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US Should Stop Future Olympic Bids

Jay Mariotti — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:21:00 EST

COPENHAGEN -- Eleven shots of tequila were lined up across the bar. The guy paying, a member of Chicago's 2016 Olympics bid committee, assured me that he wouldn't be doing all 11 by himself. It was a night to drown sorrows at the Hard Rock Cafe, an American-based establishment where a saddened and dazed Chicago crew -- routed in the first round, like the Cubs in the playoffs -- had many more questions than answers at tables around a chilly, rainy city.

"How much of this had to do with anti-Americanism?'' asked one.

Plenty, I said. And when another emphasized that Chicago won't be bidding in 2020 and maybe ever again, it occurred to me that the U.S. shouldn't, either -- at least until President Obama has his house in order, until the chaotic U.S. Olympic Committee makes peace with the International Olympic Committee, until America figures out how to politick within the Olympic movement and until America improves its image and softens its relationships with a world that still views the U.S. as an arrogant monster.

More: Obama, Chicago Embarassed | Party Ends Early | Rio Awarded Games

Why devote years of hard work and spend more than $100 million, as Chicago did on its campaign, only to exit the competition in humiliation? It happened to New York four years ago, and now it has happened to the nation's third-largest city, suggesting that there are better ways to allocate time, energy and money. It makes no sense to keep getting whacked by the IOC when the voting members obviously are sending consistent, harsh messages that they don't want the U.S. hosting their Olympic bash. What's the smart solution, then?

Forget 2020. And if the general mood doesn't improve, forget 2024. We will send athletes to the Games, of course, but until further notice, let the IOC delegates shower their friends with Olympiads. That way, America saves billions in staging the Games. That way, America can devote that money to education, welfare and public projects. That way, the president can focus on health care and the economy and Afghanistan and Iran and the other issues sure to pile on his plate. And that way, Oprah Winfrey doesn't have to fly to Denmark and return with nothing but shopping bags.

Know how long it has been since the U.S. lost back-to-back bids for the Summer Games? Thirty-six years, when Los Angeles failed to land the 1980 Olympics after losing out in 1976. Only a revolutionary plan by bid chairman Peter Ueberroth, who rode his enormous Olympic success to the baseball commissioner's seat and future USOC leadership, put America back in the big game in 1984. Since then, our participation only has involved Atlanta, a logistical flop that included a fatal Centennial Park bombing, and Salt Lake City, infamous for under-the-table payoffs to IOC members. If New York and Chicago aren't up to the task, who would be? Cincinnati? As Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said, bidding for the 2020 Games would be geographically foolish anyway.

"It's already in this hemisphere, with Rio, and it would not make sense for an American city to try again in 2020,'' said Daley, who faces unprecedented budget and crime challenges and might be nearing the end of his reign in Chicago. "It's in this hemisphere and they have to move somewhere else."

So, it all adds up to a harsh but necessary conclusion: Stop bidding.

"The United States, within the Olympic movement, hasn't engaged as well as we could have for a long time," said Bob Ctvrtlik, the USOC's vice president of international affairs. "And there's a lot of politics going on. This vote isn't just on the merits."

"The whole thing doesn't make sense other than there has been a stupid bloc vote," Kevan Gosper, the senior IOC member from Australia, told the Associated Press. "To have the president of the United States and his wife personally appear, then this should happen in the first round, is awful and totally undeserving."

When Chicago, city of crooked politics, is out-backroomed in Copenhagen, you know something is amiss. "We did not have the worst bid, not even close,'' said a Chicago bid staffer. True, the plan was efficient and solid, selling an intimate plan of close-together venues on the beautiful summer lakefront. But from the start, it was clear many IOC members liked Rio de Janeiro and that some of those people were voting anti-Chicago early -- opting for less formidable Madrid and Tokyo -- so the Windy City would be knocked out and unable to rally late. When IOC president Jacques Rogge uttered the stunning pronouncement that "The city of Chicago, having obtained the least number of votes, will not participate in the next round,'' it suddenly seemed silly and embarrassing to have sent the Obamas and Oprah to Copenhagen. In fact, it felt just as silly and embarrassing in 2005 to have sent politicians and celebrities to Singapore, where New York's bid was rejected in the second round. The only conclusion: If we aren't savvy politicians, then get out of the IOC's big-stakes card game. Seems Lady Gaga has a better poker face than the people trying to land the bids.

"I hate the fact that these elegant people were here, and then our country was treated that way,'' said IOC member Anita DeFrantz of the U.S., speaking of the president and first lady.

"This is an easy way for countries to express resentment toward us, as a superpower, without suffering any consequences, like having their foreign aid cut off or their weapons programs cut off," Doug Logan, CEO of USA Track and Field, told USA Today. "It's an easy way for them to express a great amount of displeasure."

Obama is taking much of the blame back home, as he should after willingly sticking his neck into the fray. Somewhat surprisingly, he was conciliatory upon returning to Washington. "You can play a great game and still not win,'' said the president, who called Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from Air Force One and congratulated him. "Although I wish that we had come back with better news from Copenhagen, I could not be prouder. I have no doubt that it was the strongest bid possible and I'm proud that I was able to come in and help make that case in person.'' I'd have preferred more candor from Obama in regard to what really happened, a promise that he and the USOC and everyone else involved either will have their stuff together next time -- or there will be no next time.

The president should think long and hard about a question posed by an IOC member from Pakistan, Syed Shadid Ali, who spoke of the difficulties faced by foreigners trying to enter the U.S. since 9/11. "We can go through a rather harrowing experience,'' Ali said. Obama jumped in during the presentation and answered with dignity.

"One of the legacies I want to see coming out of the Chicago 2016 hosting of the Games is a reminder that America at its best is open to the world,'' he said. "And, as has already been indicated, we are putting the full force of the White House and the State Department to make sure that ... visitors from all around the world feel welcome and will come away with a sense of the incredible diversity of the American people. This (IOC meeting) could be a meeting in Chicago because we look like the world. And I think that over the last several years, sometimes that fundamental truth about the United States has been lost."

That would be a shot at the Bush administration. But what the first-round loss shows is that Obama has plenty of work before beginning to cure the Bush hangover. We should point out that no president would have successfully lobbied for the Games with the USOC in such disarray. The committee has tussled with the IOC over revenue sharing and angered the Rogge clan with an attempt to launch an Olympics TV network. When Jim Scherr abruptly resigned as chairman earlier this year, it was seen as terrible timing for Chicago and a sign that the USOC was out of control. The appointment of Stephanie Streeter as his interim successor didn't help because of her lack of Olympic-related experience. It's why Probst pleaded during the Chicago presentation that he longs to "create a legacy in which the USOC serves the Olympic movement as a vital and trusted partner."

The trust isn't there, though. Will it ever be? For a three-year period at the start of the decade, the USOC had six presidents and CEOs. Internationally, no one knows who's running the ship.

So Chicago is a loser again, as it often is in sports, a shocking victim of politics and naivety for a town known as a rugged political player. The good people will go back to their pro sports teams, the heart and blood of the city, but this defeat hurts more than most because the world has spoken. Chicago seems eternally destined for a Second City existence, with the Olympic loss only feeding its ingrained inferiority complex. Ever see a city so large and spectacular need so many esteem-boosting pep rallies? "Chicago was a world-class city before [the Olympic] decision, and Chicago will be a world-class city tomorrow,'' Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley said. "Although disappointment hangs in the air, this is not the time for regret, but rather to see opportunity in the incredible work that was done across Chicago over the past months.''

Not everyone in the city is bummed. No Games Chicago, a group that has opposed the Games, is thrilled. "No Games Chicago thinks this is a very good decision for the people of Chicago. But what happens now?'' said a statement on its Web site. "The mayor has been quoted as saying he has 'nothing up his sleeve' with regard to economic development for the future of the city. Representatives of the 2016 committee said on many occasions at public meetings that this was THE plan for jobs and prosperity for our future. There appears to be no Plan B.''

Mostly, though, there is confusion and dismay. Said the Rev. Jesse Jackson: "We sent our A-Team: the president, his wife, Oprah Winfrey, the Olympic athletes, the mayor. We sent our A-Team. It will be interesting to know what happened."

What happened was this: Chicago got Chicagoed, just as New York got New Yorked. Like anyone else who has been jobbed and duped, it's time to walk away from an unwinnable game and take a long breather.

US Should Stop Future Olympic Bids originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago Aims Big, but at What Cost?

Jay Mariotti — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive

Editor's note: This is an updated version of an earlier column.

COPENHAGEN -- Forgetting the need for prim-and-proper behavior, the staid, stuffy members of the International Olympic Committee broke from protocol today. They grabbed their cell phones in the Bella Center and took photos of President Obama, confirming that they view him as a rock star. Whether this translated into Chicago landing the 2016 Games would be known in a few hours, but clearly, Obama can charm the world without saying much or staying very long.

"I urge you to choose Chicago," he told the voting members during his five-hour stay in the Danish capital. "And if you do -- if we walk this path together -- then I promise you this: The city of Chicago and the United States of America will make the world proud.''

He sounded, as GOP House leader John Boehner has complaned, like a parochial homer. "He's the president of the United States, not the mayor of Chicago,'' the Ohio Republican said. Would Obama have come to Denmark if another city were bidding and not his hometown? Probably not. But he had to make the journey, noting the success of London and Sochi, Russia, when Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin made face-to-face IOC
pitches.

"You see, growing up, my family moved around a lot. And I never really had roots in any one place or culture or ethnic group,'' Obama told the voters. "Then I came to Chicago. And on those Chicago streets, I worked alongside men and women who were black and white, Latino and Asian, people of every class and nationality and religion. I came to discover that Chicago is that most American of American cities, one where citizens from more than 130 nations inhabit a rich tapestry of distinctive neighborhoods.

"Each one of those neighborhoods -- from Greektown to the Ukrainian Village; from Devon to Pilsen to Washington Park -- has its own unique character, history, song, and sometimes language. But each is also a part of our city -- one city -- a city where I finally found a home.Chicago is a place where we strive to celebrate what makes us different just as we celebrate what we have in common. It's a place where our unity is on colorful display at so many festivals, parades, and especially sporting events, where perfect strangers become fast friends at the sight of the same jersey. It's a city that works -- from its first World's Fair more than a century ago to the World Cup we hosted in the nineties, we know how to put on big events. And scores of visitors and spectators will tell you that we do it well."

Did he lack a certain energy? Yes, perhaps understandable after an all-night flight. But the question was whether his mere appearance would be enough to land the bid. The words sold themselves. "It's not just the American dream that is the Olympic spirit; it's the essence of the Olympic spirit, and that's why we see so much of ourselves in these Games," he said. "That's why we want them in Chicago, that's why we want them in America."

Later, he praised the Chicago 2016 committee and didn't make the Republicans happy when he said of the video that was shown to IOC members, "It made me miss home.'' As for the critics who have made an issue of Obama spending a morning in Copenhagen with so much else on his presidential plate, his chief of staff had a retort.

"You know,'' Rahm Emanuel said, we'll make sure they get some good seats once Chicago does host the Games.''

After years of talk, there was nothing left to say. Let the voting begin.

Through the halls of the Opera House, where only the security presence was heavier than the tension, a buzz circulated Thursday night that Chicago is the favorite to win the 2016 Olympics. You'd think the news would thrill a black-tie-only ballet crowd ranging from the first lady, Michelle Obama, to the mayor, Richard Daley, to the queen of pop culture, Oprah Winfrey, who continues her grand mission to speak with every known person in Copenhagen -- Olympic voter or hotel doorman or otherwise.

But wisely, all are cautious. They know where they come from, after all. They know what tends to happen when Chicago expects a victory in formal competition.

Crash!

"This is a very tough election,'' said Daley, the gimme-a-beer guy who seems out of place amid the stuffy aristocracy of the International Olympic Committee. "These are very competitive cities and countries. They're as passionate and enthusiastic about their cities as we are. Anything can happen up until the last minute.''

He would know. Anyone who has experienced Chicago understands why being a frontrunner isn't necessarily a good thing here. When a team is favored to win in that city, chances are it will lose -- especially when the team is the Cubs. The civic dread has led to what I call Ohhhhh-Nooooo Syndrome, an impending doom currently embodied by Steve Bartman, the poor soul who didn't concede a fly ball to Moises Alou when the Cubs were five outs from the National League pennant and ... you know the rest. For all the passion and hope people pour so dutifully into their five sports teams, there often is little return from that investment -- no World Series titles in 101 years for the Cubs, one World Series title in 92 years for the White Sox, one NFL championship in 45 years for the Bears, no Stanley Cups in 48 years for the Blackhawks.

Which is one reason why a massive Midwestern metropolis, arguably the most architecturally immaculate and relentlessly fun in America, has been stuck with the strangest of afflictions. Whisper it, because the natives don't like hearing it, but Chicago has a major inferiority complex. Part of it is the longstanding Second City stigma that comes with a larger and more savvy New York looking down its nose at the Windy City, but more than that, it's a place that really needs to win and win big. Sure, the Bulls won six NBA trophies in the '90s, but the sense always has been that Michael Jordan -- who isn't coming to Denmark, probably because he's busy building a 37,942-square-foot home in south Florida -- was a rent-an-icon who happened to drop down from the heavens and wasn't necessarily a Chicagoan in spirit. To this day, Mike Ditka is a rousingly more popular local celebrity, a man's-man football hero in a testosterone-driven town with a steak house just off the so-called Viagra Triangle, where men of his age go to party.

So maybe two Chicago women can get it done, huh? Just so we have it straight, the O in Copenhagen is for Oprah and Obama, two confident forces trying to do what male athletes have struggled to do for decades: bring a championship to Chicago. The Danish capital is a pleasantly beautiful town with a laid-back sensibility, but you'd never know it the way they're ogling over the Os and their pro-Chicago lobbying. "It's a seven-year party,'' said Ms. Winfrey, "and the party could start tomorrow.''

"Oprah is Oprah, what more do you have to say?'' said Mrs. Obama, who met individually with IOC voters who anxiously await her husband's arrival Friday morning. "Every city that is bidding wishes it had Oprah.''

When they ask why Chicago even would want the Olympics -- and a lot of people are doing just that, with support dwindling to 47 percent in a Chicago Tribune/WGN poll last month -- the answer involves identity and pride. As I write this, Chicago is not a worldly city as much as the fourth-best-known American town globally, behind New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. By noon Central time Friday, it suddenly could be the most talked-about city on the planet, no longer associated with Al Capone, hog butchers and, well, Jordan. That's what the Olympic
brand can do: change an image forever, as Barack Obama did in his own way during an Election Night speech in Grant Park. And that's why Michelle Obama was nearly moved to tears when she talked about her first Olympic TV experience -- watching gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who is here on behalf of the Chicago bid, compete in the 1976 Games. She wonders if Chicago children in less-privileged areas would be equally inspired if the Games were staged down the street in seven years.

"I thought I could do that. I didn't know then that I'd grow to 5-11,'' Mrs. Obama said of Comaneci's perfect performance. "I remember being inspired by people who were doing things beyond belief. I just think now, 'Wouldn't it be great if that kind of spirit was happening right down the street in our community? Kids in communities across the city -- in Austin, kids who grew up in Cabrini (Green), kids who live so far from the city -- just imagine if all of that was happening right in their own backyard. That's what I think about. They can never dream of being that close to such power and opportunity. So that's what excites me most about bringing the Games to Chicago, the impact it can have on the lives of our young people and our community. We have put together a phenomenal set of ideas that no matter what the outcome is, we should be proud of as a city.''

Said Winfrey of her longtime friend: "She was born in Chicago. She grew up in Chicago. She started her career in Chicago. She met her husband in Chicago. She began her family in Chicago ... she loves Chicago.''

Which is all very sweet, nice and well-intended. But just because the Games might come to Chicago doesn't mean they'll automatically turn the city into an international gem. Atlanta had such a goal in 1996, but no one there was smart enough to figure out transportation or sophisticated enough keep a flea-market environment off the streets. When a bomb exploded in Centennial Park, killing a woman and leaving blood on the park bricks, Atlanta's legacy was doomed. I've written often that I'd prefer Chicago, where I live, not host the Games in an
age of terrorism.

Then there's the financial issue. At $4.8 billion, the Chicago plan seems to be fairly grounded in a plan involving existing infrastructure. But didn't Daley say all along that no public funding would be involved -- until abrutply changing his tune two months ago under pressure from the IOC? Originally, the London 2012 folks said the public would pay little for the Games; now, the public funding package has soared to $13 blllion. Vancouver already is $37 million in the hole, not a healthy situation with Opening Ceremonies still more than four months away. The 2014 Winter Games, in the Russian resort town of Sochi, now might spent $33 billion -- three times more than originally budgeted. Athens was a creative success in 2004, but the city is stuck with a final bill of $12 billion and 21 of the 22 Olympic venues are sitting unused. Beijing spent ungodly sums last year, but in the Communist land of China, isn't held accountable for wasteful spending. Remember the Montreal Games watched by Michelle Obama in 1976? They weren't paid off until 2006. So how much of this is a big lie? Most of it, actually.

The IOC, of course, prints money via the insane TV fees it extracts from countries. That's why president Jacques Rogge and the boys could host an extravagant pre-vote program at the Opera House, where the host uttered obnoxiously, "The Olympic Games is for elitists -- and so is ballet.'' They're just taking their circus to the town
where they can make the most money and have the fewest headaches.

That town, apparently, will be Chicago. If so, the inferiority complex goes away immediately.

But at what cost?

Chicago Aims Big, but at What Cost? originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIA MJ Insulting, But Chicago Endures

Jay Mariotti — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive

COPENHAGEN -- Oprah is here. Oprah is smiling. Oprah is talking to the Great Danes, both humans and dogs. Oprah is shopping on the Stroget, the world's longest pedestrian street, carrying a colorful bag with just-bought goodies. Oprah is ready to pump flesh and exchange hugs with any and all International Olympic Committee members -- or, better still, their wives. Oprah even has no problem, after a long plane ride, appearing at a Chicago 2016 dinner/revival/love-in with hundreds of supporters.

More From Mariotti: Now That He's Going, Obama Better Win

"For me, this is beyond exciting because here we are, just hours away from a decision that could be a landmark in Chicago history," the indefatigable Ms. Winfrey said. "For us to be able to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games would be what my grandmother used to call our crowning glory -- something that certainly would be worthy of a brand-new star on our Chicago flag. It's tremendous that we are all here as we now sprint to the finish line on Friday with the best team captain and co-captain we could ever have."

As anticipated, Oprah kept a promise to President Obama and the first lady and flew overseas to support Chicago's Olympic campaign, which continues to resemble a Steelers-Ravens trash-talkfest more than an elegant competition. Too bad the same schedule couldn't be kept by Michael Jordan, who is associated with Chicago more than any human being alive -- including Winfrey -- and has mere hours to get his expanding gut to Denmark, start politicking starstruck IOC voters and give new meaning to "Come Fly With Me." Amid a hotly competitive backdrop that welcomed Michelle Obama and her rivals Wednesday and awaits the arrival of her husband Friday, it occurred to the ever-nitpicking American media that one of the planet's most recognizable figures is MIA.

Nor is MJ expected in town, according to the Chicago 2016 camp. "A scheduling conflict," said a bid spokesman, offering no specifics. Which means advantage, Rio de Janeiro, in this category, because Brazil has its most famous sports legend in the house. And how fascinating, in the spirit of the crossfire, to hear Pele point out that he is here and Jordan is not in reponse to a direct question about the absence of the the greatest basketball player ever.

"It is important to participate when your country needs you," Pele said at a press conference. "If I have to die for my country, I would die for my country. If I have to die for my sport, I would die for my sport. I feel very happy if I can help my country."

At first, Pele referred to Jordan as "Michael Jackson," which drew howls in the room. Sad to say, Jordan has as much chance of showing up as Jackson. Never mind that a statue was erected for him outside the United Center, where he led the Bulls to six NBA championships. Never mind that Chicago adores him more than an 82-degree sunny day. Never mind that he won two Olympic gold medals and was the foremost member of the heralded Dream Team. When he didn't show up at a major fund-raising function last month, on a night when the Dream Team was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Committee Hall of Fame, it was Mike's way of saying he wouldn't be hob-nobbing with the Jorges, Henriks and Jacques of the IOC world.

Which is pretty lame, if you ask me. Just what is Jordan doing these days, anyway? One son is a junior at the University of Illinois who decided to leave the basketball program; the other is a freshman at the University of Central Florida, where he'll play basketball. He supposedly is running the Charlotte Bobcats, but why do so many people in North Carolina complain that he's an absentee executive who operates the franchise out of Chicago? He just delivered a rambling speech at the Basketball Hall of Fame that I defended but many others derided as selfish, bitter and miserable, all the more reason to do a good deed for Chicago and America. He lives in south Florida with his new girlfriend, model Yvette Prieto. Couldn't he pull away from her for 36 hours and help out the president?

There was a moment here when David Robinson, an original Dream Teamer who is representing the Chicago bid, was chatting with IOC members. Michelle Obama, whose maiden name is Robinson, approached him and said, "I know who you are! Another Robinson. I tell people we're related." Don't get me wrong: David Robinson is a wonderful American and an asset to anyone's bid. But think of the impact if Jordan had been the one schmoozing.

On the eve of the presentations, the vote and the announcement -- which will come just before high noon in the Midwest -- the growing sense is that Chicago is pulling away from the competition. In difficult economic times, Rio is too great a financial and logistical risk. In the bad timing department, the city had to cancel a World Cup swimming event next month due to lack of money. "There are no financial resources. They cannot find any funding. They say they cannot do it," said Cornel Marculescu, executive director of FINA, swimming's governing body. There is a strong sentiment -- even among U.S. sportswriters, if that matters -- to have the Games in an exotic location where the nights are long and the thong bikini happened to be invented. But 2009 might be a weak time for practicality, which is why Chicago makes more sense. You wonder if Rio has the money and time to finish $11 billion in infrastructure initiatives when Chicago's infrastructure largely is in place, except for a makeshift Olympic Stadium to be built 10 miles from the city core, not terribly far from the home the Obamas keep on the South Side.

Nor did it help Rio when the vice president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Jose Maria Odriozola, continued the crossfire between bid cities Wednesday when he told the Efe news agency, "Rio is the worst bid" of the four candidates. "The IOC is not going to risk it and take the games to a site where it doesn't have total confidence that it can be done well," said Odriozola, which prompted the Rio bid team to submit a formal complaint to the IOC. This is interesting in that Rio representatives have spent the week forecasting a victory and saying Obama's presence "changes nothing." Those Brazilians can dish out the trash, but apparently, they can't take it.

"This gentleman is clearly out of step with the report of the IOC's own Evaluation Commission," Rio 2016 said in a statement.

What Rio can't refute is its crime problem. The homicide rate is much higher than Chicago -- and, for that matter, Madrid and Tokyo. With terrorism casting a permanent dark cloud over every major sports event, murder and drugs don't seem like an appetizing part of an Olympic formula. The sturdy pick seems to be Chicago, unless there's an upset and the European influences in the IOC push for Madrid.

"As my husband would say, are we fired up and ready to go here?" said Michelle Obama, who was wooing IOC voters only minutes after arriving. "When I looked at the bid initially, I was overwhelmed at what a beautiful concept was presented. Everything about this bid speaks to what the city has to offer. Using the lakefront, using the existing park structure to ensure we're making the kinds of investments and will have the kind of leave-behinds that will benefit the city in the long run.

"It will be an athletes' paradise in so many ways, and we will have it at a time in the city's climate that it will actually be nice. The lake won't be frozen over. So I am thrilled, I am proud of our bid and I'm proud of our team. So I have to ask you, are we ready to go with this?"

The assembled Chicago partisans roared like they were watching a Jay Cutler touchdown pass. In unison, they await the president, who arrives too late to have solo conversations with IOC members. Will that be a tactical error? Remember, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Russian President Vladimir Putin did plenty of productive one-on-one work in securing the last two Olympic bids at IOC meetings. Will the first lady impress these voters by her lonesome? Or will they view her as the No. 2 weapon when they want to see The Man?

"We're Chicago, we're the U.S., we're going to be the best we can," said Pat Ryan, Chicago's bid leader. "We don't want to get into the political competition that way. This is about sport. It's not about the influence of any individual."

Oh, but it is. And Michael Jeffrey Jordan, wherever he is, would have helped the cause dramatically. Unless a valid excuse is forthcoming, Chicago should feel insulted.

MIA MJ Insulting, But Chicago Endures originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Night in Mannywood: Fans Blind to Truth

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:23:00 EST

Filed under: MLB, FanHouse Exclusive

LOS ANGELES -- Here in Mannywood -- Section 51, Row H, Seat 15, Wig Size M -- no one cares that the hero committed a hideous baseball crime. Nor do they care that a writer from the civilized world is sitting among them on a lovely night, wondering if they should be lobotomized for glorifying a drug cheat. All they know is that their faux dreadlocks are in place, their No. 99 jerseys are worn proudly and the epicenter of their existence is back and playing left field for the Dodgers, under a summer sky that is true blue even when Manny Ramirez was not.

"This is my town,'' he announced.

More like his brainwashed cult, actually.

Mannywood is a surreal and superficial place where a steroids bust not only is condoned but laughed off, dismissed as part of Ramirez's cartoonish legend. It's officially a section of seats but really a wrap-around outfield love cocoon where fawning fans chant his name and blow him kisses, prompting him to wave back and throw balls into the stands between innings. When he was suspended 50 games for violating baseball's steroids policy, the Los Angeles Dodgers initially decided to shut down Mannywood, not wanting to endorse performance-enhancing drugs by keeping alive a marketing device started when he arrived last year. But an amazing thing happened while those of us in other towns were condemining Ramirez, who took a female fertility drug banned by Major League Baseball. Fans stampeded management with calls and e-mails, demanding that Mannywood stay open.

So the front office relented, checking their integrity at the ticket window. And when he made his first Chavez Ravine appearance since the suspension Thursday night, Ramirez was greeted like a rock star by Mannywood regulars immersed in hope that the Dodgers, who haven't won a World Series in 21 years, will ride his thunder bat to a new title parade. I'd like to think fans weren't so blinded by winning that they'd keep perspective. In Mannywood, that makes me a minority of one.

There they were, oblivious to Ramirez's integrity problems. A 3-year-old boy was wearing Manny dreads. A loud, portly man showed up late and shouted at Ramirez in Spanish, inadvertently poking his young daughter in the eye. When he chugged to left field as the game began, they responded with a deafening roar in Mannywood, and when he stepped to home plate in the first inning, most in venerable Dodger Stadium gave him a standing ovation. I could go on about Manny's peeps, but you get the picture. He can do wrong in their eyes, which doesn't say much for L.A. crowds and their sophistication. They don't have to boo and throw objects at him. But slow down on the adulation.

"It was great. I was looking forward to this game," said Ramirez, who managed a single Thursday night in a 3-0 loss to Wandy Rodriguez and the Astros. "These are the best fans in the world. And they're behind me.''

But why? And why so exuberantly? "I don't think any of us have lobbied for, 'Let's give him a rousing ovation.' But I'm sensing they're going to embrace him again,'' manager Joe Torre said. "What he did was wrong, certainly it's something you don't condone. But the fans come out to be entertained. They understand that he did something wrong and he paid his price."

Much like high school, when the class clown always gets away with things while others do not, Ramirez has the lovably goofy personality to earn a hall pass in L.A.. Barry Bonds was too aloof to be excused.
Alex Rodriguez was too deceitful, Roger Clemens too egomanical, Mark McGwire too secretive about details, Sammy Sosa too obvious. Somehow, maybe in part because people are weary of steroids and have no more energy to boo, Manny is worshipped. "I'm back, Part 2," he said. "Remember, you always leave the last part for the best. So that's what we're going to do."

Nor does anyone seem to mind that he won't answer questions about his steroids mess. "I don't need to talk about anything more. I just need to show up and play the game,'' Ramirez said. "That's in the past, I want to leave it in the past, and I just want to go enjoy."

"I'm sure he didn't like what this whole thing brought about," Torre said. "In his mind, he didn't do it intentionally. He didn't deny what he did. I'm sure he'll be a little more diligent on what he puts in his body again. Nobody says it's OK to violate rules. He took his punishment."

The fundamental question is how Ramirez's post-suspension mental state will translate to his team's status as a World Series favorite. Can Manny still bring down the Dodgers the way he tried to bring down the Red Sox? So far, he seems quite pleased with his oversized support group and is blending in with the total cause. It helps, of course, that he has come out blasting the ball as if he'd never been away, proving again that his skills are so natural that he could hit in a tsunami. Through Friday, he was hitting .352 with nine home runs and 29 RBI, similar to the breathtaking pace he has followed since arriving from Boston last July.

"I think this is his comfort zone, in that batter's box, in the ballpark, in the clubhouse, something that he hasn't had for a couple of months,'' Torre said. "I think this is the best medicine for him after having to go through what he went through Again, it's not that you're feeling sorry for him because he obviously was suspended for a reason. But we're past that.''

It's a credit to Torre's leadership that no one in the clubhouse has balked about Ramirez's return. While he was gone, the Dodgers went 29-21 and maintained their status as the National League's best team. There could have been friction over the benching of Juan Pierre, who was brilliant in Ramirez's place. Of all people, Manny went overboard to pacify that situation, directly complimenting Pierre when, as we know, Manny rarely compliments anyone but the barber.

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 16: Manny Ramirez #99 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during the game against the Houston Astro's on July 16, 2009 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Ramirez

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 16: Manny Ramirez #99 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on during the game against the Houston Astro's on July 16, 2009 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Ramirez

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 16: Manny Ramirez #99 of the Los Angeles Dodgers slides into second base during the game against the Houston Astro's on July 16, 2009 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Ramirez

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Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez (99) is out at second as Houston Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada completes the double play during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, July 16, 2009, in Los Angeles. Casey Blake was out at first. The Astros won 3-0. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez connects for a single during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Thursday, July 16, 2009, in Los Angeles. The Astros won 3-0. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez walks back to first after a foul ball during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Thursday, July 16, 2009, in Los Angeles. The Astros won 3-0. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez runs after hitting a single against the Houston Astros during the eighth inning of an MLB National League baseball game in Los Angeles, California, July 16, 2009. It is Ramirez's first game at Dodger Stadium since his 50-game suspension. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok (UNITED STATES SPORT BASEBALL)

Reuters

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez connects for a single against Houston Astros during the eighth inning of their MLB National League baseball game in Los Angeles, California, July 16, 2009. It was Ramirez's first game at Dodger Stadium since his 50-game suspension. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok (UNITED STATES SPORT BASEBALL)

Reuters

Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez takes his left field position in front of the "Mannywood" seating section in Dodger Stadium for the eighth inning of their MLB National League baseball game against Houston Astros in Los Angeles, California, July 16, 2009. It was Ramirez's first game at Dodger Stadium since his 50-game suspension. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok (UNITED STATES SPORT BASEBALL)

Reuters

Los Angeles Dodgers' manager Joe Torre, right, looks over at Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez as he returns to the dugout after striking out during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Thursday, July 16, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

"It was very tough having been on the sidelines for a long time, but the guys did a great job, they're professional players, they know how to play the game and I think everybody expected the team to be in first place and that's where we are right now,'' Ramirez said. "Juan did a great job, he also deserved to be an All-Star. He did a great job in the time that I was gone and I'm just happy he's on my team."

You sense the Dodgers are a team that could go far with or without Ramirez. But make no mistake, they're going farther with him. He can ask fans to embrace the other players until he's Dodger Blue in the face. They seem to be focused only on him, which isn't fair to about four position players and three or four pitchers. "Man, I don't think they depend on me,'' he said. "And (Andre) Ethier and Matt Kemp, they're great players, so I think they deserve all the credit. I'm just out there doing my thing."

His "thing'' is being enabled by over-the-top, disproportionate-to-reality Manny love. Even in New York last week, Ramirez heard only a few boos. Thus, Mannywood lives. "It would be tricky if the fan support wasn't there to bring Mannywood back," said Dennis Mannion, the club's president and chief operating officer, in an Associated Press interview. "We've really seen overwhelming e-mails and listened to an overwhelming number of phone calls from fans asking if it's going to come back. So it made the decision to reopen the section a little easier. The way we've looked at it is that baseball has a system in place and they've penalized Manny."

Baseball punished Ramirez for 50 games. Los Angeles is hugging and protecting him as if he was the victim. "Manny looks small,'' a young boy told his father in Mannywood. I wanted to turn around and say to the kid, 'Hey, when a guy is off steroids, he shrinks.' But I didn't have the heart.

Let him figure it out when he grows up, if that is even possible in this, way-too-forgiving neighborhood.

"We love you, Manny!'' yelled a woman in her 50s.

Manny waved at her. That's all he has to do, wave, and a villain becomes a hero.

Night in Mannywood: Fans Blind to Truth originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Premier Dynasty of Era? Red Wings Making Case

Jay Mariotti — Sun, 24 May 2009 20:33:00 EST

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, NHL

CHICAGO -- They are a mind-numbing machine, really, almost monotonous in their dominance, discipline and staying power. Sport in the 21st century isn't conducive to a dynasty lasting a dozen years, but the winged-wheel jersey and slimy octopus of the Detroit Red Wings have been lodged in our consciousness since 1997, good for four Stanley Cups and maybe a fifth next month.

Red Wings 6, Blackhawks 1: Recap | Box Score

Is it boring to see them in the conference finals eight times in the last 14 seasons, including the last three? Yeah, I detect a nationwide yawn. A little dull to see the same Euro-procession of Zetterbergs, Franzens, Filppulas and Lidstroms? Yeah, I got a lot more jazzed watching Alex Ovechkin duel Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. But in the city where the American automobile died, this hockey engine is in position to do more damage than the New England Patriots, San Antonio Spurs and any other team in the same span. I believe we're looking at the premier sports franchise in this country, and if you doubt that, you should have seen how the Wings systematically rubbed out the NHL's darling upstarts, the Chicago Blackhawks, and reduced the restored roar in the United Center to a resigned hush Sunday.

They would have been excused if they'd struggled in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. Having suffered a bad overtime loss two nights earlier, the Wings were without two of their best players: Nicklas Lidstrom, the six-time Norris Trophy winner, who sat with that uniquely vague hockey injury known simply as "lower body;" and Hart Memorial Trophy candidate Pavel Datsyuk, who has scored only one postseason goal and missed the game with a foot problem. They also were without Kris Draper, meaning coach Mike Babcock had to use replacements who have spent most of the season playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League. Meanwhile, the 'Hawks were charged up after a crushing Game 3 hit to the head of their leading playoff scorer, Martin Havlat, by Detroit's Niklas Kronwall. "I thought it was gutless all around," said 'Hawks defenseman Brian Campbell, who is known around the league for his own history of cheap shots.

But it was the Wings who showed up with the energy, speed and savvy, teaching lessons to enemy lads who came out chippy and antagonistic -- and paid for their errant priorities in a wicked 6-1 loss. "We just tried to play with poise. We knew they were coming," said Henrik Zetterberg, who scored twice. "They basically didn't have anything else they could do. I think the refs did a good job and made the right calls. We just pay attention to ourselves and play the way we want. We don't care so much about what they're doing."

Latest NHL Images

The Chicago Blackhawks' Duncan Keith, left, and Detroit Red Wings' Johan Franzen dive for the puck during first period action in Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference Finals at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, Sunday, May 24, 2009. The Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks, 6-1. (Andre J. Jackson/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

MCT

CHICAGO - MAY 24: Ben Eager #55 of the Chicago Blackhawks is ejected from the game after he was called for a ten minute misconduct in the second period against the Detroit Red Wings during Game Four of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 24, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ben Eager

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CHICAGO - MAY 24: (L-R) Jonathan Toews #19, Adam Burish #37, Dustin Byfuflien #33, head coach Joel Quenneville, Kris Versteeg #32 and Patrick SHarp #10 of the Chicago Blackhawks look on from the bench dejected late in the game against the Detroit Red Wings during Game Four of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 24, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jonathan Toews;Joel Quenneville;Kris Versteeg;Patrick Sharp;Dustin Byfuflien;Adam Burish

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Chicago Blackhawks' Troy Brouwer, right, and Detroit Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader watch the puck after during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Western Conference finals Sunday, May 24, 2009 in Chicago. The Red wings won 6-1.(AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

The Detroit Red Wings' Marian Hossa celebrates his breakaway goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period of Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference Finals at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, Sunday, May 24, 2009. The Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks, 6-1. (Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

MCT

Detroit Red Wings Marian Hossa,left, and Jonathan Ericsson celebrate after Hossa scored on a breakaway against the Chicago Blackhawks in the first period of Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference Finals at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, Sunday, May 24, 2009. The Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks, 6-1. (Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

MCT

CHICAGO - MAY 24: A dejected fan of the Chicago Blackhawks looks on against the Detroit Red Wings during Game Four of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 24, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Images)

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CHICAGO - MAY 24: Chris Chelios #24 (C) he Detroit Red Wings celebrates with his teammates after their 6-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks during Game Four of the Western Conference Championship Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 24, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chris Chelios

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The Detroit Red Wings' Marian Hossa (81) celebrates a goal against Chicago Blackhawks goalie Cristobal Huet during second period action in Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference Finals at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, Sunday, May 24, 2009. The Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks, 6-1. (Andre J. Jackson/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

MCT

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Cristobal Huet gives up a goal scored by the Detroit Red Wings' Johan Franzen during first period action in Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference Finals at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, Sunday, May 24, 2009. The Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks, 6-1. (Andre J. Jackson/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

MCT

'Hawks coach Joel Quenneville wasn't so fond of the officiating, delivering a postgame rant that sounded more like whiny sour grapes and utter frustration than anything rational. At the end of the first period, Chicago's Matt Walker was whistled for roughing Darren Helm during a tussle. The penalty left the 'Hawks short-handed at the start of the second period, and Filppula took advantage with a power-play goal a minute and 13 seconds later that gave Detroit a 3-0 lead.

"I think we witnessed the worst call in the history of sports," Quenneville barked. "They ruined a good hockey game, and they absolutely destroyed what was going on on the ice. We tried to find a way to fight through it. That call, I've never seen anything like it."

He also moped about not getting a couple of other calls when the real issue was his substitute goaltender, Cristobal Huet, who wound up being yanked after allowing four goals on Detroit's first 17 shots. Huet had replaced Nikolai Khabibulin, who was out with -- all together now -- a lower-body situation, and Huet was replaced with 15:55 left in the second period by Corey Crawford, who allowed another goal before Huet returned for the third period. Yes, Chicago has a goaltending problem, which Quenneville realizes but didn't want to address because there's still at least one more game.

Look, Joel, if we're going to discuss the history of sports, let's talk about the Red Wings and their place in it. It's a system that started when Scotty Bowman, now with the 'Hawks in an administrative role, was coaching the Wings in the mid-90s. With owner Mike Ilitch never afraid to spend megabucks, the Wings bought the best talent. But even when the league has had salary-cap restrictions, they've still won because of their scouting and philosophy. The system centers on sacrificing one's self for the greater good, with veterans leading by example and teaching the Hockeytown way and tradition to younger players. They've been the one Original Six franchise that has boomed consistently for two decades, and though the city of Detroit has fallen into despair, the Wings remain a prime destination for elite free agents, including Marian Hossa.

Last summer, Hossa left the Penguins to sign a one-year contract with the Wings. If he keeps performing as he did Sunday, he could be the tipping point in the Pittsburgh rematch. Chicago's best chance to win and tie the series came on a power play eight minutes into the first period, when the puck got past Detroit goalie Chris Osgood and rested tantalizingly about two inches from the goal line as a couple of seconds ticked by. As we've seen through the years, the crisis was averted when a Detroit defenseman flicked the puck away from danger, and seconds later, Hossa took a sweet pass from Valtteri Filppula and scored his first of two goals. To follow a close call with a short-handed goal is vintage Wings. It explains why they now lead the series 3-1, with a chance to close out the 'Hawks on Wednesday night in Joe Louis Arena. Assuming they do that, they'll likely meet Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup finals, with the Wings trying to become the first team to repeat as Cup champions since their double in 1997 and 1998.

"The big thing here today was, as people leave your lineup, you're very conscious of the fact you'd better not play catchup," said Babcock, who didn't know about Lidstrom's absence until he received a call while riding a cab to the arena. "I told the guys that I thought we showed we're a great team. Great teams find a way to overcome anything. I said, 'Let's find a way to dig out of it.' People talk about skill, but at this time of the year, it's all about will, determination and execution."

"We were missing key players on our team. We had to step up," said Hossa who also has struggled to score in the postseason. "I knew I just had to drive to the net more, be more dangerous, be a little more physical. I told myself to play more relaxed and with my instinct."

Regardless of whether you think the Kronwall hit was dirty -- Havlat's head was down, and NBC's Mike Milbury was among those calling it a good, clean hockey play, if also a bit wicked -- the 'Hawks showed their inexperience in allowing it to bother them. Of all people, Campbell demanded a suspension for Kronwall, the same Campbell who leveled Philadelphia's R.J. Umberger in the 2006 playoffs with one of the dirtiest hits imaginable. "It's a head shot," Campbell said. "Or it's just an illegal hit all around. Hit with your shoulder, that's how you're supposed to hit, and finish guys. We've talked about it as a league and as players. I'm on the competition committee, so we've talked about it. We did a league-wide vote, the players want it stopped; they want the fines and suspensions to be there. I don't know what the percentage was, at least 70 percent of players that wanted it addressed with a stiffer penalty. But it keeps happening."

Replied Babcock: "I thought it was a great hockey hit. So far from being gutless, it's not even funny. He did it right. He didn't leave his feet. The puck was right in between the guy's feet. I mean, no way."

The league stood by its officials and didn't issue a suspension. If commish Gary Bettman and the boys are interested in protecting the head and brain, yes, there should have been a suspension. Havlat played Sunday and was among those looking for retaliation at times. The tactics were ill-advised, clouding the 'Hawks' focus in the defining game of the series. Of the 231 teams that have fallen behind 3-1 in an NHL playoff series, only 21 have come back to win. The 'Hawks won't be the 22nd.

That isn't to say they haven't been overly impressive in the big picture. if you want a blueprint on how to resurrect a dead sports franchise, the 'Hawks have provided a masterpiece. Two years ago, when Old Man Bill Wirtz was running the franchise into the ground, the team sold only 3,400 season tickets yet continued the dumbest marketing practice in the history of sports -- no home games on TV -- because Wirtz was protecting the season-ticket holders. Not until Wirtz died could his son, Rocky, save hockey in a major market. He immediately arranged for home telecasts, then hired John McDonough to be president -- the same marketing guru who created the mystique of Wrigley Field as a global shrine and fun zone. In the same time frame, general manager Dale Tallon drafted Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, who have become instant cornerstones for the franchise. The 'Hawks will win a Stanley Cup soon, maybe next year, and they deserve some sort of prize for what Forbes.com calls "the greatest sport-business turnaround ever."

But for now, they must wait and walk the gauntlet. The Red Wings won't relinquish what is theirs until another team is legitimately better. Chicago is not better, and, in all likelihood, Pittsburgh is not better.

"Let's not get carried away here," Babcock warned.

Sorry, I can't help it. This is the best ongoing dynasty in sports. And it's time we appreciate the winged wheel and what it defines, even if the octopus thing is kind of dopey and sick.

Premier Dynasty of Era? Red Wings Making Case originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sun, 24 May 2009 20:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ovechkin, Sid the Kid Give NHL New Life

Jay Mariotti — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:52:00 EST

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, NHL

WASHINGTON -- There are times, when the house lights are down and the Verizon Center is bathed in red, that Alex Ovechkin seems like much more than a rock star and Charles Barkley's choice as the best athlete in sports (remember, LeBron James and the Chuckster are feuding). Really, it's the closest thing I've seen in an arena to a cult revival, with heavy-metal riffs tearing through the lubed-up, raucous crowd and "ROCK THE RED" stenciled menacingly on the ice.

Imagine Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin rising from their graves to see a Russian hockey star, in the cradle of American freedom, rocking the red to the worship of thousands. Ovechkin has that effect on people, and if you haven't seen him in person, do yourself a favor and pay the money to watch him rip the quickest, hardest shot in the game past baffled goaltenders and then, like a human pinball, skate in a mad rush to the nearest sideboard so he can leap, crash into the glass and chest-butt the red-clad fans. He dyed his hair red for the playoffs, though it's hard to tell on his dark-haired mop with bangs that hang into his eyes. When Capitals fans chant "Hey, you suck!" at Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins to the beat of "Rock 'N Roll Part II," Ovechkin smiles and chants along as any 23-year-old would. Know another superstar who hangs his team's car flags on his Mercedes? Or gets a death threat from a Pennsylvania teenager on a computer?

He is precisely what sports needs amid a recession, baseball's endless steroids scandals and the NBA's latest officiating debacles: an electric, dynamic, fan-embracing whirl who scraps with opponents, scores with his strength as much as speed and gives the NHL -- a league with an ongoing identity problem and dubious television deal -- its first transcendent, for-the-masses icon since Wayne Gretzky. I'm not saying Ovechkin can save the league from its niche-sport status. Nor am I saying he's God and can lead the Capitals to the Eastern Conference finals without much support, a major problem as they head to Pittsburgh for Monday's Game 6 down 3-2. The only thing that can quiet the downtown D.C. din is a stunning loss, and on Saturday, two more Ovechkin goals -- his ninth and 10th of the playoffs, including a game-tying rocket with 4:08 left in regulation -- were wasted in overtime when Capitals defenseman Tom Poti deflected a puck into his own net and gave the Penguins a 4-3 victory. Only minutes earlier, Washington's David Steckel botched an opportunity to win it, sending shivers through Capitals fans who sense their team, for the third time since 1992, could be blowing a 2-0 lead and losing a series to Pittsburgh.

"First shift, Stecks missed an empty net," Ovechkin groaned. "I said, 'Jesus, where is our luck?' The puck was bouncing, and next they got a power play and scored a goal."

Alex Ovechkin Photos

MONTREAL - JANUARY 24: Eastern Conference All-Star Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals competes in the 'Scotiabank NHL Fan Fav Breakaway Challenge' during the Honda NHL Superskills competition as part of the 2009 NHL All-Star weekend on January 24, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

Dave Sandford, Getty Images

WASHINGTON - MARCH 27: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates his first period goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 27, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Bruce Bennett, Getty Images

WASHINGTON - MARCH 27: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals checks Matt Smaby #32 of the Tampa Bay Lightning into the boards during a NHL hockey game on March 27, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images)

Mitchell Layton, NHLI / Getty Images

RALEIGH, NC - MARCH 21:Alexander Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates hard for position during a NHL game against the Carolina Hurricanes on March 21, 2009 at RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)

Gregg Forwerck, NHLI / Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA - MARCH 12: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates in towards the crease against Danny Briere #48 and Martin Biron #43 of the Philadelphia Flyers on March 12, 2009 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

Len Redkoles, NHLI / Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA - MARCH 12: A young male fan holds up a sign for Alex Ovechkin during the pregame warm ups at a NHL game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals on March 12, 2009 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

Len Redkoles, NHLI / Getty Images

BOSTON - FEBRUARY 28: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals during warm-up against the Boston Bruins at the TD Banknorth Garden on February 28, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Steve Babineau, NHLI / Getty Images

SUNRISE, FL - FEBRUARY 15: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals sits on the bench during a break in the action against the Florida Panthers at the Bank Atlantic Center on February 15, 2009 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)

Eliot J. Schechter, NHLI / Getty Images

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 03: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on February 3, 2009 in Newark, New Jersey. The Capitals defeated the Devils 5-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

MONTREAL - JANUARY 24: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates during the Honda NHL Superskills competition as part of the 2009 NHL All-Star weekend on January 24, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Mike Stobe, Getty Images

The series has wowed the hockey crowd with can't-miss entertainment featuring the sport's two biggest names. Crosby, 21, is the polar opposite of Ovechkin as a personality, the antithesis of flash and flamboyance, a down-to-earth young man who still lives at the home of Penguins legend/owner Mario Lemieux and has criticized Ovechkin for his post-goal celebrations. They aren't particularly fond of each other, a rarity in a sports world where megastars usually are mutual admirers. And Crosby did himself no favors during an epic game by both players last week. After both delivered hat tricks -- "Sick game. Sick goals by me and him," O.V. said -- Sid The Kid wasn't happy that Washington fans were following tradition and throwing piles of hats on the ice. "People kept throwing hats. I was asking if [the referee] could make an announcement to ask them to stop," he said. "I mean, the first wave came and then I think they were all pretty much picked up, and then more started coming. So for us, we wanted to make sure we kept kind of moving and kept the game going to try to get back in it."

But what they do have in common is their unique place in time, their strong relevance in hockey history. Maybe they aren't the next Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who raised the level of NBA prominence and prosperity in the 1980s. But in a hockey context, Ovechkin and Crosby are luring more eyeballs back to a sport that went flat among the American masses for 20 years.

"It's a war. It's a pretty cool war," Ovechkin said. "I think it's good for fans to see great players play against each other and two great teams play against each other. It's an interesting time, it's an interesting game. It's unbelievable to see how fans react, how fans go crazy."

"There has been a buildup, and I'm sure this is entertaining for people to watch," Crosby said. "But as a player, I still want to win."

Crosby probably will win this series and the chance to advance to his second straight Stanley Cup finals, possibly a rematch with Detroit. Simply, he has more help around him, including the NHL's regular-season scoring leader, Evgeni Malkin, whose pass to Crosby led to the winning goal that bounced off Poti past goalie Simeon Varlamov. "These games come down to mistakes and bounces," Crosby said. "And we got a good bounce there on the last goal."

Ovechkin wasn't as polite. In fact, he made a promise to Washington fans. "They winning right now, but it's not over yet," he said. "If somebody think it's over, it's not over. We lost and we're disappointed, but we're gonna come back here for Game 7."

He wasn't finished. "If we play the same way how we played the first two periods [on Saturday], we're gonna win this series," he declared.

His brashness breathes life into a sport with too many nice, affable guys who are bad quotes -- like, say, Crosby. Of all people to rip Ovechkin's post-goal celebrations as extravagant, how about broadcaster Don Cherry, he of the gaudy attire and motor mouth? "Over the top," said Cherry, "like those goofy soccer guys jumping up and down." Puh-lease. The last thing hockey needs is another boring superstar. I wish there were 10 Ovechkins, but for those of us who would love to love hockey, at least there is one who will be around the next dozen years.

Admittedly, I had a grand, desperate plan to save the NHL that didn't involve him or Crosby. It would revolve around those spectacularly warm-and-fuzzy outdoor classics on New Year's Day -- when the season seems to begin and end with one afternoon of mainstream hype -- and we'd simply schedule them all year long and forget about the league's actual 30 arenas. If Chicago could host a game at the Frozen Confines of Wrigley Field, the creative possibilities were boundless. Los Angeles? Venice Beach. Dallas? On the grassy knoll. Arizona? A rink suspended over the Grand Canyon. Florida? The Everglades. New York? Yankee Stadium, assuming fans aren't locked out holding $1,200 tickets. New Jersey? Bada Bing Club. Colorado? Red Rocks. Minnesota? On one of the 10,000 lakes. Atlanta? Augusta National. Columbus? The Horseshoe. Detroit? The Big House. Carolina? Dean Dome. Boston? On the dirty water. Montreal? Any strip club. Buffalo? Anchor Bar parking lot. Nashville? Grand Ole Opry house.

D.C.? Where do you think?

But then, an amazing thing happened down the street from President Obama's backyard. The two best players in the game collided in a playoff series and turned hockey into a national happening again. "It's why 'they' are 'they,' why Crosby and Alex are who they are," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. "When you build up the hype of superstars playing against each other, and then the superstars play like superstars, it's a neat thing."

And well worth your time, whether you're a puckhead or a hater.

Latest NHL Images

As fans react, Carolina Hurricanes' Tuomo Ruutu, of Finland, is dumped by Boston Bruins' Chuck Kobasew during the second period of Game 5 of an NHL Eastern Conference semifinal hockey series in Boston on unday, May 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

BOSTON - MAY 10: Zdeno Chara #33 of the Boston Bruins celebrates a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinal round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Banknorth Garden on May 10, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zdeno Chara

NHLI via Getty Images

BOSTON - MAY 10: Patrice Bergeron #37 of the Boston Bruins checks Tuomo Ruutu #15 of the Carolina Hurricanes during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinal round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Banknorth Garden on May 10, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Patrice Bergeron;Tuomo Ruttu

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BOSTON - MAY 10: The Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinal round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Banknorth Garden on May 10, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

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BOSTON - MAY 10: Milan Lucic #17 of the Boston Bruins watches the loose puck against Cam Ward #30 of the Carolina Hurricanes during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinal round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Banknorth Garden on May 10, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Milan Lucic;Cam Ward

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BOSTON - MAY 10: Zdeno Chara #33 and Marc Savard #91 of the Boston Bruins celebrate a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinal round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Banknorth Garden on May 10, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zdeno Chara;Marc Savard

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BOSTON - MAY 10: Cam Ward #30 of the Carolina Hurricanes watches the loose puck against Byron Bitz #61 of the Boston Bruins during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinal round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Banknorth Garden on May 10, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Cam Ward;Byron Bitz

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BOSTON - MAY 10: The Boston Bruins celebrate a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinal round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Banknorth Garden on May 10, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

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BOSTON - MAY 10: Zdeno Chara #33 of the Boston Bruins lays on the ice after being hit on the ankle by a stick from the Carolina Hurricanes during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinal round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Banknorth Garden on May 10, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zdeno Chara

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Boston Bruins' Zdeno Chara of Slovakia goes grimaces on the ice after being injured during the second period of Game 5 of an NHL Eastern Conference semifinal hockey series against the Carolina Hurricanes in Boston on Sunday, May 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Ovechkin, Sid the Kid Give NHL New Life originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sun, 10 May 2009 21:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Homers Won't Erase A-Rod's 'Roid Stain

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 08 May 2009 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: MLB, FanHouse Exclusive

BALTIMORE -- Where they make oversized Styrofoam syringes, I'm really not sure. But several fans were waving them Friday night as Alex Rodriguez, charter member of the ever-swelling Superstar Juicers Club, stepped to the plate for his first real at-bat since confirming he used steroids. The home crowd stood, booed lustily and rooted passionately for a strikeout, which qualifies as a keepsake ballpark thrill in the performance-enhancement era.

Instead, their jaws dropped and eyes froze.

On Jeremy Guthrie's first pitch, Rodriguez unleashed the swing that never needed a banned substance to strike awe and fear, launching the baseball on a glorious arc and depositing it into the left-center field stands at Camden Yards. At once, the sudden silence of Orioles fans was replaced by the jubiliation of Yankees fans, who were here by the thousands, raucously celebrating the return of A-Rod and not caring a bit that he's now known as a 'roider for life. The three-run shot staked the long-struggling CC Sabathia to an early lead and helped the Yankees to a 4-0 victory, which meant, for one evening anyway, all was well in the pinstriped universe.

More Coverage: A-Rod Returns in Dramatic Fashion
Overshadowed Sabathia Dazzles

Even though Rodriguez, like Manny Ramirez and Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro and all the others, is a cheat. Or, as a male fan behind home plate shouted at him during his second at-bat, ``Eight-year-old boys are wearing jerseys with your name.''

"To be honest, I was a little nervous,'' he said afterward. "But then I got relaxed and had a good time out there. It's great to play the game I love and help the team win.''

And the homer? "It was awesome," said Rodriguez, who was mobbed by his teammates in the dugout. "It was just nice to get to the ballpark, give the guys a hug and do what I do best. I feel I'm back with my family.''

In a sinful sense, at least some of the pressure is off Rodriguez, if only because he's no longer alone in steroids purgatory. He has been joined in the 2009 steroids clink by Ramirez, and they now can suffer the American wrath together. A jaded public believes that all baseball players are guilty anyway, so, like a pack of politicians we know are filthy, the 'roiders move on with their careers as we move on with our lives. It almost seems fruitless for Rodriguez to try to reclaim his good name, though he was asked in a media crush if redemption is even possible for him.

"I don't know, I really don't know,'' said the King of Bad Karma, taking long pauses to ponder the years ahead. "Look, I've made a lot of mistakes in my career. They've been well-documented. I think I've paid my price, and I'm really excited about the present and the future. Those are the only things I can control from here on out ... I think it's important for me to play baseball, and do what I do. I can't control (public perception). I have nine more years to make a difference.''

He then took aim at himself, not a bad image strategy.

"You look in the mirror and realize that it's time to grow up,'' he said, in quite an admission. "It's time to play baseball. I love the way I did things in '07, but in '08, I kind of went away from my own plan and I have no one to blame but myself. In '09, I have an opportunity to make things right."

Manny or no Manny, life is still going to be hell for Rodriguez. As long as he's the pop-culture creature known as A-Rod -- the nation's most polarizing athlete and a New York-based, tragicomical magnet for controversy in the Internet age -- he'll have to deal with matters that few others will endure in the history of sports. He realizes as much this weekend, where he returned to the lineup of the typically overpriced, underperforming Yankees after his March 9 hip surgery and immediately was blitzed by small-market Orioles fans who view him as a symbol of steroids deceit, big-city arrogance and $270-million greed.

As he learned to do long ago, Rodriguez locked himself in his personal cocoon and played ball. After his home run, he struck out twice and grounded out, a reminder that it will take time before he thoroughly regains his three-time-MVP form. Few doubt that he'll eventually thrive again and re-embark on his now-tainted chase of Henry Aaron's home-run record, a quest whose final number ultimately would require an asterisk just as Bonds' 762 requires one now. What everyone forgets is that he still has eight seasons left, after this year, in his Yankees contract. Unlike Ramirez, who is 36 and ruined a potentially wonderful ending to a now-aborted Hall of Fame career, A-Rod does have a chance to redeem some of what he has lost -- if he stays clean from here on out, which may be impossible to ever know.

"I have nine more years to make my daughters proud,'' he said.

To do so, he'll have to be more forthright about his past. At first Friday, he refused to answer questions about allegations in the Selena Roberts book -- ``ARod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez'' -- that he used steroids as far back as high school. ``Anything that has to do with that book, you guys can ask me all year in five or six different ways, my answer is going to be the same. I'm not answering anything that has to do with that book,'' he said. When asked pointedly about whether he used steroids in high school and during his Yankees career, he finally said, ``The answer is no. I'm not talking about anything more. I've already answered that question." Believe him? How can we when he allowed several years to pass without revealing his dirty secret and didn't go public until Roberts broke the story of his steroids use in Sports Illustrated?

"I'm worried about my book,'' A-Rod said. "I think I still have an opportunity with nine years remaining to have a happy ending.''

Latest Alex Rodriguez

New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, right, hugs starting pitcher CC Sabathia after the Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-0 during a baseball game, Friday, May 8, 2009, in Baltimore. Rodriguez joined the team for the first time this year after recovering from hip surgery. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 8: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees prepares to bat against the Baltimore Orioles on May 8, 2009 at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alex Rodriguez

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BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 8: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees takes a swing against the Baltimore Orioles on May 8, 2009 at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alex Rodriguez

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BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 8: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees prepares to field a ground ball against the Baltimore Orioles on May 8, 2009 at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alex Rodriguez

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Fans hold up a sign in the background as New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez takes a practice swing before batting in the seventh inning of their MLB American League baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore, Maryland May 8, 2009. REUTERS/Joe Giza (UNITED STATES SPORT BASEBALL)

Reuters

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez reacts after pitcher C.C. Sabathia strikes out Baltimore Orioles batter Melvin Mora for the last out of the game in the ninth inning of the Yankees win over the Orioles in their MLB AMerican League baseball game in Baltimore, Maryland May 8, 2009. REUTERS/Joe Giza (UNITED STATES SPORT BASEBALL)

Reuters

New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez misses a ball hit by Baltimore Orioles' Adam Jones during the first inning of baseball game, Friday, May 8, 2009, in Baltimore. Rodriguez joined the team for the first time this year after recovering from hip surgery. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez throws out Baltimore Orioles' Melvin Mora at first base to end the first inning of baseball game, Friday, May 8, 2009, in Baltimore. Rodriguez joined the team for the first time this year after recovering from hip surgery. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez hits a three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, May 8, 2009, in Baltimore. Rodriguez joined the team for the first time this year after recovering from hip surgery. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Bittersweet, maybe. But first things first: He must stay healthy with a hip condition that could dog him for the long term. Like Boston's Mike Lowell and Philadelphia's Chase Utley, who struggled last year after similar operations before returning to prominence this season, Rodriguez may not completely recover until next year. "I talked to both of those guys prior to making the decision of doing this intermediate surgery," he said, saying he's optimistic he won't need a second surgery. "I've been following them closely and it seems like both are doing well. I'm encouraged. It was a little different and they've had a little more time, so I'm interested to see how I react."

Now more than ever, the uniform will be his escape, even with pinstripes adding to the tremendous burden. But if Rodriguez's presence will help the Yankees, he alone can't save a team that is 14-15 and in danger of being baseball's bloated laughingstock once again. In the offseason, management spent $423.5 million on three players. Sabathia, at $161 million, improved to 2-3 with a 3.94 ERA after allowing four singles and st riking out eight in a much-needed, complete-game shutout. Pitcher A.J. Burnett, at $82.5 million, sports a 5.26 ERA. Slugger Mark Teixeira, at $180 million, has a sickly .192 batting average and is leaving tons of runners stranded. Thursday night, in the team's fifth straight loss, the once-untouchable Mariano Rivera was rocked for back-to-back home runs by Tampa Bay for the first time in 862 games. The pitching staff in general, not helped by shoddy middle relief is allowing more than six runs a game. The new Yankee Stadium is cursed, with obscenely priced tickets keeping premium seats empty between the dugouts while an underresearched jet stream has led to a Colorado-like 47 homers hit there in the first 13 games, 32 to right field.

Enter A-Rod.

"None of us is asking him to be the savior. We're just asking Alex to be Alex," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. ``I'm not expecting Alex to hit a home run every time and get a hit every time he comes up and every time there's a runner on he drives them in, but I know it changes the way a team approaches our lineup. It makes our lineup deeper. He's a threat every time he walks up to the plate, there's just so many things he can do.''

Said Rodriguez: "I hope it helps everybody. When you have a full deck, a full lineup, I know that having guys like Johnny (Damon) and (Derek Jeter) and Tex in front of me helps me ... I think it's go nna be very helpful for all of us. If we don't win and I do great, it doesn't matter. If I stink and win, that's the only thing that matters. We have to win.

"When you try to do less, it's more.''

Like him or not, and most do not, A-Rod is a hot potato who creates buzz and sells tickets much like an overindulged Hollywood starlet. His February admission of steroids use, which has expanded to a Major League Baseball investigation into whether he lied about his steroids timetable and tipped pitches in exchange for reciprocation from opponents, is only the beginning of a soap opera that might single-handedly keep New York's newspapers in business. He went through an ugly divorce, accompanied by alleged dalliances with Madonna, ex-madam and Eliot Spitzer squeeze Kristin Davis and numerous other women. His cousin and so-called steroids supplier, Yuri Sucart, was banned from spring training by the Yankees after he showed up to give Rodriguez a ride. His former manager, Joe Torre, wrote a book that revealed his clubhouse nickname: "A-Fraud." Amid the steroids furor and injury break, he allowed Details magazine to profile him in a photo shoot, including a picture of him gazing into a mirror and kissing his reflection. Then there's his awkward place in the Yankees clubhouse, where, after a dubious A-Rod press conference in February that created more questions than answers, Jeter continued his cold war with Rodriguez by asking fans not to believe that every player used steroids, only some.

How does one human being cope with the madness without cracking?

"He's been through a lot in his life," Girardi said. "I don't necessarily think this is going to affect him."

"He's going to have to deal with a lot,'' Damon said. "The baseball field is where he seems to be able to go.''

Somehow, his personal and professional troubles haven't diluted his love of the game -- or his ability to perform, although his career October slumber will hover until he begins to produce in the postseason. "What a hitter. What a player," Guthrie said. "To come off the DL like that, I throw that fastball on the black inside, and he just takes it for a home run. It's a real special at-bat for him. He stepped up in the big moment right there, center stage, and does what he does best."

"It was hard to watch because I love to play so much," Rodriguez said. "It's really weird sitting on the sidelines and just watching my teammates play, and thinking that I could be helping. But I took that time off and it was nice. I was able to rethink a lot of things, refocus on baseball, and I think I'm very excited about the potential of the team."

Never again will it be only about baseball, of course. Regardless of how many home runs he hits, all trust is lost. Alex Rodriguez is just another gifted ballplayer who used steroids when his talent didn't require it, just another asterisk in baseball's toxic wasteland.

Homers Won't Erase A-Rod's 'Roid Stain originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 08 May 2009 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Izzo's Best Coaching Job: Quieting Critics

Jay Mariotti — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:19:00 EST

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, NCAA Basketball

INDIANAPOLIS -- On his tippy toes, he might be 5-10, very easy to lose in the enormity of a football stadium where faces look like matrix dots and crowd noise drifts to the ozone. But no one strikes a larger pose in the Midwest today than Tom Izzo, public defender of the Big Ten's battered self-esteem. If trends and hipness start on both coasts in America, college basketball in the heartland also has been taking on an irrelevant, plodding look, to the point I stopped watching.

And I live in Chicago.

Then came the irked intruder, Izzo, who admittedly is tiring of Digger Phelps, Dick Vitale and the bullhorn campaign that has been anointing the Big East as the greatest conference ever and downgrading the Big Ten into something between a mid-major and YMCA league. Hearing that Michigan State would be served as Sunday brunch for Louisville and the $2,000-suit mystique of Rick Pitino, Izzo spent the eve of the Midwest Regional final launching an impassioned defense of his conference. First, he said the Big Ten hasn't had favorable matchups in this NCAA tournament, which could have been perceived as sour grapes.

"I think sometimes, we anoint a league,'' said Izzo, referring to the Big East. "Sometimes, matchups at this tournament in general for everybody, every year, can determine who wins and loses. Certain teams don't play as well against certain teams. For some reason, you think of Louisville, you think of racehorse basketball. I think we've averaged, like, two points less than them this season. So I'm giving my normal hurrah for the Big Ten because I think too many people, especially some on TV, have abused it.

"I think our conference, top to bottom, is also one of the best in the country. I really do. And I think sometimes, people evaluate that on how many points you score or what goes on or what perception you have. And I don't agree with that.''

When someone challenged him, Izzo fired back. "`When you look at some of these other leagues, if somebody has a couple teams out (of the NCAAs), how do I say this without starting controversy, my favorite subject?'' he said. "You know, we've been in four Final Fours in 10 years. Three of them, we've had two Big Ten teams in it. I didn't hear anybody saying how great the Big Ten was. Case closed.''

His grand speech could have backfired and perpetuated the Big Ten's misery. Instead, it will be remembered for motivating his team to heights not thought possible this March. Rather than perish like the other league clunkers, Michigan State delivered the most fundamentally sound performance of the tournament, using Izzo's time-proven formula of defense, rebounding, offensive balance and toughness to disorient Louisville and eliminate a Big East powerhouse perceived by many -- myself included -- as the national championship favorite.

This could be remembered as a watershed game in the industry. It could lead Pitino to Arizona after Louisville's second straight defeat in the Elite Eight. And it could lead Izzo to Kentucky, which is ready to make him the highest-paid coach in the college game. But first, Izzo is headed to Detroit, to another football stadium where Michigan State wll be the home team in a 72,000-seat configuration and trying to inject joy into a blighted, unemployment-wracked ghost town.

Take that, Big East.

Clearly in his Izzone after the 64-52 romp, he could have gloated, sure. But it's not his style. His statement was left on the court inside Lucas Oil Stadium, where his high-efficiency, high-energy team held the potent Cardinals to their second-lowest point total this season. Remember what we said about Terrence Williams being the best all-around player in the tournament? Scratch that. The Louisville stud was held to five points on 1-of-7 shooting against furious, feisty man-to-man defense while a roulette wheel of MSU weapons -- none bigger than center Goran Suton, who introduced the Final Four to his native Bosnia with 19 points and 10 rebounds -- took turns demoralizing the overall No. 1 seed. Leading this team to the Final Four might be Izzo's finest piece of work, not that he'll say so.

"You don't think I'm going to sit here and rip 'em, do you?'' he said of the Big Ten critics. "I got more class than that. You know, I understand the whole thing. Louisville's a very, very good team. Last year everybody said -- Bobby Knight picked Pittsburgh, and I was saying to myself, me, too. I loved the way Pittsburgh was playing. They played great. Just happened on that day, we were able to beat 'em. I must admit, though, we've been fighting all year for some credibility. I don't know if this does it or not, but it was definitely a big start.''

NCAA Tournament Action

GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 21: Wayne Ellington #22 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives against Garrett Temple #14 of the Louisiana State University Tigers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 21, 2009 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Wayne Ellington;Garrett Temple

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: A Washington Huskies cheerleader performs during a break in the action against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Manny Harris #3 of the Michigan Wolverines jumps to the basket for a lay up against Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Harris

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Zack Novan #0 and Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for the loose ball with Blake Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Gibson;Zack Novak;Blake Griffin

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Willie Warren #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners makes contact as he goes to the basket with Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first hafl during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Willie Warren

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners goes up for the short jump shot against DeShawn Sims #34 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Taylor Griffin;DeShawn Sims

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: JaJuan Johnson #25 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a shot over Jon Brockman #40 of the Washington Huskies in the second half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** JaJuan Johnson;Jon Brockman

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners and Zack Novak #0 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for position to the loose ball in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Novak;Taylor Griffin

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Head Coach Jeff Capel of the Michigan Wolverines yells from the sideline during their game against the Oklahoma Sooners in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Capel

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: Lewis Jackson #23 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a layup as Quincy Pondexter #20 of the Washington Huskies looks on during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lewis Jackson;Quincy Pondexter

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Oh, this does it, all right, at least bringing renewed credibility for Izzo and his program. When Vitale, Phelps and the boys are critical of the Big Ten, they should leave Michigan State out of the equation and realize Izzo has reached the Final Four five times in the last 11 years, more than any program in that span, and now is 5-1 in regional finals. In pulling it off, he reconfirmed his place among the best coaches in the college game and gave the Final Four an unlikely angle: Michigan State playing 90 miles from campus, in Detroit's Ford Field. It's the first time in 15 years, since Duke bussed over to Charlotte, that a team will play a national semifinal in its home state. But Duke staying in North Carolina hardly carries the symbolism of the Spartans playing in a dying city that needs hope and life.

All season, Izzo has emphasized the Ford Field angle. He talked about it with his players before the game. Now, their dream has arrived, with a winnable matchup against Connecticut ahead on Saturday evening. "It's as big a win as our school has had because we're going to Detroit, and that's been a dream and a goal since they announced where the Final Four was in 2009," Izzo said.

He and his players are ready to embrace the bigger meaning of the host site. "It's been a tough time. But our state has been hit maybe as hard as anybody's,'' Izzo said of Michigan's auto-based economy. "I'm just hoping we're a silver lining in what's been a bit of a cloudy year for us. I'm hoping that we're the sunshine, I'm hoping we're something to embrace, be involved with, and I hope they all support us because, you know, I haven't even had time to think about UConn. But they got a guy that is fairly big (7-3 Hasheem Thabeet) and does a pretty good job, and a coach (Jim Calhoun) that's fairly ornery and does a pretty good job. So it should be one helluva game.''

Concurring with Izzo was a familiar face in the sea of green.

"Detroit needs something, Michigan needs something to feel good about," said Magic Johnson, wearing his Michigan State garb in the 30th-year anniversary since his epic NCAA title game against Larry Bird. "Right now, the whole state is feeling good about this Michigan State team."

There is this matter of Kentucky, though. Arguably the most popular guy in the state -- outside University of Michigan precincts, that is -- Izzo will have to decide whether he wants to be a lifer in East Lansing or try another challenge. He has rejected NBA overtures, most recently from the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls, but Kentucky will come at him hard. And given the chance to deny interest, he didn't. "I don't think there's a guy on this planet that would ever say he's not going anywhere, not doing anything," Izzo said Saturday. "But at the same time, I've got so many goals and so many things I'd like to accomplish here yet. When Final Fours come up, Sweet 16s and Elite Eights, Michigan State's name is always in there. (A national title) is my ultimate goal right now. I've still got a lot of work to do to accomplish that. We've put a heck of a dent in it. But when you look at Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, we're not at that level yet, and that's the level I'd like to get to."

As a friend of Tubby Smith, a coach couldn't flee Kentucky quickly enough, Izzo knows about the unrealistic expectations and insane pressures in Lexington. "It's a tough job because it's demanding and expectations are high,'' he said. "But I don't know if there's any job that can put more pressure on a person than he puts on himself if he's really good and he's really competitive and in that mold. I feel pressure at Michigan State, you know, to maintain or even grow from what we've done. At the same level, I did not like what happened to Tubby Smith personally. I just know that I'm happy he's at Minnesota, happy he's in the Big Ten, and sad that now we got to play against each other two, three times a year. It's harder to keep our friendship.''

He was kidding. For all his success, Izzo remains an affable, down-to-earth family guy who buys his own groceries and takes out the garbage. That doesn't mean he isn't a tough S.O.B. Take the War Drill. Upset after a loss in 2000, Izzo asked the Michigan State football coach at the time, Nick Saban, if he could borrow several sets of helmets and shoulder pads. Then he had his players put on the equipment and pound on each other. "We're going to learn how to hit somebody and get a rebound," he told them. To this day, Izzo uses the drill when he thinks his players are fragile. Sometimes, they use pads; sometimes, they don't.

"The war drill has no out of bounds,'' said guard Travis Walton, the team's defensive specialist. "They shoot the ball. It's five-on-five. Everybody just runs at each other, trying to get a little basketball. So we just go at each other, no fouls called. You're grabbing, you're pulling, you're scratching. Sometimes people get to bleeding and different things like that. When they get real tough, we put the football pads on."

Said Izzo: "It seems brutal and cruel, but there is a mission to the madness."

That mission was as apparent Sunday as a poke in the eye or an elbow to the chops. The Midwest may be soft and passe, but don't mess with Michigan State. The short man with the large heart will silence the biggest mouths out there.

Izzo's Best Coaching Job: Quieting Critics originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Worst Job in College Hoops: Kentucky Fried Chaos

Jay Mariotti — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:20:00 EST

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, NCAA Basketball

BOSTON -- Tubby Smith is much too dignified to laugh out loud, or LOL in the text-message age. But for all the abuse he took at Kentucky during a decade that was absolutely dreadful -- a national championship, a 263-83 record, an NCAA tournament appearance every season, just horrendous stuff -- who could blame him if he wanted to giggle to himself Friday?

Seems the bluegrass has turned to fertilizer in Lexington.

Smith's once-golden successor, Billy Gillispie, was dismissed after two tumultuous seasons at the most blueblooded of college basketball programs. Remember when those obnoxious, overscrutinous UK creatures ripped Smith as "Ten-Loss Tubby" and rejoiced when he left for Minnesota? Well, Tubby never lost to Gardner-Webb and VMI at Rupp Arena. And Tubby never lost by 41 at Vanderbilt and at home to a 12-18 Georgia team when the Wildcats were trying to create late momentum for an NCAA bid. And Tubby never would blow games with confounding substitution patterns. And Tubby wouldn't have had two studs on his roster, an explosive scorer in Jodie Meeks and a skilled big man in Patrick Patterson, and settled for an NIT booby prize, breaking an 18-year streak of invites to the biggest March gala.

Yeah, we all should be laughing out loud at the arrogance of Kentucky. It hangs a state's entire identity on a basketball program and expects the coach to be a folksy local ambassador who makes the Final Four every spring, only to freak out when the powers-that-be don't do their homework and watch Billy Clyde become an aloof, disoriented flop. Maybe the bluebloods should realize Kentucky, which hasn't been to a Final Four since it last won a national title in 1998, no longer is America's premier program. It's stuck in the middle of the muck now, certainly not on the plateau of North Carolina, Kansas and -- this is going to hurt like a backhair-peeling session -- Louisville.

Predictably, Friday felt a lot like the last time Kentucky needed a coach. When Smith left, huge names were immediately targeted, but Florida's Billy Donovan said no and Villanova's Jay Wright and Texas' Rick Barnes rebuffed interest. Once again, before Gillispie could put the FOR SALE sign in his front yard, UK officials were on the horn with Donovan this week. How humiliating that they're now 0 for 2.

"In response to the rumors circulating about my interest in other jobs, I wanted to address this as quickly as possible. I am committed to the University of Florida and look forward to continuing to build our program here," Donovan said in a statement Friday, amid false reports he had cut a deal with Kentucky.

That must be a record for the quickest job-squelching denial.

You never know about Donovan's wavering mind -- he flipped after accepting the Orlando Magic job and returned to Florida -- but more likely, the search will center on two candidates. One is very well-known, Memphis' John Calipari, who is tiring of the Conference USA-is-weak stigma and might be ready for a new challenge after losing to Missouri in the Sweet 16. The other, Oklahoma State's Travis Ford, has a lower profile but passes political muster as a former Kentucky guard. Athletic director Mitch Barnhart will call Wright, Barnes and Michigan State's Tom Izzo, among others, but all would be making lateral moves and shouldn't be expected to leave. "It's a crazy business we're in," Wright said here Friday as Villanova prepared for the East Regional final against Pitt. "I always used a line with our assistants when they complain about things -- it's like The Godfather, this is the life we chose. It is what it is. You have to deal with it this time of year.

"I feel very fortunate I'm in a spot I don't have to deal with it. I'm happy to be at Villanova. I don't want to be anywhere else. Someone mentions your name, you're flattered. You're crazy if you don't say that, or you're not being truthful if you don't say that. But I don't want my name mentioned anywhere. I love Villanova. I've got a great athletic director, great president. As long as those guys are there, I'm good. And I can concentrate on coaching. A lot of times when you're not in that position, it's distracting."

Distracting? Gillispie was so rattled by the Kentucky experience, he twice berated an ESPN female sideline reporter, Jeanine Edwards, who reportedly had rejected his romantic flirtations in the past. Did you see him Friday, literally running away from a TV camera crew when he entered the basketball complex? I didn't know whether to laugh or give him a hug. The other night, after a loss to Notre Dame in the NIT, he turned religious, saying, "There's only one judgment that I'll really ever be concerned about, and I hope I pass that judgment. That's the only one I will ever be concerned about, and I'm really proud that's the only judgment that will ever have a real effect on me, and I hope I pass that one with flying colors."

Wow. Heavy. If I were advising any coach interested in the Kentucky job, I'd suggest you stay where you are.

Unless you want to be the next KFC.

Kentucky Fried Coach.

"All I know is to go to work, recruit, coach," Gillispie said on his final radio show. That's not nearly enough at Kentucky, where they want you to kiss babies, hug grandmothers, speak at the Rotary Club and be the biggest guy in the state. Rick Pitino and Joe B. Hall pulled it off, probably because they also were winning national championships. Smith never pulled it off because the drought grew lengthy after his first title and, well, some people in the state are bigots. Gillispie, a workaholic, never even attempted to schmooze the UK masses. They may have accepted his standoffish attitude if he'd won, but in his two years, he went 2-10 against top 25 opponents -- 0-5 this season. "A lot of teams would be happy with 22 (wins), but not always around here when it's not the right 22," Gillispie said.

At a press conference Friday, Kentucky officials made it clear that he wasn't what they wanted in a coach. "You have to be an ambassador to this program," said the school president, Dr. Lee Todd. "He had a lack of understanding that this job is a complete job that requires a lot more than just coaching and recruiting. It's kind of like the president's job; nobody ever writes out exactly what you have to do, but there is a lot to it. And philosophically, I think we need someone who nurtures the entire Big Blue Nation, has the philosophy that this is a very unique opportunity, a very unique job and it's one that is a lot broader."

"This is not just another coaching job,'' Barnhart said. "(Gillispie) spoke to things that were not in his job description, just about winning and losing and improving. This program is bigger than that. There's much more to it than that. It's something that you watch over a period of time, and this season came to an end and it became apparent that there were some differences in where we wanted to be. Sometimes, it's not the right fit, and that's my responsibility."

It's possible there is no right fit at Kentucky. We should have known this marriage was doomed when Gillispie refused to sign a contract that paid him $2.3 million a year. He never really explained why, but it was obvious he didn't trust someone or something. By not signing it, he botched a $6 million buyout, which goes down among the dumber contractual moves in coaching history. "Suffice it to say, it will be less than that," Barnhart said of the buyout amount.

Zero? Less than zero?

In retrospect, Billy Clyde Gillispie should have stayed at Texas A&M, a football school where hoops expectations are low and his performance level was high. He dared to take the Big Blue Gamble and let it end in tragicomedy, with a beaten man sprinting away from a camera crew, fleeing as quickly as possible from his basketball hell.

The coaching profession should take notes. Kentucky is a bad, bad job.

NCAA Tournament Action

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Worst Job in College Hoops: Kentucky Fried Chaos originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pitt Has Mighty Muscles - Not Stuff to Win

Jay Mariotti — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 21:04:00 EST

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, NCAA Basketball

DAYTON, Ohio -- DeJuan Blair's arms are so humongous, he wears bicep bands, tiny strips of cloth stretched to the brink of snapping. At 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds, he could play tight end in the NFL or enter the Octagon, proving it Sunday when he shook off a furious collision that left Oklahoma State's Byron Eaton literally crying in pain on the bench. Levance Fields, too, could put on the big pads as a safety, absorbing a blindside pop in the chops and bouncing right back up. Sam Young? A 6-6, 220-pound wideout, no doubt, when he isn't listening to Go-Go music.

No. 1 Pitt 84, No. 8 Oklahoma St. 76: AP Recap | Box Score | Bracket | Scores
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What America wants to know, though, is whether these three astounding athletes can lead the University of Pittsburgh to a national championship in ... basketball. And my continuing take, after watching Pitt nearly blow its second-round game after almost becoming the first No. 1 seed to succumb to a No. 16 seed, is a firm no. This team tempts fate too often. This team doesn't handle the ball well against smothering pressure, as shown in a gruesome performance against East Tennessee State. This team lapses into mysterious lull periods and grows careless, such as when Fields lazily whipped a cross-court pass halfway to Chillicothe, allowing Oklahoma State to rally and take a late lead. This team isn't as technically solid as the elite contenders, relying on explosiveness and board-pounding but capable of losing to anyone at any time.

Even Fields, who recovered Sunday to make the biggest three-pointer of his life and lead Pitt on its 84-76 survival mission, acknowledged that his club isn't playing its best basketball when the urgency of the NCAA Tournament demands it. "Right now we're not,'' he said. "But it's just about getting it done and finding ways to win. And we had two tough games, but in both games, we found a way to win. The thing that probably (hurts) the most is turnovers, 18 (Friday) and 14 (Sunday). We've got to cut down on that. We average about 10 in the season. With us cutting down on that, it gives us more opportunities for shots, gives us more opportunities for offensive rebounds for the ball. Right now, we're not on all cylinders, but this tournament is about surviving and advancing.''

"It's a tough bracket we're in," argued Blair, who managed 10 points and 12 rebounds after a first-half collision that left him with back pain. "We're just fighting through it."

NCAA Tournament Action

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Tough bracket? East Tennessee State and Oklahoma State? Sorry, we need to see Pitt do more than survive and advance this time. Style points matter more in a program dogged by the stigma of never having reached a Final Four, at least in the tournament's modern era. Since 2002, first with Ben Howland and then with disciple Jamie Dixon, the Panthers have averaged 27 wins a season. But they've never cracked through to the Elite Eight, making their top seeding in the East Region something of a flimsy perch. Survive and advance? That isn't what Connecticut did in its collective 82-point slaughters. That isn't what North Carolina, Villanova, Syracuse and Oklahoma did. Those teams made statements in both rounds. Pitt, which has talked of making history, just about made history of the wrong sort in committing 18 turnovers and giving up 19 offensive rebounds in its opener. If ETSU made more than half its free throws, Pitt would have lost the game -- and lost face forever.

Xavier would seem a favorable opponent in the Sweet 16 in Boston, but that's the round where Pitt traditionally goes to die. And knowing how Villanova offers its own brand of physicality, I'm starting to like Jay Wright's chances of reaching the Final Four more than Dixon's. Another year without a national championship means another year outside the sport's pantheon, looking in. Dixon knows that won't sit well with those who cares about such things.

"It puts you on a different level,'' he said of a national championship. "That separates you. We need to win one to put ourselves on the same level with those schools that have."

Is this team capable? "We can put the ball in the basket,'' Dixon said. "We're unselfish, and we've got balance inside and out. I know they've got stats that show as far as points per possession, and we've kind of been at the top of the country the entire year. The only thing recently is the turnovers have been higher than usual. That's not characteristic of us, and that's the thing we've got to control and do a better job of. So we're going to really emphasize that here in the coming days.''

Pitt can be proud of the way it finished against Oklahoma State. The Big Three made every big play in the deciding moments, starting with a layup by Fields and his dagger three from the corner, made possible by a Young pass and pick. With 40 seconds left, Blair went high for yet another offensive rebound and scored on a putback, easing the tension. This team's game is rebounding and brute force, with a 42-21 advantage (19-5 on the offensive boards). But here's a better question: Why does a team with such lopsided edges struggle so often? Oklahoma State went daffy in the first half with 10 three-pointers, but had only two in the second half. How did the Cowboys stay in until the end?

"Our guys were in there scrapping and clawing and doing everything possible they could to rebound," coach Travis Ford said. "We would go up 10 feet and Blair and Young would go up 11."

Young also scored 32 points, consistently nailing first-half treys to keep with OSU. That's the thing about Pitt -- Fields, Young and Blair are three of the biggest stars of March. But sometimes, the three aren't clicking at once. "I didn't really give my team nothing in the first half," Blair said. "I'm going to have games like that. But when we're all clicking, we're going to be tough to beat."

It's getting late, gentlemen. At least Young was there with the bailout plan. "I was in the zone,'' he said. "I shot it well from three the last game, and I wanted to come back out and try to piggyback off of that. And I started taking a couple of shots and everything started opening up for me. It all just came together.''

Blair avoided foul trouble, the fatal flaw in Pitt's losses this season. But now he has to worry about his back after his violent dust-up with Eaton. "I was out for a hedge, and he came shoulder first into my leg and it pushed my leg back a little bit,'' he said. "It was a little stinger, I guess. You saw how everybody was scared for a minute. I was scared myself. When I went to the (locker room), I was back there aching. It was hurting. I got stretched back there and it was all right. I'm just going to ice it and hopefully it will be better.''

Louisville, my favorite to win it all, had a similar late scare in the nightcap at the University of Dayton Arena, a submerged hall that looks like a junior-high school gym beside the fast-food joints and trucks of Interstate 75. Mighty Siena, one of those charming darlings that still bring romance to March, went on a run and took a four-point lead with seven minutes left. Imagine a Catholic liberal arts school of 3,000 students, upending a No. 1 seed in one of the colossal upsets ever. But the difference between Pitt and Louisville is Rick Pitino, the master, who called successive timeouts and reminded his players to emphasize their trademark defense. It helps to have the tournament's most complete player is Terrence Williams, who took responsibility late with his scoring, rebounding and passing. When he was growing up, Williams emulated Michael Jordan. Now?

"Magic Johnson always looked to pass, and he always smiled," Williams said. "That's where I get it from."

Fields isn't quite as smooth. He actually looks a little soft in the middle. But if Pitt is going far, he'll avoid the bad cross-court passes and continue dominating in crunch time. "Being a leader and a point guard, I take the blame," he said. "I'm not trying to take it to be a hero or a scapegoat. It's just the truth. It starts with me. As a point guard, that's what you always want. And I like to think my coach and my teammates all trust me in that situation, having the ball. Down the stretch, Sam did a great job of being unselfish and throwing it back out to me, and it was an open shot and I made it.''

Though we've seen some fabulous finishes and fun games, there is an air of predictability so far. For the first time in tournament history, the top three seeds went 24-0. I originally picked four Big East teams -- Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse and UConn -- to reach the Final Four.

I still like three of them.

Pitt Has Mighty Muscles - Not Stuff to Win originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 21:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caution Advised on Calhoun's Nice Story

Jay Mariotti — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: FanHouse Exclusive, NCAA Basketball

PHILADELPHIA -- Uh, oh. Jeff Adrien was posing for the cameras and woofing, enjoying this blowout a little too merrily. You could say it was a "Yo, Adrien!'' moment in Rocky Balboa's city, and while Connecticut was comfortably en route to a 92-66 rout of Texas A&M, my eyeballs instinctively shifted to Adrien's coach, Jim Calhoun, who doesn't suffer self-posturing well and needs no stress in his life.

Impressively, he handled the scene with aplomb. Calhoun looked at Adrien, lifted both hands in a stop-it gesture and simply said, "Don't.'' We can't promise he'll handle future flashpoints as calmly, knowing him as a maniacal competitor who paces the sideline, chomps gum furiously and might emasculate an official as quickly as he shouts down a political activist inquiring about his salary. "I did yell a couple things out,'' he said to laughter in the media room. "My wife will tell me about them later.''

But it was good to see the rascal have an easy afternoon Saturday. Because too much of his life has been utter hell.

As anyone with a pen and bracket knows, Calhoun was hospitalized Thursday and missed UConn's first-round derailing of Chattanooga. This was major news, in that the Hall of Famer's ongoing health problems have become one of college basketball's bigger stories. It was the third time he has missed an NCAA tournament game, the 21st time he has missed a game in his career. Last spring, he battled cancer for the second time, undergoing surgery to remove a lump in his neck and following up with radiation treatments. Six years ago, he battled prostate cancer. A season doesn't pass without something attacking the man's soul, such as the stress and exhaustion that forced him away last season and the shingles that got him in January. This time, fortunately, doctors here said he was nothing more than dehydrated and gave him a clean bill of health after a full-blown examination and overnight hospital stay.

"I started bargaining with them to get out of there as quickly as I could, using tickets and anything I possibly could,'' said Calhoun, joking about his doctors and nurses. "T-shirts being sent to their children, their next of kin -- anything I could do to get out of there early ... But bottom line is that (when wearing a hospital) bracelet, unless you can whip up on a couple security guards, you're not going anyplace. And I wasn't going anyplace.

"Quite frankly, I feel good now. I didn't realize I was that healthy. But I'll preface that by saying no psychiatric tests were taken. So keep that in mind.''

At 66, in a demanding profession that tortures the body and mind, Calhoun knows he must be especially careful. Coaches are still stunned by the death of Wake Forest colleague Skip Prosser, who died of a heart attack in his office two years ago after going for a jog. When Calhoun was a teen, his father died of a heart attack, forcing a 15-year-old to help take care of a large family that included five siblings. There are people in the game who root for Calhoun to win his third national championship, or at least reach the Final Four, so he can retire on top with his health intact.

Good luck with the retiring part.

NCAA Tournament Action

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"It isn't like it happens every single day,'' said Calhoun, who pointed out that he has coached 1,144 games. "I haven't had a great run over the last year, at least it seems, from cancer to shingles to this, although this was not an illness really -- it was something where I didn't feel well. I've been there for most of the games (in his career). Missed a few. Some of those, obviously, were for prostate cancer.''

And it's not like Coach Type A is going to downshift his intensity at this point in life. "On occasion, the (players) tell me I'm a little bit high strung and nervous. I say, there's a guy named Bill Russell who threw up before every game,'' Calhoun said. "He turned out OK, the greatest winner ever. There is no game that I've ever approached that I don't feel that in my stomach, OK?

"I've been in national championship games. I've been in a lot of different kinds of situations. I've always probably been stressed in every single game. As a matter of fact, the only thing I shared with Russell, as a player, is the fact there was never a game where I didn't feel really, really ready to go before the game. I mean, really ready to go. The point being, it's a natural inclination of mine. I've had players ask me the same thing. I've had people I've become friendly with who are actors, public speakers. Do you get kind of a rush? Everybody handles it differently. Everybody's body handles it differently.''

Has anyone tried to advise him? "I don't know of any tip -- except maybe not coach basketball, not doing something competitive,'' he said. "But whatever it is, I'll find a reason to make it competitive. You know what I'm saying? Reading a book? I'd see if I could do it the fastest of anybody who's ever read a book. Point being, that's my nature. A woman (reporter) asked me very nicely earlier, 'Are you type A?' What's beyond that? That's a trick question, I know.''

Motivated by Calhoun's health situation, the Huskies have ripped their first two opponents by a combined 82 points. That ties the 1999 Duke team for the most decisive results in an opening weekend -- the same Duke team that UConn beat for Calhoun's first national championship. Want more potential karma? In '99 and 2004, Calhoun had to miss NCAA tournament games. Both years, UConn won national titles.

Hmmm.

"I didn't know that,'' said Hasheem Thabeet, the 7-3 center. "That's very interesting to know.''

"Maybe it's an omen or something. Hopefully, it is,'' Calhoun said. "It doesn't seem that my body picks its spots.''

The players clearly respect this man. They had no doubt he'd be back for the second round. "He's just fought through so many things in his life. A little sickness wouldn't prevent him from coaching,'' said Adrien, who had 23 points and eight rebounds on Saturday. "He's a fighter, and basically, that's who we are. He pushes us to go to the next level, to go higher and expect more and more from ourselves, because that's what he does. He expects that out of himself. He's going to keep on fighting, so we're going to keep on fighting."

"He definitely does rub off on us,'' said A.J. Price, who had 27 points for a team that shot 58 percent against defensively-challenged A&M. "If you're not tough, a tough person mentally, you couldn't play under coach Calhoun. That's the only way I can really put it. His toughness carries over to us. It translates from practice to game time.''

Without injured guard Jerome Dyson, UConn has slipped in some eyes as a serious March player. But those who doubted the team's resilience after its six-overtime loss to Syracuse last week now are rethinking positions. Thabeet gives them a shot-blocking element unlike any in the college game. Price and Adrien are big-time players. They're still the No. 1 seed in the West Region, and they're still on a collision course to play maligned and angry Memphis in the regional final in an Arizona football stadium. For now, Calhoun is thrilled to see his team playing so well.

"This is kind of a nice moment for me. This team brought me a great deal of joy,'' he said. "I truly believe that they're really, really focused on being the best they can be. It was not a game where I had to get them going. They were very focused on their own. They came in really with a purpose. I don't think it's a chip, but it's a purpose, no question.''

There was a preliminary game, if you can call it that. If the NCAA was in the fairness business, Villanova wouldn't have been playing a home game in the East Regional. But the NCAA is in the filling-seats business, which explains why the Wildcats had a ridiculous home-court advantage in their cakewalkish, 89-69 victory over UCLA. It's not that we should feel sorry for the Bruins; they had an inconsistent year and, as a sixth seed, had no right to beef about a 2,700-mile trip if this actually was a neutral site. The Wachovia Center, 16 miles down the Main Line from the Villanova campus, was no neutral site.

Villanova cruised into the Sweet 16 with a blowout win over UCLA.

It was a home game for coach Jay Wright, just as it was Thursday in a tense win over American University. The navy-clad fans were rocking and screaming, creating a rare partisan edge in an event built on impartiality in the stands. The old 1985 miracle-maker, Rollie Massimino, sat behind the bench in what felt like a Philly love-in. I was waiting for Rocky to show up. Villanova has played more than 40 games in the home arena of the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers, usually against major Big East rivals, and the players know the nuances of the Wachovia. "It's the way the NCAA set it up, and I wouldn't argue with you," Wright said. "I'd rather play here than play in California, there's no doubt in my mind. There are advantages to being home."

"When the crowd kicks in here, you can just feel the energy," said Villanova's Dante Cunningham, who scored 18. "It helps take your game to another level."

"They're always loud, very into the game for the entire game,'' teammate Dwayne Anderson. "It definitely helped us.''

That's a problem. Why should Villanova have such an advantage when 64 other teams in the NCAA tournament do not? It's one thing for North Carolina and Duke to play an hour from their campuses in Greensboro Coliseum, which isn't a home court for either. It's quite another to play in your "home away from home,'' as Villanova calls the arena in its media guide, and dress in your own locker room. Worse, Wright and his bosses seemed to plot the advantage when they scheduled only three games at Wachovia this season, circumventing a rule that doesn't allow an NCAA team to play in an arena where it had at least four home games in a season. They conveniently moved two games next door to the Spectrum, the old relic that soon will meet a wreckingball.

"We understand this is the only true road game in the NCAA tournament,'' UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "I think it's obviously an advantage to be in your familiar, backyard surroundings -- there's no question about that. Whether the game would have been any different if it had been played anywhere else is something we'll never know ... They know the place. They even know about the dead spots on the floor."

Well, not exactly. As Villanova's Reggie Redding pointed out, "It's actually not even the same courts. The NCAA brought their own courts in this year.''

Truth be told, UCLA delivered such a soft, wimpy performance that it probably wouldn't have mattered where the game was played. So intimidated was Darren Collison by Villanova's physicality, the UCLA point guard kept complaining to the officials. "I was talking to the official because I thought they were fouling too hard," Collison said. "They were a physical team. It's nothing we haven't seen in the Pac-10. We've played a lot of physical teams in the Pac-10."

It comes off as West Coast whining, especially when UCLA committed 20 turnovers and was outrebounded 41-29. "I mean, if he thought we were playing rough ... We were playing our game,'' Redding said. "That's the way we play every game. He's going to the ref complaining -- we don't pride ourself on other teams going and complaining to the ref. We saw it, just kept coming at them. I think we won the battle.''

Still, this was a sham that clearly helped Villanova, a Big East team that needs no help. By halftime, the fans streamed out of the building, leaving thousands of empty seats for UConn and Texas A&M, which also was unfair.

Not that Jim Calhoun cared. He was happy, healthy and coaching again.

But he must be careful. The next hospital visit might not be as kind.

Caution Advised on Calhoun's Nice Story originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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