Just...Great

Depending on how you look at it, it's either a great time to be a sports fan, or a lousy time. In three of the four major sports, free agency has created parity, where a team can be horrible one year, but a champion the next. It happens every year in football, where some team goes 6-10 and all of a sudden makes the Super Bowl the following year. Basketball's most recent collective bargaining agreement has set up similar opportunities, as evidenced by the Clippers' (the Clippers!?) surprisingly great start. The NHL, after cancelling the entire 2004-05 season because of a labor dispute, is now all of a sudden the most equal league in sports. Thanks to increased revenue sharing and a salary cap that is friendly to all teams, franchises that were on the brink of bankruptcy and extinction a couple years ago are now able to get in the Stanley Cup race with relative ease. Only baseball, with its incompetent commissioner, select few wealthy and influential owners, and a players association that may be the most powerful union in the country, does not have a system in place that provides an equal chance for teams to compete regardless of their financial health.

Some may say that this is great, that teams are never more than a year or two away from being competitive. But they must remember that their favorite teams are also only a year or two away from stinking. My concern is not with the competitiveness of teams, but rather the elimination of dynasties. The 70s Steelers, the 80s 49ers, the Celtics of the 60s, the Canadiens of...well every decade up to the 80s; those were what defined pro sports. Whether you loved those teams or prayed for their planes to crash, you respected them, and watched in awe as the same players came back every year and crushed anyone that challenged them. Recently the closest things we have had were the Lakers, winners of three straight NBA titles before turmoil ruined them, and the Patriots, who after winning three of the past four Super Bowls are a shell of what they were just last year.

When I pine back to these days of consistency and awesomeness, I also remember the teams that should have been dynasties, but never quite made it. Teams that won a championship or two, and should have won more, but didn't. Teams like:

The Chicago Bears: Everyone talks about how great the '85 Bears were, but you don't ever hear about how they choked the next two years. How could a team that featured the then all-time leading rusher (Walter Payton), a great receiver (Willie Gault), a very good QB (Jim McMahon), and the second greatest defense ever only win one Super Bowl? On paper, the Bears of the mid to late 80s were better than the 49ers of the same era, but games are not played on paper (otherwise Michigan would be in the BCS title game...hehehe). After going 15-1 and destroying the Pats in Super Bowl XX, the Bears went 14-2 in '86, only to lose to the Redskins at home in the playoffs. The next year (Payton's last) they went 10-4 in a strike-shortened season, and lost again to the Redskins, who eventually went on to win the Super Bowl. The Bears would reach the NFC title game in 1988, losing to the 49ers, and in '89 they went 6-10. This team should have won 3 Lombardi trophies in a row, but egos and injuries did them in.

UNLV Basketball: Before Michigan's "Fab Five" electrified arenas across the country, there were the Runnin' Rebels. In the 1989-90 season, they returned five starters from a team that had reached the NCAA quarterfinals the year before. Joining Greg Anthony, Anderson Hunt, and Stacey Augmon was a new forward named Larry Johnson. LJ would lead the team in scoring, and the Rebels went 35-5, including winning 21 of their last 22 games. In the NCAA tourney, they were beyond dominant, save a two-point squeaker over Ball State in the Sweet 16 round. After that game they pounded Loyola Marymount (who, after the shocking and tragic death of star Hank Gathers, smashed defending champ Michigan 149-115) to reach the Final Four. They beat Georgia Tech by 9 in the semis and faced Duke for the title. It was a massacre. UNLV went on an 18-0 run early in the second half and won 103-73, setting finals records for points in a game and margin of victory.
The next season, UNLV was even better. They steamrolled through the regular season, going 27-0. The Rebels then won their conference tournament and the first four games of the NCAAs. In the Final Four game, they once again faced Duke, but the outcome was different. Duke won, 79-77, and started an impressive run of success that continues to this day. The next season UNLV had to adjust to the losses of their key players, but still managed to do well and make the NCAAs. However, scandals would rip the program apart, and save for a few flashes of decency, UNLV hasn't come close to what they were in the early 90s.

The Oakland Athletics: Forget the Yankees of the late 90s. Forget the spending power of George Steinbrenner and whoever the hell owns the Red Sox. The Oakland Athletics of the late 1980s were the most talented team in baseball since the Reds of the 70s. They had a pre-steroid-but-still-heavy-hitting Mark McGwire, and Jose Canseco when he was one of the best players in the game. Together they made the Bash Brothers, but they were only a part of this juggernaut. The A's also had Ricky Henderson (greatest leadoff hitter...ever), Dave Henderson, Dave Parker (Pirate fans should know how great he was), Dave Stewart (great starter), and Hall-of-Famer Dennis Eckersley. The A's won three straight AL pennants from '88 to '90, yet only won it all in that famous '89 "Earthquake Series". In '88 they were defeated in five games by the Dodgers, who you could say were a team of destiny (I'm sick of seeing that Gibson HR). In '90 they won 103 games and were expected to beat the living crap out of the Cincinnati Reds, who looked completely outmatched. The Reds swept them, and Oakland missed the playoffs in 1991. They won their division again in '92, and lost to eventual Series champs Toronto in the ALCS. After that age and departures took their toll on the team, and they struggled through the 90s. They have started to have some success in recent years thanks to the whole "Moneyball" system, but even those teams pale in comparison to what they once had. Even Oakland players from that era realize that they could have been known as one of the best teams ever, but they blew their chance. It's a shame, cause they were fun to watch.

But the team that really should have become the gods of sports...

The Pittsburgh Penguins: Yeah, they won the Cup in 1991 and 1992, but those weren't their best teams. The 91-92 squad featured ten players that are either in the Hall of Fame or will be when they retire. As a bonus, their coach was Scotty Bowman, the winningest coach in NHL history, and the man who has coached more teams to titles than anyone else in sports. After sweeping the last two series of the '92 playoffs, the Pens started the '92-93 season on fire, and ended it with an NHL-record 17 game winning streak, winning the President's Trophy for best record in the league. Everyone was convinced this team would three-peat, and as a result go down as one of the best, if not the best, teams in hockey history. However, the New York Islanders took them to seven games in the second round, and beat them in overtime in game 7. It was one of the most shocking upsets in recent hockey history, and ranks up there with Francisco Cabrera in dark moments in Pittsburgh sports. The Pens, led by greats such as Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Ron Francis, made the playoffs every year in the '90s, but got so far as the conference finals only once. Lemieux came back in 2000 after a three-year retirement to lead them to another conference final, but again they didn't win, and we all know what has happened to them since. Like the Bears, the A's, and UNLV, this team had more than enough talent to win more titles than they actually did. In fact, the Pens could have easily won three or four more Cups in the 90s, but for a variety of reasons they didn't. Now, there may be hope for them again, as they have made some pretty good acquisitions (it's still early, they can turn it around). However, we won't see a run like they had in the '90s, nor will we likely see any team win it all year after year. Dynasties are dead, and even great teams are a challenge.

Drums Please

Drums Please
by Kamo

With the end of the 2005 College Football regular season upon us, it is only fitting that in typical post-season fashion that we give out some awards to the best, and worst, of the year that was. Without further delay, I give you the 2005 Kamo's.

Kamo's Best Coach - Steve Spurrier: Charlie Weis is the popular pick among we Irish folk, but in all reality the Ol' Ballcoach did more with less for the Gamecocks piecing together a 7-4 season and a bowl bid.

Kamo's Worst Coach - Ty Loserham: Once again, Tyrone managed to make a mockery of the game of football by posting a pathetic 2-9 record. Did some coaches have a worse record? Sure, but there is not a single coach who is more inept at everything he does on the football field than him. Someone should fire him for good and relegate him to cleaning jockstraps with his saliva.

Kamo's Best Offensive Player - Reggie Bush: If you wish to challenge this pick, please note the 519 yards that he put up against #16 Fresno State, a total that was more than most TEAMS put up during the course of a game.

Kamo's Best Defensive Player - Paul Posluzny: This guy is an animal who is all over the field every game. Take him away from Penn State's defense and what you have is an 8-3 team at best. A.J. Hawk gets some consideration here, but his supporting cast allows him to do a lot of what he does.

Kamo's Best True Freshman - Steve Slaton: As much as it pains me to pick a WVU player for anything other than All-Booze and Stab team, Slaton has been as impressive as anyone- especially when it counts. Against Louisville he single-handedly won the game with his six touchdowns and kept WVU in the Big East race.

Kamo's Best Game - USC @ Notre Dame: This game was a classic from start to finish with the Irish donning their kelly green jerseys and almost pulling the upset of the year. Matt Leinart showed why he is a potential #1 pick next season with the amazing fourth and nine throw to Dwayne Jarrett to essentially win the game for USC.

Kamo's Most Overrated Team - Louisville: The Cardinals came into the season as the sexy pick to win the Big East and possibly the National Championship. Losses to South Florida and WVU crushed that notion, so Brian Brohm and Co. will look to next season as their breakout year.

Kamo's Most Underrated Team - South Florida: The Bulls came from out of nowhere to be in contention for the Big East title heading into this weekend. Jim Leavitt got a big fat contract that he definately deserved for his job this season.

Kamo's Best Mid-Major Team - TCU: The Horned Frogs surprised Oklahoma in Norman earlier in the year... then promptly lost to perennial doormat SMU. Besides that little trip, however, the Frogs have been the best team from a non-BCS conference hands down.

Kamo's Worst Team - Temple Owls: You could pick a number of teams here (namely the how-can-you-lose-12-in-a-season New Mexico State Aggies) but Temple earns this distinction due to their status as everyone's favorite team to play. Get blown out at home? Schedule the Owls. Lose your star quarterback and need a gimme game? Schedule the Owls? Need to simply win one (listen up New Mexico State)? Play to Owls.

Kamo's Best Team - USC Trojans: USC is a lot of things, the least of which is good. 10-0 going into Saturday's game against UCLA and a chance to play for a third straight National Championship earns them this honor.

With all that said, here is a sneak peak at next season
Kamo's Top Ten for 2006:
1. Texas
2. Miami
3. Notre Dame
4. USC
5. Virginia Tech
6. LSU
7. Ohio State
8. Georgia
9. WVU
10. Penn State


Well, that is it for tonight... if you like what we're writing let us know at theirishbuckeye@hotmail.com because you know we love it when you love us. If you don't like it, tough luck because we're us and you're not.

Sports Entertainment Behind the Curtain

"Here I am, on the road again. There I am, up on the stage, Here I go, playing star again. There I go, turn the page." - Bob Seger

The world of professional wrestling was dealt a shocking blow yesterday morning when Eddy Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis. Guerrero was in town for a double-taping of Raw and Smackdown! for this week, and it was very possible that he was going to win the WWE Championship, since Batista is injured and needs surgery. He was only 38 years old, and leaves behind a wife and three children.

Guerrero's untimely passing is a colossal tragedy on an individual level, and also for the entire wrestling industry. He had been wrestling for almost two decades, but only in the last couple years did he finally become a main event star in WWE. He had overcome drug and alcohol addiction several years ago, and survived a car crash that could have very easily killed him. Everything had been going his way, and for it to be all over now is truly a shame.

His death is also the latest in a series of premature deaths that have become wrestling's dark secret. But now the secret may be out. While it is too early to speculate on the cause of Guerrero's death, the first thing that comes to people's minds is that he was back on drugs and died of complications from that. Considering his past history this is not too far fetched, but even if he hadn't made his substance abuse problems public, this would be an easy conclusion to jump to. Several of the biggest stars of the 80s and 90s have died in the past few years, and in almost every one of these deaths drugs, including steriods, were involved. Here are just a few of them:

"Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, 44, acute cocaine intoxication
Davey Boy Smith (The British Bulldog), 39, heart attack brought on by drug problems
Road Warrior Hawk, 46, heart attack after battling drug, alcohol, and steroid abuse
Miss Elizabeth, 42, accidental drug overdose.

Many more wrestlers, like Jake "The Snake" Roberts, The Road Dogg, and Scott Hall, have been battling drug and alcohol problems for years, and in Hall and Road Dogg's cases it cost them their jobs with WWE. I'm sure this stuff happens in every part of the athletic world, but nowhere are the effects more visible, and the consequences more severe, than in wrestling. Guerrero's death is like Jerome Bettis not waking up tomorrow morning (God forbid). How many times have you seen an athlete at the top of his profession and in the prime of his career suddenly be struck down? It seems to happen too often in the squared circle.

If it is determined that drugs in any way contributed to Eddie Guerrero's death, then WWE and the entire wrestling industry need to look at the way the business is run. These men and women are on the road nearly 300 days a year, and night after night they are putting their bodies on the line by performing amazing stunts and beating each other senseless. Yes, it is scripted, and they are not "really" hitting each other, but they are still doing enough that it takes a toll on their bodies. Since many of them don't want to miss time and thus hurt their storyline or character, and with the little time they get to begin with, they have to find ways to play through the pain. This is where the painkillers and other drugs come in. Their lives are spent on the road, away from their families, and working harder than any of us realize.

We watch wrestling as an escape, the same way our mothers watch soap operas. We loved watching Steve Austin beat up Vince McMahon, because we all wanted to do the same to our bosses. We loved Hulk Hogan because he was the closest thing to a real life Superman we could get. Every Monday we tune in to Raw to be entertained, and each week those wrestlers come through. We don't realize that many of them destroy themselves just to put a smile on our faces. Hopefully now we do know, and we won't ask as much of them.

You know the email address, so send something. I'll see yinz next week, when hopefully I'll have something happy to write about, namely an Ohio State victory over that team up north.

NFL Midseason Report
by Wilson

We're nine weeks into the season, and the two most important lessons we've learned are book a private boat if you're going to get you and your teammates some, and don't mess with Mother Nature. Waaaaaay back in September, in my previous blog incarnation, I had an NFL preview (I also had an NCAA preview, but that turned into an unmitigated disaster, and thus I will never speak of it again), and now I'm going to review some of the stuff I said.

The Steelers
The past game against Green Bay, and that debacle against Jacksonville only further proved the importance of Ben Roethlisberger. When he plays, that entire team is different, like they know they are going to win. Overall, the Steelers have done well, grinding out tough victories and also blowing some teams out. Willie Parker has shown he can be a starting running back in the NFL, and Quincy Morgan may prove to be quite a free agent pickup. On defense, they are still strong, although the fast starts that some teams have had against them is cause for concern. Joey Porter needs to step up or he will be gone, and Troy Polamalu will retire as the greatest safety in team history. The guy is an absolute stud.

My Preseason Picks:
AFC North Champs - Steelers*
AFC South Champs - Indianapolis Colts*
AFC East Champs - New York Jets
AFC West Champs - Oakland Raiders
Wild Card - San Diego Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars

NFC North Champs - Minnesota Vikings
NFC South Champs - New Orleans Saints*
NFC East Champs - Dallas Cowboys
NFC West Champs - Seattle Seahawks*
Wild Card - Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers

AFC CHAMPS - Indianapolis Colts
NFC CHAMPS - Seattle Seahawks

SUPER BOWL CHAMPS - Indianapolis Colts

Well, so far I'm right with the Colts and Seahawks leading the division. The Steelers are a half game behind and should win, the Cowboys are a game behind and could have some problems, and just about every other pick was wrong. The Vikings, a Super Bowl contender in the eyes of many, are a train wreck. My Saints pick should be stricken from the record because of the hurricane, as should the Jets because of all the injury problems they've had. The Raiders are an enigma, as they have loads of talent, but something's not clicking. Carolina is tied for the division lead, Jacksonville and San Diego are still in contention for the wild card if not the division title, and the Eagles are...um...different. My updated picks later.

Midseason Awards:
MVP: Carson Palmer. Look at the Bengals record. Other contenders: Roethlisberger (look at the Steelers with him, and without him), Peyton Manning (duh, they're undefeated), and Jake Plummer (did I really just type that?).

Rookies of the Year: Heath Miller and Bryant McFadden. Local bias aside, Miller has given the Steelers a receiving threat at tight end that they haven't seen since the early days of Eric Green. McFadden has stepped in and performed very well at a tough position for a rookie. He's going to be a special player very soon.

Coach of the Year: Marvin Lewis. Cincy has improved each year he's been there, and this year he's got them on the verge of something big.

Biggest surprise: Tampa Bay. They have stunk since they won the Super Bowl, and now they're a good team again.

Biggest disappointment: Minnesota. What a mess.

My Other Random Thoughts, and How Right I Was:
1. Shaun Alexander missed out on the rushing title and an incentive bonus by one yard last year. This year he leaves no doubt as to who the top rusher in the NFL is, as he leads talented Seattle to the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl part is obviously up in the air still, but he is leading the league in rushing yards, and he will continue to do so.
2. New Orleans, another talented team, will finally put it all together and win their division. Of course, it won't be hard because Michael Vick will either get hurt trying one of his stuntman plays, or have a bad season trying to be an inaccurate pocket passer.
Again, cut me some slack. The Saints had some really bad circumstances to start the season, and the fact they are functioning at all is remarkable. As for the Falcons, I'm still not sold on Vick being able to lead them all the way.
3. The Ravens will not be a playoff team despite what everyone says. Kyle Boller will struggle, Derrick Mason is old and has lost a step (hence his release from the Titans), and Jamal Lewis will need a while to get back to form after his little coke problem.
I was right on this one. They stink.
4. Ray Lewis will continue to be the most overrated player in football, but he's gonna have to yell and dance a little more to maintain that status. He had a subpar 2004, and now he's a year older.
And he's been injured. Boo hoo.
5. Throughout the season, James Farrior will convince everyone who the real best linebacker in football is. By January sports writers will be saying, "Ray who?"
He hasn't had a season like last year's, but he's still doing well, and should make the Pro Bowl again.
6. New England will not make the playoffs. They have adjusted to personnel losses tremendously in recent years, but this year they may have taken too many hits to the roster and coaching staff. Plus, the Jets and Bills are improved and may have caught up to them (especially the Jets...they could make a lot of noise).
The Pats may be in first, but that's because the rest of the division has choked. They are nowhere close to the team that has won 3 of the past 4 titles, and if one of their division rivals steps it up, they could be watching the playoffs. Oh, and the Jets are not going to win it. They have problems...lots of problems.
7. The Bengals, despite having some pretty good players, are still the Bengals, and thus won't do better than 8-8.
They have looked good, but they have also looked horrible. We'll have to see about these guys.
8. The Eagles, rocked with injuries and that slimebag Terrell Owens, will struggle to 9 or 10 wins, and be lucky to get a wild card berth. Owens will either walk out or get kicked off the team by December.
I am psychic. Even before T.O. got booted, the Eagles were struggling. Now with him gone they are in a world of trouble. I don't even think they'll make the playoffs. And I hope T.O. has to play arena ball the rest of his career. What a piece of trash.
9. Drew Bledsoe, reunited with Bill Parcells in Dallas, will have a late career resurgence and lead the Cowboys to the NFC East title.
Bledsoe has been great, and the Cowboys are right in the thick of the race. They will win the east.
10. The Bears will go 2-14 if they're lucky. What a mess.
They lucked out by playing in the worst division in NFL history.
11. Arizona will still be bad, but not as bad as they have been. They need a good young QB to go with those receivers, and then they might have something going there.
They do suck this year, but there is a lot of hope. When they're good, they're good, but when they're bad...ugh.
12. The Detroit Lions will finish 9-7 and barely miss a playoff spot. They got some great young backs and receivers there, and they could become an offensive juggernaut like the Vikings of the late 90s. Expect them to be a Super Bowl contender in 2006.
They are in the race, but not with the QB I had expected. I figured Harrington would explode with that talent around him.
13. Cleveland will still stink. I don't even know who their quarterback is. Hold on I gotta look it up. Trent Dilfer? Oh God. Their October 9 game with Chicago should be called "The #1 Pick Bowl".
While this game wasn't the Leinart Bowl, Cleveland is still awful, and they might wind up with the top pick come April 2006.
14. The Steelers will once again get our hopes up before losing in the AFC Championship, but this time it will not be at Heinz Field. The Colts will get home field advantage, and their amazing offense will take them all the way (I know it's bad to go against the Steelers, but if I say they will win it all, then I'll jinx them. You guys understand, don't you?).
No comment.

My New Picks:
AFC East: New England
AFC North: Steelers
AFC South: Indianapolis
AFC West: Denver
Wild Card: Cincy and Jacksonville

NFC East: Dallas
NFC North: Detroit
NFC South: Carolina
NFC West: Seattle
Wild Card: Atlanta and Washington

SUPER BOWL: Indy over Seattle.

That's all folks. Send an email to theirishbuckeye@hotmail.com and tell us what you think. Please. We're getting desperate.

Random Wednesday
by Kamo

- Terrell Owens has made headlines yet again, this time for his verbal trashing of not only Donovan McNabb but also of the Philadelphia Eagles' organization. I, for one, am sick of T.O. and the numerous athletes out there who are just like him and while I will be the first to stand up and say that McNabb is probably as overrated as a QB can be, T.O. and his antics have gotten old. I had a great admiration for the man after his Super Bowl performance and I even went as far as to suggest the Steelers trade Hines Ward for him whenever Ward was holding out. However, it is now that I see that doing such a thing would have been the most ridiculous course of action ever taken. It is my opinion that T.O. (and any player, in any sport who shares his mental state) should not be allowed to play- ever. All 32 teams should boycott signing him and all of his endorsements should be stripped as well. Of course, this will never happen and T.O. will be playing for another team within a year. I just hope that the team is in the CFL.

- Race. The Black Coaches Association (BCA) rankings of D-1 colleges and their minority hiring processes were recently released. While I am not going to bicker over rankings, I am once again going to ask: What if there was a White Coaches Association? Better yet, what if there was a White Players Association that ranked NBA teams on their hiring practices of caucasions for their respective teams? I mean, you don't see anyone ever going around saying, "The way the Bulls treated Luc Longley after the '97 season had racist written all over it." In addition, Pat Haden said something along the lines of, "Tommy Zbikowski sure can run for a white guy," and everyone laughs it off. But let him say, "Man, for a black guy, he is slow," and he gets fired. Bottom line is that blacks get special treatment and circumstances in everything. White people can't say anything about another race, yet we are the most ridiculed and targeted group of people in the world. So, here is my official word: Fisher DeBerry, you're right and should be cheered for speaking the truth. Ditto that, JoePa because you simply spoke what every white man knows but won't admit. Black athletes are faster. White athletes are smarter. THAT'S why white people coach and black people play.

- ESPN does a weekly bottom 10 teams at the 1-A level with most of the teams consisting of MAC and Sun Belt bottom feeders. While I enjoy looking to see how bad these teams truly are, here is my BCS conference bottom 10:

10. Pittsburgh: Oh my, where to begin? The Panthers went from having a hometown coach who could do no wrong with one of the top QB-WR duos in the nation and a preseason top 25 ranking to being 4-5 and on the cusp of missing a bowl game. Ugh.
9. Washington State: The Cougs started out 3-0 and were considered "sneaky" by some experts. However, since moving up to the D 1-A part of their schedule they have went 0-6. Hope is on the horizon however- a trip to punchless Washington looms next weekend.
8. Arkansas: Houston Nutt's bunch (haha) gave up 4 touchdowns in 6 plays against USC. That is pathetic.
7. Purdue: They have 1 win over a team with anything resembling a decent record. I have no pity for the Boilermakers because of the undeniable fact that they are classless and are 6-11 since beating Notre Dame last season. You don't piss with the Irish because karma is a bitch.
6. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs' only win against a 1-A opponent this season was against hurricane ravaged Tulane. The question here is simply, What Happened? I can remember Mississippi State being somewhat decent just a few years back. If someone has an answer, use the email below and win a prize.
5. Illinois: Hiring Ron Zook was a genius move. No, not really and giving up 60 or more points more than once in the season, scoring nothing but a safety against Ohio State, and claiming that during a 17 point loss that your team, "made some strides," is grounds for removal from the Big Ten.
4. Syracuse: I think it is safe to say the honeymoon is over for Greg Robinson. Their lone win is over Buffalo, which is 0-11, and they haven't even been competitive since losing by 3 to Virginia. Fortunately I will be able to bask in their pain next week as I will be in South Bend for their worst loss of the season. Yippee!!!
3. Duke: The Blue Devils get a mulligan for two reasons: For one, their basketball team would romp over just about any other team in the nation this year. Two, Duke graduates will be telling graduates of most other BCS conference schools where to put the trash one day.
2. Washington: Ah, yes. Tyrone (Loser) Willingham and his bunch are a disgrace. They beat Idaho but have not been competitive at any other point losing by an average of 18.5 points this season. This is a unique situation because I feel bad for the players on the team. I know it must be tough to know going out on the field that the team across from you is not only more talented, but also more prepared in every way. How bad would it be to know that your coaching staff is not going to give you any chance to win the game. Oh, but Ty deserved more of a chance at Notre Dame, right? Bullshit. He is the worst coach in college football- period.
1. Temple: Oh boy. The Owls are bad. As in, I really think that any team in the USA Today top 25 high school rankings could beat them... by 2 touchdowns. This team really has had no chance and has given up 30 or more points every game this season. Not good.


Well, thats it for this week. If you like what we're writing, please, PLEASE email us at theirishbuckeye@hotmail.com because we really do appreciate and enjoy praise. If you don't like what we are writing, tough luck. Go write on your own blog and complain about why Saved by the Bell is only shown in the mornings on TBS.

The 2005 Pittsburgh Pirates: A Season Down the Sink
by Wilson

Yeah, it's a little late, but since Kamo took my idea of writing about how much of a moron Jason "The Only Thing I Can Do With My Job is Write About How Whitie Keeps Me Down" Whitlock is, I figured I'd discuss the six-month travesty that was the Pirates' 2005 season. The Buccos are like that old t-shirt you own: holes, odd smell, not worth a damn since 1992, but you can't get rid of it. We want to stop watching them, to devote our time to something more worthwhile, but damnit we love the Pirates, and no matter how bad they are or get (can it get any worse?), we're still gonna love them.

There was genuine optimism for the 2005 season. The Pirates boasted the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year in Jason Bay, a 200-hit shortstop in Jack Wilson, who was also one half of the best middle infield in baseball (2B Jose Castillo showed tons of potential last year). They also had a good young bullpen, talented veteran leadership in Mark Redman, Benito Santiago, Matt Lawton, and resurrected Jose Mesa. These things alone had most Pirate fans hopeful of a winning season, but there was one more thing that seemed to have convinced them: Oliver Perez. In 2004 he was beyond dominant, striking out over 200 batters and striking fear into the best hitters in the game. It seemed like this year he would do even better.

Then came opening day.

Perez got rocked in his first start, and in most of the next 15. Turns out he didn't work out in the offseason, and he came into spring training in awful shape. This was pretty much the theme for the entire year: high hopes that led to horrible disappointments. Since I have nothing better to do, I'll break this misery down by position.

Catcher: The original plan was for Santiago to start roughly half the season and "catcher of the future" Humberto Cota to start the other half to get him acclimated to the game. That didn't happen, as Santiago was injured early, and minor league call-up Ryan Doumit showed that he is the real future. The Pirates sent Benito packing before Memorial Day, and Cota once again became the bridesmaid. The Pirates look to be set at catcher for the foreseeable future, as Doumit is a great hitter with improving skills on defense, and Cota makes for a solid backup.

First Base: Craig Wilson started slow, and kept getting injured, so the season was a wash for him. Daryle Ward didn't hit a home run over the last three and a half months, and he will not be back for '06. But the real story at first is Brad Eldred. He began the year in AA Altoona, and absolutely dominated the pitching. He was quickly promoted to AAA Indianapolis, where after a slow start he began hitting homers like it was going out of style. He was quickly promoted to Pittsburgh, where after a slow start...well, he began hitting homers. These weren't just homers, though; they were towering shots deep into the seats. In three levels this year, Eldred hit over 40 home runs. He has the potential to do that on a regular basis in the majors, but he really really really needs to strike out less. If he can do that, the Bucs will have a superstar first baseman for the next ten years.

Second Base: Before getting injured, Jose Castillo had another solid season at the plate, and did a remarkable job on defense. After his injury, Freddy Sanchez filled in and did just fine. This is yet another position with which the Pirates should be comfortable. We'll see Castillo on SportsCenter's top ten plays for quite some time.

Shortstop: Jack Wilson had another fine season in the field (how does he not have a Gold Glove yet?), but he tailed off dramatically at the plate. Hitting 51 points lower than he did in 2004. Some of it can be attributed to the off-season appendectomy he had, but other times it just looked as though he was trying entirely too hard. So which one is the real Jack Wilson, the .308, 200 hit star of 2004, or the .257 he had this year? My guess is somewhere in the middle, which is just fine.

Third Base: Good thing we got rid of Aramis Ramirez, cause we are fine there now. And if you believe that I'll tell you another one. Ty Wigginton started the season at third, and played his way to the minors. Freddy Sanchez and super-utilityman Rob Mackowiak did OK there, but the third base position is one the Pirates desperately need to address. Jose Bautista appears to be the 3B of the future, but he may not be ready for the bigs yet. They need to get rid of Wigginton (just as a little side note, he said at the beginning of the year, "There's no reason why this team can't win the National League." I have a good reason: you stunk the joint out!) and acquire a talented third baseman, either through a trade or free agency.

Outfield: Matt Lawton, the opening day RF, did decent at the plate, but was shaky in the field and even worse running the bases. He was traded to the Cubs for Jody Gerut, who immediately got injured and missed the rest of the year (Armando Rios II). Nate McLouth filled in there and in center, and showed a lot of potential. At center, Tike Redman once again failed to impress, both at the plate and with the glove, and he may not be back next year. Chris Duffy was called up, and blew everyone away with his solid hitting and incredible speed. In left, Jason Bay improved greatly on his 2004 season, which was also pretty damn good. He has quickly become an elite player, and signing him to a long-term deal should be a top priority for the Pirates this offseason.

Starting Pitching: What was supposed to the the Pirates strength for 2005 turned out to be their undoing. Perez struggled all year, and missed significant time after kicking a laundry cart and breaking his toe. Kip Wells was a disaster, having one good start and following it with seven bad ones. He looked lost, scared, confused, and just awful this year. Josh Fogg also had a bad year, and he lost his starting spot and doesn't figure to be back. Mark Redman looked great the first two months, then fell apart, making every team lose interest in him and forcing him to exercise his option for 2006 (gee, great). Dave Williams had the best year out of the original five starters, performing well for someone that has missed a lot of time recently. Despite these shortcomings, there were two very bright spots in in Zach Duke and Paul Maholm. Duke won his first seven decisions and showed a lot of poise for someone that's only 22, and Maholm won his first few decisions and did a fantastic job at the end of the year. If these two keep this up, and if Perez can get his ass in shape over the winter and become the monster he was in '04, the Pirates will have one of the best rotations in baseball.

Relief Pitching: The bullpen showed both flashes of brilliance and flashes of horror in 2005. Veterans Jose Mesa, Rick White, and Brian Meadows will not be back in 2006. Young talent such as Ian Snell, Bryan Bullington, Mike Johnston, and Tom Gorzelanny will try to replace them. Mike Gonzalez and Salomon Torres will battle for the closer job, with the loser likely returning to setup duty.

Coaching: Lloyd McClendon lost his job in early September, and while he may not have been given a fair chance with such a crappy team, it was clear something needed to be done. As for the rest of the coaching staff, they all did pretty lousy too. It's remarkable that pitching coach Spin Williams had a job as long as he did. There have been so many talented young pitchers that came up to Pittsburgh and completely tanked, then went on to other teams and became Cy Young caliber stars. That can't be just a coincidence. Hopefully proven winner Jim Tracy and his staff can both maximize what they have now and develop the young talent they get.

Highlight of the 2005 Season: Beating the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to reach .500 with a 30-30 record. Sure, they totally fell apart after that, but for one night there was joy and great optimism for this hard luck franchise.

Lowlight of the 2005 Season: Take your pick. It could have been Wigginton, Redman and Ward's struggles, some of the painful losses, or just about every Kip Wells start. My pick is the Oliver Perez-Laundry Cart fight, in which Cart was victorious. That incident was a microcosm of the Pirates' season.

Outlook for 2006: The core players are there, and it's now up to management to bring in the right players that can turn this team into a winner. Kevin McClatchy has said the payroll will nearly double, and with an increase like that we will find out just how good of a GM Dave Littlefield is. Jim Tracy is a good manager, so we will see how some of the struggling players perform under him. If Kip Wells can't succeed this year, then the Pirates need to get rid of him. The Pirates will not win the National League Central as long as the St. Louis Cardinals are in it, but they can make some noise in the division. The Cubs will stink, the Reds always stink, and the Astros have so many old players that sooner or later they'll collapse. The Brewers were good last year and should get better this year. If all the cards fall in place, 2006 could be the year the Pirates finally win more games than they lose. But I could also be writing this article all over again this time next year.

Until next time, keep sending emails (actually based on the last time I checked, start sending emails) to theirishbuckeye@hotmail.com and tell us what you think or what you like, or if you're a hot single female your phone number and turn ons. Farewell!

Jason "The Racist" Whitlock
by Kamo

Being a religious follower of everything concerning Notre Dame football, specifically NDNation and Rock’s House because of the plethora of information regarding the team and their season, it appears that everyone who frequents that site is completely up in arms over Jason Whitlock’s column concerning Charlie Weis’ recent contract extension. As a recap, let’s summarize a little bit of Whitlock’s stance on the matter:

Whitlock opens his column by separating black from white in the first sentence by using the word “negro” to describe Don King, so right from the start even the most casual reader can see that this is going to be a racially motivated column. He continues to say that he did not have a problem with Willingham’s firing because he believes it was unfair, which is ok because he thinks (that is debatable) that life tends to be unfair. What Whitlock ultimately contends, however, is that Weis’ contract extension is racist because of the fact that Tyrone Willingham was, “far more impressive in the first two months of his initial season than Weis has been in his.” So, within the same column, he is saying that Willingham’s firing wasn’t necessarily unfounded by Notre Dame but that if Weis deserves the contract that he got for going 5-2 than Willingham deserved one for going 8-0. So, let’s take the next step…

Besides the fact that this is a racially charged tirade by a washed up football player (more on that later), what Whitlock assumes is that Willingham starting 8-0 is far more impressive than Weis starting 5-2 and my question is simply this: What exactly does he base this assumption on? Sure, going 8-0 is no doubt impressive on paper, but here is the difference in the two seasons: When most people are sitting back right now and saying, “Yeah, 6 more points and we’re undefeated,” in 2001, people were saying, “Man, 13 points and we’re 1-3.” The 2001 Notre Dame team won with defense, special teams, and a little bit of luck. Wins against Purdue, Michigan, and Michigan State were all three games that could have easily been losses. Their most impressive wins came against an overrated Maryland team, and at Florida State, a win that was followed by the embarrassing fiasco against BC. Fast forward to 2005- while this team is 5-2, its wins have been equal parts impressive and dominating and its losses have been epic and heartbreaking. So, now we have dissected part of what one person called, “Steaming Dung,” but unfortunately we are far from being done.

The second thing that I take issue with here is that he is contradicting himself when he says that Willingham getting fired was not problematic to him. If Willingham’s firing was not problematic, that means that it was justified in some way. If his firing was in any way justified, that means he did not perform up to expectations. If he did not perform up to expectations than he in no way deserved to have an extension of any kind, correct? Also, whenever he says, “Weis and his handlers shouldn't get away with floating the story about his $1.5 million buyout and how that makes Notre Dame vulnerable to an NFL team stealing him,” and in the next sentence says, “The media shouldn't act like Notre Dame had no choice but to hand Weis a new deal,” he is once again contradicting. Mr. Whitlock, how is it so that Charlie Weis and his “handlers” floated the story in one sentence and in the very next it was the media, not his “handlers” who made it appear Notre Dame had no choice to give the extension. The bottom line is that one of your colleagues (the guy from NFL.com, and yes, he is indeed a colleague because he is a fellow writer) floated the story, not anyone from Notre Dame, and certainly not one of those supposed “handlers.” Maybe if you stopped to think before you wrote- which is something that you owe to any of your readers, white or black, - and got the facts straight, your arguments might carry with them a little more clout.

So, we have no established that his assumptions have no backbone and his facts are completely out of whack, we can focus on yet another issue: Race. This is no doubt a touchy issue for all involved, but more so for the white race. If a white writer used the word negro, their would be a riot. When a white coach makes the simple (and true) statement that blacks run fast, he is publicly targeted and ridiculed for being insensitive to the boundaries of race in today’s society. If a white man were to sound off on a column on a major sports website about how a white coach was shorted in favor of a black one, there is no doubt he would lose his job and quite possibly never find another one. It would be like if Chris Mortensen would have went off about how Poodle Pete deserved the Browns job last season more so than Romeo Crennel because what he did as a head coach was far superior to anything Crennel did as an assistant. Mortensen would be fired and then he would be publicly targeted as a racist and a bigot, however, when Jason Whitlock does the exact same thing on the other side of the fence, the only argument is about how wrong his opinion is. Nothing is said about how bad of a person he is because he did not research the facts before making what is, in my opinion, a completely racist column towards whites in general. The bottom line is that Jason Whitlock is the racist and, because of what is politically supposed to be correct, no one will ever say a word about it.

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