match.

As mismatches go, this was Oregon versus USC.

I'm guessing this is shot at USC and not Oregon. I say this because Oregon beat USC in 2010, 2009, and 2007 when it comes to college football. I think the definition of a bitter, angry sportswriter is one that takes shots at local teams perceived as "failures" while writing about a completely different subject.

The Mavericks against the Lakers.

And again, the same principle applies. Taking vendettas out against other local teams that are "failures" is the sure sign of a bitter sportswriter. Weren't the Lakers working on a three-peat (sue me Pat Riley) of their NBA Title this past year? So I would venture to say the Lakers don't consistently get beaten by many teams since they had won two NBA Titles in a row. I know, I know details. Why pay attention to little details like facts when you are trying to prove a point?

Some of us were undoubtedly expecting a clean sheet from Hope Solo, and I'm sure my fellow futbol fans understand what I'm talking about.

How about you tell that to Hope Solo's teammates? On both goals, U.S. women's soccer players had a hand in the other team scoring. The first time on the disaster in front of the goal where the ball didn't get cleared and the second on the deflection past Solo. Since Simers seems to know so much about futbol (which it annoys me when T.J. Simers calls it that since he is about as Spanish as grits), then he also understands when a goal is scored it isn't always the goalie's fault. I would classify both of the goals scored in regular/extra time as goals that weren't Hope Solo's fault.

The powerhouse U.S. hadn't lost to Japan in 25 games, had a 1-0 lead with nine minutes to play, a 2-1 advantage with three minutes left in overtime and just flat out folded.

Yes, the American women choked. I am not sure there is any way to get around this. They had a lead for most of the game and had opportunities to win it and they didn't. Chokers they may be, disgraceful they are not.

Also, if T.J. Simers had paid attention to the rest of the women's World Cup games, which undoubtedly he did because I know he would NEVER comment on something without full information, he would know the women had played it pretty close a few times during previous matches. So it isn't like the U.S. women steamrolled their way to the Final. So calling them a powerhouse may only be true in respect to their previous record against Japan, which any self-respecting sports fan knows head-to-head record over a long period of time means very little in important matches like a World Cup final.

And the president couldn't be prouder of these losers?

Is this sarcasm? Is Simers making fun of people who call the women's losers and chokers? If so, I don't get he is doing this, so he needs to try harder.

A 1-0 U.S.-Japan soccer game is like watching a baseball game with the Dodgers trailing, 1-0. Everyone understands there's no way to overcome such a deficit.

What an ass. This is Jay Mariotti-esque to take out a previous vendetta on a local team while writing about a completely different topic. I half-expect Simers to bring up Ozzie Guillen and call him the "Blizzard of Oz."

I was so confident when the U.S. went ahead that had I been told Rick Neuheisel was coaching the U.S., I still wouldn't have been concerned.

That's the fourth reference to a "failing" local team. It got old before the first reference was even made. If T.J. Simers was confident with a 1-0 lead then it is clear he doesn't watch many sports. A one-run or one-goal lead is very rarely safe. Especially with Jonathan Broxton on the mound!

(stabs self in the eye with an ice pick)

Credited for their resiliency after beating Brazil, the Americans seemed insistent on establishing their legacy as chokers in allowing Japan back into the game.

Or Japan made the most of the opportunities when given them and deserved to win the game.

Or the United States blew or had bad luck when it came to several early game potential goals.

Or Japan deserved to win because they performed well in penalty kicks...which by the way, I have fallen on the anti-penalty kick side before the U.S. lost. It doesn't feel like the right way to end the match.

No one is talking today about blowing it if the U.S. players are running around the field in celebration after winning on penalty kicks.

Well yes. It seems logical for this to occur. If the event which occurred that caused everyone to call the U.S. players chokers had not occurred then no one would have called the team chokers because they would not have had a reason to. This is a painfully obvious statement.

It is like saying, "No one is talking about the Packers as the next dynasty in the NFL if the Saints had won the Super Bowl again this year."

But instead, somewhere in Japan today a broadcaster is now forever famous for screaming: "Holy Al Michaels."

I am sure a Japanese broadcaster is yelling this...because the entire world revolves around the United States and the only upset a Japanese broadcaster could think about after this game is one where a United States team upset Russia in hockey. Hockey. A Japanese broadcaster. Not only does this joke act as if the world revolves around the United States, it doesn't make a ton of sense.

Just think of the endorsement deals waiting for the U.S., the invites from Leno, Letterman and "The Bachelor" and the little girls about to be born and named Hope.

The girls will still get these invites. I am pretty sure Alex Morgan was still trending on Twitter three days after the match. People who couldn't tell a Wambach from a Wombat are women's soccer fans now.

Imagine that last sentence was written by Woody Paige. See, anyone can write for a newspaper and then do sidework for ESPN. As long as you have the right amount of idiocy in your writing, you too can be famous.

(Now, note the irony of me criticizing Simers for criticizing other LA teams in his article about women's soccer while I criticize other sportswriters in this post about criticizing Simers. Note it and then know I am a hypocrite, which I am fine being)

Just think about all those warm, fuzzy and fictional columns that were going to be written about the advances in women's sports and growth in soccer popularity in the afterglow of a thrilling U.S. win.

Again, this can still happen. It was a really exciting soccer match and I think it helps cement in the public's mind that women's soccer can be a quality sport. A popular sport? Maybe not when the World Cup isn't on, but it can be quality.

In the days leading up to the final game, the U.S. players talked in radio interviews about their never-quit attitude and other attributes that made them a great team.

Assholes! They just turned out to be disgraceful losers. I'm surprised they were even let back in the country after the disgrace they have brought to our country.

"There is something special about this group," Solo was saying after beating Brazil, a sentiment echoed by Abby Wambach.

"That is the perfect example of what this country is all about," she said. "We never gave up."

There was something special about that team. They made the women's World Cup Final and dominated Japan. Unfortunately, they lost. It happens in other sports as well, where one team outplays another team, but still loses the game/match. Shit happens.

I'm guessing someone who plays for Japan was saying the same thing after actually winning the World Cup.

Probably. They won.

There is no way you can feel sorry for this bunch.

Really? I feel bad for them because they outplayed Japan, but made mental errors and didn't perform when they needed to. The fact they choked and didn't put Japan away when they could have doesn't mean I shouldn't feel bad for them.

They talked about preparing themselves for this moment, never dreaming they'd get an opponent who didn't have a chance against them.

Saying Japan didn't have a chance against the United States is purely a matter of opinion. As seen from the result of the match, there was no truth to this statement and no American soccer player on the women's team (that I could find) said Japan didn't stand a chance.

The U.S. hockey team beat the Soviet Union and everyone gushed and then the hockey team went out and finished the job with a win over Finland.

Is this supposed to be a direct parallel or something? Because the 1980 U.S. hockey team was a group of underdogs and won over the Soviet Union, the 2011 Women's World Cup team should have easily beaten the Japanese team? If T.J. Simers is trying to prove a point, he may want to try harder because this example doesn't serve that purpose to me.

No one around here, though, seemed interested in waiting for the U.S. women's soccer team to prove itself more than a shooting star.

A shooting star? The U.S. women's soccer team finished 1st in 1999 and 1991, 3rd in 1995, 2003, 2007, and 2nd in 2011. So they are a shooting star that has been a top team during the women's World Cup for 20 years now. But good try attempting to pretend this isn't true and the women's team will soon be doomed to mediocrity.

Some were suggesting no men's team could do what these women were doing given their unselfish, tough and tireless play for one another.

I couldn't agree more — hard to fathom a U.S. men's team collapsing in such a manner.

It is hard to imagine a U.S. men's team collapsing in a World Cup Final because they would have to first MAKE a World Cup Final. A men's team making the World Cup Final is hard to fathom, so in a way T.J. Simers is correct.

As for hanging tough together, which teams seem to do when they win, anyone watching TV couldn't help but notice Solo leaving her teammates behind in defeat to share her emotions with some folks in the stands.

I watched the entire game and saw Solo leave for a few moments and then she seemed to be with the rest of her team the rest of the time. Perhaps those people were her family and they were comforting her. It doesn't matter. The fact Solo left her team for a few minutes after the game really isn't significant.

If there is anything memorable now about this U.S. women's soccer team, it's how it melted in the glare of the big moment. Their role model, I presume, is Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson has 47 PGA tour wins and has won four majors. A lot of golfers wish they could melt in the glare of a big moment like he does.

They just gave it away, and to make excuses or diminish the magnitude of such a collapse is to treat the U.S. gals like women instead of world-class athletes.

No one is saying the women shouldn't be criticized nor should it be forgotten they choked and let themselves lose the game. The criticism for the loss is fair. What is not fair is to call the loss disgraceful because this term takes it out of the realm of choking in a game and making it seem as if they brought shame on the United States. That's not true. They didn't step up when they needed to nor did they put Japan away early when they seemed to have opportunities.

Regretful? Yes.
Frustrating? Yes.
Worthy of comments they choked? Yes.
Worthy of criticism for blowing a chance to achieve their dream? Yes.
Disgraceful? No.

I would imagine that's how most would want to be viewed in victory, so no reason to offer a free pass in defeat and go all gushy.

So T.J. Simers is just keeping it real and making sure there is equality in sports. Except, you know, he isn't. He's going overboard and making the inability for the women's team to put Japan away as some sort of shameful act, when it is simply getting beat in a World Cup Final in a painful way they are guilty of. Let's stick to talk of choking and failing when they needed to succeed and not call them disgraceful.

If the men's soccer team had done the same thing I would feel bad for them and acknowledge they choked. I wouldn't call them disgraceful.

I say treat the gals like athletes and make sure they understand if they choke again, it's off to Nebraska for the whole lot.

I am treating them like athletes who didn't get the job done. No writer would call the Steelers losing in the Super Bowl disgraceful nor would a writer say the Texas Rangers were disgraceful for losing to the San Francisco Giants in the World Series last year. Why use this reference for the U.S. women's soccer team?