Ranking The Great Centers

ESPN's Daily Dime has listed the greatest centers one through ten.

1. Abdul-Jabbar
2. Chamberlain
3. Russel
4. O'Neal
5. Olajuwon
6. Malone
7. Walton
8. Robinson
9. Mikan
10. Ewing.

I don't have a big problem with this list, despite the notable absence of Dave Corzine.

The Sports Guy disputes the merits of a list like this. I tend to agree with his argument that it is a vague question, with no answer. Does it mean career? How do you adjust for the era a center played in? Is it, which center are you taking to win one game? At the same time, that stance isn't much fun.

Pacifist Viking supports the choice of Kareem at #1, but calls attention to some serious rebounding stats Chamberlain had.

For my money, I'm taking "The Dream."

I'm not a stat freak, but some (not really "real" stats anyway) I will highlight are: Aside from Jordan, Olajuwon is the only player to win Defensive Player of the Year and MVP, in the same season. He also won Finals MVP, the only player to ever win all three in one season. He is the only center on this list, (I think, please correct me if I'm wrong) to beat three other centers (O'Neal, Robinson, and Ewing) on this list, in meaningful championship match-ups.

After Jordan's first retirement, Olajuwon filled the gap and became THE must watch player. For the seasons of 93-94 & 94-95, he was as unstoppable as any player I ever watched. His abusive treatment of Robinson, in the 94-95 Finals, is one the great moments in sports when one player separates themselves from their contemporaries.

Olajuwon was a master artist creating a masterpiece. Second place wasn't that close.

Usually people take for granted, that if Jordan had not retired, the Bulls would have won eight titles. This Bulls fan was never so certain.



(Additionally, True Hoop has a pretty good debate going in his comment's, and with The Sport's Guy on this subject. Thanks for the linkage, Pacifist Viking!))

You traded who for what now?

Thomas Jones traded to Jets!

No, not that Thomas Jones.

No, not that one either.

Who the fuck is that?
Private Thomas Jones.
No. Thomas Jones of the Chicago Bears.

That's Tom Dore, play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Bulls.

You did him already.

Is that a platypus?
Yeah.
Cute.
Yeah.

That's him!
Kinda small image... We'll go with it.

As I'm sure all have heard by now, Thomas Jones, and our 2nd rounder, has been traded to the Jets for their 2nd round pick.

This feels like when I'm playing Madden and I go to trade a guy I think has value, at least a 'B', but the computer gives him a 'D' and no one will take him. I guess he wasn't worth what I thought he was.

I'm not gonna get worked up about this. He's been a solid back for three seasons, but I think Cedric Benson, spelled by Adrian Peterson, can do the same thing. It also depends heavily on who we pick. We need to get younger on our offensive line, and resigning Lance Briggs (a big 'IF'), isn't gonna be cheap. This might be a step towards that end.

A Letter to My Beloved G.M.:

Dear Ken,

Let me just start out by saying, thanks again for 2005. Really enjoyed it. Exponentially.

And while I’m still giving you the, “25 year consolation period until I start really getting pissed about not perennially making the playoffs” I’ve got a couple of questions I’d like to lob at you.
Trading Brandon McCarthy? Really? What did he do? We had him under his original contract for the next 5 seasons. He still had 2 options left for minor league assignment. He was actually putting on weight, taking the gangly off and adding some mass. Did he bugger Olney Guillen in the showers? Was he waving off Man Soo Lee in the bullpen? What was it? Because as far as I can see, we got 2 “could-be high ceiling guys” from the Rangers for a major league ready starting pitcher. Coupled with the trade of Freddie Garcia (which I totally understand) couldn’t we have at least raised the leagues perception of Brandon and thus raising his trade value by having him as our #5 this season? Now we’re stuck with a crap shoot of possibilities to fill in a HUGE void at the 5th spot.

Not to mention that Jose “Satchel Paige” Contreras is a stiff wind away from blowing out candles on his 50th birthday cake and Javier “3rd time around the batting order and it’s tee-ball” Vasquez are hanging on by teeny tiny threads, I’d like to ask, WHAT ARE YOU DOING???

I understand that you’re trying to get ahead of the curve of exorbitantly ridiculous free agent pitching contracts. And maybe, just maybe, you’re going to roll out the Brinks Truck for Mark “I’ve got an Ozzie Smith jersey on under my Sox gear” Buehrle. I comprehend that you’re looking at the next 3 to 5 years and not just this season. BUT COME ON, KENNY!!!!

I’m not totally upset about losing Brandon McCarthy. I’m just upset about what it represents. Did you completely forget about the 2004 season? We had incredible bats; Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Lee, Paulie K, Joe Crede. And our #5 starters were a combined 3-30something. Scott Schoneweiss, Esteban Loaiza, Felix Diaz, Arnie Munoz, Neal Cotts. It was a revolving door of mediocrity. Not even The Magic Man Don F’n Cooper could get these guys pitching. And what happened? We were .500. No playoffs. Golfing in October.

You see, Kenny, it’s your fault. You brought me a World Series Trophy, and now I’m greedy. We won 90 games last year, and didn’t make the playoffs. 90 games. We finished behind the Twins and the Tigers, in our own division. Now we’re giving the Tribe another year to regroup, and you don’t think that they won’t be breathing down our necks as well? Let me answer that for you, they will be.

(On a positive note, Darin Erstad was a fantastic pick-up for utility outfielder and all around hustler. I dig that move. I get it. Grinders. Yeah, yeah, yeah.)

The pitching, Kenny. The pitching. Why have you forsaken me?

I know you have a plan. I understand your plan. I want to like your plan. But if winning ballgames equates to attendance*, and attendance dictates payroll, then my question simply is, WTF?

OK, I got that all off my chest. Again I’d like to say, thanks for 2005. I watch the Championship DVD’s religiously at least once a month. And I still tear up as Geoff Blum is hitting his extra inning HR in Houston.

Spoil me again, Ken. I won’t mind. And neither will your massing legion of Sox fans.
Just do me a favor…don’t ship Jon Garland off for a bag of magic beans. Please.

Thanks for listening,

Ivan Calderon

* denotes the phenomenon of a perennial sub .500 team on the north side of Chicago that packs em in daily for sub par games

Like Brian, If I Could Be Like Brian...

It's good to be Brian Urlacher.

Thanks to Deadspin for this pic. I have nothing funny to add, maybe something about Urlacher having soft hands for a linebacker. Nah, that sucks.

The comments at Deadspin are hilarious, my favorite being,

Lance Uppercut says:

"Beware of the one on the right, some people don't know what it is like to bite off someone's penis, she is not one of those people."

Yeah...The Ron Rivera thing.

About the Ron Rivera release, I was never all that upset over it. Other than, "Well, that sucks. Another former Chicago player, having trouble sticking with a Chicago team, in a different role besides player."

I wanted Bill Cartwright to succeed, and it chaps my ass every time I think of Mike Singletary coaching a San Fransisco team.

Steve Stone, years of solid color work after playing for the Cubs, gets bounced for pissing off a crappy manager, in way over his head, and some players who's names I can't remember. Leslie Frazier. Joe Girardi. Jim Harbaugh. John Paxson's success is nice to see, but...

I doubt, Michael Jordan will ever be a part of the Bulls organization again.

The list is long, and this trend isn't unique to Chicago. Larry Bird couldn't work for the Celtics. Magic Johnson maintains some ownership of the Laker's, but he failed as a coach and never tried to G.M. That was Jerry West's job, that guy lived and died with his Laker's, until he lost a power struggle to Phil Jackson, and now he slowly fades away in Memphis.

In this case, we were keeping Lovie, so Ron was gonna go. He wasn't running his defense, he was running Lovie's Cover 2. After having played for a blitzing Bears team, and coming up as a coach for Philly, with Jim Johnson's blitzing scheme, the fit never seemed right.

It's to bad, cause I root for Rivera, he's a Chicago Bear, but he obviously wasn't seeing eye-to-eye with Lovie. If we know one thing about Lovie, he'll get rid of someone that isn't working out. Just ask, Terry O'Shea. Or Chad Hutchinson, or Wade Wilson, or, well, Rivera.

So I say, good luck to Ron. And who knows, he might be our next head coach.

Bears get it right.

The Chicago Bears website, and ESPN, is reporting that both Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo have signed contract extensions.

No numbers on Angelo, who signed through 2013, but ESPN says Smith has agreed to a four-year, $22 million extension through 2011, keeping his scheduled salary for next season, with the raise coming in 2008.

The Bears have been accused of everything this week, from being (their track record bears this out. Hehehe bears...) cheap, to potentially (and worth asking) racist, where Lovie's contract was concerned.

Not sure if it was the public beating that accelerated this deal, but I'm happy to see it get done.

A Quest For Our Three Readers.

Foul Balls, via True Hoop, who had gotten an email from SI's Andrew Lawrence, posted a story of M.J.'s competitive, gambling cruelty visited upon Scottie Pippen.

News of his imminent financial demise hardly surprise. Rather, it calls to mind the absolute coolest Jordan story I'd ever been told -- courtesy of the AP's Jim Litke, the George Washington on my sports journalism Mt. Rushmore. That said, I take everything Jim says as gospel, this story especially. It starts with Jordan shooting around at practice at old Chicago Stadium when he looks up and notices the m&m race on the jumbotron. Curious, he asks one of the Bulls' staffers what's up and learns what he is seeing is actually a dry run-through of the night's in-game entertainment, in which the jumbotron and m&m race factor prominently. (I'm pretty sure this was before shooting t-shirts out of an air cannon captivated a nation.) Naturally, MJ wanted to know if the winner of the race was predetermined. Of course the 8-bit graphics betrayed the answer: a resounding "yes".

So later that night, Phil calls a time out and Jordan & co. repair to the bench. As he's sitting down, he looks up at the jumbotron to see the m&m race about to start. So he nudges Scottie.

MJ: "Bet you 5 grand yellow takes this."

Pip: "Bet."

I'm told this went on for years before Scottie ever got wise...

I commented, confident in my memory, that Sam Smith told this story in his book, The Jordan Rules, with Horace Grant playing the role of Baby With Candy. After an Amazon 'search inside this book' search, I can find no evidence to support my memory. Anyone else remember this story from Smith's book? Anyone have an old copy of the book? Little help here, or do I need to start tattooing stats and stories across my body, Memento-style?

(Administrator's note: I just got a return email from Sam Smith, stating that he had never written about this. Surprise! My memory sucks. I'm still convinced I've heard this story before.)

Cubs Baseball 2007

With seven pitchers fighting for four spots, you would think the Cubs are in a great position to form a solid five. Then again, let's look at who coming February 15th by the stats of 2006.
These players include Carlos Zambrano, Angel Guzman, Sean Marshall, Wade Miller, Mark Prior, Rich Hill, Jason Marquis, and Ted Lily. Also waiting in the bullpen: Carlos Marmol, Juan Mateo, and the questionable Neal Cotts.
Carlos Zambrano is the Ace. In 2006, Big "Z" was 16-7, with an e.r.a. of 3.41. He had 33 starts and pitched 214 innings. 115 base on balls to 210 strikeouts. He gave up 162 hits, 91 runs(81 of them earned), and 20 home runs. He is our work horse. Seldom gets injured or complains of a sore arm. By the start of the season the Cubs payroll should be about 312 million dollars, after signing him to a one year deal. Holy Cow!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As of now, Ted Lily is my number two pitcher. He's really more of a three/four, but not here. In 2006 with the Blue Jays, Lily was 15-13 in 32 starts. He threw 181 innings with an e.r.a. of 4.31. 179 hits with 98 runs, 87 of them earned. His base on balls to strikeout ratio was 81-160. He gave up 28 home runs and could sky-rocket at the friendly confines.
So who are the third, fourth and fifth starters? This is what camp will determine. The next guy to pitch more than 150 innings is Jason Marquis, followed by Sean Marshall at 125 innings and then Rich Hill at 99. Prior and Miller hardly pitched, and Guzman was 0-6 in ten starts. All these guys e.r.a. was between 5 and 7.4, with Rich Hills' 4.17 being the best.
This is a mystery. Cubs gave up the most walks, but struck-out the most batters, and owned the third worst e.r.a. in the N.L. Nothing will get easier for these guys.
Right now you have to have Marquis and Marshall fight for the third spot. Rich Hill and Mark Prior will compete for the fourth spot, and Miller and Guzman get sent down to AAA, unless Guzman sits in the pen for a while, which should be unlikely.
Maybe Prior and Miller have a great spring training and we have little to worry about. Perhaps Rich Hill (who can finally locate his fastball), becomes an ace, getting to the 15 win mark. High hopes and optimism folks. That's all the Cub Fans have. This is the last year for Prior, Miller, and Marquis, if they can't stay on the field. I doubt very highly that Wade Miller is ready to pitch 150 plus innings anyway. Sean Marshall could be on his way to a trade if he becomes mediocre at best. Then the Cubs will have more time for Mateo, Marmol, and Guzman.
I'll talk about the bullpen in a later blog, probably by the weekend. There are only so many pitchers the Cubs will carry, so I expect 100% out of these guys to make the five. I see some spot starters for sure in that fifth spot. No way everybody succeeds or stays healthy.
It all starts this Thursday Cub Fans!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, right now, if I was Lou and Larry, the staff looks like this.
1. Carlos Zambrano
2. Ted Lily
3. Rich Hill
4. Jason Marquis
5. Sean Marshall.

With more certainty, I would have Prior and Miller in, replacing Marshall and Marquis, but.............................................you know.

GO CUBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Bears, Our Super Bowl.

Last night as I was waiting tables, dreaming about the Super Bowl I would be watching today, a regular couple came in and sat down in my station. I don't have the contempt for these regulars that I might for others. They are always cheerful, polite and generous. She has a Long Island, Diet Coke back, while he has a Chardonnay. My busser, Oscar, arrives at the table first to fill water, as I approach them, Oscar, mentions that her father played for the Bears. Cool, I'll ask her about it.

"Evening folks, good to see you. Oscar tells me your father played for the Bears?"

Her husband speaks up first, his male pride swelling as he points to his chest, on his sweater is the team picture above, "This is him here, number 20."

"He played on the 1932 Championship team," I ask.

She speaks up now, "Yes."

"That's not the 73-0 game against the Redskins, was it?"

"No, but he was on that team. He played from '29 to '36."

Now, I'm a bit of a sports historian, thinking this is very cool, I say so, "Cool. What was his name?"

"Zuck Carlson."

"So, he played with Red Grange?"

"Yes, and Bronco Nagurski."

"Wow. Was Halas the coach?"

"Yes, he's there in the picture," her husband adds, pointing to a young Halas on the left of his sweater. "90 bucks a game they got paid."

"The Bear Down fight song is about the team your dad played on."

"Yes."

"Well, I gotta say this is very cool, you forget the history sometimes, but your dad helped build the NFL. Sorry for the cliche, but in your case, it's true."

She begins to open up to the subject, "Thanks. I have all of his medical paperwork, all his jerseys and uniforms."

"Has the city, or team ever asked for any of it? For display or anything?"

"No, the Bears records building burned down awhile ago, so I'm glad I still had it myself."

I've spent to much time at the table now, the restaurant is busy. "We'll, I'll say thank you to you, and your dad for the game tomorrow, and this round is on me."

They say thank you, and the rest of the meal is pretty uneventful.

I have no monumental insight gleaned from this conversation. I just thought, and I think I mentioned this, that it was pretty cool.

So today, I'm gonna go watch the game, have fun, enjoy myself and raise my glass to Zuck Carlson.

One of the first Bears to Bear Down, and thrill the nation with the "T" formation.

Go Bears!

Sport's On T.V. Today.

National Coverage.

• English Premeire League Soccer:
• Aston Villa vs. West Ham United, (FSC, 10 a.m.)
• Middlesbourgh vs. Arsenal, (FSC, noon)
• Manchester City vs. Reading, (FSC, 2:15 p.m.)

• Boxing: Champion Tomasz Adamek vs. Chad Dawson, for WBC light heavyweight championship; champion Jesus Chavez vs. Julio Diaz, for IBF lightweight championship, at Kissimmee, Fla., (Showtime, 9 p.m.)

• College men's basketball:
• Southern Methodist vs. Memphis, (ESPN, noon)
• Louisville vs. Villanova, (ESPN2, noon)
• Washington vs. Arizona, (FSN, 1:30 p.m.)
• Indiana vs. Iowa, (ESPN, 2 p.m.)
• Southern Illinois vs. Wichita State, (ESPN2, 2 p.m.)
• Teams TBA, (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
• Ohio State vs. Michigan State, (CBS, 4 p.m.)
• Wright State vs. Detroit, (ESPN2, 4 p.m.)
• Samford vs. Eastern Illinois, (ESPN2, 6 p.m.)
• Washington State vs. Arizona State, (FSN, 7:30 p.m.)
• Hawaii vs. Nevada, (ESPN2, 8 p.m.)
• Texas A&M vs. Kansas, (ESPN, 9 p.m.)
• Stanford vs. California, (FSN, 9:30 p.m.)

• College women's basketball:
• Baylor vs. Nebraska, (FSN, 3:30 p.m.)
• Texas vs. Kansas State, (FSN, 5:30 p.m.)

• Golf: PGA Tour, FBR Open, third round, (NBC, 3 p.m.)

• NBA: Chicago at Portland, (WGN, 10 p.m.)

Local Coverage.

• Track and Field: Triathlon:Xterra Worl Championship, (WBBM, noon)
  

• College men's basketball:
• Purdue vs. Penn State, (WCIU, 11 a.m.)
• Washington vs. Arizona, (CSNCHI, 12:30 p.m.)
  
• Northwestern vs. Wisconsin, (WCIU, 1 p.m.)

• NHL: Chicago vs. San Jose, (CSNCHI, 3 p.m.)

Sport's On T.V. Tonight.

National Coverage.

• Boxing:
• Heavyweights, Zuri Lawrence vs. Dominick Guinn, at Rochester, N.Y., (ESPN2, 9 p.m.)
• Junior middleweights, James Kirkland vs. Billy Lyell; junior welterweights, Timothy Bradley vs. Michael Clark, at Santa Ynez, Calif., (Showtime, 11 p.m.)

• Golf: PGA Tour, FBR Open, second round, at Scottsdale, Ariz., (The Golf Channel, 3 p.m.)

• NBA:
• New Jersey vs. Orlando, (ESPN, 8 p.m.)
• Chicago vs Seattle, ESPN, (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.)
  

• Track and field: 100th Millrose Games, at New York, (ESPN2, 7 p.m.)

Local Coverage.

• AHL: Chicago vs. Manitoba,(3 ILL-03, 7:30 p.m.)

• NBA:Chicago vs Seattle, (WGN, 9:30 p.m.)

Winesburg, Ohio/San Fransisco, California

So Barry Bonds signed a one-year contract to play for the San Fransisco Giants next year. Foul Balls has a breakdown of the various clauses written into the contract to protect the Giants if Barry finds himself in jail.

I had this idea about Bonds awhile ago, and that is, he hates baseball. He hates baseball, and everyone involved in it, so much that his one goal is to become the greatest player ever, and in doing so, destroy baseball.

Imagine a kid growing up, like so many growing up in America, he gets baseball shoved down his throat. But unlike every other kid, this kid's dad is a Champion, All-Star caliber professional baseball player. Every time this kids dad misses a birthday, or misses a game the kid is playing in, or just isn't around, it's baseball's fault. So he develops a healthy dislike for the game, the same as any kid dislikes the job that takes a parent away from him.

Not only does baseball rob him of so much time with his father, the media coverage, alot of it negative, creates a suspicion and paranoia in his mind. It seems absurd to him that they should spend so much time on something he disdains, but to attack his father in print with false accusations, unacceptable. What son isn't protective of their father? He grows up considering those critics in the media to be his enemies.

As he gets older, he travels with his dad's team, from city to city. Here, he only encounters more enemies, men and women, fans, thousands of them, packing stadiums to love baseball and hate on his dad. The best only boo, the worst throw batteries and hurl racial slurs at him and his father. Dilettante's, hurting his family, because they are unable to play the game.

It is these enemies that deserve the worst.

But, instead of walking away from the game, he chooses to become the greatest the game has ever seen. He will capture their love through his greatness, all the while, hating them, and their love for the game.

Now, knocking at the door of his goal, he is a grotesque, the game he hates, hates him to. Maybe we all deserve each other, baseball, Barry Bonds and us fans. He won't destroy the game, it will go on after he retires, and he will be remembered for being one of the greatest players.

I doubt he will be loved though, which might have been all that little kid wanted.

Sport's On T.V. today.

National Coverage.

• College men's basketball:
• Georgetown vs, St. John's (ESPN, 7 p.m.)
• Saint Louis vs. Saint Joseph's (ESPN2, 8:30 p.m.)
• Duke vs. Virginia (ESPN, 9 p.m.)
• Oregon vs. UCLA (FSN, 10:30 p.m.)

• Golf: PGA Tour, FBR Open, first round, at Scottsdale, Ariz. (The Golf Channel, 3 p.m.)

• High school boys basketball: Loyola (Ill.) vs. North Central (Ind.), at Indianapolis (ESPN2, 7 p.m.)

• NBA:
• Cleveland at Miami (TNT, 8 p.m.)
• San Antonio at Phoenix (TNT, 10:30 p.m.)

• Reality: Pro's vs. Joe's (Spike, 10 p.m.)

Local Coverage.

• College men's basketball:
• Oral Roberts vs. Valparaiso (WYIN, 7 p.m.)
• Oregon vs. UCLA (3 ILL-03, 9:30 p.m.)

• NHL: Chicago vs. Los Angeles (CSNCHI, 9:30 p.m.)

Keep the Ball Moving.

• Bear vs. Colt. Fan poll, check. MySpace pages, check. Bizarre video of people in horse and bear costume, double check.

• Deadspin. Outsider/Insider/Outsider's look at Super Bowl week in Miami, or Sean Salisbury is King.

• Foul Balls. Bears fans continue to impress.

• Joe Sports Fan. Breaking down the absurdity of sports media.

• Kissing Suzy Kolber. Passasaurus Rex, striving to help those less fortunate.

• Leave The Man Alone. Gotta hate Samurai Mike being used this way.

• Pacifist Viking. The story of the season? Saints, no. Tomlinson, no. Rex Grossman, yes!

• Ron Karkovice Fan Club. The best Super Bowl breakdowns I've read.

• Sweet Home Sports. Know your Bears quotes.

• The Big Picture. Insightful interview with the Super Bowl teams head coaches.

• This Suit Is Not Black. Don't make Rex angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.

• We Are Postmen. Someone give Kyle a hug.

Sports On T.V. Today.

National Coverage.

• English Premeire League Soccer:
• Arsenal vs. Bolton Wanderers, (FSC, 12:30 p.m.)
• Chelsea vs. Blackburn Rovers, (FSC, 2:30 p.m.)
• Bolton Wanderers vs. Charlton Athletic, (FSC, 5 p.m.)

• College men's basketball:
• Miami (Fla.) vs. North Carolina, (ESPN, 7 p.m.)
• Ohio State vs. Purdue, (ESPN2, 7 p.m.)
• Texas vs. Texas Tech, (ESPN2, 9 p.m.)
• Gonzaga vs. Stanford, (FSN, 11 p.m.)

• NBA:
• San Antonio vs. Utah, (ESPN, 9 p.m.)
• Chicago vs. Los Angeles Clippers, (WGN, 9:30 p.m.)

• UFC: Fight Night: From Hollywood, Fla. (Spike, 8 p.m.)
  

Local Coverage.

• College men's basketball:
• Wisconsin vs. Indiana, (WYIN, 6 p.m.)
• Creighton vs. Bradley, (CSNCHI, 7:30 p.m.)