Texas to the Big Ten

Lately there have been a lot of rumors about Texas having preliminary talks with Big Ten officials about perhaps joining the conference. From the Big Ten's perspective this would make perfect sense. Texas provides a package of big-time football, a rising basketball program and strong academics (47th among national universities). Texas could be a huge potential revenue source for the Big Ten.

Only a school like Notre Dame could bring a package like Texas, but we all know that won't happen. As good as this might sound to some people, I don't see it happening. First, I don't think the Texas baseball team would ever lose a game in the Big Ten, and it could effect their recruiting. Second, would Mack Brown want to play a late November game in Happy Valley? Would fans travel across the country to see tennis matches, cross-country meets, etc.?

There are too many roadblocks for Texas to accept the invitation but it is still an intriguing idea. If Texas were to join the Big Ten, I feel they would have to keep the OU rivalry and Texas A&M game. Then, you got think about how hard of a schedule that would be because of your conference opponents being the likes of Ohio St., Penn St. , Wisconsin and Michigan.

Being the biggest brand in college athletics, Texas deserves to be in a better conference. Although, they do have a bright future with the evolution of the Texas Sports Network that will be similar to the Big Ten Network. Joining the Big Ten would boost revenue, but Texas has so many revenue streams that I don't think that would matter.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, and whether or not other schools will express interest. If the Big Ten is serious about expanding, it should consider schools that are much closer. There’s been talk in the past of other Big 12 schools like Missouri and Nebraska joining the Big Ten, but nothing has happened in the conference since Penn State joined in 1990. An interesting idea would be if the Big Ten offered a package deal for Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The creation of a "Super Conference".

Best Non-Steroid User during the Steroid Era

by Nick Szafranski

When you think of steroids in baseball several players come to mind; Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens and more recently as A-Rod, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Steroids have been around since the 1930’s but really started to surface during the 1980’s and a high percentage of players were using during the 90’s and 2000’s.”The Steroid Era” which presumably started in 1988, will always be associated with steroids whether the MLB ever officially puts an asterisk next to the names of the players that came forward.

With the retirement of former White Sox player Frank Thomas on Thursday, this brought up the question; of the hitters not tied to steroids who played during the “Steroid Era,” who is the best?

It may very well be “The Big Hurt.”

Eliminating the names of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa because of their ties to Steroids, the list of elite players during this era really narrows.

Only a few other players’ have had outstanding careers spanning the time period; including Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas, Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza, and Mark Grace.

At 22, Frank Thomas made his major league debut o August 2nd, 1990, at the height of steroid usage. In his first full season he finished third place in the AL MVP voting batting .318, hitting 32 home-runs and slugging in 109 RBI.

In 1993, Thomas became the first White Sox player to win the MVP award since Dick Allen in 1972. Hitting 41 home-runs with 128 RBI, he led the White Sox to the American League Championship Series where they fell to the eventual World Series Champion Toronto Blue Jays.

In 1994, he became the second first basemen to win back-to-back MVP, hitting .353, 38 home-runs and 101 RBI in a season shortened by 49 games. Between 1991 and 1997 Thomas finished in the top 10 every year for AL MVP voting. His five all-star appearances, four silver slugger awards, a comeback player of the year award in 2000 and a 2005 World Series ring put him among the greats of all-time.

His 521 career home-runs puts him at 19th on the all-time list behind several tainted names, also his 269 home-runs puts him only behind steroid user David Ortiz for most as a designated hitter.

Perhaps the most impressive stat of them all is that Frank Thomas became part of an elite class of four players including Mell Ott, Ted Williams and Babe Ruth to have at least a .300 batting average, 500 home runs, 1,500 RBI, 1,000 runs and 1,500 walks in a career.

Thomas’ longevity solidified his name in history. In 2006 after leaving the White Sox for the Oakland A’s, Thomas placed fourth in MVP voting finishing the season with an amazing 39 home-runs at the age of 38.

Having played football at the University of Auburn on a scholarship, Frank avoided many steroid accusers because he stood at 6′5″ and weighing in at 257 lbs throughout his lengthy career.

Mark Grace had the most hits in 1990’s, Craig Biggio is a part of the 3000 hit club, and Mike Piazza may be the best catcher of all-time but none of them compete with the numbers Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas put up.

While Griffey had a little over one hundred more home-runs than Thomas, Frank batted more than fifteen points higher. Frank also had a .417 OBP while Kenny had a .371 OBP. Although Griffey had more RBI in over 300 more games played, their statistics just about evened out.

Both players regardless of era would be considered among the best players of all-time. Had Griffey not been injured as often he may have won more than one MVP, and if the “Steroid Era” continues for many more years Albert Pujols will be considered the best non-steroid user in the era. However with all this said from 1988 to 2010 in a time where “juicing” took over the game, one player emerged as the leader of the anti-drugs, “The Big Hurt.

NBA All-Star Weekend

Here are my predictions for the weekend:

Taco Bell Skills Competition- Derrick Rose, he will defend his title with another monster dunk at the end. Him and Jennings will face each other in the finals.

Rookie/Sophomore Game- I am going to pick the Rookies in this one simply because Derrick Rose will not be participating. I expect Stephen Curry to get the MVP.

3 Point Contest- Stephen Curry, his smooth shooting stroke will be perfect for this competition.

H.O.R.S.E.- Kevin Durant, the real question is why is Rajon Rondo in this competition when he can't even shoot regularly. Hook em

Dunk Contest- I am going to take the underdog in this one and go with Shannon Brown. If you don't know about him then you are about to find out. Demar Derozan should have some tricks up his sleeve but no one can fly like Shannon.

All-Star Game- East, Lebron will get the MVP just because of all the fast break dunks he will get. Hopefully, he will turn an ankle. Although it would be nice for Dirk to go off in front of his fans because he has had a great season thus far.

Dent Left out again. Rice, Smith headline HOF Class.

On Saturday the NFL announced its 2010 class of Hall of Famers, but for seventh straight year Richard Dent was denied entry. Dent, a former defensive end of the Chicago Bears ranks sixth all-time in quarterback sacks with 137.5 in his career.

Dent is arguably the second best defender on arguably the best defense of all-time, the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears. During his first stint withe the Bears between 1983-1993 he had 124.5 sacks and accumulated a Super Bowl MVP and ring. Including another year with the Bears in 1995, he played for San Francisco 49er’s (1994), Indianapolis Colts (1996) and Philadelphia Eagles (1997).

When Dent retired in 1997 he was third all-time in career sacks. Over his 15 seasons he averaged an amazing .92 sacks per start, imagine averaging almost a sack per game. The only defensive end in the modern era with a higher sack per start rating was Fred Dean with 1.14. However Dean only had 93 sacks over his career which doesnt even put him in the top ten all-time, while Dent had 137.5.

Dents’ average of .92 sacks per start puts him ahead of “the Minister of Defense” Reggie White (.87), all-time sack leader Bruce Smith (.75), and ahead of Giants great Michael Strahan (.69). Richard Dent also had eight interceptions, a modern-era record for defensive linemen.

Richard Dent was a finalist for six out of his seven years of eligibility for the NFL Hall of Fame. Highlighting this years class was the best wide receiver of all-time 49er’s Jerry Rice, and career all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith who both were enshrined on their first years. Vikings defensive end John Randle had the same amount of career sacks but was a less dominant player then Dent. Among the others that entered were Saints outside linebacker Rickey Jackson, Redskins linemen Russ Grimm and as veterans’ Dick LeBeau and Floyd Little.

The Chicago Bears have 26 players enshrined in Canton, which is the most by any single franchise. Of the Super Bowl champions Bears, Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, and Dan Hampton are the only players inducted in the Hall.

Waiting eight rounds to be drafted out of Tennessee State in 1983, Dent may find his luck in 2011, his eighth year of eligibility.

Announcements

Aaron " The Space eater " Gray has been traded to the Hornets. New Orleans fans hope he can be the next Robert "Tractor" Traylor.

Saints vs Colts in the Super Bowl. Should be a lot of points and Kim Kardashian which makes for a good game. My Pick: Saints

Top Defensive End Jackson Jeffcoat will announce his college decision next Sunday. Finalists include Texas, Oklahoma, Florida.

The Bears are still without an Offensive Coordinator and Defensive Coordinator.

The Knicks lose to the Mavericks by 50 points. After the game Coach Mike D'Antoni said, "They took our heart out of us,"

Chris Johnson gets snubbed

by Nick Szafranski

Titans running back Chris Johnson received no votes for NFL MVP in last weeks voting.

Six players in NFL history have rushed for at least two-thousand yards in a season. A NFL history that has been around for 90 years and that has seen tens of thousands of players step foot on the field. Johnson was one of the six players and did not get a single vote for this years NFL MVP. Four players received votes for MVP, all of which were quarterbacks, while Peyton Manning won the race in a land-slide with 39.5 percent of the votes.

Along with the likes of Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson, OJ Simpson, Terrell Davis and Jamal Lewis, Johnson rushed for 2,006 yards during the season. Sanders, Simpson and Davis won the NFL MVP in their respective seasons.

Breaking Marshall Faulks NFL record for yards from scrimmage was just one of Chris Johnsons other accolades.

How could he not receive a single vote? Not taking away anything from Peyton Manning, but Chris Johnson had arguably the best season an NFL running back has ever had. Peyton Manning had a great season but not one of the best in NFL history. Not one person gave him a vote for MVP and that is really mind-blowing after everything he did this season. Did he not get any votes because he wasnt on a playoff team and all the other vote getters were? The Titans finished 8-8 and just missed the playoffs in the final weeks.

He was all the Titans had offensively. Think about it, the Titans dont have a pass game and each defense knew that Chris Johnson was getting the ball and he still set all of the records. Thats amazing. Chris Johnson is the fastest player in the NFL and thats why he averaged an astonishing 5.6 yards per carry.

I dont know about you, but when I look at Chris Johnson I think, there is the most valuable player in the NFL. Zero votes for Chris Johnson is incredibly disrespectful. Chris Johnson= Snubbed.

Worst Leg Injury?

Here are three of the worst sports injuries I have ever seen. Prepare yourself




Glad to see he has recovered and is still playing in the NBA.



In my opinion, this one was the worst and if you listen carefully at the :22 mark you can actually hear it pop. Sad to see it happen to a senior...

Bo Pelini is a Creep

This is Bo Pelini looking at Ndamakung Suh's sister at the awards ceremony last night. Suh can't be happy...

Top 5 Most Underrated Inventions

1. The towel- I know this may sound weird, but you need to think of all the uses of a towel. When you go to the beach you grab a ___ , come out of the shower then you grab a __ , if your cold get a ___, need to clean something then use a __ , don't want beer to go on the ground during a pong game then put a ___ down , got sweat on your face? use a ___. I hope your getting the point here...

2. Cell phone- We use it all the time, but have you ever though about it? You can be in California and through a cell phone you can talk to someone in Europe. Thousands of miles away, but you can still hear their voice with no delay. Best part about it, no wires.

3. The elevator- Without this, would there be a Sears Tower ( I know the name changed to Willis Tower )? No. The elevator has made it possible for cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York to have the giant buildings they have. Such an important invention, but it never gets the respect it deserves.

4. The button- invented in 700 B.C., and has yet to be replaced. I think " the button " speaks for itself, and I can't see it ever being replaced. You realize how underrated "the button" is when your button breaks off your pants and for the rest of the day you have to put your hands in your pockets to keep them up.

5. Bug spray- So many times I find myself having a good time outside and then all the sudden the bugs come. Every barbecue you have to worry about the occasional bug that decides to land on your food. You could spend hours trying to swat that fly away with your hand, or use bug spray and eliminate the problem right away. Without it, I couldn't survive.

Diaper Dandies

Nothing excites me more than finding out which freshman is going to be the next Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley or Greg Oden. As is the case every year, a number of diaper dandies should intrigue us and excite us. Here are a few in particular that I feel will have a huge impact on their team this year.

Avery Bradley- Ranked #1 in the ESPNU 100 rankings for the 2009 class, and is expected to be the leading scorer for the #3 ranked Longhorns this year. The 6-3 shooting guard is known as a harassing ball defender, and a great mid-range shooter. His wing span and heart will make up of for his lack of height on the defensive end. It will be interesting to see how Barnes plays him because of Texas' loaded backcourt. Bradley will be the key for a National Championship run because we all know March Madness comes down to guard play. A great game to watch will be when #1 Kansas visits #3 Texas, a square off between Sherron Collins and Avery Bradley.



John Wall- The best point guard in the 2009 class, and maybe the best overall athlete. Draws comparisons to Derrick Rose because of his ability to get from end- line to end-line in a matter of seconds. Originally committed to Memphis but then decided to follow Callipari to Kentucky over the summer. He is able to consistently finish above the rim, both in transition and in traffic. In Callipari's offense he will have the flexibility that Rose and Tyreke Evans had to create for themselves and others. Wall is still a very raw player but in a system where you are running up and down the whole time it shouldn't be an issue. Watch out for this extremely talented Kentucky squad...



Jack Cooley- The next Harangody? From a physical standpoint he definitely looks like it. At 6-9 and 245 lbs, Cooley will provide a strong defensive presence for Notre Dame off the bench. What makes him so special is his toughness and competitiveness on both ends of the floor. Never will you see him give up on a loose ball or not take the charge. Cooley shot over 70% from the line throughout his high school career and averaged over 4 blocks a game. Has the potential to develop into a dominant low-post scorer, but for now he will concentrate on the defensive side. His overall IQ of the game is far above any freshman which already gives him an advantage. Seems to get better each time he plays, so he should be a key contributor come tournament time in March. Draws comparisons to Kevin Love because of his work ethic and motor.

Swollen Members

This is a tribute to a band I found while searching through the Itunes store. They are from Canada and have been out of the scene for a couple of years because of drug addiction. ( A little weird ) They just came out with a new album called Armed To the Teeth. Check out my three favorite songs....





Put Me On



Warrior



Pornstar

Chicago Bulls Preview

After last year's performance against the Celtics in the playoffs, the Bulls will look to build off that and compete for the 4th seed in the East. Getting rid of Ben Gordon in the off season was the best thing they could of done for the future. Not only does that give them more cap room for the monstrous 2010 free agency but it also allows Derrick Rose to develop into an All-star. In order for the Bulls to compete in the East they are going to need John Salmons and Luol Deng to produce more on the offensive end.

Three players that I expect to have breakout years are Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. Rose has worked on his shot all summer and has even added 15 lbs to his already muscular frame. Noah also hit the weights this off season and throughout preseason has looked like he developed a nice right hook. When the Bulls first drafted Gibson I was not impressed, but after watching him knock down shot after shot in the preseason it made me think of Horace Grant. He gives the Bulls more depth at the forward position and potentially a low post scorer that the Bulls have lacked since Elton Brand. The Bulls starting lineup consists of:

PG Derrick Rose (6-3)
SG John Salmons (6-6)
SF Luol Deng (6-9)
PF Tyrus Thomas ( 6-10)
C Joakim Noah ( 7-0)

This lineup will cause a lot of problems for teams that are small at the guard position. In addition to that, this is a much better defensive group than last year's starting lineup. Del Negro has even played with the idea of going even bigger by using this lineup:

PG Derrick Rose (6-3)
SG Luol Deng (6-9)
SF Tyrus Thomas (6-10)
PF Brad Miller (6-11)
C Joakim Noah (7-0)

Predictions: 50-32, 4th seed in the East. Derrick Rose will be in Dallas for the All-star game. Taj Gibson will be in contention for Rookie of the Year.

Worries: There are two ways in which the Bulls will not live up to their expectations. The obvious one is injuries and the other is Coach Vinny Del Negro. Del Negro may be the worst game coach in the history of the NBA. I have never seen a coach call worse plays at the end of the game. For example, Game 6, 5 seconds left in OT, he gives the ball to Brad Miller at half court. Not to mention that Miller blew the game before by missing two free throws at the end of the game. What does Doc Rivers do? He has his best shooter (Ray Allen) come off two screens at the top of the key to hit the game-winning three. Rarely will the Bulls get outplayed this year, but they will get out-coached many times this year that will lead to losses.