USC Hits Home Run With Kiffin

While there is plenty wrong with Lane Kiffin leaving Tennessee after just fourteen months to take over at USC, looking at it from a business standpoint everything is right. USC needed someone like Kiffin, someone strong-willed, cocky, and preferably young. Lane Kiffin fits all of those and even more, he will be able to assemble an all-star coaching staff including his father Monte, recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron, and they are rumored to be in on bringing back offensive coordinator Norm Chow from UCLA. Kiffin is a very polarizing figure in sports, and he's starting to get a reputation similar to John Calipari at Kentucky. But I believe, like Calipari, Kiffin will enjoy incredible success at USC, even though the NCAA will be watching closely.

As a fan, I am certainly disappointed with the state of college football where this can be allowed to happen. Coaching contracts really do mean nothing anymore, and it's unbelievable that we got to this point. With that aside, this is how it was before Kiffin's announcement, and it is how it will stay. Everything wrong about this move, I am more than happy to dismiss as the ways of the business, but there is one thing that I have a real problem with. If the rumors that Kiffin and Orgeron are actively contacting USC recruits and telling them to follow the staff to USC, there needs to be change to protect against this. Kiffin is hurting the Volunteers enough by leaving them without a coaching staff three weeks before national signing day. USC's recruiting class should be safe. They were ranked 10th, and with Kiffin and the superstar staff coming in, very few, if any of them will be leaving. Unfortunately Tennessee isn't that lucky. Kiffin had put together the 6th best class in the nation, of which several have already decommitted.

Look, I understand players commit to a school for the coach just as much as they do for the school, but situations like this need to be avoided. Since it's clear that you can't trust coaches to do what is morally right, and you can't expect kids to stay at a school that they no longer want to attend, a rule needs to be made. Perhaps something along the lines of those players being allowed to leave, but not follow the head coach to his new school. I see nothing wrong with a player going to the school that finished 2nd or 3rd for their services, but if a super class can be composed, much like what we're likely to see at USC this year, something is wrong with that.

I wish Kiffin all the best at USC, and I think if he plays his cards right, he has the potential to have legendary success there. I also hope Tennessee can get there guy and get him soon. I've heard that former coach Phil Fulmer has been contacted which makes all the sense in the world after the Volunteers have gone through this Kiffin mess. Fulmer is a phenomenal coach and recruiter who the school would not have to worry about betraying them. Seeing Kiffin bolt after only one year, it really makes you appreciate someone like Fulmer who has bled Tennessee orange for 35 years.

McGwire Admits Steroid Use

Today, coming as a surprise to literally no one, Mark McGwire announced to the world that he used steroids during his magical 1998 season and off and on for the majority of his career. As, I said before, this isn't new information to anyone, but as a kid who fell in love with baseball during that '98 season, it hurts me a little bit.

Steroids are such a touchy subject in sports overall, but especially in baseball. As a fan, I love the idea of players who I have never liked (AROD, Bonds) not making it into the Hall of Fame. When it comes to the players that I rooted for, like Clemens and McGwire, I find myself wishing for more leniency. While I understand not including players like Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire, all I hope for is consistency from the voters. If you're not going to include them, then you have to immediately eliminate any player linked with performance enhancing drugs. There can't be a situation along the lines of, "Yeah, he cheated...but he was just REALLY good." However this mess turns out, here's to keeping our fingers crossed that Ken Griffey Jr.'s name stays clean.

What We Learned From Wild Card Weekend

The first thing that we learned this weekend is that this year’s wild card games were incredibly boring. Not just the games, but many of the teams that played in those games. It would be tough to find someone who said that the Cardinals/Packers game wasn’t the best, so we’ll start in Arizona.

You can forget about the dream of seeing Favre vs. Packers one more time this year in the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay gave it everything they had, but the Cardinals proved to be too much in overtime. What really stood out to me in this game was Rodgers’ first pass of overtime, an overthrow to Greg Jennings that looked like a sure touchdown, and if nothing else would have immediately put them into field goal range. The main lesson that came from the Cardinals 51-45 win is that Arizona is a very hot/cold team. When they are hot, and Kurt Warner is playing like he did Sunday with more touchdowns than incompletions, it’s going to be very tough to beat them. However, Arizona is also just as likely to forget to show up for a game and lose by 20+.

The other Sunday game got ugly in a hurry as the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New England Patriots 33-14. The Ravens came into this game determined to give the Patriots their first opening round playoff loss in the Belichick/Brady era, and succeeded. While the Ravens played great, what many will take away from this game is that the Patriots dynasty is officially over. Sure, they have the talent to be successful year in and year out, but no longer will we see them annihilating the competition on the road to the Super Bowl. I see their near future to be similar to a team like the Philadelphia Eagles, good but not great.

The Jets vs. Bengals game lacked excitement, if for nothing else, because of the two teams’ playing styles. Both are more power running, grind-it-out football teams, which just doesn’t make for great entertainment to the average fan. The Jets however did come away with a 24-14 win, which will provide us with one more week of Rex Ryan telling us all how the Jets are the best team to ever play before they eventually get eliminated by the Chargers. Enjoy this week Rex!

Also on Saturday night the Cowboys defeated the Philadelphia Eagles for the second straight week and will travel to Minnesota next weekend to take on the Vikings. This game also lacked excitement, but it was great to see Tony Romo and the Cowboys finally get that playoff win. This is a dangerous Dallas team if they get going, so Minnesota needs to be on alert.

All of this leads us to next week. I think that this year’s group of 1 and 2 seeds is so talented that it’s going to be tough to see any upsets. Arizona at New Orleans has the potential to be a good game, or a blowout if the Saints play like they’re capable of. One thing’s for sure, the Super Dome will be rocking as the best fans in the NFL become the 12th man. In my opinion the matchup of the Ravens at Colts on Saturday night will provide the best game. The Ravens defense is playing well and could give Peyton Manning as much trouble as any, but at the end of the day, it’s Peyton Manning and I think he’ll come through. Sunday means Dallas at Minnesota and Jets at Chargers. After losing their previous two games, Minnesota fired on all cylinders against the Giants in Week 17 to head into the playoffs hot. Brad Childress responded by giving the veteran Vikings this whole week off. Now it’s back to business as they prepare for the Cowboys and I don’t see them losing this game. Despite Rex Ryan’s statements otherwise, the Jets are the worst team in this playoff group. Their gameplan will be simple, run the ball and play great defense. Of course the Chargers know this, and their gameplan will also be simple, make rookie QB Mark Sanchez beat us, which I don’t think he can do at this stage in his career. If I had to pick an upset, I’d go with one of the Saturday games, but if the top seeds play like they’re capable, none of these games should be close.

Vlad Guerrero Signs With Rangers

Vladimir Guerrero has signed on to become the DH for the Texas Rangers. The deal is for 1 year and worth $5 million. Despite having an injury filled year last season, Guerrero still hit .295 with 15 HR and 50 RBI in only 100 games. Not numbers that we used to see from Vlad in his prime, but still quite passable for a DH.

The Rangers got quite the deal here. Yes, it is no secret that Guerrero's body is breaking down and he is not the same all world talent that he used to be. Gone are the days when fans would gasp at the strength of Vlad's arm in right field and the mammoth upper deck home runs. But make no mistake, Guerrero still has the talent to excel in this league when healthy, especially in the launching pad that is The Ballpark at Arlington. As long as he can stay healthy, I expect him to have a very nice year in Texas. While Texas has done a great job with this signing, it's still tough to see anyone beating the Mariners in the AL West.

Mike Anderson: Great For College Basketball

After seeing Mike Anderson coaching at the University of Missouri these past few years, I have been quite torn. As a Kansas student and fan, I naturally want to see Missouri fail in everything that they do. But as a sports fan, it is tough not to appreciate Mike Anderson. This hire was a slam dunk for Mizzou. After Quinn Snyder, they needed someone who was going to not only lead the Tigers back to prominence, but do it the right way. Anderson is nothing but a class act and deserves everything good that comes to him.

On top of being a great and likeable person, Anderson’s teams are also fun to watch. He reminds me of Kansas coach Bill Self in his ability to check his players’ egos and get them to buy into a defensive team first philosophy. Anderson’s 40 minutes of hell scare every team on the Tigers schedule, no matter how much they’ll deny it coming in. Anderson quite simply is not only great for the Big 12, but great for college basketball.

With all of the things Mike Anderson has going for him, he can expect to be involved in rumors for several big name jobs that come up in the near future, and he absolutely deserves to be. While the Missouri-hater in me wants to see Anderson take one of those jobs as far away from Kansas as possible, the college basketball fan in me wants to see him stay at Missouri and leave his mark on that university. It’s rare in college basketball today that you can get talented players to buy into a defensive style like Coach Anderson and Self have, so when it happens, you need to appreciate it. And how much fun would it be to have those two great coaches match up for years to come in one of the best rivalries in the country?

Peyton Manning: Simply The Best

Over the weekend, Peyton Manning was honored with his fourth NFL MVP Award. This gives Manning more MVPs than any player to ever play the game. Two weekends before, Manning became the youngest quarterback to ever throw for 50,000 yards and the fourth ever along with Elway, Marino, and Favre.

Peyton Manning’s brilliance is something that I feel gets overlooked today. Sure, everyone recognizes him as a great quarterback, but I feel like future generations are going to appreciate him more than the people that actually watched him play. The reason for this, I believe, is that there is so much talent at quarterback in the NFL today. This generation of quarterbacks have several guys who aren’t necessarily historically amazing, but have an opportunity to be remembered long after they’re done playing. This list includes McNabb, Roethlisberger, and Brees (who granted, has put up historic numbers). We have young QBs who have the chance to be very good, including Stafford, Ryan, Flacco, and Sanchez. And we have the guy who will always compete with Peyton as this generation’s best, Tom Brady.

Brady is a phenomenal player, you won’t find anyone who would say otherwise. And of course, Brady’s biggest advantage when it comes to being remembered as a historic QB are his three Super Bowl rings. But Peyton Manning is just flat out GOOD. Not only good but he is a hands down better quarterback than everyone else. Peyton has it all, the arm, the touch, the smarts, the consistency, and the intangibles. On top of that all, he works harder than anyone else in the league perfecting his craft.

As fans I think we all need to make an attempt to appreciate Peyton Manning while he is playing because we will certainly miss him when he’s gone. He may not get all of the credit he deserves because more of it is being spread around than ever, but make no mistake about it, there will not be another QB quite like Peyton Manning again in our lifetimes. Let’s hope the Colts keep things going in the playoffs so we can have a longer look this season at the greatness that is Peyton Manning.

Aroldis Chapman Set To Sign With Cincinnati Reds

If you want to make it to the Major Leagues, one of the easiest ways is being a left-handed pitcher. If you want to make a boat load of cash in the Major Leagues, you may want to try being an extraordinarily talented left-handed pitcher. This is the exact path that Cuban defect Aroldis Chapman is going to take within the next few days when he is expected to sign a 5 year, $30 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds.

Chapman’s story is very intriguing. If you haven’t heard, he was blessed with the ability to throw a baseball around 100 MPH from the left side. Unfortunately he was cursed to have been born in Cuba with this phenomenal skill. As a member of the Cuban national team, Chapman fled from his teammates and authorities and went into hiding during a tournament in the Netherlands. Chapman then established residency (a must to become a MLB free agent) in Andorra while trying to negotiate a big league contract.

Chapman represents a big risk for the Cincinnati Reds organization and most in the business are surprised that the Reds won out. Many expected him to wind up with a larger organization like the Red Sox or Angels. Playing for a smaller market club may be a huge benefit for Chapman, however. While possessing all the talent in the world, the knock on the 22 year old fireballer is that he lacks maturity and perhaps coachability. Whether true or not, the bottom line is Cincinnati needs Chapman to make them look good here. Chapman is far from polished and will likely need at least a season in the Minor Leagues before becoming a fixture of the Reds’ rotation. In many ways this links the Reds with the Washington Nationals, and Chapman with Nationals’ first round selection Stephen Strasburg.

Both Chapman and Strasburg commanded huge paydays because of their electric arms. Strasburg is a lanky righty with a 100+ MPH fastball who signed for $15.1 million over 4 years after being selected with the first pick in the draft last June. And both the Reds and Nationals are hoping their young studs can be worth every penny before those players become too expensive for them to keep.

Pete Carroll To Seattle And What He Leaves Behind At USC

All signs have pointed to the marriage between Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks to be a done deal. The contract has been reported at 5 years and worth an incredible $35 million. Carroll will also take over as team president, a stated must for any team looking to lure him away from the dynasty he has continued to build at USC. The reasons he is leaving are obvious. First and foremost, there’s the money. Carroll will go from making around $4 million per year at USC to $7 million in the NFL. However everyone who follows sports knows that Carroll could have easily used the Seahawks’ offer as leverage to negotiate a richer contract at USC, though it is doubtful the university would have gone all the way to match the offer from Seattle. So with that, we can gather that Carroll either wanted a new challenge, was scared of future NCAA sanctions that could be imposed on USC for their recruiting violations (most recently with Joe McKnight), or a combination of both.

Regardless of why he left, the bottom line to USC and college football now is that he’s gone. Leaving behind an incredible legacy and one of, if not the most traditionally desired coaching job in the country. This leads me to my next question. How does USC replace Pete Carroll? Ok the names that have been tossed around are fine, but this is Pete Carroll you’re replacing. If you are USC, you cannot afford to get this hire wrong, but with the threat of sanctions, you don’t present the value that you should. The name that is brought up most in connection with the job is Mike Riley, the head coach at Oregon State. Riley is a USC alum and a good coach, he figures to be at the top of the list. Also on that list are Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack del Rio, Boise State head coach Chris Peterson, and Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh (who just signed an extension with Stanford but those mean nothing in college athletics these days). Of course these potential coaches may have a recipe for disaster if they come to USC and have to deal with the Trojans’ high hopes mixed with the harsh reality of NCAA sanctions.

When USC is winning, there is no better place in the world to coach, but if they are not, the university may be looking for another head coach in just a few more years. Coaches beware.

#1 Kansas Loses To Volunteers In Knoxville

It was a tough loss for the top ranked Kansas Jayhawks this weekend. They were simply outmatched all game against a united Tennessee Volunteers team. Tennessee fans should be very proud of this win. Bruce Pearl got his team to come together and manhandle arguably the most talented team in the country for 40 minutes to win 76-68. And the crazy thing is, it shouldn’t have even been that close! In what was an odd game, Tennessee shot 50% from 3-point range and only 48% from the field. On top of that, the Vols only shot 52% from the free-throw line. Sure, the passionate Vols caught some breaks. Kansas didn’t play the defense that people have begun to expect from Bill Self’s teams. Top role players Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed struggled to convert on the open looks that typically go in. And of course the awkward 3-point basket made by Skylar McBee in the last two minutes as the shot clock expired. Despite all of these breaks however, Tennessee absolutely controlled this game from the early stages.

For Tennessee fans, you should feel great. I am a huge fan of Bruce Pearl and think he has the chance to be of the elite coaches in the game, if he is not already. He certainly showed why on Sunday by getting his players to play together despite losing a third of their team to suspension/dismissal. For Kansas fans, I wouldn’t worry. Bill Self is one of the top coaches in the nation and I’m sure he silently was wanting this as a motivation tool for his team. Self has said it before, this Kansas team was given the #1 ranking because of last year’s success. This year’s team absolutely has not deserved that ranking for much of this season, yet Kansas’ players have all had a demeanor as if they had already won the championship. Make no mistake, Self will get this team hungry and on track. It is a long season and either one of these great coaches will tell you it’s all about how you finish.