All anyone wants to know these days about Tiger Woods is who he's sleeping with, what his iron-aided pulverized face looks like and whether or not he took performance-enhancing drugs? Yes, his life has taken a turn for the worse.
But the world's greatest golfer, who is taking an 'indefinite leave' from the game while he deals with his personal life and marriage, was recently named the Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press. The ballots went out right around the time of his car accident, and despite his "transgressions," Tiger received 56 of the 142 votes from Associated Press editors. More than half the ballots were returned after the Nov. 27 crash.
Scandal be damned. It just goes to show that perhaps Phil Knight, the czar at Nike, was right when he said "When his career is over, you'll look back on those indiscretions as a minor blip." Woods was - and when he returns, will continue to be - the most dominant athlete throughout the decade, winning 64 titles and 12 major championships.
Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour de France six times in the decade, finished second, followed by Roger Federer, Michael Phelps, Tom Brady and Usain Bolt. Phelps and Brady have had their share of unfavorable media coverage, but nothing to the extend of Woods, who's given late-night talkshows plenty of material.
Winning often makes fans forget about the past. Yes, there will also be that crowd that tosses out the occasional jab (you still hear Kobe rape jokes from time to time), but around this time next decade, I could very well be writing how Tiger again was named Athlete of the Decade.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
All's fair in fantasy football
Fantasy football doesn’t get any more intense than this: husband vs. wife for a spot in the playoffs.
That’s the drama that will unfold starting Thursday night within the Krueger-Steele household. Paula’s “Intergalactic Hussie” team and my “Disgruntled Goat” — both “Simpsons” references — are part of a four-way tie for second place, and only the top four go to the playoffs. So the scenario is not unlike those that real football teams will face in the next few weeks. Win and you’re in, lose and you’ll need help.
What makes this matchup particularly interesting is that, as far as couples go, you’d be hard-pressed to find one more competitive than us. Whether I’m dominating (basketball, tennis) or she’s making me look stupid (swimming, board games) or we’re evenly matched (Wii games, air hockey), there’s always plenty of trash talking and taunting.
Luckily, our fantasy football league is not the No Fun League. Referees don’t have enough flags for the amount of unsportsmanlike behavior we exhibit on a regular basis.
So, as we pore over our rosters all week, things are likely to get heated.
Since Paula already beat me earlier in the year, I’ll never hear the end of it if she sweeps the season series and keeps me out of the playoffs in the process. Similarly, I won’t let her live it down if, at her expense, I notch my seventh win in the last eight games and go to the Final Four without her.
Let the games begin.
That’s the drama that will unfold starting Thursday night within the Krueger-Steele household. Paula’s “Intergalactic Hussie” team and my “Disgruntled Goat” — both “Simpsons” references — are part of a four-way tie for second place, and only the top four go to the playoffs. So the scenario is not unlike those that real football teams will face in the next few weeks. Win and you’re in, lose and you’ll need help.
What makes this matchup particularly interesting is that, as far as couples go, you’d be hard-pressed to find one more competitive than us. Whether I’m dominating (basketball, tennis) or she’s making me look stupid (swimming, board games) or we’re evenly matched (Wii games, air hockey), there’s always plenty of trash talking and taunting.
Luckily, our fantasy football league is not the No Fun League. Referees don’t have enough flags for the amount of unsportsmanlike behavior we exhibit on a regular basis.
So, as we pore over our rosters all week, things are likely to get heated.
Since Paula already beat me earlier in the year, I’ll never hear the end of it if she sweeps the season series and keeps me out of the playoffs in the process. Similarly, I won’t let her live it down if, at her expense, I notch my seventh win in the last eight games and go to the Final Four without her.
Let the games begin.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Who are these Patriots?
There's little doubt the Patriots played to their capabilities during Sunday's 20-10 victory over the Panthers. But then again, do we know what their capabilities are anymore? Are we sure this is a playoff team? And if they get to the playoffs, will the Pats do any damage?
There's perhaps a handful of guys on the roster playing at a Pro Bowl caliber right now ... and even that's pushing it a bit. Randy Moss and Tom Brady have All-Pro talent, but they're faltering in the biggest of situations, and Jerod Mayo, last year's top defensive rookie, at times wears his invisible cloak on the field.
Wes Welker is the only star on this team, and he's single-handedly keeping the offense afloat. Yes, the offense that, at the beginning of the season, was supposed challenge the 2007 team for most points in a season.
How many times did Welker convert on third down to keep the chains moving? He caught five of his 10 passes on the go-ahead drive in the third quarter and finsihed with 105 yards. He leads the NFL in receptions.
Just one more point on Moss: He might be loafing, and he might be getting bored and he might be playing at only 75 percent (or lower), but he still draws triple coverage. And there's no other receiver I can think of who can do that.
There's perhaps a handful of guys on the roster playing at a Pro Bowl caliber right now ... and even that's pushing it a bit. Randy Moss and Tom Brady have All-Pro talent, but they're faltering in the biggest of situations, and Jerod Mayo, last year's top defensive rookie, at times wears his invisible cloak on the field.
Wes Welker is the only star on this team, and he's single-handedly keeping the offense afloat. Yes, the offense that, at the beginning of the season, was supposed challenge the 2007 team for most points in a season.
How many times did Welker convert on third down to keep the chains moving? He caught five of his 10 passes on the go-ahead drive in the third quarter and finsihed with 105 yards. He leads the NFL in receptions.
Just one more point on Moss: He might be loafing, and he might be getting bored and he might be playing at only 75 percent (or lower), but he still draws triple coverage. And there's no other receiver I can think of who can do that.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Turn up that dial
Daily News sportswriters Josh Krueger and Rick McGowan and sports editor Scott Barrett will join host Evan Smith today from 12:30-2 p.m. on WADK to talk about the local, collegiate and national sports scene. Be sure to listen in and join the discussion when the phone lines open up.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
R.I. high school football final poll
It was a tough way for Middletown to end the season, losing to Exeter-West Greeniwch in the Division IV Super Bowl after beating the Scarlet Knights during the regular season. Still, the Islanders - who ended a decade-plus-long losing streak to rival Portsmouth on Thanksgiving Day - are the top ranked team from Newport County in the state's media poll. Neither Middletown or Portsmouth ever dropped out of the poll, while Tiverton climbed back in late in the season.
Team Points Last week
1. Barringon (8) 160 1
2. Hendricken 146 3
3. Woonsocket 141 6
4. La Salle 134 2
5. Ponaganset 123 8
6. Mount Hope 118 7
7. East Providence 116 5
8. South Kingstown 99 4
9. Coventry 83 10t
10. Exeter-WG 81 20
11. Johnston 80 16
12. Cranston East 63 10t
13. Westerly 58 13
14. West Warwick 55 15
15. Middletown 53 9
16. Moses Brown 42 14
17. Portsmouth 31 12
18. Tiverton 30 19
19. Classical 19 17
20. Cranston West 16 18
Dropped out (rank): none.
Others receiving votes: Hope 10, Lincoln 6, Cumberland 2
Participating publications: The Chariho Times, The Coventry Courier, The Cranston Herald, The East Greenwich Pendulum, The Narragansett Times, The Newport Daily News, The Northeast Independent, The North Kingstown Standard Times, The South County Independent, The Warwick Beacon, The Westerly Sun.
Team Points Last week
1. Barringon (8) 160 1
2. Hendricken 146 3
3. Woonsocket 141 6
4. La Salle 134 2
5. Ponaganset 123 8
6. Mount Hope 118 7
7. East Providence 116 5
8. South Kingstown 99 4
9. Coventry 83 10t
10. Exeter-WG 81 20
11. Johnston 80 16
12. Cranston East 63 10t
13. Westerly 58 13
14. West Warwick 55 15
15. Middletown 53 9
16. Moses Brown 42 14
17. Portsmouth 31 12
18. Tiverton 30 19
19. Classical 19 17
20. Cranston West 16 18
Dropped out (rank): none.
Others receiving votes: Hope 10, Lincoln 6, Cumberland 2
Participating publications: The Chariho Times, The Coventry Courier, The Cranston Herald, The East Greenwich Pendulum, The Narragansett Times, The Newport Daily News, The Northeast Independent, The North Kingstown Standard Times, The South County Independent, The Warwick Beacon, The Westerly Sun.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tough times for Tom
The days when Tom Brady steps in the phone booth, puts on his Superman uniform and saves the day are over. There was a time not too long ago when the New England Patriots quarterback couldn’t be rattled. He was the cool, calm, collected gunslinger that could untie the ropes and rescue the damsel in distress just before the train struck.
But he’s no longer the Brady that could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The numbers suggest he’s having a season that’s comparable to that of his earlier seasons, and the offense is scoring nearly 28 points per game, but he’s lagging in the one number that has always meant the most: wins.
New England is 7-5, having lost two straight and three of their last four. No doubt the defense deserves the bulk of the blame, but it’s safe to say that the offense Brady orchestrates is a shell of its former self. And Brady isn’t without some blame. He’s missing open receivers and making bad decisions, things the “old Brady” never did. He's on pace to match his career high for interceptions.
In the red zone, the Patriots are no longer a lock to score - how many picks has he thrown in the end zone? I can count three off the top of my head - and three fourth-down calls have produced the same number of turnovers on downs.
The players say nobody in the New England locker room is panicking, and that’s probably true. But Patriots fans have to wonder when Terrific Tom will once again step into that phone booth and help save this sinking team.
But he’s no longer the Brady that could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The numbers suggest he’s having a season that’s comparable to that of his earlier seasons, and the offense is scoring nearly 28 points per game, but he’s lagging in the one number that has always meant the most: wins.
New England is 7-5, having lost two straight and three of their last four. No doubt the defense deserves the bulk of the blame, but it’s safe to say that the offense Brady orchestrates is a shell of its former self. And Brady isn’t without some blame. He’s missing open receivers and making bad decisions, things the “old Brady” never did. He's on pace to match his career high for interceptions.
In the red zone, the Patriots are no longer a lock to score - how many picks has he thrown in the end zone? I can count three off the top of my head - and three fourth-down calls have produced the same number of turnovers on downs.
The players say nobody in the New England locker room is panicking, and that’s probably true. But Patriots fans have to wonder when Terrific Tom will once again step into that phone booth and help save this sinking team.
Monday, December 7, 2009
BCS gets it wrong again
Just when you think the BCS couldn’t be any more of a joke, the bowl matchups were announced on Sunday, making it clear that the BCS’s ineptitude knows no bounds.
Sure, the championship game has the right teams in it, but that would have been really difficult to screw up.
For the first time in the brief, unspectacular history of the Bowl Championship Series, two teams from non-BCS conferences (Texas Christian and Boise State) qualified for BCS bowls. That is good news. The bad news, however, is that they’re playing each other.
We’ve all watched this season as TCU and Boise State ransacked their respective conferences and finished undefeated to earn a shot at the big boys.
Problem is, they won’t get that shot.
TCU-Boise State matchup is somewhat intriguing, but it’s also a complete waste of a Fiesta Bowl. Wouldn't you want to see TCU take on Florida, or Boise State play Iowa or Georgia Tech? Let the little guys prove they can hang with the Big Ten, SEC or ACC, because apparently Boise State beating Oklahoma a few years ago wasn’t proof enough.
Who knows? Maybe they can’t hang this year, and Florida would squash the Horned Frogs and Iowa or G-Tech would blow out the Broncos. But those games, at least initially, would be a lot more interesting than what the BCS has given us.
Sure, the championship game has the right teams in it, but that would have been really difficult to screw up.
For the first time in the brief, unspectacular history of the Bowl Championship Series, two teams from non-BCS conferences (Texas Christian and Boise State) qualified for BCS bowls. That is good news. The bad news, however, is that they’re playing each other.
We’ve all watched this season as TCU and Boise State ransacked their respective conferences and finished undefeated to earn a shot at the big boys.
Problem is, they won’t get that shot.
TCU-Boise State matchup is somewhat intriguing, but it’s also a complete waste of a Fiesta Bowl. Wouldn't you want to see TCU take on Florida, or Boise State play Iowa or Georgia Tech? Let the little guys prove they can hang with the Big Ten, SEC or ACC, because apparently Boise State beating Oklahoma a few years ago wasn’t proof enough.
Who knows? Maybe they can’t hang this year, and Florida would squash the Horned Frogs and Iowa or G-Tech would blow out the Broncos. But those games, at least initially, would be a lot more interesting than what the BCS has given us.
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