Breaking down the falacies of comparing last year's highest drafted rb, Adrian Peterson to this year's highest drafted rb, Darren McFadden

There is a lot of talk about Darren McFadden being this year's Adrian Peterson. Peterson, who was drafted sixth overall by the Vikings, ended up being one of the top five players in the NFL last year.

There are similarities. Both running backs are All-Americans who played for teams in the middle of the country (Peterson for Oklahoma and McFadden for Arkansas). Coming out of college, both guys were easily considered the best running back of their respective drafts. Both guys warranted serious number one overall consideration. The two are also similar in size as McFadden is listed 6'2" and Peterson is listed 6'1". Both even wore quite similar red and white uniforms.

But while the five teams that passed up on Adrian Peterson were (unofficially) considered fools by ShotsHeard; the teams that passed up on Darren McFadden should not be considered fools since McFadden is not exactly of the same ilk as Peterson.

At every level, Peterson has always been a dominant, whereas McFadden has not been. Peterson's phenomenal abilities saw him attain 1925 yards in his freshman season; a mark that McFadden never achieved.

Peterson and McFadden had similar career stats at college, but Peterson missed more time due to injuries. At the college level, I would rank Marshall Faulk first and Peterson second as the two greatest backs ever (Both players coincidentally or not so coincidentally wear the number 28). When they were on top of their games they were unstoppable. McFadden would not make the list.

In the greatest college football game ever played, the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Peterson's dominance was apparent. On the first play of overtime, everyone knew he was getting the ball. But everyone was not going to stop it from being one and done as he ran for a 25 yard touchdown. After answering with a touchdown, Boise State was virtually forced to go for the do or die play; the statue of liberty play on their two-point conversion as their defense had no answer for Peterson.

Peterson is the complete back. Teams have to put eight or nine in the box because if he has an ounce of daylight, he's going to scramble for a 50 yard plus run. And even if a player does intrude on Peterson, he's going to barrel them over for another five to seven yards if no gang tackle ensues.

McFadden on the other hand, is more of speed back than a complete player, though he could become one. His combine time for the 40 was 4.27, faster than Peterson's 4.40. But it takes more than speed at the next level. Linebackers and secondaries and linebackers cut off the corners and plug the gaps much more efficiently than in college. A back with power and agility like Peterson has much more value than McFadden. McFadden was so containable that last year in his best season, his longest run was only 33 yards.

Lastly, there's the difference in the two men's character. Simply put, Peterson has a lot of it and we'll let you know when we find McFadden's character.

McFadden has had undeniable gang affiliations. ShotsHeard believes that whether or not McFadden was officially part of gang, he was strongly shaped by the gang culture. While McFadden is trying to say all the right things to the media to not glorify his indulgent past; his lack of remorse for his actions is apparent.

On the other hand, Peterson is more selfless. After rushing for over a 100 yards in four of his first five games(including a high of 224 yards), Peterson insisted that the starting job was still Chester Taylor's job. Peterson knew that he was the best back and that the mantle would be his soon enough. But he respected the abilities and sensitivities of hist teammates.

He could never truly be considered a number two back after rushing for an NFL record 296 yards in Week 9. But he still allowed Chester Taylor to shine as the two combined for 2,185 yards on the year. Despite having holes at QB and WR, Peterson helped turn the Vikings into playoff contenders.

The truth is that most of the media missed their chance to see Peterson for the great potential talent he was; a man that could possibly end up being the greatest player in the history of the NFL. They are trying desperately, to say 'see we told you,' this time around when it comes to McFadden.

The reality though, is that the Vikings got a leader and a franchise player in Peterson while the Raiders got a star talent who will be competing with last year's number one overall pick, quarterback JaMarcus Russell for their individual glory.

NBA first round: It's not fun to root for the underdogs anymore

Ever since 2003, when the NBA changed the first round from five to seven games in hopes of making more money on the Shaq-Kobe Lakers who were struggling to get a good seed (We all know that's what happened); the edge has been taken off the first round series games.

All of the sudden a team down 0-2 in a series and then wins Game 3 is not a making a series of it; rather they are making us wait needlessly for more exciting rounds.

Game 3's are no longer pivotal either. Instead, game 3's are just part of a string of games that most of us will not remember. Now, you have to wait two more games for the possibly pivotal game 5.

I used to have fun rooting for the underdog. Now it's not usually worth it to come home and give up hours of my night to watch a watered down game. In fact, I skipped all three of tonight's game 3's to go to do some errands and then go to the park and play ball.

With all the lopsided series going 2-0, I already had the second round match-ups qued up. In the Western Conference I penciled in the reignition of the Jazz/Lakers rivalry and Chris Paul's Hornets vs. the champion Spurs. Then in the Eastern Conference I had the dominant celtics going against the dominating Lebron and his Cavs and the up and coming Magic taking on the battle-tested Pistons. and with the Celtics/Cavs and Pistons/Magic.

Then came the Game Three Nighmare Trifecta tonight. The Cavs took the night off against the Wizards and lost by 36 points. A talented but too inconsistent Raptors team crawled back into their series by beating the Magic. And the Jazz let the depleted Rockets eak out a two-point win in Salt Lake.

I still do have the second round match-ups qued up. That's what makes tonight's game three results so frustrating! Sure the game three winners can win their series. But file that under 'A' for 'Anything's possible.' If this were the old five game format, then sure my interest would be peaked. Instead we've just endured the probable losers who all have little hope of Round Two victories, let alone reaching the championship, prolong the wait for the better match-ups.

In the spirit of Molly Shannon (a Superstarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!), I have only one succinct and repetitive sentiment for David Stern; You're horrible! Horrible! Horrible! I advise fans to turn off their televisions and go enrich yourselves. Ratings is the language that sports executive speaks better than any other.

In the meantime enjoy your extra helping of thug ballin, courtesy of the likes of Deshawn Stevenson. Maybe the eighth seeded Hawks or Nuggets will squeeze out a win and make you endure an extra game. Or worse, maybe the Lakers and Celtics will handle their business with sweeps, but you'll have to wait about a week to watch them in the second round because the Jazz and Cavs are taking six or seven games to handle their business.

At least this year we have the anomaly of the Suns and Spurs (last year's most exciting match-up) going down in the first round. What happens if the Spurs, up 2-0, win their game 3? Clear! Ca-chow! Clear! Ca-chow!

The Montreal Canadiens are the 24-7 Party Daddies

The Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins in a playoff series for the 24th time, a record mark in professional sports. The 5-0 Game Seven victory in Montreal on Monday night, April 21, extended their playoff series record to 24-7 all-time vs. the Bruins.

The Montreal Canadiens do not have the most championships in professional sports ever since they relinquished that crown to the New York Yankees in 1999. But the two franchises do still share parental rights over the Boston franchises in their respective leagues. So if you're a Bruin player, you should just tip your hat and call the Canadiens your "daddy," ala Pedro Martinez.

Nineteen is the bond that the Yankees and Canadiens share. Nineteen is the discrepancy of rings between the Yankees' 26 rings to the Red Sox' seven rings. Nineteen is the discrepancy of rings between the Canadiens 24 rings and the Bruins five rings.

If you're a Boston fan, maybe 19 is the loneliest number that you'll ever know. Then again, maybe it'll be 20.

The Washington Buzzards (Wizards): No roadkill to pick at come playoff time

In the 'Eastern Conference playoffs predictions,' I wrote that Washington's big trio of Arenas, Butler and Jamison would be marginalized in a playoff setting. This is the playoffs and teams that arrogantly play one on one basketball as the Wizards trio does, are really playing one on five basketball. Arenas, Butler and Jamison went a combined 10-36 from the field in their 30-point blowout loss to the Cavaliers.

Their me-first style was furthermore underscored by their lack of their defensive intensity. At one point in the first quarter Lebron made a pretty play knifing his way through two Washington defenders.

A closer look at the play shows he really butter-knifed his way through five defenders (first highlight). Lebron ran past five Wizards jogging and/or doddling back on defense. Gilbert Arenas was too busy running his fifteen-minute mile to follow rule number one of stopping the ball. He then went into a happy skip before Lebron James even started his monster dunk.

And then the Wizards other supposed two stars Butler and Jamison refused to get into any sort of defensive stance, as they laid out the red carpet and watched LBJ run through. That play alone would make me never want to go support the Wizards if I lived in D.C.

I would then say the Wizard's role players took their cue from their supposed on court leaders. But how can you have role players when you don't have any sort of offensive set. So the players that get to shoot less the other three guys made sure they weren't out done in ineptness.

After hitting a three, DeShawn Stevenson blew his fingers to indicate how special he was. Only one problem with that: A guy that just made a three to cut the deficit from 19 to a 60-44 deficit has nothing to be posturing about. (The Jazz knew what they were doing when they got rid of him.)

Not to be outdone, Brendan Haywood took his shot at notoriety; committing a flagrant two foul by pushing Lebron James while he was in midair going for a dunk. Haywood made no play for the ball and is lucky that he won't be remembered as the guy that took out James needlessly for the 2008 playoffs let alone for his career.

There is no magic in the Wizards game, although they do manage to put the wiz back in Wizards. The Wizards are in and out of the playoffs every year. Just as buzzards only take what spoils they can get, a first-round playoff appearance is all this team knows they are getting.

NBA Eastern Conference: 2008 playoffs first round predictions

The Eastern Conference has been unanimously considered the weaker conference. Never before has one conference been perceived as so inferior. This, despite the fact that the top four seeds arguably have a chance of winning an NBA championship and despite the fact that a plurality if not majority of experts are picking the Celtics to win it all. Still ShotsHeard does have to dub the Eastern Conference a semi-pro league that Will Ferrell himself would feel comfortable playing in.


The envelopes please:

#1 Boston Celtics vs #8 Atlanta Hawks

Pick: Boston Celtics


This match-up could end up like the 1993 playoffs match-up between the #1 Suns and the #8 Lakers. The Suns like the Celtics had the best record in the league and the Lakers like the Hawks came into the playoffs with a losing record. The Lakers were poised to do damage if the Suns didn't come out strong.

The Lakers had the right core to compete with a complacent super power with the likes of Sedale Threat, Ladee Dadee Vlade Divac, James Edwards, AC Green, James Worthy, Byron Scott and Elden Campbell. The Lakers were just a better officiated game three away from the sweep before succumbing and losing 3-2 to the easily better Suns team who had swept the Lakers during the regular season.

The much better 2008 Celtics swept the Hawks during the regular season. But the Hawks are a vibrant bunch that like the 93 Lakers knows they won't win it all but can play a supreme spoiler role to notoriety. Mike Bibby, Al Horford, Joe Johnson, Josh Childress, Josh Smith, and Marvin Williams are even more talented than those 93 Lakers.

Unlike the Suns, the Celtics seem less inclined to take opponents for granted and have had a strong focus all year long. Also the seven game format gives them more breathing room in the event that Hotlanta comes out scorching and steals a couple games early in the series.

#2 Detroit Pistons vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers

Pick: Detroit Pistons

AI2 (Andre Iguodala) is like a Scottie Pippen. But although Andre Miller has been playing like a superstar during the last two months of the season, he is no Michael Jordan. He could make a case for maybe a baby Magic though.

This Sixers team has a nice young core, but they have not arrived yet and I don't see the guy on that team that can really take over for a few minutes when the rest of the team starts struggling. Expect the Pistons to dispatch the Sixers in no more than six games.

#3 Orlando Magic vs. #6 Toronto Raptors

Pick: Orlando Magic

The Magic better be worried if they let the Raptors stick around in any game and Chris Bosh has the chance to take care of business from the elbow of the key. Besides that though, the Raptors are part of the inspiration for the semi-pro concept in the opening of this blog entry.

Go ahead and prove me wrong Andrea (Bargnani). Oh did I say semi-pro or WNBA? Or maybe Andrea thought he was in the Cops Midnight Dunkin Donuts League after he put up three donuts of scoring in the last month of the season.

Turkey-Glue (Hedo), Rashard Lewis and David Howard seem to play well enough off each other that they can smugly tell the Raptors from experience, where the best golf courses are to go to in April.

#4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #5 Washington Wizards

Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers

So much is made about Arenas coming back and how much better the Wizards will be. But the Wizards won 43 games this year without him, which is more than the 41 and 42 marks set the past two years with the trio core of Arenas, Butler, and Jamison.

The reality is they all three have somewhat finesse games and that only one of them can have the ball at the same time. And yes the Wizards did come close to beating the Cavs the last two years in the playoffs, so I don't write them off easy, especially given that outside of Lebron James, the Cavs are looking pretty mediocre this year.

In fact if it weren't for LBJ, I'd have no rooting interest in this series at all. I mean I love Caron Butler's game. I love Arenas's ability to dominate at times. I have always liked the versatility of Antawn Jamison's game. But there's no rhyme or reason to this Wizards team. They have less ability to sustain chemistry in a series than even the Hawks and Sixers. If I were the Celtics, I'd be rooting for a second round match-up with the Wizards, even though they are the only team the C's lost to three times this year.

Other 2008 NBA Playoffs Predictions

NBA Western Conference: 2008 playoffs first round predictions

NBA Eastern Conference: 2008 playoffs first round predictions

2008 NBA Second Round Predictions

2008 NBA Conference Finals Predictions

2008 NBA Finals Prediction

NBA Western Conference: 2008 playoffs first round predictions

I don't think the West Conference race was so "exciting" as the paid sports media would have you believe. But it was intriguing that there were nine teams competing for 50 wins and a playoff spot. That had me looking forward to the playoff possibilities.

It was close as the eight playoff teams are separated by only seven games. At one point about a month ago, even the defending champion Spurs were in the midst of a slump that had them only two and a half games away from falling out of a playoff slot.

Here are my first round playoff picks:

#1 Lakers vs. #8 Nuggets

Pick: Lakers

This is the easiest one to call; even easier than the Jazz and Rockets series. There are those experts in the media playing devil's advocate or looking for the glory of calling an eight over a one. They say things like this reminds them of the Warriors vs. Mavericks match-up of last year. Or they say that Melo is hungry to make a name for himself like his fellow draft-mates D-Wade and LBJ. And then there's the ever popular this team has a vaunted offense with JR Smith and Kleiza coming off the bench and posting 20 spots in addition to Iverson and Melo.

Now for the truth of the matter. Denver does not have the maturity to beat a team like the Lakers. Melo is off thugging out and getting in DUI's than coming up with conspiracy theories to tell Stephen A Smith. We all have observed the doses of immaturity that guys like Allen Iverson and JR Smith bring to the table as well.

Then look at Denver's defense. They had the worst defense in the league, giving up 107.0 points per game. Iverson got two steals a game, but he takes a ton of risks on steals that don't work out, that his steals number is inflated. Camby gets 3.6 blocks a game, but he is clearly not intimidating opponents. He's just floating around looking to pad his block stats instead of playing a more proper position defense. Last of all, who will guard Kobe? There's no Bruce Bowen or Shane Battier to put on him.

I did not even go over what the Lakers do right to beat their opponent. We will go over that on the round two predictions. The Lakers will win as the Nuggets will take it five or six games and almost surely lose the series.

#2 Hornets vs. #7 Mavericks

Pick: Hornets

This is the hardest series to call. Seems like the seeds got reversed, right? And in my preliminary brainstorming session I was leaning towards Jason Kidd's experience and Dirk's ability to score in bunches while creating his own shots.

But I came back to the Hornets based on Chris Paul being one of the top five players in the game. In a game on the road against the Cavs, Lebron split through three lunging defenders on a drive and laid it up with the left hand. LBJ then wanted to prove that he had not went back to the phone-booth and took his cape off by guarding Chris Paul on the last play of the game. CP3 then easily juked LBJ every which way before going to the basket and taking a couple defenders with him. He then passed it to David West for the buzzer beater and the win.

This series could come down to free-throws. The Mavericks shoot 81.4 percent from the line and the Hornets shoot 76.9 from the charity strike. It'll be important for Dirk and Terry on the Mavs side and Stojakovic and Paul not to not fall in love with the three so much that their respective teams have major free-throw attempt deficits.

#3 Spurs vs. #6 Suns

Pick: Spurs

This is the hardest match-up to call. I'm taking the Spurs by a hair. This series is most likely going to go seven games. Each team just has its own share of vaunted weapons not to notch some W's.

I do believe that the Marion for Shaq trade made the run n' gun Suns a little more lethargic and overall a worse team. However the positive is that the Suns do match-up better with the Spurs. Shaq's ability to body up Duncan and distract him more was noticeable. There will be added pressure on Parker and Ginobili to create offense.

Fortunately Ginobili played like a monster all season. People may not have noticed since he got his usual all-star snubbing; but he was a top ten player all year long. He will be the difference on both sides of the court.

The Suns have more weapons than the Spurs, but guys like Barbosa and Diaw contributed to their underachieving by mailing in sub-par seasons. If they can step it up then maybe the Suns take the edge. But the Nash/Stoudemire pick n' roll combo cannot do it all just as Paul/Chandler and Williams/Boozer aren't enough without the other guys stepping up.

#4 Rockets vs. #5 Jazz

Pick: Jazz

This was not as easy to call as the Lakers vs. Nuggets because defense in the playoffs usually translates into wins; and the Rockets have solid defense. Still, no Yao means no first round victory, no matter who the Rockets ended up matching up with. The other teams are just too deep.

Yes we saw the Rockets win ten of their historical 22 straight wins without Yao. Yes the Rockets have the best defense in the conference, allowing only 92 points per game. Yes, older rookie Scola matured into a strong force faster than could be expected. But all that is not enough for a team that can be shut down on offense by the mere containment and double teaming of T-Mac who holds the ball a lot.

Also the Jazz point differential was fourth-best in the league at 6.9 points a game. The Jazz also sported the best home record at 37-4. This will not be the type of rematch of last year's seven game series that everyone hoped for. After the Jazz beat the Rockets in the first two games on the road, don't be surprised if you see the demoralized Rockets get swept in Utah.

Other 2008 NBA Playoffs Predictions

NBA Western Conference: 2008 playoffs first round predictions

NBA Eastern Conference: 2008 playoffs first round predictions

2008 NBA Second Round Predictions

2008 NBA Conference Finals Predictions

2008 NBA Finals Prediction

Follow-Up: 2008 NCAA Tournament head shakers

Follow-up on the head shakers

• There were only two teams that I went so far as to say they had no business being in the Big Dance. Arizona and Kentucky got in soley based on their name (brand) recognition. The two teams lost by ten and 8 respectively. Tenth seeded Arizona finished 19-15 and 12th seeded Kentucky 18-13. I don't care who a team is; if they haven't won a conference tournament, they need to stay home with records like that. But the selection committee got what they wanted. Arizona made its 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament and they made more ratings off Kentucky than whoever else would have received the spot.
  

• I said that Davidson and Gonzaga both deserved six seeds instead of being forced to play each other in a seven verse ten match-up. Match-ups like these are put in place to ensure the elimination of the over-achieving small schools who play in arenas less than half the size of Pauley Pavilion. This year the joke was on the committee as the better Davidson team beat an over-rated two seeded Georgetown in the second round. Davidson was only one shot away from beating the eventual champion Kansas and going to the Final Four. Still, long lost is the fact that two top twenty-five teams were forced to play in the first round. Everyone would have a shahizzle fit if Duke and North Carolina were forced to play in the first round.

• The six-eleven match-up of USC vs. Kansas State was clearly rigged to get an OJ Mayo vs. Michael Beasley game. I knew that a team with 11 losses like USC was taking the seed of more deserving teams like Davidson, Gonzaga and BYU. Kansas State was realistically a bubble team at best, but the Beasley/Big 12 factor scored them an 11 seed. Kansas State won the match-up and then predictably got thrashed by a team like Wisconsin who had no stars but dotted all their i's and crossed all their t's.

• "They (BYU) sported 27 wins and seven losses, but Perdue and West Virginia who both had 24 wins and ten losses and worse RPIs were seeded six and seven ahead of them." BYU lost a close eight vs. nine match-up to Texas A&M. The Y or A&M were not very impressive. Although DeAndre Jordan is clearly the most NBA ready center and should go in the top five of the draft. BYU would have most likely beat Arizona or Baylor if they were seeded correctly. Even if not, they earned the higher seed. Instead they were under seeded and forced to play a monster of a center. Such a fate is not new to BYU. In 1992 a 25-6 BYU team was seeded tenth and forced to play a lesser 20-10 LSU team that was seeded seventh, but sported NCAA Player of the Year, Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq had one of his best games ever, setting an NCAA record with 11 blocks and LSU won the routinely jaded Cougars.

• North Carolina won the East Regional, never winning by less than double digits. Of course it helped that since they never had to leave the state and every game was essentially a home game. When they did finally play a neutral/road game in the Final Four, they got blown out by 18 to Kansas in San Antonio.

• Lastly, I complained about how the selection committee is made up of big school interests. This shouldn't be a surprise. Money is at the pulse of all major decisions across the board in sports. Just as MLB did not cede control of their drug program to an independent and fair panel, neither should we expect the NCAA to cede control of their selections to a fair and independent panel. I was merely pointing out the irony that the NCAA pretends to be the leader of ethics by sharply getting on teams and individuals for infractions. It would appear that it's much more a matter of business and power plays than that they are worried about morals.

But these are just the head shakers. It was a memorable tournament with all number one seeds making the Final Four for the first time. Stephen Curry and Davidson rose above the selection snipers to give us all a jolt of excitement. Mario Chalmers of Kansas made an amazing three-point shot in the championship game to take the championship right out of Memphis's clenching fingers.

We just hope to not excuse injustices that the future will be more fair. It's when we stop shaking our heads that we have to worry!

David Beckham looking to make his mark on America

When David Beckham inked a five-year deal with the L.A. Galaxy for about $250 million soccer fans and boy band fans alike were excited. However, we wondered if the greatest soccer icon of our time could really live up to the hype. The midfielder had only started seven of 25 games for Real Madrid in his final year and had been dropped from England's international team.

Beckham validated the cynics in his first year in America. Sold-out stadiums wanting to see him play were disappointed to find that he was out for the first three months of the season with a ankle injury. It did not help fan sentiment that the Galaxy made his injury seem day to day either. Galaxy president, Alexi Lalas would add to the fire saying that L.A. Galaxy was printed on the ticket, not David Beckham while knowing full well why those games were selling out.

In his second season with the Galaxy and the hype on simmer, Beckham is starting to get his groove back. With his right ankle finally healthy, Beckham has played all 270 minutes of the first three games (including the last game in Toronto that hit over 100 degrees), while notching his first official MLS goal and and an assist.

Beckham looks like a grizzly soccer version of Bret Favre and not being a 20-year-old youngster anymore, you'll occasionally see him making some of his own awkward tumbling plays reminiscient of Favre.

Just as Larry Bird was a major passing threat, a roaming defender and capable of hitting the big long distance shot while making all his teammates better; Beckham has the same effect on the Galaxy. Evidence of this came last year during Superliga (an eight team tournament of USA and Mexico club teams), when Landon Donovan, the USA international team all-time goal scorer relinquished his captaincy to Beckham. He then showed that he can still turn goalies into statues with his patented bending kick. (Click here for the hometown feel version.)

And for all that D-Beck has not forgotten the Hollywood image that he and Victoria (Posh) worked so hard to make. He'll kick that ball snoops upside your head!

AMNESTY!!! FUTURE COVER-UPS!!! Friday, April 11, 2008 was Black Friday for baseball fans

Employers do their firings on Fridays. MLB has the same philosophy for subtly pulling the wool over baseball fans eyes. With the sports media strongly concentrated on the Masters (golf), the two sides announced their new so-called joint drug agreement.

Nothing like continuing two major atrocities through a formal agreement.

The first atrocity is that amnesty is extended to anyone mentioned in the Mitchell report. That means if your say Paul LoDuca (or one of many other players) and there's a mountain of evidence against you that you perpetually cheated for a decade. Hey no big deal. Just do not let it happen again.

Of course if LoDuca does let it happen again, he can take comfort in the fact that MLB did not hand over testing to an independent regulator. Hence, the second major formal atrocity committed.

Baseball fans are supposed to put their faith in the same organization that nstituted a 10-strike program when faced by Congressional pressure to crack down on steroids? Baseball fans are supposed to believe in the MLB who once claimed that out of the 5-7 percent of steroid offenders caught in 2003, yet there were no repeat offenders in 2004? That being a result that would require outing a player and consequently enforce the belief that cheating in baseball is a plague.

Baseball is a timeless game, but we are seeing that corruption can spawn anywhere. As a fan I feel pretty helpless, watching greed and power plays soil the sport. The game does not currently face any financial ruin, but a leader or two must step up to ultimately save the integrity of the game. We've went as far as we can go on the likes of characters like Jose Canseco.

And don't be fooled into thinking amnesty is for only the players in the Mitchell report. This is a grandiose evidence burning party for people in all levels of baseball, including owners, GMs, managers, coaches, etc.

In the mean time, mark it in your journals; Friday, April 11, 2008 is the day that MLB preserved their right to run themselves more like a mob than a business that seeks to inspire families that come to the park. At the beginning of the steroid storm, the ball boys started giving out foul balls to little boys and girls, instead of putting them in their buckets. Don't be fooled by MLB's tokens.

Follow-Up #1: No style points for bricked free throws

Two things to follow up on: Chris Douglas-Roberts and company's free throw shooting and Calipari's coddling his players. Both things that cost Memphis a championship. And now to write about the former item in this first follow-up.

This is how I described DR's free throw shooting, "Every time Douglas-Roberts goes to the line he whacks his shooting arm with his off arm in between dribbles. All this while leaning his body away from the basket in an unorthodox alignment that decreases any natural symmetry. With that style, he might as well be on a boat trying to skip rocks into the Pacific Ocean."

Sounds like sensational journalism if I did not know any better. Yet my solution was simple: "I would tell Douglas-Roberts to knock it off if he cannot shoot at least 85 percent from the free-throw line."

In my years as a teacher, I have found that even the worst behaved students know how to act. The trap that many teachers fall into is assuming that they are being oppressors and not instructors. Appeasement in turn leads to lesser output, no matter what level an individual or team is at.

This concept came to light when the championship game verse Kansas was on the line and Douglas-Roberts went to the line. No longer was his body averted as if his legs were on hydraulics. There were no disruptive hits to his arm. Just a nearly straight-up shot with complete concentration.

This is proof that this kid knew he could shoot better with fundamentals. But to be fundamentally flawed is hip, and Calipari did not want to be the one getting in Douglas-Roberts ear, telling him what he was doing was unacceptable.

Of course reality hit Douglas-Roberts that even a championship was more to hang his hat on than a quirky free-throw style. Douglas-Roberts hit both his free-throws with a more fundamental shot.

But it would be too little too late for Memphis as their prideful contempt against improving free-throw shooting would lead to missing 4 out of 5 down the stretch, as the more fundamentally team-oriented Kansas would go on to win a game they otherwise had no business winning against a team with that much talent.

Yes, no style points for bricked free throws and in most cases no jewelry either! That would go to the team that shot 93 percent from the free throw line and not 63 percent. Because THEY ALL COUNT, Mr. Calipari and Kansas made them when they counted.