2nd Place Is The First Loser

Another season down, another second place finish. Don't get me wrong, if you would have asked me before the season where I thought Utah would end up, I would have told you somewhere between #15 and #25...and that was being optimistic. I should be overjoyed that the Utes finished ranked 2nd in the country. Ahead of USC, Texas, Oklahoma, and other powers nonetheless.

But I'm not.

I'm sick of second place. I am sick of being satisfied to just be there. It's an accomplishment, sure, but you know what? I want that championship. They say victory is made sweeter after the agony of defeat. Agony? Check. Cross it off my list. I don't know what it's like to have a team like the Celtics, Lakers, or Yankees be my team. In fact to be honest it must be quite lame. How can you truly enjoy a championship when it's just an expectation; nothing more? All I know is, when my time comes, it will be awesome.

So, in memory of the 2008-2009 Utah Utes football team, I am going to countdown the "Most Devastating 2nd Place Teams." 8 being the easiest to handle, 1 being the toughest. Here goes:

8) 1999 World Series

I had never lived in a city with a professional baseball team, but 1998 changed my fortunes when we moved to Atlanta. I adopted the Braves as my favorite baseball team when I was younger (I even wore a Braves uniform in my 2nd grade school picture, my mom was furious), but never felt validated as having them be "my team" since I never lived there. In fact I was more of an Indians fan up until this point (Therefore the Braves 1995 World Series win didn't mean much to me, other than the fact they beat the Indians to win it. Ah,the first 2nd place). But it's baseball, and I didn't really care until now. After going to several Braves games, I was hooked. Turner Field is an awesome place to watch a game, especially during the 90's when "America's Team" was a perennial power. 1999 had me going to many games, and witnessing the Braves rise up and become dominant, all the way to the World Series. Then they got swept. I was disappointed, feeling we really had a shot to win it all, but then again, it's just baseball. Thus, the reason this was the easiest to take.

7) 1999 Fiesta Bowl

When I was 8 years old, my grandma bought me a looney tunes shirt. I don't think she realized it at the time, but the shirt actually was a Florida State shirt, with the looney tunes characters wearing FSU football uniforms. I was instantly a fan. In 1999, a new system was put in place to supposively pit the two best teams in college football against each other in a "Championship Game" every year. They called it the BCS. The ever-smart computers decided to place Florida State and Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl, that year's championship game. Florida State was led by star receiver Peter Warrick and Kicker Sebastian Janikowski (Yes, a kicker can be a star). Florida State played terribly and Tennessee won the game. On that day, I promised myself I would never, ever, step foot in the state of Tennessee. Some good that did me. And don't you think it's a little ironic that even in the first season of the BCS I got screwed?

6) Super Bowl XXXIII

Living in Atlanta during the Falcons Super Bowl season was awesome. I attended several games that year, including possibly the biggest sporting event I ever witnessed live: The playoff win against the 49ers. The team was solid, and they were led by Jamal Anderson (A Ute nonetheless) and the ever-awesome dirty bird. I remember going to the mall and they would be having dirty bird dance-offs for Super Bowl tickets. After the stunning victory over the Niners, and the field goal to beat the Vikings, the Falcons were in the Big Game. That week at school was called "Football Week," and the Friday before the game we did nothing but play football and have games all day (Best day of school ever). Then the game came. Not only did the Falcons get smacked around by John Elway, Terrell Davis, and the defending champion Broncos, I lost $5 to my uncle Tim in a bet. Almost as devastating for a 13 year old.

5) 1997 NBA Finals

The Jazz made the Finals! For the first time in franchise history they actually made it. We all remember the 3-pointer Stockton hit to send them there against the Rockets. Amazing. Next up was Michael Jordan and the Bulls. Game 1, Jordan hit a game winning shot, a heartbreaker. But after 4 games the series was tied up 2-2. There was still hope to beat the unbeatable. Game 5 was Jordan's epic "flu game" in which he scored 38 points. The Jazz lost by 2. Game 6 back in Chicago was the clincher, with Steve Kerr hitting a huge shot to seal the win for the Bulls. No one expected the Jazz to win the series, I mean come on, they were playing the Bulls. But they fought hard, and I was proud. Disappointed, but satisfied. We would be back.

4) 1998 NCAA Championship Game

This was unexpected. Keith Van Horn had just left for the NBA and the season was supposed to be a step-back from the Elite Eight they had made the previous year. Led by Andre Miller and Michael Doleac, the Utes entered the tournament as a #3 seed. They destroyed San Fransisco and followed it by grinding out wins over Arkansas and West Virginia to reach the Elite Eight once again. This is where they met Mike Bibby and the #1 seeded Arizona Wildcats. No problem, a 25 point domination put the Utes in the Final Four. But this is where it must end. Next up: Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood, and #1 North Carolina. I had a basketball game the night of the Utah/UNC game and I remember playing terrible. My mind wasn't on my game, rather it was wondering how the Utes were doing against the Tar Heels. My dad came up to me at halftime and told me that Utah was up 15. I told him he was lying and just trying to get me to focus. He wasn't. Utah went on to knock of the Heels and set up the championship game against Kentucky. An improbable run, this team had to be a team of destiny. After beating Arizona & UNC, there was no way Kentucky would stop the Utes. Utah headed to halftime up 10, and it looked good. It was going to happen. Then the collapse. After the loss to Kentucky I was depressed. I didn't even go to school the next day. It was devastating. To get so close...then blow it the way they did. Anyways, on with the list.

3) 1998 NBA Finals

Jazz/Bulls Part 2. This time it was different. The Jazz had won both regular season matchups against the Bulls and headed into the Finals with homecourt advatage. Many experts picked the Jazz to win, thus the expectations were much higher than the previous year. This was only several months after the Utes lost to Kentucky, my heart couldn't handle another second place. The Jazz took Game 1 in overtime, a promising victory. Off to a good start right? That until the Bulls won the next 3 games. Game 5 was in Chicago and the Jazz were as good as dead. Malone put together a monster 39 point game, but Jordan had the ball, down by 2, seconds left. He rose up for the winning shot....clank. New life. With Games 6 and 7 back in Salt Lake, this was very doable for the Jazz. The Jazz up by 1, Karl Malone had the ball stripped by Jordan with 17 seconds left. He dribbled the clock down, made his move (gave a little shove), and then:

I was at my grandma's house when this happened. In the back room. Luckily no one else was there to see me cry.

2) 2008-2009 Utah Football

I had always felt cursed, that the Sports Gods had some bone to pick with me. "We'll let his team get close, then make them lose" is what I always pictured them whispering to each other in some dark alley in Sport's Heaven. So many times up until this point I had gotten so close to tasting the sweet fruits of victory, and so many times I had been denied right at the gate of the tree. But this took it to a new level. This is just wrong. Only in college football could I go an entire season without feeling the sting of defeat, yet still have it rip my heart out at the end. I guess merely losing championship games got old. I bet the council went something to this effect: "How about this...let's let Utah go undefeated, beat 4 top 25 teams, and have them finish 2nd, to a team that only beat 3 top 25 teams, and lost a game." Brilliant. That would really tick Steve Evans off.

Mission accomplished.

1) 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals

Okay, okay, so it's not the NBA Finals, but anyone who knows anything about basketball knows this was the real championship. The NBA Finals that year was just the after-party, the parade, the skills competition. The Lakers and Kings were fiercest of rivals during the early part of the decade. That matched with the fierce Travis/Steve rivalry made this series one for the ages. Shaq's "Queens," the cowbells, the fist to Fox's face, what a great time to be a sports fan. The King's took the first 2 out of 3 games heading into game 4 in Los Angeles. The games were highly intense and tempers often flared.

As game 4 was winding down, the Kings were clinging to a two point lead. Dinner was ready and calls for the TV to be turned off were becoming intimidating. Fact is, I didn't care. I was watching the rest of this game even if it meant I was grounded for the rest of the summer. Under my breath I remember muttering, "If Kobe hits a game-winning 3 I swear I will fly to LA and kill him." This was game 4, a win for the Kings meant a 3-1 series lead, a most definite insurmountable lead. This was for the championship. Right before the inbound pass, I changed my mind. "If anyone was to make it, it would be Robert Horry" I told my dad. The shot....miss....the tip in....miss....Divac's swat....Robert Horry's 3....ball game....the remote in my hand....the wall....my dad...."#*&@*&*!"

Game 5 was much better, the tables turned and this time it was my main man Mike Bibby who knocked down the game winning shot. The Kings were up 3-2 heading into game 6 and the title was in reach. That is until Tim Donaghy and his gang awarded the Lakers 27, yes 27, free throws in the 4th quarter to hand the Lakers the game on a silver platter. Sure it was in the NBA's best interest to have the series go 7 games, but not mine. Game 7 was a classic. 19 lead changes. 16 ties. This game was as close as they come, that is until Mike Bibby's face got a little too close to Kobe Bryant's elbow, fouling it in the final seconds of overtime to wrap up the win for the Lakers. It was brutal. By far the most heartbreaking of them all.

But then again, there's always next year...

More about Utah

Sometimes I love Rick Reilly. Sometimes I hate Rick Reilly. How I feel about him is quite uncertain, but one thing is certain, he is Rick Reilly, and his opinion matters. He is known as "the back page columnist" for Sports Illustrated. In the most popular sports magazine of all time, he was it's most permanent (23 years) and visible (back page) fixture . He has won the national "Sportswriter of the Year" award 11 times. He has 6 articles in the Best American Sports Writing anthology.

The man knows sports.

I remember when Rick Majerus and the Utah basketball program was fined and put on probation by the NCAA. Majerus admitted to taking Keith Van Horn out to dinner...to tell him his father had died. He once bought Andre Miller $30 worth of groceries...because he hadn't eaten for days. What a rule-breaking heathen of a coach. Good thing the NCAA brought justice to the criminal by smacking him with a "year without pay" and taking away "3 scholarships for the next 7 years." The story didn't get much publicity, but someone had our backs. That man was Rick Reilly.

His satirical article, Corrupting Our Utes, brought to light just how ridiculous the NCAA had become, all-the-while backing the quality and integrity of the University of Utah. I remember exactly where I was when I read that masterpiece (The laundry room in our Sandy, Utah house). Someone from Sports Illustrated actually cared about the Utes? And Rick Reilly wrote about them? Awesome.

Well guess who's back? Read it and weep, BCS!

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Life of Reilly

Oklahoma and Florida can battle for the BCS. But we've already crowned the true national champ.

by Rick Reilly

The Utes trampled Alabama to complete a perfect season. How are they not national champions?

Some gifts people give are pointless: Styling mousse to Dick Vitale. An all-you-can-eat card to Kate Moss. The BCS Championship given to Oklahoma or Florida.

It means nothing because the BCS has no credibility. Florida? Oklahoma? Who cares? Utah is the national champion.

The End. Roll credits.

Argue with this, please. I beg you. Find me anybody else that went undefeated. Thirteen-and-zero. Beat four ranked teams. Went to the Deep South and seal-clubbed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The same Alabama that was ranked No. 1 for five weeks. The same Alabama that went undefeated in the regular season. The same Alabama that Florida beat in order to get INTO the BCS Championship game in the first place.

FIND ME ANYBODY ELSE THAT WENT UNDEFEATED. THIRTEEN-AND-ZERO. BEAT FOUR RANKED TEAMS. WENT TO THE DEEP SOUTH AND SEAL-CLUBBED ALABAMA IN THE SUGAR BOWL.

Yeah, that's how it is now in the shameful, money-grubbing world of college football. If you're Florida and you beat Alabama, you get a seat in the title game. If you're Utah, you get a seat on your sofa.

Hey, remind me: What do they give out for one of those BCS things anyway? It's been so long since I cared. Something from Sears? This is the sixth year in the past 10 that the title has been in dispute under this cash-grab, fan-dis, monopoly that the BCS has created. Which is why the title game just doesn't matter anymore. It's like being named Miss Ogallala. Or Best Amish Electrician.

Just take a look at the teams that think they're worthy of being called national champs:

USC? Great year. Wonderful. Let's all go to SkyBar and celebrate. But it lost to Oregon State, a team Utah beat.

Texas? You think beating Ohio State by a nubby three points gets you the title? The Big Ten was 1-6 in bowl games! That's like pinning David Spade!

Florida and Oklahoma? They lost. Utah never did.

So that's it. Utah is the national champion. The Utes should probably have two now, actually. They went undefeated in 2004, too, and their coach still thinks they were the best team in the land. Smart fella named Urban Meyer. Coaches Florida now.

By the way, we're calling our title the "national" championship because it actually includes the whole nation­—all 119 Division I schools—unlike the BCS, which includes 66. Yeah, the BCS somehow eliminated the middleman—the NCAA. The conferences these schools play in take their dump trucks full of cash straight from the TV networks and fairness can go suck a lemon.

The Utes won't get the trophy they really deserve, so we gave them one of our own design.

Do me a favor. Call Ohio State president Gordon Gee and ask him why he won't support a playoff. He's one of the most powerful presidents in the NCAA. He could get it done. If he says anything other than, "We don't want to share the loot" then you know he's lying his bow tie off.

"This is not how we normally do things in America," says Utah president Michael Young. "In America, quality usually wins, not conspiracy. And there's a reason people usually enter into a conspiracy. It's money. You make money doing it. And those that are in on the conspiracy want to stay in and keep everybody else out."

Sure, BCS blowhards will hand you schlock about how the college football season is like a playoff, how it's an elimination tournament every week. Really? Well, how come Florida and Oklahoma weren't eliminated with their losses? Utah ran the table, beat everybody set in front of them, including Ala-damn-bama in no less than the Sugar Bowl, and gets the bagel.

Oh, by the way? It was Utah's eighth straight bowl win, the nation's longest streak. Among the losers during that run? Let's see USC, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, and now the legendary Houndstooth Hats.

"What else do we have to prove?" asks Utah's magical quarterback, Brian Johnson. Good question. He and the Utes essentially whipped Alabama at home. Handed Nick Saban a garlic necklace to wear the entire offseason. Stepped on his team's neck 21-0 in the first three possessions and never looked back. Let's see. Who was it that was losing to Alabama until nearly six minutes into the fourth quarter? Oh, yeah. Florida.

What, you want the Utes to win a spelling bee? Make a prize-winning souffle? Knock up Angelina Jolie? What?

It just slays me. It really does.

Call Myles Brand, president of the asleep-at-the-wheel NCAA, and ask him if he and his greedy presidents are going to stand in defiance of president-elect Barack Obama, who wants a playoff and wants it yesterday.

Ask Brand what he's going to do if Obama starts asking the Justice Department to look into anti-trust hearings against the BCS. The Utah attorney general has already launched an investigation into that very thing. Or ask him what he'll do if Obama asks the Department of Education to consider withholding federal funds from these schools that have entered into this secret club called the BCS. You don't think playing in the title game means millions in general-fund donations for a school? That's as unfair as anything Title IX fought against.

Until all these people do the right thing, I'll be celebrating with the true national champions — the undefeated, untied Utah Utes. (Our new slogan: Utahk about a team!)

Lemonades for everybody!

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No question, Utah is the national champion

Reasons The Utes Are #1

"While watching the Sugar Bowl the other night, I found myself wondering what a Ute was. Now I know. A Ute is a member of the No. 1 college football team in the nation."
-David Climer • THE TENNESSEAN

"I am writing to urge you -- no, implore you -- to cast your final ballot of the season with one team and one only team ranked No. 1: the University of Utah."
-John Feinstein • WASHINGTON POST

"I can’t see myself putting anyone other than Utah at the top of my final ballot."
-Tom Keegan • LAWRENCE JOURNAL

"If I were the king of college football, I would decree Utah the national champion and declare Thursday's supposed championship Game between Florida and Oklahoma to be moot."
- Mike Bianchi • ORLANDO SENTINEL

Utah is the only undefeated team in the country


This should be reason enough. I mean come on, out of 119 teams, only 1 went undefeated. Sure there are several teams that only lost one game that are being considered, but they lost. Utah didn't.

"All are fine teams (Oklahoma, Florida, USC, Texas) that have had outstanding seasons. They have, however, one thing that Utah does not have. A loss. All of us know that in competition anyone -- whether an individual or a team -- who does not lose once is the champion. It's really pretty simple: If no one beats you, then you are the winner. You are No. 1. You go home with the first-place trophy. " -JF

"All the Utes did was line up and beat every team on their schedule, including ranked opponents TCU, BYU and Alabama." -DC

"Utah is the only undefeated team in the country. Period. Case closed. Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Southern Cal all have one loss. They have no argument." -MB

They played a quality schedule, and the MWC had a strong year

You know it's coming, the strength of schedule argument. Many will say that if a team like Utah played in a BCS conference, there is no way they go undefeated. While BCS conferences typically are superior top to bottom most years, this year has been an exception. In fact the Big (L)East and ACC were so horrid, they don't even get consideration here.

The SEC was tough at times, but definitely vulnerable. Just look what Utah did to Alabama. They were ranked #1 longer than any other team this season (5 weeks) and were half a quarter from the title game. Utah didn't just beat them, they completely overpowered them. Wyoming even beet Tennessee in Knoxville. Wyoming.

USC lost to Oregon State. Utah beat Oregon State. The Mountain West had a great out-of-conference record and had 3 teams finish in the Top 16 of the final BCS standings. Of all the BCS conferences, only the PAC-10 had a remarkably good bowl record (5-0). The Mountain West went 6-1 against the PAC-10 during the regular season.

The Big Ten went 1-6 in bowl games. We all know how Big Ten champ Penn State looked against USC in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State took Texas to the end, but that doesn't mean anything. Ohio State always loses bowl games. All that game did was validate the weakness of Texas.

Ah the Big 12. Ohio "BCS game loser extraordinaire" State took Texas to the final 16 seconds. The same Texas that beat Okla- "Championship Game" -homa had to squeak out a win over a team that finished 2nd in a 1-6 bowl conference. Texas lost to Texas Tech. But TT lost to Ole Miss...who lost to Alabama, but beat Florida. What a mess. In a season where everyone seems to beat everyone, how could one ever decide who the best team is? (See Reason #1)


"The Utes went 4-0 against teams that finished the regular season in the AP Top 25. The victories came against No. 4 Alabama, No. 11 TCU, No. 17 Brigham Young and No. 24 Oregon State." -TK

"The Utes have beaten four top 25 teams this season; Florida has beaten two." -MB

"The MWC was 25-11 in all games against non-conference opponents and 6-1 against teams from the Pac-10" -Josh Peter • YAHOO SPORTS

Common Sense

Just look at it this way. Let's say for example, TEAM ANONYMOUS, is being considered for the championship. Let's check their credentials:


a) Out of 119 teams, they were the only one that didn't lose. Everyone else lost. They didn't. Got it?

b) They beat 4 teams in the Top 25 (5 if you count rankings at the time the game was played)

c) They beat 2 Top 10 teams

d) They dominated the team which held the #1 spot longer than anyone else all season, in a location where the other team held a dominant home-field advantage.

e) Their conference, which they obviously won, was arguably the 3rd best in the country, going 25-11 in all out-of-conference games. 2-0 against the SEC. 7-2 against the Pac-10.

If TEAM ANONYMOUS' name had been revealed to be USC, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, or Florida...or even Baylor, Iowa State, or Duke (Yes, they all play in BCS conferences), this team would be the undisputed, no questions asked, absolute National Champion.

But it's not.

This team is Utah. Utah. The only team since the BCS's inception to have gone undefeated twice. Winners of the Fiesta and Sugar Bowls. Winners of 8 straight bowls for that matter. Owners of the nation's longest active winning streak. Holders of the best record against non-conference BCS opponents (17-10). No matter what any computer, coach, or media member has to offer, here's to the real 2009 National Champions: The Utah Utes.

This shouldn't be the only trophy being hoisted this year to say "2009 Champions"

Rays Fever

I love baseball. Okay fine, I love playoff baseball. It's just too bad it takes 162 games to get there. But once the playoffs start, it's like a whole new game. What makes the playoffs so great? Well, I can think of a few things: 1) It's the playoffs. The fact that it's "win or go home" makes every moment, every pitch, every swing of the bat that much more important. One good swing or one bad pitch can cost your team the series. 2) The exclusiveness. The NBA and NHL allow 16 teams, the NFL allows 12 teams, but Major League Baseball, only 8. I really think baseball has the best setup: take each division winner and the best second place team. Of course some divisions are better than others, but the game has been around for 139 years, what goes around will come around. 3) The slow pace. Okay, I know what you are thinking. "How is the fact that the game is slow good?" It's true, baseball is a slow game, and it gets quite boring at times. With the speed and exciting pace of basketball and the hard-hitting electricity of football, baseball can quickly lull anybody to sleep. But not anymore. Game 7, bottom of the 9th, man on third, 2 outs, full count, tie game. That ten seconds waiting for the pitcher to throw the ball can make even the heartless sweat. That one pitch, that one moment, can be the difference between the off season and a championship. And you have to just sit there, and wait for it.

Okay, so you're probably still not convinced that baseball, nonetheless playoff baseball, is in fact awesome. No worries. I have another story that should make you at least tune into what is going on right now.

Welcome to Major League Baseball Tampa Bay.


The Rays (formerly the Devil Rays) are in their 10th season. During the nine seasons up to this current season, Tampa has finished in last place all but twice, in which they finished second-to-last. They play in the AL East which includes both the Red Sox and Yankees, which means they have never even come close to making the playoffs. Their best season in franchise history, 2004, they won 43% of their games, finishing 70-91, only 30 1/2 games out of first place. They are one of only four current teams to have never played in the World Series.

Get the point?

Back in 2006, I went to several Devil Rays games at home in Florida. The first game I went to they were playing the Red Sox. I have been to many baseball games, mostly in Atlanta, but also in Oakland and San Francisco. Never before had I seen something so disheartening and disappointing. The game was completely sold out, 90% Red Sox fans, 5% Devil Rays fans, and 5% people who probably had nothing better to do. I remember David Ortiz blasting a 450 foot shot over the center field wall. The place erupted. I remember the Devil Rays making an outstanding defensive play. The place groaned. Where was I? Certainly I wasn't in Tampa. But I was, and this was one of the hardest events I had ever had to witness. It's not fair that a team should have to essentially play all of their games on the road, even the supposed home games. Yet that is what one had come to expect in Tampa. And when a normal team comes to town (aka not the Red Sox or Yankees), no one goes to the games.

I almost felt disgusted and embarrassed for the city. But at the same time, sympathy was hard to find. Could I really blame the fans? The owner put a team there and then put nothing but garbage (no offense) on the field and expected people to pay and watch. People are not going to pay money to see bad entertainment. I remember a conversation I had with my dad right after the game. I told him something to the effect of, "Management needs to put a winning team on the field" and "If they win, they will come." But that change had to start at the top. Sure enough, the changes started.

New management came in and had a desire to put a winning team on the field. Stuart Sternberg took over executive control of the team. He fired General Manager Chuck LaMar and pretty much the entire front office. Instead of hiring a new specific General Manager, he decided to spilt duties between Matthew Silverman, Andrew Friedman, and Gary Hunsicker. The team had, and still has, the smallest payroll in all of baseball, and the management knew that in order to turn this team around they were going to have to draft well and groom young talent in the minor leagues. They couldn't pull a Yankees and just pay 250 million for A-Rod, or assemble an all-star team. They had to grow their players. This led to the assemblage of a young core, including Carl Crawford, BJ Upton, Scott Kazmir, Rocco Baldelli, Johnny Gomes, and more recently Evan Longoria. In order to effectively train and teach these young players, they hired Manager Joe Maddon, bench coach for the Anaheim Angels.

Of course putting even just a competitive team on the diamond was first and foremost the priority, making coming to the games enjoyable and affordable for fans was important as well. I remember my mom and I were at AAA buying discounts tickets for a day at Busch Gardens. A representative for the Devil Rays was there trying to sell tickets. He offered us a package that included six tickets, to any game, for $15. Yeah, fifteen dollars for six major league baseball tickets. If the incredible price didn't impress me enough, it was the fact that an actual representative for a professional sports team was out on the streets, in the community, sparking interest and selling tickets. What organization does that? It was obvious they were going against the mold to try and turn this thing around. Not only this, they made other changes unheard of in professional sports: Free parking at the game, allowing fans to bring in outside food and drinks, allowing free tailgating on stadium grounds, even playing a series in nearby Orlando to try and expand the market. Also, a 10 million dollar renovation took place to make Tropicana Field a better place to see a game. All this on top of incredible ticket prices and promotional giveaways. There is even a 10,000 gallon tank behind the right field fence that contains live Rays that you can go touch. We were sold, and we bought the ticket package.

The pieces were being put in place, yet the next few seasons still produced similar results. 2006 still saw the Devil Rays finish in last place, yet for the first time ever, they finished with a winning record at home (41-40). Although subtle, things were happening. Home attendance increased 20% to the highest total since 2000. Many veteran players were traded away and the young players were emerging. In 2007, the Devil Rays had the youngest starting line-up since the 1983 Twins. The hard work was paying off and Tampa Bay had an incredible offense and credible starting pitching. Unfortunately, the bullpen was not quite there yet and squandered many chances for the team to close out and win games. Despite the improvements, they still finished the season in a familiar position, dead last with a record of 66-96. A look at the surface would lead one to believe that this was still the same Devil Rays, a team doomed to the graveyard of baseball, the perennial losers. Yet, management stayed their course and believed in what they were doing. They even signed Joe Maddon to a contract extension, something amazing in a profession in which one bad season can cost you a job.

Although improvements were being made on the field and in the seats, Tampa was still in the bottom five for attendance, and they were still the best losers. The overhaul that had been the previous several years was evident, but only those who truly cared to see the changes were aware, and those numbers were few. Sometimes a more physical change needs to happen, it's just good marketing. When a product becomes outdated, and especially a product that is associated with failure, it's time for a change. Before this season, "Devil" was dropped and the team became the "Tampa Bay Rays." Also, a new uniform and color scheme were introduced, presenting a more classic, clean look as compared to the flashy look of the old uniforms. The facelift of the franchise had come full-circle. The way I look at it, especially someone who is looking into getting a masters degree in sports management, the template has been set. First the upper management, then the players, then the fan experience, then the new image. Too often franchises try to change the image first. What isn't realized is that ultimately, the thing fans care most about is wins. Put in place the proper management that can make smart decisions, in turn they will choose good personnel and players. Make the environment affordable and enjoyable for the casual fan to see the team. After all of this, the image will fix itself, and when the physical changes, such as uniforms and colors, are altered, fans will have something new and fresh to rally around. The only thing missing from this Resurrection of a dead team was results, results that ultimately come in the form of wins.

They finished the first month around .500, and for the first-time in history. By Memorial Day, the Rays were in first place in the AL East and held the best record in baseball at 31-20 (The first team since 1900 to have the best record through Memorial Day after having the worst record the previous year). This was by far the best start in franchise history. It had to be a fluke, these are the Tampa Bay Dev..., I mean, Rays we're talking about. Sure they had just swept a series against the defending champion Red Sox, but this will pass and eventually they will settle back where they belong, right? By the end of June, the Rays were still sitting atop the AL East at 50-32.

During that month of June, in my opinion, the most important event happened in Rays history. In the middle of a series against the Red Sox, a bench clearing brawl occurred. Now how could a fight be so important? Some say this has no place in sports. I disagree. For ten year the Rays had been doormats. They were the laughing stock of baseball. Now, all of a sudden, they are beating up on the champions. Obviously this wasn't sitting well with both sides, and it boiled over. As the Rays entire team brawled it out that summer afternoon against the Sox, something happened. You may call it a rash of suspensions and a disgrace to sportsmanship, I call it unity. In this moment, they became a team.

After a rough 7 game losing streak, they entered the all-star break 1/2 game back of the Red Sox. But don't forget who we're talking about here, still impressive. A strong July had them finishing the month at 63-44 and up 3 games on Boston. Keep in mind, the most wins this team had ever won in their history was 70. They had 63, and the season was just halfway over. On August 29, they secured their first winning season with their 82nd victory. At the end of August, they were 84-51, the best team in all of baseball and up 5 1/2 on the Red Sox. I'll say it again, we're talking about the Tampa Bay Rays. On September 20th, the Rays clinched their first playoff berth, and the next week, their first division title.

It's not supposed to happen like this. From worst to first in one season? Especially for a team that knew no different than worst. Losing was ingrained into this team's DNA. Yet there they were. Getting ready to face the White Sox in the first round. Surely a team so young and inexperienced would have trouble beating a team that won the World Series a few years previous. The doubters were still alive. Three wins later, and the Rays are in the ALCS and onto another color of Sox. As I'm writing this, the Tampa Bay Rays are up 3-1 on the defending champion Red Sox, one win away from the World Series, and I think of that game I went to just over two years ago. The same two teams, the same stadium, completely different place.

Now I am a Braves fan, always will be. But if you want to accuse me of being a bandwagon fan of the Rays that's fine, I'll just respond with "I'm driving the bandwagon." I make sure everyone knows what time the game is on. My sister is probably sick of getting text messages that say, "Big game tonight at 6." My mom is probably upset that I make them stop working on homework to go watch the TV at 11:00 at night. My dad has probably cared more about baseball the past week and a half then his entire life, and I'm making sure of it. This is Tampa, this is their city. And I have never been more proud to feel like I am a part of place I have never lived.

But I was there. I watched with my own eyes the home team get humiliated by their own city for the enjoyment of watching the away team. I was at the Ray's/Blue Jays game with Jeff when we could count the number of fans in the seats by the time the first inning ended. When I turned on the TV to watch game one of the ALCS between the Rays and Red Sox, I'm not embarrassed to say I almost had tears in my eyes to see what has happened there. Everyone knows that I love sports, but this is why. The way it can unite an entire city. The moment when you are high fiving and hugging complete strangers because your team just did something awesome. To see that place completely sold out, everyone decked out in Rays apparel, people with "Rayhawks" and cowbells, it's just amazing.

If this team wins the World Series (and I've watched every playoff game, and they are by far the best team), this will have to go down as one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of all sports. And while pretty much all my friends and people I know could care less about baseball and aren't even aware of what's happening, I don't care. Not only has this team taught me about unity and perseverance, they have also taught me that any "bad thing" can be turned into a "good thing."

For me personally, this has come full circle. And I find it quite ironic that it was the Red Sox the Rays played in my first game, the same team they are in the process of royally de-crowning. Now it's not over yet, and the Sox did come back from being down 3-1 last year to knock off the Indians. But this feels different. It seems as if all those years of Rays' futility is being taken out on the Red Sox (I mean come on, they are pounding them), and it's not going to stop here. In only seven playoff games, Evan Longoria is the youngest player to hit 5 home runs, BJ Upton, second youngest(It took Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris a combined 23 games to reach this). Crawford went 5-5 last game. They put up 9 runs on Josh Beckett, arguably one of the best postseason pitchers of all time, 9 runs on Lester, 13 on Wakefield. The pitching has been spectacular. I say "Bring on the Phillies" or "Bring on the Dodgers." It's only beginning. If you are reading this, it's not too late to get in on the action and make it a priority to watch this team play. I know, I know, it's baseball. It's lame, it's boring, it's outdated, it's overrun by steroids. And any casual fan, including Fox television, wanted a Red Sox/Dodgers series. But watch this for the Rays, you won't be disappointed.

Re-dedication

So work has been getting really slow lately and I find myself with more and more free time. Now at work, we have limited internet access, which is really lame, so I can’t get on my blog and write down what's on my mind. But, I can write emails to myself, and then post them on here when I get home. Which is what I just did. Sounds amazing huh? I want to be a better writer, especially with my chosen career path, so I figure I should spend this down time at work getting some good practice. There have been a lot of topics on my mind lately definitely worth voicing an opinion on. The fall tends to be such an exciting time of year, a time when changes and new adventures always occur. Of course the presidential election is coming up in a few weeks, big news. Football is mid-season, Baseball is in the playoffs, Basketball starts in a few weeks. Just a lot of stuff to write about. So, here's the deal: I'm going to get going on this again.

I hear ya

Sure then, since Trav wants to use this as debate, I'm all for it. I see what you are saying, Like I posted over on your blog, I am excited about this year's team and ready to get the domination back on track like those great 92 and 96 teams. And you know what, you are right, as it stands the 96 team is better than the team we have just assembled.

As of now.

Would you say that a team consisting of Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, and Shaq is better than Chauncey Billups, A young Tayshaun Prince (Your Christian Laettner), and Rasheed Wallace? You know where this is going.

When you look at it on paper, of course those 04 Lakers were more talented then the Pistons, but around the time when the Pistons got up 40 in that game 5 to win the series, it dawned on me. Team basketball is how championships are won. Your comparison matches individuals, not the collective team.

Now Trav, of course we're talking Olympic basketball here, and the 96 team was incredible. An assembly of basketball gods. But unless that team and this year's team somehow meet in the afterlife (And we'd have courtside tickets my man), we'll never know which team is "better". Like I said, the competition is improved, and only time will tell how great the 08 squad really is.

And one more thing, you wrote, and I quote, "John Stockton is the greatest point guard of all-time..." Dude, Trav, whatever happened to those week-long Magic/Stockton arguments? Have you conceded?

Team USA

The Olympics start on August 8th and I am super excited. It is by far my most favorite sporting event that the world has to offer, and it is because the whole world is offering it. I mean where or when else can we have members from all cultures, countries, and races come together peacefully? It is a nice relief from wars and differences that separate and divide the Earth every day. Sure there will be many political rallies and opportunities for debate and divide, but it is in the spirit of friendly competition that the games are set.

With that said, I hope Team USA puts the "friendly" competition aside and puts a good ole' fashioned American Beatdown at the Olympics. I have a lot of pride for my sports teams, and more importantly for my country. It doesn't matter if I am watching ice dancing or boxing, I always cheer for our team. We as Americans are a prideful people, we believe we are better than everyone, and that is why a lot of countries despise us. I think our USA pride gets us a bad rep. But let's face it, there are certain things we are just dang good at and no other country comes close. I'm not saying we are "better" than any other country when it comes to something such as culture or tradition because individuality is what makes this world so great. But when it comes to one thing, no one should be able to touch us. You know what I'm talking about.

Basketball.

Bronze? Are you kidding me? How do we get anything but the gold in basketball? 2004 was an embarrasment. We lost more games (3) in that one Olympics than all previous Olympics combined, and that dates back to 1936. I will not accept that Argentina won the gold, or Italy won the silver. We lost those medals. Arguments have been made like, "Well those countries practice together year round and the US only gets a month." I don't care. On any give night, Team USA could be assembled, and should go out and beat any team the world can put together. They shouldn't even have to practice. The fact is that the team we had in 2004 just didn't care. That needs to change.

Upon receiving news that knee surgery was imminent, Yao Ming had to choose between missing the Olympics or the NBA Playoffs. Not even thinking twice, Yao stated that playing for his country was much more important than playing in the NBA.

How many Americans would do that? What happened to the pride of being able to stand together and listen to the Star Spangled Banner with gold medals around their necks? Today's players are more concerned with money and status. Or concerned about getting an injury that could jeopardize future money and status. Just go play the game, and be proud.

With all this said, the team we have put together this year is probably the best since the 92 dream team, which was the greatest team ever assembled, with one exception (Sorry Christian Laettner...but you know). Just for the fun of it, did you know that the 92 Dream Team won every game by an average margin of 43.8. Coach Chuck Daly never even used a timeout. There is no reason why we should lose a game this summer, no reason why we shouldn't win by an average of at least 3o.

Let's take a look at the team.

With a team this star-studded, the playing time between starters and non-starters will be pretty equal so it shouldn't make much difference. This is how I see the depth chart:

Starters:
G: Chris Paul
G: Kobe Bryant
F: Lebron James
F: Carmelo Anthony
C: Dwight Howard

Bench:
Dwyane Wade
Chris Bosh
Deron Williams
Tayshaun Prince
Michael Redd
Jason Kidd
Carlos Boozer

Black Uniforms

Football season is rapidly approaching. Yeah, I wish. Still a little over two months to go, but a whole lot better figuring it's been over six months since the bowl game. A while back I wrote an article on the evolution of Utah's uniforms. Remember it? Amazing huh? Anyways, at the end I tried to photoshop an idea for the new rumored "all black" uniforms. Well, check out what I found. This is supposively from the new NCAA 08 video game, and it has the Utes in an alternate, black uniform.


It's okay BYU, you can cry. Or do you want to wait until after the game?

Quick update

It's been a month and a half since I wrote on here. I recently moved and don't have the internet yet so it makes it a little tough, but I figured I had a minute to get on here and make some quick notes.

First off, Celtics beat the Lakers in the Finals...okay, I can live with that. If I would have kept my predictions up to date, I honestly would have had the Spurs and Pistons in the Finals, but oh well, can't win them all.

Second, I got a new job. It's pretty fun I guess but gets a little monotonous at times. I do get to talk to people from all over the country and get some pretty crazy stories which is fun, also I love the people I work with which makes it fun too.

Third, I am playing a lot of basketball lately which is awesome.

Fourth, it's summer and the weather is nice...so I'm going to the pool right now. Bye.

2nd Round Predictions

Alright so the first round is pretty much over as of now, the only game left being a game 7 between Atlanta and Boston...yep, game 7. During the regular season, Atlanta went 37-45, Boston went 66-16. 7 Games. Amazing. The home team has won every game in that series and unless some sort of divine intervention happens, Boston will finally get their act together, and finally dispose of the Hawks Sunday afternoon. But, tomorrow kicks off the start of the second round for 4 teams, so I have to get these predictions rolling. I'm just going to presume Boston will win Sunday and roll with that...if Atlanta wins, well then I will have to edit this later.

Lets take a look at how I did in the first round...

So when the Celtics win Sunday, I will be 8-for-8 on my first round predictions. All the top seeds advancing. However, I only got two series right on with my series-length predictions, both the Cavs and Jazz winning in six. Both my sweep predictions ended up being the only series to be tied 2-2, but lets be honest, who thought the Sixers would win two and that the Hawks would even win a game? I was shocked at how easy the Hornets beat up the Mavs...and so was Mark Cuban. Goodbye Avery Johnson. I thought Denver would win one, but no surprise they got swept. I also thought the Suns would be a little better too, but the Spurs are the Spurs. Were there any other series? Oh yeah, the East. Who cares.

2nd Round Match-Ups and Predictions


Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Celtics (When they win)
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers

So, assuming the Celtics win, I am sure they will be glad to finally get rid of the Hawks. I still think they are the best team in the East, they are definately the most talented team. The tough opening series with the Hawks could either do two things for Boston. 1) Wake them up and remind them that this is the playoffs, and anything can happen, so get out there and come to play every night. -or- 2) Show the league that Boston is vulnerable and expose their weaknesses. I think that #1 is the more likely scenario. I don't think Cleveland has the collective firepower alongside Lebron to expose Boston enough to win the series. Boston is a mature team and will be more focused. Cleveland just didn't look very in-sync at times against Washington and that will continue, and be more evident, against a better team in the Celtics. Lebron will win a game or two for his team, but that's about it.

Boston in 6


(2) Detroit Pistons
(3) Orlando Magic

After watching the Pistons lose a couple in Philly, I began to question this team. They have the same basic core as when they were champions, but they didn't seem to have the same desire. I blame Flip Saunders. He looks lost sometimes when the team needs him to draw up quality plays down the stretch in close games, and his name is Flip. However, the Pistons are too talented to let him personally lose this series. Plus they completely dominated the Sixers the last two games like they should have. The Magic are a good team. Young and still developing, but not yet mature and experienced enough to take out Detroit. The centerpiece is in place for a good future, and Dwight Howard will dominate several games in the paint, but it won't be enough. Pistons just have two many steady and consistent weapons.

Pistons in 6


Western Conference

(1) Los Angeles Lakers
(4) Utah Jazz

This will be fun. The Lakers are playing great basketball and the first round was a breeze, but who in the West wouldn't have swept the Nuggets right now? It didn't really tell us anything new about LA, except that they continue to consistently win games they should. The Jazz on the other hand are very inconsistent. During the season, they lost to Minnesota one night, and beat Boston by 18 the next. They beat the Rockets twice in Houston, and then lost at home for just the fifth time all year. This series' outcome is 100% contingent on which Jazz team shows up. The Lakers will be the Lakers. We know they're a great team. The Jazz are a great team too, sometimes. If they want to beat the Lakers, they need to be great every game. I think the Jazz can win, I really do. The problem is, I think the Lakers will win. In my opinion, this series is a toss-up. But with homecourt belonging to LA and their consistently good play, they are the logically correct, but painful, choice.

Lakers in 7



(2) New Orleans Hornets
(3) San Antonio Spurs

This series will be interesting. The Hornets gained some good experience during the first round, but now the real test begins. It's playoff time, and that means the Spurs have flipped the switch which turns them from a good team into a championship team. Every year. It will be very hard for the Hornets to win this series. Tony Parker will play Chris Paul a lot tougher and quicker than old-man Kidd (no pun intended), and maybe even Bowen will get in on the act as well. Add Ginobili and Duncan to the mix..how does New Orleans counter? I don't think they have the talent and their lack of experience will finally catch up. Homecourt doesn't matter against the Spurs either. The Spurs owned the Suns, and the Suns are much more talented then the Hornets. The Hornets have proved me wrong before, but I am pretty confident it won't happen this time.

Spurs in 6

You Learn Something New Every Day

I was browsing ESPN.com just checking out if their were any articles worth reading today and I was reminded of something that confused me. The NHL playoffs are going on right now but I have never really been into hockey before so I know very little about it. I occasionally watch a Stanley Cup Finals game or two if nothing else is on, but that is about the extent of my interest the NHL gets. I also went to an Olympic Hockey Game in 2002, Czech Republic vs. Sweden, and I went to the first ever Atlanta Thrashers game. I may be a complete idiot when it comes to the game, but I understand enough to know that the team in Montreal is called the Canadiens.

But everywhere I look and whenever I hear something about them on TV, they are called the Habs. And why do they have an "H" in their logo? Is their a correlation between the two?

It made absolutely no sense to me, until now, after some research. I had to get to the bottom of this. If you know me I hate not knowing the answer to something, and I especially hate not knowing the answer to a sports question So, here is today's entry of "You Learn Something New Every Day"

Montreal is in Quebec, and the official language of Quebec is French. Thus, the official name of the Canadiens is "Le Club de Hockey Canadien" but a common nickname for the team among the locals is "Les Habitants." Les Habitants refers to the French settlers who farmed the land between the St. Lawrence Gulf and the St. Lawrence River, in what is now Quebec. The Habitants referred to themselves and others of French Canadian origin as "habs." The nickname died off in the early 20th century giving way to the more popularly used term "agriculteur" which simply means "farmer."

I always wondered why the Canadiens had the letter "H," on their logo inside the "C." With my newfound knowledge I figured it simply stood for "Habs" or "Habitants." But that in fact is not true. The "H" in fact just stands for "Hockey." So there you have it, the mystery of the term "Habs" and the mystery of the logo's "H," all solved in one day!

2008 NBA Playoffs

Now that the season is officially over and the playoff bracket is set, I can make my predictions for the first round. The seeding came down to a couple game 82's in the West and after a predictable night, playoff pairings settled into where most thought they would be. At first glance, the East is pretty predictable, at least we all know who will be in the East Finals. But I'll do my best at who I think will get through the first round. The West on the other hand bunches 5 or 6 teams all with a legitimate shot at getting to the Finals because for good teams in the playoffs, which the West is full of, anything can happen. So, for the fun of it, and I think this is a lot of fun, here are my first round picks:

Eastern Conference


(1) Boston Celtics
(8) Atlanta Hawks

I think that the Celtics and the Pistons should just play a 21 game series for the Eastern Conference title. Just get all of these meaningless 1st and 2nd round series out of the way. But unfortunately, that's not how it works. So, I bring you my analysis of this match up between the Hawks and Celtics. Celtics = really good. Hawks = Not really bad. Hey give credit where it's due. The Hawks are back in the playoffs after taking a ten year break. (Thank you Eastern Conference). The Celtics are arguably the best in the league, backed up by the league's best overall record and a 25-5 record against the West. This series will be an intriguing, intense, gritty, tough it out, hard fought battle for both teams. Just kidding.

Celtics in 4.


(4) Cleveland Cavaliers
(5) Washington Wizards

These teams meet again for the third straight postseason. You think that would make for a great and epic playoff rivalry (ex. Lakers and Kings). But if you were thinking that, you thought wrong. There have been some exciting games in the past, but for the most part this match up has been irrelevant. The Cavs have Lebron of course, so you can never completely count them out. Plus the addition of Big Ben in the middle gives them championship experience and some added defense. They were in the NBA Finals last year, but if I remember correctly they were also in the East last year, so that doesn't mean much. The Wizards have done a commendable job getting this far without Gilbert Arenas for most of the season and should be pleased with a playoff appearance. A win or two would be icing on the cake.

Cavs in 6.


(3) Orlando Magic
(6) Toronto Raptors

This series could be closer than most people think. But the reality is, most people will forget this series is even happening. I mean get real, one team is from Disney World and the other is from Canada. If you need a reason for caring however, the match up between Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh will be awesome. Both teams have legitimate young talent and some highlights are bound to be made. But other than that, check out this series to see who will lose to the Pistons in the second round. My bet is on the Magic.

Magic in 6.


(2) Detroit Pistons
(7) Philadelphia 76ers

This series is a no brainer. The fact that the Sixers are in the playoffs should be reward enough for Philly. My vote goes to Andre Miller for Most Improved Player...or more like the award for Most Under Appreciated Player Until Now. He has singlehandedly got the Sixers to the 7th seed. But the Pistons are the Pistons. Too much experience, depth, and talent. Not much needed to be said here. Bring out the brooms.

Pistons in 4.

Western Conference

(1) Los Angeles Lakers
(8) Denver Nuggets

This series in my opinion is the most predictable in the West. The Lakers are playing great basketball lately with Pau Gasol and it's almost disgusting how smooth his transition from the Grizzlies to the Lakers went. In fact, that whole trade was disgusting to everyone outside of LA and Pocatello, Idaho. If Andrew Bynum can work his way back into the lineup nicely during the playoffs, this might be the team to beat. The Nuggets have to play flawless basketball in order to put up anything resembling a fight. They are a streaky team and when they're on they are good, plus Iverson is a fighter. But, possibly the only thing they will leave this series with is another Carmelo DUI.

Lakers in 5.


(4) Utah Jazz
(5) Houston Rockets

By virtue of winning the Northwest Division, the Jazz get the #4 seed although the Rockets finished with a better record and will have homecourt advantage. The Jazz match up well with the Rockets and seem to be in their heads. With homecourt advantage this series would be a lock for the Jazz, who finished with a league best 37-4 record at home. But the Jazz will have to steal a road game in Houston in order to move on to the second round. The Rockets have come back to Earth since tearing off a 22 game winning streak. The absence of Yao Ming and a definite inside game will hurt them in the playoffs. If they get hot from the three point line, they have a chance. But, I see this series going to the Jazz like last year.

Jazz in 6.


(3) San Antonio Spurs
(6) Phoenix Suns

The Suns have been playing great basketball lately and the Shaq trade looks better every game. The Suns still have a top point guard in Steve Nash and a superstar in the making Amare Stoudemire. They pose difficult matchups for a lot of teams because of their ability to play both an up-tempo and half court game. But, unfortunately for the Suns, so can the Spurs. Tim Duncan is getting old, but Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili more than make up for his age. And I mean come on, he is still Tim Duncan, and the Spurs still are the defending Champions. I see this series being very fast at times and very slow at times, but ultimately, the Spurs will grind it out when the games get down and dirty.

Spurs in 6.


(2) New Orleans Hornets
(7) Dallas Mavericks

Normally you would think the #2 seed would have the distinct advantage in this series, but this year I don't find that to be the case. Dallas seems to have finally got things in working order since the Jason Kidd trade and might be gelling at the right time. However, I can't discredit the season the Hornets are having. They finished #2 in the West for a reason, they win games. They are collectively young and inexperienced in the playoffs, but I think Chris Paul and friends will continue past the first round, albeit a tough and grueling series.

Hornets in 7.

Playoff Sechedule